The NHL is feeling the effects of a weakened economy and the players will likely feel the pinch this offseason.
Some observations following a busy weekend of NHL action:
There is so much to like about the Columbus Blue Jackets, but if they don't make the playoffs this season - and I would not bet the farm they will - I see this franchise going down the tubes in a hurry. Three consecutive losses and a 3-6-1 run in their past 10 games has the Blue Jackets in 24th place overall and 14th in the Western Conference, five points out of a playoff position.
The good news is the Blue Jackets have some very promising youngsters. Steve Mason was the NHL's rookie of the month for November after registering an impressive 5-2-1 record with two shutouts.
It was the second consecutive month a member of the Blue Jackets was named the NHL's top freshman. Derrick Brassard was tabbed in October after scoring four goals and seven assists in 11 games.
And yet things remain rather glum in Columbus. In eight seasons the Blue Jackets have never made the playoffs. In a non-traditional hockey market, that is not a good thing.
It is a sad commentary when the most notable moment in this franchise's nine-year history is the fact a young girl lost her life when she was hit by a puck, prompting the NHL to institute netting at the ends of all rinks.
Scott Howson has yet to make his mark on this franchise since taking over as general manager in 2007. He'd better get going before both he and his franchise get lost for good.
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The Buffalo Sabres might be available for the right price. There are rumours the Montreal Canadiens might be on the market now, and if not now, then soon. With the economy going into the toilet, it does not speak well for the future of the NHL, a major league without a major-league TV contract to support it.
A handful of NHL teams are losing money hand over fist and even the Canadian teams that have cashed in mightily since the lockout ended are taking a gigantic hit because the Canadian dollar has sunk to pre-lockout levels.
Some players, such as Chicago defenceman Brian Campbell as well as Blackhawks goalie Crisobal Huet and Washington keeper Jose Theodore, were lucky to cash in last summer when teams went on ridiculous spending sprees with absolutely no regard for the financial future the league is facing.
I wouldn't expect this summer's unrestricted free agents to be as fortunate. Even if the salary cap stays where it is now, it is expected to take a significant dip the following year. Teams had better start making adjustments to their spending habits now.
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The Anaheim Ducks are showing signs of being a contender in the Western Conference, but I believe GM Bob Murray needs to supplement his team's scoring. Ryan Getzlaf is firmly entrenched in fourth in league scoring, but his linemate, Corey Perry, has slipped in recent weeks and stands 20th.
When the Ducks won the Stanley Cup two years ago they had Teemu Selanne and Andy McDonald on the top line with emerging youngsters Getzlaf and Perry on the second line. Selanne is still a bona fide scoring threat, but he needs help.
Also, while we're on the subject of the Ducks, that great checking line of Samuel Pahlsson, Rob Niedermayer and Travis Moen is not nearly as effective as it was just a few short years ago. Yet coach Randy Carlisle still insists on matching it against the opposition's top line. He might want to rethink that strategy and see if Getzlaf and Perry can out-score the other team's top line in head-to-head action.
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Don Cherry has anointed Joe Thornton as the best player in the NHL. I wouldn't go that far, but he certainly is playing a much better game than we have seen from him the past few seasons.
New Sharks coach Todd McLellan said in the summer it would be his mission to get Thornton to stop playing on the periphery and use his considerable bulk to get the puck to the net and stop being a pass-first player. Thornton, the NHL's most valuable player in 2006, once scored 37 goals for the Boston Bruins, but he has reinvented himself as the NHL's newest Adam Oates, always looking to dish. His 50 shots on goal through 27 games were fewest among the NHL's top 17 scorers.
Still, he has been driving to the net more and that is a big reason why the Sharks are the NHL's No. 1 team.
But is he really the best player in the game today? Sorry Grapes, that honour goes to Sidney Crosby, who has 15 points in his past six games and is about to overtake teammate Evgeni Malkin for the league scoring lead.
