Sometimes It Pays to Overpay

       My first reaction to the Matt Carle’s free-agent contract with the Lightning was -- “it’s too much.”

       A few minutes later after it all settled in, I thought, well, about the same. It really hasn’t changed since.

       However, in the final analysis, this is the NHL world we live in. When a player, especially a solid defenseman who can skate, is an unrestricted free agent they are likely to get overpaid. The job for general managers is to find the right player who can do enough things to help them win games and log enough quality minutes to ease the pressure on others. In the end, victories justify the contract.

      Ryan Suter is that type of defenseman, who does everything well. Carle isn’t Suter, but he has evolved into a pretty solid top-four rearguard since being traded by the Bolts after 12 games during the chaotic beginning of the 2008-09 season. Carle may be more worth $3.5-4 million than an average of $5.5 at this point, but there seems to be enough room for growth in his game and he fills a big need with his puck-moving prowess. Yes, he played a lot with Chris Pronger in Philadelphia. But he’s been +56 combined the last four regular seasons and has played 84 playoff games in his career.

      The Bolts also spent $7.5 million on a two-year deal for veteran defenseman Sami Salo. I’ve always been a fan of Salo, especially his work on the power play. His accurate rocket of a shot is always dangerous and his right-handed passing should make the Lightning’s play with the man advantage much better. Is he overpaid? Sure. But, again, if he can help lift the Bolts power play from the bottom to the top 10 in the league they are likely a playoff team again. The 37-year old just needs to stay healthy.

      Lightning GM Steve Yzerman could have waited for the trade market to settle in, but it was difficult to tell when teams would have made certain players available. Several hockey people also brought up a point that makes a lot of sense, something I hadn’t really thought of much before. The Bolts may have paid a little extra to sign their two free-agent defensemen, but they didn’t have to give up any assets to do it. Chicago’s Niklas Hjalmarsson might have cost a couple good young players or one player and a second-round pick. They also may have had to take on a player with one year left on a contract and then lost him.

     Instead, the Bolts gave promising, young defensemen Mark Barberio and Radko Gudas a little more time to develop. In this day an age of the NHL, injuries are going to occur and both may still get their NHL feet wet this season.

     This defense corps’ overall level of physicality is a slight concern. Keith Aulie could ease that worry if he has a breakout season. This will be a very big training camp for his career. Everyone just needs to lift their game a bit physically on the backline and the capability is there. The Bolts don’t need to be running players through the boards like some fans want. But they will have to be a little tougher to play against in their zone than last season if they are to improve their goals-against.

     Victor Hedman-Carle

     Eric Brewer-Salo/Brian Lee

     Salo/Lee-Aulie/Brendan Mikkelson/Marc-Andre Bergeron.

     That could be the defense to start, but certainly Gudas, Barberio, Evan Oberg and Matt Taormina will get looks in the preseason. My bet is Salo plays the point with four forwards on the No. 1 power-play unit. Brewer, Hedman, Lee and perhaps Aulie get the work on the penalty kill. Carle gets most of his time at even strength and perhaps duty with the second power play group. If Mattias Ohlund returns at some point, it can only be a plus.

     The Lightning is likely done adding to their roster, although anything can happen. There are plenty of young players that could battle for two or three rosters spots up front. J.T. Brown, Alex Killorn and Brett Connolly lead that group and Cory Conacher will also have a chance. Tyler Johnson had a great year in Norfolk as well and Pierre-Cedric Labrie did not look out of place in Tampa last season.  The acquisition of physical forward B.J. Crombeen on Tuesday could make J.T. Wyman's chances of making the opening night roster much more difficult. It might also give the Lightning a chance to ease Dana Tyrell into the lineup after knee surgery.
      In my opinion, the Bolts don’t need another “top-six” forward. Coach Guy Boucher has enough to work with. If I were to bet on a forward lineup right now, I think Brown and Killorn will make it while Connolly and Conacher go down to Syracuse to put up numbers, add confidence and get ready for a call-up. There’s really no set lineup with Boucher, but here’s one possible scenario:

     Teddy Purcell-Steven Stamkos-Benoit Pouliot

     Brown-Vincent Lecavalier-Martin St. Louis

     Killorn-Tom Pyatt-Ryan Malone

     Tyrell/Crombeen/Wyman-Nate Thompson-Adam Hall

     Malone would certainly get power-play time and some shifts with Stamkos in this scenario, but he seemed to play well with Pyatt for a period of time last season.

      It’s all speculation now, but the options up front are plentiful. If the defense improves and Anders Lindback grasps his opportunity between the pipes, it should be a fun 2012-13 season in Bolts Land. They also have about $7 million of cap space to work with at the deadline.

      Development Camp: When you finish a week with the prospects, you want to come out impressed – especially by your top picks.

      That was definitely the case for the Bolts last week. Defenseman Slater Koekkoek showed his skating ability, hockey sense and shot. Andrey Vasilevskiy turned heads in net with his size and tremendous athletic ability. And, he’s still just 17 for another couple weeks.

      The other 2012 draft picks looked just fine, but it was also good to see the progress of the college players. Defenseman Luke Witkowski, a real pain to play against, is a year away from a pro contract. Jimmy Mullin turned it up the second half of his freshman season at Miami and Matthew Peca had almost 40 points as a rookie at Quinnipiac. Cornell defenseman Kirill Gotovets is an outstanding skater, Brendan O’Donnell is recovering from a shoulder injury and should be ready for his second season at North Dakota and goalie Adam Wilcox starts his freshman year at Minnesota.

      Purcell signs: The Lightning wrapped up Teddy Purcell for the next four years on Tuesday, signing him to a three-year extension.

     The move avoids allowing Purcell to go on the open market after this season, when someone could throw a bloated deal in front of him. Purcell was terrific in the 2011 playoffs and had 43 points in his last 39 games last season. Reportedly, the deal is for an average of $4.5 mil. The important thing is it buys out three unrestricted years.

      The Bolts should extend Nate Thompson now as well.

Memorable Movie Lines

  

       What they were saying in the movies: There aren’t many days that go by when someone doesn’t use a famous line from a movie during a conversation. They stick with us because they make us laugh, make a great point, are delivered so perfectly or mean something to us personally. Here are just some (I know I have missed many) of the great lines that I’ll always remember.

       BRONZE MEDALS

       “I’ll see you in another life, when we’re both cats.” – Penelope Cruz delivers this with a delicious Spanish twang in Vanilla Sky.

       “Thank God….It’s the police.” – Chevy Chase says this sarcastically when crooked cop Joe Don Baker enters the room in Fletch.

       “When something works for me, I stick with it.” – John Candy explains to Tom Hanks why he dropped coins on the floor to look under women’s dresses in Splash.

       “I’m just a girl, asking a boy to love her.” – Superstar actress Julia Roberts tells book store owner Hugh Grant this in Notting Hill.

       “Love you honey bunny.” – Nervous, married robbers trade this line just before getting tough in Pulp Fiction.

       “Vegas Baby.” – Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau head to sin city in Swingers.

       “Let’s light this candle.” – Alan Shepard yells this before first Apollo launch in The Right Stuff.

       “The price is wrong bitch.” – Bob Barker says this after decking Adam Sandler in Happy Gilmore.

       “We might be done with the past, but the past is not done with us.” – One of the themes of Magnolia, said many times during the film.

“What difference can you make, one man, in this madness.” – from the Vietnam War film The Thin Red Line.

“The Lord blows my trumpet.” – Joey “the lips” Fagan says this in The Commitments.

“You’ll meet them all on their long journey to the middle.” – Lester Bangs comforts young William Miller with this in Almost Famous.

“What will we be without freedom?” – William Wallace’s inspiring speech in Braveheart.

“Have the Red Sox ever loved you back?” – Kid tells this to wacky Red Sox fan Jimmy Fallon in Fever Pitch.

“We roll tonight, to the guitar bite.” – Jack Black uses an AC/DC line to inspire class in School of Rock.

       SILVER

       “You go to the box, you feel shame.” – French goalie explains a penalty in Slap Shot.

       “I’m offering the Knicks and chicks.” – John C. McGinley tries to get Charlie Sheen to go out in Wall Street.

       “Revenge is a dish better served cold.” – from Kill Bill.

       “Why did God make us all so different if he wanted us to all to be the same?” – Jena Malone delivers this in Saved!

       “Permission to shake the hand of the daughter of the bravest man I’ve ever meant” – William Fichtner tells Liv Tyler this as her lips quiver in Armageddon.

       “Clearance Clarence?” – Wacky pilots on Airplane.

       “Well, Yippee Kayay ….” – Ok, don’t want to write the obscene words, but you know what they are. McLane says this to Hans after Hans calls him a John Wayne-type character in Diehard.

      “Man looks into the abyss. There’s nothing staring back. That’s when he finds his character and that’s what keeps him out of the abyss.” – Charlie Sheen gets this advice in Wall Street.

     “Pain heals, Chicks dig scars and glory lasts forever.” – Keanu Reeves’ huddle speech in The Replacements.

     “It’s not about getting knocked down, it’s about how much you can take.” – Rocky Balboa tells his son this in Rocky Balboa.

     “Lighten up Francis.” – Colonel Hulka to Psycho in Stripes.

     GOLD

      “You like apples? How about them apples?” – Matt Damon shows his competitor Minnie Driver’s phone number that he just received in Good Will Hunting.

      “May the Schwartz be with you.” – Staple from Stars Wars spoof Spaceballs.

     “Danger, excitement, a Jedi craves not these things.” – Silent Bob channels Yoda in Mallrats.

     “Consider that a divorce.” – Arnold is suddenly single after gunning down his imposter wife Sharon Stone on Mars in science-fiction thriller Total Recall.

     “In the words of David Cassidy, I think I love you.” – Hugh Grant tells friend Andie McDowell this in Four Weddings and a Funeral.

     “Some day, you’ll be cool.” – Zooey Deschanel tells her young brother this before leaving home in Almost Famous.

     “Show me the money!” – Cuba Gooding’s finest hour in Jerry McGuire. A line that may have been repeated more than any in the movies.

     "You can't handle the truth." -- Jack Nicholson's famous line in A Few Good Men has to make this list.

     “Every passing minute is a chance to turn it all around.” Penelope Cruz says this beautifully in Vanilla Sky. Lightning coach Guy Boucher used it after a Lightning win over the Bruins last season.

     “David put his hand in the bag, took a stone and slung it, hitting the Phillistine on the head…and he fell to the ground. Amen.” The Hickory basketball team hears this from a holy man before their seemingly impossible task in the Indiana State Championship game in Hoosiers.

-      Mark Pukalo

The NHL Draft and Great Scenes

    Time will tell how well the Lightning did at the NHL Draft last weekend.

      I’m not sure why grades are done days after picks are made. How does anyone know? It’s all guesswork. Five years from now, we will see.

      The teams work hard to know everything about these players and they project the future as best they can. GM Steve Yzerman asked his scouting staff to rate athletes by what kind of NHL players they expect them to be, not what they are today. They were looking for players with tools and capacity to improve.

       That may not be a totally unique way to look at things, but it explains why the Bolts chose some players higher than the consensus ratings.

       I wrote two things over the analysis of Slater Koekkoek in The Hockey News Draft Preview earlier this month. They were “two-way d man” and “under-rated?” Few knocked his ability. There was only the fact that he had a shoulder injury that limited him to 26 games last season and others seemed to pass him because of it. THN ranked him 23^rd.

       The Lightning checked him out at the combine, saw Koekkoek was 100 percent and that was all they needed to pick him 10th.  The Bolts didn’t seem to flinch despite talented forwards Filip Forsberg, Tuevo Teravainen and Mikhail Grigorenko still being on the board. Honestly, the Lightning needed a defenseman with this pick and it looks like they got a guy with potential to be in their top four down the line.

       You always have some worry about picking talented Russians who have yet to come to Canada. It has been reported that the Lightning’s other first-round pick – at No. 19 – goalie Andrei Vasilevski wants to come to major junior and get out of his KHL contract. He was selected by Mississauga of the OHL in the import draft Wednesday. If he is able to come to Ontario, that would ease my concern. This was a risk/reward pick. Five years from now, this might be talked about as a stroke of genius. Undoubtedly, the big netminder has a load of talent.

       The rest of the draft for the Lightning was intriguing, especially the selection of Harvard-bound Brian Hart at No. 53 and third-round selection Tanner Richard at 71. Those two, plus fourth-round pick Cedric Paquette, all can be considered power forwards who can skate. That was a need in the system and the Bolts addressed it.

  

       Great scenes: Sometimes a few minutes of a movie grab you so much it turns you onto the road toward enjoying it. Others are just so well crafted they are memorable or so intelligently goofy you want to watch them over and over. I’m surprised it hasn’t happened already, but it would seem a good idea to be able to download your favorite movie scenes on itunes or some other site and put them on a DVD. Here’s some of the scenes that made the biggest impressions on me for one reason or another.

       BRONZE MEDALS

       Looking out the window of the school board meeting and seeing a crowd of students chanting “We Are Marshall” in We are Marshall – Made me do the same.

       Kristen Stewart meets the vampire family in Twilight – Creepy as it was, it was entertaining.

       The kids perform at Battle of the Bands in School of Rock – It’s a long way to the top if you wanna rock and roll.

       The locker room scene in Stripes – Lighten up Francis! Bill Murray, Harold Ramis and John Candy at their best.

       Gun-legged Kate McGowan clears away the bad guys and zombies in Planet Terror – Two against the world baby.

       Dakota Johnson gets out of bed with Justin Timberlake in The Social Network – Ok, ok, sorry. The daughter of Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith is quite pretty, but the dialogue is terrific, too. Timberlake “I’m an entrepreneur.” A suspicious Johnson replies “so, what is your latest preneur?”

       Jason Lee plays Sega hockey in Mallrats and annoys Shannen Doherty – The Whalers win!!

       Phillip Seymour-Hoffman and Tom Hanks go back and forth during their first meeting in Charlie Wilson’s War – Two heavyweight actors show their talent.

       The adrenalin shot to Uma Thurman in Pulp Fiction – Intense and funny. As Rosanne Arquette says “trippy.”

       Radiohead’s creepy music during a dream sequence at the start of Vanilla Sky – Sets the tone for the movie.

       The horror of looking at dead bodies loaded into a hole in Platoon – A stunning vision of war.

       Dustin Hoffman makes a toast to his daughter in Last Chance Harry – Emotional.

       Characters lip synch Aimee Mann’s “Wise Up” in Magnolia – Unique, gutsy and it works for me.

       Lucy Liu and Uma Thurman fight to Santa Ezmerelda’s “Don’t let me be misunderstood” in Kill Bill – Tremendous song and charismatic ladies.

       Indiana Jones squirms out of trouble in the first scene of Raiders of the Lost Ark – Gets you interested immediately.

       Nelson Mandella helicopters in to meet the South African Rugby team in Invictus – He knows the diverse group of players well.

       Running the picket fence in Hoosiers – Don’t get caught watching the paint dry.

       Sarah Polley acquires drugs from Tim Olyphant in Go – Intense, funny.

       The trip to the quarry in Garden State – “You’re my knight in shining armor!”

       Free Bird performed amongst the chaos in Elizabethtown – Ruckus reunites.

       Rat Matt Damon calls his undercover cop (DiCaprio) in The Departed – Nerve-wracking.

       Waking up with a chicken and Mike Tyson’s tiger in The Hangover – Craziness.
       Anthony Michael Hall has pictures taken of himself and a drunk prom queen in the back of Jake Ryan's car in Sixteen Candles -- John Cusack is one of the dweebs taking the pctures.
       

       SILVER

      Antwone Fisher meets his long-lost family in Antwone Fisher – Very, very emotional.

      Ali Larter, who goes off to the kitchen to make James Van Der Beek an ice cream sundae in Varsity Blues, comes back in a whipped-cream bikini – Sorry, again, but it is quite spectacular.

      Bill Murray and Harold Ramis join the army in Stripes – Convicted? Never convicted.

      Adam Sandler serenades Drew Barrymore on the plane in The Wedding Singer – Billy Idol helps.

      Sylvester Stallone trains hard in the morning to pulsating Bill Conti music in Rocky – About as memorable as anything in a sports movie.

      Abigail Breslin performs Super Freak in Little Miss Sunshine – Miss California liked it.

      The bishop’s great round in Caddyshack – Just short of course record.

      Sweeney Todd spoof in Jersey Girl – Ben Afleck is the hero.

      Kate Hudson over-dosing in Almost Famous – Patrick Fugit goes where MANY men have gone before.

      Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau at the casino in Swingers – You always double down on 11.

      Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson do karaoke in Lost in Translation – Murray does drunk version of Elvis Costello’s “Peace, Love and Understanding.” Scarlett steams while singing The Pretenders’ “Brass in Pocket.”

      Killing the printer in Office Space – Anybody that works at an office would love to do this. Out of Toner??!!!!

      The funeral to begin The Big Chill – College friends re-unite and the Stones’ “You can’t always get what you want” makes it all come together.
      Bruce Springsteen gives John Cusack relationship advice in High Fidelity -- Thanks Boss.

      The Buffalo hunt in Dances with Wolves – Tatanka!!!

      Road trip in Animal House – R.I.P. Fawn Leibowitz.

      Meeting at the mound and Crash gets thrown out in Bull Durham – Candlesticks always makes a good gift and Crash uses the wrong words with an umpire.

      Denzel Washington as Malcolm X walks/floats to his last speech to Sam Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna Come” – The calm before the storm.

      Heath Ledger sings “Can’t take my eyes off of you” to Julia Stiles during soccer practice in 10 Things I Hate About You – The band joins in.

      A rollicking, crude Tom Cruise talks to a seminar room full of men about ways to fool women into bed in Magnolia – So exaggerated it's funny. "They’re not your friends." 

      Brad Davis/Billy Hayes tries to get through customs with drugs strapped to him in Midnight Express – Might be most intense scene ever

      GOLD

      Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio hang on after Titanic goes down – Stunning, moving, sad look at the aftermath of a disaster.
      Paul Newman drives the opposing goalie nuts with taunts and starts a brawl in Slap Shot -- So crude and soo funny.

      Ed Norton stares into a mirror and blames everyone in New York about his demise in 25^th Hour – But he realizes he is the only one in the mirror at the end.

      Rooftop ending in Across the Universe – Perhaps my favorite end of a movie, with the words of John Lennon: “All You Need is Love” in the background.

      Mud wrestling in Stripes – They were heading to the bingo parlor and the directions got all screwed up. Hilarious.

      Kurt Russell channels Herb Brooks for his speech to the 1980 US hockey team in Miracle – Today we skate with them, because we can!

      Melanie Laurent puts on her war paint in Inglorious Basterds to David Bowie’s “Putting out Fire” before torching natzis – Whoever picked that music for this scene is a genius.

      Mel Gibson avenges his wife’s death in Braveheart – The legend of William Wallace begins.

      Creepy drug scene in Boogie Nights with the Chinese guy setting off firecrackers – This wins for its intensity and absolute weirdness.

      John Hannah reads W.H. Auden’s poem during the funeral in Four Weddings and a Funeral – Sad, but powerful few minutes that gives this great film a big heart.

      The Statue of Liberty floats in front of Charlton Heston as he figures out he is home in Planet of Apes – I re-enacted this scene on a Cape Cod beach one night in the 90s without Nova or the horse. I got good reviews.

      The band sings Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer” on the bus in Almost Famous – Goes to show you a good piece of music can cure all ills.

      John Travolta and his boss’ wife Uma Thurman go to dinner at Jack Rabbitt Slims in Pulp Fiction – Fun from the first moment to the last. If I were to pick one as the best, it would be this one.

      

-      Mark Pukalo

Yes, Another NHL Mock Draft

       There are so many mock drafts on the internet these days it almost seems pointless to add another one. Your head spins with all the different scenarios.

      But, I will do the first Hockey Tampa mock anyways. The reason? They are fun to do.

      I have done some unofficial projections in the past, but I can never remember a more difficult year to predict. Part of that is because movement is expected. The other is that the players have been universally rated very close. As Lightning Director of Amateur Scouting Al Murray said, all the teams picking in the top 12-15 could get a player they say they have ranked near the top of their board and they won’t be fibbing.

      The big story is whether Edmonton will deal the top pick or select winger Nail Yakupov. The Oilers badly need a top-level defenseman to add to an impressive group of young forwards. You wonder if Montreal or Toronto will make that big splash. I have also read Dallas might want to get up 3-5 spots to grab a big center like Radek Faksa as well. I haven’t seen this rumor, but what if Edmonton can trade Sam Gagner to Anaheim for the sixth pick in a package?

      I expect a lot of drama and may have to edit this mock in a couple days if trades are made ahead of Friday’s first round in Pittsburgh. I wish I could have traveled around to see them all, but this is just an educated guess after reading about the players, seeing highlights and a little of the Memorial Cup.

      If everything stays the same, here’s my take on the first round -- plus.

    

      Edmonton: Nail Yakupov LW, Sarnia (OHL): Whether it’s the Oilers or someone else, it’s hard to pass up this offensive wizard.

      Columbus: Filip Forsberg RW, Sweden: The Blue Jackets will likely to be leery of taking a Russian here after the Nikita Filatov debacle. They can’t go wrong with a competitive, future power forward who could take Rick Nash’s place.

      Montreal: Alex Galchenyuk C, Sarnia (OHL): The Habs need a center and they settle on the one with a little more offensive upside.

      N.Y. Islanders: Ryan Murray D, Everett (WHL): Who knows what Garth Snow is going to do? But expect him to be boring this time around by taking the solid future captain.

      Toronto: Matt Dumba D, Red Deer (WHL): GM Brian Burke could go for defenseman Jacob Trouba here, but instead takes the hard-hitting Calgary native with offensive talent.

      Anaheim: Mikhail Grigorenko C, Quebec (QHL): Some have him going second, others have him outside the top 10. We’ll put him in the middle. Saku Koivu can’t play forever and perhaps Ryan Getzlaf gets traded.

      Minnesota: Jacob Trouba D, Michigan: The Wild could go a number of ways, but circle back around to the Minnesota native who will become a Wolverine.

      Carolina: Tuevo Teravainen LW, Finland: Have a feeling the Hurricanes might trade down from here or include this pick in a Nash or Jordan Staal deal, but if they don’t the former Whalers need some offensive talent.

      Winnipeg: Griffin Reinhart D, Edmonton (WHL): The Jets have four or five defensemen to choose from here and they go with the two-way rearguard with size and NHL pedigree.

      Tampa Bay: Morgan Rielly D, Moose Jaw (WHL): A very creative offensive player, who could probably go as high as third (if Edmonton trades down) or fourth. Might slip because teams from 5-9 may be looking for a different type of defenseman. If there is no problem with his knee after recovering from an ACL, could fit nicely in Bolts future.

      Washington (from Colorado): Radek Faksa C Kitchener (OHL): This is a tough one. The Caps could go for an offensive-leaning defenseman, but think they go for the best player available if Dallas does not deal up to nab him. Faksa could make teams wonder why he went this low some day.

      Buffalo: Cody Ceci D Ottawa (OHL): The Sabres add another of the top defensemen. They have another selection later in the first that they can use on a forward.

      Dallas: Zemgus Girgensons C Vermont: If the Stars stay here and Teravainen and Faksa are gone, they either trade down or grab the Latvian Locomotive who will play at Marty St. Louis’ alma mater.

      Calgary: Olli Maatta D London (OHL): Not spectacular, but a solid two-way guy who can help in all situations down the road. The Flames need everything, so wouldn’t be surprised if they moved down to add extra picks.

      Ottawa: Hampus Lindholm D Sweden: Could grab a forward with size, but there is an organization need on the blue line and why not another Swede?

      Washington: Derrick Pouliot D Portland (WHL): If the Caps take a forward like Faksa or Grigorenko at No. 11, they likely will look to this outstanding skater. Could he replace Mike Green in the future?

      San Jose: Pontus Aberg LW Sweden: The Sharks scouts slam the table after Pouliot is picked, but might need a forward for the pipeline more anyways.

      Chicago: Malcolm Subban G Belleville (OHL): The Blackhawks are also upset Pouliot is gone, so why not pick a goalie for the future with high upside? Could go with netminder Oscar Dansk here, too, or a big center like Brendan Gaunce.

      Tampa Bay (from Detroit): Thomas Wilson RW Plymouth (OHL): Have no clue where the Lightning goes here, but could use a power forward with an edge. He appears to be the type of player that can help a team, even if he is not scoring.

      Philadelphia: Brady Skjei D Minnesota: The Flyers could take a forward like Gaunce or Sebastian Collberg, but go for the big, swift-skating defenseman.

      Buffalo (from Nashville): Brendan Gaunce C Belleville (OHL): The Sabres could go with Collberg or take a chance with a Mark Jankowski, but settle for the hulking pivot.

     Pittsburgh: Stefan Matteau LW Blainville-Boisbrand (QHL): Matteau, Matteau, Matteau. OK, sorry, with Wilson gone the Pens go with the next best power forward.

     Florida: Sebastian Collberg RW Sweden: The Panthers might add a goalie like Dansk, but grab the offensively-talented Collberg.

     Boston: Scott Laughton C Oshawa (OHL): The Bruins could use another all-around forward in the pipeline if they do not go for a goalie.

     St. Louis: Matt Finn D Guelph (OHL): The Blues are likely looking for a player who falls a bit here or to take a chance. Finn might fit the bill as a solid two-way guy who could have snuck into the top 20.

     Vancouver: Slater Koekkoek D Peterborugh (OHL): The Canucks need a young defenseman in the system. Has great upside, but was injured a lot this season.

     Phoenix: Martin Frk RW Halifax (QHL): Had concussion problems, but Coyotes take a chance on a Czech that was once thought of as a possible top-10 pick.

     N.Y. Rangers: Colton Sissons RW Kelowna (WHL): The Rangers have a choice of all different types of forwards and decide to take this versatile, solid performer. 

     New Jersey: Andrei Vasilevski G Russia: Unless the Devils have designs on trading for a young goalie who they can groom to replace Marty Brodeur or they love Scott Wedgewood, this might be a good place to take a puck stopper like this.

     Columbus (from Los Angeles): Oscar Dansk G Sweden: The Blue Jackets breathe a sigh of relief after the Devils take Vasilevski. Jackets could defer to next year for pick received in Jeff Carter deal. If this is the Kings pick, they likely take the best player available.

      SECOND ROUND

      Columbus: Tim Bozon LW Kamloops (WHL): The Jackets could go with someone who has more offensive upside, but if they take Forsberg and Dansk maybe a hard-nosed guy like Bozon adds another element.

      Edmonton: Ludvig Bystrom D Sweden: Even if the Oilers end up with a defenseman in the first round, they likely pick another here since he is probably the best player available.

      Montreal: Tomas Hertl C Czech Republic: The Habs add another playmaker, unless there is a winger like Sissons that slips down to this spot.

      N.Y. Islanders: Phillip Di Giuseppe LW Michigan: Performed quite well in his freshman season with the Wolverines, netting 11 goals.

      Toronto: Mark Jankowski C Providence: Dominated against lesser competition and the Leafs could take a chance he really is that good. He has committed to the Friars.

      Anaheim: Adam Pelech D Erie (OHL): Safe type of pick. Smart player. Could also go with California-born winger Nicolas Keridiles.

      Nashville (from Tampa Bay via Minnesota): Henrik Samuelsson C Edmonton (WHL): Ulfie’s son is said to have some good hockey IQ, has good size and needs to improve his skating.

      Carolina: Nicolas Keridiles LW Wisconsin: Power forward who goes to the net and engages well.

      Winnipeg: Tomas Hyka RW Gatineau (QHL): If Jets pick a defenseman at No. 9, they probably will want to add a skilled offensive player who can skate and this Czech fits the bill.

      Tampa Bay: Jordan Schmaltz D North Dakota: Again, the Bolts could go in any number of ways at this position, but this lanky rearguard could develop well after a few years in college hockey.

      Enough. There are several other players that are intriguing for the Bolts in the second round and at No. 71 (or 53 if Florida surrenders the conditional pick). We will see what happens.

      Can’t wait.

      Mark Pukalo

Poor Drafting and Character

      For a good example of how important it is to be sharp at the draft table, look no further than the Columbus Blue Jackets the last decade.

       The Jackets had top-eight picks for nine straight years from 2000-08 and only two of them are still with the team – for the time being – Rick Nash and Derick Brassard.

       You can’t be right 100 percent of the time, but if the Jackets had done a better job even two thirds of the time they’d likely be a playoff contender.

       Here’s a look at what the Jackets did on draft day and who they could have had instead:

       2000: Picked defenseman Rusty Klesla fourth, could have had Scott Hartnell (6^th) – Not a major fail here. Klesla is a solid NHL defenseman, but the Jackets traded him to Phoenix for Scottie Upshall.

       2001: Picked Pascal Leclaire eighth, could have had Ales Hemsky (13^th) – Leclaire had one good year, but was later traded and sat out last season with an injury.

       2002: Picked Rick Nash first overall – Has 289 career goals.

       2003: Picked Nikolai Zherdev fourth, could have had Thomas Vanek, Zach Parise, Ryan Getzlaf or Ryan Kesler – Zherdev had 76 goals over four seasons, which seems ok on the surface, but he was a one-dimensional player.

       2004: Picked Alexandre Picard eighth, could have had Drew Stafford (13^th) and Travis Zajac (20^th) among others – Picard has not scored a goal in 67 NHL games, but has been a solid leader for the Lightning’s AHL affiliate Norfolk Admirals.

       2005: Picked Gilbert Brule sixth, could have had Anze Kopitar (11^th) or Marc Staal (12^th) – Brule was traded to Edmonton for Raffi Torres then went to Phoenix on waivers. Brule scored 12 goals in 146 games with Columbus.

       2006: Picked Derick Brassard sixth, could have had Bryan Little (12^th) or Claude Giroux (22^nd) among others – The jury is still out on Brassard and lots of teams missed on Giroux.

       2007: Picked Jakub Voracek seventh, could have had Logan Couture (9^th) or Ryan McDonagh (12^th) among others – Voracek is starting to become a good NHL player, but he’s doing it in Philadelphia as part of the failed Jeff Carter deal.

       2008: Picked Nikita Filatov sixth, could have had Mikkel Boedker (8^th), Tyler Myers (12^th), Erik Karlsson (15^th) – Ooops. It wasn’t hard to predict this one though. This is where the Jackets needed to trade down and get more picks.

       2009: Picked John Moore 21^st after making the playoffs – Too early to tell on Moore, who was -23 in 67 games with two goals last season.

       2010: Picked Ryan Johansen fourth – Again, too early to tell. Could have had Cam Fowler or Jeff Skinner, but Johansen has potential to be a No. 1 center if the Jackets are patient with him

       2011: Traded eighth pick to Philadelphia in the Carter deal, could have had Sean Couturier – The mistake was not judging Carter well enough. Jackets could have stood with Voracek and picked Couturier or defenseman Dougie Hamilton. Did get Jack Johnson for Carter, so it isn’t all lost.

       In addition, the Jackets haven’t uncovered any gems in the later rounds as well. The closest they came is getting defenseman Marc Methot at No. 168 in 2003. Perhaps forward Cam Atkinson, picked 157^th in 2008, can emerge.

      Again, these are 17 and 18-year olds, so you are never going to be 100 percent right. There are plenty of periods where teams -- even the elite teams -- have struggled at the draft table for a few years. It could be said that the Lightning did not continue their run after winning the Cup in 2004 and eventually dropped to the bottom because of poor drafts from 2000-2006. Of course, then they wouldn’t have Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman.

      Sometimes the pain is worth it, but when you have a chance you have to seize it. Just think how much better Columbus would be with Kopitar, Vanek and either Myers or Karlsson in the lineup rather than picking Filatov, Zherdev and Brule.

      Top defenseman of a generation: Nicklas Lidstrom hung up his skates last week after two decades of playing the game with class, intelligence and skill. He was the best in the league over his career without having to hammer people through the boards.

      Lidstrom had 23 hits in the regular season and 11 in the playoffs in 2008 when the Red Wings last won the Cup, playing loads of minutes. His career high was 56 in 2010. Some Lightning fans should take note of those statistics.

      St. Louis Blues forward David Perron, who missed a majority of this season with a concussion, said it best on twitter.

      “If everyone would play the right way like Nicklas Lidstrom did, there wouldn’t be many concussions in the NHL.”

      

       More movie fun: One of the best things about movies is how you can be drawn in with characters, whether it is someone compelling that you care about or a person who just makes you laugh by looking at them. I surely will miss a lot of great performances, but here are some of the best I can remember – in no particular order.

       Kate Hudson as Penny Lane in Almost Famous – Told she was sold to Humble Pie for a case of beer, Penny asks “What kind of beer?”

       Fred Willard as Buck Laughlin in Best in Show – Just hilarious with his comments on TV about the great dog show.

       John Cusack as Lane Meier in Better Off Dead – What helped him win the ski race? “Language Lessons.”

       Bill Murray as Carl Spackler in Caddyshack – Cinderella Story.

       Jeff Bridges as Bad Blake in Crazy Heart – Well-deserved Oscar.

       Heath Ledger as the Joker in The Dark Night – see above.

       Phillip Seymour Hoffman as Father Brendan Flynn in Doubt – Really believable as a priest.

       Kirsten Dunst as Claire Colburn in Elizabethtown – Anyone would like to a meet a person with the optimism and humor of Claire.

       Natalie Portman as Sam in Garden State – Just about as delightful, but more troubled, than Claire.

       Robin Williams as Sean Maguire in Good Will Hunting – Knocks it out of the park as a therapist with a seemingly impossible job.

       Lisa Bonet as Marie De Salle in High Fidelity – Artist with real style. “And, so it is.”

       Brad Pitt as Lt. Aldo Raine in Inglorious Bastards – Pitt has incredible dialogue to work with, but perhaps no one could say it better than Aldo about the Nattzis.

       Catherine Keener as Jan Buress and Hal Holbrook as Ron Franz in Into the Wild – Deep characters you really care about.

       Ellen Page as Juno in Juno – Smart and funny.

       Lucy Liu as O-Ren Ishii in Kill Bill 1 – Powerful woman who meets her match. “Silly little rabbit.”

       Bridget Moynihan as Ava Fontaine in Lord of War – Classy, strong, and beautiful.

       Bill Murray as Bob Harris in Lost in Translation – The low key, funny but serious, way Murray plays the character is amazing. Should have won an Oscar.

       John C. Reilly as Officer Jim Kurring in Magnolia – Lonely cop deeply cares about helping people.

       Charlie Sheen as the Wild Thing in Major League – Where did you play last? “The California Penal League”

       Hillary Swank as Maggie Fitzgerald in Million Dollar Baby – Can’t help but care for her.

       Sam Rockwell as the Sam Bells in Moon – Amazing performance as basically a one-man show.

       Michael Keaton as Artie Lewis in One Good Cop – Uncle Artie steals from the rich and gives to the poor.

       Charlton Heston as Taylor in Planet of the Apes – It’s a madhouse!!

       Harvey Keitel as Wolf in Pulp Fiction – Liked lots of cream and lots of sugar in his coffee.

       Keanu Reaves as Shane Falco in The Replacements – A real leader.

       Kate Beckinsale as Sara Thomas in Serendipity – Let’s just say, I like her.

       Christopher Mintz-Plasse as McLovin in Superbad – Classic.

       Vince Vaughn as Trent in Swingers – Makes Wayne Gretzky bleed in video hockey.

       Rooney Mara as Lizbeth Salamander in Girl with the Dragon Tattoo – You are repulsed, then drawn toward her.

       Rosario Dawson as Connie in Unstoppable – Might be the best of the many great characters she’s played.

       Anna Kendrick as Natalie Keener in Up in the Air – She types with purpose and has a big heart.

       Penelope Cruz as Sophia in Vanilla Sky – Says “I’ll see you in another life, when we’re both cats.” -- as only Penelope can.

       Kate Mara as Annie Cantrell in We Are Marshall – How can you not feel for her?

       Adam Sandler as Robbie Hart in The Wedding Singer – Gets paid in meatballs.

       Sandra Bullock as Lucy in While you were sleeping – Under-rated gal.

       Mickey Rourke as Randy the Ram in The Wrestler – Perfect depiction of the old grappler.

       Julia Stiles as Kat Stratford in 10 Things I Hate About You – You are attracted by her smarts and righteousness.

       Chloe Moretz as Rachel in 500 Days of Summer – The younger sister is intelligent beyond her years.

       Anna Kendrick as Katherine and Joe Gordon-Levitt as Adam in 50/50 – Two vulnerable people form a unique relationship.

       Shailene Woodley as Alexandra King in The Descendants – Reminds me of someone.

       Jim Sturgess as Jude in Across the Universe – An Irishman trying to find his father meets Evan Rachel Wood’s beautiful Lucy Carrigan.

      Kevin Costner as Lt. Dunbar in Dances with Wolves and Crash Davis in Bull Durham – Great performances of compelling characters.

      John Belushi as Bluto in Animal House – Let’s Do it!!!

      There could be so many more. I stayed away from actors playing real people, like Mel Gibson’s William Wallace and Denzel Washington’s Malcolm X or Kurt Russell’s Herb Brooks. They were all fantastic.

      Two more to go: best scenes and best lines/quotes. Those two might be the most fun of all.

       Mark Pukalo

Early NHL Draft Thoughts and Comedy

      This will be one of the most intriguing NHL Drafts in recent years.

       What sets it apart is how closely-rated the top players are after consensus No. 1 pick Nail Yakupov. I think if you looked at the boards for all 30 teams right now, you’d likely see that players ranked second and third by one team might be 12 and 13 by another.

       North American defensemen and European forwards will dominate the first dozen picks or more. There are a couple goalies that could go high as well.

       The Tampa Bay Lightning own six or seven of the top 71 picks. That may change with trades, but the Bolts have a good chance to enhance their prospect pool.

       Lightning Director of Amateur Scouting Al Murray said there are 12 top prospects available and plenty of players under that group that he and his staff like. Picking 10^th and 19^th allows the Bolts to grab one of those and possibly two if a player slips or they trade up.

       Who will be available when the Lightning picks is a big mystery. They are in a good spot because they can get a player they like by staying at No. 10. The question is, will the Bolts consider moving up if their top target is still sitting there at six or seven? They have the ammunition to do it with the extra picks.

       How I would love to be sitting in the corner, listening to the Lightning staff discussing and adjusting their draft board. Guys, really, I wouldn’t say anything. Please?

      Instead, we are all left to speculate by reading and watching some highlights. The first 10-15 picks are awful hard to predict this year. There are endless scenarios, but I will take an early look – exactly a month draft day.

      Edmonton selects first and, even though the Oilers need a defense prospect badly, it is impossible to pass up Yakupov. The Russian, who plays for Sarnia in the Ontario Hockey League, would join Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Sam Gagner and other young forwards on a team that could be ready to emerge. Well, if they can improve their defense.

      Could the Oilers add a player and/or a bundle of picks by moving down a few spots? Yes. But that’s quite a risk to take when a player like Yakupov is sitting there.

      Columbus picks next and, assuming Yakupov is gone, they have a chance at the top defenseman or another potential standout at forward. Some think Everett’s Ryan Murray is the best defenseman, but others have him rated below about four or five others. TSN scout Craig Button, a former GM with Calgary, said Russian Mikhail Grigorenko may not be a pure No. 1 center. But, for the Blue Jackets, he could slot in behind Ryan Johansen and they would have a very strong one-two punch for years. Maybe 1-2-3 with Derick Brassard. It’s about fit. The Jackets could use another young defenseman and they could take Wisconsin-born Russian Alex Galchenyuk or Swedish wing Filip Forsberg as well.

      That brings up the Montreal Canadiens, who have used their top pick to select a defenseman or a goalie (Carey Price) five of the last seven years, may have the most difficult choice of all. They could definitely use a center like Grigorenko or Galchneyuk, or a big forward like Forsberg. If Patrick Roy gets the head coaching job, he will have his chance at Grigorenko who he coached with the Quebec Remparts this season.

      Let’s just take a guess that Yakupov goes first, Columbus takes Forsberg and the Habs select Grigorenko.

      That leads us to the Islanders. Trying to figure out what Garth Snow’ is going to do is not easy. The logical tact for Snow would be to add another defenseman to the stable after adding forwards Nino Niederreitter, Brock Nelson and Ryan Strome to the organization the last two years. Snow could just grab Galchenyuk, who may have the best upside, if Grigorenko and Forsberg are gone. But it would make sense to grab a defenseman like Murray, Morgan Rielly, Griffin Reinhart or Mathew Dumba. I’m gonna guess Snow takes Murray.

       Toronto is next and you know what Brian Burke is looking for. Of course, he wants truculence. The forwards that are likely to be left don’t really provide that, except maybe Forsberg. Everyone seems to be predicting the Leafs are going to take a forward. But after trading Keith Aulie to the Bolts for Carter Ashton, they may just pick a defenseman. To me, the most exciting defenseman they could take would be Dumba. He seems to be the wrecking-ball type of player Burke prefers. That would be disappointing, because my initial thought is that he is the best of many fits for the Lightning. I just don’t think he’ll last. But if he or perhaps Rielly is sitting there at No. 6 or 7, maybe Steve Yzerman makes a deal to move up. We’ll see. Burke could also like defenseman Jacob Trouba’s truculence.

       So, with Toronto picking Dumba that leads us to Anaheim at No. 6. The Ducks could grab Galchenyuk or Grigorenko if they are there to slot behind Getzlaf at center when Saku Koivu retires. Perhaps small, quick forward Teuvo Teravainen gives them another scorer up front. But I’m thinking they will take a two-way defenseman like Reinhart, who has good size and offensive ability. Or, if they like Swede Hampus Lindholm better, maybe they go in that direction. It would not be crazy to see the Ducks drop down. Yzerman may be able to move up to six and take Rielly, Reinhart, or maybe Dumba if they are available. Could they do it for No. 10 and 37? Or, maybe add a 4^th this year or next? Hard to say. Let’s give Reinhart to the Ducks.

      The Wild, in my opinion, still need offense. Yes, Mikael Granlund is on the way. But Galchenyuk may be hard to pass up. They could also go with Teravainen to join fellow Fins Granlund and Mikko Koivu. You could see them saying to themselves, we can get Teravainen at 10 and trade down. They could like big Czech center Radek Faksa as well. This is a tough one, but when it comes down to it they take the best player and hope – Galchenyuk.

      Carolina is next and GM Jim Rutherford has taken defensemen Ryan Murphy, Brian Dumoulin, Justin Faulk, Mark Alt and Keegan Lowe high lately. You have to think they look at forwards. Faksa could look good at center for the Canes, even if they do get Jordan Staal. Teravainen would fit as well and I think that’s where they go. They have offensive defensemen, perhaps they may take a pain in the neck to play against like Trouba.

       Unless they really love a forward that has slipped down, you have to think Winnipeg will pick a defenseman. If they are scared off by Rielly’s torn ACL (he’s back playing though), they could go with Trouba, Lindholm or Cody Ceci. But I’m thinking Rielly is the kind of heady offensive defenseman they need for the future.

      If it goes like my scenario, Faksa, Trouba, Lindholm and Ceci would be left for the Bolts at No. 10. Perhaps Guelph defenseman Matt Finn, Swede defenseman Sebastian Collberg or goalie Malcolm Subban as well.

     Faksa’s potential and size are interesting, but you would think they would nab one of the defensemen. Anything can happen this year. The Bolts are in a good spot. The key to whether they move up is how much better they like the players rated 4-8 on their list than 9-12.

     One month to go.

    

     Lots of laughs: They just don’t make comedies like they used to. In my opinion, it’s been a while since there has been a really great comedic movie released. The Hangover certainly came close. Sorry, Borat and Forgetting Sarah Marshall were vastly over rated.

      I won’t include Garden State, Swingers, Bull Durham, High Fidelity and Four Weddings and a Funeral on my list because, although they could be classified as comedies, they were more of a combo. Here’s my top 20:

      20. Pirate Radio -- Funny British comedy with a great ending.
      18. Wedding Crashers/Dodgeball – A Vince Vaughn double. Didn’t want to leave one of them out.

      17. Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back – Kevin Smith’s wacky duo is crude, but funny.

      16. Anchorman – Ron Burgundy grows on you. He’s tweeting now. Really.

      15. Major League – Jusssssst a bit outside the top 10. The Indians win the pennant!

      14. Sixteen Candles – Everyone forgets Molly Ringwald’s birthday.
      13. Fletch -- Chevy Chase uncovers the crime and the Underhills pay for it.

      12. The Hangover – Still haven’t figured out what the chicken is doing in the room.

      11.  Better Off Dead – John Cusack as Lane Meyer, a young man that knows how to ski….Two dollars!!!!
      10.  Airplane! -- Hilarious spoof with plenty of lines we still use.

        9.  Spaceballs – Just a laugh a minute from Mel Brooks.

        8.  Best in Show – Wacky cast takes their pets to a big dog show. Fred Willard steals the movie as a dog show announcer.

        7.  Mallrats – Jason Lee as a really bad boyfriend who wants to win back Shannen Doherty from Ben Afleck. I don’t see the sailboat either.

        6.  Clerks – Kevin Smith’s offbeat, crazy film about a Jersey Shore Quick Stop.
        5.  Slap Shot -- Paul Newman and the Hanson Brothers show their truculence on the ice. 

        4.  Animal House – John Belushi and others turn Faber College into a madhouse of fun.

        3.  Office Space – Can watch this movie over and over. Come on, you’ve all have a boss like Lumberg.

        2.  CaddyShack – It’s 32 years and it holds up just as good. How about a Fresca?

        1.  Stripes – Arrrrrrmy training sir!!  Like No. 2, my generation can use a line from this movie just about every day. That's the fact Jack.

-      Mark Pukalo