Superstar playmaker Marc Savard apparently doesn’t fit into the plans of the Boston Bruins, and he’s reportedly agreed to accept a trade involving the Ottawa Senators or Toronto Maple Leafs.

Here is a player the Leafs could really use. As of this moment, their number one centre is Tyler Bozak, a promising talent the team has high hopes for, but one who has only 37 pro games under his belt on which he can be judged.

Savard is a superstar, and one of the best passers in the game. He’s superbly talented. He is a true number one centre. It’s hard to argue against what he brings to the rink.

However, Marc Savard has had concussion problems and carries a contract that expires around his 40th birthday.

So does Brian Burke acquire a proven producer despite the health and contract risks?

The debate has already begun to rage in Maple Leaf circles. There’s plenty of valid points to be made for both sides:

WHY THE LEAFS SHOULD ACQUIRE SAVARD

– Boston has very little trade leverage
The Bruins have initiated the trade talks; teams haven’t been banging on Peter Chiarelli’s door with offers. Any trade partner can negotiate to their advantage based on Savard’s injury history (several concussions), the length of his deal (7 years), as well as the cash owed to the soon-to-be 33-year-old centre (a ton of cash). It’s been speculated that the Leafs wouldn’t have to surrender one of the organization’s more valuable assets to acquire Savard — rather, a couple of prospects or perhaps a lesser defenseman might be enough. A rare opportunity has presented itself in which a front line talent can seemingly be had at an unheard of discount.

– History with Phil Kessel
Not only did Phil Kessel score 36 goals in ‘08-09, but the Bruins were the best team in the East with Savard and Kessel leading the way offensively. Kessel has matured as a player and shown he is a 30-goal man no matter who is by his side. With Savvy in the fold, the question heading into the season would be if Kessel can score 40, not 30.

– Immediately puts the Leafs in playoff contention
Adding an 80-point player improves a team in a hurry. If the post-Toskala Leafs can carry over their renewed enthusiasm from the Spring, the addition of Marc Savard and a couple of mid-level UFAs will have the Leafs in contention for one of the bottom four playoff spots in the East.

– Lessens the value of Boston’s first round pick
Brian Burke maintains that he “hopes Boston gets a good player” out of the Kessel deal, and that he wasn’t terribly disturbed watching a franchise centre picked by a division rival with his team’s former draft pick. Burkie is a great straight-faced liar, and he’ll clearly do all he can to improve the Leafs and ensure that Boston isn’t handed a second premier player in the 2011 draft.

– Savard may retire early
This may sound like a reason to not make the deal, but the ideal scenario for Burke and the Maple Leafs would be for Savard to play a few productive years and then hang ‘em up before he becomes a burden. Savvy’s contract lasts another seven years, but it’s conceivable that he will only play another 3-5 years of that contract. Further, when you take into account Savard’s finesse style, which hinges on intelligence and passing ability more than speed and athleticism, he should be fairly productive for the next four seasons. It would take a tremendous decline in production for Savard to fall short of his cap hit in terms of production.

– Cap hit is reasonable, especially for a star
Considering Brian Burke’s miraculous roster shuffling to get Jason Blake out of Toronto, consider this: Jason Blake’s yearly cap hit is virtually identical to Savard’s. Prior to Blake being dealt, had someone told you that Blake could be off the books in a year replaced by Marc Savard at an equivalent cap number, you would have thrown them to a mob of flesh-hungry Kopitars (zombies).

– The Leafs will have cap space for further shopping
With such a modest cap hit on Savard’s deal, Leafs will have room to make competitive offers in free agency and squeeze more talent into the lineup within the constraints of the salary cap.

WHY THE LEAFS SHOULD NOT ACQUIRE SAVARD

– Risk of long term headache
One more concussion and Savvy could be through with professional hockey. Head injuries can quickly put a stop to once-healthy careers. The Matt Cooke incident was frightening enough to ripple through the league and prompt immediate action/investigation regarding blind side hits to the head. Savard won’t become a more durable human being as he approaches his mid-thirties, so the Leafs might be facing a difficult scenario if he fails to deliver upon being acquired.

– Size up the middle?
Tyler Bozak isn’t a physically imposing fella, nor is top prospect Nazem Kadri. While Kadri does have a physical edge, he lacks the body to accompany it. The Leafs don’t have a big-body centreman, and that’s something Brian Burke mustn’t be content with. He had Getzlaf in Anaheim to compliment the diminutive Andy McDonald, but no such player is close to NHL-ready in the Leaf organization. Is Burke willing to commit to another player who barely cracks six feet?

– Giving up futures and getting older
So far, the re-tooling of the Maple Leafs has emphasized drafting and getting younger along with acquiring NHL-ready talent and improving through trade. If Burke is required to give up a couple of his better prospects in the deal, it might reek of prior Maple Leafs management decisions in which the future was ignored in making deals. Worst case scenario: Savard is a dud in Toronto and the Bruins acquire yet another former Leaf prospect who blossoms into a marquee player.

– The “Rod Brind’Amour” situation
That old camel in Carolina has become a burden to the salary cap and to the organization — as Jim Rutherford attempts to turn the page and rebuild, Brind’Amour apparently takes pleasure in seeing his name in the ‘minus’ column on a nightly basis. He refuses to call it a career. It’s possible that Savard intends to play out the remaining seven years on his deal, even if he’s ineffective in the latter portion of the contract.

– No-trade clause
For the first three years of the deal Savard would be very tough to move. Suppose he isn’t a fit in Toronto, and this becomes evident after the first year of the deal. In such a scenario, Brian Burke would have limited options in shipping Savard elsewhere. However, if Savard’s stance towards being dealt is any indication, he’s the type of player who complies with management if they show no interest in retaining him.

So what’s the right call if you’re Brian Burke? Everyone should have an opinion by now.

- Dennis Wideman suffered miserably last year to the point of being booed by his home crowd, but here’s a player who was instrumental to the Bruins winning the Eastern Conference title in 2008-09. The Panthers may be getting an impact defenseman who will be expected to do less in Florida than in Boston. Wideman can begin the season in the number three role behind Bryan McCabe and Keith Ballard, but he may emerge as Florida’s top rearguard.

- For the moment, the Bruins may have the most lopsided divide between talent at their forward and defense positions of any team in the NHL. Zdeno Chara is a minute-munching superstar, but Dennis Seidenberg is (ideally) a good number four defenseman on a competitive team, and right now, he’s the second-best blueliner the Bruins have. Meanwhile, with the addition of Horton, the Bruins have seven top-6 forwards under contract, without even mentioning RFA Blake Wheeler and UFA Mark Recchi. Add to that, the B’s are positioned to draft Tyler Seguin who is expected to step in right away. The solution is fairly obvious, and you’d expect to see the Bruins move one centre and perhaps the rights to Wheeler in the coming days.

- If the goal was to acquire a scoring winger to at least partially fill the void left by Phil Kessel, the Bruins have acquired a suitable player; Horton has scored 30 goals, he’s a right-handed shooting right winger, and he’s believed to have consistency problems. Sounds like the player Boston traded to Toronto in September.

- Taking that a step further: will Horton play on the right side with Savard and Lucic, effectively replacing Kessel on the unit that was so successful together two years ago?

- How has Peter Chiarelli loaded up with so much talent while staying under the cap? Not a single Bruin forward carries a cap hit of 5 million or more — Patrice Bergeron’s (4.75) is the highest. Horton’s is 4 on the nose. Several others hover around 4 million.  Don’t look for that to change either, as Mark Recchi will sign for very little, and Tyler Seguin will play on his entry level contract for the next three seasons.

- What kind of player can the Florida Panthers expect to draft with the 15th overall pick? Last year the Ducks picked Peter Holland at 15. In the nine years previous it was Erik Karlsson, Alex Plante, Riku Helenius, Ryan O’Marra, Alexander Radulov, Robert Nilsson, Jesse Niniimaki, Igor Knyazev, Artem Kryukov. Not an impressive list, but the chance of getting a Karlsson or a Radulov makes the pick enticing.

- Horton and Weiss have been coupled in trade rumours since the notion of cleaning house surfaced in Florida, but Weiss should certainly be retained by GM Dale Tallon. At 3.1 million per season against the cap, Weiss is one of the better values around the league. At his production and dollar value he could be the ideal second line centre on a winning team.

- Then again, If Tallon decides to trade up for a second pick in the top 10, Weiss and the 15th pick could probably do the trick…

- Long-time Bruin Marco Sturm wears number 16, so what digits will Horton choose to wear in Beantown?

- This has nothing to do with the trade, but the Panthers should wear their third jerseys as their home jerseys and forever scrap the current home sweaters. That’s gotta be one of the ugliest jerseys in the league. Probably bottom five.

- We’ve learned since the consummation of the trade that Horton asked Dale Tallon to be moved when the two first sat down to discuss next season. Despite Horton’s talent, Panther fans should be relieved that he’s been shipped away — nothing quite kills a team environment like the aura of a player who doesn’t want to be there. For Karma’s sake, here’s hopin’ the Panthers take the season series next year.

- Trading Halak was the first roster move of significance executed by Pierre Gauthier, and it’s made him a villain to Canadiens fans. To begin the offseason, Gauthier makes a highly controversial move which doesn’t earn the respect of fans, nor does it help his credibility as GM. Unless Gauthier makes some very astute moves this summer, it won’t be until Carey Price gets a winning streak under his belt that Jaroslav Halak lovers will be (temporarily) silenced.

- Looking for a great way to tease a Canadiens fan? Have a t-shirt made with the word “Price” inside of a yield sign.

- While not a Vezina candidate or a Stanley Cup Champion, Jaroslav Halak is the hottest goaltender in the NHL. Making the move all the more unpopular is Halak’s mammoth playoff performance having occured just weeks ago; heroic showings against Washington and Pittsburgh endeared Halak to the fans of Montreal, who then watch as he’s shipped to St. Louis such a short time later. Timing really isn’t your thing, Pierre.

- Speaking of St. Louis, the Blues will make the playoffs next year and finish third in their division. After a sixth place finish in 08-09, the Blues finished 9th in the West in 09-10. They perhaps over-achieved finishing sixth, while 9th place was a good indication of their talent level this past year. Halak will give the organization a new sense of confidence; he is now the best goaltender in the Central division.

- Don’t think Gauthier got enough for Halak? You’re right. On Draft Day in 2007, Maple Leafs GM John Ferguson Jr. Traded the 13th overall pick and the 44th overall picks to San Jose for Vesa Toskala and Mark Bell. Bell was in the midst of a controversial drinking and driving incident and carried an inflated contract. Toskala had platooned with Evgeni Nabokov and posted decent numbers. The Blues swapped picks with the Sharks and ended up selecting Lars Eller at 13th, then Aaron Palushaj at 44th. There’s little separation between the projections of Palushaj and Schultz as NHLers. Regardless, the fact that Vesa Toskala garnered a similar return as Halak speaks volumes about a) John Ferguson’s ineptitude as a GM, and b) Pierre Gauthier’s ineptitude as a GM.

- Despite the trade backlash, everything could eventually be okay in Montreal if Carey Price turns it around. Don’t forget (Gauthier certainly hasn’t) that Price has won a Calder Cup and shown flashes of brilliance in his young career. If he can sharpen his focus and cope with the pressure of Montreal, there is no reason why Price can’t be a perennial all-star. But until that happens, he’s best represented by a yield sign.

- But to dampen the optimism, Carey Price’s 13-20-5 record this past season is absolutely horrid compared with Halak’s record of  26-13-5. Price had 0 shutouts; Halak had 5. In only 4 more starts, Halak doubled Price’s win total.

- They still have quite a few players to sign, but at the moment, the St. Louis Blues have the most cap space in the NHL. Halak’s contract will likely fall between the 4.5-6 million dollar range, but that price is well worth it to solidify the goaltending position. While only 11 Blues are currently under contract, 5 of them are top-6 forwards, so there will be plenty of buck leftover once the roster is filled out.

- If the Canadiens were concerned about paying Halak, that’s an odd stance because Montreal is one of the handful of teams who always spend to the cap. Why cut corners on goaltending? Halak just proved once again to the hockey world that great goaltending can steal rounds. The Canadiens have 7 million per season invested in Scott Gomez — a contract they stupidly took off the hands of the Rangers — but they tremble at the idea of paying their best goaltender over a million dollars less than that?

- If all other 29 teams knew about Halak’s availability, couldn’t someone have pitched a better offer than Eller and Schultz? The Blues are rich in prospects, but considering the lack of true number one goaltenders on the UFA market, it’s hard to believe another franchise didn’t make a stronger pitch. (Lookin’ at you, San Jose and Colorado)

- It doesn’t help Gauthier’s appearances when he publically projects Eller as a future second line centre. When you take away your franchise’s hero, at least build up the assets you’ve garnered in return. Nobody gets excited by the idea of a potential second line centre and a potential top-6 winger in exchange for a franchise goaltender. Credit to Gauthier for his honesty in appraising the trade return, but it’s easier to calm your fuming fanbase when they can get excited about their newly acquired players.

We might have to pick Philadelphia to come out of the East again next year.

The rights to Dan Hamhuis have been acquired by the Stanley Cup runner-up Philadelphia Flyers, leaving starting goaltending as the only remaining roster weakness to be addressed in Philly.

After the Flyers finished an NHL worst 22-48-12 in 06-07, Paul Holmgren snagged current Flyer staples Kimmo Timonen and Scott Hartnell from Nashville via trade prior to July 1st, giving Philadelphia exclusive negotiating rights with the tandem.

Successfully signing both, these additions were part of a dramatic one-year turnaround in Philly, which saw the Flyers reach the Eastern Conference Final only 12 months after finishing 30th overall.

Three seasons later, watching Hartnell and Timonen play key roles in the Stanley Cup Final makes Holmgren’s maneuvering look all the more shrewd. And once again, Holmgren shows his decisiveness prior to July 1st.

Just 10 days after losing out on the Cup, the Flyers have made a surprisingly early offseason roster splash. If they can get Hamhuis signed, the Flyers may have the best group of defensemen in the NHL next season.

With a third pairing that will likely be anchored by one of Carle or Hamhuis, Chris Pronger shouldn’t be as overworked in the playoffs and can be more well-rested for key situations, without the justifiable fear of a third-pairing mishap.

Trading for an impending free agent isn’t always the answer (see: Jay Bouwmeester), but without question Paul Holmgren can hang his hat on this trade. Ryan Parent isn’t highly valued by the organization, and Hamhuis might be a catalyst for another lengthy playoff run in Philadelphia.

Considering the shallow unrestricted free agent crop this summer, Holmgren wasn’t prepared to wait until July first to try and woo his prime target. Hamhuis, along with Paul Martin, are likely to be the most pursued UFA defensemen this year. If Holmgren is able to sign Hamhuis to a deal in the 3.5-4 million dollar range, he will once again look like a brilliant manager.

The following is a source-less trade idea, based only on the team needs and cap situations of the Boston Bruins and Florida Panthers.

Boston currently holds the number two overall pick in the 2010 draft and it’s widely believed they’ll select Tyler Seguin after Taylor Hall goes to the Oilers. It is also widely believed that the Bruins need a sniping winger like Hall to replace Phil Kessel’s lost offense. The Bruins are loaded down the middle with Savard, Krejci and Bergeron — and there’s more talent coming down the pipeline in the form of Joe Colborne and Zach Hamill.

So there’s the immediate need in Boston for scoring punch on the wing, and also for another first-pairing defenseman. After all, Zdeno Chara shoulders the defensive load on the Boston blueline, and tagging along with him are Dennis Seidenberg, Dennis Wideman and Andrew Ference, followed by more unimpressive talent. Chara is the organization’s only true pillar on the blueline, so Boston should also be looking into strengthening that area.

Drafting Tyler Seguin would ensure a star-studded forward core remains dominant in Boston, but the better approach for Peter Chiarelli on June 25th would be to get in touch with new Panthers GM Dale Tallon and work out a swap involving the second and third overall picks.

Cam Fowler is the player Boston should most covet in this draft. He shows promise to one day belong in the Mike Green/Duncan Keith/Drew Doughty class of defensemen. He’s won the Memorial Cup and shone in the World Junior tournament. A quick transition to the pro game should be expected.

The Panthers are an organization stuck in the mud, who have been idling in the lower-half of the NHL for years. As emphatically outlined by ownership and new management, roster changes are imminent in Florida. The franchise isn’t devoid of talent, but they have been without a true top-line player since Olli Jokinen left (and it’s debatable whether his best seasons in the Sunshine State were of true substance or simply a mirage).

For this reason, the Panthers must set their sights on Tyler Seguin.

Here’s how a trade could be worked out to suit both teams:

- Boston trades the second overall pick to Florida for the third overall pick.

- The Panthers, who are known to be unhappy with Nathan Horton, include him in the deal to Boston to move up.

- In return, the Bruins give up Michael Ryder (same cap hit, only one more year on contract). This way, Boston gets a winger to help them compete now, while Florida gives themselves long-term cap flexibility. The downside for Florida is having to carry an underachieving winger for a year, but ridding themselves of Horton while moving up make the deal worthwhile.

- Boston includes prospect, RW Brad Marchand in the deal.

- Florida includes prospect, D Colby Robak in the deal.

The trade looks like this:

to BOSTON
3rd overall pick
Nathan Horton
Colby Robak

to FLORIDA
2nd overall pick
Michael Ryder
Brad Marchand

The deal doesn’t change Boston’s cap situation, as Fowler will play on an entry-level deal, while Horton and Ryder’s contracts cancel out. The Panthers use their pick to draft Seguin, and in doing so, acquire a true future top line star around which their team will be built.

Marchand has produced at nearly a point-per-game at the American league level, so the Panthers acquire a player who is close to stepping in to full time role.

Boston gets better in the short term, adding a talented goal-scorer to the wing and drafting a future #1 defenseman and powerplay quarterback. Fowler will likely debut this upcoming season and should be able to step right in and contribute.

Please give us your thoughts/criticisms/tweaks in the comments.

Reports have surfaced indicating that Lou Lamoriello has significant interest in acquiring Tomas Kaberle.

Positive for Brian Burke is that the Devils are one of several teams believed to be interested in the 32-year-old Czech blueliner. The bidding war for Kaberle is in full swing, and there will be several solid offers on the table heading into the NHL Entry Draft.

Tomas Kaberle would undoubtedly be a perfect fit in New Jersey. Since the departure of Scott Niedermayer, beginning with the post-lockout season in ‘05-06, the Devils have won their division four of five years, but have advanced only two playoff rounds.

As key defensemen have left the New Jersey Devils’ organization, onlookers are left continually scratching their heads, not able to comprehend how the Devils win so many games with very little star power patrolling their back-end.

But considering the Devils have won two rounds without Niedermayer, it’s no wonder Lamoriello has expressed interest in Kaberle. Come playoff time, the minute-munchers and puck carrying specialists see more ice time and are vital to any team’s playoff success. Especially valuable are defenseman of Tomas Kaberle’s ilk, who possess the ability to skate the puck out of trouble and create offensively.

Unfortunately for New Jersey, they probably don’t have the assets Brian Burke is looking for in return for Kaberle.

Of interest to Burke are first round picks and forwards who can step into the Leafs’ lineup this upcoming season and improve the team. More specifically, a big, young centreman would be ideal.

The Devils don’t own any first round picks in this draft so that immediately lessens the chance for a deal. Having dealt their first round pick to the Thrashers in exchange for Ilya Kovalchuk, New Jersey’s earliest draft pick in 2010 is slotted for 38th overall.

This pick would be of interest to Burke as a starting point for any deal. He’s said time and again that his desire to acquire picks stems from his respect for his scouting department — he hates the idea of watching them sit idly until the 62nd selection of the draft. You get the feeling he’ll somehow acquire a pick between 10-61 on draft day.

Beyond the lack of a first round pick, only David Clarkson and Travis Zajac would seem to be of interest to Burke from the current Devils roster.

Clarkson could be had, but the 26-year-old Toronto native is a second-liner at best, but more of a third-line talent. His physical style and size are attributes that Brian Burke covets, but his offensive ceiling is very limited. It’s difficult to imagine Clarkson ever topping 50 points, so for a team like Toronto that’s in the market for high end skill, Clarkson and a pick alone wouldn’t be enough to pry away Tomas Kaberle.

Zajac would be a dream pickup for the Leafs. He’s a 6′2″ Canadian centreman who has recently scored 67 points and still has plenty of upside. Unfortunately for Brian Burke, Zajac is New Jersey’s current number one centre and one of the few young components of their aging roster. It’s unlikely that Lamoriello would consider including him in a deal.

However, Brian Burke has been known to execute blockbuster deals, so if Zajac were to be part of a deal, here’s how it would have to be structured:

First, Burke would need to surrender either Nazem Kadri or Tyler Bozak to help ease the blow to New Jersey. Kaberle for Zajac is a lopsided deal in favour of Toronto when you consider age and contract status. That said, for Burke to give up his current number one centre or a future number one centre in addition to Kaberle, he’d expect more coming back from New Jersey. Kaberle and Bozak for Zajac, Clarkson, a top prospect and a couple of draft picks might look fair on paper, assuming Kaberle would be willing to sign a contract extension in New Jersey. Any deal involving Travis Zajac would probably involve a lot of assets changing cities.

Don’t expect a deal of this scope to go down, though. If Lou is interested in centring the deal around a prospect like Mattias Tedenby or Jacob Josefson, his offer will probably fall to deaf ears. Despite the argument that a short-term mindset has plagued the Leafs organization for decades, Burke has repeatedly told the media that he’s not interested in a slow rebuild. He’s looking to re-tool, and to be back in the post season in the Spring of 2011.

The fact that Lou Lamoriello and/or Brian Burke have allowed New Jersey’s interest in Kaberle to become public information creates some intrigue. Does Lou seem like the type who would express interest without a fair package for Burke to mull over? The Devils are a winning franchise because of Lamoriello’s ability as a GM. Perhaps he’ll find a way to make the trade work.

Theories vary on how much Tomas Kaberle is worth on the trade market, but certainly, as the offers pour in, his value continues to rise.

Had the Philadelphia Flyers pulled out a win in overtime to force a game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals, it’s entirely possible that none of the following commentary would be written.

However, after falling short in what was a wide-open, offensive series, the Philadelphia goaltending discussion can be opened up once again.

Here is the major concern for the Philadelphia Flyers: heading into a deciding game in the Stanley Cup Championship series, the identity of Peter Laviolette’s starting goaltender remained unclear until hours prior to the tilt.

The Cinderella performances of Michael Leighton and Brian Boucher, which unfolded side-by-side in this year’s playoffs, helped Philadelphia advance to within a game of hoisting the Cup — but at day’s end, even Flyer fans understand that their recent goaltending successes won’t be sustainable.

Michael Leighton and Brian Boucher are cast-offs, protected by a talent-laden lineup and generally insulated quite well by Chris Pronger and co. Neither is thought to have much untapped upside, if any, or the ability to compete as a starter over a full season.

Leighton’s playoff numbers were impressive, but his allowance of soft goals — including the Stanley Cup winner — are to be expected from a lower tier goaltender.

The Blackhawks have captured the Cup in what was the third highest scoring Stanley Cup Final in history. They did it with Antti Niemi in goal, and the series was close all the way. If the Flyers had entered the dance with a legitimate top-15 goaltender, Philadelphia likely would have hoisted the Cup by now.

Fortunately, there is hope for the Flyers, as General Manager Paul Holmgren will have the opportunity to make contract offers to one of several quality UFA goaltenders, including Dan Ellis, Marty Turco, Antero Nittymaki, Evgeni Nabokov, and Chris Mason.

Of these ‘tenders, only Evgeni Nabokov is a true star, but all five would easily be an upgrade over Boucher and Leighton. (By the way, Ray Emery hasn’t been mentioned because it would be unwise for the Flyers to extend that experiment for another year.)

The best bet for Paul Holmgren would be to make a trade pitch for Carey Price. The 22-year-old former 5th overall pick is already a star and has lots of room to grow. With Jaroslav Halak cemented as a playoff legend in Montreal, it’s unlikely that the Canadiens will be able to retain both goaltenders. Both are Restricted Free Agents, and both will require salaries of at least 4 million dollars per season.

Philadelphia has so much talent up front that surrendering one of their stud forwards for Price wouldn’t hurt their roster much, if at all. After Ville Leino established himself as a premier playoff performer in the past couple of months, we can assume that Philly’s scoring lines will consist of Richards, Carter, Giroux, Hartnell, Leino, Briere and Gagne. That’s seven quality offensive players, without even mentioning future star James van Riemsdyk.

The Flyers can ship a talented scorer while retaining a formidable top-6, which would make a one-for-one swap involving Carey Price and James van Riemsdyk advantageous for both sides.

Surely, the Flyers envisioned van Riemsdyk as part of their core going forward, but with the development of Claude Giroux and the surprising step forward from Ville Leino, the idea of surrendering a former number two overall pick in exchange for a star goaltender makes a lot of sense for the organization.

What leaves a particularly bad taste in the mouths of Flyer fans is Michael Leighton’s less than adequate performance in game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final. The winning goal was undeniably weak. Comparisons have already been made between Patrick Kane’s winner and Sidney Crosby’s Olympic winner. The difference though, was Crosby’s lightning-quick release and the proximity to the goal. Leighton was able to track Kane up the half boards and prepare for a shot. He failed to make the most critical save of his life.

This moment encapsulates the goaltending stuggles that have long been ailing the Philadelphia Flyers’ franchise.

And so, despite a few months of formidable goaltending from Leighton and Boucher, the biggest roster question mark for the Flyers is once again between the pipes.

Last week we gave you our Top-10 Statistical Overachievers of ‘09-10, which sparked some heated discussion. This week, we shift our focus to NHLers who put disappointing numbers in the ‘09-10 regular season.

But first, we respond to a couple of e-mails. (Don’t ask us how these e-mailers knew ahead of time who wouldn’t make the list. We don’t know either.)

Q: Hockeycentric! Love your top-10 lists. But what’s the deal with Tim Thomas not making your list of underachievers? — Jesse from Philly

A: The answer is pretty simple Jesse: Tim Thomas overachieved last season, so his numbers this year are fairly reasonable, and still quite good. This is where he should be.

Q: Hey there, how come Rod Brind’Amour didn’t make your list? — Moses in Port Perry

A: Thanks for the question Moses. Because Rod Brind’Amour should have retired two years ago and really, no one expects anything from him now except taking up salary cap space and looking like a camel.

Now, onto the list of statistical underachievers:

10. Martin Havlat — 54 Points
It was Havlat who led the offensively gifted Chicago Blackhawks in scoring before signing with Minnesota in the summer of 2009, and then falling off considerably as a member of the Wild. By the time Havlat began to produce in ‘09-10, the Wild were well back of a playoff spot.

9. Dion Phaneuf — 32 Points
The hulking Flame-turned-Maple Leaf set the bar for himself in the first four years of his career, scoring 20 goals in his rookie season and 60 points in ‘07-08. After a scoring only 22 points in 55 games with the Flames, Phaneuf was shipped to Toronto where he saw his goal production diminish drastically, with only 2 markers in 26 games with the Leafs.

8. Mattias Ohlund — 13 Points, 0 Goals
Prior to this past season, Mattias Ohlund was a safe bet for 25 points, or even 30-plus. Ohlund followed the scent of cash to Tampa Bay in the summer of 2009, where he was offered a 7-year deal worth 3.6 million per season that will pay him until the age of 39. Penciled in as the Lightning’s number one defenseman, Ohlund’s production fell well short of expectations.

7. Milan Michalek — 34 Points
Despite the relatively successful regular season by the Ottawa Senators which saw them return to the post-season, the trade return for Dany Heatley performed quite pathetically. Milan Michalek was the centre piece of San Jose’s package for Heatley, and while he did light the lamp 22 times, he was directly involved in only 34 scoring plays. Clearly, Bryan Murray was expecting Michalek to score the way he did between 2006 and 2009, where he put up 66, 55 and 57 points.

6. Niklas Backstrom — 26-23-8, .903, 2.72
One year removed from a Vezina Trophy nomination on the strength of a .923 save percentage and 8 shutouts, Backstrom’s game went south as the entire Minnesota team adapted to a new coach and a new system.

5. Pavel Datsyuk — 70 Points
Considering the injuries in Motown this year, Datsyuk’s production understandably dropped, but for a player who had just recorded back-to-back 97-point campaigns, a 70-point output simply looks anemic for the Russian skillster.

4. Brad Boyes — 14 goals, 42 points
From 43, to 33, to 14 goals for the go-to goal-scoring forward on the St. Louis Blues. Boyes was perhaps the key underachiever on the Blues in a season where they finished 9th in the West after finishing 6th the year previous.

3. Jay Bouwmeester — 3 Goals, 26 Assists
Darryl Sutter thought Jay-Bo would be the final piece to the puzzle in Calgary. Half a season later, neither Bouwmeester or Phaneuf were producing, and the stacked blueline wasn’t performing as expected. With a cap hit of 6.68 million, Bouwmeester must put up 40 points at minimum, and at least 10 goals.

2. Scott Hartnell — 14 goals
After an impressive year in ‘08-09 (30-30-60), Scott Hartnell’s goal total dropped by more than 50%, as did his status for the time being as a premier NHL power forward. There should be no excuse for Hartnell, who is in the fortunate position of lining up alongside an ultra-talented group of top-6 forwards in Philadelphia.

1. Steve Mason — 20-26-9, .901, 3.06
They will be calling him ‘Steve Mason: Net Detective’ if the former Calder Trophy winner can’t get back to form for the ‘10-11 season. Mason was the biggest factor in vaulting Columbus into the playoffs in ‘08-09, recording 10 shutouts along the way and a .937 save percentage. One year later, his save percentage was barely over .900 (it was below that mark for most of the season), and the Blue Jackets were floundering near the bottom of the Western Conference Standings.

We have more NHL Top-10 Lists, and we guarantee there will be at least one that you enjoy reading.

What would your team’s GM have to offer Dean Lombardi to pry Drew Doughty out of Los Angeles?

In terms of trade value, would any player command more than Drew Doughty? There are handfuls of astounding young talent around the league that have put up huge numbers, but none of them hold as much promise as Doughty.

At just 20 years old, Doughty has received lofty comparisons to Hall-of-Famers such as Ray Bourque and Paul Coffey, and has just received his first Norris Trophy nomination.

He set a career high in goals, assists and points in 2009-10 with 16 goals and 43 assists for 59 points, good enough for third overall among NHL blueliners. His team vaulted from 79 to 101 points as he bloomed into a superstar.

His international resume is beginning to rival accomplished veterans, with a World Juniors Gold in 2008, a World Championship Silver in 2009, and an Olympic gold medal in 2010. Drew Doughty has exceeded expectations at every international tournament and will become a staple on the blueline for Team Canada into his late thirties.

Dominant defensemen barely removed from their draft years are incredibly rare in a league where even top defensive prospects aren’t expected to make an impact until their early twenties. Doughty’s other-worldly hockey sense and his ability to become better as the stakes mount are traits that belong to few defensemen.

Believed to be Steve Yzerman’s choice as Team Canada’s seventh defenseman at the Olympics, Doughty, along with Shea Weber, improved visibly over the course of the tournament, playing themselves into starring roles. Now imagine Doughty at the Olympics in 2018 as a confident 28-year-old in the midst of his prime.

No one is suggesting that Doughty would be traded, but if he were, he would garner the greatest return of any player in the league. Established stars such as Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin carry with them monstrous salary cap commitments, all upwards of 8.7 million. Not only is Doughty’s contract currently entry level, but he won’t become an unrestricted free agent for another five seasons, with next year’s contract still paying him pennies.

To obtain arguably the best defenseman in the NHL on an entry level contract, the minimum asking price would be three first round picks and a solid roster player, or something of equivalent value. If Phil Kessel goes for two firsts, and Chris Pronger goes for three firsts and Joffrey Lupul, then the price for Doughty would surely start at what Pronger went for and increase from there.

In just his second season with Los Angeles, Doughty helped propel the Kings into the playoffs, where they bowed out to the Canucks in a closely-fought series. Doughty scored at a better than a point-per-game clip, recording three goals and four assists in six games played.

Sidney Crosby’s first playoff appearance was in a losing effort to the Ottawa Senators in 2007. Since then, the Penguins have appeared in the playoffs each year, finishing stronger each time. Expect the Kings to follow a similar path with Doughty at the helm.

With Ryan Miller, Ilya Bryzgalov and Martin Brodeur as this year’s Vezina Trophy nominees, the balloting should be tight.

Everyone has their theory on who should win and why, but the numbers don’t suggest a single runaway winner.

Martin Brodeur, strangely, was considered a surprise by many to be nominated. His league-leading 9 shutouts, 45 wins, and 77 games played say otherwise.

Was any goaltender as vital to their team’s success this year as Ilya Bryzgalov? In addition to team success, his 8 shutouts, .920 save percentage and league-leading 8 shootout wins make a strong case for his chance to walk away with the prize.

Many believe Ryan Miller should be the runaway winner of the Vezina Trophy. Miller owns a better goals against average and save percentage than his colleagues, while also facing more shots and making more saves. A strong Olympic performance further cements the impression he’s made in ‘09-10.

Here’s a further breakdown of the Vezina nominees by the numbers…

RYAN MILLER
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Some observations on Miller’s numbers:

- He is in the top 8 league-wide in every non-shootout category

- Among the three nominees, Miller leads in four categories; neither Bryzgalov or Brodeur lead as many categories.

- Despite being the favourite for the award, he did not finish first overall in any single statistical category.

- With a sparkling save percentage and goals against average, Miller managed four less shutouts than Brodeur.

- He did not finish second amongst the three nominees in any category — he finished either 1st or 3rd.

- The three statistics most heavily focused on by voters are likely GAA, save percentage, and wins. Miller’s visual stat line of 41 wins, a 2.22 goals against average and a .929 save percentage look the best of the three nominees.

MARTIN BRODEUR
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Some observations on Brodeur’s numbers:

- Ranking outside the top-10 in save percentage hurts Marty’s chances considerably.

- An astounding 9 shutouts will likely garner a great deal of second place votes.

- In terms of nominee rank, Brodeur finishes first or second in all but one category (save percentage).

- Regardless of their final places in the standings, the Devils are widely regarded as superior to the Coyotes and Sabres at the time of voting. Will that factor in?

ILYA BRYZGALOV
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Some observations on Bryzgalov’s numbers

- With comparable numbers overall to Ryan Miller, Ilya’s 8 shutouts may have earned him some first place votes over Miller (5 shutouts).

- Owning the league’s best shootout record will likely be ignored by voters.

- As the Western Conference is unanimously considered more competitive than the East, will Bryzgalov’s numbers be more respected by voters? The Pacific Division is more respected for its competitiveness than the Northwest Division.

As we see it, the award should belong to Ryan Miller. The race comes down to Bryzgalov and Miller, largely because most believe the Coyotes and Sabres would have missed the playoffs if not for spectacular netminding. As the Devils showed last year without Brodeur for a substantial chunk of time, they are built well enough to sustain goaltending losses. The Sabres showed that without Miller they are a middle to lower tier Eastern Conference team.

Who do you think deserves the Vezina Trophy? Have your say in the comments.