Posted: Fri May 29, 1998

Sports Illustrated hockey writer Kostya Kennedy will answer your NHL questions through the Stanley Cup Finals. Click here to send a question.

Not surprisingly, the behind-the-scenes news during the playoffs is mainly about hiring and firing coaches. That's the NHL for you. No other sport runs through coaches like hockey—the trickle-down effect of tight budgets and high passion. It was good to see Robbie Ftorek get a chance in New Jersey. He's waited in the wings for a decade since his unfortunate (and overblown) run-in with the Great One in L.A. and the subsequent loss of his head-coaching job. But I don't think this is the best hire for the Devils. The team is so intensely uptight. And Ftorek, who is a lot more tightly wound than the people labeling him a "player's coach" seem to think, has been part of New Jersey's totalitarian regime for years. I think it would have been better to go outside the organization—Ted Nolan, perhaps—just to give players a new M.O. instead of the same tired, old methods.

Then there's Marc Crawford. He'll be missed in Colorado. He sure made an ass of himself by going ballistic at Detroit's Scotty Bowman last year and then at Edmonton's Ron Low this year. But he's a passionate, gutsy coach, and he'll do some team a lot of good. Avalanche GM Pierre Lacroix is being coy about what contract restrictions he might utilize to thwart Crawford's pursuit of a new job. Everybody thinks Crawford is headed for Toronto, and it makes sense—it's an organization he knows, and he could bring some life to a team hungry for a turnaround.

It seems to me that the Stanley Cup Finals are going on right now between Dallas and Detroit. Do you think that the winner of that series will sweep the winner of the Sabres/Caps series?
—Raymond Bleach, Fort Worth, Texas

Dallas-Detroit is definitely the series with the best two teams, and, like a lot of folks, I believe the Cup champ will come out of it. I don't see a sweep in the finals, though. The Red Wings, if they make it, are prone to off nights and the Stars' offense is too anemic for them to steamroll. Also, both Eastern teams have goalies who can steal a game. Depending what happens in the rest of the conference finals, I'll probably like the West winner in six, or maybe five.

I'm a longtime Blackhawks fan and was wondering where you think they're heading. Any chance of them getting Brett Hull from the Blues?
—Scott D. Brady, Crystal Lake, Ill. (United States Air Force, Germany)

If he leaves the Blues, chances are that Hull will end up in Chicago, where his father played.    (David E. Klutho)

We've had a lot of letters about the Blackhawks. Frankly, I'm a bit surprised it's taken the team so long to sign a replacement for coach Craig Hartsburg. I think it would behoove the Hawks to put someone in place ASAP because they need to be at least moderately active on the free agent/trade fronts and someone should be laying the groundwork for that. Dirk Graham's keeps coming up as a possibile coach, and so does Denis Savard's—though I think Chris Chelios might be a bit uncomfortable playing under a coach who he so recently played with (and captained). Chelios, by the way, is staying put and will be an integral part of whatever Chicago revival occurs. The Hawks' delay in signing a coach makes me think that maybe they are in negotiations (at least informally) with ousted Devils coach Jacques Lemaire. I still don't think that Lemaire will coach this year, but if Chicago believes it has a shot at him, that would explain why it's taking so long.

The Hawks have a good chance to nab Brett Hull, if St. Louis bows out. My best guess is that Hull will stay with the Blues, but if not, Chicago's where he will be. That would add some serious, arena-shaking energy to the Hawks (as well as a helluva player). I think the Hawks will also make a play to get a defenseman (Uwe Krupp of the Avalanche?) because the departure of Keith Carney earlier this year in the trade for Chad Kilger was a significant loss. They'll probably also bring in some marginally talented but tough and physical complementary players, a number of which are available.

Why does everyone keep overlooking Toronto's Mats Sundin when they talk about the most skilled players and the best two-way players? I mean, if he only got a chance to be on a good team, I'm pretty sure he'd be one of the NHL's top scorers. Don't you think that Sundin is overlooked and underpublicized?
—Jonas Ohlsson, Stockholm, Sweden

Sundin is a marvelous talent and the Leafs were wise to lock him up with a long contract this season. It's hard to predict how productive Sundin might be on a good team, but certainly he'd have better numbers. I also think his best years are ahead of him. Sundin is one of the league's top 10 skill players, certainly—top eight, probably. And not all that far from the head of the class.

About a month ago you said you'd vote Dominik Hasek second for the Hart Trophy as MVP because he struggled early in the season. The Sabres struggled with him. After Jan. 1, however, they've been unstoppable. Doesn't that prove how valuable he is to his team?
—James Derrick, Niagara Falls, N.Y.

You make a good point, and there's no arguing Hasek's value to the Sabres. In a way, the fact that his struggles mirrored the team's does work to build a case for him as you suggest. I just think Hart voters should focus on two questions: a) how important is the player to his team? and b) how outstanding and consistent a year did the player have? In both cases Hasek's case is strong. I give the nod to Pittsburgh's Jaromir Jagr because his play, and at times his mere presence, enabled the Penguins' new system to succeed. So I'd vote Jagr, and then Hasek. But believe me, if Hasek wins it—and my guess is that he will—I certainly won't be crying foul.

Do you feel that the change in ownership for the Lightning will help the team enough, or will they need to make some trades? If so, what are some of the rumors? Also, is forward John Cullen, who missed the season undergoing treatment for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, going to be back in playing shape in time for training camp?
—Jason Krzyzanowski, Tampa

Well, yes, Tampa Bay needs to make changes in personnel. In a big way. But this is going to take a while. Too bad the Lightning gave up Roman Hamrlik in that trade with the Oilers last season and got not nearly enough in return—he was a really marketable chip. As awful as the Lightning was, in the NHL you can go from awful to a low-rung playoff berth in a hurry. I know Tampa Bay wants to make a bid for free agent Doug Gilmour of the Devils, but it might take a lot to get him to come there. That's what the Lightning needs to do, though—get one big name, then a few smaller pieces and then be patient while the team develops.

John Cullen wants to be at training camp and he will do what it takes to get ready to be there. I say he makes it, and comes back to produce some goals next season. Of course, I'm rooting for him all the way.

If you are going to add Kings defenseman Rob Blake to your list of the top five all-around players in the NHL, you may want to consider fellow Norris Trophy nominee Nicklas Lidstrom of the Red Wings. Although Lidstrom's skills are best appreciated after observing him over time, he certainly possesses speed and a blistering shot from the point. Lidstrom faces the top offensive players on every team every game, is on the power play and penalty kill as well as his regular shifts, and has assumed an even greater role in the absence of Vladimir Konstantinov. You will almost never see Lidstrom out of position or beaten, even though his game does not include the big hits that Konstantinov doled out nightly.
—Dana Wakiji, Southfield, Mich.

Lidstrom is outstanding and you describe his attributes well. He doesn't make the list of skill players because he's so good positionally. Maybe that's silly, but Lidstrom has such a solid, never-out-of place game that he doesn't have to make many great plays. He doesn't amaze you like some players do. Watch him for a couple of shifts. The guy is never in the wrong spot.

In the case of Blake, he's got one added bonus: He crushes people, often with that awesome hip check. When that happens, chaos breaks out on the ice. Check out how good Blake is at commandeering the puck and whipping it off at the goal or to a teammate. It's really that factor—Blake's ability to change a game with a hit, and then so clearly thrive in that new environment—that made me add him as a supplementary player to the list.

Send a question to Kostya Kennedy, and check back Tuesday to read more of his responses.

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Previous NHL Playoff Mailbags
April 16: Setting the stage for the scramble
April 21: Reasons to get upset
April 24: No Sabres insurance needed
April 27: Let's not go to the videotape
May 1: Them's fightin' words
May 5: Calling Mr. Crawford
May 8: Lemaire couldn't stand the heat
May 12: The best of the best
May 15: Winging it with Fedorov
May 19: Skills equal thrills
May 22: Eastern champs will be good—but not that good
May 26: Substance over style