Oooh, sparkly . . . (& other alumni updates)

- This is Jake Dowell's Stanley Cup ring. He was invited to the Sept 30 ceremony with the team and received the ring at that time. Nice and sparkly, 8 carats of diamonds I'm told. Thanks to Vicki for sharing the photo.

- Speaking of Jake, it's nice to see him record his 1st goal of the season on Wednesday. In 11 games he's 1-2-3 and has been averaging over 10 minutes per game.

- Tom Gilbert scored his 2nd goal of the year on Tuesday, and Paul Capobianco asks us if we recognize the spot from which TG scored.

- Blake Geoffrion was featured in the Badger Herald this Monday. Blake has yet to score a goal for the Admirals this season but has 4 assists in 7 games. EDIT: Thanks to Capo for pointing out this longer article on the Admirals website.

- Aaron Bendickson, who was leading the ECHL's Gwinnet Gladiators with 9 pts (2G 7A) in the 1st 4 games of the season, has signed a 25-game professional tryout agreement with the AHL's Rochester Americans. He'll potentially make his AHL debut tonight @ the Worcester Sharks.

- And since we mentioned Gwinnett, I should mention that Andy Brandt has 2 goals in 5 GP and Mike Davies has 1G and 3A in 3 GP.

- Josh Engel was recently recalled from the ECHL's Reading Royals to the AHL's Toronto Marlies. Engel played just 2 games for the Royals before being recalled.

- People keep asking me where Joe Piskula is. And so I'll tell you - he's with the AHL's Abbottsford Heat and has played in all 10 games so far this season.

Badgers in the NHL, Part I

Now that NHL camps are wrapping up and rosters are getting finalized, I'll have a few installments of former Wisconsin Badgers either playing for an NHL team or in a squad's minor league system. Today we'll take a spin through the NHL's Eastern Conference.

D Ryan McDonagh '10, New York Rangers

McDonagh has been viewed as the most NHL-ready of last year's Badgers, and with good reason. The rock-solid defender's rights were traded from Montreal in a deal for Scott Gomez in 2008, and his chances of playing in New York improved after defenseman Wade Redden was sent to the minors on Sunday. McDonagh has impressed in camp with his physical play, and if he's not in playing his home games at Madison Square Garden in early October, his Rangers debut won't come much later. McDonagh led the Rangers in ice time on Sunday in an exhibition against the Detroit Red Wings, which bodes well for his immediate future.

C Derek Stepan '10, New York Rangers

I remember the moment when I knew Stepan was truly something special. While he had a magnificent sophomore year last year, his real coming-out party was when he scored two shorthanded goals in the same penalty against North Dakota on March 7th, 2009. Efforts like that get noticed, and he reminded me of that game tonight when he notched a shorty in the first period of the Rangers' game against Ottawa and a certain former Badger goaltender (more on him shortly). That was Stepan's second goal of the week, as he scored on Sunday against Detroit (with Brendan Smith on the ice). He also assisted on Marian Gaborik's OT game-winner last Thursday against New Jersey. At this time last week, I would have guessed that he'd be starting the season with Hartford of the AHL, but he's making a big run at a roster spot now, and my guess is he and McD are both in Gotham. If he does start in the minors, I expect him to be with the Blueshirts by the time they visit Columbus in mid-December.

D Jamie McBain '09, Carolina Hurricanes

McBain impressed in his first stint in the big leagues last season, putting up three goals and seven assists with a +6 rating in just 14 games at the end of the year. The Canes' early line sheet shows McBain matched up with US Olympian Tim Gleason on the second pair, and they should see plenty of ice time in all situations.

D Kyle Klubertanz '08, Montreal Canadiens

Kluby signed with the Habs over the summer after playing for a few years in Europe, where he ranked fifth in scoring among defensemen in the Swedish Elite League. He'll be manning the blue line for Montreal's AHL affiliate in Hamilton this season.

D Josh Engel '08, Toronto Maple Leafs
He of the miracle pass to Jack Skille against Cornell played all of last season for the Toronto Marlies, the Leafs' AHL affiliate, putting up 17 points in 70 games. He was invited to Leafs' camp this fall and will fight for a roster spot, but he will likely return for another year with the Marlies.

G Brian Elliott '07, Ottawa Senators

The goaltender on Wisconsin's most recent championship team entrenched himself as the starter in Ottawa over the second half of last season, posting a 2.57 goals-against and a .909 save percentage. Elliott struggled in his first playoff series, but many goalies have difficulty against the Pittsburgh Penguins' offense. Pascal Leclaire, from whom Elliott took the job, is still around, but he was ineffective last season. Elliott hasn't been extremely impressive in the preseason, but it appears that he'll go into the season as the starter.

D Joe Piskula '07, Philadelphia Flyers

Piskula signed a professional tryout contract with the Flyers, and was given the opportunity to play for a spot in the organization. Unfortunately, he was released over the weekend. Hopefully Joe can catch on elsewhere after playing three seasons for the Manchester Monarchs of the AHL. (UPDATE: Chuck reports that Piskula has signed with the Abbotsford Heat, Calgary's AHL affiliate, but this report puts him in Oklahoma City, the Oilers' farm team.)

C Steve Reinprecht '00, Florida Panthers

The guy who arguably should have won Wisconsin's first Hobey Baker award in 2000 will play his second season as a Panther after four years in Phoenix. Reinprecht consistently scores around 40 points per season, and will likely maintain that level of production for a seemingly constantly rebuilding Florida organization.

That's it for part one. Stay tuned for a look through the Western Conference soon.

Tex on Twitter

HF's Top 20 Prospects, Fall 2009

Hockey's Future is releasing their Fall 2009 top 20 prospects for each NHL team, and here are the teams so far with Badgers in the top 20. Nice to see previously unranked guys like Drewiske and Dowell make the jump into the top 20.

Anaheim Ducks

2. Jake Gardiner, D - 8.0C
6'1, 173 pounds
1st round, 17th overall, 2008

As a late convert to the blueline, Gardiner displays everything a team could want in a puck-moving defenseman. He has all of the size, as well as vision, hands, and a quickness on his feet that allows him to play strong positional defense. Now that he's at the back of the play most of the time, he has the opportunity to display his vision and awareness by developing plays. Most forwards that transition to defense have issues in their own end, but Gardiner is developing into the kind of defenseman that a team would want on the ice for all situations.

In 2008-09, Gardiner joined an already solid defensive unit at the University of Wisconsin. By the end of the season, he finished third in points among defensemen with three goals and 18 assists in 39 games and tied for fourth in plus/minus among all skaters with a plus four. He will return to the Badgers.

20. Justin Schultz, D - 6.0C
6'2, 162 pounds
2nd round, 43rd overall, 2008

After his stint as top defenseman in his conference in the BCHL, Schultz is ready to move on to the Wisconsin Badgers for the 2009-10 season. His offensive potential is high, with extraordinary puck-moving abilities and the skills to develop plays from the back end which is sought after in all power-play quarterbacks. At 6'2, but just 162 pounds, he needs to put on some muscle in order to play professional hockey. With Wisconsin, he will look to prove he can handle bigger competition.

LA Kings

16. (NR) Davis Drewiske, D
Signed as free agent, 2007

On the other end of the spectrum in terms of potential is Drewiske, who is never going to be an offensive player and not one to physically dominate an opposing forward. The 24-year-old has good feet and positioning to keep himself between the forward and the goaltender and subsequently the puck out of the net. While he has been penciled in as a possible starter on the third defensive pairing for Los Angeles to start the season, he has likely leveled off in terms of his potential. The Kings are not likely to get much more than a third-pairing defenseman out of Drewiske, which is fine for an organization looking for a “bridge” player to fill the gap between the now and when one of the more talented defensemen are ready to step in. While Drewiske is an important piece for an organization to have, his long-term contribution to the Kings will be limited and so is kept in the bottom half of these rankings.

Joe Piskula and Podge Turnbull are among the "Other Notables".




Chicago Blackhawks

7. (8) Jack Skille, RW - 22, 7.0C
6'1 208 lbs
Drafted first round, 7th overall, 2005

After opening the year on the Blackhawks’ roster, Skille spent a majority of the year with the IceHogs. He managed just one goal in his eight NHL games but fared much better in the American league. In 58 matches, he scored 20 goals and 25 assists to finish fourth on the team in scoring with 45 points. Skille’s speed fits well on Rockford’s top line and he’ll likely remain one of the first offensive options for the ‘Hogs. While he may be ready for another shot at the NHL, both the number of forwards already signed by the Blackhawks and Skille’s substantial cap hit may keep him in the minors.

16. (NR) Jake Dowell, C - 24, 6.0C
6'0 197 lbs
Drafted fifth round, 140th overall, 2004

Dowell has 20 games of NHL experience under his belt from his first two pro seasons. He spent 75 games in Rockford last season and scored six goals, added 14 assists, and earned 128 PIMs. A strong defensive forward, Dowell was generally used to center one of the bottom lines for the IceHogs. Though his role will likely remain the same, he remains a strong candidate for a call-up in the right situation. He is capable in both zones and especially strong in the faceoff circle providing some defensive depth at the center position.

Columbus Blue Jackets

4. (3) Cody Goloubef, D
Grade 7.5C Projection: Top-three defenseman
Age: 19 Height/weight: 6'0, 195
Drafted 37th overall, 2008

Goloubef plays a solid, unspectacular game, but is highly regarded. Goloubef has shown the ability to chip in offensively, but doesn’t have the power play potential that Moore displays. Instead, Goloubef has ample potential to become a top defender on the penalty kill.

He will enter his third season with the University of Wisconsin next season, after posting five goals and eight assists in 36 games last season.

Saturday afternoon catch-up

It's time for me to catch up on some things that have accumulated over the last week or so.

• First, props to DPlaya for finding yesterday's Windsor Star article indicating that the Windsor Spitfires are still pursuing and "keeping a close eye on" future Badger Jordan Schmaltz. Apparently the Spitfires selected him in the 7th-round of this year's OHL draft. It seems to me that the OHL likes to talk a lot, and so I don't pay a whole lot of attention in most cases, but I simply list it as an item of interest.
  

  “He doesn’t know a lot about the OHL, but he’s quite a player,” Spitfires general manager Warren Rychel said. “I would say he’ll likely not be here this season, but maybe next year.”

• Mike Chambers of the Denver Post has WCHA head coach salaries, and Mike Eaves is near the top of the list with a 2008-09 salary of $229,511. It's difficult to put the salaries in exact order, as only 2007-08 (rather than 08-09) salaries are listed for Lucia and Hakstol, and Scott Owens salary isn't given. Puck Swami reminds us that the salaries listed don't take into consideration performance bonuses, hockey camp income, TV/radio show income, and other compensation package perks. UPDATE: Gwozdecky says that his salary listed in Chambers' original post includes incentive-based compensation, whereas the other salaries listed are base salaries He further says that his base salary places him 5th in the WCHA.
  


• Earlier this week, Badger alumni Robbie Earl and Joe Piskula accepted qualifying offers from their respective clubs. Earl signed a 1-year deal for $550,000 with the Minnesota Wild, and Piskula signed a 1-year deal for $650,000 with the LA Kings (contract values per CapGeek).
  
  Speaking of Joe Piskula, I see that his Hockey's Future profile was last updated in March of this past year. While I don't know how subsequent transactions have affected things since then, at that time HF made the following statement about Piskula's position in the Kings' system:
  

  Piskula is a defensive defenseman with good size. For a man who is 6’3/212, he skates remarkably well with deceptive speed and can move the puck quite effectively. His smart, sound defensive zone play and great mobility are two of Piskula’s attributes that have gotten many in the scouting community taking notice.

• On July 2, the Charlotte Checkers announced that they made a qualifying offer to Badger alum Matt Ford. I haven't seen anything since then about whether he accepted or declined the offer.
  
  
• Hockey's Future has released their Nashville Predator's draft review on Thursday, including of course their take on incoming Badger Craig Smith:
  

  Craig Smith, C – USHL Waterloo
  98th Overall 4th Round
  6’1 189 lbs
  September 5, 1989 Madison, Wisconsin
  
  An over-ager not ranked by Central Scouting at midseason, Smith’s game saw improvement in the second half, as he finished ranked 177th among North American skaters.
  
  Smith is a hard-hitting center with strong offensive abilities, though he does have a tendency to take many penalties. Through 54 games with Waterloo of the USHL, a team that Smith captained, he scored 28 goals and 48 assists, with 108 penalty minutes. In three playoff games, Smith recorded four points and 26 penalty minutes.
  
  Smith played for the East Division at the 2008 USHL All-Star game, and also captained Team USA at the World Junior A Challenge, winning the gold medal.
  
  Smith will be attending the University of Wisconsin next season.

• Last week, Schlossman listed some 1st-round draft picks that will need to make decisions in the next month or so, and he included Ryan McDonagh as needing to make a decision between returning to the Badgers or signing with the Rangers. I'm curious as to what prompted Schlossman to include McDonagh.
  


• In the same post, following up the assertion by Sioux Women's head coach Brian Idalski that the Sioux are "on the radar of a lot of top players in the country", Schlossman indicates that potential Badger recruit Amanda Kessel might be looking at UND. On one hand, I chalk this up as Idalski promoting his program, but on the other hand I wouldn't be surprised if top recruits are starting to consider UND a bit more -- UND seems to be a team on the rise, showing improvement last season over previous seasons and landing the Lamoreux twins as transfers from minnesota. (Unlike new Badger Geena Prough, the twins will have to sit out this season because they transferred within the WCHA.) As far as Kessel goes, I haven't heard much chatter about where she might end up collegiately.

• NHL.com has released their list of North American Players to Watch for the 2010 NHL draft. WCH says, "It's a pretty good start to the list, though apparently they didn't get out to see the NTDP U-17 team last year, since a number of those kids should factor into the draft somewhere." No future Badgers on the list yet. Hayward's Nolan Kirley (about whom I know absolutely nothing) is included as a "B list" player and is the sole WI player on the list.

HF's prospects updates

A number of Badgers are included in Hockey's Futures latest round of prospects updates.

Red Wings 2008-09 NCAA prospects update

Brendan Smith, D – University of Wisconsin

6’2, 174lbs
Acquired: 1st round, 27th overall, 2007

The Red Wings surprised many when they took Smith 27th overall in the 2007 draft. While he was project to go in a later round, Smith fits the mold of many other Red Wings defensemen as a small but very mobile player. In his rookie season at the University of Wisconsin he was able to tally 12 points in 22 games played. He has been praised for all aspects of his offensive game including his smooth skating, outlet passing and ability to quarterback the power play. Smith’s defensive game has always been the question.

This season Smith has surpassed his rookie season totals and has 18 points in 21 games. Additionally, he is playing a more sound defensive game and has developed a better sense of when to pinch and how to position himself on the ice. If Smith can continue his progress in the college ranks, then he could certainly pan out as a first or second pairing defenseman.

Canadiens 2008-09 NCAA prospects

Patrick Johnson, F (7th round, 206th overall, 2008) -- University of Wisconsin

The sophomore winger has played a solid role for the Badgers to date, although a knee injury suffered during the team's first game back following a three-week holiday break may prove to be a setback for the young forward.

The slight winger, who measures just 5'9 and 155 pounds, has scored two goals and three assists in his second season with the club. These numbers represent a drop in production from his 2007-08 totals of eight goals and 13 assists in 40 games. However, he has helped the club earn a 16th overall ranking behind a 12-9-3 overall record so far. Their 9-5-2 record finds them in second place, three points behind WCHA-leading Denver.

Ryan McDonagh, D (1st round, 12th overall, 2007) -- University of Wisconsin

McDonagh has rapidly played his way to the top of the Canadiens' prospect pool. He's been a rock on the Badgers' blueline and was a physical force during the U.S.' fifth-place performance at the World Junior Hockey Championships.

The 6'1, 203-pound blueliner has logged major minutes as a sophomore with the 17th ranked Badgers, and has scored four goals and added five assists from the back end. These numbers are comparable to his 2007-08 totals of five goals and 12 points in 40 games. McDonagh's also played more of a physical presence in his 20 games at the collegiate level this season, earning 37 minutes.

The two-way blueliner was a presence at the World Juniors, adding three assists to the cause, while finishing with a team-leading plus-five rating in Team USA's six games. The fact that he only registered two shots in those games was more of a reflection of the defensive role he was asked to play at the tournament.

Kings 2008-09 AHL prospects update

Piskula/Drewiske

Veterans of the AHL, Joe Piskula and Drew Bagnall, have logged a lot of ice time playing the roles of defensive defensemen. Piskula has been slowed by injury while Bagnall is the lone defenseman to appear in every game for Manchester. Bagnall has emerged as more of a physical defenseman this season and has been the stalwart against the opposition around the net. Piskula continues to provide sound positional defense and solid skating to keep the opposing forwards at bay. While his potential for the NHL has largely leveled off, he has a steadying influence on the blueline in Manchester, not dissimilar to what Joe Rullier provided the Monarchs for years, but not as physical.

Rounding out the group of seven are Alec Martinez, Andrew Campbell and Josh Kidd, Davis Drewiske, each playing in their first full season of professional hockey. Martinez is the more mobile defenseman of the group, but has been slow to adjust to the AHL. One of the better offensive-minded defensemen in college hockey last season, Martinez needs work on aspects of his offensive game to retain his reputation. If he can begin to find the back of the net with a little more regularity, the Monarchs might be set offensively from their blueline with the combination of Martinez and Voinov.

New Year's Day Catch-Up

A few random items that I've neglected to post recently . . .

Milewski (TCT): Talkin' Hockey with the Suters

Milewski (Icehouse): Alum Bourque nets first NHL hat trick (includes links to recruit and alumni stats reports)

Five questions with Joe Piskula, Monarchs defensman

By KEVIN PROVENCHER

The Union Leader

updated 12:46 a.m. CT, Wed., Dec. 31, 2008

MANCHESTER - The Dossier: Joe Piskula is a 24-year-old, second-year pro defenseman who played three seasons for Wisconsin, winning the national championship in his sophomore season of 2005-06. At the end of his junior year he turned pro, signing as a free agent with the L.A. Kings. The 6-foot-3, 216-pound blueliner is a defensive defenseman and is known among pro scouts for his smooth, fluid skating ability and playing bigger than his size. Piskula, who began skating at 3, is from a hockey-playing family. His 20-year-old brother, Charlie, plays at a high level of state men's hockey and his 21-year-old sister, Trish, is the senior captain at Wisconsin-Stevens Point. They all played four seasons for the Antigo High School Red Robins (Trish played on the boys' team). From there Joe played two seasons of USHL juniors where he was a teammate of Monarchs' defenseman Davis Drewiske.

1. Some scouts put a lot of emphasis on plus-minus and others don't. What does plus-minus mean for you?

Piskula: "It is huge for a player like me since my job is to keep the puck out of the net. If I'm minus I'm not doing my job. I try not to focus on stats too much but for the type of player I am that's a huge stat."

2. How did Wisconsin prepare you for playing pro hockey?

Piskula: College prepared me well for it. We played in big rinks with a lot of fans (Wisconsin averages 14,000 fans) and played against good teams. But, you can't prepare yourself for playing 80 games in a season, three games a week. You really have to be focused and be consistent with your play and be good every game."

3. Three things people don't know about you?

Piskula: "I was a potato farmer in high school. Antigo has huge potato farms. That's how I got my growth spurt, I was eating meat and potatoes every day. I played high school baseball (outfielder) and hockey with Justin Berg. He's a pitcher and he was just signed by the Chicago Cubs. I live with Davis Drewiske (a fellow Wisconsin Badger, although they were not a defensive pair in college.)."

4. Outside of ice hockey what else do you enjoy?

Piskula: "Antigo (a small city of 8,000 people) is the gateway to the north woods so its big deer hunting country. I enjoy bow hunting for deer, pheasant, ruffed grouse and black bear ... I have my bow but I haven't had any time here."

5. This year the Monarchs have a lot of college players led by a large contingent of Ivy Leaguers. Any college rivalry in the locker room?

Piskula: "Wisconsin is the Ivy League of the West.''

Patience is the key for netminder Elliott

Sports

December 31, 2008 11:16 AM

Cuddy Shark

Rule No. 1 for goaltenders — keep an eye on the puck at all times.

Yet, when there exists scads of turmoil at the big league level, it must be even more difficult for the guy in the minors, hoping to emerge as the next puck-stopping answer, to be completely tuned out from proceedings upstairs.

It’s precisely the situation in which Brian Elliott finds himself these days as a goaler in the American Hockey League’s Binghamton Senators, the top minor league affiliate to the Ottawa Senators.

An observer might figure the farther removed from present mess in Ottawa the better for a top prospect.

In his second full professional season, 23-year-old Newmarket resident is still learning the ropes in his trade. By the same token, there are a lot of intangibles involved in reaching the ultimate plateau which is the National Hockey League. Perhaps that is what the Senators were thinking from the outset of the season when they told Elliott he’d be the main guy in Bingo.

“It’s fun being the team that’s winning in the organization, rather than losing, because sooner or later, you think someone has to get a shot up there,” said Elliott, during a schedule break spent in Newmarket last week. “The guys look at it as always being one phone call away from being called up. It’s always in the back of your mind you could get called up.”

It is difficult to calculate a timetable by which any young player can gauge his arrival in the NHL on a full-time basis. There are simply too many intangibles that can’t be controlled from the player’s end.

But Elliott is doing everything possible to stay on Ottawa’s radar.

“There’s a lot of young goalies getting chances and you want to be part of that,” Elliott said, alluding to recent NHL debuts by fellows such as Justin Pogge in Toronto, Jonathan Quick for the L.A. Kings, Steve Mason with the St. Louis Blues and Vancouver Canucks’ Cory Schneider, among others, getting their chance to play in the NHL. “But you can’t get caught up in that. It is being in the right place at the right time.

“You’ve got to control what you can and can’t worry about what’s going on up there and just get wins. You do whatever they want you to do. That’s the way the game is.”

Elliott is indeed controlling his end, bumping his record to 16-7-1 on the weekend with a pair of wins. He also dropped his goals against average to 2.42 and sports a .924 save percentage. Overall, the B-Sens are 17-10-3-3.

Nevertheless, it wouldn’t be proper form to publicly take satisfaction in the misery of others, namely the Ottawa team and its netminders, Martin Gerber and Alex Auld. Yet, deep down in the heart of every minor league pro athlete you just know he’s watching to see what goes on with the big club.

“It’s a lot more fun when you can win a few games in a row rather than lose one and then sit for awhile,” he said. “(Ottawa) said a bunch of things. You don’t know how many things are true or how things have changed with how (Ottawa) is playing. But the goalies have been playing well.

“The worse (the Senators) do, the more changes they’re likely to make. But if you get called up, you’d rather the team was winning.”

Elliott seems destined one day for the NHL — he has played one career game in the NHL, making his debut last season when he earned a win against the Atlanta Thrashers — whether it is in Ottawa or some other NHL city.

“I’m in my contract year,” said Elliott, who enjoyed a stellar career at the University of Wisconsin where he was a Hobey Baker Award finalist and led the Badgers to an NCAA championship in his junior year. “We’ll see what happens. Obviously, I want to make it to the next level.”

Hi, my name is . . . Jake Gardiner

Posted Dec 31st 2008 8:00AM by Bruce Ciskie (author feed)
Filed under: Ducks, Western, NHL General, NHL Draft, NHL Fans

Hi, My Name is ... appears weekly on NHL FanHouse. We will spotlight future NHL prospects currently making a name for themselves in college hockey. Where applicable, the players' draft rights will be listed. Check back again next Tuesday at 8AM ET, as we return to our regular timeslot. Please post in the comments section if you have a nomination, or if you feel the author really blew it this week.

While many top Division I teams are missing star players to the World Junior Championships, others have a chance to step up and get noticed.

This is certainly true at the University of Wisconsin, where top defensemen Ryan McDonagh (Team USA) and Cody Goloubef (Team Canada) are playing in the tournament and unavailable for the Badgers.

Without them, Wisconsin hosted the Badger Hockey Showdown this past weekend, winning the tournament for the first time in three years. One of the bigger reasons for Wisconsin's success is the weak field they invited to the tournament depth they have on defense.

2008 first-round pick Jake Gardiner (NHL rights: Anaheim) is a huge part of that improving defense.

Gardiner was a forward for much of his youth, only converting to defense while in high school at Minnetonka (Minnesota). Still, his work was enough to get him a scholarship at Wisconsin, and the Ducks liked him enough as a defenseman to draft him 17th overall.

Over the weekend, Gardiner got his first collegiate goal in Wisconsin's 5-0 semifinal win over Alabama-Huntsville, then assisted on the equalizer in a 1-1 tie against Lake Superior State (Michigan) in the championship game. Wisconsin won a shootout to take the tournament title, but the game officially counts as a tie. His play drew praise from teammate Jamie McBain (Carolina).

"Getting that first goal is a big relief off your shoulders. Obviously, he's been playing really good for us and it just hasn't gone in for him. So it was great to see him get it. Obviously, he's excited. And hopefully we can see many more from him."

Todd Milewski covers Badger hockey for The Capital Times in Madison, and he offers the following assessment of Gardiner.

There are some times you can tell he's still relatively new on defense, but it's not a completely obvious thing where he's standing out because he doesn't know what he's doing. He's picking it all up well, especially the little nuances like body position when he's one-on-one with a forward.

But I think the thing I've been most impresed with is his awareness while handling the puck. He's the kind of guy that sees the whole ice from his own zone and can carry the puck 150 feet up ice and make it look easy -- you don't see that from many players any more. As long as he understands when not to try something too risky, it's a pretty neat thing to see.

All in all, he's a pretty heady player who could be a really good pro.

Our FanHouse pal Earl Sleek, who also writes at Battle of California, is the first to admit that he doesn't know much about prospects. That's not at all sinful, because it's why we're here. Sleek does, however, make it sound like Gardiner could be on his way to the Anaheim farm system (or the Ducks' big-league roster) very quickly.

Next summer looks to be a pretty big shift in the Anaheim blueline (at least right now). Brian Burke has left a pretty clean slate for his GM successor Bob Murray -- Chris Pronger is the only defenseman signed beyond this year, and he's only got one year after this one. I'm sure that there will be some re-signings in the coming months, but it also seems that it'd be a real opportune time for some defensive prospect to make the jump to the big leagues. That probably couldn't be said for any of the last few years for Anaheim -- at least a promotion didn't seem very necessary back then.

It's a rather odd thing when you watch the Badgers, and you see three defensemen on the ice during a power play, but Gardiner is such a good offensive player that it makes perfect sense when you think about it. He has tremendous offensive skill, and while he is still a work in progress as a defenseman, there's no question his size, hands, and smarts will make the transition a complete success in the not-too-distant future.

Alumni updates

• Blackhawks TV has a slow motion video of an Adam Burish body check. By the way, if you missed them earlier, check out Burish's "One Goal" spots on Blackhawks TV -- 1st spot, 2nd spot. Classic Burish.


• Adam Burish hasn't updated his blog in the past week, but Chicago Sun-Times online sports editor Roman Modrowski stopped by to take a shot at Adam and to post a Burish fight video.


• Hockey's Future has released its previews of the Rockford Icehogs, Toronto Marlies, and Manchester Monarchs. No mention of Jake Dowell in the Icehogs preview, but Robbie Earl gets some nice mention in the Marlies preview, and Joe Piskula and Davis Drewiske are briefly mentioned in the Monarchs preview.
  

  Other promising Marlie forwards include late cuts Robbie Earl and Kyle Rogers. Earl, 23, has improved consistently since joining the Marlies two years ago. In 2007-08, he notched 14 goals and 47 points in 66 games after scoring 30 points in 67 games the year before. Earl's ticket to the NHL is his speed which he uses primarily in a setup role. Leaf injuries may allow him to see a few NHL games, but he'll likely bulk up and fine tune his game in the AHL this season.
  
  Joining Martinez and Voinov on the blueline will be Davis Drewiske, Joe Piskula and Drew Bagnall. Each is returning to Manchester for his second season, albeit after only a handful of games for Drewiske. Drewiske and Piskula are solid defensive defensemen who will be looked to as the anchor of the defense and on the penalty kill.
  



• In his blog post about Badger lines, Todd mentioned several recent transactions:
  
  
  • The Los Angeles Kings assigned defensemen Davis Drewiske and Joe Piskula to Manchester (AHL).
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs sent forward Robbie Earl to their Toronto AHL affiliate.
  • The New York Rangers assigned defenseman Brian Fahey to Hartford (AHL).
    
  • Hartford, meanwhile, released forward Matthew Ford to Charlotte (ECHL).
  • The St. Louis Blues sent forward Brad Winchester and defenseman Andy Wozniewski to Peoria (AHL).
  • The Chicago Wolves (AHL) released forward Andy Brandt and defenseman Josh Engel. They'll return to Gwinnett (ECHL).

More Hockey's Future: Top 20 Prospects, SM-Liiga

As you know, we've been posting Badgers that make HF's Top 20 lists as the Fall 2008 edition for each NHL team is released. Anyway, HF has released a few more teams, as well as feature on SM-Liiga. A number of Badgers make the Top 20 lists, and Badger Bernd Brückler and Coach Eaves' son Ben are mentioned in the SM-Liiga feature.

Montreal Canadiens:

2. (2) Ryan McDonagh, D, 19
Acquired 1st round, 12th overall, 2007

The Canadiens have placed a premium on blueliners over the past few seasons, and McDonagh represents the cream of the crop. Not only does he possess solid size on the blue line, at 6'1 and well over 200 pounds, but he represents the type of defenseman who's prized throughout the league -- a mobile, puck-moving presence with the ability to both start and finish the rush.

His skating has been described as "dimensional" by the team's player development guru, Trevor Timmins. McDonagh is expected to anchor a strong University of Wisconsin blue line this year. He is also expected to play a key role on Team USA for the upcoming WJC, despite being left off the squad last season.

Other notables: Patrick Johnson, C

Columbus Blue Jackets:

5. (NR) Cody Goloubef, D
Grade 7.0C Projection: Top 4 defenseman
Age: 18 Height/weight: 6'0, 195
Drafted 37th overall, 2008

Goloubef had a very good season in the NCAA, where impressively he played a regular shift as an 18-year-old defenseman. He finished the year with 10 points in 40 games for the Badgers. An extremely smart defender who makes an excellent first pass, Goloubef plays very well in his own end. He plays smart and safe, but there also is a good deal of offensive upside to his game.

Toronto Maple Leafs:

10. (6) Robbie Earl, LW, 23 -- Toronto Marlies (AHL) - 7C
Acquired: Sixth round, 187th overall in 2004.

While Earl improved during his second AHL season, he has yet to show the goal scoring touch that he did at the University of Wisconsin. The swift winger followed up his 12-goal, 30-point rookie season with 14 goals and 47 points last year, which earned him a nine-game stint with the Leafs that resulted in one assist. At times he was the best player on the ice last year, but there were also times he failed to make any impact at all. There is no questioning his speed and game-breaking ability from the wing, but whether or not he will ever produce like he did in college when he scored 41 goals and 90 points during his last 80 games, is another question. Earl will head to camp this fall hoping to lock down a spot on one of the Leafs' scoring lines with an impressive camp. No matter where he plays in 2008-09, he will have to produce more offensively to keep his prospect status.

New York Rangers:

11. (N/A) Derek Stepan, C, 7.5D
Age: 18
Acquired: Second Round, 51st overall, 2008 NHL Entry Draft

A boom or bust prospect, Stepan was a major force at Shattuck St. Mary’s during the 2007-08 season. His 44 goals and 111 points led the team last year. Now a freshman at the University of Wisconsin, Stepan is a very good skater, with excellent hands, and a fast release. A natural playmaker, Stepan has a knack for making the right pass, and the speed to make things happen. Stepan will be looking to take his game to the next level on one of the best teams in collegiate hockey. Unlike some other hockey players, who take an extra year before beginning college, Stepan was extremely anxious to join the Wisconsin Badgers at age 18, and currently is one of the youngest players on the team. It is hard to predict at this point how long it will be before Stepan is ready for a professional hockey career. There is no question that he has a lot of potential, but it will be awhile before the Rangers know whether Stepan will be boom or bust.

LA Kings:
Other Notables -- Davis Drewiske (D), Joe Piskula (D)



Finnish SM-Liiga prospects 2008-09 season preview

BLUES
Like Karpat, Espoo Blues will have a primarily veteran lineup as they prepare for Champions League and SM-Liiga play. However, unlike their Northern rivals the Blues were able to keep much of their lineup intact – including top two scorers Ryan Keller and Stefan Ohman. Keller, a 24-year-old former Saskatoon Blade, is one of three North American imports for the Blues along with defenseman Dale Clarke and former Penguins’ draft pick Ben Eaves. Coach Petri Matikainen should have another strong club this season.

Austrian goalie Bernd Bruckler was drafted by the Flyers in 2001 and played college hockey at the University of Wisconsin (where Eaves’ father Mike is the head coach). Bruckler was a workhorse for the Blues last year and should again handle the bulk of the goaltending duties. Antti Harma (a 1987-born goalie) gained some professional experience last year playing for KooKoo (Mestis) and was also on the Finnish junior team in 2007. Mika Korhonen (21) and Mikko Koskinen (20) split the duties on Espoo’s A junior club.

More Signings: Winchester, Piskula

Madison native and Badger alumnus Brad Winchester has signed a 1-year deal worth $600,000 with the St. Louis Blues. Last offseason he signed a 1-year deal worth $475,000 with the Dallas Stars after the Edmonton Oilers did not extend a qualifying offer. In 41 games with the Stars, Winchester had 1 goal and 2 assists.

Winchester previously played for the Edmonton Oilers, where his best career season so far was the 2006-07 season in which he scored 4 goals and 5 assists in 59 games. My recollections (which could be incorrect) are that he played pretty well in the '06 playoffs and pretty well to start the '06-07 season before fading for the rest of the season.

In his 4-year career with the Badgers, he had 40 goals, 44 assists, and 215 penalty minutes in 150 games.

For what it's worth, I think Winchester can make a go of it in the NHL as a 4th-line winger, but it certainly appears that he needs to find some consistency in his play and his goal-scoring. Anyway, hopefully he will step things up with St. Louis so that they'll want to hang on to him after this season.


Antigo native and Badger alumnus Joe Piskula has re-signed with the LA Kings. It's a one-year deal, but I don't have any salary information. I'd expect he'll spend much of the season in Manchester, which is where he spent most of last season. With Manchester, he had 6 points (0G, 6A) in 55 regular season games. He was held of the scoresheet in 4 playoff games. He did appear in 5 games with the Kings but did not record any points.

I'd like to see Piskula do well, but I think it may take a bit longer for him to develop. In general, it tends to take defensmen longer to develop, and I think perhaps Piskula left the UW a bit early on his development curve. I look forward to following his development and the progression of his career.