Yardbarker: Petr Nedved

The Purge at the 2004 Trade Deadline...

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 23:15:00 -0500

With a 2-week lull between the Stanley Cup Finals and the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, it's time to look back on what happened in March of 2004 during the week of the trade deadline. I wanted to post this around this year's deadline, but there was a lot of action going around and it would've gotten lost in the flood.

It seemed every time I looked online, or at ESPNews, or in the newspaper, they made another deal. In total, 7 Ranger trades were made in that week...

March 2, 2004
- Alex Kovalev to Montreal for Jozef Balej and 2004 2nd round pick.
:: A great move to dump Kovalev's high salary before the cap was implemented, as essentially this was a cap-saving move. Balej should've been great. He had a goal and 4 assists in 13 games with NY and 16 points in 16 during the AHL playoffs, but his lockout year was very poor in the AHL. Balej was eventually sent to the Canucks for Fedor Fedorov, who eventually became a punchline and an empty roster spot.

The 2nd rounder became Dane Byers. Byers was hurt much of this year (7 points, 9 games) but his past season stats and scouting reports suggest he'd be a replacement for Blair Betts if Betts doesn't return. He might have a decent NHL career but will never be a superstar.

March 3, 2004
- Petr Nedved and Jussi Markkanen to Edmonton for Dwight Helminen, Steve Valiquette, and 2nd round pick in 2004.
:: Nedved did good in Edmonton but they didn't make the playoffs and he never played there again. Markkanen played in Game 7 of the Finals in 2005-06.

Valiquette was a throw-in here. He was a big goalie with not much skill but he was re-signed as Henrik Lundqvist's backup because he was cheap. Benoit Allaire also helped a lot with him, and he has become a dedicated Ranger and a solid backup when called upon, especially against the Flyers.

Helminen is now a bubble player with Carolina, being called up when injury strikes. Not a big loss with him not in the Rangers system.

That draft pick became Brandon Dubinsky, one of the bright spots in the Rangers' future, regardless of his inability to hit the back of the net for long stretches at a time.

- Brian Leetch to Toronto for Jarkko Immonen, Maxim Kondratiev, 1st round pick in '04, 2nd round pick in '05.
:: A king's ransom for the greatest American defenseman of all-time that didn't really pan out for either team. Toronto traded their futures for Leetch (and Ron Francis) and lost in the 2nd round of the playoffs.

Immonen was slow and underutilized by Tom Renney, scored 8 points in 20 games (aka Chris Drury numbers, quick, sign Immonen for 5 years!), and now plays overseas.

Kondratiev was a bust and quite frankly not NHL material. He was traded to Anaheim in January of 2006 for Petr Sykora, which was a great move for the Rangers. Sykora went 15-16-31 in 40 games and loved his time as a Ranger. This would have been considered a strong move if he was re-signed, but despite waiting until August to hear from GM Glen Sather, he never wore Rangers blue again.

The 1st round pick in 2004 was Lauri Korpikoski, who shows some good moves sometimes, but is either too slow, too mis-used, or not 1st round material. He could be, and I might be wrong. Next year is a big point for him, as other 1st rounders that year are already materializing. Korpikoski was picked at 19th. Still available at that point: Travis Zajac (20th), Wojtek Wolski (21), and Mike Green (29).

The 2005 2nd rounder was Mike Sauer, a good AHL player who had a cup of coffee with the big club this year. He looks to be trade-bait with a depth of good D-men in the system already (Staal, Girardi, Sanguenetti, Del Zotto, Potter) and two big contracts taking up space in the NHL (Redden, Rozsival).

March 6, 2004
- Chris Simon to Calgary for Blair Betts, Greg Moore, Jamie McLennan
:: The Rangers needed a goalie to play out the season with Markkanen gone, and McLennan played in 4 of those games, going 1-3. After that season, he played 19 more NHL games in 2 years and retired after a season in the Asian Hockey League. Yes, Asian. He went 8-4 in the Orient and decided to hang 'em up.

Moore probably won't get a real shot in the NHL, but he is a good asset to have and has played admirably when called up.

Betts, well, you know Betts. Best penalty killer in the league, good centerman, not terribly offensive, good team player, never complains, took a cheap shot in the playoffs and broke his face.

- Vladimir Malakhov to Philadelphia for Rick Kozak, 2nd round pick in 2005.
:: Malakhov's stats decreased from the Rangers to Flyers to Devils, and he eventually left the NHL. Kozak never did anything in any league, and now plays in England.

That draft pick got moved around a lot and eventually became Marc-Andre Cliche, who was traded to the Kings in March 2007 for Sean Avery.

March 8, 2004
- Matthew Barnaby and a 3rd round pick in '04 for David Liffiton, Chris McAllister, and a 2nd round pick in '04.
:: McAllister was a decent NHL player who played in the NHL for the last time in 03-04. Liffiton is currently playing in Denmark after 3 career NHL games with the Rangers.

The draft pick was traded to Florida and the Rangers eventually drafted Bruce Graham out of it, who is currently in the ECHL after never doing well in Hartford.

March 9, 2004
On the actual day of the deadline, the Rangers only made two moves.

- Greg de Vries traded to Ottawa for Karel Rachunek and Alex Giroux.
:: It was obvious that de Vries wasn't going to be back after the lockout, and he had horrible numbers (15 points in 53 games, which by the 08-09 standards would've been phenomenal), so he was shipped for a roster player and a prospect. Rachunek played in Russia during 05-06, but came back in 06-07, and most Rangers fans agree he should've stayed. He had 20 assists but was absolutely atrocious defensively.

Giroux, however, was let go during the summer of 2006 and signed with Washington. He then went to Atlanta and was traded back to Washington, and he has lit it up in the AHL. He had 28 points in 22 games in Hershey's march to the AHL title, and he had 60 goals in 69 games during the regular season. The Rangers probably should've held on to this guy instead of signing "talent" such as Mitch Fritz. Giroux broke Brett Hull's record for most consecutive games with a goal when he scored in 15 straight games. He won the AHL MVP as well.

- Martin Rucinsky traded to Vancouver for R.J. Umberger and Martin Grenier.
:: Rucinsky was a true rental for Vancouver as he returned to Broadway after the lockout and had great numbers in an injury-riddled season (55 points in 52 games). He did nothing in the playoffs (2 in 7) for the Canucks. Grenier played in Hartford, Charlotte, and 3 games for the Flyers, and now is in the KHL.

Umberger, however, was another prospect who went away. In 07-08, he had 50 points in Philadelphia in 74 games before falling to 46 in a full season with Columbus this year. Still, he would've been good to have on board as a center and maybe the Rangers wouldn't have gone out on 7/1/07 and spent $14M on 2 overrated centers.

Overall
Isn't that how it always works with the Rangers? The crappy players stay and the good talent is let go. That explains why Marc Savard is now in Boston (he was traded for Jan Hlavac and the pick that became Jamie Freakin' Lundmark). It also explains why, at one point, Dale Purinton was the most-tenured Ranger.

The best trades for the Rangers were getting Brandon Dubinsky and Steve Valiquette for Nedved/Markkanen, and ditching the dead weight of Simon for Blair Betts, who has helped offensively-challenged teams by keeping the other teams from scoring. Besides Henrik Lundqvist, Betts is the one most responsible for those 2-1 wins.

The worst was sending Barnaby away for Liffiton, McAllister, and Graham. Not that losing Barnaby was a huge disadvantage, but they basically got nothing for him - 2 mid-level prospects and a retiring veteran to play out the season.

I have no interesting way to end this, because it's late and I've been working all day, so I will just like to remind everyone that the Rangers actually traded Brian Leetch for Maxim Kondratiev. Hell, I wouldn't even trade a retired Leetch for Kondratiev!

Broad Street Bulletin - Ex-Flyers Doing Well In Playoffs - Do The Flyers Miss...

Sat, 16 May 2009 18:41:14 -0500

The Carolina Hurricanes upset the Boston Bruins, the top team in the Eastern Conference, with a seventh game victory Thursday night. One of the key factors was the Hurricanes' ability to control the Bruins defensively. Two names in particular that looked good: Dennis Seidenberg and Joni Pitkanen...both ex-Flyers.Have a look at how some of our old friends are doing.Dennis Seidenberg: He was a 6th round (172-overall) draft pick for the Flyers in 2001. In January of 2006, he was traded...

Pittsburgh and Washington, United (in Successful Rebuilding)

Sat, 02 May 2009 04:16:30 -0500

The Capitals and Penguins are viewed, understandably, as fierce rivals, but with this second-round meeting in the 2009 NHL postseason, they should also be assessed as Grade A exhibits in how durably quality hockey clubs can be assembled. The fanbase in Toronto, most particularly, should pay attention. And you Rangers' fans might not want to dose off in the upper deck of one of the new New York baseball stadiums just yet.This is a rivalry predicated upon the searing memories of seven serie...

A Past Agony May Offer a Glimmer of Hope for the Present

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 06:03:37 -0500

Let this portion of the past be prologue this postseason: the first-round series between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals in April 1996. Why would I invoke the painful memory of a six-game setback to them, now? Well for starters, just living to see a game 6 this April would be a welcomed development. But that remarkable chapter in Caps-Pens playoff lore offers some encouragement for depressed Caps' fans this morning.The 1995-96 Penguins finished the regular season with a re...

THE GREATEST PLAYS IN PITTSBURGH SPORTS HISTORY

Fri, 23 Jan 2009 18:37:49 -0500

ESPN's Dave Dameshek and I discussed the greatest plays in Pittsburgh sports history in our upcoming Friday podcast, and that's one of those conversations that could've lasted all night. I suggested we take Dave's list and throw it to the Mondesi's House readers for discussion, so please, check it out and add as you feel necessary, because as we both recognized, this is undoubtedly an incomplete list. The Immaculate Reception Bill Mazeroski's 1960 Series-ending HR ...

The Difference...

Sun, 26 Oct 2008 12:46:27 -0500

I've probably spoken about this before, but there is a stark difference in this year's Rangers team as opposed to years past.A
Before the lockout, the Rangers were notorious for leaving points on the table. It was a few years ago, so my memory of those lean years is (thankfully) fading, but in 2002-03 and 03-04, I used to try to keep track of how many games the Rangers blew when leading 2-0 or 3-1, only to lose in regulation or overtime or tie. Points lost to weak links like Atlanta, Columbus, and Chicago would have led the team into the playoffs.
Back when Chris Simon, Matt Barnaby, Petr Nedved, Eric Lindros, and Mike Dunham wore Ranger blue, no one played as a team, and they had no chemistry. Nobody besides Leetch, Messier, and Richter cared if the team won or loss. They were there for their paychecks, and that was that. Free agency hit at 31, so they collected big money from the big bosses in NY, then rested on their laurels (does that phrase apply?).
The years after the lockout were different. The Czech Contingent played as a team, and everyone adapted to it. The 2005-06 season was a dream season. Jaromir Jagr playing like a beast, Marty Straka and Rucinsky playing great, rookies like Hollweg, Ortmeyer, and Moore playing with heart.A
In the past 2 years, the team was good, but it lost some identity. There were a lot of points left on the table as well, however, no one complained because the team reached the playoffs.A
Do you remember in 2007 when the Rangers would consistently blow 2-goal leads? As a fan, I would cringe when they would go up 2 goals. They were up 3-1 to Detroit at MSG, and the whole building was waiting for them to blow it. And they did, in regulation.
I remember one game against the Penguins, March 2007. The Rangers were up 2-0, gave up two shorthanded goals to tie the game, went up 3-2, then gave up a powerplay goal. They lost 4-3 in a shootout. At that point, the season seemed lost. However, the next game, the Rangers beat St. Louis in a shootout after being down 2-0, came back and made the playoffs.
This year, they are playing much like the did down the stretches in 2007 and 2008, like they did that night against the Blues at MSG. Yes, they have flaws. They had shaky-at-best offense against Dallas and Buffalo, including some shaky-at-best defense against Dallas.A
But they fight back. They were behind against Detroit on the second game of a back-to-back (after a flight to Michigan) and scored 2 third period goals. They were down 2-0 to Pittsburgh even though they played well for most of the game, and they didn't give up.
The difference in this team from the teams in previous seasons is that they don't let their flaws bring them down. They still find ways to win. They haven't played like Stanley Cup champions every game this season, but an 8-2-1 record after a shortened training camp and 8 preseason games is nothing to complain about.
Plus, I'm smiling like a 7-year-old on Christmas morning from watching that Nik Zherdev goal over and over again.

READERS RULE WEEK - READERS ROUNDTABLE, PART TWO

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 19:18:28 -0500

As part of Mondesi's House Readers Rule Week (Sponsored by Champion), I decided to pick a few of my loyal emailers out of the crowd and corner them for a few of their views on some "big-picture" Pittsburgh sports questions. Luckily, they took me up on my offer and contributed to what I think is a really interesting discussion about Pittsburgh sports. This is the second of two parts. The members of panel Group Two are as follows: AJ of Pittsburgh, Art Campbell of Slippery Rock, B...

So Are Both NY Teams Going to Have a Number 93 This Season?...

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 18:28:20 -0500

This may just be crazy talk, and in a few months we might be laughing at the mere fact that we were even thinking about it (much like when we wondered if Dave Scatchard would be a Ranger, or how we were going to fit Michael Peca in under the Cap last year), but can Petr Nedved really become a Ranger?
First off, if you have told me in June that in the second preseason game of the year, I'd see Nik Zherdev, Marcus Naslund, and Petr Nedved all in Ranger blue, I would have called you crazy.
But was Petr Nedved not one of the best Rangers on the ice? He was everywhere, skating well, he scored in the first, he clanked a post on a great shot in the second. Not bad for a man who hasn't played an NHL game since March 2007. For the record, it was his first goal in an NHL game since January 2007. (He was a Cy Young winner in the Czech league last year, with 20 goals and 5 assists).
His main problem during his second stint with the Rangers (mostly in 2003-04) was his overplaying of the puck and refusal to shoot. He was Jagr-Straka-Nylander before they were cool. He played well with Radek Dvorak and Jan Hlavac, but when not flanked by those Czechs, he was out of his element. He was the cause of frustration for many a Ranger fan, although some of that frustration was wrongly thrown towards him. If memory serves me correctly, he was the only Ranger with a hat trick in 2002-03.?
What would happen if he can get rid of that cycling mentality and play a North American game? It isn't crazy to think of. He isn't that old - turning 37 in December - and he still had his legs under him. If he can adapt to a new style, would it really be awful to have him back??
But, who would sit? Down the middle, there already are three bonafide NHL centers - Scott Gomez, Chris Drury, and Brandon Dubinsky. In the wings are Blair Betts, Dan Fritsche, and Artem Anisimov. Scratch Anisimov until next year, too skinny with a few flaws that need to be worked out. Say what you want about Betts' lack of scoring, but he is a great defensive forward who kills penalties better than anyone on the team. He also can score, as we witnessed a few times in the past few seasons. Remember his great end-to-end rush against Anaheim in November of 2006? Put him with someone besides Ryan Hollweg or Colton Orr, and he can improve his stats. Maybe Drury can go to wing, and Betts can be a center as well, because I see Betts as having a safe spot on this team.
So, how now, Dan Fritsche? The throw-in in the Zherdev trade, he doesn't score often (although his stats were not awful). I don't know if he is on a two-way contract, or what, but this might very well be a battle between Nedved and Fritsche for the 3rd or 4th line center position.
The Rangers have so many forwards for only 13 or 14 spots that it boggles the mind.

So Are Both NY Teams Going to Have a Number 93 This Season?...

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 23:18:51 -0500

Olympic Free Agents?

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 15:19:01 -0500

Unsurprisingly, Becky Hammon, a ten year WNBA veteran and four time All Star, will be playing in the Beijing Olympics. But what is surprising is the South Dakota native, often described as the typical "All American Girl," will be suiting up for Russia and not the USA. Hammons decision has gained great attention and created a big controversy with US National Coach recently calling her "a traitor." However, Hammon counters that she was never given a chance to play for the American team. Last year when USA Basketball released a list of 23 candidates for the team, Hammon, last season's WNBA MVP runner-up, was not named on it. Though the list was later added with the list expanded to 30, she believes this was purely a token invitation.Instead she was given Russian citizenship while also signing a contract with Russian club CSKA Moscow which will pay her over $2 million over the next four years. And while some have called her a 'traitor,' many others love the business move. In addition to the big club contract, Hammon will earn $150,000 if Russia wins silver and $250,000 for a gold medal.Hammon's former coach with the New York Liberty, Richie Adubato, is one who endorses the move saying, "there is a big difference financially between what players make there compared to what they earn in the WNBA. ? If Becky was my daughter, I would tell her to play for Russia. She wasn't going to make Team USA. It's hard to argue with her decision."Of course, athletes competing for a country other than that of there birth is not a new phenomenon. Several Cold War era athletes have represented North American nations after defecting. Martina Navratilova is one famous tennis star to gain American citizenship, while ice hockey players such as Petr Nedved and the Peter Stastny have represented Canada.And though it is not often publicized in America, soccer players from major powers like Brazil or Argentina will often elect to play for another country once it is clear they will not make the squad in their home nation. In the past World Cup; Portugal, Spain, and Japan all used players born in Brazil, while Mexico and World Champion Italy used players born in Argentina.Eligibility rules vary from country to country with each nation or region setting their own standards for citizenship. Some places, the European Union for example, makes it very easy to get a passport if either a player's parents or grandparents were a citizen of an EU country. This option is taken by many soccer players who wish to sign with European Clubs. Many leagues, such as in Spain, put a limit on the number of non-Europeans who can play for each team. Therefore, many Brazilians and Argentineans will try to get a Spanish, Italian, or Portuguese passport, so they do not use up the team's foreign player limit.Most of the time when these players earn dual citizenship they will still play for the national team of their birth, but for some teams with exceptionally strong rosters, they will use this second passport as an opportunity to compete in the top competitions such as the Olympics or World Cup. ?Other rules also allow players to eventually join the national team of a different country after living in a country for a certain amount of years. Such is the case for soccer players like Eduardo da Silva, a Brazilian who now is on the Croatian National Team after playing for Dinamo Zagreb for five years.In addition to number of years of residence, some nations will add other requirements before citizenship is granted. In the case of Maurice Whitfield, a basketball player from Philadelphia, a language test was mandatory before he was eligible to play for the Czech National Team. But often times nationality rules can be so loose that some people are eligible to represent 2, 3, or sometimes even four different nations. Such is the case for soccer player Owen Hargreaves of Manchester United. Hargreaves was born and raised in Canada to parents of England and Welsh descent, but moved at a young age to Germany to play for Bayern Munich. Eligible to represent all four nations, his eventual choice of England raised some eyebrows, as he had never lived in the country. This choice was not well liked by many England fans who did not want a 'mercenary' player representing them. For several years, Hargreaves was routinely booed by the English supporters, but in the end, he eventually won the support of many fans after several fantastic performances at that 2006 World Cup.Hargreaves example shows that for most sports, on field performance is all that matters, and oftentimes all the fans, and more importantly, the sports officials and politicians care about. The national pride that can be gained from a strong performance in major international tournaments outweighs the fact that 'foreigners' are permitted in the squad.And the desire to win has led to situations where countries are willing to simply give away citizenship to star athletes.? Hammon was given Russian citizenship after simply signing a contract with a Russian club, without any family ties or ever residing there. The same was the case with Jon Robert Holden, another American who will play for the Russian Men's Basketball team. Qatar is another nation infamous for giving away citizenship to star athletes. There are numerous South Americans on the National Soccer Team, Africans in the Track and Field Team, and Bulgarians in the Weightlifting Team. The small Middle East nation with huge oil wealth has major ambitions to hold many of the top world sporting competitions, notably the World Cup and Olympics. However, as a small nation with little international sporting success, it is often overlooked for these events. Therefore, Qatar has spent billions of dollars on developing athletes in the country, but they have also engaged in practices that have greatly angered the international community. Among these practices is a 'scholarship program' aimed at bringing African youths from seven different countries to train at the Aspire Academy, a $1.3 billion, state of the art sports school. The Qataris state that there goals are simply trying to help talented players from desperate poverty, but skeptics see this program as a way to develop their future national teams. Sepp Blatter, head of FIFA, is one person critical of this technique saying, "their establishment of recruitment networks in these seven African countries reveals just what Aspire is all about. Aspire offers a good example of... exploitation."The changing of citizenship is so common today that many people do not even think anything is strange about it. This could be seen by ESPN.com editors during a series on the website called "So You Wanna Be An Olympian." The series followed an American triathlete named Kathryn Bertie as she went on a quest to achieve her dream of competing in the Olympics. After she failed to make the US Cycling team, ESPN quickly asked her to simply find a different country to represent.? And in a few months time Kathryn had been granted citizenship to the Caribbean Island nation of St. Kitts and Nevis.??? ???? So are these athletes' traitors, good businessman, or simply athletes desperate to compete at the top level? Though many people will have different beliefs on this topic, Bertine gives a very interesting opinion from the athletes perspective saying:??? ??????? I know some readers will consider what I'm trying to do despicable. They will see my quest for citizenship as a way of trying to worm my way into another country. They will chastise me for putting my USAness on the back burner for a shot at Olympic glory. Some will say my attempt to find a country to adopt me is un-American; or worse, Ugly American. Have I no shame? Have I no respect for my country or for the Olympics?Actually, I've got nothing but respect for the Olympics. Look at our world -- our planet is disintegrating, war is raging, politics are corrupting, genocide is erupting, children are obesifying, disease is rampant and cures come with ruinous price tags ... and yet, every couple of years, a bunch of athletes gather around the Olympic campfire and sing "Kumbaya" for two weeks, while kicking each other's happy butts. And for what? The chance to win an olive branch halo and a glorified coaster tied to a piece of ribbon? No. For the chance to be a part of something good. Something worthwhile. Something bigger than ourselves. Something that celebrates the body rather than trying to demolish it. That's what I respect. That is what the Olympics mean to me. If being an Olympian means being part of something internationally positive, does it really matter what country I represent? OTHER NEWS ACROSS THE BUSINESS OF SPORTS NETWORK Two New Bidders in the Mix for Cubs. One Would Offer Shares - The Biz of Baseball MLB to Launch ?"Welcome Back Veterans?" Initiative - The Biz of Baseball Back to the Future: Gibbons Fired, Cito Gaston Hire - The Biz of Baseball Instant Replay Is Here? In the American Association - The Biz of Baseball Ford, Munson Collections To be Auctioned at FanFest - The Biz of Baseball MLB All-Star Statues of Liberty to Begin Appearing in NYC - The Biz of Baseball Big Ten Network Nearing First Major Cable Deal with Comcast - The Biz of Football Cowboys Stadium Site Allows Fans to View Their Seat Before They Buy Tickets - The Biz of Football Former NFL Steroids Dealer Found Shot to Death - The Biz of Football Cowboys, Bank of America Extend Sponsorship Deal - The Biz of Football Bucs TE Jerramy Stevens Suspended for Violating NFL's Substance Abuse Policy - The Biz of Football NHL 2K9, First Officially Licensed Game by NHL and NHLPA for Wii, Coming this Fall - The Biz of Hockey Dion Phaneuf Selected for Cover of EA Sports "NHL 09? - The Biz of Hockey NBC Reports 6.8 Million Viewers for Game 6. Up 111% from 2006 - The Biz of Hockey?Peter Morrison is a staff member for the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey.He can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network's Author Profiles

HOW GREAT WAS IT?

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 12:41:45 -0500

PENGUINS 4RED WINGS 3TRIPLE OTNow that people are starting to slowly awaken from their slumbers, it's time to try and decipher what we saw last night/morning. Everyone is going to have their unique angle today, be it depression [Albom], "last laugh" [Cook], or inspiration [Prisuta]. Of course, you could just ditch the Penguins discussion and write your umpteenth column about Mark Madden [Smizik], but instead I'm going with the question of where this game ranks in Pittsburgh ...

Live Blogging The Past: The Nedved Game

Sun, 06 Jan 2008 06:51:35 -0500

Step into the Way Back Machine with me as we go back in time to "live" blog the epic 4 OT clash between the Penguins and Capitals. Mario's ejection. The 2OT penalty shot. Nedved's early morning winner. It's all here!

Senators acquire headcase Comrie in exchange for headcase Kaigdorov

Wed, 03 Jan 2007 20:47:49 -0500

After losing out on Petr Nedved, the Senators have acquired the center that they have been wanting, with the absence of Jason Spezza and Mike Fischer due to injuries. Mike Comrie has 7 goals and 20 points in 24 games this season. Comrie, who I have found to be quite an injury-prone, overpaid enigma, is making $3 million this season, and will be a free agent in the summer. The 26 year-old, at his best, could score about 30 goals this season. In his NHL career, he has 110 goals and 237 points ...