Dustin Brown to have his number retired

 Dustin Brown, the all time leader in games played for the Los Angeles Kings, is having his #23 hung from the rafters of the Staples Center on February 11th. Surely. Brown is the greatest athlete to ever wear the number 23, and is certainly the best 23 to play at the Staples Center. His career lasted for nearly 20 years, almost entirely with the Kings, save for time in Switzerland during the lockout. He was part of 2 Cup winning squads.

Known for his physical play, the length of his tenure in LA allowed him to build cache as a respected leader not only in Los Angeles, but across the NHL as well. He was team Captain for 8 years, leading by example, through quiet dignity and hard work. Oh, I'm sorry, did I say dignity? I meant this. 

Dustin Brown, ladies and gentlemen.

The World Juniors are here to mess with your patriotism

International competitions are always good for building a bit of national unity. When the Olympics come around, if you are Canadian, you cheer for Canada, if you are America, you cheer for Team USA. It's one of the rare things that are still untouched by the eroding state of international and domestic politics.

And then the World Juniors tournament comes around, and it's totally different. If you look around any team specific hockey blogs through the offseason, especially in August, the dead zone between free agency and the open of training camp, it's all about the Juniors tournament. There are no links to the American or Canadian teams like there may be during the regular international events, but rather to the box scores for games involving top prospects.

Patriotism is dead, and it's back to team loyalty. Naturally, the team specific sites are focused on their own prospects, but there isn't any mention of how Team USA is doing if there are no American prospects within that team's roster. It's interesting to see a Panthers blog covered in Team Finland pictures. 
If there is one immediate conclusion, it's that the World Juniors are pretty low stakes. There aren't many competitions in other sports like this, where prospect rights are held by teams for many years, but there are still international competitions for youth, so it makes for some unique interests. You can look at the development of future members of your team against similarly skilled and aged players, all while getting a feel for the international game, and perhaps a preview of National Team competitions.
Conveniently, the Wild have a couple of American prospects to keep an eye on, but I guess I'm also cheering for Team Sweden?

Look at me, writing about Russian hockey players

In a world with relentlessly bad news, how about we touch upon a little bit of good news? It turns out, the Russian government isn't holding NHL players hostage. Kiril Kaprizov is back in North America, despite concerns that he might have a warrant for having a fake military ID to evade service in Vladimir Putin's illicit war with Ukraine.

Of course, the war in Ukraine carries on. As the western world maintains their resolve against Russian aggression, the more likely it becomes that Putin and his cronies look for ways to lash out at those that are opposed, or aren't giving him enough adulation. Because Kaprizov and apparently Russian hockey players in the NHL writ large are safe and available today doesn't mean that won't change.

And unfortunately, there IS an athlete that plays North American sports being held captive by the Russian government. WNBA superstar Brittney Griner remains a prisoner, thanks to a specious charge of possession that occurred the day before Russia invaded Ukraine. The American government is trying to engineer a prisoner exchange for Griner and another American held in Russian custody. 

Many athletes, many leagues, and even a lot of NHLers will continue to show their support for Ukraine. It will continue to be the dominant factor in the global economy, political discourse and conversation until Russia ends the war. While we were told to stop talking about it at the last place I wrote, it will still be on our minds, and will still be threat to people like Kiril Kaprizov if he ever wants to go home, or Brittney Griner, who desperately wants to come home. 

But for the moment, we have the freedom to talk about the war and what we might ever be able to do to help, even if it is just the "Thoughts and Prayers" boilerplate. When all there is is hope, Thoughts and Prayers mean a lot more. And for the moment, Kiril Kaprizov simply has his freedom.

This has been a touch of good news. 

Tweet of the Moment

 

Have your little “debate.”

Marty is the 🐐. https://t.co/9re6Ql6Woq

— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) July 29, 2022

Yikes. This is an embarrassing tweet that should probably be deleted. Marty Short is, at best, third among the cast of Only Murders in the Building. If you're wondering, the main cast ranking is 1. Steve Martin, 2. Selena Gomez, 3. Martin Short. Heck, Martin Short is is probably the second best Canadian "Martin" that comes to mind after Martin Brodeur. Oh wait, I think I misunderstood the tweet. Got it now.

Tweet of the Moment

Catch current Caps prospects live at @CapitalOneArena next week for the #CapsDevCamp Open House and Scrimmage on July 15!

The event is free and open to the general public with prior registration at the link below.

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) July 7, 2022

Do you think the Caps know that the draft is tonight? Are they advertising their current prospects because they don't realize they may soon have an exciting new set, or is this a condemnation of the prospect pool in the draft this year? Or is this just a reflection on the attitude in the front office? They won't be able to get anyone good, so you might as well just enjoy what you've got. *shrug*

The Oilers and just being there.

 

We have reached the end of the 2021-22 season, an teams are getting ready for the offseason, while many fans are already projecting what their teams' actions during the summer may be. Most of those fans are not brimming with optimism. 

This is year is the exception to the recent rule, in which two of the best teams in the league actually battled through the postseason and ended up in the Stanley Cup Final. In most recent years, getting a spot at the table is enough. Teams and especially goalies can get hot over a 4-7 game stretch and knock out teams with home ice. It happens often. 

Part of this, perhaps, is the truncated nature of the previous two seasons. Better players remained on the ice throughout the season, and throughout the playoffs. That might explain why Tampa Bay was healthy enough to win the Cup the last two seasons, and then get play the Avalanche in an attempt to win it a third time. Next year will be a return to the meat grinder that is life in the NHL. Having enough talent to win in the regular season should be the goal of every franchise, because the postseason is a land of mystery. 

One team in particular that never seems to embrace optimism, but should probably have a bit of it is the Edmonton Oilers. Yes, the first real post on this site is about the one team that is not actually south of Edmonton, because it is Edmonton. The Oilers made a good run this year before being upended by the Avalanche in the Western Conference Finals, but they, like 30 of their rivals, were left wanting more. 

The two best teams in the West this season were the two that they met in the last two rounds the Oilers competed in, and will be significantly impacted by this summer. The Flames stand to lose Johnny Gaudreau to someone else via free agency if they aren't careful. The Avalanche are going to have a Cup hangover. Elsewhere, the Wild are in cap hell and the Blues are simply a different team than won the Cup before the pandemic.

The Oilers can run it back with the best scorers in the game on offense. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisatl are staying in Edmonton for at least three more seasons, and they are under no threat of losing many of their other options in their scoring lines. Jesse Puljujarvi, Kailer Yamamoto and Ryan McLeod are restricted free agents, but it doesn't seem like they are going anywhere. Evander Kane is the biggest unrestricted free agent this summer, and while he was good in Edmonton, he might not be worth the ongoing headache.

The blue line will likely be beefed up this offseason, if anywhere stands to see changes. The Oilers are poised to lose Brett Kilak and Kris Russell, while Duncan Keith is still getting almost 20 minutes a night. That can't keep up. Yet still, there is only one player in the prognosticated lineup that started fewer than 60 games at D for the Oilers last year. There is stability for a team that made it to the conference finals. 

What happens in the offseason is an open question, of course, and there will surely be a team on the rise. Vegas will be back, the Ducks have one of the more exciting rookies coming back as a veteran, but none of those machinations will likely keep the Oilers out of the 2023 playoffs. 

After that, anything can happen. 

They going to post here or what?

 

"Hey, you hear that the guy from Barry Melrose Rocks is doing a different blog now?"

"Oh yeah, I love that guy. Big Isles fan, right?"

"That guy left a while ago. It's just the Wild fan now. Any way, I keep looking for posts, being that we are almost to the Stanley Cup Finals, but I don't see anything yet."

"Oh, the Wild guy, falling flat in the postseason, huh?"

/both laugh

"Ha, like we should talk."

"Nah, but I bet he'll start crushing it in the offseason."