More random hockey thoughts

A week after the Stanley Cup Finals ended, there is still some fall out from the season that was the 2009-2010 NHL season.  For instance, the Hockey Hall of Fame will announce the new inductees next week, and odds are that the players inducted this year will be the most debated inductees.  Joe Nieuwendyk?  Surest bet as an inductee (member of the 500 goals club, three Stanley Cups with Calgary, Dallas, and New Jersey).  Pavel Bure?  Injuries robbed him of a 500 goal career, as he was a surefire bet for 50 goals when healthy, with three 50 goal seasons and two 60 goal seasons.  Eric Lindros?  Dominant early on, but concussions and an undistinguished career after 2000 damage his chances.  The off the ice drama with Flyers management also hurts his chances.  Those are the three players that are among the most talked about when it comes to this year's Hall of Fame class.

Also next week will be the Awards ceremony, where the best of the regular season are recognized.  And even though it doesn't hold the same hype as the NFL and NBA drafts, the NHL Draft is equally important in that if you screw up, it could set you back a few years.  July 1 is the first day of free agency, and the biggest prize this year is Ilya Kovalchuk.  He will definitely be a boost to anyone's offense, but having a good overall defensive team would be a must, as he hasn't been known as an average defensive player.  The goaltending crop is rather weak this year, and defensively, the prize is a stay at home defenseman in Anton Volchenkov.  The list of 50 free agents, as according to Yahoo:  http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/news;_ylt=AuktULGuslmirRgbF5jlJrx7vLYF?slug=sm-freeagents0616

Update: The Red Wings resigned Todd Bertuzzi for two years.