Islanders Shore Up Their Back End: Trade for Boychuk and Leddy

#ISLES TRANSACTION: Team has acquired Nick Leddy from Chicago and Johnny Boychuk from Boston. Details to follow. pic.twitter.com/TnXRHYxG7r
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) October 4, 2014

#Isles bolster blueline by acquiring Johnny Boychuk (http://t.co/vhSAfl7jib) & Nick Leddy (http://t.co/FyitsGnvv3) pic.twitter.com/G42E2yWxMB
— Shnarped Hockey (@shnarped) October 4, 2014

Former UND forward Brock Nelson got two new teammates today. The New York Islander turned some heads trading for former Minnesota Golden Gopher and Blackhawks defenseman Nick Leddy and former Boston Bruins defenseman Johnny Boychuk.

It's really a boost for the Islanders defense core. Picking up Boychuk and Leddy, the Islanders get two defensive players that have won Stanley Cups.

With the trade, the Bruins get a 2nd round draft choice in 2015, 2nd draft choice in 2016 and a conditional third round draft choice in 2015.

The @NHLBruins traded one of the team's most popular defensemen. The return isn't so great. http://t.co/q8zd8kPb3U pic.twitter.com/RFW2lYM44g
— BostInno (@BostInno) October 4, 2014

Boston has traded Johnny Boychuk to the Islanders in exchange for two 2nd round picks & a conditional 3rd round pick: http://t.co/e160KN74m0
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) October 4, 2014

PRESS RELEASE: #Isles Officially Acquire Johnny Boychuk from the #NHLBruins - http://t.co/jb4J9RkFQB pic.twitter.com/R4hYoNxo7S
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) October 4, 2014

Give a follow to one of the newest members of the #Isles, @ledpipe08
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) October 4, 2014

Not an easy meeting with Boychuk. Chiarelli: "he was upset, I was upset, I'm still upset" ^CS
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) October 4, 2014

Nick Schmaltz impresses Chicago Blackhawks

Schmaltz leaves strong first impression http://t.co/cnmgh786tP
— ESPN Chicago (@ESPNChiHawks) July 24, 2014

While he may not be the second coming of Jonathan Toews, not many are, soon-to-be UND freshman forward Nick Schmaltz impressed the Chicago Blackhawks brass with his efforts during a recent development camp.

Scott Powers, ESPNChicago.com --- To eliminate that risk, the Blackhawks could look to sign those college prospects earlier. They could attempt to sway their top top-tier college players to leave after their sophomore or junior seasons and sign them to entry-level contracts. They have done this before with players such as Jonathan Toews and Nick Leddy.

The Blackhawks already appear to have a handful of players whom they might consider signing prior to their senior seasons. Forwards John Hayden, Vincent Hinostroza and Anthony Louis are coming off productive freshman seasons and continued to impress at last week's prospect camp. Tyler Motte didn't attend the camp, but he also had a strong freshman season. Nick Schmaltz, the Blackhawks' 2014 first-round pick, also played well in the camp and will be a freshman next year.

That being said, it doesn't appear that the Blackhawks are going to rush him to sign an NHL contract, either.

Scott Powers, ESPNChicago.com --- Blackhawks amateur scouting director Mark Kelley did a majority of the evaluating of the 6-foot, 172-pound Schmaltz and had him high on the list of the offensively-skilled players in the NHL draft. One of Schmaltz’s skills especially stood out to Kelley.

“His hands, they’re fast,” Kelley said at the NHL draft.

Schmaltz isn’t a finished product, and that also attracted the Blackhawks to him. The Blackhawks weren’t looking for someone in the first round they could rush to the NHL. They sought someone with a high ceiling, but who would need time to get there.

The Postseason rulebook (followup)/A wrapup of the final four NHL teams/Finals Preview (RW77)

#495445273 / gettyimages.com

The PostSeason Rulebook

Much has been said (and ignored) by the NHL about the postseason rulebook... and sadly most of the issues in round 1 went away in the subsequent rounds.  Why sadly?  Because it gives ammo to the NHL to simply dust it under the rug and ignore what is painfully obvious:

The Rulebook is wrongfully applied in the postseason...or is it the regular season?  Either way the rulebook used during the regular season has been replaced by a new rulebook that allows spearing, embellishment, roughing, boarding, slashing, and randomly allows/disallows interference and tripping.

Diving is a huge problem in professional sports.  HUGE.  It's on the rise in the NHL and NFL, it's pretty entrenched in the NBA, and it's an absolute PLAGUE on soccer/football.

Semifinal Reviews:

Montreal Canadiens

They weren't outplayed by New York.  They fell victim to two things:  Bad luck and Karma.  It was bad luck that Price got injured (for many reasons).  It was bad luck that Dustin Tokarski came in and played very well except for one game and will STILL be remembered as the guy who couldn't pull a Carey Price.  Montreal will be more known for their diving and embellishing than they will for the skill they put on the ice.

Carey Price played out of his mind.  I STILL do not believe that this is the norm.  Price STILL isn't an elite goaltender.  He's VERY good, don't get me wrong.  He had an EPIC postseason this year.  But in the end, PK Subban and Tomas Plekanec (among others) placed BAD KARMA on the Canadiens by flopping like fish when they were touched.

PK Subban is a GREAT fit for Vancouver because, like the Vancouver Candivers, he's EXCEPTIONALLY talented.  He's one of the best puck moving defensemen in the NHL... but he can't let his gameplay do the talking.  He has to showboat and dive.  The guy is the most visible minority hockey player in the NHL right now.  Sure, there are others (Wayne Simmonds, Johnny Oduya, Jerome Iginla, among others) but PK is the most visible.  And he's representing himself POORLY.  He reminds me a lot of Robbie Earl while he was with Wisconsin.  Robbie had a TON of talent.  He was fast, a great stick handler, a finisher... but you breathe on him wrong and he falls to the ice like he's been shot.  And, like Earl, the team representatives defend him (I still remember hearing UW blowhards talk about how Earl skates on the balls of his feet which causes him to be unstable on his skates... whatever...  when it suits him nothing knocks him off of his skates).

Anyways, ethical behavior amongst players in sports is almost dead anyways.

NY Rangers

Have they beaten any opponent outright?  Have they laid the smackdown at all this post season?  The answer is no.  They "got by" every opponent they faced.  Does it matter?  No.  Because, do you know what's the worst thing that could happen to the Rangers if they get by the Kings?  Nothing because they'd still be hoisting the Cup.  The truth is, the fact that they've had to fight through EVERY opponent they've  faced and dominated in the areas of goaltending and capitolizing on the other guys mistakes (they've done little to create their own victories really) means that they will once again have to slog their way through the LA Kings in the finals.  Good thing is that Lundqvist is a beast...well except for that one game where he looked epically awful.

Chicago Blackhawks

Tons of talent and no depth.  Oh, and Corey Crawford joins Marc Andre Fleury in proving that it doesn't take elite goaltending to win the Stanley Cup.  Crawford was singularly AWFUL for most of the series.  Game 7 was astounding to me.  Quick gives up a horrendous softie to Patrick Sharp and they can't win despite it?  If Chicago was all that great wouldn't 4 goals be enough to win a game?

Not with the Hawk D and Corey Sieve Crawford.  He looked SO MUCH like Cristobal Huet that I could've SWORE the French Sieve kidnapped the real Corey Crawford and undermined the Hawks.

Nick Leddy, I know you botched a block which resulted in the game winner for the Kings in Game 7, but don't feel bad.  In all likelihood the next shot the Kings would have made would have beaten Crawford anyways.

In the end, the Hawks focus on depth this offseason but they should focus on shut down D, a 2nd line Center, and training Crawford's replacement.

LA Kings

They outlasted the Hawks.  It is evident that they will be the favorites to win the Cup and I hope they do win, but they have a team eerily similar to the NY Rangers.  Good D, Great Goaltending, and mediocre Offense.  It's strange that the Kings boast a 4th line in Pearson/Taffoli/Carter that outscores their first line... or at least the commentators call that line the Kings' 4th line.  It's kindof like calling the Toews line the Hawks checking line.  Call it what you will but we all know that the first line that does almost no scoring isn't the first line and the fourth line that does most of the scoring is usually called the first line.  Whatever.

Prediction:  If LA is going to win it, they'll need to NOT see Game 7.  If Game 7 comes around, Quick's streak ends and the Rangers hoist the Cup.  My prediction:  Kings in 6.

Feeling Minnesota - Gophers hockey team in meltdown?

I have been on vacation in Duluth this week but thought I would comment on the implosion going on down in Minneapolis. First off, I hope Gopher fans aren’t contemplating jumping off a bridge in Minneapolis or St Paul; the wheels haven’t fully come off the team bus just yet, things could get worse. For most of the summer the Gophers were cruising through the summer only suffering one early departure (Jordan Schroeder, NHL) when they suffered two early departures in a two day period. Josh Birkholz has left for the WHL and Nick Leddy has signed an entry level deal with the Chicago Blackhawks [click for link]. Oops!

I smell bull s***.

First off; Josh Birkholz expects us to believe that his impending suspension for an unknown team rule violation really didn’t have any affect on his decision to play for the Everett Silvertips of the WHL. Come on! We weren’t born yesterday. I smell bravo sierra on that one.

Former Gophers left wing Josh Birkholz said his suspension had very little to do with him leaving the program on Tuesday. "It is what I feel is best for me and my situation," he said, "what I feel most comfortable with."

But he said he realizes it will be easy for people to think the suspension is the reason because the news on that and his leaving came out at the same time.

"Once our season was over I started evaluated the year," Birkholz said, "so I've been thinking about it. It did not happen right at the time of the whole suspension." [Goal Gophers]

Personally, I think today’s athletes are pampered prima donnas that lack commitment and have a tough time seeing past their own needs. I think as a society we are raising a bunch of spoiled narcissistic brats.

Back in the day when I was in sports if you were unhappy with your playing time and how things were going for you, a discussion with the coach might lead to a conversation about how you need to work harder in practice and maybe you will get more playing time. You didn’t think about changing teams or leaving, you buckled down and got after it. Now days, these pampered prima donnas just switch teams with the approval of their parents. Also, if you made a mistake or violated a team rule(s) you spoke up and faced the music, now days the athlete just switches teams as well when the going gets tough. If that isn't entitlement I don't know what is?

As for the Minnesota Gophers recruits and players, honestly, I think they are recruiting too many of the entitlement cake eater kids with the attitude that I know best, or I don't have to work hard because I have already drafted by an NHL team. It also seems like these players already have one foot out the door for the NHL, when they arrive on campus.

Don't blame Donny Lucia for everything that's happen

This past week it has been interesting watching the Gopher fans in full melt down mode. There are a lot of fans calling for Don Lucia to be fired and that he is ruining the University of Minnesota Gopher Hockey program. I think Lucia is going to be under a lot of pressure to have his team perform this season or he might be out of a job.

I think the obvious problem to most onlookers is assistant coach John Hill, the man is an utter buffoon and the real problem plaguing the Gophers coaching staff. It also appears that former Gopher assistant coach Mike Guentzel was kind of the glue that held the Gopher hockey team together, like Johnny Pohl said during a KFAN interview, ‘Mike Guentzel leaving was a big loss to the Gopher’s hockey program.’ Personally, as a UND Fighting Sioux fan, I think the Gophers coaching staff is working magic right now and doing a hell of a great job.

The departures of the past two players really aren’t really the fault of the coaching staff; maybe Gopher fans should take a deep breath. I can’t blame Minnesota for taking players that are drafted; you have to take the top players when you can get them. It is also no mystery that blue chip athletes leave early for the NHL sometimes.

No matter how many back ground investigations and interviews you do, knuckle heads do and will slip through the cracks, that’s life. Disciplinary problems are going happen sometimes, even at the schools that try to take the moral high ground, not pointing any fingers. Cough, cough, cough… My question would be, how can you blame the coach for a player for making bad decision(s)? Seriously! It is assumed that when a player comes to said program that they are a mature human being. It is also implied that if said player screws up, it is that player that is going to face the consequences. Sure the head coach and their staff looks like a moron for recruiting that player, but the behavior goes back to the athlete. Also, a coach can’t be with his players 24 hours a day standing over their shoulders supervising them and telling them not to do that. Don’t drink that. Don’t smoke that. Don’t drive drunk.

The Wheels on the Bus... (RW77)

Are Falling Off...Falling Off.. Falling Off.. The Wheels on the Bus are Falling Off All Through Dinkytown.

Ok, maybe not Dinkytown but definitely inside the Mariucci Arena's Home Men's Hockey Locker Room.

FIRST ISSUE:

The biggest news is Sophomore Josh Birkholz, a former skater with the Fargo Force (USHL), screwed the pooch and was looking at, rumor has it, up to 7 weeks of suspension during the upcoming hockey season... So he bolted for the WHL. Again, rumor has it that the Everett Silvertips signed him. From there, the speculation gets even more out there. There was rumor of drug use by Birkholz as being the culprit. If that's the case (and I, the author, do not claim that it is true), then Birkholz made one of the stupidest mistakes of his LIFE thus far.

People harass UND for their players stupidity when it comes to underage drinking or drunken shenanigans when it occurs, but, though stupidity is stupidity, at least UND didn't have to deal with illegal substances... well... substances that are illegal regardless of how old you are anyways. At least in recent memory.

Where should UND fans stand on this issue? Though I enjoy pointing out the hypocrisy of the whole situation, I do not take pleasure in the misfortune of the Gophers team. I don't feel sorry for Birkholz. It's his bed. He's sleeping in it (and probably going to sleep comfortably if the violation of team rules wasn't the rumored drug use).

Lucia is getting run through the grinder on this issue (and the next) about this but I can't honestly see how this is his fault. Lucia cannot correct stupidity of this magnitude. No one can except for the stupid person him/herself should they desire to correct the issue.

But if you want to blame anyone, blame that incompetent buffoon John Hill. Why? Just because. He's losing Lucia's job for him.

SECOND ISSUE:

It now appears that Gopher Defenseman Nick Leddy will indeed sign with the Blackhawks.

Whatta ya know, Hillsy, you didn't blow it with him.... but Nick decided to bolt before Hill could compromise what progress Leddy's made.

I don't know what will happen with Leddy. Will he stick in the NHL? I am not too optimistic on this. If he does, he either played incredibly or the Hawks are in trouble more than they already are. Will he be sent to a MJ team? I don't know. I'm not sure I understand why an NHL team would waste a year's salary on sending a kid to a major junior team. If you're paying the guy, he should be either in the ECHL or AHL, imo, if he's not going to be in the NHL.

Oh, and Lucia is getting raked over the coals for this. He can't win. And he won't. This upcoming season, I don't see their defense getting any better than it was last year. I think their offense will be ok. I wonder if Lucia will do the right thing and start taking over certain duties that Hill oversees and, if Maturi gets ants in his pants to make some changes, I wonder if Lucia can put aside his friendship with Hill to do what is necessary: Cut the cord.

So who is going to be brought in to replace these two? Rumor has it that it will be Max Gardiner to replace Birkholz, and it looks pretty certain to be true to me. However, Seth Ambroz makes MUCH more sense.

We'll watch on...

---------------------------------------------

UND gets the MJHL MVP: Taylor Dickin

He scored major points for the Selkirk team of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League and was named MVP. He's 21 years old... and he won't be eligible to play until January.

What does this mean for Holst? Why in the world can't Taylor Dickin, who I assume graduated High School at 18, be ready for college 3 years post graduation?

Brad Schlossman suggests that Dickin is the recruited walk on he heard about earlier this summer. With Holst not clearing the NCAA Clearinghouse yet, I wonder what Holst's status is?

The good news is that this is more interesting than NHL Free Agency this year.

Is Nick Leddy the next one and done...

According to Gopher hockey fan Hammy's twitter rumor has it another Gopher hockey player is going to leave early.

Don't be surprised if you hear about a player departure soon. Not good news.

Over on Sioux Sports a few have posted they think it's Nick Leddy who was traded by the Wild to Chicago in the Kim "Yawnson" Johnsson trade. This is one problem with recruiting players that are number one draft choices, teams love to get them into their system as soon as possible. I getting a little tired of watching these college players leave after one season. No offense to Leddy but he didn't exactly light the WCHA up last year in thirty games he had (3g-8a-11pts)and was hardly what I would call a dominating player.

Among those that participated, Bowman specifically singled out several for their play -- including 19-year old center Brandon Pirri and 19-year old offensive college defenseman Nick Leddy -- both taken early in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. Pirri was the Hawks' second pick of the draft (No. 59), while Leddy was taken with the 16th pick by Minnesota and then traded to the Hawks during the past season along with veteran Kim Johnsson.

Leddy, who said he had to discuss with his parents whether he should return to the University of Minnesota for his sophomore season, was the first player Bowman mentioned on Monday.

"Nick Leddy was excellent," he said. "This is the first time we've seen him here in Chicago. (We) saw him perform during the (college) season, but boy he's really smooth out there. I think he's going to be with the Blackhawks for many years. It's exciting to see that [www.NHL.com]