Luongo Liability
JP Nikota
April 25 2012 09:44PM
Whether or not Brian Burke should trade for Roberto Luongo (or even Tim Thomas) is contingent on a number of issues that many, (including The Leafs Nation's own John Lofranco) have already discussed. There are a number of potential wrinkles, from cap space, to the asking price, to what the Vancouver Canucks or Boston Bruins currently need.
Before we begin to consider any of those issues however, I think it's critical to assess the risk that Luongo represents as a 33-year-old-goaltender. While it's true that $5.33M isn't a bad price to pay for top-flight netminding, the length of the term on the contract would make it a terrible burden if Luongo performed poorly.
Jump for a couple graphs.
When Do Goals Usually Come?
JP Nikota
April 14 2012 08:46PM
Earlier this evening, on Hockey Night In Canada, Kelly Hrudy asserted that goals often come at the beginnings and at the ends of periods. Because this seems like the kind of statement that is ripe for debunking, I enlisted the programming help of Greg Sinclair (@theninjagreg) to check on this.
Franchise Relocations: More Common Than We Think
JP Nikota
April 05 2012 06:18AM
I should be straightforward and confess my bias right off the bat: I hope that the Phoenix Coyotes move to Québec City. I don't care about the poor, suffering fans in Phoenix, I don't care about 'growing the game', and I don't care about the millionaires and/or billionaires that stand to lose from the Coyotes moving elsewhere. Even the taxpayers of Glendale, who have been getting the proverbial shaft, are in some ways undeserving of sympathy, for not being more involved. Call me callous, but I'm more interested in reigniting old rivalries (i.e. with Montréal) and witnessing the rebirth of a franchise.
Many people don't see La Vielle Capitale as a viable long-term location for a hockey team and/or they (somewhat justifiably) feel Phoenix hasn't really been given a fair chance, but the truth is, "long-term" is a relative term, and losing money sucks. Many franchises have moved over the course of the NHL's history, and it's really only younger fans that perceive the NHL as a static entity of 30 teams in certain locations.
The Playoff Picture: What Should Leafs Fans Hope For?
JP Nikota
March 15 2012 10:34AM
For some, it might seem too soon to give up on the Leafs' playoff hopes, but I, for one, have already begun musing about which teams I may wind up choosing for after April 7th has come and gone.
You see, those of us for whom one team is enough to cheer for, deciding which other playoff-bound team is the least dispicable can often be a daunting chore. For every great player to cheer for, there's a scumbag on the team to cheer against - Sidney Crosby and Matt Cooke, Alex Ovechkin and Alex Ovechkin.
If the playoffs started today, who could we cheer for in round one?
VHS: I Think There's A Cream For That
JP Nikota
March 10 2012 06:55AM
March 7th, 2012: Gustavsson's most recent mistake using VHS.
Though not technically a disease, the use of the Vertical-Horizontal Stance (VHS) has become a debilitating condition for several goaltenders across the league, and for some time, it has been my own casual observation that Gustavsson has been too easily victimized in this position throughout the year. In truth, it was really only a rash (forgive the pun) in the middle of the season.
So what's the treatment, doc?
