The obvious continuing (and disturbing) trend for the Penguins and their fans is the play in goal of Marc-Andre Fleury. The former No. 1 pick has been shaky at best and awful at worse for the better part of three straight playoffs now. The Pittsburgh netminder hit a new low Tuesday night into Wednesday, however. Fleury gave up six goals in the Penguins’ Game 4 loss to the New York Islanders on Tuesday, and on Wednesday, Bylsma made the change that needed to be made.

The Pittsburgh head coach announced backup Tomas Vokoun would make the start in the pivotal Game 5. One would think that the job is now Vokoun’s to lose, especially the way Fleury has played in net.

Fleury’s postseason struggles date back to the 2011 playoffs. Aside from a Game 2 loss in which he gave up four goals, he was really good, good enough to give Pittsburgh a 3-1 series lead against Tampa Bay.

From there, though, it was a meltdown. He gave up four goals in Game 5, an 8-2 whooping from the Lightning. He then gave up four more in Game 6. Fleury rebounded in Game 7 giving up just a goal, but Dwayne Roloson was better, and the Penguins were gone.

Last season was even worse. Fleury gave up 17 goals in the first three games, as Pittsburgh would fall behind 3-0 in the series. The Pens pushed it to a Game 6, only for Fleury to give up four more goals.

Now, here he is just four games into this year’s playoffs. After shutting out the Islanders in Game 1, he’s allowed 14 goals in the three games that followed.

Add it all up, and Fleury has allowed 40 goals in his last 10 playoff games, and 59 in his last 13.

That’s not the only excuse for the Penguins, though. They didn’t have Sidney Crosby in 2011. Gone, too, that year was Evgeni Malkin. Their defensive corps, while not filled with Norris candidates this year, isn’t as bad as it was last year. The D-men were just as much to blame in 2012 as anything else.

But this year was supposed to be different. Crosby and Malkin are both healthy. Chris Kunitz is having a career year. Kris Letang is a Norris candidate. Ray Shero went out and plucked veteran forwards Jarome Iginla and Brenden Morrow as well as big defenseman Doug Murray at the deadline.

This team is loaded, everyone said. Except for in between the pipes. That one glaring question mark has become the all-too-obvious reason as to why the Islanders actually have a chance to derail the Penguins’ march to the Stanley Cup. For that, Bylsma and the rest of the Penguins coaching staff had to make a move.

So now they turn to Vokoun, hoping he can at least be solid. That’s what must make Fleury’s struggles so infuriating for the Pens. They just need Fleury, basically, to not suck. The Penguins are going to score, and they’re going to be in position to win games. They don’t need someone to stand on his head, they just need someone who won’t blow up like Fleury has all too often.

Vokoun should, in theory, be an improvement. His success against the Islanders probably makes the decision even easier. He’s appeared in four games this season against the Islanders and he’s made three starts. In those games, he’s 3-0-1 having stopped 98 of the 101 shots.

So there’s the potential for him to be good. But the biggest thing he’s got going for him right now is that he’s not Marc-Andre Fleury. For that, the job is now his.

After one of the most harrowing weeks this city has ever experienced, Boston finally can begin its return to something resembling normal life. What “normal” means now is unclear, of course, as Monday’s tragedy at the marathon and Friday’s day-long manhunt redefined the word forever for the residents of Boston and its suburbs. For the families of Martin Richard, Krystle Campbell, Lingzi Lu and Sean Collier, the death of one of the bombing’s alleged perpetrators and the capture of the other will never be sufficient to return their lives to the happy “normal” they knew less than a week ago.

But it is a start along the path to healing. So as the residents of Watertown awaken on Saturday morning, bleary-eyed from the surreal preceding 24 hours, they can finally begin to pretend that life is on its way back to normal. We can turn on the news to confirm to ourselves that Friday really happened, that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev truly is clinging to life in a hospital bed and not running free, then dedicate a few quiet moments to reflect in honor of the victims.

Then we can turn on the Red Sox at noon, provided the weather clears up, or the Bruins, who will line up for the opening face off around the same time Clay Buchholz‘ first pitch will sail into the catcher’s mitt at Fenway Park. Around the time those games are wrapping up, the Celtics tip off Game 1 of their Eastern Conference playoff series in New York. For a solid six hours or so, we will create the illusion that this is just another day in sports-loving Boston.

The games themselves are irrelevant, obviously. The Bruins eliminated two games from their schedule this week, the Red Sox and Celtics one each, and nobody has uttered a peep of complaint. Anyone and everyone would trade wins in all three games today if it could help bring back the four people who have lost their lives needlessly.

Yet we all know that it would not. As three of Boston’s teams return to action, the games are simply a reminder of what two men’s actions took from us — or tried to, anyway. Getting life back to normal, or something like it, begins now. On Saturday, we will show the perpetrators that Boston, for all the tears shed in the last six days, has not forgotten how to cheer.

Have a question for Ben Watanabe? Send it to him via Twitter at @BenjeeBallgame or send it here.

6 p.m.: We’ve reached the conclusion of the first day of the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference. We’ll be back Saturday for day two. Be sure to check NESN.com starting at 9 a.m. to see what topics are covered in the country’s biggest meeting sports data analysts.

5:55 p.m.: When asked about over-saturation of sports on television, Walsh points to increased audience sizes and competition from other outlets as proof that fans are actually underserved.

5:45 p.m.: The common challenge that teams in the NBA and Major League Baseball share is how to make teams profitable, Postolos says. Broad revenue sharing is one way leagues are facing this test.

5:40 p.m.: Walsh says that a lot of research will on concussions will come out in the next 12-24 months. He’s sure decision makers will take notice and act on it.

5:30 p.m.: Media is the biggest international opportunity at the moment, de Picciotto says. The next is taking brands globally (through sports). Finally, the movement of talent across borders gives players and fans a chance to see athletes from around the world.

He also thinks gambling has the potential to generate vast amounts of revenue, but it could kill sports as well.

On the question of performance-enhancing drugs, he says essentially need to keep up with societal values.

5:20 p.m.: Walsh asks how to use analytics to value sports properties — especially in increments of time.

PepsiCo has a proprietary model, according to Storms. “Nobody knows our business better than we do,” she says. The company uses a multi-stage process to evaluate the impact of any potential sponsorship or endorsement.

She concludes that there’s no way to measure the exact amount of product that sports partnerships move, but PespiCo is closer than it has ever been to doing so.

5:15 p.m.: Carter says leagues partner with media and sponsors to try and “surround the fan.” She adds that the old model of signage at a stadium no longer works.

5 p.m.: Walsh says we need innovative thinking about the playing of the game and the experience of the consumer.

He points to the fact that players are bigger, faster and stronger than they were decades ago, yet the size of the playing surfaces (specifically in the NFL and NBA) remain the same. “Why not make fields bigger to provide more excitement for fans,” he asks.

4:50 p.m.: The business of sports is our final panel of the day. Industry leaders will talk about the money side of this multi-trillion dollar industry.

Kraft Sports Group vice president Jessica Gelman will moderate the panel. She will be joined by Soccer United Marketing president Kathy Carter, Octagon president Phil de Picciotto, Houston Astros president George Postolos, PepsiCo vice president of global sports marketing Jennifer Storms, and ESPN executive vice president John Walsh.

4:45 p.m.: Schatz says the most overrated players are the ones whose athletic ability doesn’t translate into football success.

He points to D’Angelo Hall who is fast and has good hands but is poor in coverage.

He says Tony Romo is underrated because he is consistently one of the six or seven best quarterbacks in the league and one of the best in the fourth quarter … “as long as the game is not on national television.”

4:40 p.m.: The 49ers use analytics to better understand the tendencies of coaches — how they manage the clock and when they call time outs.

4:35 p.m.: Pioli says mutual respect is lacking in football when asked how to convince an NFL head coach to listen to an analyst who has never stepped on the field.

He says a coach must have an open mind, but it’s important how analysts present, deliver and communicate their information.

4:30 p.m.: Kremer asks how to quantify injuries and off-field problems. What value do you attach to those events?

No two injuries are the same, but Shatz argues that, en masse, players  are better at recovering from injuries in today’s game than they were in the past.

As for the character question, Pioli approaches it on a case-by-case basis, saying there’s no real way to measure something like that.

Pioli discusses the new player assessment tool being used at the NFL combine. He wants to know as much about a player’s mental makeup — specifically his levels of work ethic and level of selflessness (or selfishness).

4:25 p.m.: Demoff says the middle class is shrinking because teams are better at scouting and developing young players. Teams are now paying a premium for players they call “difference makers.”

4:20 p.m.: Demoff says the salary caps affect the schemes teams use. They “ultimately look for undervalued players and get as many of them as you can.”

He said more teams started playing 3-4 defenses a few years ago because nose tackles were undervalued. Now the best nose tackles command $12 million salaries, so teams are reverting to the 4-3 because the market allows them to get more bang for their buck with tackles to fit that system.

4:15 p.m.: Marathe calls the Patriots the “kings of replenishing.”

In the age of the salary cap, it’s impossible to keep a team together over the long term. “If every player took a 15-percent discount on their market rate, we still wouldn’t be able to keep them all,” he says.

He adds that the Patriots have been incredible at churning players yet remaining successful.

Pioli says that the Pats’ practice of stockpiling draft picks increases their chancing of landing good players. “Every pick is a gamble,” he said before adding that taking more gambles increases the chances of landing good players.

4:05 p.m.: Pioli says it’s tough to come up with a measurement to predict a player’s chance of success.

“Football is such an interdependent game. The success of a play has so many variables and depends on 11 indiviudals.”

Marathe expands on it, saying that trades don’t often work out because a player can succeed in one system, but look totally out-of-place in another.

3:55 p.m.: Pioli is no fan of the combine because there’s a difference between “pure speed” and “playing speed.”

He finds values in measurements. He says Tom Brady is such an accurate passer because he’s got huge hands.

Marathe talks about “hidden value” of 40-yard dash times, citing the case of Jerry Rice. He says Rice had an average overall 40 time, but his speed between 20-40 yards (what insiders call “the flying 20″) was one of the highest ever.

He said it translated into separation speed on the field. Rice was rarely, if ever, caught from behind.

3:50 p.m.: Demoff and Marathe say their teams are looking to hire analysts. The Rams are still working out how to deeper integrate analytics into their organization, while the 49ers have used one on the salary cap side for over a decade and are now using them on the football side.

Pioli says analytics have played a role in the game for ages. “Gut” decisions are based on prior experience and analysis, he says.

We’re just calling it something else now.

3:40 p.m.: Are you ready for some football?

The National Football League is undergoing an analytics revolution of its own. The Football Analytics panel will discuss how NFL coaches and teams are using data to evaluate players, map out strategy and make in-game decisions.

Andrea Kremer will moderate the panel. She will be joined by St. Louis Rams executive vice president of football operations Kevin Demoff, former Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli, San Francisco 49ers chief operating officer Paraag Marathe and Football Outsiders founder Aaron Schatz.

2:40 p.m.: Robin van Persie does his exploring in the half second before the ball comes his way. It’s how he always seems to be one step ahead of defenders (despite not being particularly fast or quick) when he gets the ball in the final third of the field.

2:30 p.m.: Jordet says Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard have the highest frequency of “visual exploratory behavior,” meaning the two stars look around and gauge their surroundings before receiving the ball.

He says the midfield players who complete the highest number of forward passes are the ones who do the most exploring. In other words, they’re reading the game and playing it at the same time.

He bases the research on Sky Sports’ player cameras.

2:25 p.m.: We’re going from one extreme to the other. Baseball and statistics are inseparable, but soccer has been slow to adopt statistical analysis.

Geir Jordet, director of psychology at the Norweigan Centre for Football (soccer) Excellence is presenting some new research on “The Hidden Foundation of Field Vision in English Premier League Soccer Players.”

He explores the concept of field vision. How can some players make the right pass every time they get the ball? We’re about to find out.

1:50 p.m.: The panel discusses how difficult it is to predict how a young player will perform in the big leagues. There’s no exact science or measurement device that will predict which players will overperform or underperform at the top level.

1:40 p.m.: Posnanski says there’s a real divide in the way journalists cover baseball. He thinks younger writers — especially on the internet — are more versed in the “new language” of analytics, while mainstream media still focuses on wins, losses, errors and other 100-year-old statistics.

He thinks baseball coverage is currently changing and will continue to change with the times.

1:30 p.m.: Zaidi says analytics are changing the way the game is played and how managers manage.

McCracken adds that managers tend to want to avoid risk. If he plays a star player and the player doesn’t deliver, “it’s the player’s fault.” If the manager plays an untested rookie and the youngster fails, “it’s the manager’s fault.”

1:20 p.m.: When asked what the newest developments in baseball analytics, Keri says that teams are increasingly privatizing and keeping data in house. McCracken thinks this will slow the growth of the baseball analysis.

He goes on to say that video analysis is the next frontier in the field.

Zaidi says baseball analysis is too tied to outcomes rather than skills themselves. The A’s are trying to move in the direction of skill-based analysis rather than outcomes (which are the results of those skills).

1:15 p.m.: Zaidi drew chuckles from crowd when he said Billy Beane calls him “The Emotional Stat Guy.”

He adds that baseball decisions are very complex and there are a lot of disagreements, but Beane has to make the final call at the end of the day.

1:10 p.m.: Posnanski says that baseball provides new things to measure and quantify almost every day. Where some sports might see diminishing returns from the avalanche of data, he thinks that won’t be the case in baseball.

McCracken thinks the data can be dangerous. Some take a new stat and run with it without “completely understanding” the data that they’re seeing.

12:55 p.m.: We’re getting set for one of the most anticipated panels of the first day — on baseball analytics.

Sabermetrics are gaining influence among baseball’s decision makers. Grantland staff writer Jonah Keri, NBC Sports writer Joe Posnanski, statistical analyst Voros McCracken and Oakland Athletics director of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi will discuss how teams are using analytics to gain a competitive advantage. ESPN’s Lindsey Czarniak will moderate.

11:20 a.m.: Polian and MacMullan talk about the Manti Te’o hoax and its effect on the player.

The former Colts general manager thinks the hoax won’t have a negative impact on his career over the long term.

“The hoax that he was a victim of  is a story, and it’s a gigantic story —  people can’t get enough of it,” Polian says. “Does it affect Manti Te’o the football player? I would submit to you absolutely not.”

MacMullan agrees with that assessment, but she thinks the hoax has had negative effects on his preparation for the NFL combine.

“He was probably not capable of preparing the way he would have liked to have because of all the outside noise and all the outside things that have happened to him.

“I don’t know this for a fact, but perhaps he may have under-performed at the combine because anyone that went through what he went through, regardless of how much you think he was involved or not involved, it had to have been devastating. There had to have been a lot of sleepless nights. There had to have been a lot of days he probably didn’t eat, and I’m sure a lot of days he didn’t work out the way he wanted to.”

11 a.m.: Pagliuca talks about the perspective owners and managers need. The best ones see things over an 82-game season “like a movie.”

Polian talks about a parallel universe we live in. Fans and media expect perfection over the course of an 82, 16 or even 162-game season. Professionals know that perfection is “almost never achievable,” and coaches teach against mistakes that are part of the business.

10:50 a.m.: Burke and Van Gundy have spoken about the most difficult aspect of their jobs as coaches and general managers.

They agree that the hardest part is cutting players — guys that “bleed for you” as Burke says. The human element, specifically the bonds that form in the locker room are tough to break.

10:45 a.m.: Burke likes hard coaches. They’re his favorite ones. But the former Toronto Maple Leafs president and general manager says “the harder the coach is, the shorter his shelf life.”

10:40 a.m.: Pagliuca tells us that one of the best decisions the Celtics have made (since he’s been one of the team’s owners) was not firing Danny Ainge and Doc Rivers in the 2006-07 season.

10:20 a.m.: Van Gundy is discussing the Dwight Howard saga in Orlando. He says Howard asked for him to be fired and was causing a problem in the Magic locker room.

He wished Magic management would come out with a statement — either back him with a new contract or fire him — and end the distraction. They didn’t.

Polian says Jim Finks, Red Aurebach and Branch Rickey are the three greatest executives in history. He adds that coaches are useful for a maximum of 10 years. The ones that are able to “recognize and prepare them [players] are the ones that last longest.”

10 a.m.: “It’s Not You, It’s Me: Break-Ups in Sports” is our first panel of the day. Moderator Jackie MacMullan will lead a discussion about high-profile trades, public disputes over hirings and firings and other media spectacles.

John Buccigross, Bill Polian, Steve Pagliuca, Brian Burke and Stan Van Gundy will explore how high-profile changes affect on-field performances.

9 a.m. ET: In the span of seven years, the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference has become the place to be.

Sports insiders,  executives and leading researchers from around the country and beyond descend on Boston for two days  to discuss role of analytics in the sports industry with each other and thousands of students.

The Boston Convention and Exhibition Center is the site of this year’s conference. Nate Silver, Brian Burke, Adam Silver, Mark Cuban, Jonathan Kraft and Michael Wilbon are just a few of the panelists that will be on hand to give and receive insight into how sports are being changed by “big data.”

We are on hand for the 2013 conference, looking to see where the next breakthrough in sports analytics will come from. Join us here on March 1 for the latest on sports data analysis.

Have a question for Marcus Kwesi O’Mard? Send it to him via Twitter at @mkomard, his Facebook page or send it here. He will pick a few questions to answer every week for his mailbag.

Photo via Facebook/MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference

But then came the dreaded Stanley Cup hangover year, and the Hawks lived up to the low expectations, bowing out in the first round of the playoffs against the Canucks — even after storming back from a 3-0 deficit. The next season saw the Hawks making the postseason again, but the results were just as disappointing, as they lost in the first round to the Phoenix Coyotes.

The core may have remained intact after the 2010 season, but the identity of the team was not as strong or intimidating. The Blackhawks’ roster went through some serious upheaval because of salary cap restraints, which led to Chicago parting ways with some of its most pivotal players during the Cup run — most notably Antti Niemi, Andrew Ladd and Dustin Byfuglien.  The next two seasons were filled with the Hawks trying to recapture the magic they had in 2010, but they never quite clicked or showed true chemistry.

Now, after two other Stanley Cup champions have been crowned, the Hawks are ready to reclaim their throne.

Currently tied with the NHL record of 16 consecutive games with a point to start a season, the Hawks’ hot start (13-0-3) shows this team has no intention of another early postseason departure. Trading away some of the team’s strongest pieces seemed like a setback at the time, but with young guys like Andrew Shaw, Brandon Bollig and Brandon Saad developing in the AHL and eventually being called up, Chicago has shown it is more than capable of replacing the older, more expensive players.

Shaw’s intensity and energy never wavers on the ice, as he has proven himself a nuisance in front of the net. Pair that with Bollig’s willingness to drop the gloves, and Hawks fans miss Byfuglien a little less. Corey Crawford has posted a .935 save percentage this season, and backup goaltender Ray Emery has been just as impressive, keeping the undefeated streak alive. He took over for the injured Crawford between the pipes the last three games.

The Blackhawks’ top defensive pairing of Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook continues to make life easier for whoever is in goal, but beyond them, Niklas Hjalmarsson — who is logging 21:05 of ice time per game — and Nick Leddy provide even more depth defensively and some much-needed rest for the top two in this shortened season.

The Blackhawks are equally as dominant with the puck as well, and much of that is thanks to the core of the 2010 Stanley Cup-winning team. Marian Hossa, Jonathan Toews and Kane lead the Hawks in points per game, with Kaner adding 22 in 16 games — good enough for third overall in the NHL. Nine guys remain from the 2010 team, with seven of them the team’s top scorers. The core remains, and Chicago also has the role players — and, in turn, the depth — to make a legitimate postseason run.

The maturity, as well as the production, that the younger players have shown this season, combined with the established play of the Hawks’ stars, make for a tough team. More importantly, though, the Blackhawks have a complete team.

They have recovered from their hangover, and they are ready to make history on Friday night, when they will attempt to go 17 games without a regulation loss as their quest for the Stanley Cup continues.

A part of me thinks, “Awesome, hockey is back and every game could make or break your playoff hopes, literally.” On the other hand, does the format produce a true champion?

I asked this same question to Bruins television analyst Andy Brickley during a recent visit to our NESN studios, and like always, Brick made a good point. When asked whether or not the Stanley Cup champions’ name should have an asterisk next to it this season, Brick said as long as there’s a full length playoff, it counts in his book.

That being said, the postseason in the NHL is unlike any other sport. The intensity, toughness, heart and skill levels get ratcheted up to a whole new level. It’s the only sport I can watch the playoffs from start to finish and not turn off the TV even if my hometown team isn’t playing in it.

To Brick’s point, the playoff format wouldn’t change: seven-game series from start to finish with the top eight teams from each conference getting a shot at the Cup. I agree with the point about a full-length playoff, but it’s getting there that I’m having a tough time grasping.

Consistency is the biggest challenge of an 82-game schedule. From October all the way through April, teams battle to stay healthy as well as consistent with their play on the ice — no, not consistently bad. It makes you think: if a team gets out of the gate hot, they’re more than likely golden when it comes to making the playoffs. Take last November, for example. The Bruins posted a 12-0-1 record in that month, with their only loss coming in a shootout against Detroit. If a team were to catch fire like that with a shortened schedule, they wouldn’t have much work left to do to make the playoffs.

On the flip side, the B’s got off to a horrid start the month prior, as many liked to refer to it as a “championship hangover.” Stumbling out of the gate could prove disastrous with a small sample size of games. The point I’m trying to make is that a full 82-game slate allows for the ebb and flow of any NHL team — the high points, the low points, injuries, winning streaks, losing streaks, etc.

While I’m rooting with the rest of the hockey faithful for a return to the ice this year, I still have a hard time envisioning the eventual champ raising the Cup without an asterisk somewhere close by. Yes, you endured the rigors of a normal NHL playoff, but it’s how you got there that isn’t sitting well. Let’s just hope we get a chance to debate this topic again when it’s playoff time, because that would mean Donald Fehr and Gary Bettman put aside their differences and listened to the true voice of the league — the fans.

Click here to vote whether 2013′s Cup champ would need an asterisk >>

Robert Griffin III

Griffin has elevated the Redskins to must-watch status in the NFL with his rare blend of athleticism and football IQ while also being one of the most marketable athletes in the sport. In Washington, though, Griffin has a few contemporaries who could lay claim to the title of D.C.’s favorite son. Nationals pitching phenom Stephen Strasburg and the Capitals’ electric Alex Ovechkin are favorites, and Wizards budding star John Wall can also make a case — if he can get on the court.

Griffin is on pace for some pretty impressive numbers in his first season, particularly through the air. His 17-4 touchdown-to-interception ratio and 67.1 percent completion percentage put him ahead of not only his fellow rookies but also many established quarterbacks in terms of efficiency. His production on the ground, which was expected to be high, will likely top the 1,000-yard mark before season’s end. His versatility makes him a player the Redskins can rely on to build fan support in coming years.

The success of Griffin comes on the heels of an impressive summer for the Nationals, who won their first National League East division title since moving from Montreal. Strasburg has been a catalyst for the turnaround in Washington. Even with the questionable way the franchise handled his innings, his long-term potential has put fans in seats and will have them coming back for more.

Games that featured Strasburg on the mound became appointment viewing for all fans of baseball and brought attention to a team — and city — that had been struggling to make noise nationally for many, many years. Even when Strasburg wasn’t playing down the stretch, the media couldn’t stay away from the team because of what it had built around him with players like Ryan Zimmerman, Gio Gonzalez, Jayson Werth and Bryce Harper.

Strasburg is expected to be one of the best pitchers in the game for years to come, and the Nationals appear to be here to stay. That’s good news for fans inside the Beltway.

The not-so-good news for fans, however, is that the NHL lockout is keeping the Capitals and Ovechkin from making another playoff push — at least for the time being. The Capitals’ electric star is back home in Russia playing in the KHL for now. That provides relief for the glass boards along the ice but certainly takes some of the fun out of the winter season for fans. Coming off a momentum-building first-round series win over the Bruins in last year’s playoffs, Ovechkin and the Capitals’ rise through the Eastern Conference is on hold.

As for the other tenants of the Verizon Center, the Wizards have had tough luck with their young star.

Wall was a “can’t-miss” prospect coming out of Kentucky and has looked the part when able to get on the court. Through two seasons, Wall is averaging 16.3 points and 6.3 assists per game. But he has not played a game — or practiced — yet this season due to a stress injury to his left knee.

What is most troubling about the timing of the injury is the state of the Wizards as an organization. Wall and the Wizards were able to rattle off six straight wins at the end of last season, with Wall averaging 14.5 points, 11.2 assists and 2.3 steals. Without Wall, the Wizards are 2-13 to start the 2012-13 season, and they lack an identity.

Still, with so much young, marketable talent being showcased in D.C., postseason success shouldn’t be too far away. Whether it’s a Super Bowl, World Series, Stanley Cup or NBA championship, these young players are leading a sports revival that make Washington one of the best sports cities in the country.

While NHL fans sit waiting for CBA negotiations to start up again, the league's brightest stars are playing overseas. But the trip to Europe may be doing more harm than good.

On Oct. 18, the KHL released a video of their top 10 hits through the first few weeks of the regular season. Problem is, the hits that fans of Russia's national league applauded would warrant the most severe punishment in the U.S.

The video shows 10 big hits, and most (if not all) would be considered illegal and result in penalties by the standards and rules of the NHL. Throughout the video, players can be seen leaving their skates, throwing elbows and taking cheap shots — behavior that would not be permitted in North America.

Though the video is surprising, it shouldn't be a shock that there is a lack of discipline in the KHL — a league that doesn't have the greatest track record. The league is still in its infancy compared to others, but it already has had a laundry list of controversies and discipline issues. The KHL is still known by some as the home of hockey's most brutal fight in recent memory.

Several plays that are featured — including what the KHL calls the No. 1 hit — show players blatantly leaving their skates and colliding with their opponents at full speed. Once again, these are hits that would likely result in suspensions in the NHL.

When NHL players left for Europe, it was the hope of fans that they wouldn't be playing in bush leagues with cheap shots and lack of control by the officials. And while the KHL may have seemed appealing from afar, it's showing its true colors up close.

While the lockout continues, NHL players who have found refuge in Europe need responsible supervision by experienced referees that have their best interest sin mind. It's not fair that NHLers are being left open to injury as a result of negligent officials.

Gary Bettman and the owners may believe that there's "nothing to discuss" with the NHLPA right now, but videos like this should serve as an inspiration to jump-start negotiations and get a deal done.

It's time to bring the NHL back and protect its players, before it's too late to prevent a senseless career-ending injury playing somewhere else.

Screen shot via YouTube

While the rest of the sporting world celebrates over the new deal signed by the owners and the NFLRA, let us not forget the chaos that ensued in the first three weeks of the 2012 season. Missed calls, player injuries, inconsistent flags and longer games were far too commonplace for a professional organization like the NFL. The damage done in three weeks went beyond the imagination of anybody with an opinion on professional football. As a result, the credibility of the league has taken a serious hit that will take years to repair.

In regards to the best commissioner, Selig has charged ahead as the best of the “Big Four” because of the MLB’s ability to stay out of the lockout discussions that have plagued the other three leagues in the last two years. The last lockout in the MLB was in 1994, when the players went on strike and resulted in the loss of the entire postseason.

That was nearly 20 years ago.

While there have been speed bumps along the way, the MLB and its players association have set aside their differences, and got the players on the field for full seasons — which fans care most about.

While the MLB has succeeded in that sense, it’s far from perfect. Umpires still make mistakes, but none anywhere near as glaring and as frequent as we saw in the NFL, and its still a far cry from the officiating in the NBA.

The PED scandal still has a glaring undertone in baseball. But, harder drug testing and higher suspensions have limited the spotlight of steroids, and the sport seems to be separating itself from the “juiced” era of years past.

The NBA, and David Stern, for the moment, would have to rank second in terms of league credibility. For reference, though, if this were a statistical analysis, the drop off from the MLB to NBA would be significant.

A lockout almost cost basketball fans all of the 2011-2012 season, but it was settled when players began losing paychecks. And everyone was thrilled to see Lebron James and the Miami Heat raise the Larry O’Brien trophy at the finals. Ok so maybe not on that aspect of it, but at least there was basketball.

Officiating in the NBA is always under scrutiny, and rightfully so.

“Everyone who loves pro basketball assumes it’s a little fixed,” said Chuck Klosterman in regards to officiating in the NBA. And, looking at some calls in years past, its hard to not agree.

Coming in after the NBA is Roger Goodell and the NFL. It’s hard to believe how after only three weeks of a season, the credibility of a league could take such a dramatic fall. When officials that couldn’t work in the lingerie football league are calling games on the highest stage, there is a big problem on your hands.

Combine the officiating problem with the ongoing lawsuits against the league from former and current players, and the NFL is in big-time trouble. When an ever-growing contingent of your retired players are suing the league for hiding information on head injuries and their effects after retirement, you have a PR nightmare. Regardless of what your stance is on the lawsuit, it still doesn’t look good for Goodell when the the entire players association is against you.

Creeping on to the list — only because there is only one other league on the continent —  is the NHL. But, because there isn’t currently a season scheduled because of yet another lockout, Gary Bettman‘s league has zero credibility. Two lockouts in eight years? Might as well wave a white flag. While new talks are scheduled and the issue can hopefully be resolved, it will take more than a contract and some hand-shaking for fans to put their faith back into the NHL.

For each of the commissioners, take a hard look in the mirror. Is your league doing all it can to put the best product out there? The MLB is the closest to a perfect product currently, and it’s absolutely far from it. But the NBA, NFL and MLB are light years away from providing their fans with a high-end, credible league.

Until then, asking what league is the most credible is a clown question, bro.

Sports used to be just that — sports. There wasn’t any need to know the intricacies of a collective bargaining agreement, or even what a CBA was. The commissioner of a sports league wasn’t hounded by reporters every day, and if you knew what basketball-related revenue was, you were probably an agent.

Yet with the NFL embroiled in a labor dispute with its referees and the NHL seemingly hurtling towards another lockout with its players, it’s hard not to notice that the realities of sports as businesses is creeping into the everyday discussion of everybody’s favorite teams.

The NHL and NHLPA called off talks on Friday, after the owners decided that what the players called a “proposal” was actually just a “response.” Semantics aside, the fact that the two sides are this far apart with this little time remaining before the CBA expires raises a very real concern that the NHL is headed towards its second lockout in recent years.

Meanwhile, the NFL has reportedly reopened discussions with its locked-out referees days after announcing that replacements refs will start the season. The progress is encouraging, but the fact that it has gone on this far has done nothing but reflect poorly on the league — and the replacement refs — for the sake of a few dollars here or there.

The innocence that fans have when it comes to rooting for teams is slipping away, little by little, dollar for dollar, and those responsible for the health of the games don’t seem to care. Sure, fans will always tune in because that’s what fans do. It would just be nice if they didn’t have to with the financial aspects of it all looming over everything.

Photo of the Night

Kaboom!

Quote of the Night

“The argument would be, unfortunately for you Pats fans, is when you guys win ‑‑ what was it, 18 and 0, and unfortunately lost one, that’s kind of the argument.”
–Tiger Woods, explaining how the PGA Tour playoffs work, or something

Tweet of the Night

WHICH ONE IS IT?!?!?

Bubble, but safe RT @nep4l: @jeffphowe Bequette safe or bubble?

— Jeff Howe (@jeffphowe) September 1, 2012

Video of the Night

This must have been before Dwight Howard demanded a trade to another ping pong team.

After months of pursuit through the trade deadline and draft weekend, New York finally landed the high-scoring forward in a trade with the Blue Jackets on Monday. And the Rangers did so without having to surrender any of the key young players Columbus had coveted. Ryan McDonagh, Chris Kreider and Derek Stepan will all now become teammates of Nash rather than trade chips needed to acquire him.

The Rangers are now loaded up front with Nash joining the likes of Brad Richards, Marian Gaborik, Ryan Callahan, Kreider and Stepan in a formidable top six. Add in some solid role players like Brian Boyle, Carl Hagelin, Arrom Asham, Mike Rupp, Jeff Halpern and Taylor Pyatt for the bottom six, a defense led by McDonagh, Marc Staal, Dan Girardi and Michael Del Zotto and reigning Vezina winner Henrik Lundqvist in goal and New York has the makings of a tough team to get past in the East. For this year anyway.

The Rangers even have more than $13 million left in cap space for the upcoming season, with only restricted free agent defensemen Del Zotto and Anton Stralman left unsigned. That could give them the chance to add even more this offseason. They remain in contention to sign free agent forward Shane Doan, who recently visited with the team and would really upgrade the size, skill and experience up front in conjunction with Nash.

But this year isn’t the issue. It’s New York’s long-term prospects that could tip this trade from a huge win for the Rangers to a more complicated result. Despite their ample cap space at the moment, Nash’s $7.8 million cap hit through 2017-18 could cause some complications as the Rangers’ other key players come due for new deals in the coming years.

Those key assets they kept out of the trade will still cost the Rangers, with McDonagh and Stepan scheduled to become restricted free agents after this upcoming season and Kreider’s entry-level deal up after next year. That summer of 2014 will also see Lundqvist, Gaborik, Callahan and Girardi become unrestricted free agents, while Staal is a UFA in 2015.

That’s a lot of big contracts to hand out in the next couple years, especially if changes in the new collective bargaining agreement currently being negotiated end up lowering the cap or eliminating the ability to store bad contracts in the minors to escape the cap hit. That latter issue could be particularly troublesome for the Rangers, who have kept Wade Redden and his $6.5 million cap hit in the AHL the last two years. That contract runs through 2013-14, so it could come back to haunt them in the near future if such loopholes are closed.

Nash’s team-high $7.8 million cap hit could become an albatross as well, especially if his production declines as he gets into his 30s. Nash, 28, has already shown some signs of that, with his numbers declining slightly in each of the last three seasons. He’s dropped from 40 goals and a career-best 79 points in 2008-09 to just 30 goals and 59 points this past season. Some of that decline could be the result of his dissatisfaction with his situation in Columbus and the lack of talent around him, but it’s also possible that the wear and tear of nine seasons in the NHL as a power forward is taking its toll as well and that trend could continue even playing for a contender in New York.

That $7.8 million a year price tag won’t be too appealing if Nash’s goal totals slip down into the 20s and that cap hit keeps the Rangers from being able to retain all of its rising young talent.

That’s a problem for tomorrow though. Today, the Rangers stand to be a better team with the addition of Nash without the loss of any of their key foundation pieces. And if Nash can push the Rangers over the top, they’ll gladly deal with the long-term consequences if and when they come.

Have a question for Douglas Flynn? Send it to him via Twitter at @douglasflynn or send it here. He will pick a few questions to answer every week for his mailbag.

After all he's the guy who delivered this devastating KO to Matt Cooke about a month after the Pittsburgh cheap-shot artist effectively ended Bruins center Marc Savard's career with a blindside hit to the head in 2010.

But the Winnipeg Jets have to set an actual value on Kane, a restricted free agent who led the club in goals and was second in points last season with a 30-27-57 campaign.

Kane, the fourth overall pick in 2004 by what was then the Atlanta Thrashers, has already logged three seasons in the NHL and won't turn 21 until Aug. 2. His totals have dramatically improved over each of those seasons, climbing from 14-12-26 as a rookie to 19-24-43 in the team's final season in Atlanta to last year's 30-goal season after the relocation to Winnipeg.

Those three seasons exhausted his entry-level contract, and now the Jets must determine if that upward trajectory of Kane's career will continue and warrant a major investment in the form of a new long-term contract.

The answer appears to be yes, with the Winnipeg Free Press reporting on Tuesday that the sides are working on a new deal that could keep Kane in Manitoba for another six years.

And that should be Winnipeg's decision. Kane is the kind of exciting young talent an emerging team must build around, and the Jets simply do not have enough talented young players that they can afford to alienate him. With about $50.9 million committed to the cap toward 20 players, Winnipeg can afford to make a significant commitment to Kane, and that's what it's likely to take.

Kane's comparables at this point are 2009 draft classmate John Tavares and Phil Kessel. Kessel put up similar numbers over his first three years in Boston, going from 11-18-29 to 19-18-37 to 36-24-60. He couldn't come to terms with the Bruins on a second contract, but landed the deal he sought with Toronto, which signed him for $27 million over five years ($5.4 million cap hit) after trading three draft picks that would become Tyler Seguin, Dougie Hamilton and Jared Knight to Boston for his rights.

Tavares just completed his entry-level deal, but already signed a six-year, $33 million extension ($5.5 million cap hit) last September. That was before he put up a career-high 31-50-81 line last season, but the 2009 No. 1 overall pick had already put up 24-30-54 and 29-38-67 campaigns.

Kane, while a talented young scorer, lags slightly behind both Kessel and Tavares in terms of pure offensive skill, but does bring other elements to the table. Cooke learned the hard way about Kane's toughness, and Kane provides a physical presence on a regular basis with 173 hits last season, compared to 27 for Tavares and just 12 for Kessel.

That kind of approach can put a lot of strain on Kane's relatively slender 6-foot-2, 195-pound frame, and can make a long-term deal a bit more risky. He has already missed 33 games over his first three seasons with a variety of injuries, including a broken foot and a concussion.

While Kessel and Tavares both got long-term deals in their second contracts, there are other comparable players have settled for shorter pacts. James Neal signed a two-year, $5.75 million ($2.875 million cap hit) after going 24-13-37 and 27-28-55 in Dallas, but has since cashed in with a six-year, $30 million ($5.0 million cap hit) that begins this upcoming season. Logan Couture is about to begin a two-year, $5.72 million deal of his own after putting up 32-24-56 and 31-34-65 totals in his first two seasons, while Matt Duchene, picked one spot ahead of Kane in 2009, settled for a two-year, $7 million deal this summer after slumping to 14-14-28 totals in 58 games last year after 24-31-55 and 27-40-67 in his first two seasons.

The Jets and Kane appear headed toward a longer marriage though. That's an interesting development after Renaud Lavoie of RDS reported last month that a Jets player had told him Kane wasn't interested in negotiating a deal at all. That may have stemmed from coach Claude Noel benching Kane for part of a January game in Boston, then publicly criticizing his effort.

"For me, I wasn't happy with the way he started the game," Noel told the Winnipeg Sun. "Either you are going to play or you're not. Figure it out.

"I'm not going to wait for him to start, the game has started. I saw two or three shifts and I'd seen enough. It's like, what do you want to do here? If you want to be a key player on our team, if that's what you think you want to be, then get ready to play the game, like everybody else."

Kane is a key player for the Jets, one of their cornerstone pieces they cannot afford to lose. There have been some bumps along the way, but he's responded properly. He did not score in the six games immediately after Noel called him out, but then finished the season strong with 12-14-26 totals in his final 28 games.

Now the Jets just need to make sure Kane's continued maturation and development happens in Winnipeg.

Have a question for Douglas Flynn? Send it to him via Twitter at @douglasflynn or send it here. He will pick a few questions to answer every week for his mailbag.

Going into these negotiations, there was room for optimism. Surely after the damage done to the game by the last owners’ lockout that wiped out the entire 2004-05 season, both sides would do everything possible to make sure such a travesty didn’t happen again.

That doesn’t seem so certain now. While the aggressive nature of that initial proposal doesn’t guarantee there will be a work stoppage, it definitely doesn’t add any confidence that one will be avoided.

It could be argued that it was only natural for the owners to open with a bid asking for the sky to leave room to come down to the asking price they really are seeking. The problem with that theory is that this proposal was so onerous that it doesn’t appear to even be an offer in good faith. It’s one thing to pad the price of what you’re selling to leave room to negotiate. It’s another to price it so high that potential buyers won’t even bother to stop and look.

That’s what this offer did by calling for the players’ share of league revenues to drop from 57 percent to 46 percent, the elimination of signing bonuses and salary arbitration, extension of entry-level contracts from three years to five, limiting all contracts to five years and pushing back unrestricted free agency from after seven years of service to 10.

Dropping the players’ share to 46 percent would put the cap at $52.5 million, which is nearly $2 million less than the current floor of $54.2 million. Based on the numbers at CapGeek.com, 20 of the league’s 30 teams would already be over that adjusted cap. The Bruins, with a league-high $69.9 million in salary commitments, would have to dismantle much of the roster Peter Chiarelli has worked so hard to keep together since winning the Cup in 2011.

At this point, about the only thing the NHLPA can do in response to this proposal is come back with an equally ridiculous counterproposal. Maybe if they called for 65 percent of revenue and unrestricted free agency after three years, then at least the two extremes could be far enough apart to find a middle ground that would be fair and reasonable. Or both proposals could be dismissed completely and the sides could start over and get down to some serious negotiating along legitimate lines. 

Almost always when labor disputes arise in sports, many fans side with ownership. As illogical as it may seem, many people tend to resent the millions the athletes make without ever giving a second thought to the billions the owners possess. But the owners may have overplayed their hand in the public relations battle this time around.

Despite shuttering an entire season for the first time in major professional sports, the fans came back to the NHL following the lockout. That loyalty, combined with the players’ concessions in the creation of a new salary cap system, led to record revenues for seven straight years.

It didn’t lead to the complete “cost certainty” the league sought because teams started finding ways to circumvent the cap almost immediately. And it certainly didn’t produce the dramatic reduction in ticket prices Gary Bettman promised heading into the lockout. On the contrary, average NHL ticket prices have risen from $43.57 in the final year before the lockout in 2003-04 to $57.10 in 2011-12. But it did lead to more revenue than the league has ever seen.

Now the sides have to decide how to continue to split that ever-growing pie without a lockout, which could bring those profits crashing back down for everyone involved.

That revenue split is the main issue of contention, and the league’s desire to drop the players’ portion from its current level of 57 percent is their primary objective.

Much has been made of the fact that the NHL players receive a higher percentage than the players in the NFL and NBA, who each came out of lockouts within the last year with share around 48 and 50 percent, respectively. But the NHL players’ percentage only got that high because of how much money the league was making.

Under the current CBA, the players received just 54 percent as long as league revenues stayed below $2.2 billion per year. That went up to 55 percent with annual revenues between $2.2 billion and $2.4 billion, 56 percent with revenues between $2.4 billion and $2.7 billion and 57 percent only after league revenues exceeded $2.7 billion in a single year. Last year’s revenues? A record $3.3 billion.

Both sides are making money under this system. The players’ percentage has increased only because the overall pie has gotten bigger. Since that last lockout and the implementation of this current CBA, league revenues have gone up approximately 50 percent, while player salaries have risen about 15 percent.

If that isn’t enough for the owners, then maybe they need to start looking at themselves. League-wide revenues are soaring, but not all markets are experiencing that growth. Greater revenue sharing and perhaps a much closer look at what current markets are truly viable should be the first order of business.

Simply taking away from the players once again with a more punitive system isn’t the answer, and proposals like this initial one aren’t the way to start the kind of dialogue needed to find a solution to avoid a work stoppage no one can afford.

Have a question for Douglas Flynn? Send it to him via Twitter at @douglasflynn or send it here. He will pick a few questions to answer every week for his mailbag.

The discussions, which were described as appropriate earlier this week, have taken a bit of a turn with the news of the owners' recent proposal. The initial offer from the owners would call for a dramatic restructuring of the distribution of hockey-related revenue, shorten the maximum length of a contract to five years and institute a slew of other changes, according to Renaud Lavoie of RDS.

For starters, the owners want to take back a chunk of hockey-related revenue from the players. How much exactly? Well, the players are currently in control of 57 percent of that revenue, and the owners want to slash that number to 46 percent, which would immediately cut into players' salaries.

Next on the docket for the owners are those lengthy contracts players have been receiving. Under the owners' proposal, contracts would be limited to five years. This would eliminate teams using lengthy contracts to bring down a player's cap hit. The players won't be thrilled about this part of the proposal, but at least the owners are, for now, letting the players keep their guaranteed contracts, something NFL players are not afforded. Those five-year contracts would come without a signing bonus and with the same salary in every season, according to Larry Brooks of the New York Post.

The owners weren't as friendly when it comes to free agency. Players are already forced to wait until they are 27 years old, or have seven years of professional experience (in North America) before they can hit unrestricted free agency, but the owners are trying to push that to 10 years, which would take a bite out of the free agent market. The proposal also calls for an end to salary arbitration and extending entry-level contracts from three years to five years.

The list of demands is long and ambitious, but it's just a launching point for the discussions. The players aren't just going to roll over and accept this one-sided deal. In fact, the proposal shows just how far apart the two sides are.

But before hockey fans start panicking, fearing another lockout, it's worth noting that the NHL's current collective bargaining agreement is not set to expire until Sept. 15. The two sides still have time to come to an agreement.

After the NFL's talks came down to the wire last summer and the NBA missed the first two months of the regular season, another messy negotiation is well under way in the NHL. The league and its fans have felt this frustration before, which will make the coming months even more nerve-racking. The locked-out season of 2004-05 was a huge blow to the popularity of the league, but the league is finally starting to bounce back. Another lockout would be devastating.

The initial offer is ambitious, Gary Bettman and the owners are notoriously stingy, and plenty of issues need to be fixed in the current bargaining agreement. But time is still on hockey's side. A lockout isn't a done deal just yet.

Rick Nash

He was not dealt at the trade deadline in February, nor at the draft in June. Now it's nearly two weeks into the free agency period with Zach Parise and the bulk of the options for scoring help up front off the market, and Nash still remains property of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

How could such an elite player be up for grabs this long without anyone stepping up to make a deal for him? Simply put, Nash is not really that elite a player, but Columbus general manager Scott Howson is certainly demanding an elite return.

Nash scored 30 goals last year, the seventh time the 28-year-old forward has reached that mark in nine seasons in the NHL. And that is a solid milestone that's becoming increasingly difficult to reach in a league being dominated more and more by quality goaltending, a greater emphasis on shot blocking and stingy defensive systems.

Still, he was just tied for 25th in the league in goals, while his 59 points had him tied for 59th. That's nothing new for Nash, who has never finished higher than 18th in the league in scoring, which came when he had a career-high 79 points back in 2008-09. His other finishes in the NHL scoring race? He was 154th as a rookie in 2002-03, followed by 41st, 108th, 90th, 40th, 18th, 36th, 30th and this past year's 59th.

For Bruins fans pining for more offense, Nash would have ranked just fifth on Boston last year, putting up less points than Tyler Seguin (29-38-67), Patrice Bergeron (22-42-64), David Krejci (23-29-62) and Milan Lucic (26-35-61). Heck, he even had fewer points than former Bruins players Blake Wheeler (17-47-64), Michael Ryder (35-27-62), Phil Kessel (37-45-82) and Joe Thornton (18-59-77).

But Nash is more of a finisher than a playmaker, so his goal totals should be more reflective of his standing among the league's elite than his total points. He does fare better there, as he tied for the league lead with 41 in 2003-04 and was tied for fifth with 40 in 2008-09. But he hasn't finished in the top 10 in any other season, ending up 122nd, 33rd, 52nd, 11th, 13th, 14th and 25th in the other years.

The argument commonly made is that his numbers will improve if he's moved to a team with a better cast around him. There could be some truth to that, though there could just as easily be a further decline in his production if he joins a more balanced attack and isn't the primary option on offense.

There's also the fact that Nash isn't the only talented scorer on a struggling team. Others were able to produce just fine under similar circumstances on weak teams. Twenty-four of the players who scored more points than Nash last year did so on teams that failed to qualify for the playoffs, as did 14 of other players who scored 30 or more goals.

This is not to argue that Nash is not a fine player. He is a very good, even great forward who beyond his scoring prowess also adds size (6-foor-4, 219 pounds) and a willingness to play physically (104 hits last year). But he's not a franchise-changing kind of talent that should command the kind of ransom Howson is demanding. He didn't elevate the Blue Jackets out of the NHL cellar, with Columbus making the playoffs just once in franchise history, and getting swept in the opening round on that occasion. He could be the final piece to push a contender over the top, but not if that contending team has to give up even more vital pieces to acquire him.

Still, Howson reportedly asked the Rangers to give up either Ryan McDonagh or Michael Del Zotto, plus either Derek Stepan or Carl Hagelin, plus Chris Kreider and Brandon Dubinsky at the trade deadline, while seeking Jeff Skinner from Carolina this summer. Carolina dropped out of the bidding at that price, though the Hurricanes were not on Nash's list of six teams he would waive his no-trade clause for.

Those lucky clubs are the Rangers, Detroit, San Jose, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Boston. To meet Howson's inflated price, the Bruins would be expected to cough up the likes of a Seguin or a Dougie Hamilton as the centerpiece of a package, while the Flyers would have to part with Sean Couturier or Brayden Schenn.

It's easy to understand why Howson would ask for so much. Nash has been built up as the face of the Blue Jackets franchise since coming to Columbus as the No. 1 overall pick of the 2002 draft, and getting a huge return for him may be Howson's only chance to retain his job after last year's debacle.

But it's unrealistic to expect teams to give up those kinds of assets, especially when they would also have to take on Nash's onerous contract. That features a $7.8 million cap hit for the next six seasons. And while most long-term deals are frontloaded to lower the overall cap hit, Nash's salary actually goes up slightly as the contract goes on, with the final two years at $8.0 million and $8.2 million.

The Nash trade watch is now in its seventh month, and it's not going to end until the Blue Jackets slash the sticker price to a reasonable level. As it stands now, the teams that may be interested in acquiring him are much better served to simply say no.

Have a question for Douglas Flynn? Send it to him via Twitter at @douglasflynn or send it here. He will pick a few questions to answer every week for his mailbag.

In the inaugural World Cup of Hockey, which succeeded the old Canada Cup in 1996, the Americans pulled off another shocker in a competition played with professional rosters. The U.S. rolled through the round-robin with victories over Russia, Canada and Slovakia, then beat the Russians again in the semifinals to set up a rematch with the Canadians.

The best of three final went the distance, with the U.S. rallying after losing the first game and again after falling behind 2-1 in the decisive third game, erupting late in the third to take a 5-2 win in Montreal and claim arguably the second most important gold medal USA hockey has ever earned.

Now, 16 years after that dramatic victory, two of the principal figures of that team have been reunited again in a celebration of American hockey. Lou Lamoriello, the architect of that 1996 team, as well as a few pretty good New Jersey squads, and Mike Modano, a key center for that squad and the highest-scoring American-born player in NHL history, were both elected to the United States Hockey Hall of Fame on Wednesday. They will be inducted into the Hall this fall, along with fellow Class of 2012 member Eddie Olczyk.

Lamoriello and Modano each have resumes more than impressive enough to have earned such an honor even without that memorable late-summer tournament in 1996. But when it comes to the impact on American hockey, that two-week stretch stands alone as a seminal moment of the last generation.

That was arguably American hockey's greatest generation, at least in terms of impact in the NHL, and has helped immeasurably to inspire the next generation of American players who are reaching the NHL in ever-growing numbers.

Lamoriello, who served as general manager of the 1996 squad, assembled an impressive array of talent. There was Mike Richter in goal at the height of his powers just two years after leading the Rangers to their long-awaited Stanley Cup. On defense stood the towering Hatcher brothers, Derian and Kevin, longtime stalwart Chris Chelios, plus offensive wizards Brian Leetch and Phil Housley.

And like the 1980 team before it, there was naturally a Suter involved. This time it was Gary on the blue line after his brother Bob was part of the historic victory in Lake Placid. The Canadians may have their more numerous Sutter brothers, but the Americans have the Suters, who have one less T but a heck of a lot more gold.

And then there were the forwards, with Modano front and center with the likes of Brett Hull, Bill Guerin, John LeClair, Keith Tkachuk, Doug Weight and Pat LaFontaine.

It was maybe the greatest collection of American hockey talent ever assembled, and the U.S. needed every bit of it against a Canadian club comprised of the likes of Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Steve Yzerman, Joe Sakic, Brendan Shanahan, Eric Lindros, Paul Coffey, Martin Brodeur, Scott Stevens and Scott Niedermayer. 

Lamoriello knew those last three well. They were key figures in all three of the Devils Stanley Cup championships in 1995, 2000 and 2003. Lamoriello has also led New Jersey to two other Final appearances, including this past year, while Modano had his name engraved on the Cup with the Stars in 1999.

But when it comes to American hockey victories, none meant more than that 1996 World Cup triumph. And after playing key roles in that historic moment, it's only fitting that Lamoriello and Modano will be together again in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame.

Have a question for Douglas Flynn? Send it to him via Twitter at @douglasflynn or send it here. He will pick a few questions to answer every week for his mailbag.

Photo via Facebook/Mike Modano

The two biggest stars on the free agent market spurned the lure of the big market teams that usually dominate the top rung of players available each July. The spotlight, marketing opportunities and deeper pockets of New York Rangers were too much for Brad Richards to pass up last summer. Marian Gaborik, who actually left Minnesota for the big bucks in the Big Apple a few years earlier, couldn't resist either. Marian Hossa likewise leaped at the chance to play in Chicago, completing his mercenary bid for a Cup there after failed chases in Pittsburgh and Detroit.

But Parise and Suter didn't follow that path. They chose family and geography over maxing out the numbers on their paychecks. Sure, they're not exactly going to have to worry about clipping coupons after signing identical 13-year, $98 million deals with the Wild, but the fact is they could have signed for even more money elsewhere.

Not even Wild owner Craig Leipold denied that when he noted, "I know they both had numerous, attractive offers (some higher than ours)." That was part of Leipold's statement in what he termed "An Open Letter to the Fans of the State of Hockey" posted on the Wild's web site. He went on to call the Minnesota fans a "secret weapon" in the club's recruitment of the two stars.

Those fans have been loyal despite the club's lack of success on the ice and the fact that they've already had one NHL franchise ripped away from them when the North Stars bolted for Dallas. Since joining the NHL as an expansion team for the 2000-01 season, the Wild have made the playoffs just three times, the last appearance coming in 2008. They've advanced past the first round just once, reaching the Western Conference Final in 2003.

Yet the Xcel Energy Center continues to be filled almost every night. Minnesota's fourth straight failure to qualify for the playoffs last year did see the average attendance drop under 18,000 for the first time in franchise history, but the Wild still played before 98.4 percent capacity for the season with an average crowd of 17,772.

And it's not like the Wild have a monopoly on the hockey market in Minnesota. High school and college programs remain as popular as ever across what has been aptly dubbed "The State of Hockey."

Now that faith has been rewarded with new hope, Suter and Parise alone won't suddenly turned the Wild into Cup contenders, but Minnesota does have other pieces in place with Mikko Koivu and Dany Heatley up front, Niklas Backstrom in goal and a strong group of prospects on their way.

That support for hockey at all levels has also helped lay the foundation for these signings. It was Parise's desire to come back to that environment after growing up in Minnesota, where his father J.P. played and coached for the North Stars, that was the driving force of the decision. Suter hails from rival Wisconsin, but at least married into a Minnesota hockey family, so he too was quite familiar with the lure of playing in such a hockey hotbed.

"The opportunity to play at home meant a lot to me, and my family," Parise said during his introductory news conference. "Every kid that's growing up in Minnesota would love to play with the Wild. Now, I'm lucky we were able to make that happen."

There's no doubting that the arrival of Suter and Parise will further enliven that passionate fan base and give the Wild a better chance at sustained success on and off the ice. But it is also gives hope to other small market teams that they can compete with the big boys. That it's not always just about who can throw the most money around.

Sure, Predators fans might have a beef, as Nashville isn't exactly a giant metropolis like a New York or an established hockey power like Detroit. But Nashville didn't lose Suter because they couldn't afford him. They were not simply outbid by a franchise with greater resources. Suter made a choice for family reasons.

And now Minnesota sits with the second highest payroll in the league, behind only Boston. The Wild have $67.3 million committed to next year's cap, while the Rangers sit barely over the cap floor at $54.4 million and the Red Wings are actually under the floor at $53.4 million. The Flyers ($59.8 million), Penguins ($59.7 million), Maple Leafs ($57.8 million) and Blackhawks ($62.4 million) all have tons of cap space as well, but with little left on the market to spend it on.

It's a rather remarkable turnaround from past years in the NHL. It's also how it should be in a salary cap world. The cap system was supposed to even the playing field for the smaller markets. There's still a long way to go in that regard with some teams struggling to afford reaching the floor, let alone pushing close to the ceiling. And there's certainly room to question just how much "cost certainty" the cap has brought when $98 million deals are being handed out.

But owners can pay that kind of money because the NHL is a booming industry that hauled in $3.3 million worth of revenues this past year. And every once in a while, even a small market team can beat the big boys and land the prize catch on the market.

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Sure, there will be some players who may give more consideration to getting a chance to win a Cup or play closer to home, but most will be more than happy to simply sign on the dotted line for whichever team is willing to break out the biggest check. That's as true now as it ever was in the NHL, even with a salary cap in place. The big-market teams still hold the advantage by being able to spend to that limit, while their smaller-market counterparts are often constrained by much tighter internal budgets.

But on Saturday there was no way for those big market teams to buy the top free agent available. Defenseman Justin Schultz earned his early freedom when he was declared an unrestricted free agent on June 24 after Anaheim, which drafted him 43rd overall in 2008, was unable to sign him.

Schultz was free to sign with any team, but no one could offer more than a two-year deal at the entry-level max of a base $925,000 salary and bonus structure totaling another potential $2.85 million. That's a hefty investment for a player yet to take a pro shift, but Schultz found no shortage of suitors.

As many as 26 teams expressed interest in obtaining his services, but none could woo the Wisconsin blueliner simply by throwing more money at him. Instead, it was an opportunity to play a prominent role immediately and the lure of joining a talented young cast of potential stars that won the day when Schultz elected to take his talents to Edmonton.

The Oilers haven't had much luck in reeling in high-profile free agents in recent years. In fact, they've had trouble just keeping their own stars, with Chris Pronger forcing his way out of town in 2006 the most prominent example. That came after Pronger helped lead the Oilers to an unlikely run to the Cup Final the previous spring.

Edmonton hasn't made it back to the playoffs since, and earned the No. 1 pick in the draft in each of the last three seasons. It took a lot of losing to accomplish that dubious feat, but those picks do provide some hope for the future. Taylor Hall and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins have already established themselves in the league over the last two seasons, and this year's top pick Nail Yakupov has the potential to do the same. The Oilers also have another budding young star up front in 2008 first-rounder Jordan Eberle, who led Edmonton with 34-42-76 totals last season.

But there's a common theme there. All of those bright young stars are forwards. Edmonton desperately needs help on defense, where just three Oilers managed even 20 points last year, led by Jeff Petry's 25. Schultz had 16-28-44 totals in just 37 games last year at the University of Wisconsin, where he was a Hobey Baker finalist. That followed an 18-29-47 campaign in 41 games in 2010-11.

Schultz won't necessarily be able to duplicate those numbers right away in the NHL, where the learning curve for even the most talented defensemen is steep. But on an Edmonton defense that features the motley crew of Ryan Whitney, Nick Schultz, Andy Sutton, Ladislav Smid, Corey Potter and Colten Teubert returning, plus possibly restricted free agents Petry and Theo Peckham, Schultz will have a chance to win a spot right away.

That, plus a little extra wooing with calls from Hall and Hall of Famers Wayne Gretzky and Paul Coffey, was enough for Schultz to spurn offers to play for the Kelowna, British Columbia native's hometown team in Vancouver, as well as the likes of Ottawa, Minnesota, Toronto and the New York Rangers, who rounded out his short list of finalists.

Those last two Original Six teams in Toronto and New York couldn't lure Schultz despite having some of the deepest pockets in the league. They may have better luck tomorrow when the bidding opens on the rest of the UFAs, and they still have chances to acquire help on the trade market that other teams could never consider with their ability to take on the massive long-term deals of players like Rick Nash and Roberto Luongo.

But for one day at least, money didn't reign supreme in the NHL. Instead, it was an opportunity to play right away that carried the day as small-market Edmonton picked up a rare win in the free agent wars.

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Photo via Facebook/Justin Schultz

And then he blocked a shot, resulting in a broken bone in his foot. The budding power forward was injured again.

The broken foot came after van Riemsdyk spent 15 games on the mend with a concussion and missed another five games with a pulled muscle in his abdominal region. Add a lingering hip injury to the list, and the 2011-12 season was not going as planned.

It was supposed to be his breakout season. The Flyers had traded away Mike Richards and Jeff Carter, the team's two leading scorers, opening the door for van Riemsdyk and Claude Giroux to take the reigns in Philadelphia. The 23-year-old winger from New Jersey was supposed to carry the torch.

But injuries held him back, and trade rumors began to surface. He eventually made it back for the second round of the postseason against the New Jersey Devils. Though the Flyers were largely outclassed, van Riemsdyk's play was a bright spot. Again, he was showing the physical play, offensive aggressiveness and tools to live up to the hype that had surrounded him his entire career. His best hockey is surely ahead of him.

But it won't be played in Philadelphia. Saturday — exactly one year to the day after Paul Holmgren traded away Richards and Carter, making van Riemsdyk a cornerstone of his new roster — the Flyers general manager traded the former New Hampshire Wildcat to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for the similarly slow-to-develop Luke Schenn to bolster the blue line.

After all the patience the Flyers organization showed with their 2007 first round draft choice, they are going to have to sit and watch as he plays the best years of his career in Maple Leaf blue.

The injuries and slow development may have been frustrating for the Flyers' brass, but van Riemsdyk was steadily improving and will continue to do so. He is blessed with ideal size and has a lethal shot to go with sneaky speed. His 24 points in 43 games this season didn't do much to back up his talent, but he was also playing with lesser linemates against tougher defensive pairings than he saw during the 2010-11 season. Next year, in theory, van Riemsdyk could be playing between Joffrey Lupul and Phil Kessel, if the rumored switch to center becomes a reality. Playing alongside a pair of All-Stars would be a huge boost for van Riemsdyk.

Defensively, he could be better. And he will have to be if he does indeed play center in Toronto, but power forwards take time to develop. He is 23 years old and still developing as a player, both physically and mentally. Given a bit more time, van Riemsdyk could mold into a first line player. If his development slows, he has still proven to be a reliable top-six forward, which is nothing to scoff at.

Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke is taking a gamble with this trade, but top-six talent was needed up front in Toronto. As long as van Riemsdyk's progression continues, though, Burke should get the best years of the power forward's career.

Whatever the reason, Mikhail Grigorenko fell in the 2012 NHL Draft. Once considered a lock for the top five, Grigorenko waited until pick No. 12 to hear his name called, when the Buffalo Sabres gladly did him the honor.

Gringorenko's tumble was puzzling. Sure, he's Russian, and the threat of the KHL is always looming, but Grigorenko repeatedly stated that he was committed to playing in North America. And yes, Grigorenko struggled in the QMJHL Playoffs, but doesn't the kid get a break for playing through the postseason with a case of mono? With a little digging, the rumors of Grigorenko's age are also unfair, with no way to prove their accuracy.

Picking apart Grigorenko on the ice is a bit more warranted, though. He is known for having a spotty work ethic, and his lack of grit and willingness to go into the corners isn't an ideal trait. In that sense, Grigorenko has to mature. But in every other aspect of hockey, the Russian-born center is wise beyond his years.

The QMJHL had its hands full with Grigorenko this season. The 6-foot-3-inch playmaker collected 85 points in 59 games this season with the Quebec Remparts, displaying outstanding vision, hands and scoring touch throughout the year.

That's the type of production generally seen from top 10 picks, but the Sabres got their hands on Grigorenko later than expected after an early run that saw eight defensemen drafted in the first 10 selections.

Offensive prospects like Grigorenko don't grow on trees, and teams drafting in the top 10 may kick themselves once he develops. Despite his perceived baggage, Grigorenko presents as much upside as any prospect in this class. It wasn't long ago that debate was stirring over whether Grigorenko could pass Nail Yakupov and be the first player off the board.

Letting upside like Grigorenko's slip away is risky. And as a result of 11 teams taking that risk, the Sabres now have a stud center prospect to go with their 2011 first-round selection, Joel Armia, and their other first-rounder in 2012, Latvian forward Zemgus Girgensons.

Slowly but surely, the Sabres are piecing together a stable of forward prospects that will be tough to contain in a few years' time. Eastern Conference defensemen and goaltenders should be on notice.

Nash is an exceptional talent, no doubt, but whichever team finally pulls the trigger on a deal for the five-time All-Star may end up doing so more out of desperation than necessity. Because of that, the Blue Jackets will likely come away as the winners of any trade involving the veteran.

Nash just turned 28, so it's safe to assume he'll continue to play at a high level for at least a few more years. The only problem is that a "high level" wouldn't even come close to justifying the cost of bringing in the former first overall pick. And by cost, that means both in the financial sense and when it comes to the package required to pluck away Nash.

The forward carries a $7.8 million cap hit for the next six seasons, meaning most teams would have to do some finagling just to make things work financially. Then, when you factor in the king's ransom that Columbus is seeking in the way of returning value, it becomes hard to imagine Nash ever producing at a level on par with the cost.

None of this breaking news. The Blue Jackets have reportedly been shopping around their star for quite a while, and their asking price has yet to come down despite teams' apparent uneasiness about dealing for the Ontario native. Essentially what we're left with then is a staring contest between Columbus and the rest of the NHL. If anyone besides Columbus blinks first, it'll be a monstrous victory for the Blue Jackets.

As is the case with any transaction, there's a lot of risk/reward analysis going on when deciding how much to offer for Nash. But the fact remains that if the Blue Jackets receive anything close to what they're bargaining for, the risk is astronomical.

For all you Bruins fans, consider this. According to an ESPN.com report, the B's were said to have inquired about Nash — although the talks were apparently just exploratory — and the feeling around the NHL is that Boston would have to part ways with either Tyler Seguin or Dougie Hamilton as part of any deal for Nash.

Crazy, right?

Seguin, of course, is just 20 years old, and already took a giant step forward in racking up 67 points this past season. Nash, by comparison, has only reached the 67-point plateau in three of his nine seasons. Seguin looks like he could be the better player going into next season, nevermind a few years down the road.

Hamilton, meanwhile, is coming off a season in which he was named the OHL's Defenseman of the Year, and he figures to be a staple on the Bruins blue line for the foreseeable future. Any deal involving him would have to include a massive return, and Nash doesn't quite fit that mold.

With Columbus perhaps seeking similar value from other teams, it's hard to imagine Nash being moved, especially on draft weekend. But with so many rumors and rumblings over the past year, it's just as hard to imagine him returning to Columbus for another season, meaning we're left with that aforementioned staring contest — a contest in which someone is bound to bat an eyelash. If it's the Blue Jackets that blink, there is still a chance they walk away from any deal victorious, if for no other reason than the cap relief. If another team blinks, it's blatant nonsense.

Nash is a good player. Heck, he's a great player. However, it's hard to categorize him as a franchise-altering player, which is exactly what Columbus is shopping him as. A quick look in the mirror might change the Blue Jackets' mindset, as they've reached the postseason just once in their existence. Until then, though, we're left to speculate and debate about Nash's future.

Trading for Nash involves a huge roll of the dice, and in this particular game the odds are in the house's favor. The house, of course, is located in Columbus.

Photo via Flickr/bridgetds