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Sorting out some trade rumors
Posted: Thursday March 02, 2000 04:17 PM
Click here to send an NHL question to Kostya Kennedy. Blues coach Joel Quenneville is clearly this year's favorite for the Jack Adams award (see Inside the NHL in SI) but let's tip a cap to Edmonton's Kevin Lowe . The Oilers continue to bury the Avalanche as the season nears its final stretch. Who would have thunk that? And now, the Mailbag ...
As you know, the Red Wings pursued Ray Bourque about three years ago. It didn't work out, but it seems now that Bourque may be doing the impossible soon, draping another team's jersey over his veteran frame. What are your thoughts on Detroit's chances of acquiring No. 77 this spring? They do need help defensively, and Bourque, while aging, remains one of the premier defenseman in the NHL. I could see this happening, if Bourque decides he wants to leave Boston. Bourque will only get traded if he wants to get traded, and he can also dictate which team he's traded to. If he does go he'd obviously choose a team with a chance to win the Cup, and there's no team with a better shot to do so than Detroit. Another mailbag reader -- James Boyle of Aurora, Colo. -- inquired about the Avalanche's chance of getting good Raymond. Realistically, Colorado has a lot more to give the Bruins in return. But the Wings are a stronger Cup contender and Bourque could play an intregal role in helping them win it, so Detroit where he is more likely to steer a deal.
I've been hearing a lot of talk about the Kings possibly getting Dominik Hasek next season. I think it could be great for the Kings, and it would improve their chances at doing well in the playoffs. But who would they give up? It's more likely that if the Kings do make a move for Hasek -- that is, if the Sabres buckle on their plan to keep him -- that they do so this season. That way they could get two playoff seasons from Hasek for a total salary cost of about $9.5 million, which is very reasonable for the game's best goalie. I see Jason Blake, a young defenseman -- such as Aki Berg or Frantisek Kaberle -- and perhaps a goalie on the L.A. side of a deal.
The Edmonton Oilers are in first place in their division. Do you see them making any significant moves to try and contend for the Cup, or are the small-market woes too much for them to overcome? I don't expect them to make a major move. If Glen Sather could get a goal-scorer, however -- maybe one of the extra forwards the Devils seem to have so many of -- he'd definitely do it. The Oilers are pretty far from contending for the Cup, but this is a solid team that moves the puck very well. With some small improvement and a killer postseason performance from Tommy Salo, the Oilers could be dangerous even in the second round.
I think it is agreed that the top three teams in the league are the Blues, Stars, and Wings. However, I think it will extremely difficult for any of them to win the Cup this year because the representative from the West will have to have beaten the other two teams mentioned above -- and possibly even Colorado just to get to the finals. Then they would have to face (most likely) New Jersey or Philadelphia, two extremely physical and talented teams. The road through the East is not that difficult. Do you think the contenders from the West will be able to hold up through the finals? Yes, the Western Conference team can hold up in the finals. People think the grind of playing top competition can be taxing on teams but it rarely is -- just look at Dallas last year. It's generally a misconception that teams wear down in the playoffs. (Despite some popular opinion, that is NOT what happened to the Red Wings last year.) In fact the heightened competition is a benefit for the Western Conference team as it prepares them for the final series. The bigger danger is injury. And you could certainly see injuries coming out of, say, a Devils-Flyers Eastern Conference final. That would be as physical a series as any in the West, including a potential Avalanche-Red Wings matchup.
Not that I'm excusing Marty McSorley's action, but maybe you didn't notice, Boston was the AWAY team. McSorley was already on the ice ... Canucks coach Marc Crawford was the one who sent Donald Brashear out, possibly hoping for some last-second entertainment. I did notice that Boston was the road team. In Vancouver Crawford has the last line change and throughout the third period of that game he put Brashear out when McSorley was on the ice. I did not see the final line change except for the highlights. It appeared then that the change was made on the fly and that McSorley went out after Brasher was on the ice. I spoke to Bruins coach Pat Burns about the incident two days after the game and he confirmed that. Regardless, given that the two players had fought earlier in the game, that Brashear had taunted the Bruins' bench and that McSorley was visibly eager to get back on the ice against Brashear, it was irresponsible of both coaches to have these guys out there in the last throes of a lopsided game. Send a question to Kostya Kennedy, and check back weekly to read more of his answers.
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