The Hockey News has been providing the most comprehensive coverage of the world of hockey since 1947. In each issue, you'll find news, features and opinions about the NHL and leagues across North America and the world.

November 7, 2011

The Hockey News - Nov-07-11

<div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-04340/9556993-1-eng-US/f0040-042.jpg" title="f0040-04" width="139" height="221"><figcaption class="caption-body" style="width: 139px">EVGENI MALKIN (MALKIN: DAVE SANDFORD/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>Evgeni Malkin2006-0785 PtsPaul Stastny2006-0778 PtsPatrick Kane2007-0872 PtsN. Backstrom2007-0869 PtsJeff Skinner2010-11&nbsp;63 PtsAnze Kopitar2006-0761 PtsBobby Ryan2008-0957 PtsLogan Couture2010-1156 PtsMatt Duchene2009-1055 PtsJohn Tavares2009-1054 Pts1 Matt Duchene is the only player from the 2009 draft class to play in an All-Star Game &#9632;</div>

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IN THIS ISSUE

Young GUNS

<div class="byline">&#x2013; MIKE HEIKA</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0043-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-01781/9557359-1-eng-US/f0043-012.jpg"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-02537/9557352-1-eng-US/f0043-022.jpg" title="f0043-02" width="96" height="111"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-03448/9557345-1-eng-US/f0043-032.jpg" title="f0043-03" width="819" height="945"><figcaption class="caption-body">SHELDON SOURAY (SOURAY: GLENN JAMES/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>Signing with Edmonton looked like the perfect return to his native Alberta for Sheldon Souray.But after striking out with the Oilers, the 35-year-old is hoping for a fresh start in Dallas. &ldquo;I know a lot of people who have played here and I&rsquo;ve heard a lot of good things,&rdquo; said Souray, who was bought out in the summer by the Oilers after an ugly season in which he was banished to the minors. &ldquo;I just think this is a good place for me.&rdquo;The past two seasons, Souray was bothered by concussion and hand injuries. But he said he&rsquo;s completely healthy and his first month with the Stars indicates he can still handle the pace of the NHL. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s been fantastic,&rsquo;&rsquo; said defenseman Stephane Robidas, who played with Souray in Montreal from 2000-02. &ldquo;He doesn&rsquo;t look any different to me.&rsquo;&rsquo;Through the first five games, Souray was tied for the team lead in scoring with a goal and three assists and the Stars were off to a 4-1-0 start. With the lowest payroll in the NHL, the Stars were getting by because GM Joe Nieuwendyk had sought out players like Souray who have something to prove. &ldquo;I sense an unbelievable amount of motivation with him,&rdquo; Nieuwendyk said. &ldquo;I believe it&rsquo;s a gamble worth taking. We&rsquo;re both sharing the risk here.&rsquo;&rsquo;For Souray, the one-year, $1.7 million contract is a chance to start anew. &ldquo;I still have a lot of hockey left at this level,&rdquo; Souray said. &ldquo;But that doesn&rsquo;t mean anything unless you go out there and do it.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-1468/9557338-1-eng-US/f0043-142.jpg" title="f0043-14" width="327" height="19"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-04344/9557331-1-eng-US/f0043-042.jpg" title="f0043-04" width="937" height="740"></div><h2>CAP SNAPSHOT</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-09121/9557324-1-eng-US/f0043-092.jpg" title="f0043-09" width="405" height="681"><figcaption class="caption-body">(BLAKE: ABELIMAGES/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>Cap space: $3.9 millionPayroll by position:G &ndash; 10% F &ndash; 59% D &ndash; 31%Pending UFAs: Beauchemin, Blake, Koivu, Selanne, ParrosNTC/NMC: 4Under contract 2012-13: 14Buyouts: OystrickTop salary: Ryan Getzlaf, $5.8MBest bargain: Cam FowlerMost overpaid: Jason Blake<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-05298/9557317-1-eng-US/f0043-052.jpg" title="f0043-05" width="937" height="740"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-10106/9557310-1-eng-US/f0043-102.jpg" title="f0043-10" width="403" height="686"><figcaption class="caption-body">(BENN: PHILLIP MACCALLUM/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>Cap space: $15.7 millionPayroll by position:G &ndash; 9% F &ndash; 61% D &ndash; 30%Pending UFAs: Burish, Dvorak, Grossman, Souray, RaycroftNTC/NMC: 6Under contract 2012-13: 11Buyouts: noneTop salary: Mike Ribeiro, $5MBest bargain: Jamie BennMost overpaid: Eric Nystrom<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-06246/9557303-1-eng-US/f0043-062.jpg" title="f0043-06" width="937" height="740"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-1192/9557296-1-eng-US/f0043-112.jpg" title="f0043-11" width="406" height="651"><figcaption class="caption-body">(QUICK: ANDY DEVLIN/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>Cap space: $787,000Payroll by position:G &ndash; 5% F &ndash; 50% D &ndash; 45%Pending UFAs: Mitchell, Moreau, Stoll, Parse, PennerNTC/NMC: 1Under contract 2012-13: 18Buyouts: noneTop salary: M. Richards, $6.6MBest bargain: Jonathan QuickMost overpaid: Dustin Penner<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-07209/9557289-1-eng-US/f0043-072.jpg" title="f0043-07" width="937" height="740"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-1281/9557282-1-eng-US/f0043-122.jpg" title="f0043-12" width="407" height="686"><figcaption class="caption-body">(ROZSIVAL: NORM HALL/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>Cap space: $13.4 millionPayroll by position:G &ndash; 6% F &ndash; 52% D &ndash; 42%Pending UFAs: Aucoin, Doan, Langkow, Rozsival, WhitneyNTC/NMC: 7Under contract 2012-13: 13Buyouts: noneTop salary: Keith Yandle, $4.7MBest bargain: Ray WhitneyMost overpaid: Michal Rozsival<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-08162/9557275-1-eng-US/f0043-082.jpg" title="f0043-08" width="937" height="740"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-1371/9557268-1-eng-US/f0043-132.jpg" title="f0043-13" width="404" height="686"><figcaption class="caption-body">(COUTURE: JEFF VINNICK/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>Cap space: $2 millionPayroll by position:G &ndash; 9% F &ndash; 60% D &ndash; 31%Pending UFAs: White, Murray, Vandermeer, Niittymaki, MitchellNTC/NMC: 5Under contract 2012-13: 13Buyouts: noneTop salary: Joe Thornton, $8MBest bargain: Logan CoutureMost overpaid: Joe Thornton &#9632;

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Fresh Start With Stars

<div class="byline">BY KEN CAMPBELL</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0020-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-011591/9556297-1-eng-US/f0020-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">IN FOR THE LONG HAULChristian Ehrhoff is intent on honoring all 10 years of his contract with Buffalo. (BILL WIPPERT/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>Let&rsquo;s have a little fun with Christian Ehrhoff&rsquo;s salary this season, shall we? In the time it takes you to read this piece, he will have earned about 60 bucks. In the time it took your correspondent to write it, he made more than a thousand dollars. And in the split second it takes to snap your fingers, he rang up one quarter, one nickel and a penny. That&rsquo;s 31 cents.In fact, for what Ehrhoff will make this season, he could have either covered the renovations to the Sabres dressing room over the summer or he could have given each man, woman and child in the greater Buffalo-Niagara Falls area $8.81 (based on the 2010 census figure of 1,135,509).The only thing keeping his day rate from being higher is the fact 2012 is a leap year, which means it has 366 days instead of 365. When Ehrhoff signed his 10-year deal with the suddenly free-spending Sabres, he wisely got a full one-quarter of the $40 million up front, including a signing bonus in the form of $8 million. But it&rsquo;s not as though the Sabres held up one of those big cardboard checks with a bunch of zeroes on it the way the Winnipeg Jets (remember them?) did when they signed Bobby Hull to a million-dollar contract in 1972.In fact, Ehrhoff never actually saw the money. &ldquo;They wired it,&rdquo; Ehrhoff said, &ldquo;and obviously taxes and escrow was taken out of it. I never saw the check.&rdquo;In terms of actual dollars paid, the only NHL player who will make more than Ehrhoff this season is Brad Richards of the New York Rangers, who will pull down $12 million. New Philadelphia Flyers starting goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov and Tampa Bay&rsquo;s Vincent Lecavalier will earn as much as Ehrhoff does in 2011-12. The four make for an interesting group relative to their salaries. But that&rsquo;s what happens when it comes to unrestricted free agency. Trends are trends and the latest one has teams paying UFAs a ton of money up front. Teams that refuse to do those kinds of deals &ndash; such as the Toronto Maple Leafs &ndash; end up with Tim Connolly as their No. 1 center instead of Richards.From the player&rsquo;s perspective, it makes a lot of sense. It&rsquo;s much more advantageous to have the money earning interest and being invested sooner rather than later. Ehrhoff and those who earned big up-front signing bonuses will benefit in other ways as well. If, as many observers are predicting, a rollback on salaries in the line of the 24 percent instituted in 2005 comes to pass as a key part of the upcoming collective bargaining agreement negotiations, only 75 percent of Ehrhoff&rsquo;s earnings from this contract will be subject to it. And if there is a lockout next season, Ehrhoff will have his $10 million from this season, plus another $5 million in signing bonus that will be wired into his account regardless of whether or not the NHL plays in 2012-13.In realistic terms, Ehrhoff&rsquo;s average annual salary is $4 million, a pretty good deal for a 29-year-old D-man who scored 50 points last season. And even though in Years 8, 9 and 10 he&rsquo;ll earn exactly 10 percent of what he earned in the first year of his deal, he has every intention of fulfilling the terms of his contract.Front-loaded deals have come under fire by those who think the players will retire &ndash; and have their cap hits taken off the books &ndash; before the end of the contracts. But Ehrhoff, who will fulfill the contract before his 39th birthday, vows he will not be one of those players. &ldquo;I signed the 10-year deal and I intend on playing those 10 years,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;You never know what&rsquo;s going to happen down the road in hockey, but I plan to play them, for sure. I got most of the money up front, but that doesn&rsquo;t mean I should be less committed when I&rsquo;m making less money.&rdquo;<h2>TIP OF THE CAP</h2>The NHL&rsquo;s salary cap has risen every year. Will the trend stop when the current CBA expires? It certainly will if a rollback is part of the new deal.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-021148/9556290-1-eng-US/f0020-022.jpg" title="f0020-02" width="2750" height="626"></div> &#9632;

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Smart Money

<div class="byline">By Sal Barry &#x2013; webmaster of the hockey card site PuckJunk.com</div>Former NHL defenseman Jim Kyte was the first legally deaf person to play in the NHL. He wore hearing aids when he played and used a specially made helmet that provided extra protection for his ears. The 1991-92 Pinnacle Hockey set featured a card of Kyte signing a message to us: &ldquo;Hard work brings success.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0011-05542/9555872-1-eng-US/f0011-052.jpg" title="f0011-05" width="542" height="735"></div> &#9632;

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IN THE Cards

<div class="byline">PHOTOGRAPH BY JUSTIN K. ALLER</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0003-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0003-012155/9555319-1-eng-US/f0003-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">(GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div><h2>Price Shows His Worth</h2>Carey Price gives TV sportscasters one for their highlight reels, making a diving stop on the Pens&rsquo; Steve Sullivan. &#9632;

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THE BIG PICTURE

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-012183/9555364-1-eng-US/f0004-012.jpg" title="f0004-01" width="991" height="630"><figcaption class="caption-body">(JAMIE HODGSON/THN)</figcaption></div>A while back I was at my doctor&rsquo;s office when the subject of my job arose. Typically, when I tell people what I do for a living, the reaction, especially from Canadian males, is a variation of &ldquo;amazing,&rdquo; &ldquo;cool&rdquo; or &ldquo;sweet.&rdquo; And, truth be told, it is pretty awesome. Only &lsquo;Doc V&rsquo; wasn&rsquo;t overly impressed. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not a fan of professional sports,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;The amount of money those guys make is obscene.&rdquo;A little more recently, I got a letter from longtime subscriber and hockey historian Pastor Glen Goodhand, who echoed my physician&rsquo;s sentiment, in part. Though Pastor G is an ardent follower of the game, he firmly believes bloated salaries can be a detriment to the athletes themselves. Put simply, he said those who have &ldquo;everything&rdquo; continue to want more and, in some cases, turn to alcohol, drugs or other potentially destructive devices to satisfy the craving.Both men make valid points, stating views that aren&rsquo;t necessarily unique, but taking positions we don&rsquo;t often hear anymore. There was a time, when salary escalation was fresher, these types of indignations were commonplace. Somewhere along the line, however, we&rsquo;ve become desensitized to the lunacy or accepted it as the way of our world. If Christian Ehrhoff, the focus of a Ken Campbell feature starting on pg. 20, makes $1,000 an hour, every hour of the day, so be it.We may also be aware we&rsquo;re accessories to the crime. We show how much we value this part of our lives by the number of greenbacks we invest in tickets and merchandise, and how often we tune into games on television. Our wallets and eyeballs are the fuel for the machinery.Does the industry bear some of the brunt? Absolutely. Like any supplier or manufacturer, the owners are going to charge as much as the market can bear, banking on our emotional attachment to squeeze every cent. And the players and their agents are going to vie for their &ldquo;fair share.&rdquo; But like a chronic smoker or coffee drinker, we ultimately make the decision. Judging by the ever-increasing revenues, we&rsquo;re blissfully addicted.Of course, the money picture isn&rsquo;t all gloom. The hockey world is very involved in charitable work and THN&rsquo;s Rory Boylen shines the spotlight on a few philanthropic ventures on pg. 14. It may not be enough to sway Dr. V, but for us puck junkies it&rsquo;ll suffice as a silver lining.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-031492/9555357-1-eng-US/f0004-032.jpg" title="f0004-03" width="456" height="245"></div>NEXT&nbsp;ISSUE NOVEMBER 14, 2011CUSTOMER SERVICE AND TO SUBSCRIBE: <a href="http://THN.com">thn.com</a>CONTACT US: <a href="mailto:editorial@thehockeynews.com">editorial@thehockeynews.com</a><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-021854/9555350-1-eng-US/f0004-022.jpg" title="f0004-02" width="279" height="371"></div>LISTEN UP!THE HOCKEY NEWS RADIO SHOW FRIDAYS 3-4 EST XM 92 SIRIUS 207 IN USA &#9632;

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Extinction Of Indignation

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0006-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-021636/9555419-1-eng-US/f0006-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">(LUONGO: MARISSA BAECKER/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>Submit your letter at: <a href="http://THN.COM/LETTERS">thn.com/letters</a><h2>The Good Of Gross</h2>What ever happened to gross misconducts? I referee minor hockey and can still call this infraction. I&rsquo;m left wondering why the NHL doesn&rsquo;t have it? Anyone recall Sean Avery waving his stick in Martin Brodeur&rsquo;s face? Gross misconducts are defined as an act that &ldquo;makes a travesty of the game.&rdquo; I know I was embarrassed watching that. It would also help stop nonsense like Arron Asham&rsquo;s post-fight reaction by putting him in the box for an extra two minutes. Bring gross misconducts back and take these shenanigans out of our game already.&nbsp;Chris Copeman, Huntsville, Ont.<h2>Fight For Peace</h2>I keep hearing talk about putting an end to fighting completely. I think this would be a huge mistake. The survival of the sport depends on fighting and big hits. I grew up watching heavyweights such as Donald Brashear and Tie Domi duke it out. The only proven way to prevent stars from taking big hits is to hire some goons as enforcers.Marco Lukacs, Pittsburgh<h2>Joe&rsquo;s No Schmoe</h2>How could you leave out Joe Mullen out of your ranking of the All-Time American players (Simply The Best Ever, Oct. 17)? Mullen played 1,062 games, scored 1,063 points, earned two Lady Byng Trophies and, most importantly, won three Stanley Cups. Add to that, he was the first American-born player to score 500 goals. That resume surely earns him a spot on that All-Time list.John Repper, BostonAfter emerging from humble beginnings in New York City, Joe Mullen starred in the Central League with 120 goals over two-plus seasons getting an NHL shot with the St. Louis Blues in 1981-82. He left the NHL after 17 seasons as the all-time leading American goal-scorer and was inducted into Hall of Fame in 2000. In the words of the late John Halligan, the longtime public relations director with the Rangers, Mullen was &ldquo;an all-time great&rdquo; person, too. A tip o&rsquo; the cap to Mullen as best American ever.&nbsp;Mike Milo, Eden Prairie, Minn.<h2>Killer Whales</h2>I&rsquo;m baffled by the fan reaction Roberto Luongo has been getting. Wasn&rsquo;t Luongo in net when the Olympic gold medal was won in 2010? Didn&rsquo;t Luongo go to the Stanley Cup final in 2011? Wasn&rsquo;t Luongo the captain of the Canucks only a couple of years ago? Why is he getting booed out of his own building? Come on, look at his achievements.&nbsp;Laura Stott, Liverpool, EnglandI would rather have Roberto Luongo over Troy Gamble. I would rather Louie over Kay Whitmore. I would rather have Loouuuu over Bob Essensa. I would rather have Bobby Lu over Alfie Michaud. I would rather have Bolo over Dan Cloutier&hellip;should I go on? Never forget who we had before.Ryan Conway, Victoria, B.C.<h2>Brotherly Love?</h2>When Mike Richards returned to Philadelphia, the fans gave him a standing ovation. Richards did not even acknowledge the crowd, not even a simple wave. The loyal fans who supported of him for so many years deserved better.Nick Gabriele, Phoenixville, Penn.<h2>Fear Of Loathing</h2>I was going to tell you what I think about all of the suspensions, but I was afraid I would be suspended for two issues.Norm Bernstein, Solon, Ohio &#9632;

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THN INBOX

<div class="byline">Clint Challand, Rocky Mountain House, Alta.</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0006-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-012410/9555450-1-eng-US/f0006-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">(LAICH: GRAIG ABEL/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>Brooks Laich&rsquo;s comments suggesting the league has overreacted to the concussion issue were a breath of fresh air. I don&rsquo;t want to see players permanently injured, but we&rsquo;re jeopardizing the integrity of the game. Everybody enjoys speed and skill, but at what cost? I don&rsquo;t want to watch the All-Star Game, emotionless and boring, 82 times a year. I have season tickets in two cities, but I&rsquo;m starting to wonder if what I&rsquo;m watching is worth the $40,000. The NHL is not a safe work environment, never has been, never will be. Let the boys play hard and police themselves&hellip;that&rsquo;s the game we all loved. Why change? &#9632;

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I LAICH WHAT I HEAR

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0007-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-012143/9555481-1-eng-US/f0007-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">STEVE DOWNIE & ERIK GUDBRANSON (RONALD C. MODRA/SPORTS IMAGERY/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>Adam, why does the media insist on talking about the struggles of the Winnipeg Jets as if they are an expansion team? They are not. Why have the Thrashers years of this franchise been totally forgotten and the Atlanta Spirit forgiven for destroying a team and robbing a city of its team?Bill Hogan, Atlanta, Ga.Bill, you&rsquo;re right to blame insipid Thrashers ownership for their mismanagement, but put yourself in Manitobans&rsquo; shoes for a second: If you&rsquo;d had your team plucked out of your city and a number of years later found yourself with a team back in your market, would you spend any significant amount of time focusing on the city from which it moved? Or would you almost assuredly be swept up in the romantic emotion of the return of the NHL and treat the team as if it were put together from scratch? I&rsquo;m not saying you&rsquo;re wrong to feel slighted. But it is unrealistic to expect Jets fans to wallow in someone else&rsquo;s misery.Adam, why is there so much heat on Jay Feaster to make the Flames a winner now? They have 12 UFAs this summer. If they don&rsquo;t make it, Feaster can move new bodies in.Logan Gordon, CalgaryLogan, the heat is self-inflicted. After former GM Darryl Sutter was dismissed, the Flames had a chance to declare a full-on rebuild, but Feaster chose to stand pat at last year&rsquo;s trade deadline. Even after their UFAs leave, Calgary has $42 million committed to the 2012-13 season and just 12 regulars signed. There&rsquo;s lots worth worrying about.Adam, do you think Brendan Shanahan&rsquo;s crackdown on head shots is a first step to the league banning fighting?Vicki Nemarich, Old Bethpage, N.Y.Vicki, no, I don&rsquo;t think Shanahan or the NHL is intent on banning fighting &ndash; and I think the term &ldquo;ban&rdquo; is an over-simplification. However, many have a tough time reconciling the movement to reduce concussions with the obvious impact fisticuffs have. Shanahan has been honest in admitting the connection between head injuries and direct, bare-knuckle punches to the head. For that, at least, he and the league are to be applauded.Read more &lsquo;Ask Adam&rsquo; every Friday at <a href="http://thehockeynews.com">thehockeynews.com</a> &#9632;

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ASK ADAM

<a href="http://THN.com">thn.com</a><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-021454/9555512-1-eng-US/f0007-022.jpg" title="f0007-02" width="638" height="361"><figcaption class="caption-body">(JOHN RUSSELL/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>Shea Weber 53%Pekka Rinne 41%Ryan Suter 6% &#9632;

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POLLRESULTS

<div class="byline">BY AARON WARD </div><div class="byline">&#x2013; WITH ADAM PROTEAU</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-021751/9555550-1-eng-US/f0008-022.jpg" title="f0008-02" width="592" height="714"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-04696/9555564-1-eng-US/f0008-042.jpg" title="f0008-04" width="199" height="55"></div>Financially speaking, the game has evolved since I started playing in the NHL. The moment I signed my first contract, I made a deal with my father that part of my signing bonus would go to an individual to invest it.In 1993, I received a paper paycheck and I was in control of my money. An agent may have tried to help you manage it, but it essentially was up to you. Back then, agents were mostly individuals and not part of any bigger management groups, as so many are today. Over time the paychecks have grown larger, but you&rsquo;re probably not in direct control of your money today as you were 20 years ago. Now with direct deposit, you don&rsquo;t see your money and the onus is on you even more to manage it properly.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-012300/9555557-1-eng-US/f0008-012.jpg" title="f0008-01" width="225" height="288"></div>I learned in my first year that despite the fact you&rsquo;re making what most people consider a heck of a lot of money, it&rsquo;s really not yours to start spending. When you&rsquo;re 18, you don&rsquo;t take into account that a big chunk of what you make goes to taxes. You also have expenses and your agent to pay and you may have had outstanding debts you need to clear up. You learn quickly you have to manage your money.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-031237/9555543-1-eng-US/f0008-032.jpg" title="f0008-03" width="1127" height="1004"><figcaption class="caption-body">WATCHFUL WARDAaron Ward made sure he was on solid financial ground right from the start of his career. (WARD: GREGG FORWERCK/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>There are so many influences, internal and external, on a player&rsquo;s earnings. Internally, there is a sense within the team of &ldquo;keeping up with the Joneses.&rdquo; For example, as a young guy in Detroit trying to make a name for myself, it was natural to want all the things the older guys had. I loved Slava Fetisov&rsquo;s Range Rover, but upon finding out how much it cost, the realization hits you &ndash; &ldquo;Whoa, you can&rsquo;t sacrifice your financial security to be in that position.&rdquo; You have to exercise good judgment and be patient, even after you&rsquo;ve made the NHL.You also meet people outside of hockey &ndash; very successful businesspeople who want you to invest your money with them. Unfortunately, because they&rsquo;ve achieved status in their line of work, you trust they&rsquo;re doing the right things the right way. But there&rsquo;s no guarantee of that. The best decisions I made were: (a) to listen to my father when he told me to put my money away; and (b) hiring a money manager who was a very good friend, but more importantly, who wasn&rsquo;t afraid to be honest with me about my business decisions. He wasn&rsquo;t enamored with me just because I played hockey in the NHL.I&rsquo;ve seen people make bad choices. The biggest horror stories I hear are when one player has what he thinks is a good investment and other players want in on it, but then it fails and hurts them all. You can&rsquo;t give in to the pack mentality and must learn to separate the on-ice trust you have in your teammates from your personal financial dealings off the ice.Players who make bad business choices, on a small or large scale, is something that happens all the time. The hardest lesson to learn as a player is to live within your means. You don&rsquo;t know how long your career will last and how quickly the money can go. There are things out of your control, like escrow, which can fluctuate in either direction for any number of reasons. Marriages can dissolve. Or here&rsquo;s another example: You&rsquo;re usually maintaining two residences &ndash; one in the city you play in and one in your hometown. I know of a player in Detroit, a good friend of mine, who has a home in another city he played in that&rsquo;s been on the market since 2004. He can&rsquo;t give it away.Being in pro sports is like living in a bubble and once you&rsquo;re outside that bubble, reality hits quickly. Managing your money wisely helps ease that tough transition.306 Bauer Performance Sports Ltd.&rsquo;s revenue, in millions, for its 2011 fiscal year &ndash; more than any NHL team took in last season. &#9632;

f0008-02

Managing Millions

<div class="byline">By Charlie Teljeur</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0009-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-012060/9555595-1-eng-US/f0009-012.jpg"></div> &#9632;

f0009-01

The Instigator

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-021437/9555626-1-eng-US/f0009-022.jpg" title="f0009-02" width="617" height="674"><figcaption class="caption-body">(HARRY HOW/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div><h2>+PLUS</h2><h3>QUICK IN MANY WAYS</h3>L.A.&rsquo;s&nbsp;Jonathan Quick&nbsp;nets his 100th career win in just 185 appearances and does so with a shutout against Phoenix.<h2>&ndash;MINUS</h2><h3>BEAR-LY COHERENT</h3>The Bruins embarrass themselves by gooning it up in a loss to the Canes; Cam Ward even gives B&rsquo;s giant Zdeno Chara an on-ice dressing-down.<h2>+PLUS</h2><h3>THE NUGE ABIDES</h3>Edmonton top pick Ryan Nugent-Hopkins posts a hat trick in just his third NHL game, even if conspiracy theorists insist linemate Taylor Hall got the final one.<h2>&ndash;MINUS</h2><h3>JACKETS TAKEN TO CLEANERS</h3>&nbsp;Suspension to James Wisniewski and injury to Jeff Carter mean Columbus hits basement again. &#9632;

f0009-02

PLUS MINUS

<div class="byline">&#x2013; MIKE MASTOVICH</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0010-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-012271/9555657-1-eng-US/f0010-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">JACKED UPThough he&rsquo;s only earning $850 a week, Craig Rivet is excited to play in Elmira. (MIKE GURNSEY/GOJACKALSGO.COM)</figcaption></div>A few days after his team took 10 penalties during an ECHL exhibition game, Elmira Jackals coach Pat Bingham was ready to send a message with some gruelling, repetitive skating drills. &ldquo;I called out the names of the guys who took the selfish penalties, lazy penalties, careless penalties and I told them to get on the goal line,&rdquo; Bingham said. &ldquo;Then I hear someone say, &lsquo;Let&rsquo;s go boys.&rsquo; &rdquo;It was Craig Rivet. The former NHL defenseman, who signed with Elmira on Oct. 10, didn&rsquo;t even play in that game, but he led the charge during the suicides at practice. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s no accident he&rsquo;s had the career that he&rsquo;s had,&rdquo; Bingham said.The Jackals made news by signing Rivet, a veteran free agent after 16 NHL seasons and 923 games with Montreal, San Jose, Buffalo and Columbus. He spent much of the past three seasons with the Sabres and was their captain last year before being claimed on waivers by the Blue Jackets. Now, at 37, he&rsquo;s in the ECHL, a level below the American League and making $850 a week &ndash; a far cry from the $3.5 million he made in 2010-11. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m really excited to come to the rink and meet the new guys and get familiar with the surroundings,&rdquo; said Rivet, a third round pick out of Ontario League Kingston by the Canadiens in 1992. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m going to need a little bit of time to get back on the ice and skate again, but as far as the body and the way I feel, I feel fantastic.&rdquo;The Jackals opened the season with two home wins and interest in the team increased with the addition of Rivet, who was born in 1974 (15 years prior to the birth of the Jackals&rsquo; youngest player, Marco Cousineau, on the opening-day roster). Elmira averaged 3,334 fans in the first two games at the 3,784-seat First Arena. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s obviously very accomplished when you play that many years in the National Hockey League and have the type of career he&rsquo;s had,&rdquo; Bingham said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s been the captain and alternate captain almost every place he&rsquo;s played. He has a presence about him and a tremendous amount of experience and leadership qualities. He&rsquo;s come in the door and he&rsquo;s been a mentor to these guys since Day 1. He commands respect.&rdquo;On the ice, Rivet has embraced his status as a role model to his Jackals teammates, providing a veteran presence from his big league experience, which includes 69 playoff games over eight post-seasons. &ldquo;These guys are trying to get to the next level. This is their starting point,&rdquo; Rivet said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s nice that I have been through it, so I can help these guys in any way to try to move them along quicker.&rdquo;Rivet&rsquo;s opting to play in the ECHL has been met with varying reactions. Some view it as an inspiration, while others have suggested it&rsquo;s a demotion. But Bingham believes it&rsquo;s more about a love for the game. &ldquo;A player that&rsquo;s played at the highest levels for as long as he has &ndash; it&rsquo;s pretty hard for him to just walk away from the game,&rdquo; Bingham said. &ldquo;He loves it. You can tell by the look on his face and the way he talks about coming to the rink. He just wants to be around the guys. That kind of passion for the game is still coursing through his veins.&rdquo;For Rivet, he just wants to play hockey, whether it be in the NHL or the ECHL. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not the level, it&rsquo;s the competition,&rdquo; Rivet said. &ldquo;The competition here is still high. There are a lot of hungry guys. That&rsquo;s exciting for me.&rdquo; &#9632;

f0010-01

Pack Mentality

Getting cap space is crucial. GMs can either buy out players, paying two-thirds of the remaining salary and spreading the cap hit over double the years left, or bury them in the minors or Europe. Here are the top bought-out and buried boys by position and the league-wide total.<h2>BOUGHT OUT</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-031062/9555765-1-eng-US/f0010-032.jpg" title="f0010-03" width="256" height="203"><figcaption class="caption-body">Vaclav Prospal</figcaption></div>Left Wing - TBCap Hit: $1.2M<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-09159/9555758-1-eng-US/f0010-092.jpg" title="f0010-09" width="272" height="193"><figcaption class="caption-body">Sheldon Souray</figcaption></div>Defense - EDMCap Hit: $2.4M<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-04736/9555751-1-eng-US/f0010-042.jpg" title="f0010-04" width="260" height="206"><figcaption class="caption-body">Chris Drury</figcaption></div>Center - NYRCap Hit: $3.7M<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-10133/9555744-1-eng-US/f0010-102.jpg" title="f0010-10" width="240" height="194"><figcaption class="caption-body">Mike Commodore</figcaption></div>Defense - CLBCap Hit: $1.4M<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-05536/9555737-1-eng-US/f0010-052.jpg" title="f0010-05" width="232" height="203"><figcaption class="caption-body">J.P. Dumont</figcaption></div>Right Wing - NSHCap Hit: $1.3M<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-11106/9555730-1-eng-US/f0010-112.jpg" title="f0010-11" width="272" height="196"><figcaption class="caption-body">Ray Emery</figcaption></div>Goalie - OTTCap Hit: $563K$25,815,000VS.<h2>BURIED</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-06401/9555723-1-eng-US/f0010-062.jpg" title="f0010-06" width="258" height="201"><figcaption class="caption-body">Sean Avery</figcaption></div>Left Wing - NYRCap Hit: $3.9M<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-1284/9555716-1-eng-US/f0010-122.jpg" title="f0010-12" width="239" height="202"><figcaption class="caption-body">Wade Redden</figcaption></div>Defense - NYRCap Hit: $6.5M<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-07283/9555709-1-eng-US/f0010-072.jpg" title="f0010-07" width="272" height="201"><figcaption class="caption-body">Steven Reinprecht</figcaption></div>Center - FLACap Hit: $2.1M<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-1361/9555702-1-eng-US/f0010-132.jpg" title="f0010-13" width="252" height="195"><figcaption class="caption-body">Jeff Finger</figcaption></div>Defense - TORCap Hit: $3.5M<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-08208/9555695-1-eng-US/f0010-082.jpg" title="f0010-08" width="261" height="202"><figcaption class="caption-body">Ales Kotalik</figcaption></div>Right Wing - BUFCap Hit: $3M<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-1449/9555688-1-eng-US/f0010-142.jpg" title="f0010-14" width="260" height="197"><figcaption class="caption-body">Cristobal Huet</figcaption></div>Goalie - CHICap Hit: $5.6M$35,289,000 &#9632;

f0010-03

GOODBYE GUYS

<div class="byline">COMPILED BY BRIAN LIU</div>Shawn&nbsp;Horcoff has never scored more than 22 goals in a season and will make $5.5 million each of the next three years. Bobby Ryan has never scored less than 31 goals in a full season and will make $5.1 million each of the next five years.<a href="http://capgeek.com">Capgeek.com</a> lists the New Jersey Devils&rsquo; payroll last season at roughly $64 million, making them the most financially inefficient team on offense in 2010-11. The Devils spent $373, 593.53 for each of their league-worst 171 goals.Not including buyouts and players with significant injuries, Scott Gomez provided the poorest production for his 2010-11 stipend. The Canadiens gave Gomez $1.14 million for each of his seven goals.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0011-021386/9555810-1-eng-US/f0011-022.jpg" title="f0011-02" width="472" height="741"></div>The Rangers are paying Wade Redden $6.5 million to play in the American League. Redden would immediately be the highest-paid player on the Stars, Coyotes, Islanders, Jets, Blues, Ducks, Oilers, Blackhawks and Canucks. But hey, at least the Rangers aren&rsquo;t paying Scott Gomez.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0011-03931/9555803-1-eng-US/f0011-032.jpg" title="f0011-03" width="790" height="808"><figcaption class="caption-body">(SOURAY: JAMIE SABAU/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>The Islanders will still (yes, still) pay the exiled Alexei Yashin $2.2 million the next four seasons after buying him out in 2005-06. Off-season rumors speculated Yashin would rejoin the team, which would have made him the first player to draw two paychecks from the same franchise.The Dallas Stars will pay Sheldon Souray $1.6 million this season to play for their team. The Edmonton Oilers, on the other hand, will pay Souray $2.4 million to stay away.Since Rick DiPietro re-signed with the Islanders in 2006, he has played an average of 29 games a season. The $67.5 million contract runs until 2021. To buy out DiPietro&rsquo;s contract after this season, the Isles would have to pay him $1.5 million until 2030.Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and Alexander Semin make $22.9 million this season. The 11 other Washington Capitals forwards will collectively earn $18 million.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0011-04702/9555796-1-eng-US/f0011-042.jpg" title="f0011-04" width="550" height="476"><figcaption class="caption-body">(DIPIETRO: MIKE STOBE/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0011-02

SpareCHANGE

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0011-011910/9555841-1-eng-US/f0011-012.jpg" title="f0011-01" width="203" height="203"></div>1. Alexandre Giroux, LW, 30Springfield Falcons/CLB$325,0002. Keith Aucoin, C, 32Hershey Bears/WSH$300,0003. Chris Minard, LW, 29Grand Rapids Griffins/DET$300,0004. Clay Wilson, D, 28Abbotsford Heat/CGY$300,0005. Chris Bourque, LW, 25Hershey Bears/WSH$300,0006. Mike Zigomanis, C, 30Toronto Marlies/TOR$300,0007. Ben Walter, C, 27Abbotsford Heat/CGY$275,0008. Steve Pinizzotto*, RW, 27Chicago Wolves/VAN$275,0009. Martin St. Pierre, C, 28Springfield Falcons/CLB$275,00010. Derek MacKenzie, C, 30Springfield Falcons/CLB$260,000*on injured reserve with Canucks as of Oct. 19 &#9632;

f0011-01

TOP AHL SALARIES

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0011-07409/9555903-1-eng-US/f0011-072.jpg" title="f0011-07" width="480" height="670"><figcaption class="caption-body">(HORC OFF+NUGENT-HOPKINS: ANDY DEVLIN/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was 18 years, 187 days old when he scored his first NHL hat trick, Oct. 15 against Vancouver. He isn&rsquo;t, however, the youngest ever to turn the trifecta. That honor belongs to Jordan Staal, who was 34 days younger than &lsquo;The Nuge.&rsquo; (You&rsquo;d know that if you had THN&rsquo;s latest book, Hockey&rsquo;s Most Amazing Records!)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0011-06457/9555910-1-eng-US/f0011-062.jpg" title="f0011-06" width="221" height="332"></div> &#9632;

f0011-07

FOR THE Record

<div class="byline">BY ERIKA VANDERVEER</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-021740/9555941-1-eng-US/f0012-022.jpg" title="f0012-02" width="834" height="616"><figcaption class="caption-body">(JODI MACKIE)</figcaption></div>As a kid, I always used to say, &ldquo;When I grow up, I&rsquo;m going to be a hockey player.&rdquo; Twenty-some-odd years ago, little did I know that would come true, just shaping up a tad differently than Stamkos&rsquo; or Tavares&rsquo; same dream. Not only am I playing for the Toronto Furies in the elite Canadian Women&rsquo;s League at the age of 27, but it is also my job to design this page.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-012217/9555948-1-eng-US/f0012-012.jpg" title="f0012-01" width="225" height="293"></div>There are many great things I have to hold myself back from spending money on, but hockey isn&rsquo;t one of them. My love for this game keeps me thriving to compete, regardless of what it costs for me to play it. You see, I don&rsquo;t get paid to play pro hockey.At the start of last season, after being drafted by Brampton in the first-ever women&rsquo;s draft, I realized I&rsquo;d milked four long seasons out of my goal pads from my last year at Ohio State, which had provided my gear. Now, as a pro, I have to pay for my own. So $1,400 later, I had a brand new pair of Vaughn Velocity pads to break in. Then I also realized a break in my blocker had left the back of my hand constantly bruised. There went another couple hundred bucks.Just when I thought my hockey budget had stabilized, turmoil rocked my world. After starting the first half of the season 3-0-1, Brampton told me it was bringing in a third goalie and moving me to the reserve roster. This can&rsquo;t be happening&hellip;I don&rsquo;t deserve this&hellip;Are you serious? I was distraught and baffled, but could do nothing about it &ndash; in 20 hours I was off to Cuba for a previously booked rock-climbing trip over the Christmas break. Minutes before boarding the plane, I had a brief conversation with the executive director, Brenda Andress, and requested a trade.Jan. 9, 2011: trade deadline day. I was informed the two remaining Toronto-area teams had full rosters and weren&rsquo;t interested. But Boston was in town to play Toronto and wanted to talk to me. I had exactly the duration of Boston&rsquo;s game against the Furies to decide if I wanted to accept the invitation to join the team. Several frantic calls were made to my family and more notably my bosses here at THN. Work-wise and financially I was beyond skeptical. I&rsquo;d have to fly back and forth from Toronto to Boston to make this work. But my passion and love for the game were overpowering. With minutes remaining in Boston&rsquo;s game, I walked up and shook GM Paul Hendrickson&rsquo;s hand, accepting the most gracious offer of my career &ndash; a lifeline to keep my passion alive.Two months later, I&rsquo;d travelled to Boston four times on identical trips. Leaving Friday afternoon from Toronto, I&rsquo;d drive to Buffalo, catch a 6:45 p.m. flight to Boston, work away from the office Monday and Tuesday, then fly back to Toronto on Wednesday and work the rest of the week at the office. Despite racking up more than $2,000 on my Visa and making other sacrifices, I&rsquo;d do it all over again. I love this game.Erika Vanderveer is in her fourth year playing in the CWHL and is the Art Director of The Hockey News. &#9632;

f0012-02

Making Sacrifices

The average salary for an NHL player is a plush $2,284,753 Here&rsquo;s how much players in other pro leagues can expect to get paid, on average:<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-031120/9556007-1-eng-US/f0012-032.jpg" title="f0012-03" width="176" height="175"></div>$71,403/YEAR<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-04668/9556000-1-eng-US/f0012-042.jpg" title="f0012-04" width="235" height="167"></div>$609.36/WEEK<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-05468/9555993-1-eng-US/f0012-052.jpg" title="f0012-05" width="176" height="172"></div>$600.00/WEEK<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-06382/9555986-1-eng-US/f0012-062.jpg" title="f0012-06" width="235" height="181"></div>$312.00/WEEK<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-07315/9555979-1-eng-US/f0012-072.jpg" title="f0012-07" width="188" height="188"></div>$0 &#9632;

f0012-03

PUCK Bucks

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RYAN KENNEDY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0014-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-012190/9556038-1-eng-US/f0014-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">ANDY McDONALD (MACDONALD: ANDY DEVLIN/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>Injuries&nbsp;can cripple a team &ndash; no pun intended &ndash; but it&rsquo;s not just the loss of a player&rsquo;s particular skill set that hampers his NHL squad. In the salary cap era, it&rsquo;s also the payroll he commands.For that reason, there&rsquo;s the Long-Term Injury Reserve, whereby a team can go above the cap in order to replace a player whose services have been taken away. The caveat is the player must be out of the lineup for 10 games as well as 24 calendar days. For this reason, a lot of teams don&rsquo;t actually use LTI as much as they would otherwise. &ldquo;The only benefit is when you need to go over the cap to replace him,&rdquo; said Tampa Bay assistant GM Julien BriseBois. &ldquo;A lot of teams have their cap budget already set out.&rdquo;Last year, for example, the New York Islanders knew they would be without star defenseman Mark Streit for the duration of the season thanks to a shoulder injury sustained in training camp. The Swiss rearguard was followed by right winger Kyle Okposo, who also missed a big chunk of time due to a shoulder malady. But with the team&rsquo;s payroll near the bottom of the league, there was no need to put the pair on LTI, because the Isles were no threat to encroach the ceiling.Early in 2011-12, however, the Philadelphia Flyers are already relying on LTI to keep their talented yet expensive roster together. Erstwhile grinder Ian Laperriere&rsquo;s $1.2 million stipend has been replaced while he continues to recover from the concussion that saw him miss all of last season. Veteran center Blair Betts, who was claimed on waivers by Montreal only to see the transaction reversed due to injury, is also on LTI. St. Louis has left winger Andy McDonald out of the lineup with a concussion, but since they&rsquo;re not close to the cap, reclaiming his $4.7 million of cap space isn&rsquo;t crucial right now.McDonald and Laperriere are great examples of why both players and teams take out insurance on contracts. For the players, disability insurance is something that should strongly be considered. &ldquo;Where applicable, we always recommend our players to take out disability insurance policies,&rdquo; said agent Pat Brisson, whose CAA firm represented Adam Deadmarsh and now handles Sidney Crosby and Jonathan Toews. Deadmarsh&rsquo;s career was cut short by injury, so the former Avs Cup winner benefitted from his policy.Acquiring disability insurance can be pricey for hockey players and the premiums tend to go up as the warriors get older, since the chance of an injury leading to retirement is greater. Teams also take out insurance on player contracts to protect them if a veteran player&rsquo;s career is cut short. &#9632;

f0014-01

Wounding Wallets

<div class="byline">&nbsp;&#x2013; RORY BOYLEN</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-021644/9556069-1-eng-US/f0014-022.jpg" title="f0014-02" width="656" height="737"><figcaption class="caption-body">DUSTIN BROWN (BROWN: BRUCE BENNETT/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>THERE IS NO SHORTAGE of admirable charity programs across the NHL, something the league, its players and even fans should be proud of.For instance, St. Louis&rsquo; David Backes aims to help neglected animals through his &lsquo;David&rsquo;s Dogs&rsquo; program by promoting and participating in various fundraisers with his wife, Kelly. The two are also members of the board of directors at the Five Acres Animal Shelter.Henrik and Daniel Sedin donated $1.5 million towards the construction of a new B.C. Children&rsquo;s Hospital in March, 2010.Flames superstar Jarome Iginla donates $2,000 for every goal he scores to support KidSport Calgary and Canada, an organization for which he has raised $550,000 over the years.L.A.&rsquo;s Dustin Brown was awarded the 13th annual NHL Foundation Player Award last season for his efforts in the community. Brown donated $50 for each of the 300 hits he delivered for a total of $15,000 to the Children&rsquo;s Hospital Los Angeles&rsquo; Newborn and Infant Critical Care unit and also took on the role of team spokesman for the Children&rsquo;s Cancer Research Fund. He and his wife Nicole went further by helping a large family whose child was being treated at the Children&rsquo;s Hospital as part of the Adopt-a-Family program &ndash; among other initiatives.These men are just a few of the NHLers who contribute via free tickets, hospital work and/or cash donations for each goal, save or hit. The only way we could mention every player and team program would be to dedicate an entire magazine to them. &#9632;

f0014-02

Giving Back

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0015-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-021356/9556100-1-eng-US/f0015-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">PHOENIX FALLINGIt took a last-minute cash infusion to keep the Coyotes in the desert. (CHRISTIAN PETERSEN/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-011917/9556107-1-eng-US/f0015-012.jpg" title="f0015-01" width="207" height="245"></div>Say what you will about Gary Bettman &ndash; goodness knows, I have &ndash; but you can&rsquo;t deny the skills that have kept him as NHL commissioner for nearly 19 years. In particular, he has been a master of extinguishing financial fires. Whether it was devising a currency equalization plan to help Canadian teams in the 1990s or beating the bushes for new owners when teams needed them desperately to avoid relocation, Bettman has shown he isn&rsquo;t lying when he says he prefers keeping teams in their present locations.I like comparing him to one of those old-school plate-spinners who used to appear on the Ed Sullivan Show decades ago. Nobody has been better than Bettman at keeping 30 franchise dishes turning in the air, even when some wobbled dangerously and appeared on the verge of crashing to the floor.And as the end of the NHL&rsquo;s current labor agreement nears &ndash; circle Sept. 15, 2012 on your calendar &ndash; Bettman&rsquo;s spin cycle continues.As we saw with the Jets (Thrashers), sometimes the plates fall no matter what you try and do to save them. Here are the four franchises that are the league&rsquo;s biggest financial hot spots:PHOENIX: The Coyotes were a hair&rsquo;s breadth from moving to Winnipeg last summer and were spared relocation only after Glendale City Council&rsquo;s controversial, last minute decision to dump another $25 million into the franchise for 2011-12. The NHL has owned the team since October, 2009, and the organization reportedly loses millions each year.In July, Glendale mayor Elaine Scruggs doubted an owner could be found who would keep the team in Arizona, although former San Jose Sharks president Greg Jamison and Chicago White Sox/Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf have resurfaced as potential purchasers. Regardless, the faraway location of the arena always will be a significant hurdle for the franchise even if it stays in the desert.COLUMBUS: Blue Jackets&rsquo; majority owner John P. McConnell recently sold 30 percent interest in the franchise to Nationwide Insurance in a multidimensional deal that included the City of Columbus taking over ownership of Nationwide Arena. In addition, the city agreed not to charge the team rent (saving some $9.5 million annually); Nationwide Insurance agreed to pay the franchise $28.5 million over 10 years for arena naming rights; and McConnell agreed not to relocate the team and extend the Blue Jackets&rsquo; arena lease until 2039. That&rsquo;s the good news. The bad news is the team has reportedly lost a more than $80 million since the lockout ended and a Columbus newspaper story pegged the franchise&rsquo;s losses just for last season at $25 million.DALLAS: The Stars&rsquo; search to replace Tom Hicks as owner ran more than two years before trustees chose the bankruptcy court route in September. Vancouver businessman Tom Gaglardi submitted the leading bid for the team, which still could be put up for auction if someone else steps up and beats his bid by $10 million. In any case, there should be a new owner confirmed before the end of the calendar year. It can&rsquo;t come soon enough. The prolonged process and instability are widely seen as the reasons the Stars lost star center Brad Richards to unrestricted free agency. And the team&rsquo;s attendance to start the 2011-12 campaign was ghastly. Its Oct. 10 game against Phoenix drew an announced, alleged crowd of 6,306 &ndash; a new low for the American Airlines Center.FLORIDA: Owners Cliff Viner and Stu Siegel brought with them a sense of progress after coming aboard in 2009, but how much permanent damage has been done to the franchise by years of mismanagement of the on-ice product? If the number of people in the stands is any indication, a lot. Florida has been 22nd in the league or lower in average attendance each of the past five seasons &ndash; and that&rsquo;s with heavily discounted seats and promotional giveaways.WANT MORE PROTEAU?READ HIS EXCLUSIVE WEB COLUMN THURSDAYS AT <a href="http://THN.COM/PROTEAU">THN.COM/PROTEAU</a> &#9632;

f0015-02

$lippery $lope

<div class="byline">BY RYAN KENNEDY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0016-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-011960/9556145-1-eng-US/f0016-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">ADDED VALUERyan Kesler&rsquo;s Selke win is backed up by the latest in statistics. (JEFF VINNICK/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>Asking NHL execs which stats they use to gain an edge on their fellow movers and shakers may be the dumbest question a writer can pose, but it must still be posed. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s like calling up Colonel Sanders and asking him for his recipe,&rdquo; said one exec.Fortunately, there are growing legions of fans fill the void. Ever since the baseball tome Moneyball hit the public consciousness in 2003, hockey folks have pondered whether using new unique stat sorts would translate to the ice game. And now with Brad Pitt starring in a Moneyball movie, the lens on statistics has focused even sharper. &ldquo;Any information, whether new or old, is useful,&rdquo; said one Western Conference scout. &ldquo;Everyone&rsquo;s either into it or getting into it. I think it&rsquo;s got a lot of value.&rdquo;One of the first stats mentioned in these conversations is CORSI, often described as a plus-minus for shots. &ldquo;Basic plus-minus has two flaws,&rdquo; said Corey Pronman of Hockey Prospectus, a statistical-analysis publisher and website. &ldquo;The goaltender is the first &ndash; performances are volatile. For a player, his plus-minus is affected by how good your goalie is. The second is sample size.&rdquo;In a typical hockey game, somewhere between five and six goals are scored, but there are dozens of pucks directed at the net. Whether they hit their target or not is irrelevant to CORSI. The measure is one of puck domination. &ldquo;You want possession players,&rdquo; Pronman said.Another major measure is zone starts. Only counted during even strength time on ice, this crunch tallies the percentage of where a player start to a play (i.e., when a faceoff is taken), in either neutral, offensive or defensive zone.A third gauge is quality of competition, which compares the CORSI numbers of players on different teams to get a sense of which players are getting &ldquo;soft minutes&rdquo; against weaker competition and who is getting &ldquo;hard minutes&rdquo; against enemy stars.Put these three metrics together and it reveals interesting contrasts between teammates. For example, the Vancouver Canucks were the class of the West last season, but which of their stars was more valuable, Henrik Sedin or Ryan Kesler?According to Pronman, both Sedin twins benefitted greatly from coach Alain Vigneault&rsquo;s line changes, starting more than 70 percent of their shifts in the offensive zone. Kesler on the other hand, was around 50 percent. The American center and Selke Trophy winner also faced stiffer competition than the Sedins and posted a better CORSI rating. &ldquo;I would say the Sedins are a little overrated,&rdquo; Pronman said.Over in Winnipeg, the Jets have several prominent defensemen, but how do Dustin Byfuglien and Zach Bogosian stack up? Bogosian actually faced much stiffer competition than Byfuglien last season and &lsquo;Big Buff&rsquo; had the advantage of having 56 percent of his zone starts in the offensive end, compared to Bogosian&rsquo;s 48 percent, inferring he was trusted more.Of course, in both the Vancouver and Winnipeg situations, it must be noted that Sedin and Byfuglien put up far more points than their teammates, which is why these metrics can&rsquo;t be taken as the final answer in a player&rsquo;s worth. &ldquo;The better versions of this sort of analysis encompass so many different approaches,&rdquo; said the scout. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s more the whole package.&rdquo;The value in these stats may be better geared toward shutdown skaters and the bottom six than they are for measuring elite talents. Manny Malhotra, faceoff ace extraordinaire, is a star with stat geeks, while Frans Nielsen of the New York Islanders also impresses based on his CORSI rating and zone starts. Finding these players is a lot harder than simply grabbing the flashiest free agent on the pile. A gem found via unique statistical measurements gives a cap- and cash-conscious teams an edge in free agency and trades.One stat the NHL exec puts emphasis on is faceoff percentage, but he said he also looks at zone starts, quality of competition and CORSI. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s hard to get shots to the net these days,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;But getting shots toward or at the net, those are important to us.&rdquo;While some teams are open to the new numbers, it can be trying for the stats community to convince old-schoolers who rely heavily on subjective, eye-witness scouting. &ldquo;I think you&rsquo;ve got a big mix,&rdquo; said Michael Shuckers, a statistics professor at St. Lawrence University. &ldquo;Some folks say, &lsquo;we&rsquo;ve been doing this for 30 years and have been successful, we&rsquo;re not going to change.&rsquo; &rdquo;Shuckers&rsquo; latest work focuses on draft analysis and how a team can get fair value when trading up or down for picks. But another pet project, echoed by others in the stats field, is a bit of a curious one: The NHL records where every shot in a game is taken from, but at Madison Square Garden the distances are allegedly skewed. &ldquo;Systematically,&rdquo; Shuckers claimed, &ldquo;shots are recorded as being closer than they appear.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-011707/9556138-1-eng-US/f0017-012.jpg" title="f0017-01" width="1410" height="1285"><figcaption class="caption-body">TAKING ON THE BESTZach Bogosian is worth more for facing tougher opposing forwards. (BOGOSIAN: MARIANNE HELM/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>The effect, if true, is that star netminder Henrik Lundqvist looks better and Rangers shooters look worse. It just goes to show you that no matter how obscure a subject, NHL stat fans are on the lookout. &#9632;

f0016-01

The Value Of ‘Moneypuck’

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-021307/9556190-1-eng-US/f0017-022.jpg" title="f0017-02" width="272" height="468"><figcaption class="caption-body">(MALHOTRA: JEFF VINNICK/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>Vancouver&rsquo;s Manny Malhotra started just 25 percent of his faceoffs in the offensive zone, meaning coach Alain Vigneault put an incredible amount of trust into the veteran pivot. Malhotra&rsquo;s ace work in the dot was naturally a big factor.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-03933/9556183-1-eng-US/f0017-032.jpg" title="f0017-03" width="424" height="463"><figcaption class="caption-body">(PACIORETTY: FRANCOIS LACASSE/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>If you want to see Montreal buzzing the net, wait for a shift from Max Pacioretty. His CORSI number relative to teammates was best in the NHL, meaning the Habs were often firing when he was out on the ice.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-04684/9556176-1-eng-US/f0017-042.jpg" title="f0017-04" width="218" height="479"><figcaption class="caption-body">(LIDSTROM: GREGORY SHAMUS/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>Quality of competition is a measurement best reserved for comparisons among teammates, not NHL rivals. But if you&rsquo;re looking for a player who rates well, Detroit&rsquo;s Nicklas Lidstrom never fails. &#9632;

f0017-02

MATH MEN

<div class="byline">BY ADAM PROTEAU</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0018-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-011839/9556228-1-eng-US/f0018-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">LOOKING AHEADGary Bettman hopes to avoid another labor stoppage in 2012. (DAVE SANDFORD/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>When the NHL&rsquo;s 2003-04 season began, there was pessimism in the hockey community that the players and owners could avert a labor war. Indeed, the league and its most prominent employees ended up fighting tooth-and-nail (and other, more important body parts) while costing fans a full season of play.That pessimism wasn&rsquo;t as prevalent at the start of the 2011-12 campaign, the final one of the current CBA. But there are serious issues that could prevent a deal from being reached by the Sept. 15 deadline. The league and NHL Players&rsquo; Association likely won&rsquo;t begin negotiations on a new labor pact until the new year, but here are the five biggest issues that must be resolved for there to be uninterrupted hockey in 2012-13:<h2>1&nbsp;HOCKEY-RELATED REVENUE</h2>The NFL and NBA both learned from the NHL lockout. In turn, the NHL is learning from football and basketball&rsquo;s labor negotiations, both of which involved a bigger share of the larger financial pie for owners crying poor. Indeed, it is no coincidence law firm Proskauer Rose provides chief legal counsel for all of the NHL, NFL, NBA and MLB.So when you see the NFL now pays its players 48 percent of total revenues and the NBA&rsquo;s ongoing negotiations had team owners seeking a 50-52 percent share of all earnings, you understand why many believe the NHL will seek a drastic reduction of the 57 percent of hockey-related revenue players currently receive and demand something in the area of a 50/50 split. This is likely to be the central dispute between commissioner Gary Bettman and NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr, who will be engaging in his first NHL labor negotiation.<h2>2&nbsp;REVENUE SHARING</h2>When Fehr was running the baseball players&rsquo; union, he was a staunch supporter of revenue sharing among owners. &ldquo;Listen, it would be easy for Don Fehr to look at the NHL, a business that has grown from $2.1 billion prior to the lockout to $3 billion in 2011 and tell the owners, &lsquo;What&rsquo;s the big problem here?&rsquo; &rdquo; said an NHL agent. &ldquo; &lsquo;Three billion, 30 teams &ndash; that&rsquo;s an average of $100 million each in revenue and you guys can&rsquo;t make this work?&rsquo; &rdquo;In addition to encouraging a greater amount of revenue sharing, Fehr could attempt to institute a soft-cap system in a way that is friendlier to players in more profitable markets. For instance, the case could be made that while technically all NHL players make 57 percent of revenues, those on, say, the Toronto Maple Leafs earn only 40 percent of that franchise&rsquo;s monstrous earnings, while players in cash-poor Phoenix make 110 percent of the money the Coyotes generate.Regardless, on the issue of revenue-sharing writ large, however it is worked out, Fehr won&rsquo;t have an easy time convincing the league&rsquo;s biggest moneymaking organizations &ndash; who always have a significant say on the owners&rsquo; negotiating team &ndash; to share more of their wealth with small-market franchises dogged by on- and off-ice mismanagement.<h2>3 SALARY CAP FLOOR</h2>There is split opinion over exactly how important the cap floor is for the NHLPA and rightly so. Some believe it must remain part of the next CBA because it is the only guarantee against owners taking money they receive in revenue-sharing and pocketing it for themselves. But others see it as something included in the current CBA at the owners&rsquo; insistence and not a problem in theory, just in implementation.To wit: the salary cap floor is related to the cap upper limit in real dollars and not percentage of the upper limit. Without getting overly technical, remember the salary cap ceiling in the NHL&rsquo;s 2005-06 season was $39 million and the floor was $21.5 million, or 55 percent of the upper limit. But rather than maintaining that percentage, the CBA dictates a fixed $16 million difference between the ceiling and the floor for the following years, skewing the numbers and the percentage drastically. If the present system were kept and the cap ceiling reached $100 million, the floor would be $84 million &ndash; or 84 percent of the upper limit.In other words, if the league went to a percentage-based system instead of a real dollar system, the floor could remain intact and be far less hurtful to the small market teams who rail against it now.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-011625/9556221-1-eng-US/f0019-012.jpg" title="f0019-01" width="2336" height="1376"><figcaption class="caption-body">THE LONG-CONTRACT CONUNDRUMLengthy deals like Ilya Kovalchuk&rsquo;s could become part of the past. (JOHN RUSSELL/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div><h2>4 ESCROW</h2>Escrow is the process of holding back a percentage of players&rsquo; salaries until all hockey-related revenue has been calculated and agreed upon. And make no mistake, NHLers loathe it more than a league full of Sean Averys. Players want as much of their good-faith-bargained money as possible and would prefer the complete elimination of escrow (especially since they can be bought out at any point during their contract).However, unless Fehr is able to devise some alternate system that still assures owners they&rsquo;ll be able to adjust salaries as revenues fluctuate, escrow appears here to stay.<h2>5 PLAYER CONTROL/CONTRACTUAL RESTRUCTURING</h2>This is expected to be a hugely important element of the negotiations for the owners. The league&rsquo;s rejection of Ilya Kovalchuk&rsquo;s 17-year UFA contract with the Devils in 2010 made quite clear their view of the state of NHL contracts.The league and owners almost assuredly will seek to shorten term limits on all deals to between five and seven years. In addition, they&rsquo;ll aim to do away with the front-end-loaded contracts and massive signing bonuses many owners see as capcircumventing, unfair advantages for big-market teams. In their place, the owners would prefer &ldquo;flattened out&rdquo; contracts wherein the total value of each deal is spread out and paid equally across the length of the pact.As well, there will be a concerted effort by the owners to control players for longer from the start of their career. To that end, the league will push hard for rookie contracts, which now are three years in length, to extend to five years. Bettman & Co. will sell this as a safeguard against the increasingly-lucrative, risk-heavy &ldquo;second contracts&rdquo; that still-developing young players are routinely signing these days, but the NHLPA will see it solely as a retraction of the freedom players bargained for seven years ago. &#9632;

f0018-01

Labor Pains On The Way?

Here are a host of other factors under consideration in upcoming negotiations:&bull; You&rsquo;ll hear dire predictions that the owners want to go the NFL route and eliminate guaranteed contracts, but unless the NHL gets extremely aggressive, don&rsquo;t put much stock in it. Owners know Fehr and the players would be forced to respond by withholding their services. However, the league could use guaranteed deals as a red-herring bargaining chip they trade to get other concessions from the NHLPA.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-021219/9556259-1-eng-US/f0019-022.jpg" title="f0019-02" width="470" height="412"><figcaption class="caption-body">(JEFF VINNICK/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>&bull; Hockey Canada recently made public its position the NHL draft age should be raised to 19. But it is difficult to see this change happening after Ken Linseman&rsquo;s 1977 lawsuit against the WHA, which established the precedent that a league can&rsquo;t prevent an adult player (18 years old) from playing in the pro ranks.&bull; The NHL has said it wants to mandate the use of visors, but players have always insisted on having the choice. With the recent injury to Vancouver&rsquo;s Manny Malhotra, the union may have changed its mind &ndash; or the owners may have become more adamant.&bull; Competition Committee/Discipline. As it stands, Bettman and the owners have all the power over rule changes and player suspensions. The NHLPA wants a more meaningful say in both processes.&bull; Participation in the 2014 Sochi Olympics is important to the players and a hindrance to owners, who might agree to participation only after securing give-backs from players in other areas. &#9632;

f0019-02

ALSO AT ISSUE

<div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-011284/9556412-1-eng-US/f0021-012.jpg" title="f0021-01" width="125" height="121"></div>BRAD RICHARDS, C, 31$12,000,000</div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-02830/9556405-1-eng-US/f0021-022.jpg" title="f0021-02" width="125" height="117"></div>VINCENT LECAVALIER, C, 31$10,000,000</div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-03534/9556398-1-eng-US/f0021-032.jpg" title="f0021-03" width="135" height="95"></div>ILYA BRYZGALOV, G, 31$10,000,000</div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-04410/9556391-1-eng-US/f0021-042.jpg" title="f0021-04" width="121" height="120"></div>CHRISTIAN EHRHOFF, D, 29&nbsp;$10,000,000</div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-05289/9556384-1-eng-US/f0021-052.jpg" title="f0021-05" width="125" height="118"></div>SIDNEY CROSBY, C, 24$9,000,000</div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-06220/9556377-1-eng-US/f0021-062.jpg" title="f0021-06" width="125" height="113"></div>EVGENI MALKIN, C, 25&nbsp;$9,000,000</div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-07180/9556370-1-eng-US/f0021-072.jpg" title="f0021-07" width="135" height="101"></div>ALEXANDER OVECHKIN, LW, 26$9,000,000</div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-08139/9556363-1-eng-US/f0021-082.jpg" title="f0021-08" width="121" height="121"></div>&nbsp;ZDENO CHARA, D, 34$8,500,000</div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-09108/9556356-1-eng-US/f0021-092.jpg" title="f0021-09" width="106" height="128"></div>JASON SPEZZA, C, 28$8,000,000</div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-1084/9556349-1-eng-US/f0021-102.jpg" title="f0021-10" width="146" height="93"></div>DANY HEATLEY, RW, 30$8,000,000</div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-1163/9556342-1-eng-US/f0021-112.jpg" title="f0021-11" width="125" height="109"></div>DUNCAN KEITH, D, 28$8,000,000</div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-1246/9556335-1-eng-US/f0021-122.jpg" title="f0021-12" width="139" height="116"></div>JOE THORNTON, C, 32$8,000,000</div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-1338/9556328-1-eng-US/f0021-132.jpg" title="f0021-13" width="125" height="117"></div>&nbsp;STEVEN STAMKOS, C, 21$8,000,000 &#9632;</div>

f0021-01

FILTHY RICH DUDES

<div class="byline">BY KEN CAMPBELL</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0030-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-011425/9556506-1-eng-US/f0030-012.jpg"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-011305/9556499-1-eng-US/f0031-012.jpg" title="f0031-01" width="736" height="1188"><figcaption class="caption-body">RYAN SUTER (SUTER: JAMIE SABAU/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-02877/9556492-1-eng-US/f0031-022.jpg" title="f0031-02" width="735" height="1181"><figcaption class="caption-body">PEKKA RINNE (RINNE: JOHN RUSSELL/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-03672/9556485-1-eng-US/f0031-032.jpg" title="f0031-03" width="734" height="1183"><figcaption class="caption-body">SHEA WEBER (WEBER: JEFF VINNICK/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>Jay Feaster feels David Poile&rsquo;s pain. He really does. And it has nothing to do with the fact they both work in cities where, at some point during your career, you&rsquo;re going to find yourself jamming your feet into a pair of uncomfortable cowboy boots. No, these two men are inexorably linked by a much different, much more long-term world of hurt.Feaster, you may recall, won a Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004 and spent a whole year shining it while his employers were embroiled in labor Armageddon with his employees. Coming out of the lockout and facing a scorched earth landscape, Feaster was less than thrilled to find he suddenly had roughly two months to do deals with goalie Nikolai Khabibulin, defenseman Dan Boyle and right winger Martin St-Louis, the league&rsquo;s reigning scoring champion and MVP. And even though Vincent Lecavalier didn&rsquo;t qualify for unrestricted free agency until after the 2005-06 season, as mandated by the new CBA, Feaster felt he had to get Lecavalier under contract. Then, of course, there was Conn Smythe Trophy-winner Brad Richards, who was due to become a restricted free agent after the season.Feaster could feel the walls closing in, much the way Poile probably does these days. Like Feaster, Poile faces an uncertain future in terms of the financial landscape, and the core of his team is at a contract crossroads. How Poile handles his key signings over the next eight months will determine whether or not the Nashville Predators challenge for a Stanley Cup in the near future or tumble down the pecking order and standings to become a small-market bottom feeder. And depending on what he does with pending unrestricted free agents Pekka Rinne and Ryan Suter and pending restricted free agent Shea Weber, Poile will undoubtedly define his legacy, and perhaps theirs. The three players have been as big a part of Predators history as any player who has ever worn the uniform. Weber finished second in Norris Trophy voting last season, Rinne finished second in Vezina and fourth in Hart Trophy balloting, and Suter is a perennial 35-point defenseman who owns a huge shot and is emerging as a defensive stalwart. Having all three players become this good is great &ndash; having them all become free to dictate their own destinies is fraught with peril.&ldquo;All of this really plays out of David&rsquo;s comfort zone,&rdquo; said an agent who has had many dealings with Poile, &ldquo;because David is the kind of guy who likes to have his ducks in a row. He likes to have things under control and well managed.&rdquo;Poile said he has the support of the Preds ownership group to get deals done with all three, but he&rsquo;s going to need more than that. Let&rsquo;s assume Weber accepts his qualifying offer for next season on a one-year deal that would take him to unrestricted free agency in 2013-14. That would put his salary at $7.5 million again next season. As an unrestricted free agent, Suter could ask for the same amount, perhaps slightly more, which is a significant jump from the $3.5 million he&rsquo;s making this season. As one of the best goalies in the league, Rinne could ask for double his $3.4 million cap hit for this season.The Predators are the youngest team in the NHL this season. With the exception of winning in the playoffs, they have done absolutely everything right on and off the ice. They finally have stable, local ownership committed to keeping the team in the city. They have savvy business leadership in CEO Jeff Cogan, who worked for the Dallas Stars during their salad days, and Sean Henry, who helped build the Lightning into a Sunbelt success story. The Predators have drafted and cultivated their own talent better than any organization in the NHL and have calm stability in coaching and management. Their first-ever playoff series win last spring has energized the market and they could be on the verge of doing something special, or watching it all collapse like a house of cards.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-011401/9556478-1-eng-US/f0032-012.jpg" title="f0032-01" width="1412" height="1198"><figcaption class="caption-body">(FREDERICK BREEDON/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div><blockquote class="pullQuote">&ldquo;WE NEED TO KEEP SHEA WEBER, RYAN SUTER AND PEKKA RINNE FOR US TO COMPETE FOR THE STANLEY CUP&rdquo; &ndash; DAVID POILE</blockquote>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re a young team and I&rsquo;m not sure how good we are right now, but I know we&rsquo;re going to get better,&rdquo; Poile said. &ldquo;We have a lot of pieces in place, but we need to keep Shea Weber, Ryan Suter and Pekka Rinne for us to compete for the Stanley Cup.&rdquo;Before we go any further, let&rsquo;s get a couple of things out of the way here. The Predators will not, repeat will not, sign any one of their players, ever, to a front-loaded deal that legally circumvents the salary cap. &ldquo;We just don&rsquo;t have the money,&rdquo; Poile said. In fact, he said that twice. And there&rsquo;s a pretty good chance the Predators wouldn&rsquo;t do a deal that would exceed six years, for the simple reason most insurance companies won&rsquo;t insure player contracts against injury beyond that duration. Which means the New York Islanders face the prospect of signing a lot of their own checks for the final nine years of Rick DiPietro&rsquo;s 15-year deal.And from the players&rsquo; perspective, they all like each other and love Nashville. They would prefer to stay, but that&rsquo;s what every athlete says until the dollars start getting in the way. The three are really tight and know they have a good thing going in Nashville, but there&rsquo;s no evidence to suggest they&rsquo;re willing to take significant financial haircuts just to keep The Happy Gang together.Feaster was hoping that would happen in Tampa, but when it came time to divide what was left under the salary cap, Khabibulin signed with Chicago and the Lightning pinned their goaltending hopes on John Grahame. Epic fail, as the kids say. They did sign Boyle, St-Louis, Lecavalier and Richards, but ended up dealing Boyle and Richards away anyway.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-02945/9556471-1-eng-US/f0032-022.jpg" title="f0032-02" width="338" height="386"></div>&ldquo;There is no doubt in my mind that, yes, to get what we needed and to get retooled, we were going to have to trade one of the three forwards,&rdquo; Feaster said with the benefit of hindsight. &ldquo;I really hoped the guys would take a look around and go, &lsquo;Hey, you know what? This is pretty good. We have a great life here in Tampa. What if we stayed together and won another one? Wouldn&rsquo;t that be cool?&rsquo; I thought what we had going was pretty special. There are a lot worse gigs than working in Tampa, Florida.&rdquo;One of the problems is every contract the Predators sign is measured in only one way: real dollars. They do not represent a salary cap figure, largely because the salary cap ceiling is meaningless to them. If this situation were only about fitting Weber, Rinne and Suter under the cap, there&rsquo;s a good chance all three would have already been locked up in long-term deals by now. Where the Washington Capitals, Philadelphia Flyers and now the Buffalo Sabres have to work to jam all their parts under the salary cap, the Predators have to jam all their players into a budget. That does give the Predators an advantage in that they aren&rsquo;t constrained by the salary cap, but it&rsquo;s one they don&rsquo;t have the luxury of using.&ldquo;In a salary cap system, you have every individual fighting for his piece of the pie,&rdquo; said Kevin Epp, the agent who represents Weber, &ldquo;but if you&rsquo;re not working with a full pie &ndash; you&rsquo;re only working with half a pie or three-quarters of a pie &ndash; the piece you get might be smaller.&rdquo;Poile won&rsquo;t argue that point. He&rsquo;s the GM of the Nashville Predators and he gets that the playing field is not an even one. Lord knows, he hears about it enough. And while he concedes the pie isn&rsquo;t as big in Nashville, the home cooking there leaves players more satisfied than it does elsewhere. And he&rsquo;s right. Tennessee is one of nine states in the union where there is no state income tax. In terms of large cities, Nashville is one of the cheapest ones to inhabit in the country (see accompanying chart). Plus, the way he sees it, all three players are going to get their money, so then it comes down to important issues such as trust and loyalty. Can he convince Weber, Rinne and Suter the organization will do everything within its power to continue to be a contender? Will the players believe him? In reality, the Predators have already cleared the decks in many ways, shedding themselves of veterans Steve Sullivan, J-P Dumont, Joel Ward, Marcel Goc and Shane O&rsquo;Brien, so the will to make it work is there. And what better way would there be to convince Weber they&rsquo;re serious about contending than by re-signing Suter and Rinne before they become UFAs this summer?But it&rsquo;s not that simple, Epp points out. What if revenues tumble because of forces out of everyone&rsquo;s control? What would likely happen is the Predators would have to shed players to avoid taking on too much water and sinking. Their owners are not a bunch of billionaires doing this as a hobby. They&rsquo;re a group of civic-minded citizens who believe having a pro sports team in the city is good for everyone. But that kind of benevolence can only go so far. And as Epp points out, there&rsquo;s nothing to guarantee the Predators will spend their extra money wisely, if at all. He uses Rinne as an example.&ldquo;Let&rsquo;s say Pekka says, &lsquo;I&rsquo;ll take less to play here.&rsquo; What&rsquo;s to say they&rsquo;re going to spend the money Pekka didn&rsquo;t take on the open market and use it to go get a player to put them over the top?&rdquo; Epp said. &ldquo;What comes first, the chicken or the egg? Does ownership go out and spend some money on some top guys to improve the team and show the guys they&rsquo;re committed to being the best team they can be by spending more money, or do they convince the players there to take less so they can go and spend more?&rdquo;Well, one way to do it would be to get Weber, Suter and Rinne and their respective agents Epp, Neil Sheehy and Jay Grossman in a room together to determine each other&rsquo;s worth. Don&rsquo;t laugh. Feaster tried to do the same thing when he was faced with the same issue in Tampa. He told the agents individually he would be happy to show them exactly what the team&rsquo;s contractual obligations were and how much room they had under the salary cap going forward.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-011418/9556464-1-eng-US/f0034-012.jpg" title="f0034-01" width="1096" height="1266"><figcaption class="caption-body">(JOHN RUSSELL/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>&ldquo;I said, &lsquo;You guys decide how to split it up, you tell me. And whatever you tell me, I&rsquo;ll sign your guys to those deals,&rsquo; &ldquo;Feaster said. &ldquo;Of course, nobody was really interested in doing that at the time.&rdquo;Complicating matters is these negotiations are being held with players who have feelings and have strong senses of their worth. There is no doubt there were some hard feelings last summer when the Predators took Weber to arbitration. They did it because it was their right under the collective bargaining agreement, the same way it will be Suter&rsquo;s and Rinne&rsquo;s right to walk after this season, and Weber&rsquo;s after next season, for any reason they like. But Poile also did it to insure the Predators did not become the hunted by falling victim to an offer sheet from another team that they would have had to either match or risk losing Weber in exchange for four first round picks. Remember, Poile did the same thing with Scott Stevens when he was with the Washington Capitals and all Stevens did was go on to forge a Hall of Fame career with another franchise.Nobody, not Epp, not Poile, not even Weber himself, ever thought it would actually get to a ruling. It was a disaster. Even Poile admits that now. The Predators submitted a contract offer of just $4.75 million and were forced to argue in the hearing why their captain, cornerstone and Norris Trophy runner-up deserved to be the 28th-highest paid defenseman in the league. Weber countered with a one-year stipend of $8.5 million and he hit a home run by being awarded $7.5 million.<blockquote class="pullQuote">&ldquo;IT WAS ABSOLUTELY THE WORST POSSIBLE SCENARIO THAT COULD HAPPEN FOR US&rdquo; - DAVID POILE</blockquote><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-02983/9556457-1-eng-US/f0034-022.jpg" title="f0034-02" width="1102" height="1301"><figcaption class="caption-body">(JAMIE SABAU/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>Had the Predators been able to get a long-term deal done with Weber, they would have been able to use it as a point of reference in their dealings with both Suter and Rinne. But now the pressure is off Weber because he can simply put himself in a position to become an unrestricted free agent in 2013-14 by taking the Predators&rsquo; $7.5 million qualifying offer. The team cannot take him to arbitration again, but Weber can file if he chooses, which he likely won&rsquo;t. And there&rsquo;s little doubt as prepared as players are for the process and as much as they understand it&rsquo;s a business, it affects players far more than it does the franchise.Teams go through arbitration all the time and can be cold and calculating about it, but players are human beings who usually only go through what can be a confrontational and cantankerous process once.&ldquo;Nothing went the way we wanted it go last summer,&rdquo; Poile said. &ldquo;Our goal was to sign a long-term contract. It&rsquo;s absolutely not the way I had hoped we would ever be going with our captain. It was absolutely the worst possible scenario that could happen for us.&rdquo;So you can add &ldquo;soothing the relationship with Weber&rdquo; as one of the many moving parts to this machine. Nothing about any of this is simple, right down to what the Predators will do about their revenue sharing money, dollars they rely on for their survival. For example, the Predators are currently sitting with a payroll of about $51.4 million, which is $4.9 million below the cap mid-point of $56.3 million. That means, in addition to the other revenue-sharing money they receive from the league, they also receive a check for $4.9 million if they stay at that level through the season because the league pays teams dollar-for-dollar, regardless of their revenues, for every dollar they spend below the mid-point.If the Predators step up and sign all three players, they can likely kiss that little windfall goodbye. Then again, nobody knows what form revenue sharing is going to take in the next CBA anyway, which simply throws another bunch of uncertainty into the mix. Oh yes, we haven&rsquo;t even talked about the possibility of a salary rollback akin to the 24 percent hit the players took across the board in the last round of negotiations.At some point in dealing with these players, the Nashville Predators are going to have to decide what they want to be when they grow up. Do they want to be a team that spends what it takes to be a Stanley Cup contender? If they can&rsquo;t, the best thing to do would be to start moving their players sooner rather than later. Rinne&rsquo;s and Suter&rsquo;s value on the trade market is only going to go down as the deadline approaches &ndash; just ask the Atlanta Thrashers, who got Colby Armstrong, Angelo Esposito, Erik Christensen and a 2008 first round pick (Daultan Leveille) from Pittsburgh for Marian Hossa, with Pascal Dupuis also included.Former GM and current TSN analyst Craig Button said the Predators have to decide whether they want to be the Tampa Bay Rays, who are clear on drafting and developing players with the full realization they&rsquo;re going to have to lose them once they can no longer afford to meet their demands. They did that last off-season when they allowed Carl Crawford to sign with the Boston Red Sox and essentially cleaned out the Chicago Cubs farm system by dealing former American League Championship Series MVP Matt Garza to them.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-011319/9556450-1-eng-US/f0035-012.jpg" title="f0035-01" width="338" height="386"></div>The Crawford contract is shaping up as one of the worst in MLB history, while Garza went just 10-10 for the Cubs this season. The Rays, meanwhile, earned the wild card in the American League.If the Predators come to the same conclusions, Button said it would be best to be proactive and cut a really good deal right away, the way Minnesota Wild GM Chuck Fletcher did when he dealt Brent Burns to the San Jose Sharks for Devin Setoguchi, prospect Charlie Coyle and a 2011 first round pick (Zack Phillips).&ldquo;You can go one way or the other,&rdquo; Button said, &ldquo;but the worst place to be is in between.&rdquo;Actually, the worst place is David Poile&rsquo;s chair in the Nashville Predators office. He is one of the top GMs in the NHL. He has a ton of integrity, has earned his respect with good work and those who negotiate with him know exactly where he stands. He has been in this business for the better part of three decades and he&rsquo;ll need all his experience, resolve and creativity to make this turn out. And he&rsquo;ll probably have to work harder than he ever has in his career.Dollars stretch further in Nashville than in all but four NHL U.S. markets. Below is each U.S. team (narrowed to the area in which most of the players live), the cost of living difference with the Music City and the equivalent salary a player would have to make there if he earned $8 million in Nashville.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-011248/9556443-1-eng-US/f0033-012.jpg" title="f0033-01" width="864" height="1099"></div>Source: Sperling&rsquo;s Best Places, <a href="http://www.bestplaces.net">www.bestplaces.net</a> &#9632;

f0030-01

MUSIC CITY MIRACLE

<div class="byline">BY ADAM PROTEAU</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-02887/9556544-1-eng-US/f0036-022.jpg" title="f0036-02" width="243" height="162"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-011319/9556551-1-eng-US/f0036-012.jpg" title="f0036-01" width="95" height="111"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-03732/9556537-1-eng-US/f0036-032.jpg" title="f0036-03" width="1905" height="1247"><figcaption class="caption-body">MATTHEW LOMBARDI (LOMBARDI: CLAUS ANDERSEN/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>At the time the Toronto Maple Leafs acquired Matthew Lombardi and Cody Franson from Nashville for Brett Lebda and Robert Slaney, most thought of it as a Preds salary dump-with-benefits for the Leafs. The assumed benefit was Franson, a 24-year-old blueliner with considerable potential. The presumptive dump was Lombardi&rsquo;s $3.5 million salary (with two years remaining), which was fraught with peril because of concussion woes that limited the rabbit-quick center to just two games with the Predators in 2010-11.But those who had played with Lombardi before his head injury knew he was much more than numbers on a contract. &ldquo;I never thought he was a throw-in,&rdquo; said Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf, Lombardi&rsquo;s teammate in Calgary for four seasons. &ldquo;I always knew what he was capable of out there. It was just a matter of him recovering from a serious injury.&ldquo;He&rsquo;s got the speed and the talent to be an important part of this team and we&rsquo;re happy to have him.&rdquo;And the 29-year-old Lombardi is happy to be in Toronto, even if he knows he&rsquo;s not exactly back to his peak powers. &ldquo;My conditioning is going to get better,&rdquo; Lombardi said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m going to put all this behind me, forget about last year and think about the season, not the injury.&rdquo;Had Lombardi been healthy it is likely Nashville GM David Poile would never have put him (and, by extension, Franson) on the swap block to begin with. The Predators, after all, signed Lombardi in July of 2010 to a three-year contract after he posted a 19-goal, 53-point season with the Phoenix Coyotes.He never got the chance to make a positive impression, however. Lombardi endured a harrowing year trying to return from the head injury he suffered when he fell awkwardly into the boards in Chicago. And with the cash-conscious Predators unable to take a chance he&rsquo;d be healthy for this season, he was deemed too risky to stay.Even after the trade to Toronto in early July, a few in Lombardi&rsquo;s camp cast serious doubts on his readiness to contribute to start the regular season. But Lombardi made progress, showed up for training camp able to exercise, though unable to take contact, and worked slowly and quietly towards his goal, even making it into the Leafs&rsquo; final pre-season game. He was back in the lineup on opening night, centering the fourth line, and scored the game-winner in Toronto&rsquo;s 2-0 win over the Habs team he grew up watching as a Montreal native.The goal was Lombardi&rsquo;s first since April 16, 2010, when he was still a Coyote, and his teammates could tell how much it meant to him. &ldquo;I thought he was going to do a swan dive into the bench,&rdquo; said blueliner Mike Komisarek. &ldquo;It was nice to see.&rdquo;Lombardi isn&rsquo;t back to where he wants to be. He was slowly earning more respect from coach Ron Wilson, who said early in the season he would increase Lombardi&rsquo;s ice time by one minute per game until he was back to where he was before the injury.Toronto is relatively full at center with Mikhail Grabovski, David Steckel, Tyler Bozak and Tim Connolly all vying for ice time. But with Connolly&rsquo;s health an ongoing concern and the Leafs in need of offensive production wherever they can get it, Lombardi will have every opportunity to race up the depth chart. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s getting there,&rdquo; he said &ldquo;I still have to keep pushing through this.&ldquo;I know I can get better and keep it moving along.&rdquo;Our Team Reports&nbsp;feature a &ldquo;Cap Snapshot&rdquo; that looks at the financial picture for each NHL club. Cap space, factoring in injuries, buyouts and bonus overflow, shows the room below the $64.3 ceiling. Payroll by position only takes active players into consideration. Pending UFAs features teams&rsquo; top unrestricted free agents. NTC/NMC is the number of players with no-trade and/or no-movement clauses. The top salary is just that; the man who makes the most money this season, not the biggest cap hit. Best bargain/Most overpaid is THN&rsquo;s pick for the honor/dishonor. All numbers, compiled from the incredible <a href="http://capgeek.com">capgeek.com</a> during the week of Oct. 17, can fluctuate &ndash; sometimes dramatically &ndash; as players are added or deleted from the roster. &#9632;

f0036-02

Reaping The Benefits

<div class="byline">&#x2013;RICH CHERE</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0037-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-011177/9556673-1-eng-US/f0037-012.jpg"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-02823/9556666-1-eng-US/f0037-022.jpg" title="f0037-02" width="95" height="111"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-13132/9556659-1-eng-US/f0037-132.jpg" title="f0037-13" width="657" height="756"><figcaption class="caption-body">PATRIK ELIAS</figcaption></div>Patrik Elias jokes about his &ldquo;old age&rdquo; and how he needs the occasional day off between games. He&rsquo;s 35 now and one of only two players, along with Martin Brodeur, remaining from the Devils&rsquo; last Stanley Cup team in 2003.As new coach Peter DeBoer tries to get the Devils back into the playoffs, and with Travis Zajac gone until Christmas, he&rsquo;s leaning on Elias the elder to anchor the top line with Parise and ol&rsquo; pal Petr Sykora. &ldquo;A big part of my game is to produce offensively,&rdquo; said Elias, the franchise&rsquo;s all-time scoring leader. &ldquo;At the same time, my responsibility here has changed a little bit. The last few years I&rsquo;ve played center on and off and there are more defensive responsibilities.&rdquo;Elias is on pace to reach several milestones this season. He&rsquo;ll become the third Devils player to appear in 1,000 games, along with Ken Daneyko (1,283) and Martin Brodeur (1,134), and John MacLean&rsquo;s records of 347 career goals and 92 power play goals are also within striking range. &ldquo;Every one of the milestones mean a lot, especially having done it for one team,&rdquo; Elias said. &ldquo;Milestones and records are meant to be broken, but in the meantime I&rsquo;ll enjoy them.&rdquo;Added D-man Bryce Salvador: &ldquo;He&rsquo;s one of those guys that has been a lifer Devil with what he&rsquo;s played through, what he&rsquo;s achieved and what he&rsquo;s won. You don&rsquo;t see many of those players around anymore. It&rsquo;s a tribute to Patrik and the way he&rsquo;s played.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-14118/9556652-1-eng-US/f0037-142.jpg" title="f0037-14" width="327" height="19"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-03660/9556645-1-eng-US/f0037-032.jpg" title="f0037-03" width="753" height="584"></div><h2>CAP SNAPSHOT</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-08302/9556638-1-eng-US/f0037-082.jpg" title="f0037-08" width="324" height="550"></div>Cap space: $4.6 millionPayroll by position:G &ndash; 13% F &ndash; 60% D &ndash; 27%Pending UFAs: Parise, Salvador, Brodeur, HedbergNTC/NMC: 5Under contract 2012-13: 12Buyouts: White, PandolfoTop salary: Kovalchuk/Parise, $6M&nbsp;Best bargain: Adam LarssonMost overpaid: Dainius Zubrus<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-04565/9556631-1-eng-US/f0037-042.jpg" title="f0037-04" width="753" height="594"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-09245/9556624-1-eng-US/f0037-092.jpg" title="f0037-09" width="325" height="549"><figcaption class="caption-body">(ELIAS+ZUBRUS+NIELSEN: GRAIG ABEL/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>Cap space: $15.7 millionPayroll by position:G &ndash; 13% F &ndash; 60% D &ndash; 27%Pending UFAs: Rolston, Nielsen, Eaton, Montoya, NabokovNTC/NMC: 2Under contract 2012-13: 11Buyouts: Witt, YashinTop salary: Brian Rolston, $5MBest bargain: Frans NielsenMost overpaid: Brian Rolston<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-05511/9556617-1-eng-US/f0037-052.jpg" title="f0037-05" width="753" height="594"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-10207/9556610-1-eng-US/f0037-102.jpg" title="f0037-10" width="323" height="539"><figcaption class="caption-body">(STEPAN: FRANCOIS LACASSE/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>Cap space: $1.5 millionPayroll by position:G &ndash; 13% F &ndash; 63% D &ndash; 24%Pending UFAs: Fedotenko, Christensen, Eminger, BironNTC/NMC: 4Under contract 2012-13: 15Buyouts: DruryTop salary: B. Richards, $12MBest bargain: Derek StepanMost overpaid: Wojtek Wolski<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-06453/9556603-1-eng-US/f0037-062.jpg" title="f0037-06" width="753" height="593"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-11171/9556596-1-eng-US/f0037-112.jpg" title="f0037-11" width="319" height="547"><figcaption class="caption-body">(GIROUX: FRANCOIS LAPLANTE/FREESTYLE PHOTOGRAPHY/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>Cap space: $0Payroll by position:G &ndash; 11% F &ndash; 50% D &ndash; 39%Pending UFAs: Jagr, Betts,Laperriere, Carle, CoburnNTC/NMC: 5Under contract 2012-13: 19Buyouts: NoneTop salary: Ilya Bryzgalov, $10MBest bargain: Claude GirouxMost overpaid: Andrej Meszaros<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-07388/9556589-1-eng-US/f0037-072.jpg" title="f0037-07" width="753" height="589"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-12148/9556582-1-eng-US/f0037-122.jpg" title="f0037-12" width="325" height="534"><figcaption class="caption-body">(DAVE SANDFORD/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>Cap space: $246,000Payroll by position:G &ndash; 9% F &ndash; 61% D &ndash; 30%Pending UFAs: Sullivan, Asham, MacIntyre, JohnsonNTC/NMC: 7Under contract 2012-13: 17Buyouts: NoneTop salary: Crosby/Malkin, $9MBest bargain: Kris LetangMost overpaid: Paul Martin &#9632;

f0037-01

Life In Hell A Good One

<div class="byline">&#x2013;BRUCE GARRIOCH</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0038-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-02879/9556788-1-eng-US/f0038-022.jpg"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-011279/9556795-1-eng-US/f0038-012.jpg" title="f0038-01" width="95" height="111"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-03708/9556781-1-eng-US/f0038-032.jpg" title="f0038-03" width="818" height="963"><figcaption class="caption-body">MILAN MICHALEK</figcaption></div>Milan Michalek is determined to have a breakthrough season. And all he needs for that to happen is to stay on the ice.The Ottawa Senators made a lot of changes when their rebuild started in February, but one player GM Bryan Murray kept to be part of the solution is Michalek. Murray still believes the 26-year-old left winger can be a consistent contributor.The Sens acquired Michalek, along with Jonathan Cheechoo and a second round pick, in the deal that sent Dany Heatley to San Jose in 2010. For Ottawa, Michalek was the centerpiece, but he&rsquo;s struggled to stay healthy. &ldquo;I would say his injuries have been the only thing that have held him back,&rdquo; said coach Paul MacLean. &ldquo;He can play in every situation. He&rsquo;s an elite player in the league.&rdquo;Michalek has never played a full season in his career. The closest he came was 2005-06, when he played 81 games with the Sharks. He&rsquo;s played 66 games in each of his two seasons in Ottawa and has been productive when in the lineup, scoring 40 goals over that 132-game stretch.Like everybody else, Michalek came to camp hoping to capitalize on a fresh start. &ldquo;The main thing for me is to stay healthy,&rdquo; said Michalek. &ldquo;If I&rsquo;m healthy and I can play my game, I can use my speed. The injuries are maybe from my style of play, but I don&rsquo;t want to change the way I play. I wouldn&rsquo;t be effective. If injuries happen, they happen. I&rsquo;ll just have to battle through them like in the past.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-14132/9556774-1-eng-US/f0038-142.jpg" title="f0038-14" width="327" height="19"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-04575/9556767-1-eng-US/f0038-042.jpg" title="f0038-04" width="937" height="740"></div><h2>CAP SNAPSHOT</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-09232/9556760-1-eng-US/f0038-092.jpg" title="f0038-09" width="403" height="686"><figcaption class="caption-body">(KELLY: JEFF VINNICK/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>Cap space: $3.1 millionPayroll by position:G &ndash; 10% F &ndash; 60% D &ndash; 30%Pending UFAs: Corvo, Kelly,Boychuk, Campbell, PailleNTC/NMC: 6Under contract 2012-13: 14Buyouts: EavesTop Salary: Z. Chara, $8.5MBest bargain: Rich PeverleyMost overpaid: Chris Kelly<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-05463/9556753-1-eng-US/f0038-052.jpg" title="f0038-05" width="937" height="740"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-10196/9556746-1-eng-US/f0038-102.jpg" title="f0038-10" width="407" height="685"><figcaption class="caption-body">(MICHALEK+MYERS: GRAIG ABEL/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>Cap space: $55,000Payroll by position:G &ndash; 11% F &ndash; 63% D &ndash; 26%Pending UFAs: Boyes, Hecht,GaustadNTC/NMC: 4Under contract 2012-13: 17Buyouts: KennedyTop Salary: C. Ehrhoff, $10MBest bargain: Tyler MyersMost overpaid: Brad Boyes<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-06396/9556739-1-eng-US/f0038-062.jpg" title="f0038-06" width="937" height="738"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-11172/9556732-1-eng-US/f0038-112.jpg" title="f0038-11" width="402" height="682"><figcaption class="caption-body">(PRICE: FRANCOIS LACASSE/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>Cap space: $746,000Payroll by position:G &ndash; 6% F &ndash; 63% D &ndash; 31%Pending UFAs: Spacek, Gill, Gorges, Kostitsyn, MoenNTC/NMC: 7Under contract 2012-13: 10Buyouts: LaraqueTop Salary: Scott Gomez, $7.5MBest bargain: Carey PriceMost overpaid: Scott Gomez<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-07334/9556725-1-eng-US/f0038-072.jpg" title="f0038-07" width="937" height="740"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-12159/9556718-1-eng-US/f0038-122.jpg" title="f0038-12" width="402" height="686"><figcaption class="caption-body">(KARLSSON: JANA CHYTILOVA/FREESTYLE PHOTOGRAPHY/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>Cap space: $11.5 millionPayroll by position:G &ndash; 8% F &ndash; 58% D &ndash; 34%Pending UFAs: Kuba, Auld, Winchester, Konopka, CarknerNTC/NMC: 4Under contract 2012-13: 14Buyouts: Cheechoo, EmeryTop Salary: J. Spezza, $8MBest bargain: Erik KarlssonMost overpaid: S. Gonchar<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-08272/9556711-1-eng-US/f0038-082.jpg" title="f0038-08" width="937" height="740"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-13145/9556704-1-eng-US/f0038-132.jpg" title="f0038-13" width="402" height="670"><figcaption class="caption-body">(KOMISAREK: CLAUS ANDERSEN/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>Cap space: $184,000Payroll by position:G &ndash; 5% F &ndash; 61% D &ndash; 34%Pending UFAs: Liles, Dupuis, Grabovski, GustavssonNTC/NMC: 6Under contract 2012-13: 17Buyouts: TuckerTop Salary: D. Phaneuf $6.5MBest bargain: James ReimerMost overpaid: M. Komisarek &#9632;

f0038-02

Michalek Motivated

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RORY BOYLEN</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0039-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-011172/9556917-1-eng-US/f0039-012.jpg"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-02773/9556910-1-eng-US/f0039-022.jpg" title="f0039-02" width="96" height="110"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-03607/9556903-1-eng-US/f0039-032.jpg" title="f0039-03" width="814" height="938"><figcaption class="caption-body">ZACH BOGOSIAN (BOGOSIAN: MARIANNE HELM/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>Last season, Zach Bogosian&rsquo;s name popped up out of Atlanta for the wrong reasons. There were reports of a falling out he had with the coaching staff, he was a healthy scratch for a few games and, as a result, his name often appeared in trade rumor columns.But it&rsquo;s a new era with the team relocated to Winnipeg and a new set of bench bosses. Any worry those issues would carry over were put to rest during training camp when Bogosian sat down with the new staff to discuss his role on the team and their expectations of him.For Bogosian, the No. 3 overall pick in 2008, this season is about getting back to the basics and growing into the franchise defender he&rsquo;s expected to one day be. &ldquo;They said they wanted to make sure I&rsquo;m playing solid defense,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s great to put up numbers, but for now I just want to worry about playing defense and getting that part of the game down pat.&rdquo;Even though he&rsquo;s just 21, Bogosian is a fourth-year NHLer on a young team and can play the leadership role to even fresher faces, such as rookie Mark Scheifele. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m just trying to be a buddy and hang out with him to make him feel comfortable,&rdquo; Bogosian said.However, when asked if he felt like a veteran on the new Jets club, the Peterborough Petes product just laughed: &ldquo;The way we see it is we&rsquo;re all in this together. You don&rsquo;t look down to a young guy or up to an old guy.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-14111/9556896-1-eng-US/f0039-142.jpg" title="f0039-14" width="327" height="19"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-04508/9556889-1-eng-US/f0039-042.jpg" title="f0039-04" width="937" height="740"></div><h2>CAP SNAPSHOT</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-09209/9556882-1-eng-US/f0039-092.jpg" title="f0039-09" width="407" height="686"><figcaption class="caption-body">(SKINNER: RICH LAM/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>Cap space: $14.4 millionPayroll by position:G &ndash; 15% F &ndash; 52% D &ndash; 33%Pending UFAs: Ruutu, Allen, Gleason, PonikarovskyNTC/NMC: 2Under contract 2012-13: 15Buyouts: NoneTop Salary: Eric Staal, $7.8MBest bargain: Jeff SkinnerMost overpaid: Tuomo Ruutu<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-05426/9556875-1-eng-US/f0039-052.jpg" title="f0039-05" width="937" height="740"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-10178/9556868-1-eng-US/f0039-102.jpg" title="F0039-10" width="406" height="686"><figcaption class="caption-body">(CAMPBELL: JOEL AUERBACH/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>Cap space: $10.9 millionPayroll by position:G &ndash; 8% F &ndash; 58% D &ndash; 34%Pending UFAs: Clemmensen, Weaver, Carter, GarrisonNTC/NMC: 6Under contract 2012-13: 16Buyouts: KoistinenTop Salary: B. Campbell, $7.1M&nbsp;Best bargain: Stephen WeissMost overpaid: B. Campbell<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-06352/9556861-1-eng-US/f0039-062.jpg" title="f0039-06" width="937" height="740"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-11155/9556854-1-eng-US/f0039-112.jpg" title="F0039-11" width="407" height="686"><figcaption class="caption-body">(CLARK: CHRISTOPHER PASATIERI/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>Cap space: $3.1 millionPayroll by position:G &ndash; 8% F &ndash; 60% D &ndash; 32%Pending UFAs: Kubina, Roloson, Clark, Moore, GilroyNTC/NMC: 6Under contract 2012-13: 12Buyouts: Prospal, FedorukTop Salary: V. Lecavalier, $10MBest bargain: Brett ClarkMost overpaid: V. Lecavalier<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-07308/9556847-1-eng-US/f0039-072.jpg" title="f0039-07" width="937" height="740"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-12139/9556840-1-eng-US/f0039-122.jpg" title="F0039-12" width="405" height="684"><figcaption class="caption-body">(WARD: MITCHELL LAYTON/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>Cap space: $2.5 millionPayroll by position:G &ndash; 5% F &ndash; 66% D &ndash; 29%Pending UFAs: Semin, Wideman, Knuble, Vokoun, HalpernNTC/NMC: 2Under contract 2012-13: 14Buyouts: SloanTop Salary: Alex Ovechkin, $9MBest bargain: Tomas VokounMost overpaid: Joel Ward<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-08260/9556833-1-eng-US/f0039-082.jpg" title="f0039-08" width="937" height="740"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-13123/9556826-1-eng-US/f0039-132.jpg" title="F0039-13" width="407" height="686"><figcaption class="caption-body">(ENSTROM: MARIANNE HELM/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>Cap space: $13.2 millionPayroll by position:G &ndash; 6% F &ndash; 48% D &ndash; 46%Pending UFAs: Oduya, Mason, Jones, Slater, GlassNTC/NMC: 4Under contract 2012-13: 13Buyouts: NoneTop Salary: Ron Hainsey, $5MBest bargain: Tobias EnstromMost overpaid: Ron Hainsey &#9632;

f0039-01

Zach Attack Is Back

<div class="byline">BY RYAN KENNEDY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-02550/9556955-1-eng-US/f0040-022.jpg" title="f0040-02" width="241" height="160"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-01873/9556962-1-eng-US/f0040-012.jpg" title="f0040-01" width="95" height="111"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-03425/9556948-1-eng-US/f0040-032.jpg" title="f0040-03" width="1615" height="1314"><figcaption class="caption-body">MATT DUCHENE (DUCHENE: JEFF VINNICK/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>After undressing Montreal goalie Carey Price with a sweet stick fake on the winning shootout goal in mid-October, Matt Duchene skated back to his elated Avalanche teammates with a subtle but sly grin on his face. It would be easy to interpret the Colorado center&rsquo;s expression as one of mock humility, as in, &ldquo;Yeah, that&rsquo;s what I do, I win shootouts. What did you expect?&rdquo;But this being hockey, the truth was just straight-up humility: &ldquo;I thought I got lucky,&rdquo; Duchene said. &ldquo;I had done the move two nights before in Columbus, but I forgot it wasn&rsquo;t on TV so Price wasn&rsquo;t able to see the highlights. I was surprised that move worked twice, but I thought I&rsquo;d give it a try.&rdquo;A lot of things have worked out for Duchene, now in his third campaign with the Avalanche after joining the team straight from the 2009 draft. His all-rookie team campaign featured 55 points in 81 games and he upped his offense as a sophomore, leading the team with 67 points in 80 appearances. &ldquo;Every year he&rsquo;s getting better,&rdquo; said Avs veteran Milan Hejduk. &ldquo;Not only with points, but he&rsquo;s maturing; he&rsquo;s making smarter decisions on both sides of the ice. He&rsquo;s becoming a really good two-way player.&rdquo;Duchene, who first made waves as a member of the Ontario League&rsquo;s Brampton Battalion, has always prided himself on being a complete player. But, in only his third NHL season, there&rsquo;s always going to be room for improvement and Colorado wants to make sure the team maximizes what the young talent can provide. &ldquo;I&rsquo;d like to see his production continue to increase each year, for power play production to increase,&rdquo; said coach Joe Sacco. &ldquo;I think he&rsquo;s working hard defensively, trying to be a responsible player, playing 200 feet of the ice &ndash; because that&rsquo;s real important if you want to be used a lot and in different situations. You gotta have confidence in a player that he can play 200 feet.&rdquo;Endurance will help in that regard and Duchene certainly has it. While opening a recent game against Toronto with a shift that lasted 2:10 was ill-advised, Duchene worked hard over the summer to pull off such a feat. &ldquo;I really took my workouts up a notch and got up to (leg) lifting some pretty heavy weight at the end,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve always been a faster guy out there, so I continued with my speed training. As I&rsquo;m getting older and getting more of that man strength, I&rsquo;m getting faster and stronger. So it&rsquo;s nice getting older.&rdquo;And with age comes more responsibility. Duchene&rsquo;s initial living quarters in Denver came at the home of recently retired teammate Adam Foote, but now Duchene has a place of his own.The Haliburton, Ont., native has always enjoyed the parallels between his small cottage country hometown and outdoorsy Denver and now he has his own base to settle into. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s kind of in the city, but not really,&rdquo; Duchene said. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s stuff around me, but if I want to get away, I drive 45 minutes up to the mountains and go fly-fishing, which I&rsquo;ve been doing quite a bit.&rdquo;Having that sort of quick getaway option is nice for Duchene, because the pressure from Sacco&rsquo;s expectations are easy to understand. Selected third overall by the Avalanche in &rsquo;09, Duchene was the highest pick in Avalanche history at the time. This year, his mark was usurped when second overall pick Gabriel Landeskog earned a stall in the dressing room straight from the 2011 draft.Needless to say, the present and future look bright in Colorado. And Duchene is willing to put in the legwork to make it so. &#9632;

f0040-02

Colorado Matt-uration

<div class="byline">&#x2013; TIM CAMPBELL</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0041-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-01756/9557115-1-eng-US/f0041-012.jpg"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-02487/9557108-1-eng-US/f0041-022.jpg" title="f0041-02" width="96" height="111"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-03395/9557101-1-eng-US/f0041-032.jpg" title="f0041-03" width="816" height="892"><figcaption class="caption-body">PATRICK KANE</figcaption></div>Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman is getting credit, but there would be none were Patrick Kane not embracing the switch to center.Moved from right wing to the middle of the ice at the start of training camp, the 22-year-old from Buffalo made an &ldquo;I can do this&rdquo; statement in the Hawks&rsquo; first four games.Kane produced two goals and six points and was a plus-3 in the early days of this trial. And his skill was apparent in the faceoff circle, where he was winning more than 56 percent of the time. Getting the brain to stop thinking about every little chore and responsibility at center and just react naturally has been the biggest hurdle. &ldquo;You&rsquo;ve got faceoffs, the defensive zone,&rdquo; said Kane, who spent time between Marian Hossa and Dan Carcillo early in the season. &ldquo;The first game I had the puck the whole night. But in the next game in the pre-season against a little tougher competition, guys like (Pittsburgh&rsquo;s Jordan) Staal, it was a little different. They&rsquo;re tougher down low and they can make some plays.&ldquo;I was thinking a little too much defensively, almost not worrying about offense, which is crazy to say. I just want to go out, play my game, get the puck and make plays.&rdquo;One of the biggest adjustments for Kane is he has to go get the puck more. But more possession means big things. &ldquo;When he has the puck, things materialize,&rdquo; said Hawks coach Joel Quenneville. &ldquo;He&rsquo;ll get better and better because he&rsquo;s a smart player.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-1447/9557094-1-eng-US/f0041-142.jpg" title="f0041-14" width="327" height="19"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-04341/9557087-1-eng-US/f0041-042.jpg" title="f0041-04" width="937" height="740"></div><h2>CAP SNAPSHOT</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-09128/9557080-1-eng-US/f0041-092.jpg" title="f0041-09" width="407" height="686"><figcaption class="caption-body">(LEDDY: CLAUS ANDERSEN/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>Cap space: $3.8 millionPayroll by position:G &ndash; 4% F &ndash; 61% D &ndash; 35%Pending UFAs: Brunette, Emery, O&rsquo;Donnell, Lepisto, CarcilloNTC/NMC: 5Under contract 2012-13: 16Buyouts: NoneTop Salary: Duncan Keith, $8MBest bargain: Nick LeddyMost overpaid: Rostislav Olesz<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-05308/9557073-1-eng-US/f0041-052.jpg" title="f0041-05" width="937" height="740"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-10100/9557066-1-eng-US/f0041-102.jpg" title="F0041-10" width="306" height="503"><figcaption class="caption-body">(KANE+BRASSARD: JEFF VINNICK/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>Cap space: $840,000Payroll by position:G &ndash; 7% F &ndash; 65% D &ndash; 28%Pending UFAs: Huselius, Pahlsson, Prospal, Martinek, GirouxNTC/NMC: 3Under contract 2012-13: 13Buyouts: Commodore, WestcottTop Salary: Rick Nash, $7.5MBest bargain: Grant ClitsomeMost overpaid: Derick Brassard<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-06268/9557059-1-eng-US/f0041-062.jpg" title="f0041-06" width="937" height="740"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-1180/9557052-1-eng-US/f0041-112.jpg" title="F0041-11" width="407" height="676"><figcaption class="caption-body">(HELM: DALE MACMILLAN/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>Cap space: $4.8 millionPayroll by position:G &ndash; 5% F &ndash; 58% D &ndash; 37%Pending UFAs: Lidstrom, Stuart, Kronwall, Hudler, HolmstromNTC/NMC: 7Under contract 2012-13: 13Buyouts: NoneTop Salary: Zetterberg, $7.7MBest bargain: Darren HelmMost overpaid: J. Ericsson<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-07229/9557045-1-eng-US/f0041-072.jpg" title="f0041-07" width="937" height="739"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-1266/9557038-1-eng-US/f0041-122.jpg" title="F0041-12" width="407" height="686"><figcaption class="caption-body">(HORNQVIST: ANDY DEVLIN/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>Cap space: $12.9 millionPayroll by position:G &ndash; 9% F &ndash; 57% D &ndash; 34%Pending UFAs: Suter, Rinne,Tootoo, Bouillon, McGrattanNTC/NMC: 3Under contract 2012-13: 10Buyouts: Lebda, DumontTop Salary: Shea Weber, $7.5MBest bargain: Pekka RinneMost overpaid: Patric Hornqvist<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-08176/9557031-1-eng-US/f0041-082.jpg" title="f0041-08" width="937" height="740"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-1356/9557024-1-eng-US/f0041-132.jpg" title="F0041-13" width="407" height="685"><figcaption class="caption-body">(HALAK: GRAIG ABEL/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>Cap space: $10.3 millionPayroll by position:G &ndash; 8% F &ndash; 64% D &ndash; 28%Pending UFAs: Arnott, Langenbrunner, Jackman, ColaiacovoNTC/NMC: 3Under contract 2012-13: 12Buyouts: NoneTop Salary: D. Backes, $4.5MBest bargain: Kevin ShattenkirkMost overpaid: Jaroslav Halak &#9632;

f0041-01

Wingman To Middle Man

<div class="byline">&#x2013; KEN CAMPBELL</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0042-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-02511/9557230-1-eng-US/f0042-022.jpg"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-01799/9557237-1-eng-US/f0042-012.jpg" title="f0042-01" width="95" height="110"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-03400/9557223-1-eng-US/f0042-032.jpg" title="f0042-03" width="844" height="1079"><figcaption class="caption-body">OLLI JOKINEN (JOKINEN: MIKE RIDEWOOD/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>Nobody in the NHL can remember seeing Olli Jokinen with hair this long, which is fitting since few can remember seeing him this committed. Jokinen has emerged as a two-way force for Calgary and it&rsquo;s no coincidence his attention to detail in the neutral and defensive zones has led to more offensive chances. Centering Curtis Glencross and Lee Stempniak, he had a goal and five points through six games.Flames GM Jay Feaster saw a lot of Jokinen when he was with the Tampa Bay Lightning and Jokinen was with the Florida Panthers. And let&rsquo;s just say Feaster didn&rsquo;t exactly have warm and fuzzy feelings about the Finn when the GM was hired by the Flames. &ldquo;I wasn&rsquo;t sold,&rdquo; Feaster said. &ldquo;But I have to give him a lot of credit because he has reinvented himself as a player. He&rsquo;s a guy who takes great pride in matching up against the other team&rsquo;s top centers and shutting other guys down. He still has the offensive ability, but he&rsquo;s content now that if he&rsquo;s done a good job in the faceoff circle and he&rsquo;s kept the other team&rsquo;s top line off the board, that&rsquo;s a good night.&rdquo;Of course there will be critics who will point out this is a contract year for Jokinen and his past history doesn&rsquo;t provide a lot of evidence to the contrary, but the Flames will take his more mature approach to the game. &ldquo;I love the fact he&rsquo;s become this committed, two-way team guy,&rdquo; Feaster said. &ldquo;I think he has just been great. That&rsquo;s one of the most pleasant surprises for me.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-1445/9557216-1-eng-US/f0042-142.jpg" title="f0042-14" width="327" height="19"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-04322/9557209-1-eng-US/f0042-042.jpg" title="f0042-04" width="937" height="740"></div><h2>CAP SNAPSHOT</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-09126/9557202-1-eng-US/f0042-092.jpg" title="f0042-09" width="407" height="686"><figcaption class="caption-body">(STAGEN: GERRY THOMAS/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>Cap space: $1.7 millionPayroll by position:G &ndash; 11% F &ndash; 55% D &ndash; 34%Pending UFAs: Stempniak,Jokinen, Moss, Sarich, HagmanNTC/NMC: 11Under contract 2012-13: 13Buyouts: DawesTop Salary: Jarome Iginla, $7MBest bargain: Curtis GlencrossMost overpaid: Matt Stajan<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-05275/9557195-1-eng-US/f0042-052.jpg" title="f0042-05" width="937" height="740"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-10101/9557188-1-eng-US/f0042-102.jpg" title="f0042-10" width="407" height="686"></div>Cap space: $15 millionPayroll by positionG &ndash; 9% F &ndash; 61% D &ndash; 30%Pending UFAs: Hejduk, Jones, McClement, McLeod, O&rsquo;BrienNTC/NMC: 1Under contract 2012-13: 7Buyouts: PreissingTop Salary: Paul Stastny, $6.6MBest bargain: Ryan O&rsquo;ReillyMost overpaid: Paul Stastny<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-06245/9557181-1-eng-US/f0042-062.jpg" title="f0042-06" width="937" height="740"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-1176/9557174-1-eng-US/f0042-112.jpg" title="f0042-11" width="407" height="685"><figcaption class="caption-body">(EBERLE: DALE MACMILLAN/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>Cap space: $3.9 millionPayroll by positionG &ndash; 8% F &ndash; 62% D &ndash; 30%Pending UFAs: Smyth, Hemsky, Petrell, Hordichuk, SuttonNTC/NMC: 3Under contract 2012-13: 13Buyouts: Souray, NilssonTop Salary: S. Horcoff, $6.5MBest bargain: Jordan EberleMost overpaid: Shawn Horcoff<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-07207/9557167-1-eng-US/f0042-072.jpg" title="f0042-07" width="937" height="740"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-1263/9557160-1-eng-US/f0042-122.jpg" title="f0042-12" width="407" height="685"><figcaption class="caption-body">(HEATLEY: JANA CHYTILOVA/FREESTYLE PHOTOGRAPHY/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>Cap space: $8.9 millionPayroll by positionG &ndash; 13% F &ndash; 63% D &ndash; 24%Pending UFAs: Zanon, Brodziak, Lundin, Staubitz, StonerNTC/NMC: 4Under contract 2012-13: 14Buyouts: Barker, ParrishTop Salary: Dany Heatley, $8MBest bargain: Cal ClutterbuckMost overpaid: Dany Heatley<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-08158/9557153-1-eng-US/f0042-082.jpg" title="f0042-08" width="754" height="590"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-1352/9557146-1-eng-US/f0042-132.jpg" title="f0042-13" width="407" height="686"><figcaption class="caption-body">(O&rsquo;REILLY+BURROWS: JEFF VINNICK/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>Cap space: $0Payroll by positionG &ndash; 10% F &ndash; 57% D &ndash; 33%Pending UFAs: Samuelsson, Sturm, Salo, Rome, EbbettNTC/NMC: 8Under contract 2012-13: 15Buyouts: NoneTop Salary: Kevin Bieksa, $7MBest bargain: Alex BurrowsMost overpaid: Keith Ballard &#9632;

f0042-02

Growth Spurt

<div class="byline">BY KEVIN OKLOBZIJA</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0045-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0045-02387/9557397-1-eng-US/f0045-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">TODAY&rsquo;S HOMEWORKThe Ducks gave Kyle Palmieri an unusual school assignment over the off-season. (JUSTSPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY)</figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0045-01587/9557404-1-eng-US/f0045-012.jpg" title="f0045-01" width="96" height="110"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div>When Kyle Palmieri decided it was time to make the jump to pro hockey after just one year at Notre Dame, the offensively gifted right winger figured he was done with the homework thing. Then he found out the Anaheim Ducks were into home schooling.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0045-03326/9557390-1-eng-US/f0045-032.jpg" title="f0045-03" width="176" height="176"></div>Not only did the Ducks have an assignment for Palmieri, they wanted him to work on it over the summer. It was part biography, part psychology and part physics. And it had one significant purpose: to get Palmieri more prepared to play in the NHL.Following the 2010-11 season, his first as a pro, the Ducks gave him a DVD. It chronicled the careers of Brian Gionta, the Montreal Canadiens&rsquo; captain, and Brad Marchand of the Boston Bruins, who won a Stanley Cup as a rookie last season. &ldquo;They wanted me to watch a couple smaller guys in the NHL,&rdquo; said the 5-foot-11, 193-pound Palmieri. &ldquo;They wanted me to watch how they competed every shift.&rdquo;So how did his book report go? &ldquo;One of the biggest things I saw was that they never gave up on anything,&rdquo; Palmieri said. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re always competing, whether they have the puck on their stick or not. That&rsquo;s something I really want to work on.&rdquo;That&rsquo;s also something the Ducks want him to do, which is why he started the season with the American League&rsquo;s Syracuse Crunch. As a rookie he scored 29 goals and 51 points in 62 games last season for the Crunch and had a goal in a 10-game stint with the Ducks. A first round pick (26th overall) in 2009, he looked to be well on his way to a spot in the Ducks lineup as camp began.But Anaheim decided more development in Syracuse wouldn&rsquo;t hurt and instead kept Andrew Gordon and Maxime Macenauer on the NHL roster. &ldquo;They want me to develop my play away from the puck,&rdquo; Palmieri said. &ldquo;The offense is going to come. I think one of the reasons they sent me down was so I can work on my all-around game on a daily basis.&rdquo;Considering he scored five goals and seven points in his first three games this season, the stay won&rsquo;t be long. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a player who can obviously put the puck in the net,&rdquo; said Scott Niedermayer, a roving player development coach for Anaheim. &ldquo;Everyone&rsquo;s going to have their own opinion on his game, but what matters is the one in Anaheim (coach Randy Carlyle).&ldquo;I think part of it is needs right now. Do you put him on the fourth line in Anaheim and give him five minutes a night or do you have him come down, play a lot and fill the net?&rdquo;That&rsquo;s definitely something Palmieri can do. He has SWAT-team-like accuracy with his shot, something he has worked on for years.In the backyard of his parents&rsquo; home in Montvale, N.J., he has his own &ldquo;shooting range.&rdquo; Not for clay pigeons, but for picking corners of the net. The work continued during his two seasons with USA Hockey&rsquo;s national team development program in Ann Arbor, Mich., and then in 2009-10 at Notre Dame. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a sniper,&rdquo; said Rochester Americans coach Ron Rolston, who coached Palmieri in Ann Arbor. &ldquo;(As the opposition) you can&rsquo;t give him the puck at the dots because it&rsquo;s usually in.&rdquo;He isn&rsquo;t afraid to shoot, either. He averaged 3.5 shots a game as an AHL rookie. This season, in three games he had 18 shots on goal and missed with a few others.27.8 Palmieri&rsquo;s shooting percentage on his 18 attempts this season (five goals).But he&rsquo;s working hard to cut down on the misses. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m focused on keeping my shots on net,&rdquo; Palmieri said. &ldquo;Instead of always trying to pick corners, I&rsquo;m just trying to get it on net. I put too much emphasis on beating the goalie instead of making the goalie make the save.&rdquo; &#9632;

f0045-02

Palmieri Goes To School

<div class="byline">BY RYAN KENNEDY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0046-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0046-02380/9557442-1-eng-US/f0046-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">GHOST SCORERWaterloo&rsquo;s A.J. Michaelson has a knack for finding scoring areas that defenders miss. (MICHAELSON: BRITTA LEWIS)</figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0046-01592/9557449-1-eng-US/f0046-012.jpg" title="f0046-01" width="95" height="111"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div>If there&rsquo;s one sure-fire way for a prospect to make noise, it&rsquo;s by putting up numbers. Luckily for Waterloo&rsquo;s A.J. Michaelson, goal-scoring is his calling card. &ldquo;A.J.&rsquo;s a shooter and you don&rsquo;t see that much in the United States League,&rdquo; said one scout. &ldquo;The shot doesn&rsquo;t seem all that hard, but it always seems to give the goalie trouble.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0046-03263/9557435-1-eng-US/f0046-032.jpg" title="f0046-03" width="276" height="85"></div>Jaden Schwartz brought sniping to the USHL a few years ago, but in general the circuit doesn&rsquo;t produce a lot of gaudy numbers from rookies. Michaelson&rsquo;s five goals and six points in eight pre-season games paced the league and, though he was limited to a goal and two points in his first five regular season contests, his history with the Minnesota high school Apple Valley Eagles suggests he&rsquo;s an elite talent in the making. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a big body who skates really well,&rdquo; said Waterloo coach P.K. O&rsquo;Handley. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s not afraid to shoot the puck and as he adjusts to the league, his point totals will climb.&rdquo;Michaelson needs to work on his physical game and even snipers can get better at scoring, but his coach isn&rsquo;t too concerned there. &ldquo;He works so hard and God blessed him with ability,&rdquo; O&rsquo;Handley said. &ldquo;He needs to be a finisher consistently, but he&rsquo;s working his tail off and that&rsquo;s not going to change anytime soon.&rdquo;Michaelson got a sneak peek at the USHL last year, getting six games in at the end of the season once Apple Valley was bounced in the playoffs by the Eagan Wildcats. The fact he was able to meet some of his future teammates and get a sense for the step up in competition was comforting. And while there is travel on the Minnesota high school circuit, it&rsquo;s obviously different in the USHL, where teams are spread over a variety of states. Not that Michaelson minds. &ldquo;I actually like that,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;The long bus rides give me more time to focus before the game.&rdquo;The Black Hawks rookie was actually offered a spot in Team USA&rsquo;s national team development program as a sophomore in high school, but he turned it down in order to chase the prestigious Minnesota high school state championship.The Eagles never got to the top of the mountain and after Michaelson&rsquo;s junior year the six-foot, 185-pound center packed his bags. &ldquo;I played three years and I felt it was time to play better competition,&rdquo; he said.A big fan of Tampa&rsquo;s Steven Stamkos, Michaelson has an ability to disappear in front of opponents, emerging precisely at the right time for a goal. That skill reminds experts of another prolific NHLer. &ldquo;I see a little bit of Danny Briere,&rdquo; said the scout. &ldquo;He&rsquo;ll be the guy who fades into an area that nobody sees, then before you know it, he&rsquo;s at the side of the net banging the puck home.&rdquo;That prowess will be huge for Michaelson&rsquo;s future, which is slated to include the University of Minnesota. &ldquo;Since the age of five I&rsquo;ve been a Gopher fan,&rdquo; Michaelson said. &ldquo;I just didn&rsquo;t see myself in any other college sweater.&rdquo;The pressure will be on at that stage, but everyone loves a goal-scorer. Especially when he&rsquo;s local.For more on the future, check out: <a href="http://thn.com/prospects">thn.com/prospects</a> &#9632;

f0046-02

Sharpshooting In Waterloo

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0046-04216/9557480-1-eng-US/f0046-042.jpg" title="f0046-04" width="598" height="798"><figcaption class="caption-body">TAYLOR CAMMARATA (CAMMARATA: DOUG HUDDLESTON/WATERLOO BLACKHAWKS)</figcaption></div>He won&rsquo;t hear his name called at the NHL draft until 2013, but Waterloo&rsquo;s Taylor Cammarata is already making headlines in the United States League.The 5-foot-6, 145-pound dynamo led the Black Hawks early on with five assists and seven points through five games, six of which came at even strength. Despite his size and youth, Cammarata shouldn&rsquo;t be too much of a surprise, particularly since he was the first overall pick in the USHL draft this summer. &ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t think I was going to go No. 1,&rdquo; Cammarata said. &ldquo;I hadn&rsquo;t talked much to Waterloo until a week before the draft.&rdquo;Cammarata counted another top pick as his linemate during his time with the Shattuck-St. Mary&rsquo;s program in Minnesota. Nathan MacKinnon, who was taken first overall in the Quebec League before having his rights traded to Halifax, was the finisher to Cammarata&rsquo;s setup man last season. &ldquo;We had a lot of good chemistry,&rdquo; Cammarata said. &ldquo;We really pushed each other.&rdquo;On a team that features fellow Minnesotans A.J. Michaelson, Eddie Wittchow (FLA, 154th overall in 2011) and Tony Cameranesi (TOR, 130th in &rsquo;11), Cammarata is standing tall. &#9632;

f0046-04

Rousing Rookie

<div class="byline">BY NATHAN WHITE</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0048-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0048-01415/9557511-1-eng-US/f0048-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">&rsquo;TENDING THE TWINENicholas Giroux was back in net less than a year after losing his right leg in an accident. (PHOTO COURTESY OF THE GIROUX FAMILY)</figcaption></div>When Nicholas Giroux was struck by a bus while riding his bike in May 2009, his future as a goalie was the furthest thing from his parents&rsquo; minds. &ldquo;When the police officer said, &lsquo;How far are you away from the hospital, how fast can you get here?&rsquo; I thought &lsquo;Holy (cow),&rsquo; &rdquo; said his father Francois. &ldquo;I thought there were just a few minutes for me to see him alive.&rdquo;Nicholas&rsquo; mother Kally rushed to the scene from work nearby in Sackville, N.B., where the family lives, and recalled the then-12-year-old&rsquo;s right leg &ldquo;dangling in an awkward position&rdquo; from being dragged nearly 20 feet by the bus.Francois called signing the paper to authorize the amputation &ldquo;the hardest thing I&rsquo;ve ever had to do.&rdquo;Nicholas, meanwhile, has been incredibly positive, even joking about his accident shortly after coming out of the surgery to remove his leg. Francois laughed recounting a story from soon after his son first saw the stump below his knee. &ldquo;He looked at it and said, &lsquo;Well, I did it. I survived being run over by a bus.&rdquo;Nicholas more than just survived, hehasthrived. After months of rehab, Nicholas received a custom prosthesis and learned to walk again around Christmas that year.By January 2010, he was back on the ice practising with his bantam team, whichFrancois coached. &ldquo;Halfway through the (first) practice he got discouraged,&rdquo; Francois said. &ldquo;So we got talking and I said to him, &lsquo;Look, you&rsquo;re able to walk, take your time, it will come back.&rsquo; &rdquo;By the time the playoffs rolled around, Nicholas was sharing the load with another goalie as the team won its division. Last season he was his team&rsquo;s lone goalie and this year he advanced to midget. &ldquo;Even his prosthetist came to see him at goalie school and she couldn&rsquo;t find him on the ice,&rdquo; Francois said. &ldquo;She was trying to find a kid that she would recognize had some problems and I had to point out to her, &lsquo;That&rsquo;s Nicholas,&rsquo; because she couldn&rsquo;t tell.&rdquo;<blockquote class="pullQuote">&ldquo;Well, I did it. I survived being hit by a bus &ndash; Nicholas Giroux</blockquote>Throughout his rehabilitation after the accident, Nicholas focused on more than just being able to walk again. &ldquo;I really liked hockey and I didn&rsquo;t want to stop playing &ndash; I liked it too much to stop,&rdquo; Nicholas said. &ldquo;Some things I have trouble with&hellip;but I&rsquo;m just trying my hardest.&rdquo;In addition to hockey, Nicholas is back mountain biking, curling, golfing and playing baseball. He wants to try lacrosse and football, too, but still has to convince his parents. His older sister Gabrielle can&rsquo;t believe how well her brother has adjusted to life as an amputee, yet Nicholas seems to shrug it off. &ldquo;Before it happens, you think that would be the end,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;But once it actually happens and you give things a go, you realize it&rsquo;s not really the end of the world.&rdquo;His parents, however, are just grateful to have him. &ldquo;Life is really short,&rdquo; Kally said. &ldquo;When the accident happened I realized Nicholas could have been taken away from us&hellip;So we just live life to the fullest.&rdquo;The family has received an outpouring of support: community fundraisers, education through The War Amps and gifts and encouragement from the hockey world. Nicholas was featured on TSN and has received autographed pictures, jerseys and sticks from Carey Price, Bobby Orr, Jean Beliveau and the Saint John Sea Dogs, who honored him on the ice in a pre-game ceremony.Even the Canadian sledge hockey team reached out. &ldquo;They wrote him a letter saying: &lsquo;Not to take away from you being a stand-up goalie, but you could try sledge hockey,&rsquo; &rdquo; Francois said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s amazing how people just naturally want to help.&rdquo;There are still some concerns for Nicholas&rsquo; recovery, such as pain from overtaxing his muscles or possible future surgery.Yet when asked what the biggest change has been, Nicholas doesn&rsquo;t seem too bothered. &ldquo;Going to the bathroom in the middle of the night and having to put on a leg or when I&rsquo;m hungry and I have to put it on, walk downstairs and get a snack,&rdquo; he said, laughing. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s been a pain in the butt. But that&rsquo;s pretty much it.&rdquo; &#9632;

f0048-01

Unstoppable Stopper

<div class="byline">By Larry Humber</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0049-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0049-01382/9557542-1-eng-US/f0049-012.jpg"></div>ANSWERS AVAILABLE IN THE NEXT ISSUE AND AT <a href="http://THN.com/XWORD">THN.com/xword</a><h2>ACROSS</h2>1 Ryan ___ is back with Edmonton, pictured8 ___ College is part of the new NCHC conference9 Forward lines10 ___-Omaha is another NCHC school11 Steve ___ netted 60 goals, a record for a Hab14 Take a series four straight15 Decoy20 Corey ___ was NHL MVP in 201121 Ex-Hurricane now with the Habs22 Ken Hitchcock&rsquo;s nickname23 Scrappy blueliner with Montreal24 One of the Mahovlichs<h2>DOWN</h2>2 One of Gordie&rsquo;s boys, a Hall of Famer3 The first of four Isles to win the Smythe4 An early hockey position5 ___ Dame is a CCHA school6 Brad ___ was a popular Senator7 Veteran blueliner ___ Hamrlik12 Lake ___ is another CCHA school13 The &lsquo;A&rsquo; in AHL16 ___ Numminen was a 20-year vet17 The Oilers won their ___ Cup in 198418 Those who take the place of strikers19 Cup for Canada&rsquo;s senior amateursLAST WEEK&rsquo;S CROSSWORD SOLUTION ACROSS 1. BOBBY, 8. CONNOLLY, 9. CLOUD, 10. AL ARBOUR, 11. BILLY, 14. AGENT, 15. MAJOR, 20. SWOOP, 21. ALEX AULD, 22. TIP-IN, 23. BROADWAY, 24. KEANE DOWN 2. OIL KINGS, 3. BLUE LINE, 4. GOALS, 5. ANDRE, 6. ELBOW, 7. MYERS, 12. IAN WHITE, 13. BOGOSIAN, 16. GABBY, 17. KEHOE, 18. RANDY, 19. CLEAR &#9632;

f0049-01

CROSSWORD

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0049-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0049-02282/9557580-1-eng-US/f0049-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">(BLAST: NAT TUROFSKY/HHOF IMAGES)</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0049-03217/9557573-1-eng-US/f0049-032.jpg" title="f0049-03" width="186" height="186"></div>Red Wings GM Jack Adams gets all mushy with Adam Brown after his OT goal in 1943 secured a Cup spot. &#9632;

f0049-02

Blast from the Past

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RYAN KENNEDY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0049-04198/9557611-1-eng-US/f0049-042.jpg" title="f0049-04" width="311" height="317"><figcaption class="caption-body">ANDREI SUBBOTIN (JERSEY: KHL)</figcaption></div>Ekaterinburg can boast a history that includes Detroit superstar Pavel Datsyuk as well as one of the best jerseys in the Kontinental League thanks to its latest team, Avtomobilist.As with many European sweaters, the sponsor ads are a bit of a distraction. But at the heart of the Avtomobilist jersey is an excellent circle-A crest with wings on a simple red, black and white color scheme.The name of the franchise translates to &ldquo;Motorist&rdquo; and this team has a look and logo that has instant classic written all over it. &#9632;

f0049-04

JerseyHound

<div class="byline">BY KEN CAMPBELL</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0050-01366/9557649-1-eng-US/f0050-012.jpg" title="f0050-01" width="387" height="675"></div>A former&nbsp;GM recently told THN the NHL will be seeking a hard salary cap of $50 million in the next negotiations for a collective bargaining agreement. Others think commissioner Gary Bettman will demand the players receive just 47 percent of hockey-related revenues, down from the 57 percent they currently receive.If either of those comes to pass, don&rsquo;t be surprised if this negotiation goes beyond &ldquo;tweaking&rdquo; the current cost certainty system. I know if my boss proposed &ldquo;tweaking&rdquo; my employment conditions by whacking my take-home pay nearly 18 percent, there would be what I like to call &ldquo;issues.&rdquo;Which brings us to the crux of this matter. The best thing for the NHL to do would be to scrap the salary cap system entirely and go back to the days when teams could spend as much or as little as their budgets would allow. It&rsquo;s not going to happen, but a guy can hope. The salary cap causes far more headaches than it cures, prompts teams to do everything they can to legally circumvent it by signing players to front-loaded contracts and burying others in the minors and has done little or nothing to encourage either a level economic playing field or parity on the ice.And really, in what world besides sports does the hired help earn a fixed portion of the riches gained by the employer? Going back to a real-life situation, my pay stub reads the same every two weeks regardless of how well or how poorly the company that owns THN is doing. So why does it have to be different in professional sports? Why can&rsquo;t the league simply demand a hard salary cap ceiling (or no ceiling at all) with no floor? They own and operate the business, they take all the risks and they&rsquo;re the ones who write the checks for millions of dollars when the cash calls are made. And in exchange for that they&rsquo;re guaranteed access to less than half the money that comes in the door. How ridiculous is that? Once the players start putting some of their own equity into the business, they can start demanding a portion of the profits and be financially responsible for some of the losses.There is the argument that when the players receive a percentage of revenues, the league can have a better handle on its most onerous expense and there is certainly merit to that. As of now, the teams know, as a whole, they receive 43 percent of revenues regardless of how well or poorly the business performs. And that, advocates of the system will argue, protects owners who have signed players to large contracts when things were going well from having to pay full value on them if revenues fall precipitously. What would happen if the Canadian dollar went back to 70 cents?<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0050-02265/9557642-1-eng-US/f0050-022.jpg" title="f0050-02" width="720" height="938"><figcaption class="caption-body">JAMES WISNIEWSKI (JOHN GRIESHOP/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div><blockquote class="pullQuote">&ldquo;The salary cap causes far more headaches than it cures</blockquote>But that thinking goes on the assumption overall league revenues are relevant, which they are not to a large degree. Do you think it makes any difference to the league-owned Phoenix Coyotes and the league-propped-up Dallas Stars that the NHL projects record-breaking overall revenues this season? Teams such as those are the reason why revenues aren&rsquo;t higher in the first place and instead of being a Kumbaya alliance among 30 partners, the league operates largely as 30 different entities,each left to its own devices when it comes to survival. After losing loads of money, the perennially underachieving Blue Jackets dipped into the free agent pool and increased their payroll significantly over the summer. After the sellout in their home opener, they posted &ldquo;announced&rdquo; figures of 9,187 and 8,986 for their next two games.Do you think the Blue Jackets have even a morsel more optimism about their financial picture because the league and the NHLPA agreed on a first-installment escrow rate of 8.5 percent, the lowest since the first year after the lockout, based on the fact that they believe league revenues will be so much more robust this season? We&rsquo;re betting the answer is a resounding no.Although they will never admit it, we&rsquo;re also betting the Blue Jackets would look at it this way: They could be just as bad and boring as they are now with a payroll half the size and without those big contracts like the one they handed James Wisniewski (six years, $33 million) in July.And when the Stars trade for Eric Nystrom rather than claim him on waivers because they need his entire $1.4 million cap hit to get up to the salary floor, something is seriously messed up.That&rsquo;s all because the players and the league think the hired help should deserve a pre-determined portion of revenues.There would be absolutely nothing wrong with putting a prompt end to that notion.READ KEN CAMPBELL&rsquo;S WEB-EXCLUSIVE COLUMN MONDAYS & FRIDAYS AT <a href="http://THN.COM/CAMPBELL">THN.COM/CAMPBELL</a> &#9632;

f0050-01

Salary Cap Doesn’t Fit

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November 7, 2011

Young GUNS

Fresh Start With Stars

Smart Money

IN THE Cards