Yardbarker: Kristian Huselius

The Unexpected: Calgary Flames

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 11:41:03 -0500

*NOTE*: I will be writing a series of blogs discussing a handful of teams whose expectations were minimal to start the season or even now. Within these teams, I believe one will take home the Stanley Cup to their franchise. So far, I've I wrote about two of these clubs, the Montreal Canadiens and the New York Rangers.

The Calgary Flames didn't start off with loads of potential going into the season, but with each passing game the club is finding their identity, one that got them into the Stanley Cup Finals a few years ago.

They began the year entrenched with inconsistency, frustration and false hope. Personally, I had them penciled out of the playoffs as soon the doom and gloom was in full effect. But one of the main reasons I think differently now is because of the way they're turning this ship around, and finding it within themselves to perform at a new level.

Bare with me when I predict such a thing as the Flames winning the Cup, because the gears aren't in full capacity yet, and the club has some questions to overcome. For one, while superstar goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff is performing better in the last months, he needs to reestablish himself as one of the teams franchise players. He struggled from the get-go, posting one of the league's worst stats amongst goaltenders, but since then he has gone nowhere but upward, slowly displaying the skills that made him a coveted top 5 goaltender just last season. Being a big fan of "Kipper", I've always admired his concentration, sound positioning and ability to perform at new levels in big games -- something that has slipped from him a bit this season. However, things are beginning to look promising going into the playoffs, with a 5-2-2 record, 1.79 GAA, and a .948 SV% in his last 9 games, Kiprusoff is delivering the kind of goaltending that is required to win the Stanley Cup.

Perhaps the most integral part to any Flames success is that of Captain Jarome Iginla. The 30-year old, Alberta native is dominating the NHL this season, placing 3rd amongst forwards in points with 86 -- 44 of those being goals. His lethal shot, blazing speed and team character has not gone unnoticed, and he remains a fan favorite in Calgary for his efforts. In the 2003 NHL Playoffs, "Iggy" posted an impressive 13 goals and 22 points in 26 games. If the Flames want to make it that far again, Iginla will have to raise his game even more, further proving he is the ultimate leader for this team.

When speaking of impact players on the Flames, it's hard not to think of Alex Tanguay. While he has not enjoyed a productive season (16G, 52PTS), he is crucial to any kind of Stanley Cup run the Flames might embark on in April. His tremendous speed, soft hands, and creativity are what make him such a versatile playmaker. He has the potential to be the Flames second best forward, and if he can find his game, he will prove to be a valuable linemate to Iginla on the powerplay.

Kristian Huselius is adding to his break-out performance last year, the 29-year old has compiled 64 points and 24 goals this season, proving to be one of the Flames most reliable scorers. The fast, skillful playmaker showed his true potential in the 06-07 NHL campaign, where he garnered an impressive 77 points and 34 goals to end the season. If the Flames want balanced scoring, they canâ??t depend solely on Iginla, it's up to players like Huselius to form a reliable supporting cast.

As we all know, defense wins championships, and it all starts with Dion Phaneuf. He is a hitting machine, laying out any opponents that stand in his way. To go along with that, he possesses a big shot from the point that is capable of making him a consistent 20+ goal scorer in the NHL (he has already reached 20 goals in just his rookie season). What makes Phaneuf so special is that he is displays a remarkable two-way game for a young defenseman. While he is not perfect in his own end, he continues to improve and shows signs of becoming a Norris Trophy winner in the very near future.

Daymond Langkow is enjoying another productive season, scoring 27 goals and 60 points so far. While he lacks the consistency to be a true first line center, his two-way ability has made him a vital part to the second line. At 31 years old, Langkow implements some veteran presence to this Flames club, further stabilizing the conservative game that has brought much of the Flames success.

In Robyn Regehr, the Flames have their shut-down defenseman. Regehr displays a great hockey sense, defensive responsibility, an exemplary work ethic, and a big frame. While he is not a threat offensively, he has a fairly accurate point shot, making him more mobile in key situations. At 27-years old, Regehr will get better, and eventually establish himself as one of the gameâ??s best defensive defenseman.

With this core intact, the Flames have a shot at winning the Stanley Cup. Playing at full potential, they can display the physical edge, balanced scoring and spectacular goaltending that it requires in the prolonged weeks ahead.

2008 Fantasy Hockey Rankings: Left Wings

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 23:21:14 -0500

FIO staff writer Tim Hays breaks down the Top 25 left wingers heading into fantasy hockey drafts this season, including in-depth analysis about the Top 10 and some notes about the remaining players on the list... and don't forget some sleepers listed.

Updates from the last two weeks...

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 18:47:13 -0500

By: Bethany

Bethany's Hockey Rants

Sorry I have been so out of the loop these past couple of weeks. I could give you excuse after excuse, but really, I just didn't have time to blog due to prior commitments. So, lets get caught back up on everything, and then I can get back into the swing of things, and blog every day like I am supposed to.

I will start with the most important news of this off season, Nikita Filatov. Filatov is expected to get his visa by the end of this week. He will come to Columbus and train, and get prepared for the season. There IS a chance that Filatov is ready for the NHL, so I am anxious to see him in training camp. I would link to the Puck-Rakers blog post that says all this, but it comes up a blank space…I think they need someone to help them. Nikita Filatov means Inconquerable God Guard…a great find by Aaron Portzline.

Richard Matvichuk will likely come to training camp as a non-roster tryout. The Columbus Blue Jackets also are inviting Jon Mirasty, Dan Smith, Trevor Frischmon, and Brian McGuirk. For more information on all of these fellows, be sure to check out this post, by Puck-Rakers.

Now, for the fun part. Aaron Portzline also posted all the numbers that our new Jackets will be sporting this season, so here it goes:

Kristian Huselius ~ #20

RJ Umberger ~ #18

Jakub Voracek ~ #93

Fedor Tyutin ~ #51

Andrew Murray ~ #15

Raffi Torres ~ #14

Mike Commodore ~ #22

Christian Backman ~ #5

Nikita Filatov ~ #28

Interesting group of numbers there. I am getting so anxious about hockey season, it is getting a bit ridiculous. Also, I am proud to say that I will be writing for my University's paper, doing sports. Not a clue what sports I will be writing about yet, but it is going to be a ton of fun to get the experience.

Scott Howson answered some questions from Dispatch readers, and it is a really great read, so be sure to check it out. He addresses issues like Russell would have been better off in the AHL last season, right? And, when will playoff tickets go on sale?

Adam Pineault, one of the Blue Jackets prospects, is volunteering at a fire station. The Dispatch boys have an entire article up on it, and it is really an interesting read.

So there are my updates for the last two weeks. I will continue working on my looks at the teams, and I will hopefully have the Jackets defense post up at some point this evening.

Could Next Year Be Close in Columbus?

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 12:14:36 -0500

Browns Fan: After their sixth consecutive season at or near the bottom of the standings, the Jackets hired a new GM in 2007, to go with their fourth (fifth if you count the interim coach in 2006) coach since 2000. The new GM inherited a team in disarray, devoid of talent. Sound familiar? Cavs Fan: The Jackets only have one bona-fide star in left-winger Rick Nash, and are currently trying to build a team around him to loosen up a stagnant offense and thus entice him to sign a contract extension in the summer of 2010, even as writers rush to push him out the door to hockey haven Toronto. Sound familiar? Tribe Fan: The Jackets are small-market free-agent also-rans, and they have been waiting for years for the young talent in their farm organization to make the jump to the NHL and to contribute to a winning team. Sound familiar? Buckeye Fan: Err, well, they play their home games in Columbus. I guess 3 out of 4 ain't bad… The bottom line: the Blue Jackets are in fact the only team in the entire history of the NHL never to make the playoffs. If this isn't an Ohio sports fan's kind of team…

Marian Hossa Stuns The World

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 12:27:01 -0500

Marian Hossa has signed a mind-boggling deal with the Detroit Red Wings. What could his decision making process have been, and where do the Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins go from here?

WHO WILL THE MAPLE LEAFS SIGN?

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 03:45:43 -0500

by Mike Jack, Staff Writer

General Manager, Cliff Fletcher has accumulated quite the pile of money by relinquishing the likes of Darcy Tucker, Andrew Raycroft, Hal Gill, Chad Kilger, Kyle Wellwood and Wade Belak. Captain, Mats Sundin, Dominic Moore and John Pohl are unrestricted free agent that may not sign back with the team. The only restricted free agent from the Leafs is Matt Stajan. He's been given a qualifying offer by the Leafs which will apparently go to arbitration if he doesn't sign an offer sheet with another team. I think Stajan is too much of a Leafs fan to sign with another team though.

With the NHL free agent signing period just three days away (July 1^st), it could be a wild free agent season for the rebuilding Toronto Maple Leafs. If the Leafs choose not to go for their own unrestricted free agents, they'll have about $18 million in cap space available to sign younger unrestricted free agents with their only real roster needs being three forwards and a back-up goalie.

So, with $18 million to spend, here are the top five players the Leafs should offer a contract to on July 1^st:

5. Jeff Finger, Defenseman

The Leafs may need a defensive defenseman on their second defensive pairing. Hal Gill was suppose to be that guy last year, but a younger defensive player like Finger or Brooks Orpik will do them one better. They'll definitely need another defenseman or two if they decide to trade Pavel Kubina this summer or if they send McCabe to the minors. If they make either of those moves, they may use the cap space they'll save to get a younger offensive defenseman as well.

4. Wade Dubielewicz, Goaltender

With the buying out of Andrew Raycroft and farmhand, Scott Clemmenson becoming an unrestricted free agent, the Leafs need a back-up for Vesa Toskala. Some may say they should give Justin Pogge a shot, but Justin Pogge definitely needs to learn how to be a consistent AHL goalie before he sees any time in the NHL. Pogge was Clemmenson's back-up for most of the Marlies play-off run. Unlike Raycroft, Dubielewicz know his role as a back-up. He prepares himself as such by training himself to be ready to save his team when his starter goes down. When Toskala was hurt last season and the Leafs needed Raycroft to step up, they went on a huge losing streak. Dubie may not have had a lot of wins last season, buy his .919 save percentage speaks for itself. Other younger back-ups the Leafs may go for should include Alex Auld and Curtis Sanford. Any of these goalies could be signed for less than half of what Raycroft was making.

3. Patrick Rissmiller, Winger

Rissmiller is a tough third line player that has played under coach, Ron Wilson. He along with newly acquired Jamal Mayers could help fill the gap in grit left by the absence of Tucker, Kilger and Belak. If they don't get Rissmiller, then maybe they could go for Matt Cooke.

2. Kristian Huselius, Winger

During this free agent season, the major thing the Leafs need is a super-star forward in their 20's - maybe even two or three if they decide to trade Jason Blake. Huselius may not be a super-star yet, but he is the second best younger unrestricted forward available. He had 25 goal and 66 points 2007-08, and 34 goals and 77 points in 2008-09. If he were on the Leafs, he'd probably see a lot of time on their top line. Other younger forwards that the Leafs may go for are Radim Vrbata, Ryan Malone, Niklas Hagman, Jason Williams, Josef Vasicek, Antti Miettinen and Pascal Dupuis.

1. Marian Hossa, Winger

Hossa is the younger super-star the Leafs need to get if they don't sign Sundin. Though Hossa had one of his worst regular seasons last year, he proved he can perform in the play-offs by finishing third in play-off scoring. Hossa has the potential to score 100 points this season and he's remained healthy virtually his entire career. Hossa is also eight years younger than Sundin. Sundin is apparently looking for $7 million next season, and Hossa is looking for slightly more. What kind of drama would this add to the battle of Ontario? Hossa was once a star on the Ottawa Senators before getting traded in the Dany Heatley deal.

2008 NHL Free Agency Explosion

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 22:57:34 -0500

Why wait until July 1st? Read now where Marian Hossa, Brian Campbell, Jaromir Jagr, Mats Sundin, Ryan Malone, Sean Avery and all the other big free agents are going to sign when free agency kicks off in less than a week.

Northwest Division 2008 Free Agency Preview

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 21:05:22 -0500

A look into the free agency futures of the teams in the NHL's Northwest Division. What are the decisions facing the Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche, Edmonton Oilers, Minnesota Wild, and Vancouver Canucks? Will Calgary bring back their familiar pivots or begin a youth movement? Can the new Canucks front office get the franchise back on course? Will this be the year Joe Sakic finally heads home to Vancouver?

Calgary Flames post-mortem

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 15:09:03 -0500

Based on the article by Randy Sportak of the Calgary Sun, he claims that the Flames will undergo a big change, possibly a coaching or GM change? I personally think that they should not tinker too much. Why on earth would I say such a thing? Well... I believe firmly that this team was the most talented and skilled team that captain Jarome Iginla has played with during his tenure. The only thing I question is the mental makeup of the team. The key thing that everyone has talked about is "consistency". The team have been world-beaters on some days, but on other days, they fold like cheap cards. They get flustered when other teams start pouring the pressure. To me, that's a mental thing. These are all things that you can work together as a group to overcome. That culture or negative attitude of accepting losing should no longer be accepted. They should all "hate" to lose, and play like that all the time. The easy way out is to start changing out players via trade or free agency. I'm not saying that Sutter should not go after a player that would clearly add some skill to the team. All I'm saying is that they should recognize the talented players on the team and allow them room to grow. Perhaps, give a bigger role to some younger players like Lombardi, Boyd, and others in the farm system. Whatever happened to Andrei Taratukhin and Mark Giardano? They should've been given a shot this past year. They were all promising young players that got alienated somehow. That said, I think that somehow Huselius is going to be the odd man out, and it is unfortunate because this guy represents a lot of the trials and tribulations the Flames went through this year. When he was on, he was clearly the Flames second-best player on the team. Kipper is on the same boat, but he's not going anywhere. And he should certainly stay. Nobody represented the Flames season more so than Kiprusoff. Like Huselius, Kipper has been all-world for the most part and simply average on others. Perhaps upgrading the defense would help. One last thought. The Flames identity was also something that was in question all year. That is clearly related to the consistency issue. Do they want a powerhouse defensive style, a la Minnesota Wild or Vancouver Canucks? Maybe they want to have a more passing, keep the puck away, creative team, ala the Sharks or Red Wings. They need to make up their mind. I personally would like to mold the team more like the Red Wings and Sharks, but it may not happen with Keenan and Sutter running things. Who knows? Let's see how next year pans out. Go Flames go!

AccuScore NHL Rundown 4/9

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 13:15:35 -0500

AccuScore NHL analyst Tim Williams breaks down today's games, detailing: -Players to watch in each game. -Top fantasy goalies for each game. -Simulated outcomes for each game, including "AccuScore Upset Watch" contests.

Langkow signed through 2012 with Flames

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 18:32:45 -0500

It's not official but word is the Flames have signed front line center Daymond Langkow to a 4 year $20 million, no trade contract. Langkow has scored 25 or more goals in each of his 3 seasons in Calgary. This might mean that Kristian Huselius, who has only 3 goals in his last 30 games, might be looking for somewhere else to play next summer. They are both unrestricted free agents at the end of the season and with a large chunk of the organizations money going to the big 3, Iginla, Phaneuf, Kipprusoff, someone will have to go and it is looking like the 29 year old Swede.

Huselius the Best? Really

Sat, 29 Mar 2008 13:25:30 -0500

I have a tough time reading about how Kristian Huselius is arguably the most gifted offensive player on the Calgary roster. I think it's very obvious who it should be so I won't even say his name I'll just give you reasons why Huselius is only the fourth or fifth on my list of Flames players. He hasn't averaged a point a game anytime in his career. His 25 points on the powerplay are third on the team and his shooting percentage just cracks the top five. So Kristian Huselius is a good player but you can't say he is the best offensive player on a team that has some stars.

Kristian Huselius, out or in?

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 08:11:32 -0500

Looks like the Calgary media is blowing things out of proportion again. Keenan benches one of his best players "Kristian Huselius" and everyone thinks the guy is history. Please... gimme a break. Keenan has lots of players that haven't seen much playing time and wanted to give them some playing time. Coach Keenan knows that in order to have a good playoff run, you need to make sure all your players are in top notch. In fact, I surmise that Huselius will be a critical component for the Flames playoffs. The Flames secret weapon (if you will).

Great Night for Flames Fans

Tue, 11 Mar 2008 01:54:17 -0500

After Craig Conroy went on the record saying that his team, the Calgary Flames, needed to pick up their play to start games, Alex Tanguay scored on the first shot against the St. Louis Blues just 19 seconds in. The good start continued when Kristian Huselius bounced in his first goal since Jan. 16th, and Jarome Iginla passed Theo Fleury for the Flames all time goal scoring lead with his 365th goal of his career coming late in the 1st. Iginla already had the Flames record for games played and is 3rd on their list for total points. He would have already been on top of all 3 lists had he played with more skilled players around him. Instead the Flames like all Canadian teams struggled financially and had trouble bringing in help for "Iggy" so he had to do everything for himself and the team failed to reach the playoffs from '97 until '04 even though he played like a star. The rest of the game was a way for a lot of the Flames players to gain some confidence heading into a 4 game road swing, as 6 players scored a total of 7 goals and St. Louis didn't do much in the way of trying to prevent them. With the win the Flames slide into first place in the Northwest division again.

Fantasy Hockey 101: These Three Turkeys...

Fri, 08 Feb 2008 15:34:51 -0500

The turkeys are fresh back from vacation....and some old and new faces appear!!