Hart to Hart talk

Nice batch, folks. Not many were roiled about the Rangers-Stars trade -- partly because it's not really so significant. Martin Rucinsky is a decent winger but he's not going to make or break anyone's playoff hopes. It was strange to see New York get rid of Manny Malhotra, though. That's mainly a function of Glen Sather trying to shed himself of the remnants of Neil Smith's regime. I saw Manny in the Rangers' locker room after practice on Tuesday. He was just chilling at his stall, playing a word-game in the newspaper. Six hours later he was on his way to Dallas from one eighth-place team to another.

Now, on to your mailbag ...

Is it time to start considering Jarome Iginla for the Hart Trophy? He's shown that he isn't a one-month wonder, and I can think of maybe two others (Patrick Roy and Mats Sundin) who are as valuable to their teams as Iginla. I'm guessing, though, that the Flames will have to make the playoffs for him to have a chance.
—Steve, Calgary

Iginla has had the best season of any forward in the league. He's the points leader and he's carrying an otherwise unimpressive offensive team. He's not a one-month, a two-month or a three-month wonder. He's just a wonder. Iginla is the main reason that Calgary is within sniffing distance of the playoffs -- he's won a couple of games for the Flames almost single-handedly in the past couple of weeks alone. I don't think an MVP has to come from a first-place team or Cup contender, but I do think he should come from a playoff-bound club. If the Flames get in, Iginla would be my choice.

How is the NHL going to deal with these cities that draw 12,000-15,000 people per game? Is It time to knock off a couple of teams?
—Pete Bell, Columbus, Ohio

There has been a lot of whispering about contraction among the general managers in the league over the past half year, though no one with a vested interest wants to come out and suggest it (it would imply that hockey is in trouble). Expansion is Gary Bettman's baby and it has transformed the league. While expansion has been successful on many fronts, it has also helped contribute to middling attendance in some cities. There are some perpetually soft markets -- Washington, Tampa Bay, Anaheim -- and there are other places where attendance is more contingent upon the play and vibe of that year's team.

When baseball announced plans for contraction, the NHL responded by saying that it has no plans to do the same. That's true in the short term, but the elimination of a couple of teams in, say, five years is likely. The NHL regards expansion as an experiment in the making and believes it's too early to draw many conclusions. That's fair. We'll probably see a relocation or two before any contraction. One of the Florida teams will be an early casualty.

The Bruins are coming off their first real cold streak this season. To make a serious run deep into the playoffs, they might want to trade for a defenseman. It pains me to watch, night in and night out, Hal Gill cough the puck up in his own end. And Byron Dafoe has been playing like he wants to be traded. What impact players should the B's make a move for in order to bolster the blueline?
—Phil Sharp, Portland, Maine

I'm not expecting the Bruins to make a major deal. They have several OK blueliners and what they lack is a leader and big-minutes guy. I don't see them landing that type of player at this point. Might they pick up a Jiri Slegr-type? Sure, but not if they have to give up a whole lot to do so. Boston could be much better defensively simply by getting more consistent play out of its core guys down the stretch. Gill can be infuriating, no question. But he's still developing and could have a good stretch in him. The biggest key is getting Kyle McLaren back into big-hitting form. He's still not in game shape, but assuming he gets his legs back over the next couple of weeks, he'll give the Bruins a presence they've lacked throughout much of the season. Dafoe also just needs to play up to his ability consistently. He can be dynamite at times. The way this all shapes up, I expect Boston to win a round, even without making a deal.

Last week Bobby Holik said that he would listen to one last offer from Lou Lamoriello and the Devils. As a New Jersey fan, I think Lou should offer him anything Holik wants (especially with a nice new bank account, courtesy our beloved Mr. Steinbrenner), but he still remains conservative in dishing out the money to his stars (see Elias, Patrick; Sykora, Petr). When will Lamoriello learn that you have to spend to win in the NHL? And will he ever sign his franchise players like Holik, Elias, Sykora or Scott Gomez to long-term deals so I can stop worrying every offseason?
—Dave, New Jersey

Lou does commit money to guys -- for example, he committed to Scott Stevens and Martin Brodeur. Can you name me a single top player aside from Alexander Mogilny that Lamoriello let get away? Holik is an excellent player, but he's not about to ruffle Lamoriello with an ultimatum. Lamoriello is a sensible spender and he's in no hurry to shell out for anyone. Holik has complained a fair amount this year but the reality is that he has a good situation in New Jersey -- he's got a well-defined role and has developed into an important team leader on a perpetually contending club. He's not going to leave just for the heck of it. When the time comes, Lamoriello will make him a fair and solid offer that Holik will spurn only if someone is ready to way overpay for him.

Vancouver has a premier forward in Markus Naslund and some excellent young defensemen, as well as a good leader in Trevor Linden. They have put together some quality wins but still need something to put them over the top. Is it goaltending? Perhaps another forward or two?
—Joel York, Boise, Idaho

Yes, it's goaltending. The Canucks are a decent team and a legitimate playoff contender but they aren't deep enough to withstand the erratic goaltending they get from Dan Cloutier. (Backup Peter Skudra has played fairly well this year, but not well enough to wrest the starting job.) Put it this way: Vancouver is, at this writing, six points behind the Coyotes in the Western Conference. If the Canucks had Sean Burke and the Coyotes had Cloutier, that positioning would be reversed. You look at Vancouver's roster and see a .500 team. Whether the Canucks finish markedly better than that comes down to having a goalie steal them some games and make enough big saves to cover mistakes. They are unquestionably vulnerable on the back end of their blue line, and you need a top keeper to over come that.

Kostya, are there any players under the age of 30 that you would consider Hall of Famers if they were to retire today?
—Pat Frappier, Cornwall, Ontario

No.

Sports Illustrated senior writer Kostya Kennedy covers the NHL for the magazine and is a regular contributor to CNNSI.com. To send a question to his Mailbag, click here.

 

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