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Priceless His skills may be eroding, but Vernon's worth keepingPosted: Thursday November 29, 2001 3:50 PM
I felt kind of bad for sinking Patrik Stefan, being sent down to the minors. Then I remembered the NHL standings and realized things could have been worse for Stefan: He could have stayed in Atlanta. The Thrashers are 5-14-2-2. Have they signed a non-compete agreement or something? Ah well, enough digs. There are a lot of great stories out there as we move past the quarter poll. Whaddya think -- will the Red Wings win 70? Will the Islanders win 50? Now, on to the bag ... I have a riddle for you, Kostya: What is a hole yet takes up space? Answer:
Flames backup goalie Mike Vernon, who has been playing terribly and is still one
of the highest-paid players on the team. How is this guy still in the league? Is
there anything my beloved Flames can do to get rid of him and his (relatively)
massive salary? I realize a trade is probably out of the question, but there
must be a way. If you figure this one out, by the way, please call Craig Button
and let him know.
Vernon has that sweet contract, as you note, and his skills have slipped to the point where he can't be moved. His value is as a vocal and experienced presence in the locker room. Having Vernon on the team is a good fit for Calgary even though he has been ineffective. Mike is an excellent team guy and he'll be able to help Roman Turek get through some difficult times. The Flames are finally angling toward a playoff spot, and having the postseason- and Cup-tested Vernon there to help soothe and guide Calgary's many young players is a value in itself. If you had to pick five goaltenders to build your team around, who would
make the final cut? My five, in no real order are Martin Biron, Dan Blackburn,
Roberto Luongo, Jose Theodore and Manny Legace. How do those choices stack up?
I'm not sure what you're criteria are here: to be young but have experience? Or what? Whatever the guidelines, Legace and Theodore would not be on my short list. Biron and Luongo definitely would be. Blackburn is a nice talent but unproven; if that's the sort of keeper you're talking about, I'd take Rick DiPietro over Blackburn without question. J.S. Giguere would also be on my list -- he'll challenge for the Vezina one day. Marty Turco would also be a candidate for my fivesome; he's ready to be a frontline keeper. Lastly, I wouldn't mind building around Tommy Salo, who's still pretty young, though a bit older than most of the guys you mentioned. Will the Minnesota Wild have the chance to make the playoffs this season?
They have started out strongly and seem to be hanging on to the competition in
the Western Conference.
It's going to be a tough road. The Western Conference runs deep with Detroit, St. Louis, Edmonton, San Jose, Colorado, Dallas (not dead yet) and the surprising Blackhawks, Flames and Coyotes. But if the Wild can keep their shots against as low as they've been keeping them, and they make the most out of their few offensive opportunities (namely, if they continue to capitalize on the power play; and if Marian Gaborik breaks open a game here and there) they have an outside shot at the postseason. Given the recent injury to Ryan Smyth, do you think the Oilers will try and
acquire a replacemen? Or will they just play through this and hope for the best?
General manager Kevin Lowe pledged a level of stability after he dealt Doug Weight in the offseason, so I don't expect him to make any major changes. Also, he doesn't have a lot of budget room to work with. The Oilers are still in fine fettle and have a little breathing room given that the Avalanche -- Edmonton's chief competitor for the division title -- is off to such an ordinary start. Smyth will be back in time for the important games in late winter and spring, and until then the Oilers will brave ahead with the rest of their feisty group of forwards. When will the L.A. Kings see that Felix Potvin is not getting it done in
net? And what can the Kings do for goaltending?
Many of us were skeptical of Potvin over the long term, even during his great late-season and playoff run last spring. He's a great guy and he tries hard but aside from that superb stretch, he has been very uneven for years now. The Kings know that, which is why they didn't rush out to move their other goalies in the offseason. For the time being they're going to hope Potvin will become more consistent or that one of their other experienced goalies asserts himself. Don't expect a major trade anytime soon. Due to injuries and spotty play, goaltending has been the Kings Achilles' heel for several seasons, and last year's effort by Potvin not withstanding, that hasn't changed. I'm curious. What is all the fuss is about Ray Bourque's number being
retired by Colorado? He is arguably the best defensemen of all time. He played
at the same level in his 22nd season as he did in his first and 11th years. Only
Mike Bossy came close to matching Bourque's consistency, and Bossy only did it
over 10 seasons. Why shouldn't Bourque's number be retired by every team for
which he played?
I don't think it's a big deal, either. The fuss comes because Bourque is so clearly a Bruin first and because he was a classic short-term, rent-a-player who abandoned his old team so that he could win on a better and richer one. I don't buy that argument, though. Bourque more than paid his dues in Boston and he was, for many, many years, the symbol of loyalty in the sport. And remember that with his one-plus years in an Avvies' uniform his length of tenure represents nearly 25 percent of the team's entire history in Colorado. If Bourque had only played in the Rockies for a few months, or if he had not been such an integral part of their championship team, I might feel differently. Given what unfolded over last season, however, I'm right on board with Colorado's decision to retire his number. Sports Illustrated senior writer Kostya Kennedy covers the NHL for the
magazine and is a regular contributor to CNNSI.com. To send a question to his
Mailbag, click here.
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