Pro Sports Blogging » Corey Krakower

Thanks, that was fun! My retirement from blogging

Corey Krakower — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 16:27:42 +0000

I started blogging in September 2008 at SportsTalkBuzz.com, which has now transformed into ProSportsBlogging.com. That amounts to 4 years of my life and hundreds of posted articles. I have really enjoyed doing it, but the time has come to move on to other things. I don’t want to get into detail about what those other things are, but unfortunately it will not allow me the time to post content consistently enough, nor will it allow me to put my full effort into each and every piece.

I tried my best to be unique in creating content that was both entertaining and informative. Over the past few years, I have noticed a substantial increase in page views per blog, and for that, I thank all of you who regularly checked in to read what I had to say.

I especially want to thank Kevin Lee for not only giving me the opportunity to blog, but also handing me the reigns as the Director of NHL Content for the website over the past few years.

Thanks, that was fun!

ProSportsBlogging.com’s 2012 NHL Mock Draft (with Fred Poulin of TheHockeyWriters.com)

Corey Krakower — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 18:23:11 +0000

The 2012 NHL Entry Draft will take place in Pittsburgh this coming Friday. It may be touted as the worst draft in the past decade, but that won’t stop ProSportsBlogging.com from putting together a 2012 mock draft.

This mock draft will feature Corey Krakower (CK) of ProSportsBlogging.com and Fred Poulin (FP) of TheHockeyWriters.com. They will go back and forth acting as the General Managers for the 30 NHL teams as they make their selections.

FP: 1 – Edmonton Oilers: Nail Yakupov – RW (Sarnia, OHL)

FP: The best player available in this year’s crop, Yakupov is the consensus choice among draft experts. Yakupov is a very skilled player that can do it all on the ice and who will compliment an already potent offensive group of players including Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Jordan Eberle and Taylor Hall.

CK: 2 – Columbus Blue Jackets: Filip Forsberg – F (Leksand, Sweden)

CK: I’m going with a slight curveball here. Howson loves his defense, and with a pending Rick Nash trade, he needs immediate help up front. In Forsberg, they get someone who can play all 3 forward positions, and a NHL-ready player in terms of size and strength. Forsberg is this year’s Gabriel Landeskog.

FP: 3 – Montreal Canadiens: Alex Galchenyuk – C (Sarnia, OHL)

FP: Despite his injury-depleted season, Galchenyuk is a very talented forward that is ready to make an impact at the NHL level. The Canadiens desperately need help up front to compliment their small offensive group. Gally is a dynamic player that will be a mainstay for the Habs in the next few years.

CK: 4 – New York Islanders: Ryan Murray – D (Everett, WHL)

CK: The Islanders would be thrilled to get Murray here. After years of drafting forwards, its time the focus shifts to defense. Murray is a solid, well-rounded defenseman who will join a promising group of young D including Travis Hamonic, Matt Donovan and Calvin de Haan.

FP: 5 – Toronto Maple Leafs: Mikhail Grigorenko – C (Quebec, QMJHL)

FP: The Maple Leafs are in dire need of a big and strong centre to play with Phil Kessel and Joffrey Lupul on the team’s first line. Grigorenko’s stock plummeted as the season unfolded, and he played most of the postseason battling mononucleosis. The über-talented forward will be a very good offensive player that is already acclimated to the North American style of play.

CK: 6 – Anaheim Ducks: Griffin Reinhart – D (Edmonton, WHL)

CK: The probable loss of Justin Schultz to a CBA loophole results in a major void in the Ducks organization on defense. Reinhart is a big body at 6’4 who can play a strong defensive game and has started to chip in more and more offensively as he has matured as a player. He was arguably Edmonton’s best player on their road to the Memorial Cup tournament.

FP: 7 – Minnesota Wild: Teuvo Teräväinen – LW (Jokerit, Finland)

FP: After selecting Mikael Granlund two years ago, the Wild has a soft spot for Finnish players. Imagine a Granlund-Koivu-Teräväinen line dominating the NHL two years from now. Watching that would have you believe that the Wild have always been an offensive force, despite years of defensive play. The speedy Teräväinen might be the most electrifying and talented player in this year’s crop.

CK: 8 – Carolina Hurricanes: Morgan Rielly – D (Moose Jaw, WHL)

CK: If there was a fastest skater competition for the 2012 draft prospects, Rielly would probably clock in with the fastest time. He is decent defensively, but the Hurricanes draft Rielly in this spot for his world class speed and his elite puck moving ability. Having said that, perhaps Carolina trades this pick to Pittsburgh in a package for Jordan Staal. Anything can happen on the draft floor.

FP: 9 – Winnipeg Jets: Brendan Gaunce – C (Belleville, OHL)

FP: Gaunce is a player that can contribute in a number of ways. The two-way forward can distribute and shoot the puck and he is not afraid to use his large frame to battle along the boards and head into the high-traffic areas. The Jets need a player like Gaunce to compliment Evander Kane on the team’s top-line.

CK: 10 – Tampa Bay Lightning: Mathew Dumba – D (Red Deer, WHL)

CK: There is a lot to like about Dumba’s game. He is a ferocious hitter, he has good wheels and he can put up points. Tampa has a huge organizational void on the blue line, and adding Dumba would be a big positive for the Lightning. Despite being undersized for a D, Dumba projects as a top 4 – shutdown defenseman.

FP: 11 – Washington Capitals (via Colorado): Radek Faksa – C (Kitchener, OHL)

FP: The latest Kitchener Rangers import, Faksa had a great rookie season after coming to North America this year. Faksa has an accurate shot with good velocity, great playmaking ability and above-average puck protection skills. Faksa would complete a trio of European centers in Washington with Nicklas Backstrom and Marcus Johansson.

CK: 12 – Buffalo Sabres: Zemgus Girgensons – C (Dubuque, USHL)

CK: Since we are playing GMs, I am furious with FP right now as he stole the perfect pick for Buffalo in Faksa. Girgensons has good size and could very well become a solid second line center, but he doesn’t have the same offensive upside as a player like Faksa. Nevertheless, he is a solid two-way player and there are plenty of intangibles to like…especially his tenacious work ethic.

FP: 13 – Dallas Stars: Olli Määttä – D (London, OHL)

FP: The Stars’ lack of depth on defense made this choice easy as Määttä was brilliant in the playoffs this season for London. The Finnish defenseman is a smooth-skating rearguard who can contribute in both zones thanks to a great hockey IQ, excellent defensive positioning and good first passes. Määttä also played at the Memorial Cup this season, gaining valuable experience along the way.

CK: 14 – Calgary Flames: Jacob Trouba – D (US-NTDP, USHL)

CK: Jacob Trouba could end up going in the top 10 of this draft, so the Flames are thrilled that he is available at this spot. That is especially considering their embarrassing lack of depth on defense. Trouba does everything well, but he is not “elite” at any one thing, which is perhaps why he slid down. With Trouba, you’re getting a guy who can play in all situations and eat up minutes.

FP: 15 – Ottawa Senators: Sebastian Collberg – W (Frolunda, Sweden)

FP: First and foremost a goal-scorer, Collberg also boasts a lightning quick release on his explosive shot. The Senators are desperately in need of a goal-scoring winger to help Jason Spezza and Milan Michalek carry the offensive load. Collberg is a quick skater blessed with top-notch hockey instincts that help him get quality scoring chances.

CK: 16 – Washington Capitals: Cody Ceci – D (Ottawa, OHL)

CK: A few years ago, I was coaching in a tournament and my team lost in the Semifinals to a team that had the 2 best defensemen I had ever coached against. I checked the scoresheet after the game – they were Cody Ceci and Scott Harrington. Ceci is a rock on the blueline, he is physically mature and he rarely makes mistakes. Given that Washington took Faksa earlier, they go with a D here.

FP: 17 – San Jose Sharks: Derrick Pouliot – D (Portland, WHL)

FP: The smooth-skating Pouliot is an offensive-minded defenseman who knows to run a power-play. Dubbed the best passing defenseman of this class, Pouliot will replace Dan Boyle as the Sharks’ go-to-guy on the power play in a few years down the road.

CK: 18 – Chicago Blackhawks: Andrei Vasilevski – G (Ufa, Russia)

CK: The Blackhawks have a wealth of talent in their prospect pool, so they can afford to take a bit of a risk here. It’s a risk drafting a goalie in the first round, and it’s also a risk drafting a Russian; but Vasilevski is worth it. He is technically sound, he is typically consistent, and he has the size you want in a goalie nowadays. This pick is a toss up between Vasilevski and Malcolm Subban.

FP: 19 – Tampa Bay Lightning (via Detroit): Nicolas Kerdiles – F (US-NTDP, USHL)

FP: Kerdiles’ game revolves around his physical play, positioning and shot, while he has also improved his defensive play this season. He has the necessary skating, shooting and passing skills to compete at the higher level. However, Kerdiles will need to continue developing steadily if he wants to make an impact playing alongside Steven Stamkos in a few years.

CK: 20 – Philadelphia Flyers: Slater Koekkoek – D (Peterborough, OHL)

CK: Paul Holmgren loves to go for the home run, and drafting Koekkoek is just that. He only played 26 games this year, and many believe that had he been healthy, he could easily be a top 10 pick with his combination of speed and compete level. The Flyers desperately need an infusion of defense into their organization, so this pick makes a ton of sense for them.

FP: 21 – Buffalo Sabres (via Nashville): Henrik Samuelsson – C/RW (Edmonton, WHL)

FP: An absolute offensive dynamo, Samuelsson possesses great puck skills and he’s good at finding his teammates on the ice. Hard to handle because of his size, Samuelsson is great at shielding the puck from his opponents and is great on the forecheck. Look for him to fit nicely in Buffalo as the center ice position is not very strong in Buffalo.

CK: 22 – Pittsburgh Penguins: Thomas Wilson – RW (Plymouth, OHL)

CK: Wilson and the Penguins are a match made in heaven. He projects as a complimentary-type top 6 forward that would excel in the right situation. He has decent offensive skills, but it’s his willingness to forecheck hard, finish his hits and go to the net that make him an excellent prospect. His speed is a bit of a concern, but his 6’4 frame makes it tough to pass up on him.

FP: 23 – Florida Panthers: Scott Laughton – C (Oshawa, OHL)

FP: While Laughton is not the most talented player in the draft, he is certainly one of the most combative and hard-working players available. Despite a relatively average frame, he plays a determined, physical and smart game while remaining valuable to his team in all situations. Those qualities will work well alongside finesse players such as Jonathan Huberdeau and Stephen Weiss for the improving Panthers.

CK: 24 – Boston Bruins: Hampus Lindholm – D (Rogle, Sweden)

CK: Like when Dougie Hamilton shockingly slipped to them a few years ago, the Bruins are shocked that Lindholm is available at this point in the draft. Lindholm is the typical Swedish defenseman: good size, good skating, smart and well-rounded. He is the type of player scouts are talking about when they say “it’s a good thing if you don’t notice a defenseman.”

FP: 25 – St. Louis Blues: Colton Sissons- C/RW (Kelowna, WHL)

FP: While his numbers don’t jump off the page, Sissons brings a complete, well-rounded game to the rink every night. He skates hard and plays with edge, and he has high hockey IQ and a great three-zone game. Sissons will never be a point-per-game player in the NHL, but he will certainly prove valuable to the Blues organization.

CK: 26 – Vancouver Canucks: Matthew Finn – D (Guelph, OHL)

CK: Matthew Finn is similar to Hampus Lindholm in the sense that both are defensemen that play an effective, low-key game. Finn would vault right to the top of Vancouver’s prospect depth chart, since they don’t have any young D in the organization that project as potential top 4 blueliners.

FP: 27 – Phoenix Coyotes: Timothy Bozon – LW (Kamloops, WHL)

FP: The son of former St. Louis Blues forward Philippe Bozon, he recorded 71 points in 71 games in his first season in the CHL. Bozon has tremendous hands and puck skills that when combined with his great skating, make him difficult to play against. With the lack of depth at forward in Phoenix, the team is in dire need of a young and dynamic forward to improve that element of their game.

CK: 28 – New York Rangers: Michael Matheson – D (Dubuque, USHL)

CK: I would have loved to have gone with the emotional pick here in Stefan Matteau, but Matheson makes too much sense. The Rangers have a ton of very good forwards in their system, but are limited on defense past McIlrath and Erixon. Matheson is an unbelievable skater, boasts a tremendous hockey IQ and has great work ethic and character.

FP: 29 – New Jersey Devils: Pontus Äberg – LW (Djurgarden, Sweden)

FP: A lightning-fast skater, Äberg is blessed with very good vision, a strong shot and keen instincts. A shooter rather than a passer, he has a lot of different tools in his arsenal which should help him make it an easy transition from the Swedish Elite League to North America. The Devils are not afraid to draft Swedish players as they had great success in recent years, especially last year when they picked Adam Larsson in the first round.

CK: 30 – Los Angeles Kings: Tomas Hertl – C (Slavia Praha, Czech)

CK: The Kings have the luxury of having good depth across the board, so they can really just take the best player available. That player is Tomas Hertl, who is one of the better prospects to come out of the Czech Republic in recent years. He is very much like fellow countryman Tomas Plekanec. The two are effective at both ends of the rink, and have no trouble finding the scoresheet.

A Case for Vladimir Guerrero’s Hall of Fame Induction

Corey Krakower — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 18:57:12 +0000

This is the first and last blog I will ever write about baseball. My expertise might be hockey now, but between 1996 and 2003 (when I was 9 years old to 16 years old), I loved baseball. Nothing was more thrilling to me than going to the “Big O” in Montreal to catch an Expos game with my father.

Coincidentally, there was a particular player who wore #27 for the Montreal Expos that fascinated me during those 7 years. I’m referring to Vladimir Guerrero of course. To this day, there is no other athlete in any sport that I admired as much as I admired Guerrero. It was to the point where I coordinated my many visits to the concession stands so that I would never miss one of Guerrero’s at-bats. My love for baseball started when Guerrero entered the league, and it ended when Guerrero left Montreal to go to Anaheim. I still enjoy going to ball games occasionally, but my passion for the sport just isn’t the same anymore.

One thing I used to do a lot when I was a baseball fan was look at and analyze the statistics. I haven’t done this in a while, but in the wake of Vladimir Guerrero being on the cusp of either returning for one last MLB season or retiring from the sport, here goes….

48 players in MLB history have hit 400+ home runs.
65 players in MLB history had a career batting average of .315 or better. (min 8 yrs)
71 players in MLB history have 1400+ RBIs.
93 players in MLB history have recorded 2500+ hits.
121 players in MLB history have scored 1300+ runs.

Considering all the players that have ever played professional baseball, those are all impressive achievements. However, the question I have is how many players in MLB history have accomplished ALL 5?

The answer is 6 players. They are Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Lou Gehrig, Stan Musial, Jimmie Foxx and VLADIMIR GUERRERO.

That’s pretty impressive company for Guerrero, especially considering the other 5 are widely regarded as baseball legends. Those numbers in itself should be good enough to warrant Hall of Fame induction for Guerrero, but to really appreciate Vlad’s career, you have to look beyond the numbers. He had a reputation as being one of the most feared hitters by pitchers, and that includes the later years of his career. He never took performance-enhancing drugs in an era when it was accepted to do so. He also never played for a stacked team in his prime with other great hitters around him to inflate his numbers even more.

On a personal note, I always appreciated that even though he didn’t speak English, he ALWAYS made time to sign autographs for the fans in Montreal before games. I can’t even count the number of baseballs, cards and magazines I have that have Guerrero’s autograph on it. That may not count for something on the official hall-of-fame ballot, but being courteous to the fans counts in my book.

Simply put, Vladimir Guerrero was a superstar who played the game the right way. For that, the 9-time all star and 8-time Silver Slugger award winner deserves to one day be voted into Cooperstown. Hopefully his plaque will feature an Expos hat too!

UFA Flowchart: Forwards

Corey Krakower — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 02:55:57 +0000

In the coming weeks, there will be rumors about all 30 teams as they zero in on who they want to target on July 1 at noon when the unrestricted free agent market is open for business.. You’ll hear phrases like “Team X needs a left wing to play in their top 6″ or “Team Y needs a center for their 4th line”. That’s why the UFA Flow Chart was created.

This easy to use chart will help hockey fans identify players that would help address their favorite team’s needs. Click to view the UFA Flowchart for Forwards.

Introducing the #KraksGWGChallenge

Corey Krakower — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 16:31:11 +0000

While the OT challenges are fun, the problem is that you never know if its actually going to happen. In the spirit of the Stanley Cup being polished and ready to be handed over to the LA Kings should they win tonight, I wanted to come up with a contest that will almost certainly result in someone winning a prize.

With that, I am introducing the new 1-player #KraksGWGChallenge. To enter: use your twitter account to predict who will score the game winning goal tonight. Make sure to use the hashtag #KraksGWGChallenge as well.

The winner of the #KraksGWGChallenge will receive a Harrow Sports prize from me that will ship tomorrow. One of the prize options will be a 1-piece stick – Harrow’s new Crowbar.

Here are the rules:
- Predict only 1 player who will score the game winning goal – not 1 from each team.
- You must use the hashtag #KraksGWGChallenge to be eligible to win
- Picks are due before the puck drops to start the game (approximately 8:15pm)
- Multiple entries will disqualify you, unless you mention you are changing your pick

**If there is a tie between 3 people or less, I will tweet out a trivia question about the player who scored the winner. Whoever responds first with the correct answer will win the prize.

**If the tie is between 4 people or more, a random draw will be used to determine the winner.

If you have any questions, you can contact me via my twitter account @ckraks.

The winner of the #KraksGWGChallenge will get a direct message from me via twitter. I will include links to 2 prize options, 1 of which will be a 1-piece hockey stick. The contest winner will be required to message me which prize they want, any size/color specifications and their shipping address.

WHICH NHL TEAM HAS THE BEST FORWARD PROSPECTS? (2012 EDITION)

Corey Krakower — Fri, 25 May 2012 15:04:10 +0000

At the start of every offseason, there are typically disappointed fans from 29 teams that are mentally thinking about trades their team can make and players their team can sign that can make them a Stanley Cup contender. What is often forgotten is that the most effective way to improve an NHL team instantly is to typically by promoting top prospects that are already part of the organization. This is especially true at the forward position, because these players develop at a much faster pace than defense and goaltenders.

Below is ProSportsBlogging.com’s list of NHL teams ranked by the strength of their forward prospects. As a reference, the 2011 version of this list can be found here.

Notes from 2011 to 2012:
15 players graduated from prospect status to NHL regular
26 players were removed due to being passed by other prospects
The biggest jumps were Toronto (20 to 7) and Ottawa (16 to 4)
The biggest drops were Edmonton (2 to 19) and Tampa Bay (12 to 22)

RANKING OF NHL TEAMS’ FORWARD PROSPECTS

1 – MINNESOTA WILD

1 – Mikael Granlund (will look great on line 1 alongside fellow-Finn Mikko Koivu)
2 – Charlie Coyle (he has size, he can skate, he can score – he’s the real deal)
3 – Jason Zucker (in a brief stint with Minnesota, he was their fastest skater)
4 – Zack Phillips (a pure scorer, excelled when on a line with Coyle in Saint John)
5 – J. Larsson / B. Bulmer (call it a tie at #5 for both of these solid prospects)

2011 Rank: 9
Graduated from 2011 list: N / A
Removed from 2011 list: N / A

2 – FLORIDA PANTHERS

1 – Jonathan Huberdeau (as good as it gets on this list, easily cracks Florida’s top 6)
2 – Quinton Howden (a star in the WHL, will also push for a spot with the Panthers)
3 – Drew Shore (arguably the best player in college hockey, NHL-ready right now)
4 – Nick Bjugstad (at 6’4, he’s the big dynamic center that all teams want)
5 – Rocco Grimaldi (a wild card after missing virtually the entire 2011-12 season)

2011 Rank: 1
Graduated from 2011 list: N / A
Removed from 2011 list: Garrett Wilson

3 – ST. LOUIS BLUES

1 – Vladimir Tarasenko (tremendous offensive skill; STL working hard to sign him)
2 – Jaden Schwartz (another high-end prospect; can play any position up front)
3 – Ty Rattie (121 pts for Portland (WHL); should be on Canada’s 2013 WJC team)
4 – Phil McRae (really improved in his second AHL season; scored 23 goals)
5 – Jori Lehtera (the Finnish native produced at a point per game rate in the KHL)

2011 Rank: 6
Graduated from 2011 list: N / A
Removed from 2011 list: Stefan Della Rovere, Evgeny Grachev

4 – OTTAWA SENATORS

1 – Jakob Silfverberg (was the MVP of the Swedish Elite League as a 20 year-old)
2 – Mika Zibanejad (a great prospect, but struggled offensively in 9 games with OTT)
3 – Mark Stone (one of the best players at World Juniors; WHL stat line: 41-82-123)
4 – Stefan Noesen (Plymouth Whalers best player; posted 15 pts in 7 playoff games)
5 – Matt Puempel (limited to 30 games this season, still put up 17 goals/33 points)

2011 Rank: 16
Graduated from 2011 list: N / A
Removed from 2011 list: Stephane Da Costa

5 – ANAHEIM DUCKS

1 – Kyle Palmieri (had a phenomenal year in the AHL with 33 Gs and 58 pts)
2 – Emerson Etem (scored 61 goals in 65 games for Medicine Hat)
3 – Peter Holland (the future #2 center behind Ryan Getzlaf)
4 – Rickard Rakell (Swedish native was over a point per game in the OHL)
5 – Chris Wagner (ripped up NCAA hockey this year for Colgate)

2011 Rank: 5
Graduated from 2011 list: Devante Smith-Pelly
Removed from 2011 list: N / A

6 – NEW YORK RANGERS

1 – Chris Kreider (on the cusp of stardom; he is on this list on a technicality)
2 – JT Miller (the 6’2 center had a productive first season in the OHL)
3 – Christian Thomas (went from 99 points in 2010-11 to 67 points in 2011-12)
4 – Michael St. Croix (the top scorer with 105 points on the best team in the WHL)
5 – Ryan Bourque (needs to pick up his game or he’ll be passed by Fasth/Yogan)

2011 Rank: 4
Graduated from 2011 list: Carl Hagelin
Removed from 2011 list: N / A

7 – TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS

1 – Nazem Kadri (has great hands and is very creative; will be an NHLer in 2012-13)
2 – Joe Colborne (tremendous combination of size and skill; NHL-ready right now)
3 – Matt Frattin (fit in with the Leafs better than Kadri and Colborne did)
4 – Carter Ashton (acquired from Tampa, adds some jam to Toronto’s bottom 6)
5 – T. Biggs / J. D’Amigo / G. McKegg / B.Ross (this depth explains the high ranking)

2011 Rank: 20
Graduated from 2011 list: N / A
Removed from 2011 list: N / A

8 – NEW YORK ISLANDERS

1 – Ryan Strome (dynamic player with exceptionally high-end offensive skills)
2 – Brock Nelson (a 6’3 power forward; put up 28-19-47 in 42 games at UND)
3 – Casey Cizikas (adjusted easily from junior to pro hockey; will be on Isles roster)
4 – David Ullstrom (another big forward for the Isles; can play center or wing)
5 – Kirill Kabanov (skill level with the puck is off the charts, but he’s an enigma)

2011 Rank: 3
Graduated from 2011 list: Nino Niederreiter
Removed from 2011 list: Anders Lee

9 – CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS

1 – Brandon Saad (how he slipped to the second-round in 2011 is ridiculous)
2 – Mark McNeil (he had a good year, but his stats slipped from 10-11 to 11-12)
3 – Phillip Danault (a top player in the Q, he seems to do everything well)
4 – Andrew Shaw (a perfect fit alongside Dave Bolland on Chicago’s third line)
5 – J. Morin / B. Pirri / J. Hayes / K. Hayes (couldn’t leave any of these guys off)

2011 Rank: 8
Graduated from 2011 list: N / A
Removed from 2011 list: Kyle Beach

10 – WASHINGTON CAPITALS

1 – Evgeny Kuznetsov (currently the best player not in the NHL)
2 – Cody Eakin (transitioned well to pro hockey; will be in Caps top 9 next season)
3 – Stanislav Galiev (had 34 pts in 17 games during Saint John’s QMJHL playoff run)
4 – Caleb Herbert (Freshman season at Minnesota-Duluth went well – 33 pts/41 GP)
5 – Mattias Sjogren (the Swedish forward did not do well in his first season in NA)

2011 Rank: 19
Graduated from 2011 list: N / A
Removed from 2011 list: Francois Bouchard

11 – BUFFALO SABRES

1 – Joel Armia (the 6’3 RW/C is a blue chip prospect playing over in Finland)
2 – Marcus Foligno (NHL ready; combines ferocious hitting with ability to score)
3 – Luke Adam (had a great start with Buffalo, but finished in the AHL)
4 – Daniel Catenacci (back to back seasons of 70+ pts and 100+ PIMs in the OHL)
5 – Corey Tropp (spent the year back and forth between Buffalo and Rochester)

2011 Rank: 11
Graduated from 2011 list: Zack Kassian (with Vancouver)
Removed from 2011 list: N / A

12 – DETROIT RED WINGS

1 – Gustav Nyquist (will be the next great Swede to play for the Red Wings)
2 – Tomas Tatar (right on the cusp of cracking a roster spot in Detroit)
3 – Tomas Jurco (had a phenomenal year with Saint John in the QMJHL)
4 – Riley Sheahan (has the potential to be an impact player as a third line center)
5 – Teemu Pulkkinen / Calle Jarnkrok (high-end skill in these 2 young Europeans)

2011 Rank: 17
Graduated from 2011 list: N / A
Removed from 2011 list: N / A

13 – LOS ANGELES KINGS

1 – Tyler Toffoli (back-to-back 50 goal / 100 point seasons in the OHL)
2 – Andrei Loktionov (if Kings don’t re-sign Stoll, will slot in as LA’s #3 center)
3 – Brandon Kozun (good numbers in the AHL, but his progress was stagnant)
4 – Linden Vey (had a successful rookie season in Manchester with 43 points)
5 – Jordan Weal (stat line from his 4 WHL seasons: 135-249-384 in 279 games)

2011 Rank: 13
Graduated from 2011 list: N / A
Removed from 2011 list: N / A

14 – CAROLINA HURRICANES

1 – Victor Rask (over 30 goals / 60 points in the WHL was a great first season in NA)
2 – Drayson Bowman (performed well in close to half a season with Carolina)
3 – Zac Dalpe (needs to find a way to translate his AHL point totals to the NHL)
4 – Zach Boychuk (time is running out for him to establish himself as an NHLer)
5 – Chris Terry (numbers went down from 2011, but still led Charlotte in scoring)

2011 Rank: 7
Graduated from 2011 list: N / A
Removed from 2011 list: Justin Shugg

15 – WINNIPEG JETS

1 – Mark Scheifele (so good that if it wasn’t for him, Jets would be ranked bottom 5)
2 – Carl Klingberg (had a good first year in NA; will contend for a spot with the Jets)
3 – Patrice Cormier (offensive ability is limited, but is an effective checking forward)
4 – Ivan Telegin (the 6’2 Russian had a breakout year with Barrie in the OHL)
5 – Spencer Machacek (his 50 pts in 61 GP led St. John’s; as NHL-ready as he can be)

2011 Rank: 23
Graduated from 2011 list: N / A
Removed from 2011 list: Eric O’Dell, Jason Gregoire

16 – CALGARY FLAMES

1 – Sven Baertschi (a star, scored 3 goals in 5 games for Calgary when called up)
2 – Roman Horak (pencil him in for a permanent top 9 spot with the Flames)
3 – Greg Nemisz (2012-13 is a make it or break it year for the former first rounder)
4 – Markus Granlund (similar skill set to his older brother Mikael of Minnesota)
5 – Max Reinhart / Michael Ferland (tie for #5; both are top WHL point producers)

2011 Rank: 21
Graduated from 2011 list: N / A
Removed from 2011 list: Ryan Howse, Mitch Wahl

17 – MONTREAL CANADIENS

1 – Louis Leblanc (in 42 games, Leblanc showed he can be a very effective NHLer)
2 – Brendan Gallagher (undersized but a great scorer who plays with an edge)
3 – Danny Kristo (pure speed; he had a great Junior season at North Dakota)
4 – Michael Bournival (a feisty forward who can play C or LW; lots of character)
5 – Aaron Palushaj (a great skater, still trying to find his niche as an NHLer)

2011 Rank: 22
Graduated from 2011 list: N / A
Removed from 2011 list: N / A

18 – VANCOUVER CANUCKS

1 – Nicklas Jensen (GM Mike Gillis feels he will push for a roster spot immediately)
2 – Jordan Schroeder (will contend for the vacant #3 center spot in Vancouver)
3 – Anton Rodin (slowly adjusting his game to the NA style, close to NHL-ready)
4 – Billy Sweatt (struggled offensively in his second AHL season)
5 – Alex Friesen (good numbers on a stacked Niagara team in the OHL)

2011 Rank: 10
Graduated from 2011 list: Cody Hodgson (with Buffalo)
Removed from 2011 list: N / A

19 – EDMONTON OILERS

1 – Tobias Rieder (came out of nowhere to become one of the OHL’s best scorers)
2 – Anton Lander (limited offensively, but a lock to earn a full-time spot with EDM)
3 – Teemu Hartikainen (same as Lander, except he plays wing instead of center)
4 – Tyler Pitlick (offensive numbers were low in OKC as he rarely saw time in top 6)
5 – Curtis Hamilton (a good prospect who had a bad season in the AHL)

2011 Rank: 2
Graduated from 2011 list: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
Removed from 2011 list: Ryan Martindale

20 – COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS

1 – Cam Atkinson (a shoe-in for a top 6 spot, looked good in his 27 game NHL stint)
2 – Boone Jenner (well rounded player, projects as a very good third line player)
3 – Matt Calvert (should have been in Columbus this year but had a bad start)
4 – Michael Chaput (Columbus stole Chaput from Philly, a great character player)
5 – Tomas Kubalik (decent upside, but he should be further along than he is)

2011 Rank: 14
Graduated from 2011 list: Ryan Johansen
Removed from 2011 list: Maksim Mayorov

21 – NASHVILLE PREDATORS

1 – Austin Watson (a big body presence that is strong defensively and can score)
2 – Taylor Beck (Ranked #3 in points on a strong Milwaukee Admirals team)
3 – Zach Budish (finally found his game after struggling for 2 years in the NCAA)
4 – Michael Latta (his potential maxes out as a bottom 6 forward in the NHL)
5 – Josh Shalla (back-to-back OHL seasons of 40+ Gs, 80+ pts and a strong playoff)

2011 Rank: 24
Graduated from 2011 list: Gabriel Bourque
Removed from 2011 list: N / A

22 – TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING

1 – Vladislav Namestnikov (one of the best playmaking centers in the OHL)
2 – JT Brown (an undrafted FA out of college; should make the Lightning right away)
3 – Cory Conacher (the 22 year old led the AHL in goals and was second in points)
4 – Richard Panik (his emergence made it easy for Tampa to trade Carter Ashton)
5 – Alex Killorn (stellar Harvard career; impressive stats for Norfolk in the playoffs)

2011 Rank: 12
Graduated from 2011 list: Brett Connolly
Removed from 2011 list: Carter Ashton (trade), James Wright (trade)

23 – BOSTON BRUINS

1 – Alexander Khokhlachev (high-end offense, weak defensively)
2 – Jared Knight (had a good season, but did not progress much from 2010-11)
3 – Ryan Spooner (same comment as Jared Knight)
4 – Maxime Sauve (perfect third-liner – in your face player with decent hands)
5 – Craig Cunningham (adjusted well from the WHL to the AHL)

2011 Rank: 15
Graduated from 2011 list: Jordan Caron
Removed from 2011 list: Jamie Arniel, Zach Hamill

24 – DALLAS STARS

1 – Scott Glennie (had a slow start in the AHL, but picked it up in the second half)
2 – Alex Chiasson (got better every year in college, experienced 9 AHL games too)
3 – Reilly Smith (could crack the Stars lineup right away after a solid NCAA career)
4 – Matt Fraser (undrafted free agent scored 37 goals in his AHL rookie year)
5 – Matej Stransky (the 6’3 winger broke out with over 80 points in the WHL)

2011 Rank: 28
Graduated from 2011 list: Tomas Vincour
Removed from 2011 list: Colton Sceviour

25 – SAN JOSE SHARKS

1 – Freddie Hamilton (2 consecutive years of 35+ goals and 80+ pts in the OHL)
2 – Matt Nieto (42 points in 37 games for Boston University as an 18 year old)
3 – Tommy Wingels (made good strides from 2010-11 to 2011-12)
4 – John McCarthy (Worcester’s team leader in goals and points)
5 – Brandon Mashinter (made the cut because of Viedensky’s bad season)

2011 Rank: 30
Graduated from 2011 list: N / A
Removed from 2011 list: Marek Viedensky

26 – PHILADELPHIA FLYERS

1 – Eric Wellwood (not the most skilled of this group, but the most NHL-ready)
2 – Brendan Ranford (progressed in the WHL from 33-53-86 last year to 40-52-92)
3 – Jason Akeson (his 55 points was one of the few bright spots in Adirondack)
4 – Nick Cousins (hands down the best forward I have ever coached against)
5 – Ben Holmstrom (team likes that he is starting to become a lot more physical)

2011 Rank: 26
Graduated from 2011 list: Sean Couturier, Matt Read
Removed from 2011 list: N / A

27 – PITTSBURGH PENGUINS

1 – Beau Bennett (good skill set, but is coming off a year where he played 10 games)
2 – Eric Tangradi (pretty much guaranteed a spot with the Penguins in 2012-13)
3 – Ben Hanowski (was the leading scorer for St. Cloud State in his Junior season)
4 – Ken Agostino (putting up a point per game on a .500 Yale team is impressive)
5 – Dominik Uher (68 pts in 63 games in the WHL is good enough for #5 on this list)

2011 Rank: 27
Graduated from 2011 list: N / A
Removed from 2011 list: Tom Kuhnhackl

28 – PHOENIX COYOTES

1 – Andy Miele (a very good first pro season; should be in the NHL full-time now)
2 – Chris Brown (former second rounder was very ordinary in 3 years at Michigan)
3 – Brendan Shinnimin (undrafted FA put up 134 pts this yr for Tri-City in the WHL)
4 – Lucas Lessio (went from 27 goals in his first season to 34 this year in the OHL)
5 – Ethan Werek (how does 19 pts in 67 AHL gms land you on this list? bad depth.)

2011 Rank: 25
Graduated from 2011 list: N / A
Removed from 2011 list: Viktor Tikhonov (KHL), Brett MacLean

29 – COLORADO AVALANCHE

1 – Joey Hishon (it’s a problem when your top prospect didn’t play a game in 11-12)
2 – Mark Olver (bounced around between Colorado (7 pts in 24 GP) and Lake Erie)
3 – Michael Sgarbossa (over 100 pts in the OHL; came over in a trade with San Jose)
4 – Mike Connolly (had a decent first year in the AHL after a very good NCAA career)
5 – Brad Malone (chosen because I had to pick somebody to round out the top 5)

2011 Rank: 18
Graduated from 2011 list: Gabriel Landeskog
Removed from 2011 list: Ryan Stoa, Justin Mercier

30 – NEW JERSEY DEVILS

1 – Reid Boucher (posted 28-22-50 in his first OHL season after 2 years in the USHL)
2 – Blake Coleman (ranked #2 on his team in goals as a Freshman at Miami of Ohio)
3 – David Wohlberg (led U of Michigan in pts in his final season of college hockey)
4 – Mike Sislo (signed as a FA after college; 27 pts in 59 GP in the AHL as a rookie)
5 – Blake Pietila (on this list because Mike Hoeffel had a terrible season in Albany)

2011 Rank: 29
Graduated from 2011 list: Adam Henrique
Removed from 2011 list: Alexander Vasyunov, Mike Hoeffel

Rankings are determined based on a combination of:
- current performance
- year to year progression
- offensive potential
- likelihood of making the NHL

Introducing the #KraksOTChallenge

Corey Krakower — Wed, 23 May 2012 15:53:36 +0000

With all due respect to ESPN’s John Buccigross (@buccigross on twitter), I hate his playoff overtime challenge. Don’t get me wrong; I LOVE the idea, I just hate the fact that people get to predict 2 players (one from each team) who will score the overtime-game winner. A truly successful prediction would involve picking 1 player from the team that you feel will actually win the OT. Of course, every time a playoff game goes to overtime, you can always count on me complaining about this via twitter. That will not happen anymore.

Inspired by this tweet, I am introducing the new 1 player #KraksOTChallenge … the next twitter phenomenon!

The winner of the #KraksOTChallenge will receive a Harrow Sports prize from me, that will ship the next business day.

Here are the rules:
- Use your twitter account to predict 1 player who will score the OT winner
- You must use the hashtag #KraksOTChallenge to be eligible to win
- Picks are due before the OT period starts
- Multiple entries will disqualify you, unless you mention you are changing your pick (see last rule)
- New participants can enter if the game goes to multiple OTs, as long as the prediction is made during an OT intermission
- Picks can be changed during the intermission of any additional OT

**If there is a tie between 3 people or less, I will tweet out a trivia question about the game. Whoever responds first with the correct answer will win the prize.

**If the tie is between 4 people or more, a random draw will be used to determine the winner.

The winner of the #KraksOTChallenge will get a direct message from me via twitter. I will include links to 2 prize options. The contest winner will be required to message me which prize they want, any size/color specifications and their shipping address.

Road to 2014: A Look at Team Canada

Corey Krakower — Sat, 05 May 2012 14:57:36 +0000

With just under 2 years to go until the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, ProSportsBlogging.com will run a 6-part feature that will identify the hockey players that will likely represent their respective countries at the Olympic Games. The 6 hockey super powers to be covered include Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, Russia, Sweden and USA.

Today’s featured country: Canada
2010 Result: Gold Medal
Projected returning players: 10 (7F, 3D, 0G)

TEAM CANADA’S PROJECTED 2014 OLYMPIC ROSTER

S. Stamkos – S. Crosby – C. Giroux
E. Staal – R. Getzlaf – C. Perry
M. Richards – J. Toews – R. Nash
T. Hall – R. Nugent-Hopkins – J. Eberle

FORWARDS: Canada’s chances at winning a gold medal comes down to the performance of their elite group of forwards. They need the right combination of speed, size, scoring and chemistry. Thinking back to 2010, it took Canada almost the entire preliminary round to figure out the best line combinations, so I will justify these selections by walking you through my thought process. The first line was easy; Crosby, Giroux and Stamkos are 3 of the top 5 forwards in the world. The second line has 3 guys with good international experience, a ton of size which will make them difficult to play against, good goal scorers in Staal and Perry and you have the Getzlaf-Perry chemistry. The third line consisting of Richards, Toews and Nash will be counted on to go head to head against the top lines from other teams. This is the exact same line that was put together late in the 2010 tournament and they did a phenomenal job. For the fourth line; you could make a very good case that James Neal is better than Hall; that John Tavares is better than Nugent-Hopkins; and that Tyler Seguin is better than Jordan Eberle. Having said that, Hall, RNH and Eberle formed one of the most dominant lines in the NHL this past season when they were healthy, so for that reason, I’m keeping the Baby Oil line together on Team Canada.

K. Letang – S. Weber
D. Keith – D. Doughty
M. Staal – A. Pietrangelo

DEFENSE: One thing that was made clear in 2010 was that Steve Yzerman doesn’t like erratic defensemen. Whoever is chosen will have to be able to defend well in their own zone. There are so many good choices, that rather than justify why I picked who I picked, I will go into why certain guys were left off. Tyler Myers is a good skater for his size and I am a huge fan of his, but his mobility might be exposed on international ice. Brent Seabrook would also struggle with the bigger ice surface in 2014. PK Subban falls under the 2010 Mike Green rule. Dan Boyle is left off due to age. Brent Burns is not elite enough offensively or defensively to warrant a spot. Karl Alzner should merit serious consideration, but there are just too many guys that bring more to the table than he does.

C. Price
C. Ward

GOALIES: This was a 4 horse race between Price, Ward, Fleury and Luongo. Canada has so much depth up front and on defense, that they don’t need a goalie to stand on his head and steal them games. They just need consistency, which is why I went with these 2 over Fleury and Luongo.

Other Road to 2014 Posts:
USA
Sweden
Russia
Czech Republic
Finland

Road to 2014: A Look at Team USA

Corey Krakower — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 18:31:51 +0000

Today’s featured country: USA
2010 Result: Silver Medal
Projected returning players: 13 (9F, 2D, 2G)

TEAM USA’S PROJECTED 2014 OLYMPIC ROSTER

Z. Parise – J. Pavelski – B. Ryan
P. Kane – P. Stastny – P. Kessel
M. Pacioretty – R. Kesler – B. Wheeler
J. van Riemsdyk – D. Backes – R. Callahan

FORWARDS: What Team USA lacks in skill in comparison to Sweden, Russia and Canada, they make up for with size and grit. It was tough leaving Derek Stepan off, but his versatility could earn him a spot as the 13th forward. Jason Pomiville was a tough one too, but I don’t see him ahead of Ryan, Kessel or Wheeler or as a fit on a 4th line. The toughest call was that last RW spot, as you could make a case that any one of Brown, Oshie or Okposo deserve it over Callahan.

R. Suter – R. McDonagh
K. Yandle – K. Shattenkirk
J. Johnson – J. Carlson

DEFENSE: While the common theme up front was size, the common theme on D is speed. All 6 are good skaters and all are excellent at moving the puck. Others in consideration that didn’t make the cut were Erik Johnson (inconsistent), Brooks Orpik (age, speed), Cam Fowler (weak defensively) and its too early to tell for rookies like Gardiner and Faulk.

R. Miller
J. Quick

GOALIES: Team USA will boast 2 of the NHL’s top goaltenders in Miller and Quick. Tim Thomas was not picked because he will be closing in on 40 years old and was therefore the odd man out. Americans probably won’t have a problem seeing as they are generally very patriotic and are likely still aggravated by his White House snub.

Other Road to 2014 Posts:
Sweden
Russia
Czech Republic
Finland

Road to 2014: A Look at Team Sweden

Corey Krakower — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 14:39:05 +0000

Today’s featured country: Sweden
2010 Result: Lost to Slovakia in Quarterfinals
Projected returning players: 11 (8F, 2D, 1G)

TEAM SWEDEN’S PROJECTED 2014 OLYMPIC ROSTER

D. Sedin – H. Sedin – L. Eriksson
H. Zetterberg – N. Backstrom – J. Franzen
G. Landeskog – M. Johansson – D. Alfredsson
A. Steen – P. Berglund – P. Hornqvist

FORWARDS: The forward group representing Sweden will be a nice mix of veterans and younger guys. This will be a tough team to play against, as they boast a ton of speed, good 2-way players and they all have high hockey IQ. One question mark is if Alfredsson will retire in the next year.

N. Lidstrom – N. Kronwall
A. Edler – E. Karlsson
V. Hedman – A. Larsson

DEFENSE: Some of the league’s best defensemen are products of Sweden, and the end result is the phenomenal group listed above. To really get a sense of how good the Swedish D are; consider that Enstrom, Hjalmarsson, Ekman-Larsson and Murray did not make their way onto this roster.

H. Lundqvist
J. Enroth / A. Lindback

GOALIES: Sweden has arguably the best goaltender in the world in Henrik Lundqvist. The backup position will be wide open; youngsters Enroth and Lindback are the front-runners, but don’t rule out top prospects like Jacob Markstrom (Florida) or Robin Lehner (Ottawa).

Other Road to 2014 Posts:
Russia
Czech Republic
Finland