Greg Isaac's Blog

Trying to predict what will happen at the NHL Draft is near impossible. While the majority of General Manager’s and Scouts would agree that you draft the Best Player Available, each team’s brain trust thinks differently. An example is in the 2007 Draft the Los Angeles Kings and Boston Bruins had Defenseman Thomas Hickey in there top 5. There were other teams that didn’t have Hickey on their list until the 2^nd round. This adds to the drama and excitement for fans and prospects alike. Let’s take a brief look at what I believe will happen with the top 5 selections in the 2011 Draft. This does not involve any trade speculation.

1^st Edmonton Oilers: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (C) Projected to be a top line Center. His style of play can be compared to Joe Sakic. He will add to the many riches that the Oilers have in their system at the forward ranks.

2^nd Colorado Avalanche: Adam Larsson (D) Projected High End Potential is a #1 Defenseman. He can do it all! Larsson can run a power play as well as anchor your penalty kill. Larsson alongside recently acquired Eric Johnson will lead the Avs Blueline for the next 10 years.

3^rd Florida Panthers: Sean Couturier (C) Big Center compared by many to being a slightly better offensive version of Jordan Stall. While he may not have dominant 1^st line center potential, with his all-around game Couturier will be a solid 1B – 2A Center.

4^th New Jersey Devils: Gabriel Landeskog (LW) Now while New Jersey is extremely deep at the Left Wing position, unless they trade down they cannot pass up the best player available in Landeskog. He is a similar player to Shane Doan. Great Leader and will be a future NHL Captain. He can score, fight and really be that locker room presence that all teammates and coaches love. Does not have the same high end potential as the top two picks, but like Couturier he is a safe bet to become a productive 2^nd line forward in the National Hockey League.

5^th: New York Islanders: Jonathan Huberdeau (C) The Islanders are ecstatic that Huberdeau is still available at #5. Based on pure offensive potential he is above Couturier and Landeskog. While he may not be a franchise type of player, he has the offensive ability/potential to be a top 3 forward on a contending team. Many have compared his style of play to that of Patrick Kane. His hands are absolutely phenomenal.

While both the NBA and NHL Conference Finals have already begun, here are my picks.

In the NBA the Winners will be the Bulls and the Thunder.

In the NHL the Winners will be the Bruins and the Canucks.

Despite being down 1-0 and playing an absolutely red hot Tampa Bay Lightning club, Tim Thomas and the Bruins will bounce back. The Bruins overall depth will come through against the Lightning’s phenomenal top line talent.

If Anti Niemi can be the best player in the Sharks-Canucks series, the Sharks will have a chance. If not then the Canucks will be moving onto their first Stanley Cup Final appearance since 1994.

For the past 2 plus seasons I have been under the impression that Jerry Reinsdorf will be the next owner of the Phoenix Coyotes. It just makes too much sense. At some point within the next month this should draw closer to reality. The fact is that whether it's Reinsdorf or Matthew Hulsizer a deal needs to be done before the draft so proper player personal is acquired as well as key Free Agents need to be resigned. If there is no Owner in place by the July 1st Free Agency Period, this can be a terrible blow for the franchise. I suspect when the City of Glendale voted to keep the club in Glendale for 1 more season, they along with the NHL knew that a deal was close.

Now even if Reinsdorf buys the club and there is a 5 year out clause, this should not be a problem. Unless the club is still losing tons of money, he will not relocate the Coyotes. With an actual stable Ownership group, as well as a real Marketing Budget and an improving on ice product led by Dave Tippett and Don Maloney the fans will be packing into Jobing.com arena. Along with some other factors involved this club will not be in the same financial mess in 5 years’ time. Now if this didn't work and the club was still losing tons of money or the same amount that they have been losing, then at that time you can have an argument that sure maybe it won't work out. But with all these new positive factors involved the team will be on the rise financially. Mr. Reinsdorf has had great success as an NBA and MLB owner and I expect the same with the Coyotes when and if he purchases the franchise.

Breakthrough Sports Host Dave Isaac (the one that looks like Ron Jeremy) will be at the NHL Awards as well as the NHL Draft next month. Dave will call in from the draft floor on our Friday show the day of the draft's 1st round, so stay close to Breakthrough Sports for your draft coverage as well as Coyotes/NHL offseason coverage in general.

So far in the Western Conference, there has been no shortage of excitement. Lets take a look at what has happened thus far.

The big story and series under the most watch has been the Vancouver Canucks taking on the Chicago Blackhawks. Coming into this series I really believed the Blackhawks would once again knock the Canucks out of the playoffs. Well Vancouver started out perfect winning the first 3 games putting the Hawks on the brink of elimination. Now while the Hawks don't have the depth they had last year, they still have nice front-end talent as well getting a healthy Dave Bolland back is always a positive. This team really began bonding together once again and have since won games 4, 5 and last night in dramatic overtime fashion took game 6. Despite being just the 1st round, game 7 is going to be epic. Can the 1st place Canucks bounce back or is there just too much momentum in Chicago's end? We'll find out tomorrow night.

It was nice to see the Nashville Predators win there first ever playoff series last night as they defeated the Anaheim Ducks in 6 games. With Pekke Rinne leading the way in net and a fabulous defensive core led by Captain Shea Weber this team took down a very talented Ducks club. Congratulations to Head Coach Barry Trotz. He is one of the best in the business!

The San Jose Sharks - Los Angeles Kings series has also been a fun one. Playing without there top offensive and defensive forward Anze Kopitar, the Kings knew that they had to play flawless hockey to get past the high powered Sharks. In the first 2 games Los Angeles did just that. Yes they lost game 1, but they controlled game 2 right from the start. In game 3 an epic collapse was in store as the usually great defensive Kings hockey club decided to take a holiday in the 2nd period and San Jose turned on there switch and came back from being down 4-0 to defeat the Kings 6-5 in overtime. Game 4 despite no come from behind surprises was much of the same for most of the 2nd period. San Jose would go onto win 6-3. Going into game 5 despite being down 3-1 in the series the Kings had to feel good about a few things. For one, they had outplayed San Jose for a good portion of the series. Despite losing both games at home, this was largely due to unacceptable defensive breakdowns which is rare for a tight defensive Kings club. San Jose on the other hand was feeling pretty good knowing that they haven't played there best hockey yet, but still have a 3-1 series lead. What would happen in game 5? Well the Kings would finally limit there breakdowns in the defensive zone. San Jose would finally play there best game of the series. Jonathan Quick stood tall for the Kings making 51 saves. Many at point blank range, but there weren't those circle to circle passes that lead to one time shots that no netminder can stop. The Kings would hold on to win 3-1. Game 6 is tonight at Staples Center. Once again if Los Angeles can limit there defensive breakdowns we should see a game 7!

The Detriot Red Wings - Phoenix Coyotes series was suppose to be a great rematch of last years 7 game 1st round series. Ilya Bryzgalov would need to be the best player in this series against the Wings high powered attack. Well early in the series the Coyotes inablility on the power play came into play. You've got to credit Detriot as they have been the NHL's model franchise the last 20 years. On the other hand, those missed opportunities as well as just average goaltending from Bryzagalov really hurt the Coyotes chances. With all the off the ice distractions regarding Phoenix's future and mixing that with a great Red Wings hockey club it was 4 and out for the Coyotes. With Henrik Zetterberg coming back for round 2 and with extended rest, look for the Red Wings to once again make a nice run through the Western Conference.

Masen's picks for this week ---- My 8 month old son Masen pointed to the Blackhawks logo and the Kings logo. Look for the Hawks to eliminate the Canucks and the Kings to force a game 7 against the Sharks.

Over the past month, there have been many big time trades in the National Hockey League. Due to time constraints, we will just recap yesterday's trade deadline.

While this years actual trade deadline day was not as busy as many years past, there were still a few teams that made nice moves to help them in there chase for the Stanley Cup.

The biggest move of the day was the Edmonton Oilers trading big Dustin Penner to the Los Angeles Kings. Penner is a legitimate top 6 forward and will be playing on a line with star center Anze Kopitar. Penner, while not physical does use his body well to control the puck down low and along with Kopitar will be a handful for opposing defensemen. Edmonton obtained defensive prospect and former 1st round pick Colton Teubert along with a 2011 1st round pick and a conditional 2nd round pick in 2012 if the Kings win this years Stanley Cup. If they don't, then that 2nd round pick becomes a 3rd rounder. While it might seem like a lot to give up, the Kings have a ton of assets in terms of great young talent especially on the backend making Teubert expandable. This should turn out be a good trade for both teams as it meets both there needs.

The Washington Capitals were busy as well making two separate deals acquiring Defenseman Dennis Wideman from the Florida Panthers as well as obtaining Center Jason Arnott from the New Jersey Devils. Both of these players fill a need for the Caps as Dennis Wideman should help the power play especially with some key defensemen being out of the lineup and Jason Arnott despite being 36 years old is still a solid 2nd line center. He will provide much needed scoring depth for the Caps. In the Arnott trade, Washington moved 4th center David Steckel to New Jersey as part of the trade. While Arnott is a definite upgrade, the Caps will miss Steckel's clutch faceoff wins.

In a bit of surprising move, the Phoenix Coyotes dealt forward Scottie Upshall and Defenseman Sami Lepisto to Western Conference rivals the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for steady stay at home defenseman Rostislav Klesla and forward Dane Byers. This is a good "HOCKEY TRADE" for both teams. While Upshall was a popular player for the Coyotes both in the locker room and with the fans, the Coyotes really needed that defensive defenseman that could fit into coach Dave Tippet's system which they got in Klesla. Upshall was expandable as the Coyotes have young forward Mikkel Boedker starting to show he belongs at the NHL level and he should be able to produce as much offensively as Upshall. For the Blue Jackets obtaining Upshall will help them offensively and Sami Lepisto is a pretty solid offensive defenseman. Klesla is the best player in this deal and Upshall is a UFA this summer, but both teams helped themselves for the stretch run.

I also liked what the Vancouver Canucks did as they added some depth to there bottom 6 forward group acquiring Maxim Lapierre from the Anaheim Ducks and Chris Higgins from the Florida Panthers.  

The playoff race in both the Western and Eastern Conference's are in full swing and in the West this is perhaps hands down the best parity and race we have ever seen.

In other news I prefer Eva Mendes over Salma Hayek.

As the NBA Trade Deadline came and went this afternoon there was plenty of movement. This past week many big name players changed zip codes including Carmelo Anthony, Deron Williams, Baron Davis, Gerald Wallace and Kendrick Perkins. I really like what the Oklahoma City Thunder pulled off. Adding size in Perkins will be huge for them and they should now be considered a legitimate contender in the Western Conference. The Boston Celtics pretty much shocked everybody by dealing Perkins and Nate Robinson to the Thunder, but one has to be believe that Danny Ainge knows what he's doing. Among the players Boston obtained was Jeff Green, who was originally a Celtics 1st round draft pick (5th Overall) in the 2007 Draft. He's a tremendous young player, but it appears the Celtics moves today are geared for the long term and not just for this season.  

In the National Hockey League fans have been starving for big trades. Ever since the Salary Cap was put in place there hasn't been quite as much movement or at least what I like to call "Actual Hockey Trades." An actual hockey trade is actually trading roster players for each other. One team has great depth on the blueline so they decide to deal a defenseman to fix up there scoring woes up front. A bit of shocker came last week when the St. Louis Blues sent former # 1 overall pick Defenseman Erik Johnson to the Colorado Avalanche. Johnson is an outstanding talent, but he hasn't lived up to the hype quite yet. The Blues obtained young power forward and super star in the making Chris Stewart as well as rookie Defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk. There were also draft picks involved as well as the Avalanche picking up veteran defensive center Jay McClement. This is the type of move where we can look back in 3 years and say "WOW...both teams made out great!" Or it's a move where we might say what the hell was Colorado thinking." A lot hinges on Erik Johnson. He needs become the #1 defenseman that many think he can be for this trade to work out for the Avalanche. 

Next Week I will do a more in depth recap of all the trades this past week as well as the trades that are still to come as the NHL Trade Deadline draws upon us Monday afternoon. A few of the names that haven't been traded yet that appear to be in play include Brad Richards from the Dallas Stars, Ales Hemsky and Dustin Penner from the Edmonton Oilers, Clarke Macarthur from the Toronto Maple Leafs, John Michael Liles from the Colorado Avalanche, Chris Phillips from the Ottawa Senators, and virtually the entire Florida Panthers hockey club. I really believe we are in store for more surprises as the deadline draws near.

A few buyers that should be very active in trade discussions include the Phoenix Coyotes who are in need of another top 6 forward as well as a depth defenseman, the Los Angeles Kings who are looking to make a big splash in there top 6, the Columbus Blue Jackets and then out East keep an eye on the Buffalo Sabers, Washington Capitals and New York Rangers. Again there should be some exciting/interesting times in store for hockey fans everywhere.

During the last 48 hours, 3 Western Conference playoff contenders have improved there teams through trades. Lets take a look at what's happened and what may happen over the next 2 plus weeks leading up to the trade deadline.

The Anaheim Ducks are solid up front and in net with Jonas Hiller. There most glaring weakness was obviously on the backend and they did a nice job re-acquiring Francois Beauchemin from Toronto. Now while the Ducks did give up a lot to get Beauchemin, the fact is that there team is better now then it was 48 hours ago. He will take some of the pressure off the younger defenseman and if they can stay healthy, the Ducks may now have enough to hold onto a playoff spot in the unbelievably tight Western Conference.

The Chicago Blackhawks made news last night when they struck a deal with the Florida Panthers. Acquiring Michael Frolik will be a nice boost to the defending champs. Yes on paper his numbers aren't impressive, but remember this is a young player playing on a Florida club that honestly isn't that good. Now Frolik comes to a team where he'll be surrounded by the likes of Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toewes and Marian Hossa. Doesn't hurt having Mr. Seabrook and Duncan Keith feeding you outlet passes either. Solid move by the Hawks getting a potential gem in Frolik.

Earlier today the Nashville Predators improved there roster by acquring Mike Fisher from the Ottawa Senators. Fisher is a tremendous 2 way Center that will fit in nicely with the Predators offense. He has had a bit of down year, but playing in a tight playoff race will bring out the best of him. Also his new teammates are equally excited to have Fisher's wife the very beautiful Carrie Underwood in the fold as well.

So as you see 3 Western Conference playoff contenders have already improved there clubs. More movement is definitely expected and now some of the other Western Playoff hopefuls have got to be on the lookout. Lets see who is out there and what these teams may need heading into the ever exciting trade deadline dash.

The Dallas Stars have been struggling since the All Star Break and while they can use another Defenseman, due to fiscal issues they may not be able to make that happen. If they can though, expect Dallas to try to add to there Defensive core.

The San Jose Sharks just like the Dallas Stars can really use another top 4 defenseman. If they can get him to waive his no trade clause to come out west, the Sharks will be players for Tomas Kaberle. Also Chris Phillips would look nice on there blueline as well.

The Nashville Predators may just stand pat after acquring Fisher. They are strong defensively and in net as well.

The Phoenix Coyotes have been able to put the puck in the net, but it's no secret they can use another top 6 forward. A veteran depth defenseman may also be on General Manager Don Maloney's radar as well. With the Ownership situation still being sorted out, fiscally Maloney may not be able to make a big splash, but no doubt a player like a Cory Stillman can come into play.

The Anaheim Ducks may also be finshed after adding Beauchemin. Perhaps a bottom 6 forward might be on the radar, but nothing significant at this point.

The Calgary Flames have shocked the hockey world by getting back into the playoff picture. I don't expect them to be active though. Maybe some tinkering here and there, but chemistry has been great as of late so why mess with that?

The Minnesota Wild will also most likely stand pat. Maybe a minor move here or there, but a move of significance appears unlikely.

The Los Angeles Kings appear to be the team to watch. It's no secret this group needs a top line Left Wing to play with Anze Kopitar and they have the Cap Space and pieces on the farm to make something happen. While this team is still young and not in position where they absolutely have to win today, the pieces are there for a nice run. I'm sure General Manger Dean Lombardi knows this and don't be surprised to see this team make a big splash. They have been actively looking around for quite sometime and whether it's acquiring a Dustin Penner/Ales Hemsky/David Booth/Milan Hejduk type or shocking the hockey landscape and getting Marian Gaborik this team will be in full search mode.

The Chicago Blackhawks will be happy with Michael Frolik and will not make any further splashes other then some minor tweaking. And no Brent Seabrook is not moving!

The Columbus Blue Jackets appear destined to make a splash as well. They would love a top line center to play with Rick Nash, but I just don't think anyone is out there. Maybe Jason Spezza, but doubtful. Despite the lack of available top line centers, this team should still be very active whether they are a buyer or if they slip in the standings and decide to sale. Keep an eye out for these guys as the deadline draws closer.

The St. Louis Blues will most likely stand pat. A few minor moves here or there depending on where they are at in the standings over the next 2 weeks.

The Colorado Avalanche are struggling. That being said Peter Forsberg will help, but it might be a little to late. If they don't pick up some points quickly, expect them to entertain offers for Milan Hejduk (if he's willing to accept a trade of course) and Craig Anderson. If they stay in the race, look for them to add another defenseman.

Exciting times ahead without a doubt. Tune into Breakthrough Sports tomorrow (Friday) to hear all the latest news and rumblings.

Well Super Bowl XLV is now 48 hours in the books, but again what a great game. I haven't had a chance to say this yet, but congratulations to the Packers.

NBA

Earlier today the rumblings were in full effect regarding Carmelo Anthony and a potential trade to the 2 time defending Champion Los Angeles Lakers. Well lets summarize what is going on and where this may end up heading. First off the New York Knicks still appear to be the favorite to land Anthony. Carmelo wants to be a Knick and trade discussions/offers have been ongoing. The Lakers on the other hand have just started these discussions so as of now no firm offer has been made. That being said, Anthony appears to be very much accepting to the idea of becoming a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. If the Lakers offer Andrew Bynum I do believe the Denver Nuggets will accept. Yes Mr. Bynum can't seem to stay healthy, but the man child is 23 years old and IF he were to stay healthy he can and will be a dominant big man in this league for a long time. I'm sure there will be more to a potential trade then just Bynum for Anthony, but this is a nice starting point. Obviously numerous questions and scenarios would arise if such a deal is made, but if they can develop chemistry a lineup with Carmelo, Kobe and Mr. Scruff (Pau Gasol) leading the way would be a nightmare for the rest of the league. It sounds like Phil Jackson also likes the potential idea of adding Carmelo. Who knows maybe if a trade goes down and Carmelo is with the club long term (No lockout of course) Phil may decide to stay around a few more seasons. Lets just take it one day at a time though. Regardless of what happens, right now talks have just begun with the Lakers and I wouldn't expect anything until closer to the February 24th Trade Deadline.

Well Super Bowl XLV is finally upon us. Lets take a quick look at who will win this thing.

While the Pittsburgh Steelers current roster has more big game experience, you can't help but notice how extraordinary the Green Bay Packers have been the last couple months. Experience is key, but I don't believe it means everything. This is such a tough game to predict as both clubs are so evenly matched and despite Pittsburgh's big game mystic, the red hot Green Bay Packers will win 20-17.

We'll recap the big game Friday on Breakthrough Sports as well get into whether there will be a Football season next year.

It's hard to believe, but Spring Training is on the horizon. Arizona Diamondbacks General Manager Kevin Towers has had a nice offseason revamping the bullpen. The Diamondbacks pen was by far the worst in baseball last season. How much better will it be this year? Well it won't be great, but it should be improved enough to win 6-8 more games then last year. Lots of great talent in the lower minor leagues and if developed properly help will be on the way for this team. Fans need to be patient as in 2-3 years they should be ready to contend again.

We will have a more in depth look and preview of both the AL and NL later this month as Sprint Training kicks off.

The Phoenix Coyotes look to get back on track tonight as they host the Minnesota Wild. The first 10,000 fans get Wearable Coyotes Blankets. It is also $1 Buck Bash Night. That means dollar beer and hot dogs and some more items. You can't go wrong with that. Help support Hockey in Glendale by getting out to Jobing.com arena.

Be Safe Watching the Super Bowl!

As promised here is the Eastern Conference outlook for the stretch drive. The parity is not there for the last few playoff seeds like it is in the Western Conference. Let’s check this out. Let’s do it…

Division Leaders in asterisks.

                Team                     PTS                         GP

1)            *Philadelphia       71                          50          

2)            *Tampa Bay        67                          51

3)            *Boston               63                          50

4)            Pittsburgh            66                          50

5)            Washington          63                          51

6)            NY Rangers         61                           52

7)            Montreal             59                           50

8)            Atlanta                57                           52

9)            Carolina               56                           50

10)          Buffalo                51                           49

11)          Florida                 49                           49

12)          Toronto               43                           49

13)          Ottawa                42                           50

14)          NY Islanders       37                           49

15)          New Jersey         35                           49

*This line above is a little more straight then the Western Conference :)

So as you can see the East does have 4 teams at the bottom beginning with Toronto that are pretty much out of playoff contention. Florida also can be classified on that list, although they do have 3 games in hand on 8^th seed Atlanta. Plus if they come out hot out of the break maybe they can sneak back in, but that is very unlikely. Also don’t forget that Florida could be a team that is very active at the trade deadline. I would expect General Manager Dale Tallon to unload some veterans in order to rebuild and restock his prospect cupboard. Buffalo is also a long shot when you look at this from a point’s perspective. When you see that they also have 3 games in hand on Atlanta and one of the top goaltenders in the world in Ryan Miller, this team can get back into this as long as they play good hockey coming out of the gate. Buffalo is in the middle of being sold and if they do struggle out of the gate look for them to unload some veterans including Center Tim Connolly.

Now let’s take a closer look at the top of the conference.  The Flyers lead the East and there is no reason why this will change. Sergei Bobrovsky has been a pleasant surprise in net for them and should continue to lead the way into the playoffs. Yes Bobrovsky is a rookie, but you have to gain experience at some point in the NHL Playoffs. He will lead the way and he’s in great company as the Flyers have arguably the best and deepest Defensive core in the National Hockey League.

The Tampa Bay Lightning doesn’t have a dominant team goal differential. In fact despite being 2^nd in the East and in 1^st in the Southeast division this team has allowed an equal amount of goals as it has scored. That being said, if 41 year netminder Dwayne Roloson (he’s in terrific shape) holds up down the stretch this team will hold onto to win the Southeast division. I expect a 3^rd place conference finish as Boston will jump over them in due time.

The Boston Bruins do need another offensive defenseman but with Tim Thomas have a record setting season and a General Manager that is prepared to be active at the trade deadline look for Boston to finish out the season on a strong note. They will finish 2^nd in the East as noted above.

The Pittsburgh Penguins will hold onto home ice advantage for the playoffs as they will stay in the 4^th seed. As Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin get back to health this team will continue a strong run, but they will not be able to catch the Flyers in the Atlantic Division.

The Washington Capitals will stay in the 5^th seed which will make one of the great 1^st round playoff matches up in recent memory between Pittsburgh and Washington. Look for Mr. Ovechkin to have a much stronger finish in terms of finding the back of the net.

The New York Rangers will stay in the 6^th seed.  Henrik Lundqvist is dynamite in net and they will be a handful for Tampa Bay in the 1^st round of the playoffs.

Now here is where the threats will start coming my way. I’m sorry to the Hab Faithful, but the Montreal Canadians despite having 2 games in hand on Atlanta will lose the 7^th seed and in fact not make the playoffs. Yes Carey Price has been up to the task in net for the Canadians, but they need more offensive help and have some tough injuries back on the defensive end. Unless this team can acquire legitimate offensive help and another defenseman at the trade deadline this club will be sulking in an early summer vacation.

The 7^th and 8^th seeds will belong to the Carolina Hurricanes and Atlanta Thrashers. Will Eric Stall leading the way and Cam Ward between the pipes this team is too good to not make the playoffs. In terms of Atlanta they have hit some hard times, but expect them to get back to playing how there were in the 1^st 25 games or so of the season.

That is what will happen for the remainder of the season out in the Eastern Conference. Keep an eye out for more analysis especially with the Trade Deadline coming up here on February 28^th.