Iffy deal: Grading Potvin-Berard
Posted: Thursday January 14, 1999 11:24 PM
New York Islanders general manager and coach Mike Milbury, might have made a classic error last weekend when he finally pulled the trigger on the deal that sent the rushing defenseman Bryan Berard to Toronto for goalie Felix Potvin.
Potvin will merely be keeping the seat warm for two or maybe three years for Roberto Luongo, who starred in the nets for silver medalist Canada in the recent world junior championships. Berard, a former number one chioce overall, should emerge in Toronto and be a star for a decade.
Too often NHL teams do nothing but break-in young defensemen and dump them for more established players. The best current examples are St. Louis captain Chris Pronger, a Norris Trophy finalist who began in Hartford but was traded for Brendan Shanahan; Darryl Sydor, a Los Angeles first-round pick who has become a premier player in Dallas after being traded inexplicably for Shane Churla and Doug Zmolek; and Sandis Ozolinsh in Colorado, a steal from San Jose in the Owen Nolan trade.
Cujo far from done
His numbers look ordinary -- a 2.65 goals-against average and 0.906 save percentage -- but the player with the greatest impact on his team in the first half of the season has been Toronto goalie Curtis Joseph. Joseph, a free agent signee from Edmonton, has turned an ordinary group of forwards into snipers, allowing them to take chances at the offensive end of the ice because they know he can stop most of their mistakes. With essentially the same group of forwards, the Leafs -- 23rd in the NHL in scoring last year -- are currently leading the league.
Low's not-so-gentle nudge
A little more than a week ago, Edmonton Oilers coach Ron Low pulled Ryan Smyth aside and asked, "Are you scared?" The question crystallized the situation for the left winger, who was slowed by a knee injury last season. Smyth, who had lost some of his speed and verve, began playing with more determination, going to the net with the fearlessness he showed when he scored 39 goals two years ago.
With key injuries to Oilers captain Kelly Buchberger and defenseman Roman Hamrlik, the onus is on Smyth to keep playing like a first-liner.
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