Holiday shopping

Some big deals have gone down in the RHL just before the holidays, with a few teams getting a jump on their Christmas shopping. Let's recap the action:



1) St. Louis to SOC for Hartnell, Prucha, Abid

Mark was definitely frustrated with the play of his team of late, and decided that a facelift would make coaching more fun, if not more successful. St. Louis is a restricted free-agent expected to make large contract demands on his new team, but there is no denying what he appears to bring to the table. He instantly shoots the Sockeyes up the charts in the Champs conference. Hartnell is the key to the deal for the 500s. Looking like he's turning the corner in his offensive game, he can be a cog for Mark for the next five or six seasons. If Prucha can continue his hot NHL start, he may also be a player for the 500s in the coming seasons. As in most cases, the team that got the best player won the trade, but Mark did get a good player and a pretty good prospect for his effort.



2) Naslund, Zyuzin to VAM for Kovalev, Schneider, Sim

All high-priced talent seem to eventually find their way to Vlad's roster, and most more than once. This is the case with Naslund, who is entering his fifth separate stint with the Vampyres. Once has to wonder if he should bother to unpack before New Year's. Going to the 500s are two players that are meant to contribute in the now, in Kovalev and Schneider. Schneider is a free agent after the season, but Kovalev has three years remaining after this one, so Mark may have long-term plans for Alexei. Again, for the 500s this was a case of changing a talented yet unproductive part, this time for two proven RHL veterans who he hopes will fit better with his team. One has to wonder if this is the beginning of another famous "reload" for Vlad, although he doesn't have the cash resources at his disposal that he has had in previous years.



3) Jonsson to SOC for Dupuis, Tootoo, Babchuk

It's unclear how long Jonsson was on the market, though unidentified sources maintain that he was offered to other teams before being sent to South Edmonton. Again, Paul consolidates a few prospects with varying levels of upside for a proven defensemen with a very clear goal; a run at his first Kings Cup Trophy. The return for Jun, beyond cash savings, is unclear at this point. Dupuis appears to be an RHL regular, albeit an unspectacular one. Tootoo and Babchuk are trying to prove that they belong in the RHL, and it remains to be seen whether or not that will pan out. Early returns look good, which is obviously what Jun is banking on. As mentioned in SpartaScripts, Jonsson leaves the only team he has ever played for. These one-team RHLers really are a throwback to an older generation, and their long careers with their respective teams are something of which their owners should be proud. This writer only hopes that in fifteen years, he can write the same about career-Rovers named Frolov, Horton, Lehtonen, and Phaneuf.

Day 37: ROV@CAP review

You knew it couldn't last forever. The Rovers had their franchise-record fourteen game unbeaten streak snapped last night in Chicago at the hands of the Capones, 4-3. The Capones played an energized game, finishing with slight leads in shots, passing, and possession, categories the Rovers have dominated during their run. Simon Gagne scored twice while Martin Havlat scored the winner and assisted on the other three markers. Kim Johnsson scored his first goal of the season and added two assists on goals by Ekman and Korolyuk. Both netminders made 30 saves, with Roloson getting the one-goal decision over Gerber. "I'm proud of how we played", Stringer said after the game. "Chicago is a very good team and it's tough to beat them in their building. I don't think we did anything wrong, they just were better tonight. Credit them fully for the win. We've just got to get back on our feet and start a new winning streak now".

Thankfully the Rovers won't have much time to dwell on the loss; they flew out after the game to prepare to host the Spectres tomorrow.

Day 34: SPE@ROV review

The Rovers returned home from Indy with a short time to prepare for their game the next night against the Guelph. They obviously used their time efficiently. The Rovers ran their winning streak to five games and their unbeaten streak to 14 with a convincing 5-0 shutout of the Spectres. After watching the third line get all the press over the past week, the top line broke out of its funk with Glen Murray notching a natural hat-trick with a short-handed, even strength, and power-play goal. Pavol Demitra registered three assists while Chris Pronger and Nils Ekman also tallied in the win. The Rovers outshot the Spectres 44-13, with Chris Mason stopping all 13 for his first RHL shutout. Rookie John-Michael Liles made his RHL debut, filling in for Eric Brewer, whose knee was still too sore to go.

The Rovers now have two days off before heading to Chicago to tangle with the Capones.

Notes: - Nathan Horton took the pre-game skate but opted not to try his shoulder. The coaching staff is confident that he will be ready for Chicago. Brewer, too, feels that he'll make the trip and play against the Capones.

Day 33: Coaches Corner

Well, we're officially loving our third line. I hope that they keep it rolling with Horton rejoins the unit, but we at least know that we aren't up the creek should a top winger go out and we need to promote from the lower lines. Bergeron can step in and do the job if Horton or Malone are called on to fill in higher up (or perhaps Bergeron himself would get the call).

But today isn't about the forwards, it's about the defense. We need to do a bit of juggling to deal with the first injury to a Dman this season. Thankfully it's a minor one. Brewer got banged up in the second period against the 500s. Handzus was finishing a check and caught Eric funny so that his knee knocked against the boards. He's got a bit of a bruise and it's kind of sore, so he's not likely to go tomorrow night. So with Bergeron's debut going so well, we'll be looking for the same kind of solid play out of another rookie, John-Michael Liles, in his RHL debut. JM is a versatile guy who prefers the left side but can play either, so as a rookie in his first game we'll try to make him comfortable and play him on the left. He's ok defensively, but he brings a pretty polished offensive game for a rookie, so we'll give him a shot on the PP as well since Brewer was part of the second unit.

Regehr Pronger
Johnsson Hill
Liles Pronger
Johnsson Hulse
Regehr Hill

Previously Brewer paired with Johnsson in one grouping and Regehr in another. We don't want to overplay Liles, so Hill will get a chance to see increased minutes, taking Brewer's two assignments. With Hulse being a veteran and a more physical player, we'll slide him to the right side (his natural side anyway) to pair with Johnsson and let Liles play the left side with Pronger. That balances both pairs with a physical presence (Pronger/Hulse) and a puckmover (Johnsson/Liles, though obviously Pronger fits both bills).

Korolyuk Draper Ekman Johnsson Pronger
Frolov Demitra Gl.Murray Liles Pronger

We'll also slide Liles onto the PP and see how he handles it. We don't want him to overthink things out there; we've made it clear that this is a one game injury situation so we aren't going to make any negative judgements based on mistakes in one game. We just want him to get comfortable with the RHL game as we know he'll be a big part of the team down the line (and also if we sustain more serious injuries on the blueline).

A final note on the game is that Chris Mason will get the start against Guelph. Mason last saw action in a 4-3 win over the Capones two and a half weeks ago, so wiht this being a back-to-back situation, we'll give him the home start. He hasn't played much since the start of the season when we were still trying to figure things out as a team, so hopefully we support him well and play the type of game we've been playing the past two weeks.

Day 33: ROV@500 review

The Rovers rolled into Indy looking to extend their unbeaten streak against one of their traditional rivals and did just that, coming up with a 4-1 road victory. The win was Baffin's fourth in a row, and marks their 13th game without a loss, a franchise record. The Rovers were once again paced by their new third line of Malone, Jokinen, and Patrice Bergeron. Jokinen tallied a goal and two assists, while Malone scored for the second straight game and Bergeron added an assist for two points in two RHL games. Pavol Demitra and Jeff Halpern also scored for the Rovers, who outshot the 500s 32-19. Martin Gerber got the win, stopping 18 of 19, while Chris Osgood took the loss.

The Rovers left immediately after the game, returning home to prepare to host the Spectres tomorrow night. Defenseman Eric Brewer left he game early in the second period with a mild knee sprain. He is listed as doubtful for the game against the Spectres, but with two days off after that may not miss further time. Nathan Horton will take the pre-game skate to test his injured right shoulder, and will also be a game-time decision.

Day 32: Coaches Corner

Well, we've got the 500s on tap tonight. They're down, but clearly not out. With Nathan Horton scheduled to miss two more games, I like how our lower lines clicked during his first game out.

Frolov - Demitra - Murray
Korolyuk - Draper - Ekman
Malone - Jokinen - Bergeron
Halpern - Legwand - Hall

In the preseason we had Ryan Malone pencilled into the #2 LW slot alongside either Demitra or Draper (or Jokinen). We still think he can play on a scoring line, but depth pushed him down to very low minutes. Putting him on the third line offered him more minutes last game and he took advantage, setting up both goals. Bergeron played very well for his first ever game and didn't look out of place. Suddenly this looks like a more offensive unit with Halpern out and Malone in. Horton returning will send Bergeron back to the bench, but we now think we can count on him more if a top 3 winger goes out.

Frolov is the only guy in the top six that has struggled. We're hesitant to break up the second line, but if he continues to underachieve we may have to try him somewhere else. We still believe in him; we just have to find a way to get the best out of him. Maybe Malone can audition on the first line if Frolov doesn't snap out of it.

We've shipped out some depth in Wiemer and Nylander in recent days, but Bergeron and Malhotra are both two-position guys, and Montador can dress as the 15th forward in a pinch. Cleaning out the pressbox gives us enough wiggle room financially to address any needs, be they offensively or defensively, later in the season.

Wiemer: it's what's for dinner.

When word leaked out that Jason Wiemer was about to hit the waiver wire, two offers instantly came into Rovers headquarters inquiring about his services. The Defiance were first on tap, offering a sandwich. Steve Stringer, not having had his lunch yet, was hungry and interested. The second team, when informed of the offer of the sandwich, was willing to dish up the bread, but wanted to haggle over the filler. They were intent on trying to steal him for mayonnaise and a mere slice of cheese. Huy, not to be outdone, stepped up and ended the discussion when he boldly stated that he'd consider ponying up a slice of ham. Stringer, who likes ham, had heard enough. Even the promise of ham was too good to pass up. Wiemer was sent packing to Washington for a ham sandwich, although it remains to be seen whether Hyugen will have trouble actually getting the ham across the border.

Will keep our loyal readers posted on the eventual contents of the sandwich when it arrives.

Wiemer Waivered

For immediate release:

The Baffin Island Rovers have placed Jason Wiemer on irrevocable waivers. Wiemer, acquired last month by the Rovers with Dave Andreychuk from the San Diego Aviators, did not appear in any games with Baffin Isle. On the season Wiemer has played in two games, registering one assist.

Day 29: SOC@ROV review

In their first game in the post-Nylander era, the Rovers continued their winning ways with a 2-1 home-ice victory over the Sockeyes. The win kept them a point up on South Edmonton in the Champions standings, just a point back of the Mounties. The Rovers again jumped all over their opponent, outshooting the Sockeyes 45-17, including 25-7 in the second period. Rookie Patrice Bergeron, playing in his first RHL game, scored on his first shot on goal (his only shot of the game) early in the second period to open the scoring. Bergeron was playing in place of fellow rookie Nathan Horton, who missed his first game due to his right shoulder injury. "It was great to get into the lineup and contribute", Bergeron said after the game. "I'll never forget it. The puck will hold a prominent place in my collection."

The injury to Horton gave the coaching staff an opportunity to shake up the lower lines, which they did by promoting winger Ryan Malone to the third line to join Jokinen and Bergeron. Malone assisted on both goals as a result of the shift. "We were really pleased with Malone's play today. We have seen it in practice and in limited shifts from the fourth line, but he played with two really good players tonight and he showed what he is capable of", Stringer said of his his winger.

A number of scouts from various teams were in attendance in Iqaluit, and it was questioned whether Malone's promotion was a showcasing to other teams. "Ryan Malone is a Rover and is playing very well. We changed up the lines, that's all. You guys read too much into things like that some times."

Nylander on the move

Multiple sources in Iqaluit are reporting tonight that Michael Nylander, who signed as a free agent three weeks ago with the Rovers but has yet to see action, has been dealt to the Guelph Reapers in exchange for a 1st round draft pick. The Reapers, decimated by injuries, have been seeking a playmaking center and reportedly decided to meet the asking price for Nylander, who ironically was bought out by the Reapers at the start of the season.

Notes: The MRI on Nathan Horton's right shoulder came back negative this morning, but he is expected to miss a week of action. With the Rovers hitting a lull in the schedule, it's possible that he may only miss two or three games.

Day 26: 500@ROV review

Another test for the Rovers presented itself last night in the form of the perennially tough Indianapolis 500s. GM Benvenga's squad has always played well against Baffin, so a 3-1 home-ice win was exactly what the team was hoping for to build on their win over the Vampyres the day before. Just as against Calgary, the Rovers had the edge in every statistical category from shots to passing. Outshooting the 500s 43-23, the Rovers finally got a goal from Alexander Frolov, his first of the season, as well as the winner from Pavol Demitra and insurance from rookie Ryan Malone, his first RHL goal. Martin Gerber's lone mistake came early in the second on an Alex Tanguay shot from the high slot. The win stretches the team's unbeaten streak to 11 games and moves them to within one point of the conference-leading Mounties, though Kitchener has two games in hand.

A down note from the game came on the second shift of the game when rookie Nathan Horton slid into the boards and came up limping, holding his right shoulder. He left the game and did not return. "I don't think it's separated, but he has some discomfort there. We'll see what the MRI says tomorrow". In a fortunate scheduling quirk, the Rovers now play only once in the next six days, having a two day break before hosting the Sockeyes and then waiting another three days until a return game against the 500s in Indy.