Author Archives: Jaden Teja

Ranking The 5 Best NFL Draft Classes Since 2000

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In case you didn’t know, the NFL draft is just a few weeks away, with the first round taking place on April 24th. The draft is often considered the most important part of the offseason, especially for teams with a high pick. Why? Having a great draft can turn a team from a rebuilder to a contender instantly, while a bad draft can keep teams stuck in mediocrity. We saw just last year the Washington Commanders make it to the NFC Championship game after finishing with the second-worst record the year before. So many draft classes have changed franchises around, and in this article, I’m going to highlight them. I’m going to be ranking the top draft classes since 2000.

1. 2012 Seattle Seahawks

Key Players: Russell Wilson, Bobby Wagner, Bruce Irvin

This draft class put the exclamation point on the Seahawks’ rebuild. The Seahawks drafted two future Hall of Famers, and neither of them was a first-round pick. How many teams can you name who’ve done that? Bobby Wagner is one of the best linebackers of all time; he’s an 11-time All-Pro, with six of those being first-team All-Pro. You know about the Legion of Boom, Seattle’s legendary secondary from 2012-2016, but without Wagner, the defense wouldn’t have become what it is today. During his time in Seattle, Wagner led the NFL in tackles three separate times. Anytime you can draft your franchise quarterback in the third round, your draft is already a success. Well, Russell Wilson over-delivered, taking Seattle to two Super Bowls, winning one, and being a top-five quarterback for the better part of a decade during his time in Seattle. The Seahawks also drafted Bruce Irvin, Jeremy Lane, and J.R. Sweezy, who all were starters and played vital roles in Seattle’s back-to-back Super Bowl appearances in 2013 and 2014. This draft class will not only go down as one of the best of the 2000s but as one of the best of all time.

2. 2017 New Orleans Saints

Key Players: Alvin Kamara, Marshon Lattimore, Ryan Ramczyk

After three straight seasons of missing the playoffs, it seemed like the Saints were going to waste Drew Brees’s final prime seasons. Boy, did the Saints change that in the 2017 draft. They drafted multiple elite players, including three who’ve made at least three Pro Bowls, Alvin Kamara, Marshon Lattimore, and Trey Hendrickson. They also drafted a three-time All-Pro in Ryan Ramczyk. Six of the seven players the Saints drafted made an immediate impact, highlighted by Kamara and Lattimore, who respectively won Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year. This draft set up the Saints for four straight 10-plus-win seasons, including a trip to the 2018 NFC Championship game. (We aren’t going to talk about the missed pass interference call.) It’s safe to say that this draft by the Saints is up there with some of the best ever. It may have taken the number one spot if it resulted in a Super Bowl.

3. 2018 Baltimore Ravens

Key Players: Lamar Jackson, Mark Andrews, Orlando Brown

The Baltimore Ravens hadn’t made the playoffs in three seasons prior to 2018. They hadn’t won their division in six years and needed a change. The Ravens had the last pick of the first round in the draft, and they made a franchise-altering pick, they drafted Lamar Jackson, and oh, did it ever pay off. Two MVPs and three All-Pro selections later, it’s looking to be one of the best draft picks in franchise history, and that’s not all. In the third round, the Ravens drafted right tackle Orlando Brown, who made two Pro Bowls during his time in Baltimore, and three picks later, they drafted Mark Andrews, who is one of the best tight ends in the NFL and broke the record for most receiving touchdowns in Ravens history.

4. 2004 Arizona Cardinals

Key Players: Larry Fitzgerald, Darnell Dockett, Karlos Dansby

Anytime you draft one of the best players of all time at their position, it automatically makes it a great draft class. But when you draft other players who’ve made a key impact on your team’s Super Bowl run, it makes it one of the best of all time. Larry Fitzgerald’s resume speaks for itself. Over 17,000 receiving yards, 121 touchdowns, and over 1,400 catches, second only to Jerry Rice. But Fitzgerald wasn’t the only splash the Cardinals made in this draft. They also took defensive standouts Karlos Dansby in the second round and Darnell Dockett in the third round. Both players made multiple Pro Bowls and played key parts in the Cardinals making a Super Bowl appearance in 2008.

 

5. 2010 Seattle Seahawks

Key Players: Earl Thomas, Kam Chancellor, Golden Tate

Yup, the Seahawks have two draft classes on my list, and they’ve earned them. In this draft, they took both Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor, who combined for 11 Pro Bowls and seven All-Pro selections in the 2010s. They were easily the top safety duo in the NFL during their time together and were two of the biggest reasons the Seahawks had one of the best defenses of all time. Seattle also took left tackle Russell Okung, who started 72 games for the team and made a Pro Bowl, as well as Golden Tate in the second round, who was an electrifying receiver and one of Russell Wilson’s top targets during Seattle’s Super Bowl run in 2013.

That’s my list. Is there anyone I missed? Let me know in the comments below.

The Best Defensemen To Never Win A Norris Trophy

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Whenever you compare elite defensemen, the first thing you often look at is how many Norris Trophies they have. The Norris Trophy is the benchmark for an elite defenseman, similar to what Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux did with scoring titles and Art Ross Trophies. Bobby Orr, Nicklas Lidstrom, and Ray Bourque did the same with the Norris Trophies—winning them all. This left many great defensemen without the recognition they deserve. There are so many great defensemen who not only would have won one Norris Trophy, but could have won multiple, if only they had played in different eras. With Lidstrom, Orr, and Bourque robbing so many different defensemen of their Norris Trophies, I thought I’d give them their well-deserved recognition.

Brad Park
Either you’ve never heard of Brad Park, or you know him as the guy who kept losing to Bobby Orr in the Norris Trophy race. Park finished as a finalist seven times. That’s right, seven. He lost to Orr five times and to Dennis Potvin twice. Park was one of the best two-way defensemen ever; he could skate and move the puck very well. He scored at least 20 goals three times, and his season-high in points was 82. But unfortunately, he was like the Washington Generals are to the Harlem Globetrotters,always the bridesmaid, never the bride.

Scott Stevens
You know Stevens as the hard-hitting shutdown defenseman for the New Jersey Devils. Stevens captained the Devils to three Stanley Cups, and he won a Conn Smythe in 2000. Stevens was one of the best defensemen in the 2000s, with five seasons of at least 60 points, including a 78-point campaign in 1994, which is still the Devils’ record for points in a season by a defenseman. Stevens finished top five in Norris Trophy voting seven times and was a runner-up twice.

Larry Murphy
Murphy is one of the best offensive defensemen of all time. Out the gate, Murphy set the record for most points in a season by a rookie defenseman. He scored at least 20 goals and 70 points five times. Murphy finished his career fifth all-time in defensemen scoring and sixth all-time in goals. You would think with those accolades he would have a couple of Norris Trophies, right? Unfortunately for Murphy, he played in an era with Ray Bourque and Paul Coffey, who took all the hardware that Murphy would have won. Murphy finished third in Norris voting twice.

Mark Howe
Mr. Hockey’s son was quite the defenseman himself. Howe was a great all-around defenseman who excelled in every situation. Five-on-five, short-handed, and on the power play, Howe was great at them all. He was the anchor on the back end for the Philadelphia Flyers and took them to three Stanley Cup finals. He scored 20 goals three times and hit the 80-point plateau twice. But Howe finished as a three-time runner-up in Norris voting, and that’s why he’s often forgotten in talks regarding the best defensemen of the 80s.

Phil Housley 

This man simply put up points year after year. Housley’s numbers are mind-blowing, six 20-goal seasons, including a 30-goal season, and in 1993 he recorded 97 points. Housley finished his career fourth all-time in scoring and goals by a defenseman. However, the closest he ever came to a Norris Trophy was a third-place finish in 1992.

That’s my list. Is there anyone I missed? Let me know in the comments below.

Forgotten Superstars: The 5 Most Under Appreciated Players In NHL History

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Underrated: Not rated or valued highly enough. When you hear the term “underrated,” there are probably a few players that immediately come to mind. Whenever you rank players, I’m sure there are players you don’t rank highly enough, or when you hear their name, you probably think to yourself, “Oh yeah, that guy, he’s super underrated.” Today, I’m here to talk about those forgotten superstars and give them their well-deserved flowers. Whether they’re players who were overshadowed by other superstars who played with them, or players who never nearly got the respect they should have when they were playing, here are the most underrated players in NHL history, in my opinion.

1. Marcel Dionne
Is it crazy to call the player who is sixth all-time in points and goals underrated? When it comes to Marcel Dionne, it might not be. Even with his legendary career, he’s often considered the NHL’s most forgotten superstar. For most people, when you think about the all-time points and goal leaders, Dionne is often a name that slips people’s minds. Dionne’s prime was in an era dominated by Phil Esposito in the 70s, and in the mid-80s, dominated by Wayne Gretzky. So, he wasn’t winning too many major awards, although he did win the Art Ross in 1979. Dionne is also the highest-scoring player to never win a Stanley Cup. Dionne had the fifth-most points in the 70s and the third-most in the 80s. He is also tied for second all-time in 50-goal seasons with six. If Dionne had managed to win a cup in his career, it would have helped his legacy tremendously, but he still had a legendary career that most people forget about.

2.Dale Hawerchuk
Another player whose name is forgotten due to Gretzky’s dominance. When you think about the original Winnipeg Jets, the first name that should come to mind is Dale Hawerchuk. From the moment he was drafted first overall in 1981, Hawerchuk changed the trajectory of the Winnipeg Jets. He won the Calder Trophy at 18 years old and took the Jets to the playoffs. He had at least 100 points in six of his first seven seasons in the NHL and finished in the top seven in Hart Trophy voting four times as the league’s MVP. Hawerchuk was the 23rd player in NHL history to hit the 500-goal plateau and finished his career with 1409 points, which was good for 10th all-time when he retired. Hawerchuk is easily one of the most underrated players in history.

3.Adam Oates
Adam Oates is often regarded as one of the best playmakers of all time, but I don’t think you know just how good Oates truly was. I’m sure you know all about Brett Hull’s legendary career with the St. Louis Blues, and Hull scored 86 goals in 1991. Who was passing him the puck? That’s right, it was Adam Oates. Oates led the NHL in assists three times in his career and had two seasons with more than 90 assists. He had the second-most points in the 90s and is eighth all-time in assists. Oates only had four 100-point seasons, but his assist numbers are legendary, and he’s a player who should be talked about more.

4.Kevin Stevens
When you think about the Pittsburgh Penguins teams from the 90s, you probably think about Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr, Paul Coffey, and probably even Tom Barrasso before Kevin Stevens comes to mind. Although his prime wasn’t the longest, Stevens played a vital role in the Penguins’ back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 1991 and 1992. In 91 and 92, Stevens had back-to-back 50-goal seasons and was the Robin to Lemieux’s Batman. Stevens even finished eighth in Hart Trophy voting in 1992. Stevens was the perfect linemate for Lemieux before injuries took over, and his contributions to those 90s Penguins teams shouldn’t be overlooked.

5.Bernie Federko
If I asked you to name the all-time leading scorer for the St. Louis Blues, you would probably assume it was Brett Hull. It’s actually Bernie Federko. Federko isn’t a household name outside of St. Louis. He was never among the league leaders in scoring; he was just someone who would consistently put up points. In his 14-year career, Federko put up at least 90 points seven times. He also scored at least 30 goals seven times. Outside of 1986, the Blues never made deep playoff runs, so Federko’s name was never in the forefront of people’s minds. But his numbers back it up, and Federko is easily one of the most under appreciated players ever.

This is my list of the most underrated players ever. Did I miss anyone? Let me know in the comments below.

Top 5 Greatest Goal Scorers In NHL History

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Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’re probably well aware that Alexander Ovechkin is really close to breaking Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goal record. I don’t know about you, but I never thought that any of Gretzky’s records would be broken, and Ovechkin’s on pace to smash it. Whether it happens this year or early next year, Ovechkin is going to cement himself in the history books. This poses the question, does this officially make Alexander Ovechkin the greatest goal scorer of all time? If it isn’t Ovechkin, who is? That’s what I’m here to discuss,the five greatest goal scorers of all time. It’s not a list of who has the most goals, but pure snipers, guys who just put the puck in the back of the net effortlessly. Without further ado, here we go.

1. Alex Ovechkin

Ok, seriously, did you think I was going to put anybody else at number one? He’s literally about to break a record many people didn’t think was ever going to be broken. Ovechkin also has the most Rocket Richard trophies as the league’s leading goal scorer with nine. He’s tied with the most 50-goal seasons with nine as well. He has the most 40-goal seasons with 13 and is tied for fifth all-time in goals per game. Outside of the shortened COVID season in 2021, he’s never scored less than 31 goals. If you’re still not convinced after hearing those stats, remember he’s still not done. Even though he is 39, Ovechkin’s not showing any signs of slowing down. He could easily finish his career with over 930 career goals. There is no doubt that Alexander Ovechkin is the greatest goal scorer of all time.

2. Mike Bossy

The boss of the goals is the all-time leader in goals per game. If you haven’t seen these stats before, prepare to be amazed. In just 10 seasons, Bossy scored at least 51 goals nine years in a row. He’s tied for the most 60-goal seasons, doing it five times. He’s tied for the most 50-goal seasons and led the NHL in goals twice. It’s a shame that back injuries cut Bossy’s career short. But in only 752 games, he put the puck in the back of the net 573 times. Want to have your mind blown even more? In an 82-game season, Bossy would average 62 goals per season. Yup, you read that right. Bossy’s not just a regular season producer either, he led the playoffs in goals three times as well. Even in a shorter career than we would have liked, Bossy still proved himself to be one of the best pure scorers the NHL has ever seen.

3. Brett Hull

When you first read the title of this article, I bet you were wondering where I was going to put Brett Hull. For good reason, because for most people, when you think about pure goal scorers in NHL history, Brett Hull is often the first person that comes to mind. Hull is fifth all-time in goals and ninth all-time in goals per game, one spot above his dad. Hull has three 60-goal seasons, which is good for third all-time. Five 50-goal seasons, where he is also tied for third all-time, and eight 40-goal seasons, where he is tied for fifth all-time. What really pushed Hull into the top three for me was his stretch from 1990-94. He scored 72, 86, 70, 54, and 57. Let’s just focus on those three 70-plus goal years. Yup, those are real. Hull had three consecutive years scoring 70 goals. In 1991, what really sticks out to me is that he scored 86 goals. That’ll forever be mind-boggling to me. Say whatever you want about Hull, but he knew how to light the lamp, that’s for sure.

4. Wayne Gretzky

C’mon, did you really think I was going to leave him off the list? Even though you might think of Gretzky as more of a playmaker, it’s hard to ignore his goal-scoring records. Outside of him having the most goals of all time, Gretzky also has the most goals in a season with 92. He’s tied for the most 60-goal seasons with five and tied for the most 50-goal seasons with 9. The Great One started out his career with eight consecutive years scoring at least 50 goals. He also scored 50 goals in 39 games. He scored 50 before anyone else in the league had 30. Imagine if he continued primarily being a goal scorer? He may have hit 1100 goals. But I’m not ranking off of hypotheticals. Gretzky’s 92-goal season is something I’m very confident will never be broken, and his dominance in his early years makes his case quite strong to crack my list.

5. Maurice “Rocket” Richard

He literally has a trophy named after him. Starting in 1999, the NHL awarded the player who scored the most goals that season the Rocket Richard Trophy. Rightfully so. Richard was the NHL’s first-ever pure sniper. He was the first player to ever score 50 goals in a season, and he was also the first player to ever score 50 goals in his team’s first 50 games. Richard also led the NHL in goals five times. I know he played in a different era, but that shouldn’t discredit him. What put the icing on the cake for me, for putting Richard in the top five, was that Richard finished his career with 544 goals. That is still the Montreal Canadiens’ all-time record. The most historic franchise in NHL history, and with so many great players and hall of famers that have come after him, none of them have been able to break Richard’s record, which was set in the 60s. If that doesn’t convince you, I don’t know what will.

Honorable Mentions: Phil Esposito, Marcel Dionne, Gordie Howe, Pavel Bure, Mike Gartner, Mario Lemieux

I can hear you typing already, “How could you leave _____ off the list?” I didn’t just go by stats. I went by which players I believe are the best pure goal scorers. Feel like I missed anyone obvious? Leave a comment below.

The 3 Most Improbable Stanley Cup Champions

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Whether you’re a fan of the current playoff format or not, the one thing you can’t deny is that the teams that make the playoffs all deserve to get in. Once the playoffs begin, everyone starts fresh at 0-0. Throw the records and seeds out the window because none of that matters. It’s pretty much a brand new season. In a best-of-seven series, the only thing that matters is which team wins four games first. What I like to say is, “If you’re in the dance, you have a chance.” Over the course of NHL history, we’ve seen some crazy upsets. Now, upsetting a higher-seeded team is one thing, but then going on to win the Stanley Cup is another. So get ready, because I’m going to be ranking the most unlikely Stanley Cup winners.

  1. 2019 St. Louis Blues

The 2019 St. Louis Blues were the 5th seed heading into the playoffs, but in case you forgot, they were dead last in the NHL on January 3rd. Yup, you read that right. They were last in the entire league at the start of the new year. So what changed? A coaching change in mid-December was part of it, but the biggest reason was Jordan Binnington. You may think of Binnington as a hothead and as a solid goalie, but not an elite one. Let me remind you of the miraculous run he went on in 2019.

Once Binnington became the starter in early January, he posted a record of 24-5-1 with a 1.89 goals-against average, a .927 save percentage, and five shutouts. Isn’t that absolutely bonkers? The Blues won 30 of their last 45 games in the regular season, finishing with 99 points and tying for second in their division, setting up a first-round matchup with the Winnipeg Jets. The Jets started off the season strong but were stumbling near the start of the playoffs. But the Blues were the exact opposite; they were the hottest team in the league and were looking to make a statement.

Personally, I’ve always found these matchups the most dangerous. When the lower-seeded team is playing better than the higher-seeded team heading into the playoffs, doesn’t it feel like there’s bound to be an upset? That’s exactly what happened. St. Louis overcame a 2-0 deficit in game five, with Jaden Schwartz scoring with 15 seconds left, giving the Blues a 3-2 series lead. Then, they took care of business in game six on home ice. However, things would only get tougher. In round two, they went to overtime in game seven against the Dallas Stars.

Where St. Louis native Patrick Maroon would be the overtime hero, sending the Blues to the Western Conference final. In the Western Conference final, they would face the San Jose Sharks, who were poised to win the Cup after acquiring Erik Karlsson in the offseason and coming back from a 3-1 series deficit to the Vegas Golden Knights in round one.

The Blues would beat them in six games, advancing to the Stanley Cup for the first time since 1970, ironically against the team they lost to in 1970, the Boston Bruins. But unlike in 1970, history would not repeat itself. This was a super physical series with every game featuring bone-crushing hits, but at the end, it was the Blues coming away with their first-ever Stanley Cup in a hard-fought series that went all the way to game seven. With all of the circumstances they went through, from firing their coach, starting a rookie goalie, then winning two seven-game series, and don’t forget they were also last in the NHL at one point. I think the Blues are easily the most improbable Stanley Cup champions.

2.  2012 Los Angeles Kings

On paper, the 2012 LA Kings were a really good team. They had Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown, Justin Williams, Drew Doughty, who was one of the best defensemen in the NHL, and one of the best goalies in the NHL in Jonathan Quick. For some reason, things weren’t clicking for the Kings. In late December, they fired head coach Terry Murray and replaced him with Darryl Sutter. But the Kings needed more offensive firepower. Before the trade deadline, they were 29th in goals scored. So they went out and traded for Jeff Carter from the Columbus Blue Jackets. They went on a 25-17-7 run and snuck into the 8th seed in the Western Conference on the last day of the season.

I’m sorry if you’re a Canucks fan, but I have to bring this up. The Kings were set for a date with the back-to-back Presidents’ Trophy champions, the Vancouver Canucks. However, the Canucks were still without Daniel Sedin, as he was recovering from that infamous elbow from Duncan Keith. The Kings got up 3-0 in the series, and Jarett Stoll won the series in overtime in game five. The Kings won all three games in Vancouver, and this was just the start for them.

They would go on to sweep the St. Louis Blues and then beat the Phoenix Coyotes in five games. Heading into the Stanley Cup final, the Kings had only lost two games. Isn’t that absolutely nuts? In the finals, they would play the New Jersey Devils. The Kings got out to another 3-0 lead after winning games one and two in overtime. But the Devils would claw back and make it a series, winning games four and five.

In game six, Steve Bernier took a boarding penalty, which ended up being a major, and the Kings received a five-minute power play. The Kings scored three goals on the man advantage and demolished the Devils on their way to their first ever Stanley Cup.

What makes the Kings’ run so improbable is that they barely snuck into the playoffs. One or two bounces don’t go their way, and they don’t get in, and history is altered forever. But that’s not how it played out, and the Kings etched their way into the history books as the lowest-seeded team ever to win the Cup.

3. 1993 Montreal Canadiens

Two words, Patrick. Roy. You want to know how the Montreal Canadiens won the Stanley Cup in 1993? Look no further than the man in the blue paint ,Patrick Roy. Even though they finished with the sixth-best record in the NHL, the Montreal Canadiens weren’t expected to win the Stanley Cup. Despite Vincent Damphousse having 97 points and Kirk Muller having 94, the Habs didn’t necessarily have the offensive firepower other teams did.

Even though the Canadiens got down 2-0 in their first-round series against one of their biggest rivals, the Quebec Nordiques, that didn’t phase Roy. Montreal came back and won the series in six games. They would sweep the Sabres in the second round and then face the New York Islanders in the third round. The Islanders upset Mario Lemieux’s Penguins in the second round, and the Habs beat them in five games. So who was their opponent in the finals? None other than Wayne Gretzky and the Los Angeles Kings.

Montreal lost game one, and in game two was the infamous illegal stick. Trailing late in the third period, the Canadiens called to check Kings defenseman Marty McSorley for an illegal curve. They were successful and tied the game on the power play, then fittingly won the game in overtime. Montreal would win the series in five games, capturing their 24th Stanley Cup.

You might be wondering what Patrick Roy’s playoff stats were. Roy finished the playoffs with a .929 save percentage and a whopping 2.13 goals-against average on his way to securing his second Conn Smythe trophy. So what made their run so memorable? The Canadiens won a record 10 overtime games in the playoffs. That’s right, 10. Not only that, but they did it on the back of their goalie. Usually, goalies who carry their teams far in the playoffs fizzle out later on, but Roy seemed to get stronger, and Montreal won the Cup, being the last Canadian team to do so.

So those are the most improbable Stanley Cup winners, in my opinion. Disagree? Let me know in the comments!

The NHL’s 2016 Free Agency Class…Yikes

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If you read my previous article about some of the best contracts in the NHL, if you haven’t  you can check it out HERE. You would have saw that I mentioned the infamous Loui Eriksson signing the Canucks made back in 2016, and like I said in that article, I’m not bitter… I promise. But when I was thinking about how bad the Eriksson signing was, he arguably wasn’t even the worst free agent signing that year. The 2016 free agency class is often regarded as one of the worst of all time. As I mentioned in my other article, general managers get desperate and throw a lot of money at players during free agency. Sometimes that works out, but most times it doesn’t. The contracts age horribly. 2016 took that to another level, so sit back and relax as I take you through and rank some of the worst contracts given out in the summer of 2016.

  1. Loui Eriksson Six-Years $36 Million – Vancouver Canucks

Okay, let’s get the big one out of the way. Loui Eriksson to the Canucks. His play on the ice is beside the point because a rebuilding team signing a 30-year-old winger whose best days were behind him made no sense in the first place. I think the perfect play to sum up Eriksson’s time in Vancouver happened in his very first game, where he scored an own goal. If that’s not a bad omen, I don’t know what is. Eriksson only had 24 points in 65 games in his first season in Vancouver. The stat that depresses me the most about Eriksson’s time in Vancouver is that the year before we signed him, he scored 30 goals in Boston. He didn’t score 30 goals in total as a Canuck until midway through 2018. I don’t want to rip into Eriksson too much because management were the ones who signed him to that deal. Eriksson’s hefty cap hit was one of the main reasons the Canucks weren’t able to re-sign Tyler Toffoli, Chris Tanev, and Jacob Markstrom in 2020. The Canucks shipped Eriksson off to Arizona with only one year remaining on his deal, officially marking the end of an era that Canucks fans will hope to try and forget. Eriksson ended up finishing his time in Vancouver with 38 goals, 52 assists, for a total of 90 points in 252 games… yikes.

       2. Milan Lucic Seven-Years $42 Million – Edmonton Oilers 

At one point in time, Lucic was one of the best power forwards in the NHL. After a one-year stint with the Los Angeles Kings, where he scored 20 goals and put up 55 points, Lucic was looking for a big contract. Boy, did he ever get that. The Edmonton Oilers saw Lucic as the perfect linemate for Connor McDavid for seven years to come. Yeah, I know, crazy to think about that now. However, Lucic’s first year in Edmonton wasn’t horrible, he scored 23 goals and had 50 points. Edmonton went to the second round of the playoffs, and McDavid won his first Hart Trophy and scoring title. But it quickly went downhill from there. In Lucic’s second season, he only scored 10 goals and put up 34 points. He also played the whole season, which is quite the dropoff if you ask me. The year after he scored six goals before being traded to Calgary. Lucic would play out the rest of his contract in Calgary, but he never lived up to his contract. Even though his contract was longer than Eriksson’s, Lucic was at least still in the lineup contributing in some way. Eriksson was a healthy scratch a lot of the time, which is why I have Eriksson ranked above Lucic.

  1. David Backes Five-Years $30 Million -Boston Bruins

The Bruins signing Backes may seem a bit more justified than the previous two signings I mentioned, but at the same time, not really. Sure, the Bruins were a contending team, and Backes was one of the best two-way centers in the league, so the signing on paper may have made sense… maybe. But what I can’t justify is giving a 30-year-old center who’s been dealing with injuries and whose best days looked to be behind him that lengthy of a contract at six million per season. Throw in the fact that the Bruins already had Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci locked up long-term as well, who were also two of the best two-way centers in the NHL. Signing Backes was sort of like putting a hat on a hat, it was just unnecessary, and it would have been smarter to spend that money elsewhere. The icing on the cake was that Backes was a healthy scratch in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final. Not what you want to see out of a player making six million dollars. Luckily, the Bruins were able to move on from Backes’s contract by trading him to Anaheim in 2020.

  1. Frans Nielsen Six-Years $31.5 Million – Detroit Red Wings

Detroit was hoping to be a front-runner for Steven Stamkos in free agency so they could add an elite center to their roster. Unfortunately for them and several other teams, Stamkos never even hit free agency and signed an eight-year extension in Tampa Bay. So, like everyone else, Detroit had to go for plan B. That was Frans Nielsen… because the perfect consolation prize for Steven Stamkos was a 32-year-old center who had never eclipsed more than 58 points in a season. Nielsen was already starting to regress in his last couple of years with the New York Islanders. That continued in Detroit, in his first year in the Motor City, he only had 41 points. In his second year, he had 33. It became pretty clear that Nielsen was not the answer the Red Wings were hoping for. Detroit ended up buying out the final year of Nielsen’s contract.

 5. Andrew Ladd Seven-Years $38.5 Million New York Islanders

This signing perfectly sums up Garth Snow’s tenure as general manager of the New York Islanders. Let your original player in Kyle Okposo walk for nothing, then try to replace him with an aging veteran in Andrew Ladd. Ladd’s best days were clearly behind him and he was never the gritty top-six forward the Islanders were hoping for. Ladd played a physical style of hockey his whole career, I know this all too well as a Canucks fan. His playing style was starting to catch up to him as the injuries began to pile up. The Islanders placed him on waivers three years into the deal, and then traded him to the Coyotes as a cap dump. All in all, a terrible move for the Islanders.

Looking back at these signings, I can’t help but think that these were players GM’s were hoping would help them win Stanley Cups. But I guess hindsight is 20/20. Did I miss anything? Who do you think is a horrible free agency signing?

5 Of The Best Contracts Signed In The NHL Since 2010

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Doesn’t it seem that whenever a player signs a free agent contract or a contract extension with their current team, it’s always the bad contracts that stick out? People always try to find the negative, especially with contracts that are longer term. Whether they think it’s too long or too much money, the negative focus is inevitable. As a Canucks fan, I can attest to this, especially during the Jim Benning era. I’m not just talking about the Loui Eriksson contract. It seemed like every July 1st, I was holding my breath, hoping he wouldn’t sign a contract that would set our franchise back another five years.

Obviously, teams tend to overpay players at the start of free agency, and a lot of those contracts end up being terrible. Either they handicap teams for years to come, or they end up being traded or bought out soon after being signed. Even when teams extend players, some of them age like milk—often because teams pay a player after a small sample size. However, this isn’t always the case. There have been a lot of good contracts that have been handed out as well—some really great contracts that have helped teams win cups by managing the salary cap so well. These contracts rarely get the recognition they deserve, so that’s what this article is for. I want to change that. I’m going to be sharing some of the best contracts in the NHL since 2010. Note, that this is not in order, and some of these players are still playing on these current contracts.

Sidney Crosby 12-year $104.4 million signed in 2012 

Any contract Crosby got wasn’t going to be a bad one, but getting him for only $8.7 million for over a decade is straight robbery. Crosby’s superstition with the number 87 allowed the Pittsburgh Penguins to build a great team around him, win two more Stanley Cups, and acquire other star players to make deep playoff runs. Especially with the contracts, not just for star players, but second and third liners, Crosby’s contract looks better and better each year. Crosby’s contract will go down as one of the best in NHL history.

Cale Makar Six-year $54 million signed in 2021

Obviously, we know Cale Makar as one of the top defensemen in the NHL today. The same thing that applies to Crosby applies to him as well. Whatever contract he signed wasn’t going to be bad. He, along with Nathan MacKinnon, are the two biggest reasons for the Colorado Avalanche’s success. But what made Makar’s contract such a bargain wasn’t the salary he was making—it was the salary that other defensemen who got paid around the same time were making. When Makar signed this deal, you could argue that he was the best defenseman in the NHL, or at the very least, top three. Someone you couldn’t even fathom putting in that conversation was Seth Jones. The day before Makar signed his deal, Jones signed an eight-year contract with the Chicago Blackhawks, making $9.5 million per year. Not long after, Darnell Nurse signed an eight-year extension with the Edmonton Oilers worth $9.25 million per year. Yes, we can take a second to laugh at those two contracts. But it was mind-blowing that Makar was making less money than them. Obviously, his next contract will hit double digits in AAV, but it’s still astounding that the Avalanche were able to sign Makar for only $9 million per year.

Leon Draisaitl Eight-year contract  $68 million dollars signed in 2017

Draisaitl was a star in the league when the Edmonton Oilers inked him to this contract, but obviously not the superstar that he is today. At the time of signing, you could argue that it might have been an overpay. Before he signed this deal, his career high for points in a season was only 77, which is still good, but it might not have warranted the $8.5 million AAV that he was getting. The Oilers were banking on him breaking out to make the salary a bit more justified, and boy, did he ever. Six 100-point seasons, a Hart, and an Art Ross Trophy later, Draisaitl’s contract became one of the best in the NHL. I don’t even think the Oilers thought he was going to be this good. Draisaitl is a top-five player in the world, minimum. Unfortunately, the Oilers failed to put a competent team around him and Connor McDavid during the early years of his contract. Draisaitl signed an eight-year, $14 million per year extension with the Oilers this year, which seems a lot more reasonable.

Nathan Mackinnon Seven-year contract $44.1 million dollars signed in 2016

At the time Nathan MacKinnon signed this contract, his career high for points in a season was only 63, which he did as a rookie. So the Avalanche took a huge chance on him turning into a superstar when they signed him for seven years at $6.3 million per season. Two years after signing the contract, MacKinnon turned into an MVP finalist and one of the best players in the NHL. His $6.3 million salary was highway robbery. The Avalanche capitalized on this by winning the Stanley Cup in 2022 and building a contending team around him year after year. Oh, what a luxury it must have been to have one of the best players in the league for only $300 thousand more than what Loui Eriksson was making. I promise I’m not bitter.

Quinn Hughes Six-year $47.1 million-dollars signed in 2021

The Canucks were in contract negotiations with superstar Elias Pettersson along with Hughes in the summer of 2021. They signed them on the same day, but Pettersson only ended up getting a three-year bridge deal, while Hughes got a long-term deal. Boy, are the Canucks lucky with that. After a rocky 2021, Hughes broke out and established himself as a top defenseman in the NHL. He kept getting better and better each year and won the Norris Trophy in 2024. The only bad part is that Hughes is going to be breaking the bank when his contract is over in two years, but it’ll be well-deserved. Hughes is the best player on the Canucks, and prior to his injury, he was in the Hart Trophy discussion.

Do you think I missed anyone? Leave a comment below.

Warriors offence leads the way in huge win vs. Swarm

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Sitting one game behind Georgia in the standings, the Vancouver Warriors beat the Swarm 15-13 for a huge victory. It was a tight game, even though Vancouver had a five-goal lead late in the third quarter. Georgia continued to battle to cut its deficit to one with 2:07 left in the fourth quarter. With the Swarm doing everything it could to get the equalizer, every person in Rogers Arena was on their feet, and the Warriors stood tall for the win. 

To say that it’s a big win for the Warriors is a massive understatement, especially since these tight games have been an Achilles’ heel. Four of Vancouver’s seven losses this season are by two goals or less. It was the type of game that great teams find ways to win. Vancouver got over the hump and broke through, finding a way to win a tight game and increase its playoff chances. Head coach and general manager Curt Malawsky was pleased with how his team was able to win such a close affair. 

“We had (the Swarm) in pretty good control and we let it slip a little bit, but that’s the NLL. (Lacrosse is) a game of runs, momentum shifts all through it. Earlier in the year (we lost) not because we didn’t care, but because we folded, and we lost those games. (Tonight), we just stayed resilient, we just stayed (with) the process. It’s just a big team effort, but I do think that you put scars on your body throughout a season and this is a scar that we’re proud to have because we got through it.” 

Vancouver scored a season-high 15 goals against the Swarm and has scored at least 12 in four of its last six games. Early in the year, the Warriors were mainly winning games because of their defence. Now their offence has started to come alive, making them even more of a threat in the National Lacrosse League. Ryan Martel and Marcus Klarich had five points each, with Martel scoring four goals and Klarich potting three. Klarich thinks there’s one big improvement with the Warriors’ offence during this current stretch. 

“Ball movement. It’s massive for us right now. When we weren’t scoring goals, we weren’t moving the ball well, so now that we’re constantly moving it (and) cutting through the middle, it’s just opening up so much for us. That’s what we just continue to look for.” 

Klarich is one of the reasons for Vancouver’s offence finding a new gear, as he is fourth on the team in goals with 15 and sixth on the team in points with 26. As for Martel, the season that he’s having this year is like last year, where his production is picking up in the second half of the season, and at the time of year his team needs it the most. 

Malawsky had high praise for Martel’s performance against the Swarm. “He got the game-ball tonight. He goes to the dirty areas. Earlier in the year, he was kind of playing a little bit (on the) perimeter and then he got back to what he did last season. (Martel’s) a competitor, a guy that we need to score. We need his contribution. We had it last year, we missed it early in the season. Now it’s back.”  

“(Martel’s) a heart-and-soul type guy, and if you look around our room, that’s what we kind of built – guys that really want to put their best effort for the team and the front of the jersey, and he’s no different. I think with his size and his stature, and when he gets in there and gets dirty, I think the guys can step up and appreciate that,” Malawsky added. 

You can’t talk about the Warriors offence without mentioning Keegan Bal. He’s been elite all season, and Saturday’s game against Georgia might have been his best of the season. He created chances all over the turf and dominated the Swarm. Bal had three goals and nine assists, recording a point on all but three of Vancouver’s goals. It’s something his coach isn’t even surprised by anymore, as crazy as it sounds. Malawsky feels everyone on the team can learn and be motivated by Bal’s performances. 

“He’s not a perimeter guy. He can hit you from the outside with his shots, but he gets in the middle hard and he’s a heart-and-soul guy out there. I think it just translates through the team. When he plays that hard, everyone’s (got to) step up their game.” 

Vancouver has its hands full next week as the Warriors fly to Buffalo to face the first-place Bandits. With the playoff race as tight as it is, expect Vancouver to have one of its best games and continue riding the recent momentum. 

Looking At The Seahawks Hectic Offseason

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If you’re a Seattle Seahawks fan like myself, you know how chaotic this offseason has been. “Chaotic” may even be an understatement with what general manager John Schneider has been cooking up. So far, the Seahawks have already fired their offensive coordinator, traded their quarterback and star receiver, cut a franchise legend, signed a new quarterback to a 100-million-dollar contract, and signed a former Super Bowl MVP. If you think that’s crazy, we still haven’t even had the draft yet. If you don’t remember, the Seahawks started off the season 3-0, so how did we get to this point? Let me tell you.

The Seahawks fell to 3-3 after playing three games in ten days, which is not ideal, but one of those losses was to the New York Giants, which was inexcusable. They beat the Atlanta Falcons, moving to 4-3, but after DK Metcalf got hurt, Seattle fell to 4-5 going into their bye week. This is where everything changed. Seattle went into San Francisco, a place where they hadn’t won since 2021, with their season on the line. Geno Smith came up clutch with a game-winning drive, running in for the touchdown with 12 seconds left. Beating the 49ers ignited the Seahawks. Jaxon Smith-Njigba broke out as a star receiver, and the defense that was advertised since hiring Mike Macdonald started to arrive. Leonard Williams kicked into another gear, and the Seahawks were soaring.

The Seahawks were sitting in the number three seed in the NFC with an 8-5 record when they clashed with the Green Bay Packers on Sunday Night Football. The Seahawks started out flat and never found their rhythm. They suffered their second biggest home prime-time loss of the 2000s, losing 30-13. They dropped their next game to the Minnesota Vikings, dropping to 8-6, with their playoff hopes looking very bleak. Even though they won their last two games and finished 10-7, Seattle lost the tiebreaker to the Los Angeles Rams and missed the playoffs for the second consecutive season.

A big issue of the Seahawks’ season was injuries to running back Kenneth Walker III. This made their run game not a threat, and their play-action game not a threat. With an offensive line that struggled all season, first-year offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb chose to run a super air-raid offense. This did not work. Seattle’s usage of play-action was near the bottom of the league, leaving their offense very one-dimensional. Seattle had the eighth most passing yards per game and total passing yards in the NFL, which improved from 14th the previous season. However, the running game was a different story. Seattle finished with the fifth-worst rushing offense in back-to-back seasons. I don’t know about you, but dropping back to pass consistently with one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL doesn’t seem like a recipe for success.

Seattle hasn’t had any balance in their offense since 2022, ironically, the last time they made the playoffs. Seattle fired Grubb after just one season and hired Klint Kubiak from the New Orleans Saints. Personally, I like this hire. The Saints started off the season with back-to-back 40-point showings before injuries riddled their offense. Kubiak made Rashid Shaheed look good, and I’m already getting excited to see how he will use Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

Ok, let’s talk about the first big moves. Cutting Tyler Lockett and trading DK Metcalf. I think that cutting Tyler Lockett was a move that most Seahawks fans were expecting. His production had started to decline, Smith-Njigba was starting to take over, and his $17 million cap hit was too expensive. As much as I would have loved to see Tyler Lockett retire a Seahawk, I knew that it most likely wasn’t going to happen.

However, the DK Metcalf trade did. I’m sure you heard the rumours that the Seahawks were shopping their star receiver. But just like the Russell Wilson trade rumours, general manager John Schneider shut them down. The real shock was when Metcalf requested a trade. Metcalf had always expressed how much he loved playing in Seattle, so when he wanted out, that was something I was taken aback by. Metcalf was my favourite player. Seeing him go was very tough. But I understood when I saw that the Pittsburgh Steelers were going to pay him $30 million for the next five years. That was something the Seahawks couldn’t have afforded to do, so at least we got a second-round pick for him.

Metcalf wasn’t the only player who wanted more money in Seattle. So did quarterback Geno Smith. Then Seattle shipped him off to the Las Vegas Raiders for a third-round pick. I don’t know how a starting quarterback in the NFL only gets traded for a third-round pick, but it turned out that John Schneider had a plan. That plan was to go big fish hunting and sign Sam Darnold to a 3-year, $100 million contract. Darnold’s coming off his first Pro Bowl nod in his career. There are people questioning if Darnold is the guy to put Seattle over the edge of being a contender, but with the upcoming quarterback draft classes not being the greatest, I think it’s a risk worth taking.

Darnold wasn’t the only splash Seattle made in free agency. Seattle bolstered their defensive line by adding DeMarcus Lawrence from the Dallas Cowboys. The other big move was signing former Super Bowl MVP Cooper Kupp. The Lawrence signing gives the Seahawks an elite run stopper, adding to a front-seven that includes Leonard Williams, Byron Murphy, Ernest Jones, and Boye Mafe. Seattle’s defense got even scarier. The move to sign Kupp was huge. After losing Metcalf and Lockett, Seattle’s wide receiver room was looking really thin. Even though Kupp has dealt with injuries since his triple-crown season in 2021, he’s proved that he can still play at a high level.

The big thing is Seattle still hasn’t added to their biggest need, the offensive line. Particularly the left and right guard positions. After losing out on Tevon Jenkins and Will Fries in free agency, I’d be shocked if they didn’t draft multiple offensive linemen. Overall, this has been a solid offseason for Seattle, but I’m waiting for the draft to put my final grade on it.

The Warriors anchor – Ryan Dilks

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When you think about the Vancouver Warriors, you probably think about head coach and general manager Curt Malawsky. Who could blame you? He’s a Hall of Famer for a reason. Some players who might come to mind are Keegan Bal, Adam Charlambides, or maybe newly acquired goaltender Christian Del Bianco, and rightfully so. All these players have contributed a ton to the Warriors recent success, but a large part of their success this season is because of the defence. The defence has some studs, namely Matt Beers, Reid Bowering, and Jeff Cornwall, just to name a few. But the anchor is Ryan Dilks. 

Dilks is a two-time National Lacrosse League Defensive Player of the Year. He won his first in 2015-16 as a member of the Saskatchewan Rush, and the second last year in Vancouver. It’s the highest honour in the league that a defender can receive. Even though Dilks is 34, he is still playing at an elite level. He feels that getting up in age made the accolade mean more. 

“It was pretty important, I’d rather obviously (have) won the championship with the boys, but it was important for me just (because I’m) getting older and near the end of my career. I was not losing confidence, but it was nice to (get),show the ability that I can still play at the highest level and still be one of the best players out there. It really helped my confidence level and showed I still got some gas in the tank.” 

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Obviously, the goal that every player has at the start of the season is to win a championship, but it’s great to be acknowledged with an individual award. Dilks feels no different. 

“The goal is to always win the last game of the year and win the cup, but in doing so that kind of results (winning an award) in when you’re trying so hard to win every game that like if you get an independent award out of it and it’s kind of a bonus, but more importantly I wish we could have done better in the regular season.” 

Dilks has played in the NLL for 13 years. He spent the first four years in Edmonton and the next seven in Saskatchewan. He won three NLL championships in Saskatchewan but decided to come to Vancouver before the 2023-24 season. Dilks explained how the Warriors hiring Malawsky made his decision to come to the West Coast an easy one. 

“I was always interested in Vancouver. One, it’s an amazing city, (two), they have great fan support here and then when the team made the move to pick up Malawsky, that was really the icing on the cake for me. It made the decision really easy once you have the right people in the right place. It’s just altered things after that and you can see the result of it so far already.” 

Malawsky’s resume speaks for itself as he’s won championships as a player and as a coach. He’s in the Hall of Fame and knows what it takes to have success in the NLL. He has also helped Dilks grow as a player. 

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“He’s been awesome, his communication is incredible. He tells you how it is, and he gives me confidence. The most important thing is he supports me and my family, which allows me to come and do what I do here the best, so he’s really helped me along the way. I’m happy to be able to play under him so far.” 

The NLL is a unique league where all players have jobs outside of playing. Dilks is able to balance his family and work life, all while playing lacrosse at an elite level. 

“It’s a unique league where I wish this was a full-time league but it is what it is, so it’s all about balance. Since I’ve had two amazing children, it’s become a little more complex, but like I said, you’ve (got to) find the balance and as long as they’re happy. Coach Curt does an amazing job to make sure that everything’s good at home and supports me there so that I’m comfortable, in a good mood, and happy to perform well at my highest level.” 

Dilks is highly regarded in the locker room among his teammates and coaches. Everyone around the organization speaks very highly of him, and rightfully so. He is a true professional in every way and has earned that respect. But how does he describe himself as a leader? 

“I’m a good mix of lead by example on the floor and vocally off the floor. I’ve been so fortunate to play with some great leaders all the way from Colin Doyle, Dan Dawson, Jimmy Quinlan and even guys like Curt. All I can do is learn from those guys what they’ve taught me and then do my best to teach the young guys and let them learn from my experience as well.” 

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One of the things that separates Dilks from the rest of the players is his work ethic. You can’t have a lengthy career without working hard. Dilks is serious about his preparation as he gets ready to perform his best each game. 

“Every week is a little different, but I usually watch a lot of game film during the week and then take care of the family, that’s the most important part. Then when I fly out here (to Vancouver), it’s all business. I start physically preparing, hydrating, eating right and then we go through a lot of practice and a lot of prep work for each team and then I cross my fingers, and hope (for) the best that I have another good game.” 

When a team has a lot of good players, practices are usually intense. The Warriors are no different. For Dilks, practicing with great players helps him get better. Just like what they say, iron sharpens iron. 

“That’s what good teams do. They push each other, they push each other (on) both sides of the ball in practice. It’s hard if you’re not at the top of your game in practice. Sometimes I still get burned by those guys, so it’s good to be against the best and it’s even better when we’re on the same team.” 

The Warriors are in the thick of a playoff race, but with a great player and leader like Ryan Dilks – someone who knows what it takes to win at the highest level – there’s a great chance of doing something special.