Left Handed Larceny

Fly-ing High

by Eric Berkenpas

Photo cred www.zimbio.com

I come back from the dead with my tail between my legs. The Penguins just wrapped up a home and home over the weekend with the Philadelphia Flyers, losing both games. This time around, I will be writing, not about the Pittsburgh Penguins, but those pesky, resilient Philadelphia Flyers. Early in the season, everyone, myself included, was writing them off. They were sitting snug right at the salary cap and were buried deep in the Eastern Conference standings. The only thing going for them at the time was that it was still early in the season. But they did not look like a team that was going anywhere fast. Giroux was struggling and the rest of the team followed suit. Bryzgalov was gone and it wasn't very apparent that Mason/Emery combo would effectively replace him in net. Defense was a problem that was "solved" by bringing in a career minus player known for his offense, Mark Streit. It was a good feeling as a Pens fan, knowing that I didn't have to worry about the Flyers this year. Well now here we are coming up on the final leg of the season when whaddya know? The Flyers are the 2nd place team in the Metro Division. How quickly things can change....

Photo cred www.brianphickey.com

What is the main reason for the turn around? Two words: Claude Giroux. Some, nay, most might have laughed when Peter Laviolette described Giroux as "the best player in the world" just 2 years ago, but I think Giroux is on his way to getting the last laugh right now. I can imagine you are probably all flooding to your nearest NHL points leaderboard right now and getting ready to comment about how far ahead in the point race Crosby is, am I right? Well, the first thing I will tell you is that Giroux was battling wrist issues through the first part of the season. If you have ever played hockey before, you know the importance of having fully strengthened wrists. Those issues have dissipated and let's compare the two super star's stats since that happened. After the first 41 games of the season, Crosby had a pretty large lead on Giroux in the point race, leading 58 - 37 (21 points). Since that point, Crosby has amassed 30 points, two less than Giroux's 32. To add salt to the wound, Giroux has netted 3 more goals in that time period. Does any of that have to do with Dupuis going down? I'll give that a slight maybe at best. There was no noticeable change in Sid's point accumulation pace from before the injury and after. Just face it, Giroux has played a better 26 games than Crosby. Period. More important than the stats, the Flyers are 16-8-2 (34pts) in that stretch while the Pens are 15-8-3 (33pts).

Photo cred prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com

With the awakening of Claude Giroux came the awakening of a couple other important Flyers players, namely, Jakub Voracek, Wayne Simmonds and Matt Read. Voracek was virtually non existent early on but since the Giroux awakening, he has tallied 22 points in 26 games. Wayne Simmonds was producing pretty well at the start of the season but since the halfway mark, he has managed 23 points in 26 games. Last but not least, though slightly less significant, Matt Read has scored 15 points in 21 games since the awakening. This is how much impact one player can make, especially a player the caliber of Claude Giroux. Now before you people start questioning my loyalty to the Penguins, I must assure you that I in no way consider Claude Giroux to be better than Sidney Crosby. He is not as complete a player as Sid is and is a slight level below Sid in almost every facet of the game. However, Giroux absolutely ranks among the best in the league. Anyone who denies him that, doesn't know a thing.

Left Handed Larceny

Preseason Power Rankings

by Eric Berkenpas

Seemed like all I did was blink and the 2013-2014 NHL season is upon us! There was a lot of activity in the offseason and a lot of expectations for some up and coming teams. Also, this is the first year of the newest rendition of NHL Division Musical Chairs. There is a ton of reason to be excited about the upcoming season so let's jump into my preseason rankings!

Photo cred www.pantagraph.com

1. Chicago Blackhawks - With virtually the same team that blew through the playoffs last year to win the Cup, there is no reason to believe the Hawks will not be as dominant as they were last year. They still have their strong core of young players and guys like Brandon Saad are only going to get better.

2. Pittsburgh Penguins - You may think this is a biased pick and, well, maybe it partly is but I truly think the Penguins will be the team to beat in the East again. Morrow, Iginla and Murray are gone and the team is back to the basic structure that ripped off 15 wins in a row last year. Rob Scuderi, who was a key part of the '09 championship team, is back and will certainly have a positive effect on the team.

3. Ottawa Senators - Out with the old and in with the new. Ottawa traded old man Alfie away to Detroit and brought in Bobby Ryan from Anaheim who was arguably the most talented player to move in the offseason. On top of that, they brought in Clarke MacArthur from Toronto and increase the depth of their attack. With the success that Ottawa had with a broken and battered team last year, they should prove to be one of the best this year with a full lineup featuring Spezza, Karlsson, Ryan, Conacher and Anderson.

Photo cred detroitjockcity.com

4. Detroit Red Wings - After a lackluster year last year, the Red Wings made some moves in the offseason that should elevate them back to the dominant form they took on in past years. They brought it Alfredsson from Ottawa who, though he is aging and isn't as effective as he used to be, should still have a significant effect on this star-studded team. Another addition is Stephen Weiss from Florida who has tremendous skill that never fully blossomed in Florida. If the defense can improve, Howard remains a rock in the net and youngsters like Gustav Nyqvist, Joakim Andersson and Danny DeKeyser can contribute, the Red Wings will be challenging the top dogs in the East.

5. Los Angeles Kings - The Kings can never seem to put a whole season together but the potential strength of this team is too undeniable to not have them in the top 5. They have great defense, arguably the best goalie in the league and a ton of weapons offensively. Greene will be back in the lineup after missing all season last year and will definitely improve this team defensively. Expect to see LA at the top of the standings for the majority of the season.

Photo cred www.startribune.com

6. St. Louis Blues - The Blue made some big moves in the offseason in acquiring Derek Roy from the Canucks and just recently snatching Brenden Morrow out of free agency. Halak and Elliot look to tag team net-minding responsibilities with the same strong defense in front of them. Tarasenko could also have a monster season. He was dominating last year before he got hurt and there is every reason to believe he will be just as good and probably better. St. Louis has potential to be a complete power house, it just remains to be seen if they can reach that potential.

7. Carolina Hurricanes - Call me crazy, but the Hurricanes are lookin' good. With Cam Ward back, the acquisition of a solid backup in Anton Kudobin and the extreme potential and skill of first round draft pick Elias Lindholm, the Hurricanes could be a serious threat this year. Eric Staal, Alexander Semin and Jiri Tlusty comprised one of the top lines in hockey last year and the second line is almost as good with Jordan Staal and Jeff Skinner. Defense was the issue last year but this team was one of the best until Cam Ward went down. With him healthy, the sky is the limit for the Canes.

Photo cred articles.washingtonpost.com

8. Columbus Blue Jackets - The Jackets finished strong last year and barely missed playoffs. They kept Jack Johnson and Marian Gaborik in the offseason and acquired Nathan Horton from Boston. Bobrovsky who had a Vezina-like season will be premiered between the pipes. The rest of the team is a core of young players who will only be improving with time like Mark Letestu, Cam Atkinson, Boone Jenner and Artem Anisimov. Ryan Murray looks like he is going to get his first taste of NHL action too and should be a big help for the Jackets' D. The pieces are in place for Columbus to make a good run at the playoffs.

9. Montreal Canadiens - I hesitate putting the Candiens this low. There is all the reason in the world to think they will be as good, if not, better this year than last. Carey Price is coming off arguably his best season yet and they added Danny Briere who should fit in perfectly. Subban also had one of his best years and highly touted rookie Galchenyuk could have a monster year this year. There is still just something about the Habs though that makes me not have as much confidence in them as I should.

Photo cred tracking.si.com

10. Washington Capitals - The Caps were the best team in the league in the last month of the season. They live and die by the play of one man, Alexander Ovechkin. He was in a year and a half slump but when he broke out of it, he went on a scoring rampage that has not been seen since possibly the days of Lemieux and Gretsky. Mike Ribeiro is gone but the Caps brought in Mikhail Grabovski from the Leafs who will be a significant 2nd line contributor. Braden Holtby is still the guy in net and could break the 40 win mark this year.

11. San Jose Sharks - The Sharks had a very up and down season last year but definitely have a lineup that can do some damage on the ice. With guys like Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, Logan Couture, Joe Pavelski and Antii Niemi, you are pretty much a shoe-in to make the playoffs. Tyler Kennedy was the only one brought in in the offseason who always plays an extremely intense style of hockey and has had a 20 goal season. Additionally, the Sharks have brought in their 2012 premier draft pick Tomas Hertl who they have very high hopes for and could be a piece that propels San Jose to compete for the top spot in the West.

Photo cred www.zimbio.com

12. Anaheim Ducks - Bobby Ryan is no longer present but Jakob Silfverberg should make up for the loss. He is one of the top rated prospects in the league and got a lot of experience last year in Ottawa. The Ducks still have their dominant tandem of goalies and with Getzlaf, Perry, Cogliano, Palmieri and now Silfverberg, the Ducks posses potentially one of the most dangerous attacks in the league. I don't expect them to stay at #10 on my list for very long.

13. Boston Bruins - The Bruins had a great team last year and made a great run to the Cup Finals. This yeah, however, the B's are not looking quite as strong. They gained Iginla and Eriksson but lost Jagr, Horton, Seguin, Peverley and backup goalie, Khudobin. Boston will still be a solid defensive team and still have one of the best goalies in the game, but they could struggle finding the back of the net. Julien will have a harder time coming by wins this year but his team still has the potential to be great, I just don't think they will be.

Photo cred oilonwhyte.com

14. Edmonton Oilers - Gotta think this is finally the year where Edmonton's consecutive high draft picks will finally pay off and put together a playoff-worthy year. Taylor Hall had an outstanding year last year and Nugent-Hopkins will be back. Dubnyk started showing some positive signs in the second half of the season that he could be the goalie that puts the Oilers over the top. The addition of Andrew Ference will make for defensive improvement. Nail Yakupov had a pretty good rookie campaign and will only get better with time. I expect the Oilers to be competing for a playoff spot this year.

15. New York Islanders - I may be a Penguins fan, but I love the Islanders when they aren't playing the Pens. John Tavares has proved to be one of the elite players in the league and almost won his firs Hart Trophy. They gained Clutterbuck and Bouchard in the offseason to add more grit and offense to their team. There are still many question marks surrounding their defense and goalie situation but they should still be vying for a playoff spot throughout the season.

Photo cred newyork.cbslocal.com

16. New York Rangers - The Rangers made no major offseason moves but will still be a contendor in the East. Clowe got picked up by the Devils so the Rangers are bringing a far less flashy lineup into this season. Rick Nash will have to play a prominent part in their success as will Brad Richards. Callahan will need to start producing more offensively and Brassard will be expected to take on a bigger role. Alain Vigneault will have some work to do to get the Rangers back in dominant form. Always helps to have King Henrik in net though.

17. Vancouver Canucks - Like every year, the season depends on one man, Roberto Luongo. The Nucks have gone back to putting their trust in him when they shipped Schneider out to NJ. The Sedin twins will be a force as they always are and the Canucks will definitely be in the playoff picture throughout the season. They have potential to be one of the best, but they could also be a train wreck. We must wait and see.

Photo cred www.baynews9.com

18. Tampa Bay Lightning - If I were basing this off of preseason, Tampa would be in the top 5, because they looked extremely good. Last year, Stamkos just barely got edged out for Rockey Richard honors and St. Louis nabbed the Art Ross. Outside of those two though, the Bolts were not a team to write home about. They had possibly the worst defense and goalie combos in the league and were forced to score way too many goals to stay competitive. This year, they have a better (and finally younger) goalie in net with a defense that looks improved. They brought in Valtteri Filppula from Detroit and drafted youngster, Jonathan Drouin 3rd overall in this year's draft. Things are looking to be on the rise in Tampa and this is definitely not going to be a team to take lightly anymore.

19. Philadelphia Flyers - I would not be surprised at all if the Flyers finish better than 19th overall at the end of the year, but last year left too many question marks and the offseason answered some while it also created others. Danny Briere is gone and the Flyers bought out Bryzgalov's contract, leaving Ray Emery to man the crease this year who had a great season last year, but mostly in part to a highly disciplined and skilled group of defensemen in front of him. Lecavalier is one guy who will make a big difference this year. The other is Claude Giroux. He needs to be better. If he can play back up to his potential, the Flyers could be back to their 2011-2012 form.

Photo cred bluejackets.nhl.com

20. Minnesota Wild - The Wild eventually got going last year and squeaked into the final playoff spot. Suter had a great year whereas Parise was about average (though he did lead the team in points). The Wild added Cooke and lost Clutterbuck which is a move in the offensive direction, but only barely. Backstrom was a large reason for the playoff berth and will need to be as good and likely better this year for the Wild to make the playoffs again.

21. Dallas Stars - The Stars were really bad last year and it is apparent by the offseason that they were none too pleased about it. Gonchar, Horcoff, Seguin and Peverley were added along with the skilled youngster, Valeri Nichushkin in the draft. Now it's just a question of can Lindy Ruff put the players together effectively. Lehtonen will be the guy in the crease again and the defense is the main question mark. If they can perform, the Stars are going to be very good. If not, they could be the Lightning of the West.

22. Winnipeg Jets - Plain and simple, the Jets could be really good this year. They just missed playoffs last year but have a lot of players starting to really mature into solid hockey players. Bryan Little, Evander Kane, Blake Wheeler, Andrew Ladd, Zach Bogosian, Grant Clitsome, Dustin Byfuglien, Tobias Enstrom and Ondrej Pavelec are all improving and could definitely take their team to the playoffs. I expect this team to turn a lot of heads in their first year in the West, but there is also some room for failure.

Photo cred nhl.si.com

23. Toronto Maple Leafs - This year may not bode as well for the Leafs as last year did. They added Bernier who will likely be the starter sooner rather than later and Clarkson but lost two key players in MacArthur and Grabovski. With Kessel, Lupul and Kadri, the Leafs will still prove to be a difficult team to beat, but I don't expect them to repeat or improve on their season last year and would be a little surprised to see them in the playoffs.

24. Phoenix Coyotes - Mike Smith is good enough that on his own he keeps Phoenix from the bottom of this list. They have some pretty solid defensemen in Yandle, Ekman-Larsson and Michalek. The addition of Mike Ribeiro and the potential of 2013 12th overall pick Max Domi, Phoenix could find themselves to be pretty competitive again. On paper though, they still look pretty weak compared to the rest of the west.

25. Nashville Predators - The Preds will be relying heavily, once again, on Pekka Rinne to carry their team. They drafted projected first overall pick, Seth Jones, 4th overall in the 2013 draft and he could show immediate results on the blue line. In addition to him, role guys Stalberg and Cullen were added to improve the depth of the Preds. Problem is, those guys were added to an extremely weak roster that lacks any semblance of goal scoring capability. We will see what Barry Trotz can put together this year, but I don't expect much. Not yet, at least.

Photo cred yle.fi

26. Florida Panthers - This is the team I am pullin' for this year, I just don't have a lot of confidence in them. Jacob Markstrom, who is arguably the top goalie prospect, got some good experience last year but it looks like Tim Thomas may be moving in to take his starting spot. Huberdeau is fresh off a Calder Trophy worthy season and will only improve each year. 2013 2nd Overall Pick Alexsander Barkov will very likely have a spot on the roster from the get go and will be an immediate candidate for the Calder Trophy. The Panthers have one of the youngest teams in the league which can be a bad thing, but can also be a very good thing, especially in the future. Expect the Panthers to surprise you this year, but also don't be surprised if they finish near or at the bottom.

27. New Jersey Devils - The Devils were bad this year and things only got worse in the offseason when Ilya Kovalchuk left to go play in the KHL. The Devils brought in Jagr, Clowe and Ryder to try to offset the loss of their superstar, but those three will hardly get them back to even. Corey Schneider was brought in to help aging Brodeur carry the load in net, but the Devils are just not deep or skilled enough to compete with the rest of the Conference.

28. Colorado Avalanche - The Avs have some of the best young forwards in the game with Duchene, Stastny, Landeskog, Parenteau and possibly MacKinnon, the first overal pick in the 2013 draft. The problem with the Avs is they are very weak defensively and mediocre in the net. The only way the Avs are going to make any noise this year is if they outscore their opponents; and they will definitely be scoring goals.

Photo cred www.gettyimages.co.uk

29. Buffalo Sabres - Sabres need to start rebuilding. They have a pretty good group of defensemen and a proven goalie in Ryan Miller, but outside of Vanek and maybe Ennis, there are gaping holes in the group of forwards that will need to be addressed before the Sabres go anywhere.  Mikhail Grigorenko will get some good NHL experience this year, but he isn't enough to turn this team completely around. I expect them to finish last in the east this year.

30. Calgary Flames - They are finally rebuilding! It all starting with letting Iginla go. The future faces of this team are going to be Sven Baertschi and Sean Monahan but until they blossom and are given good complimentary pieces to fill the gaping holes in every part of this team, they are going to be the weak link in the West. But their day will come...

Eric Berkenpas is the newest member of Sports Eye View and can be reached at ejberkenpas22@gmail.com

Random Sports Ramblings

NHL Draft Strategy

by Eric Berkenpas

Not sure how many of you play fantasy hockey. It certainly doesn't attract appeal like Fantasy Football does, but then again neither does the NHL compared the the NFL. However, if you ask me, Fantasy Hockey is the best fantasy sport. Why? Because Hockey is the greatest sport known to man, duh! And that is a fact. Now that we have that settled, lets talk drafting. I have yet to draft a team this year so I would like to discuss some strategies. Obviously there are almost endless formats your leagues can take so I will focus on the most popular.

Photo cred www.thestar.com

Standard League, Head-to-Head

If you are one of those people who thinks draft order has everything to do with who gets the best team, think again. There are ways to master your draft no matter what draft position you get. The first overall pick will snatch the top player but then they have to wait for everyone to draft twice before they can grab their second player whereas the last pick is the first team to draft two players in a row. If you get first pick, you better get ready to think. Many years, there is a clear cut obvious player that needs to be taken first overall. This year, that is not the case. I am going to propose 5 players who I think could all legitimately land a first overall pick.

1. Sidney Crosby (Pit) - 15G, 41A in 36 Games

2. Alexander Ovechkin (Was) - 32G, 24A in 48 Games

3. Evgeni Malkin (Pit) - 9G, 24A in 31 Games

4. Steven Stamkos (TB) - 29G, 28A in 48 Games

5. Patrick Kane (Chi) - 23G, 32A in 47 Games

Photo cred www.therichest.com

Please note, arguments can be made for other players who are deserving of that top pick, but you can't really go wrong any of these guys. Crosby was on pace to finish with roughly 75 points before getting injured which would have landed him 15 points ahead of Art Ross winner, Martin St. Louis. Can he regain chemistry with Kunitz and Dupuis and can they produce like they did last year? Hard to say, but Crosby will get his points regardless of who he plays with. Ovie woke up halfway through the season last year and scored goals at an unimaginable click. If that Ovie comes to play this year, he has Art Ross and likely a second straight Hart Trophy written all over him. Evgeni Malkin has always been a very inconsistent player (other than is 2011-12 campaign) but we have all seen what he is very capable of. Steven Stamkos has been living under the shadow of Crosby, Malkin and Ovie since entering the league but is in every way as legitimate of a scoring talent as those three. He has immense hockey smarts and always finds himself in the scoring areas of the ice. His wrist shot is second best only to Ovechkin and he is a threat to score at any point when the puck is on his stick. Patrick Kane had his best season last year and with the high powered talent he plays with combined with his nearly unprecedented skill set, the sky is the limit.

Photo cred www.nhlsnipers.com

From there, keep an eye out for guys like Claude Giroux, Nicklas Backstrom, Taylor Hall, Anze Kopitar, Erik Karlsson, Matt Duchene, Jordan Eberle, Jason Spezza, Bobby Ryan, Nail Yakupov, Jamie Benn, Marian Gaborik and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins who I fully expect to exceed their preseason rankings when it is all said and done.

Goalies: They tend to be the make it or break it aspect to any fantasy hockey team. Let me shoot straight real quick: you will need at least one good goalie if you want to succeed! Goalies are the only position that gives you stats that are consistent and reliable (unless you are in a league using Hits, Blocks, FW, FL, SOG, etc...). Here are my rankings of who I think the top 10 fantasy goalies will be this year:

1. Jonathan Quick (LA)

2. Henrik Lundqvist (NYR)

3. Tuukka Rask (Bos)

4. Jimmy Howard (Det)

5. Corey Crawford (Chi)

6. Sergei Bobrovsky (Cls)

7. Antti Niemi (SJ)

8. Craig Anderson (Ott)

9. Marc-Andre Fleury (Pit)

10. Pekka Rinne (Nas)

Photo cred www.maxpreps.com

Rinne is way over-valued in most leagues. He is one of the best goalies in the NHL, but you have to take into account how bad the team around him is an how effective he will be for fantasy. His wins will be down and he will be facing a lot of rubber so there is a good likelihood his GAA may be higher than usual. Marc-Andre Fleury is the go to goalie in Pittsburgh, a team that will likely compile a ton of wins this year. He tends to have good numbers during the regular season too and since playoff stats have no bearing on fantasy, Fleury is a good bet for 2.50 GAA and 35+ wins. Craig Anderson played a little over his head last year but will still be a solid contributor to your team. Bobrovsky also played a little over his head but the Blue Jackets are a steadily improving team which will most assuredly spell success for the man between the pipes. Corey Crawford no longer has his partner in crime (Ray Emery) with him so he will now be the go-to guy. Can he handle the pressure? I think his numbers will be down from last year, but that's not sayin' much. Tuukka Rask proved last year in the playoffs how good he can be. Unfortunately, he will have to be that good because Boston lost a lot of talent in the offseason. Now for our top 2 guys. Quick struggled in the season last year but recovered just in time to finish strong and put up his normal numbers in the playoffs. Lundvist was also not as good last year, but that is mostly due to the team around him not being as good. He is still arguably the best goalie in the league. The only other guy who can compete with him for that title is Jonathan Quick. Reason Quick is first in my rankings is simple: I think the Kings will be much better than the Rangers this year.

Photo cred www.thestar.com

There are two strategies to take when drafting defensemen. Offensive stats, or minor stats. Offensive stats include G, A, P, PPG, PPA, PPP, SHG, SHA, SHP, GWG and S%. Minor stats are all the other ones that have little to do with the offensive production of the individual; +/-, PIM, SOG, FW, FL, Hits and Blocks. If you draft highly offensive forwards, you are going to need defensemen who get you your other stats. If you draft dynamic forwards who are more geared towards your minor stats, you are going to want to help out your offensive production with high scoring defensemen. You can easily search on your own who the top producing defensemen are. I am going to give you a list of defensemen who are best for the minor stats. These are in no particular order.

1. Dion Phaneuf (Tor) - High hits, blocks and PIMs. Decent +/-

2. Brooks Orpik (Pit) - High hits, blocks and +/-. Low PIMs

3. Dennis Seidenberg (Bos) - High hits, blocks an +/-. Low PIMs. Decent offense

4. Shea Weber (Nas) - High hits and offense. Decent blocks. Low +/-

5. Ladislav Smid (Edm) - High hits and blocks. Decent PIMs. Low +/-

6. Luke Schenn (Phi) - Very high hits. High blocks. Low PIMs and +/-

7. Mark Frasor (Tor) - High hits, blocks, PIMs and +/-

8. Drew Doughty (LA) - High hits and offense. Low blocks and PIMs.

9. Dan Girardi (NYR) - High blocks. Decent hits and +/-. Low PIMs

10. Brent Seabrook (Chi) - High blocks. Decent hits, offense and +/-. Low PIMs.

Let's finish this off with my top 10 players in each position (refer above for goalies):

Center
1. Sidney Crosby (Pit)
2. Steven Stamkos (TB)
3. John Tavares (NYI)
4. Evgeni Malkin (Pit)
5. Nicklas Backstrom (Was)
6. Claude Giroux (Phi)
7. Eric Staal (Car)
8. Jonathan Toews (Chi)
9. Henrik Sedin (Van)
10. Anze Kopitar (LA)

Left Wing
1. Taylor Hall (Edm)
2. Daniel Sedin (Van)
3. Thomas Vanek (Buf)
4. Bobby Ryan (Ott)
5. Alexander Semin (Car)
6. Jamie Benn (Dal)
7. Henrik Zetterberg (Det)
8. Patrick Sharp (Chi)
9. Joffrey Lupul (Tor)
10. Matt Moulson (NYI)

Right Wing
1. Alexander Ovechkin (Was)
2. Patrick Kane (Chi)
3. Phil Kessel (Tor)
4. James Neal (Pit)
5. Corey Perry (Ana)
6. Martin St. Louis (TB)
7. Nail Yakupov (Edm)
8. Rick Nash (NYR)
9. Marian Gaborik (Cls)
10. Jordan Eberle (Edm)

Defense
1. Erik Karlsson (Ott)
2. P.K. Subban (Mon)
3. Kris Letang (Pit)
4. Ryan Suter (Min)
5. Duncan Keith (Chi)
6. Shea Weber (Nas)
7. Justin Schultz (Edm)
8. Alex Pietrangelo (Stl)
9. Keith Yandle (Pho)
10. Mark Streit (Phi)

There you have it. This is not an exhaustive guide but it should provide some help if you are totally lost going into your draft. Feel free to leave comments and ask questions!

Eric Berkenpas is the newest member of Sports Eye View and can be reached at ejberkenpas22@gmail.com

Showcase Showdown

Seasonal Sports Superiority

by Sports Eye View

Photo Cred www.sportslocal.org

For the love of every sport, we, the writers of Sports Eye View, would like to entertain you, our readers, with one of the broadest Showcase Showdowns we can come up with. After the NBA and NHL playoffs finished a couple weeks ago, the sports world has slowed down quite a bit with baseball chugging along in the middle of it's season and not much else going on. A few Tennis fans out there are closely watching to see if Andy Murray can snatch his second straight Wimbledon title and even fewer NASCAR fans are out there awaiting with great anticipation the Chase for the Sprint Cup Series. We would like to fill this gap by trying to determine which season of sports is the best. Spring boasts the completion of the NHL and NBA playoffs and March Madness while Summer brags about it's always exciting MLB season and all star game, NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup as well as the occasional Olympics. Fall brings us the start of the NFL season, College Football and MLB playoffs and Winter shows of the ever exciting ending to the NFL season along with playoffs and of course, the BCS Bowls and the occasional Olympics. So which season is better? Let's see what the writers of Sports Eye View think.

Photo Cred www.cbslocal.com

Eric - I will begin by saying that the Spring by far offers the greatest sporting events of the year. It is so obvious that I could just leave it at that, but just for your entertainment (and for the very few who don't already know this), I will explain further. Let's start from the beginning. College Basketball season is coming to a close around the end of March. You all know what this means! March Madness!! Possibly the greatest tournament of all time kicks off Spring and lasts almost an entire month. Does it get much better than that? Well yes, it does. Not only is March Madness going on, but the NBA and NHL playoff races are tightening up and the MLB season is starting. It's almost too much goodness in such a short period of time. And then, if you thought it definitely could not get better, the NBA and NHL playoffs start and finish right at the end of Spring. If you need any more explanation as to why Spring is the best season for sports, you are out of your mind.

Photo Cred www.betinternet.com

Ryan - Let me start off my promotion of the Winter Sports season by telling you a story.  When I was 10 years old, I had a crush.  On who, you might ask?  Tara Lipinski.  I, along with the entire world population, watched as the 15 year old Golden Girl took down the best in Michelle Kwan and brought USA home the gold medal.  It was a good day.  Other memorable Winter Sport memories? Anyone remember the Miracle on Ice? Yeah, the one where the scrub Americans beat the domineering Russians in the 1980 Olympic Gold Medal Match.  They made a movie out of that one.  What about that Jamaican Bobsled team?  Yup, made a movie out of that one too.  Please, if you haven't watched Cool Runnings, do.  I can go on and on...The Immaculate Reception...The Catch...every Daytona 500 and Super Bowl ever played...The Ice Bowl....The Blackout Bowl.  I feel like I got the easy task with this Showdown.  I'll go into more details once I see what the other guys have to offer.

Photo Cred www.mlb.com

Ben- Close your eyes and just imagine for a minute. You’re sitting outside on the porch; warm coffee in hand, a fleece jacket wrapped around your shoulders.  A nice, crisp breeze blows over the lawn and rustles those leaves that are shedding their green hue to the grandiose orange, reds, and yellows the fall delivers. A bonfire in the distance is tingling your nose, reminding you of your youth.  At this point all of your senses are engaged- except the sense of excitement. You walk inside, turn on the TV and gear up for the greatest sports season of all- FALL. “So Ben, why is it the best?” The NFL season is throwing off its rust, the NBA is jumping into form, and the English Premier League is kicking into gear  (Yes, I'm not above punning my way though an article). Oh, and in case you forgot, a little thing called PLAYOFF BASEBALL is in full swing. Playoff baseball is straight up magic. Even casual fans start to get batty with the constant excitement of a 7 game series (I’m done, I swear). Still not enough for you? Just head into town to watch young, talented high school kids, with aspiring dreams of stardom, put it on the field every Friday night under the lights. Simply put, fall is awesome. 

Photo Cred www.uwishunu.com

Caleb - There is one event in the sporting world that captures the hearts and minds of the entire globe. One two week stretch in the heat of August that causes even the shallowest of sports fans to skip class, work and even their wedding to find the closest television set. Without further adieu....The Summer Olympics. While I believe that March Madness is the best sporting event in the United States, The Summer Olympics is without a doubt the most amazing event in the wide world of sports that spans far beyond the borders of MERICA. The London 2012 Olympics broke the record for the most watched event in television history. While Americans and small populations in the rest of the world are glued to the NBA and MLB finals, every eye and ear in the world unites within each country to cheer their team on in each individual event. The national pride that is sprouted from just one gold medal for a small country truly shows the beauty and brilliance that athletics can bring to our world. I have many more reasons why the Summer seasons reigns supreme, but starting with the top seems most appropriate. The Summer Olympics makes the season of Summer simply scintillating.

Photo Cred www.keepingscore.blogs.com

Eric - To snuff out the Summer sports season first, you brought up the event that takes place every 4 years. Sure it's fantastic when it is happening, but it is 2 weeks every 4 years. That is hardly as good as something that happens year in and year out. Fall is good because of the NFL getting started but everyone knows the end of the season and playoffs are the best part of the NFL season. Playoff Baseball is the only great thing the Fall has going for it. Premier League soccer is just a blip on the radar in America. NASCAR is probably more watched than the Premier League. If we all lived in England, the Fall would be kicking butt entirely due to Premier League soccer but we all live in America. The Winter does have some good sports as well but once again, the Winter Olympics only happen once every 4 years. The NFL playoffs are awesome and definitely the highlight of the Winter but that is about it. So in summary, the Summer has one great event every 4 years, the Fall has MLB playoffs and the Winter has NFL playoffs. Compare that to the Spring having March Madness which happens every year, NBA playoffs which happen every year, NHL playoffs which happen every year and the start of Baseball, which is always extremely exciting, and you have yourselves a clear winning. Prove me wrong!

Photo Cred www.reuters.com

Ryan - Eric, I beg to differ.  When it comes down to it, there are only two seasons in the running for this title, that being the Summer and Winter due to the presence of the Olympics.  These games are so amazing that they can only have them once every four years!  You are also not putting nearly enough stock in the start of the NFL season in the Fall.  If you're honest with yourself, you know, just like the rest of us, that the NFL is by far the greatest and most popular sport in America by leaps and bounds.  Nothing comes close.  Sorry man, the Spring is that lapse in the year when you're just waiting for the Summer months to come.  So, why does Winter beat the Summer? Each have the Olympics, which gives them an EVEN upper hand over the Fall and Spring.  Unfortunately for the Summer, there isn't much else than that besides Training Camps and Preseason.  Winter has the exciting end to the NFL regular season, the spine tingling playoffs and the one event that breaks all of the TV records every single year, the SUPER BOWL!!!!  Again, I got the easy task.  Oh, and I forgot to mention earlier; the BCS Championship Series!  Easily one of the Top 5 single sporting events of the year.  The Winter season captures those who love professional sports, college sports, and once every four years even throws something in there that the entire world can tune into.  Seriously, need Ben and Caleb even take a stab?

Photo Cred www.gambling911.com

Caleb - Ryan beat me to the punch about the Olympics. I would rather have the greatest sporting venture of all time once every 4 years than the normal American sports championships every single year. The simple fact that it happens once every 4 years makes it that much better and bolsters the summer season's resume. Also, are we really making the argument that the summer Olympics are the only event happening in the summer? Did we forget that 3 of 4 golf major championships occur in the summer? Now I know some of you will bash golf for being boring, but have you ever watched the U.S. Open? Have you ever been glued to the television for 5 straight hours on a Sunday? The U.S. Open, the British Open and the PGA Championship all occur in the summer and carry a unique change of pace from the normal big 4. Also, summer holds Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in the tennis world which carry the same glorified weight as the golf majors. Summer holds the unique and brilliant sporting events that the rest of the seasons just don't have. Also, which of you can deny checking your phone or internet each and every night to get text updates from the Phillies, Pirates or Orioles? We may not be at the beginning or the end of the MLB season, but I would argue that the middle of the season is much better than the beginning. Divisional races are taking shape, new stars are being born and surprise stories are always popping up. For any true baseball fan, the summer months are the best time of year. I see your individual points and I believe we all have strong cases because sports are amazing all year round, but there is simply nothing better than listening to the baseball game on the radio on a summer night, waking up early to watch Tiger struggle in the British Open, or wearing your USA colors and screaming and shouting about synchronized swimming. Bummer for the rest for only one reason, summer is the best, the best of the seasons.

Photo Cred www.rampagedreality.com

Ben - Sure, the Olympics are fantastic, that's impossible to argue against. But while you're talking about 2 weeks, everyone else is thinking big picture: consistently the best at round house kicking you in the face for 3 whole months season. It just so happens to be fall. I mean who doesn't love variety; that's what Fall is about. THREE types of football (HS/College/Pro), soccer leagues across the whole world (not giving up on soccer Eric!), Hockey, Basketball, and playoff baseball (And Baseball is the most "American" sport there is, shouldn't that just be the end of the argument? Could be, Wont be). The fall is set up for sporting events every night of the week. The amount of quality sporting action available is just wild- like riding an eagle through the mists of Valhalla during a full moon. Doesn't get much better than that!

Alright everyone, now it's your turn.  There is no way to settle this for good without having your input on the matter.  How do you help?

1. Post in the comment section of this story.
2. Vote on the poll along the right side of the blog.

Help us out, which sporting season is the best overall?!!

Left-Handed Larceny

Dy-Nasty
By Caleb Musselman

photo cred: www.bostonherald.com

It's not over til Chicago scores two in the final minute and a half. That just happened so now it's over. Whoa.

In quite possibly the most shocking 17 seconds in the history of the NHL, Chicago turned a sure Boston victory into an event that would have rivaled the quiet game played between 20,000 mice. Boston doesn't lose with a lead. They just don't. Well, they didn't until Monday.

I watched all 6 games of the NHL playoffs and plain and simple, I want more. While everyone hoped for a Penguins/Blackhawks final, Boston was readying itself for a cup run that would prove to be electric. However, Chicago, from start to finish in the shortened 2013 season, was always the team to beat.

Dominant Performances:
Patrice Bergeron

photo cred: www.barstoolsports.com

Patrice has been one of the best players on the Bruins for a few years now. However, in these playoffs, he
established himself as one of the best players in the league. A strong leader and dynamic talent both offensively and defensively, Bergeron scored 9 goals and contributed 6 assists to the Bruins finals run. At only 27 years of age, Bergeron will be a force in the league for many years to come.

Brian Bickell
Bickell scored 9 goals in all of the regular season. In the playoffs, he scored 9 goals and added 8 assists. Easily the best breakout performance of this year's playoffs, Bickell increased his trade stock immensely by proving to be an offensive threat for Chicago all throughout their cup run.

photo cred: checkingthescore.wordpress.com

Chicago's Back Line
Crawford got completely snubbed by the NHL by not receiving the Conn Smythe. Chicago's goaltending brought them through the season and all the way to the cup and Crawford was front and center for most of that. His 1.84 GAA throughout the playoffs proved enough even to oust the electric Tukka Rask for the Bruins. However, Crawford could not beat the Bruins single-handedly. Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Johnny Oduya, Niklas Hjalmarsson deserve to have their named etched into the cup twice. Known for their stellar offensive talent, Chicago's defense, matched with Crawford in net, proved to be too much for any team this season.

photo cred: www.chicagotribune.com

You all know I don't like recaps, so I tried to keep this short. If you didn't get a chance to watch any of the Finals, don't worry, they will be playing reruns for many years to come. Specifically, Game 4 and Game 6. Don't know what happened in those games? Call me and I'll let you know. For now all you need to know is that Duncan Keith's newborn baby rested in the mouth of the Cup at TD Garden on Monday night. Talk about a special day for Duncan.

When Chicago beat the Flyers in the finals in 2010 (sore subject), I said Kane and Toews were on the brink of creating a dynasty. Now they have a young goaltender who proved that he was up for the task (providing they don't ship him out like they did with Niemi). Chicago is so young and talented that they could easily win 3 or 4 more cups in the next 5-7 years. Thankfully, there should be enough parity in the league to even things out.

Who wins the cup next year? Penguins? Chicago? LA? St. Louis? The possibilities are endless. Now I just can't wait for November.

photo cred: www.thenervousbreakdown.com

Caleb Musselman is a co-founder and NHL Analyst with Sports Eye View.  He can be reached at cbmusselman@gmail.com.

Left Handed Larceny

Western Conference Final

by Eric Berkenpas

What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object? You get a Western Conference final between the Los Angeles Kings and the Chicago Blackhawks. In my mind, this is the most intriguing matchup thus far in the playoffs and the Pens and Hawks is the only series that could top it. The Kings didn't have a season even close to comparable to the Hawks but come playoff time, LA looks like the team to beat in the West after Chicago struggled with the old bearded men of Detroit. You can immediately dismiss the seeds of either of these teams because they are neck and neck. If I had to put odds on this game, they would be the same for both teams. Let's get into it!

photo cred: www.zimbio.com

Season Series

1/19/2013 CHI 5 @ LAK 2
2/17/2013 LAK 2 @ CHI 3
3/25/2013 CHI 4 @ LAK 5

#5 Los Angeles Kings

I know, I know, you are probably yelling at me in your head about putting the seed in front of LA. Well, I did so deal with it. The Kings had the tougher road to get to where they are now. Jonathan Quick was a huge question mark at the start of the playoffs because of the shaky season he had. It did not take long at all to see which Quick hit the crease. From the start of the playoffs, Quick has been lights out between the pipes. He has been by far the best goalie, posting a 1.50 GAA in 13 games including 3 shutouts. He has put this team on his back and that very fact should be very disconcerting for any opponent. Mike Richards who was virtually invisible through the season has stepped up in a big way and leads his team with 10 points in the playoffs. Jeff Carter is doing his usual thing in scoring goals and leads the team with 5. The goal scoring has been the issue though. Yes, Quick built a brick wall in front of the net, but that wall will only get this team so far. Quick needs to get some support and while the support has been enough through the first two rounds, it won't be enough this round. Anze Kopitar needs to get going. A player of his caliber should not be carrying only 2 goals and 5 assists at this point in the playoffs. Dustin Brown who was the man last year has been sleeping on the job. Getting Jarret Stoll back will be huge for the Kings as that means they can re-insert Brown into that top line and renew chemistry all over the place.

#1 Chicago Blackhawks

photo cred: www.thejerseychaser.com

Regardless of how the Hawks are playing or what the series is looking like, they always find a way to win and score when they need to, and this is what makes the Hawks so gosh darn hard to beat. They have depth all over the ice which is evidenced in the fact that their fearless leader, Jonathan Toews, has registered only 7 points in 12 games and Kane only has 9 points. Hossa and Sharp are leading the way with 11 a piece but the Hawks are getting solid contributions from the likes of Shaw, Keith, Bickell and Handzus. Corey Crawford should have shaken all the doubters by now as he has been phenomenal for the Hawks and stood up in big moments to make big saves. He seems focused and ready to lead his team to the finals but due credit must be given to the dynamic set of defensemen in front of him. Oduya, Hjalmarsson, Keith and Seabrook particularly have been playing a solid defensive game in front of Crawford, making his job easy. The power play has not been good but that comes as no surprise to anyone given that the power play wasn't good in the season. It doesn't really matter so long as you can score the 5 on 5 goals which the Hawks have proven by now that they can do. The penalty kill has been the thing that has helped Chicago to win the special teams battle. They have surrendered only 1 PPG so far and are clicking at 97.6%. That is amazing and will be crucial as the Kings have been one of the better teams on the power play in the playoffs thus far.

photo cred: www.cbc.ca

Los Angeles is going to try to get very physical against Chicago to wear them down and disrupt their pace that they like to play at. Brown will be much more involved this series. Being the captain, he is going to have to exemplify that physicality and grit all over the ice which is his bread and butter. Matt Greene is another guy who is going to have to be very active. The last time he played against the Hawks it was game 1 of the season and he had season ending injury. He needs to make his presence felt and with the Hawks powerplay being as bad as it is, he and the rest the team can afford to play on and maybe a little over the edge. Chicago is a very fast team and plays more of a finesse style of hockey but they get it done very efficiently. That flow and order is going to have to be disrupted or Quick may face a serious challenge that he might not overcome. For Chicago, they need to stick to their game plan. Sharp cooled off against Detroit but may be getting back on his game. Hossa has been a horse all playoffs and Kane and Toews need to do their thing. The Kings will be physical so Chicago may have to up their toughness a notch. Crawford will have to be sharp as the Kings have a wide variety of guys who can really bury the puck. Home ice will be a huge factor as well. The last home game the Kings have lost was March 23 but Chicago has always been a very tough team to beat in Chicago and this year is most definitely no exception. The first team to take a game on the road may well find themselves winning the series.

Chicago will win the series if they can implement their game plan and control the tempo on the ice. Toews will have to step it up and Crawford will need to continue his stellar play. Los Angeles will win the series if Quick continues his dominance and the offense can get ignited. The Kings will also need to establish their toughness and grit or the Hawks will be skating circles around them by the end if the series goes long.

photo cred: www.bleacherreport.com

Now for the fun part; the prediction. Sharp gets back on his groove and Toews leads his team with 7 points in the series. Quick plays well but not well enough. Hawks in 7.

Eric Berkenpas is the newest member of Sports Eye View and can be reached at ejberkenpas22@gmail.com

Left-Handed Larceny

Eastern Conference Final
By Caleb Musselman

The West has turned into WWIII. Fighting tooth and nail through the first two rounds, sure Cup contenders continue to fall away as blood is shed and Game 7's take their toll on the Western Conference's elite. While war is waged in the West, the East seems more like a playground kickball contest between the nerds and the athletes. 

thehockeyjunkies.blogspot.com

The big brother Penguins outran the little brother Isles and pounded Craig Anderson and Co. into quick submission. I could write an entire article on Ottawa's embarrassing performance but I'll bite my tongue. On the other side of the ice are the Bruins who tripped over themselves and found their name in the playoffs. Look mom, we didn't study for the test but did well enough to get a C- in the class. After they righted the ship in the first round in the midst of a Houdini act against Toronto, the Bruins embarrassed a poorly coached NYR team who still hasn't found their identity. Thankfully, they no longer have to worry about Tortorella distracting them on and off the ice with his 3rd grade antics. (Maybe he'll start his own cooking show called "Torts' kitchen" so he can yell and scream at people who will actually listen.) The venting is over. 

www.blacksportsonline.com

So, what are we in for in the Eastern Conference Finals? Will we finally see a series that is worth staying up past 11 to watch? One thing is for sure: The two best squads are facing each other in the ECF. Whether or not they stack up to one another is the real question. This Penguins team is the real deal. One of the best offensive squads put together in my lifetime, the Penguins have no match when it comes to scoring goals. Fleury, newly labeled "The Big Question Mark" (by me), was the one cog possibly holding them back. Well, Fleury is now holding the pom-poms while Uncle Tomas shows the boys how to play ball. The one issue I can see the Pens running into would be their offensive minded D-line. Always prepped and ready to jump into the attack, Pittsburgh has shown signs of weakness in giving up odd-man rushes off of neutral zone turnovers (thanks Geno). 

Crosby and Dupuis lead the team with 7 goals each and Dupuis can thank Crosby for almost all of those. In my opinion, they should put a new category in the stat sheet: Layups and Assisted Layups. If they did Dupuis and Kunitz would have more layups than Wilt Chamberlain and Crosby would have more AL's than John Stockton. 

ww.tallshirts.com

For Boston, Rask has a 2.22 GAA in 12 postseason games and has established himself in Boston after the mysterious disappearance of Tim Thomas. The intriguing part of Boston's game is that they seem to be scoring a decent amount of goals. Even against King Henrik, the ruler of all things crease shaped, Boston tallied 16 goals in 5 games and turned the Rangers defensive zone into a half-time shoot-around. With a very balanced scoring attack, 7 players between 3-5 goals, Boston could cause problems for the Pens. 

On the defensive end, Boston has two of the league's elite defensemen in Chara and an undervalued Dennis Seidenberg. If there is a team in the East that can potentially lock down the Potent Penguins, I believe it is this Bruins team. That is one big IF.

So what can we expect come Saturday night? First, expect a physical Bruins team (474 hits to Pittsburgh's 319) to attempt to rough up Crosby and all his BFFs. They will finish every check strong and try to wear the Penguins down from the opening face-off. Lucic, Chara and Horton lead a large Bruins team that isn't afraid to lay the shoulder. Will Pittsburgh be up for that physical challenge or will they take the finesse route and stick to their gameplan? 

www.sportsofboston.com

Second, expect Crosby to be shadowed all over the ice. The Bruins know that if Crosby gets warmed up, like he did against the Senators, they are in deep doo-doo. Consequently, look for Malkin's line to break through in the first 2 games followed by Crosby's as the series progresses. The home-ice last change will be huge in this series as the Bruins attempt to match-up Chara with Crosby on a consistent basis. Here is Bylsma's chance to prove his coaching prowess. 

Third, expect Boston to keep their game clean. Claude Julien knows he can't mess with this Pittsburgh power play. The name of the game for Boston is tough and clean. However, that is a very difficult balance to keep when emotions are high. 

Fourth, expect both goaltenders to shine. These guys proved last round that they aren't messing around. Vokoun has a sub 2.00 GAA and has only lost one game. That is a pretty decent playoff resume thus far. Rask will continue his stellar play. 

Think of the Bruins as a small child standing in front of a dam. The kid is given 5 pieces of gum and told to keep the dam in tact. Suddenly the holes start appearing in the dam one by one. At first the kid is successful and plugs all the holes. Eventually, he runs out of gum and soon he's running from a wave of water. This is going to be a great series. Two solid sides that love to compete and have experience at this stage. However, the Penguins simply have too many weapons. Match that with solid goaltending and the rest of the league is in trouble. Best case scenario for Boston is winning one out of the first 2 in Pitt and pushing this series to seven games. Worst case scenario is another quick 5-game series. I'll take the middle ground. Malkin posts 7 points in 6 games and Vokoun continues his consistent play. 

Penguins in 6. 

Caleb Musselman is a co-founder and writer for the Sports Eye View.

He can be reached at cbmusselman@gmail.com. 

Boom Goes the Dynamite!

Sports Sins: NHL

by Eric Berkenpas

Photo cred www.torontosun.com

Every sport has a very exhaustive set of rules by which that particular sport is to be governed. In Baseball, pitchers must pitch from 60' 6" away from home plate. In Football, only 11 players are allowed on the field from each team at any given time. In Soccer, the goalie is the only player who is allowed to touch the ball with his/her hands. In Hockey, you are not allowed to 1) leave your skates to make a check or 2) have the principle point of contact for a check be someone's head. Well boys and girls, Raffi Torres of the San Jose Sharks seems to skim over those rules whenever he reads through the NHL rule book, because once again, he fell victim to the Shanahammer with a big ol' Shanaban that will sit him for the remainder of their current series.

Photo cred www.usatoday.com

Raffi Torres is no stranger to league disciplinarians. He has been knocked for headshots to Jan Hejda, Brent Seabrook, Jordan Eberle and of course Marian Hossa just last year which resulted in a 25 game suspension that carried over to the beginning of this season (and got reduced to 21 games). The NHL has been taking serious strides over the last several years to try to protect players as head injuries have been happening more and more. After the 2004-2005 lockout, rules changed in the league to open up the rink and speed up the game in an attempt to make it more exciting for the fans and more importantly, bring in more fans. The plan worked to bring in more fans, but the cost was a decrease in player safety. The new rules removed a lot of protection that players had. The trapezoid behind the net serves as an area that goalies cannot play the puck outside of, forcing the defense to have to play more pucks behind the goal line, meaning they are more frequently in a vulnerable position against the boards for a check. The two-line pass rule was removed to open up the neutral zone which in turn sped up play through that zone making for bigger open ice hits. These things, among others, are currently being looked into and new ways are likely going to be created for protecting players because new rules alone are clearly not doing the trick...case in point: Raffi Torres.

Let's look at the hit:

          

Doesn't take eagle vision to see that Torres was clearly targeting Stoll's head the entire time. Just a year ago, this is the hit that really earned Torres a bad rep:

          

For the sake of your time and space on this article, I will not post videos of all his other illegal hits, but you get the point. There is no room in the NHL for this type of play. These players all do this for a living and most of them have families and a long life to live after hockey is over. Brain injuries are notorious for causing very long term damage and side effects that can sometimes last forever. There are not many players in the league right now who play with this kind of unharnessed aggression and carelessness but for the ones that are, and Raffi Torres is most definitely one of them, their place in the league needs to be very seriously assessed. If you ask me, I think the guy should be tossed from the league. He has shown over and over and over again that he just doesn't care about the safety of others or simply does not have the self control and restraint to stop himself. Either way, he is a danger to everyone around him and has enough of a history of incidents to, in my mind, warrant his removal. There is not a single group of people or individuals who benefit from injuries and while many are accidental and cannot be helped, this one could have.