The Value Of Hemsky and Smid

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Ales Hemsky's name has been coming up quite a bit lately in trade rumours. Tonight on Edmonton Sports Night Live with Corey Graham on the TEAM 1260 in Edmonton, my TPS co-host Guy Flaming stopped by and they talked about the possibility of an Ales Hemsky for Brayden Schenn straight trade. They put the question out on the TEAM's facebook page and asked for feed back.

Top 5 Tuesday: Rookie Playoff Performances

Before you get through this item and start cursing my name for leaving out Tuuka Rask and Jimmy Howard, I'm only including skaters. Rask was wonderful in the first round against Boston, and if he had of played more games this year, would have received more consideration for the Calder Trophy. Jimmy Howard is up for the Rookie of the year, and hasn't seen that much of a dip in his first post season action. Both guys have been great, but here are 5 skaters who have made impacts.

Capitals Prospect Snap Shot

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They've never won a Stanley Cup, they've held the record for the worst single season in NHL history for the past 35 years and have won only one playoff series in the past 10 years. However, the Washington Capitals might be the most desirable place to be for an impending unrestricted free agent.

For most of the years since their inception in 1974-75, the Caps have been something akin to the free space on a bingo card. They've had notable players in the past but even the likes of Peter Bondra, Joe Juneau, Adam Oates, Dennis Maruk, Mike Gartner and Scott Stevens could never get the team to the top. Washington's best year came in 1997-98 at the Stanley Cup Finals but it ended in a 4-game sweep at the hands of the Detroit Red Wings.

And yet D.C. might be the place to be for the next several years. Alexander Ovechkin, arguably the best player on the planet, leads the way but has a stellar supporting cast that some are comparing to the Edmonton Oilers of the early 80's.

Better yet for Caps fans, there's even more talent on the way to Washington. Here's a look at what's Coming Down the Pipe for the Washington Capitals...

Carlson's Golden Goal Revisited

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Like most of you, I was glued to the TV on Tuesday night as Canada and the United States battled for the gold medal at the 2010 World Junior Championship in Saskatoon.

Unlike most of you, I missed all of the highlights of the game winner because as soon as it went in, I was bolting out the door. I was watching the game with a few of the other TEAM 1260 personalities at The Shark Club just a few blocks away from the station but had to zip back to the studio because I was working the post game show with Corey Graham. I saw the goal live but didn't realize how remarkable a play it was until the next day.

You might not have any idea what I'm talking about so let me explain:

Top 5 Tuesday:Americans On The Rise

USA hockey is holding it's Olympic team summer camp right now and it's clear with the 2010 team that youth will be served in Vancouver. Players like Patrick Kane, Erik Johnson and Kyle Okposo were born in 1988, the same year that elder statesman Mike Modano was drafted. Here's 5 players who might be ready for the 2014 games in Sochi Russia. You should see most of them at the World Junior Championship in Saskatoon/Regina this year and can catch glimpses of them with their respective junior and college programs, as well as hear from them this year on The Pipeline Show.

5. Zach Budish-Minnesota Golden Gophers
He missed almost all of his final high school season in Edina, Minnesota but was still a 2nd round pick of the Nashville Predators. Budish is a beast at 6.03, 230 pounds who will play for his home state Gophers this season. He gives the U.S.A some beef who can skate up front. A more skilled version of Dustin Byfuglien might not be ready for prime time in 2014 but is certainly one to watch at this year's WJC.

4. John Carlson-London Knights
This is one guy I think will end up being a absolute steal in a few years. The Washington Capitals snagged him 27th in the first round of 2008. Last year with the Knights he quarterbacked their pp and put up 16 goals, 76 points in just 59 games. Carlson is close to being physically ready to play pro, and has 16 games of AHL hockey under his belt, including helping Hershey win the Calder Cup championship this spring. Providing he doesn't make the caps this year, he'll be team USA's top blueliner in Saskatchewan. At their summer camp he scored a power play goal along with 7 assists in 6 games.

3. Kyle Palmieri-Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Will USA hockey forgive and forget? They kicked Palmieri off their U-18 team last year for off ice issues. Some say he wouldn't rat out teammates, but the official reason has never been revealed. This year he'll attend Notre Dame instead of playing in Guelph where some thought he might end up after being turfed from the team last year. In 4 plus years, I'm sure USA hockey will welcome him back into the fold, after all he was at their World Junior summer camp. At 5.10 and 190 pounds he was nearly a point per game player with the U18 team while putting up 51 pim.

2. John Moore-Kitchener Rangers
John Moore and John Carlson have 2 things in common. The same first name and the potential to be the guys in their drafts that makes people wonder how they slipped so far. Moore was drafted by Columbus 21st in 2009, right before where the Oilers were hoping to draft him, if they could have snagged another first round pick. He was slated to play for Colorado College, but is heading north to Kitchener and might instantly be the best skating defenceman in the entire CHL. After 2 years in the USHL it will be interesting to see if he can have the success that Carlson had in his first OHL season.

1. Jordan Schroeder-Minnesota Golden Gophers
We started with a Gopher on this list and we'll end with one. Schroeder will certainly have plenty of experience wearing the stars and stripes should he be on the radar for the Olympics in 4 plus years. The offensive dynamo will represent the States for the 3rd time this year in Saskatoon/Regina. The 5.08, 175 pound centre might be small but he oozes skill with 45 points in 35 games as a freshman with Minnesota last year. At the summer evaluation camp for team USA's world junior team he racked up 14 points in 6 games. The Canucks grabbed him 22nd overall last June and in 4 years he might be playing on a line with fellow prospect Cody Hodgson, as well as getting set to face Hodgson on the international stage again.

Tune in tonight as we may speak to one of the above players, as well as Oilers forward Patrick O'Sullivan, Air Force head coach Frank Serratore, and Jaden Schwartz who helped Canada win the Ivan Hlinka tournament. As well as BAD ASS trivia and your questions to the ST. ALBERT SOURCE FOR SPORTS inbox, pipeup@thepipelineshow.com.

Border battle: Canada Vs. U.S.A, the Hitmen keep on coming, and the Terriers lose 2

Canada took on the host U.S.A in a border battle at the World Under 18 championship in Fargo tonight. Despite the rising waters in southern Manitoba and in Fargo itself the Urban Plains Centre was flooded with Canadian and American supporters for Friday's semi-final game between last year's champs and the bronze medalists from a year ago, team U.S.A.

However the roles have been reversed this time around as it'll be Canada playing for 3rd and the Americans going for Gold after a hard fought 2-1 victory. Future TPS guest blogger Dylan Olsen (Camrose, AJHL) scored what was looking to be the game winner for Canada on a second period power play point shot. Zach Kassian (Peterborough, OHL) ranked 19th in the March ISS report provided a nice screen for Olsen, who is slated 34th, but who should rise after a good tournament when the new rankings come out next week.

But the U.S. didn't fade away in the 3rd, using a pair of power plays of their own to tie things and take the lead for good with 7 minutes to play. Jeremey Morin, (U.S. Nat dev team) projected to be a late first round pick tucked in a Cam Fowler (U.S. Nat dev team) rebound to tie things at 1, before Jerry D'Amigo (U.S. Nat dev team) who picked up the other assist on the tying goal, tipped in a Cam Fowler shot for the game winner. Fowler who's not elegible until 2010 proved why he's a projected top 5 pick with a strong game.

Canadian goaltender Michael Zador was brilliant stopping 42 of 44 shots the Yanks fired at him. He was especially brilliant in the 3rd when the Americans mounted massive pressure outshooting Canada 21-7. Zador isn't currently listed in the ISS report, but you should be seeing him in the April addition. He's using the U-18 experience much like Jake Allen did a year ago when he posted the best goals against average and save percentage and shot up the rankings to become a second round pick of the St. Louis Blues.

Canada will now face Finland in Sunday's bronze medal game while the Americans will take on Russia for Gold.

In the WHL tonight, the Calgary Hitmen destroyed Brandon in game one of the Eastern Conference final. Things started out okay for the visiting Brandon Wheat Kings as they trailed only 1-0 after the first period. Then the Hitmen opened fire scoring 6 times in the middle frame on route to a 9-3 thrashing of the Wheat Kigs. 9 Hitmen players had atleast 2 points with defencmean Paul Postma (Atlanta, 7th round 2007) and Kris Foucault (undrafted) both had 3 points. Foucault now has 8 goals in 9 playoff games after scoring just 9 times in the regular season. Oilers 2007 first round pick Alex Plante scored once as well. Game 2 will go Sunday in Calgary, while Kelowna and Vancouver get going Saturday night (8:00 PM MST-SHAW TV).

In the OHL London evened their semi-final series with Windsor thanks to a pair of goals from John Tavares and 2 goals and an assist from blueliner John Carlson (Washington 1st round 2008). Phil Varone (undrafted) netted the overtime winner for London. I said from the beginning if London can make this a special teams battle they can win it and the Knights notched 3 power play goals tonight. Game 2 goes Sunday afternoon on Rogers Sportsnet starting at 2 PM MST. The other semi-final seems pretty lopsided right now as Brampton smoked Belleville 7-2 to grab a 2-0 series lead. Evgeni Grachev (New York Rangers 3rd round 2008) scored twice and the Battalion let the big guns loose in the 3rd outshooting the Bulls 17-1.

In the Q, Drummondville proved why they were the top ranked Q team in the CHL's top 10. The #3 ranked Voltigeurs anialated Memorial Cup host Rimouski 8-1. Dmitry Kulikov sitting 8th according to ISS had 3 assists for Drummondville who scored just 11 seconds into the game and lead the series 1-0. Quebec doubled up Shawinigan in the other semi-final, which could be seen as an upset, butI picked the Remparts to win the series so it doesn't surprise me. The game was a tight one, tied at 2 heading to the 3rd, before Mikhail Stefanovich (Toronto 4th round 2008) netted the winner 41 seconds into the final frame. Frederick Roy added insurance in a 4-2 victory.

A few other notes, after winning the NCAA national championship, the Boston University Terriers are paying for their success. They already knew senior defenceman Matt Gilroy (TPS guest from March 24th) wasn't coming back and today the Hobey Baker award winner siged a one way, 2 year deal worth $3.5 million with the New York Rangers. BU also saw power forward and Hobey Baker nominee Colin Wilson end his college career after inking an entry level deal with Nashville. The 7th overall pick from last year was expected to leave school this year after a 55 point season in just 43 games. He's physially dominant and when TPS interviewed him before last year's draft seemed very mature. He's a work out freak, and as a bonus grew up in Winnipeg so you know he's a good kid.

One final thought, my good friend and collegue at Global Sports John Sexsmith and I were chatting about coaches today and he brought up a interesting name. Boris Rybalka. John is a fan of TPS, so you know he's smart, but in all seriousness he knows how high we are on the Camrose Kodiak coach. John wasn't throwing Rybalka's name out as a replacement for Craig MacTavish, but maybe for an assistant coaching spot with Springfield next year. I'd have to say I agree with him, in fact it's something I've even spoke to Rybalka about in the past.

Wednesday Reset: JFJ Recalled

It was a pretty interesting show last night with Junior, NCAA, and the AHL covered with our guest list.


Before I get to that, the Oilers announced today that forward J.F. Jacques has been recalled from his conditioning stint with Springfield. JFJ had back surgery in the off season and in 8 games with the Falcons had 6 points, 1 power play goal, was even with 13 penalty minutes. He'll join the team in Dallas, but likely won't play tonight.

As for last night, Guy and I started out the program by discussing why the Falcons were Flunking, although they did pull out a big win last night, more on that in a bit. We then moved onto the play of Theo Peckham and Ladislav Smid, 2 Oilers D-men who are picking up some slack with Lubomir Visnovsky and Denis Grebeshkov out right now. We spoke about some troubling stuff with Montreal right now, sending a player to the AHL, leaving another at home and what might fix Carey Price's problems right now. Here's a hint, he helped Mathieu Garon quite a bit in the past. Lot's of other topics discussed in the opening segment including Guy's Flaming Hot/Not and my fantasy prospect pick up of the week.

After that, we moved south to Cornell University where we spoke with Spruce Grove product Ben Scrivens. The pipeman told The Pipeline Show what it's been like playing for the Big Red, with Riley Nash and being up for the Hobey Baker Award.

From Cornell, we took a trip to London courtesy of D-man John Carlson. The big, physical blueliner is a Knight after backing away from UMASS this off season. He told us why, and just how sick London's power play is right now. At first I thought Carlson was a Sheldon Souray type player, but the more I watch the Washington Capitals 2008 first round pick, the more I think he's a Dion Phaneuf kind of guy, in that he's fairly mobile and likes to sneak down low on the power play. The Caps might have a steal getting Carlson 27th overall.

Bad Ass Trivia brought us more YoungBlood fans, as Gus took home the T-shirt, while Cole couldn't close the deal on the Mustang gear.

We dove back into the OHL with our 2009 Draft Prospect Performer of the Week. Ethan Werek of the Kingston Frontenacs was our guest. Werek who represented Canada in last year's World Junior A Challenge told us why he chose Kingston over Boston University, after committing to the Terriers. We also spoke to Werek about the upcoming draft and playing for Doug Gilmour. Has anyone asked Killer for his autograph and do they call him Coach Killer?

Finally we welcomed back to TPS Oilers 2005 2nd round pick Taylor Chorney, who was fresh off a 6-3 win over Portland. Choreny scored in the contest and the Falcons actually outshot a team in getting Rob Daum his first win behind the bench. Chorney's goal gives him 4 on the season, a year that fans have focused on his bloated minus number. The former Fighting Sioux rearguard talked openly about why he is a -20 right now and how tough the adjustment has been going from college to the AHL. Chorney told us about trying to be patient when it comes to call ups and who he's played with this year.

All in all it was an interesting show, and as Guy likes to say, if you missed it live, click the archive at thepipelineshow.com.

Tavares tops 200 as the Knights edge the Rangers in O.T.

Just finished watching the London Knights/Kitchener Rangers tilt on Rogers Sportsnet with TPS favorites Peter Loubardias and Sam Cosentino calling the game and it was a beauty.

John Tavares won it for London in overtime with his 200th career goal and 43rd this season, it was a power play goal. I haven't watched many Windsor games, and I know they have supreme talent and a massive lead in the standings, but I'm wondering out loud if they'll be able to beat the Knights in the playoffs, especially if London gets a wack of power play time. Sure London has struggled somewhat lately with just 4 wins in their past 10 but I mean when you can throw out Tavares, Nazim Kadri, Michael Del Zotto, John Carlson,(pictured) Phillip McCrae or Justin Taylor on the power play it's deadly. They have 367 points between them, and 54 goals with the man advantage, heck the super 6 have 17 shorthanded goals this year. Carlson has a cannon of a shot, can sneak down low and dish the puck, making him the perfect pp quarterback. The League's 2nd leading rookie scorer and Washington Capitals prospect will join us Tuesday on TPS, click here to find out who else will be on the show.

Having said all that, the guy I might have been the most impressed with was Kitchener's Jeff Skinner. A guy who will be a high end pick in the 2010 draft is 4th on team scoring with 41 points in 51 games, including 22 goals. He's also plus 5 on a team 5 games below 500. Skinner is 10th in rookie scoring as a 16 year old and showed a never quit attitude during the game, especially on the game tying goal in which he fired 2 shots on net before wrapping it around to send it to overtime. Skinner also added an assist, a penalty minute and was plus 1 in the loss.

Targets In Sight

Less than 24 hours to go until the draft begins so I figured it's time I release my list of names I expect could realistically become Oilers in the first round tomorrow evening.

One of the local writers I have a ton of respect for, Robin Brownlee, had an interesting list earlier today although he admitted a couple of the 4 players would more than likely be gone before the 22nd pick came around. My list is strictly going on the premise that there is no trading up as I don't believe they will, although adding multiple 2nd and or 3rd round picks is what I'm hearing.

The following four players are realistically going to still be available at 22, in fact all four of them might still be there. It's an interesting mix of position where as most fans look at the depth chart at say 'they don't need a goalie or any defencemen'... those fans might be upset by what happens tomorrow evening.

Here's my list.

Jordan Eberle - Regina Pats (WHL)

The Oilers want a scorer with size. Well, at 5'10 and 175 lbs, Eberle isn't big but his 42 WHL goals certainly put him in the former category. Kevin Prendergast told Pipeline Show listeners that in the first round, size won't matter so if Eberle is still there... my money is on him being the right guy. Millard and I have both had him as Edmonton's pick in our mock draft for over a month and you regular listeners know that we've been throwing out this name for at least that long.

I have reason to believe though that Eberle might be off the board by then. Speaking with a source in Calgary I'm hearing that the Flames are eyeing up Eberle or Joe Colborne as a consolation prize should Airdrie native Zack Boychuk be gone.

Erik Karlsson - Frolunda (SWE)

He's a smallish, offensive defenceman out of Sweden that put up nearly a point per game this past year. He checks in at 5'11 and 165 lbs so he's still very immature from a physical perspective. Moves the puck well, skates "like a forward" and can make that all important first pass. This is a name that seems to be gaining steam from around the league as the draft has been getting closer. One non-Oiler source predicted that Karlsson wouldn't make it out of the top 20 so who knows if Edmonton would even have a shot. Although he's a similar player to the Chorney's and Wild's that Edmonton already has on board... you can't have enough of these types of players in this day and age.

John Carlson - Indiana (USHL)


Speaking of defencemen, this 6'2 and 212 lb blueliner has a big shot, plays physical, can skate, solid in both ends... sounds like the perfect package. Draw back seems to be inconsistency but what 18 year old doesn't struggle with that some time? He was committed to going to UMass next year but has decided very recently to play in the OHL instead - the London Knights to be specific. I have spoken to a few different hockey people about that, not this case specifically but in regards to players who bolt from their NCAA commitments at the last minute... and not many seem to be fans of that choice. Not following through after making that commitment to is a red flag that some say suggests a character flaw.

Jacob Markstrom - Bryans (SWE)

Yes I know he's a goalie but as someone very recently pointed out... if you can draft a bona fide stud goalie it could set you up for a decade. Edmonton has Deslauriers and Dubnyk in the system but Markstrom, I'm told, is a much better long term prospect that either of them. He was outstanding at the U18 tourney in Moscow and I know he caught Edmonton's eye there. He's 6'3 and 180 lbs, and had a 2.00 GAA and .931 SV% in Sweden last year. In the summer of 2007 he was in net when Sweden beat Canada for their first gold medal ever at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial tourney and he had to stop Steven Stamkos, Kyle Beach and Kelsey Tessier in a shootout to do it.)

If all four are still there... Eberle is the name I expect to hear called.

Three names to watch for in later rounds - Russians Viktor Tikhonov and Evgeny Grachev; although I've always suggested Edmonton and Russians go together like strippers and church... this year could be different. Tikhonov grew up in California and speaks flawless English whereas Grachev has the size and scoring to be a reasonable target. Kelsey Tessier of the Quebec Remparts was on Mike Oke's 'over-rated list' during the ISS Draft Preview show but I'm getting the feeling the Oilers would take a chance on him if he slid to them later in the draft.

Trying to guess who will be picked by a specific team at a specific spot is pretty tough, especially this late in the draft. I don't know if anyone could have correctly predicted that Alex Plante would become an Oiler at the 15th spot... of, wait, yes I believe someone did predict that. In fact, last year on the air during the draft I was 2 for 3 with Edmonton's 3 picks.

TEAM 1260 will be live on location at Northlands from 3 PM-Midnight in the new sports lounge with our draft coverage... hope to see you there!

Rumblings, Bumblings and Stuff...

It's funny how the off-season often produces some of the best stories out there but I guess when you consider that it's during the summer that most changes in the hockey world take place... it shouldn't be that surprising.

There are bunch of things circulating, some no more than speculation while others are pretty sound. One such item that appears to be pretty solid has to do with Springfield where the AHL Falcons have called a press conference for Tuesday afternoon. I'm still looking for official Oiler confirmation but a source out East has indicated to me that it is regarding the coaching position. If that is the case (and not another season ticket sales update) then expect Jeff Truitt to be formally announced that day as the new bench boss on the farm. I do know that Kevin Prendergast will be in Springfield for the presser so it certainly appears to be lining up that way.



Wondering what is going to happen with Rob Daum since it's but a formality that Kelly Buchberger moves up to the NHL for next season? I ran into Daum at Oilers prospect camp last week, a pleasant surprise to see a him there despite the way he's been cast aside. I also talked with him on Tuesday during the TEAM 1260 golf tournament. He's obviously pretty tight-lipped about what he and the Oilers are talking about but I can confirm that the position offered to Daum is that of a pro scout. I'm also hearing that he'd have the greenlight to pursue a coaching opportunity elsewhere if one came his way and if you've been listening to Total Sports with Bob Stauffer... doesn't Detroit make sense with Mike Babcock now in need of a new assistant?



Regan Bartel is one of the most respected guys around the WHL so when he speculates on something, it's probably more than just idle chit-chat. On May 26th he blogged an interesting tidbit on Kelowna Rockets' forward Milan Kytnar suggesting he might be in tough for a spot on the roster next season. Here's the original post by Bartel who you should know is also the voice of the Rockets on their broadcasts. I wonder if there is a WHL team that would has room for an import, a need to upgrade penalty killing and their ability to keep goals against down? The Edmonton Oil Kings fit the bill but with a high pick in the CHL Import Draft later this month they might have their eyes on a more offensive player to help in that department. The fact that Kytnar is also an Oiler prospect makes it even more interesting but far from a sure thing.



It was a good month for Alex Plante who impressed the brass at prospect camp after a 3-week stint of training in California with Chad Moreau. Plante needs to improve his mobility and his strength and while the former will be a longer process it is simple to see how the 19-year-old has matured physically. Thicker in the neck, through his upper body and defnitely stronger in his legs, Plante has dedicated himself to getting back on the right track after a tough year in Calgary.

And speaking of Plante and the Hitmen, rumors are swirling that the 19-year-old might be available this summer as Calgary heads towards a rebuild. One source told me that Plante's camp were disappointed with the way he'd lost his spot last year due to injury and another source described the situation to me by saying "he became a whipping boy for [head coach Kelly] Kisio". IF the rumor is true that Plante is available, expect his hometown Brandon Wheat Kings to be front runners in trying to nab him from Calgary.

Draft tidbits

As Dean mentioned on our last show, the Toronto Maple Leafs seem to be extremely interested in Kyle Beach of the Everett Silvertips. Would a team in such disarray really roll the dice on a player who some believe is a ticking timebomb? Well both Millard and I are believers that Beach's upside outweighs his troubled past and we both have him going in the top 11 in our mock draft although neither of us have him going to the Leafs...



Another interesting one, and you might have to file this under 'C' for 'Conspiracy Theory'... Zac Dalpe was drafted as an overager by the Plymouth Whalers in the OHL. But why? He's already publicly committed to the NCAA program with the Ohio State Buckeyes right? Well, and here's the conspiracy theory, what would happen if the Carolina Hurricanes drafted him with the 14th overall pick (or moved down and did it)? Some have suggested that Dalpe would then bolt for the OHL and play with Plymouth. What's the connection? Peter Karmanos owns the Hurricanes and the Whalers. Things that make you go Hmmmmmmm...

Two players who seem to be getting some momentum as the draft gets closer are Colin Wilson and John Carlson. Wilson wowed the NHL onlookers at the combines where his dedication to personal training paid off. His team interviews also went well as TPS expected after he was a homerun interview on our show a couple weeks back. He's got the bloodline going for him, a great attitude and is considered one of the guys who could be closest to NHL ready. He'll be gone in the top 12.

Carlson's stock went up when he made it public that he was jumping ship from the NCAA to the OHL; instead of playing at UMass next year he's headed for the London Knights. Now I've had plenty of hockey people express concern about the way players develop in London (stellar junior success, not so much on the preperation for the next level) but it's seen as a step up from the Hockey East program which takes a back seat to Maine, Boston College, Boston Univesity and New Hampshire in that conference. Carlson was considered a late first rounder before but looks more like a mid round pick now.

One last one... in case you haven't heard yet, Nikita Filatov granted The Pipeline Show with the first North American radio interview of his career. Dean and I spoke with the future star for about 12 minutes and you'll be able to hear that interview in its entirety on Tuesday's show. Who does he think will draft him? How much are teams in Russia's new Kontinental Hockey League trying to keep him at home? Would he play in the CHL next year? Hear it from the man himself next week.