In the 2015-2016 NHL season, there are quite a few defenseman worthy of the trophy.  In this article, I take a look at 3 of these defenseman that I believe most deserve the Norris Trophy and why each one deserves it.

Erik Karlsson- Ottawa Senators

A familiar face on the end of the season contenders for the Norris Trophy, Erik Karlsson is the embodiment of an offensive defenseman.  Karlsson is a two time Norris Trophy winner, in 2012 and 2015.  This season is much of the same for Karlsson, who is leading the entire NHL with 64 assists.  And yes, that includes forwards as well as defenseman.  It is no surprise that Karlsson also leads all defenseman with 80 points.  A point per game as a defenseman is incredibly tough to do, but year after year it is Karlsson who is able to hit that mark or come close to it.  However, Karlsson is not the best defender in the league.  The Senators struggled this year, and Karlsson finished with a +/- of -3 which is not terrible by any means, especially considering he averaged over 29 minutes a game.  What he lacks in defensive ability, he more than makes up for offensively.

The Norris Trophy winner is so often won by the top point scoring defenseman.  So if Karlsson is going to win it for a third time and second time in a row, it will be heavily influenced by his offensive numbers paired with his average time on the ice per game.

Drew Doughty- Los Angeles Kings

It is amazing to me that Drew Doughty has yet to win a Norris Trophy in his career.  However, I am sure he will tell you his two Stanley Cup rings are much more important.  Doughty represents everything a team could want in a defenseman because he is so good all around.  In a great bounce back year for the Kings, Doughty has 51 points in 80 games and has a +/- of 25.  He also averages about 28 minutes per game.  Doughty does it all for the Kings, and has been doing so since his first year with the team in the 2008-2009 season.  He does not put up the offensive stats that a defenseman like Karlsson does, which has contributed to why he has not won the Norris in his career.  However, Doughty is a perfect hybrid because he does have good offensive ability but is as defensively sound as they come.

For Drew Doughty to win his first Norris Trophy, those voting will have to put points in the back seat and see what else Doughty excels at – which is everything.  Doughty may never win the Norris because he plays for a defensive minded team in the Kings, and his offensive stats reflect that.  However, with seasons like this Doughty will always be a strong candidate.

Kris Letang- Pittsburgh Penguins

The last player that I choose for this article was a tough one.  But in the end, I went with the defenseman that I felt was most important to his teams’ success.  With that in mind, I chose Kris Letang of the Pittsburgh Penguins.  Letang and the Penguins are enjoying a lot of regular season success.  Letang has been the go-to-guy on the blue line for the Penguins for a long time now, and this season was no different.  After dealing with injuries last season and into the off-season, Letang only has 70 games played this season but has been more than efficient in them.  Playing 70 games this season, Letang 50 assists and 66 points, good for third highest among defenseman.  He also has a +/- of 7 and averages just under 27 minutes per game.  While Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin get the spotlight in Pittsburgh, Letang’s success and importance cannot be overlooked and he proved this season that when he is on the ice, the Penguins are worlds better.

For Letang to win the Norris Trophy, Letang’s impact on the team when he plays must be highlighted.  He has quite an injury history, but in seasons like this where he plays most of the game Letang is almost a point per game defenseman with good defensive abilites to go along with his scoring.

Who Should Win?

If it were up to me, Drew Doughty would be the Norris Trophy winner.  He fits the all-around defensive play that the trophy strives to award and in my opinion, he is the best defenseman in the league.

Who Will Win?

I believe that Erik Karlsson WILL win the trophy.  The league tends to favor defenseman who put up a high number of points, and I think Karlsson has had too good of an offensive season for that trend to stop.  While I may not believe he deserves it again this season, Karlsson is easily one of the best defenseman in the league and will be a top three finalist for the award for years to come.

The post Breaking Down the Norris Trophy Race appeared first on KRUI Radio.

While pitchers and catchers have already reported, Spring Training games are set to begin, with several teams getting their first look at action on Tuesday, March 3.

With the MLB season kicking off, it presents the perfect time to start thinking about fantasy baseball.

Here are my top 5 players for the upcoming fantasy baseball season.

1. Mike Trout(Angels)-OF

Last season there was a debate for the #1 pick between Mike Trout and Miguel Cabrera.  In 2015, there is no more debate.  The clear number one pick this season, Trout took home his first AL MVP trophy after finishing second to Cabrera in the two seasons prior.  At just 23 years of age, Trout is a five-category monster and can be relied on to stuff the box score every day.  While Trout’s home run total jumped to a career high 36 in 2014, his average (.287) and stolen bases (16) were both career lows.  Trout also finished with a career high in strikeouts.  Despite concerns about those stats last season, Trout will not disappoint as the number one pick.  Trout should be able to raise his batting average to .300 or higher, and there have been reports from the Angels that Trout will try and steal more bases this season.  With the combination of power, speed, and batting average that Trout provides, those with the first pick should take him with confidence.

2. Giancarlo Stanton(Marlins)-OF

The 2014 season ended early for Giancarlo Stanton, who was hit in the face by a pitch and missed the final two weeks due to facial fractures.  It was not all bad for Stanton following the injury, as he received the largest contract in baseball history from the Marlins- 13 years and $325 million.  Even before his injury, Stanton had already set career bests in home runs, RBI, runs, and stolen bases.  Although his average will probably dip from the .288 it was last season, Stanton has a very legitimate shot at 40 home runs.  On top of his personal success, Miami has made some major moves to give the team a winning chance. The greater team success could lead to higher totals like runs and RBI for Stanton.

3. Andrew McCutchen(Pirates)-OF

It does not get much more reliable than Andrew McCutchen in fantasy baseball.  Before last season, when he landed on the disabled list with a rib fracture, McCutchen had not been on the disabled list in his entire six year major league career.  McCutchen has finished as an NL MVP finalist in the last three seasons, winning the award in 2013.  With the ability to hit 30 home runs and steal 20 bases while batting over .310, McCutchen is without a doubt a top three fantasy player.  His power numbers have tapered off since he hit 31 home runs in 2012, as he has failed to reach the 30 mark since.  However, in the prime of his career, McCutchen does have a chance to once again rach 30 home runs while scoring close to 100 runs, 90 RBI, 20 stolen bases, and an above .310 batting average.  Not only is McCutchen a safe pick, he is a five-tool player worthy of his draft spot.

4. Clayton Kershaw(Dodgers)-SP

Fantasy baseball in today’s world has seen pitchers become a deeper pool of talent, while offensive players lack the stability and star power in the deeper rounds.  However, Clayton Kershaw stands out above the rest as the number one pitcher, and a top five pick in all drafts.  After missing time at the beginning of the season with an injury, Kershaw finished with a record of 21-3, with 239 strikeouts and an ERA of 1.77.  His incredible stat line earned him both NL MVP and NL Cy Young.  Many thought is was crazy to expect Kershaw to have a better season than he did in 2013, but he did just that- and in close to 40 fewer innings.  It may be unrealistic to think Kershaw will even further improve on his 2014 campaign, but Kershaw will end up towards the top in each pitching stat by season’s end.  Although offense is hard to find in fantasy baseball, taking the best pitcher in baseball will do nothing but help a team.

5. Paul Goldschmidt(Diamondbacks)-1B

A broken hand after getting hit by a pitch ended Paul Goldschmidt’s season two months early.  This coming after a 2013 campaign in which Goldschmidt hit 36 home runs for 125 RBI.  Now back to full health and entering his prime seasons at the age of 27, Goldschmidt looks to be on track to put up the numbers close to what he did in 2013.  Although he had just 19 home runs before the injury in 2014, Goldschmidt still batted .300.  If a full, healthy season can come from Goldschmidt, a 100 run, 30 home run, 100 RBI, and around .300 average is a good expectation.  Also part of Goldschmidt’s game is his double digit steal totals as a first baseman.  A concern around Goldschmidt could be his team, as the Diamondbacks have been unable to field a solid lineup around him.  Over the past couple of seasons, weak lineups have not seem to have had a big impact on Goldschmidt’s personal statistics.  With the ability to bat for a high average with power, as well as some speed from the first base position, Goldschmidt will once again find himself in the top five offensive players in 2015.

The post Top 5 Fantasy Baseball Players for 2015 appeared first on KRUI Radio.

The first round pick is expected to be either that of St.Louis or the New York Islanders first round picks, whichever pick is lower.  Buffalo owns both teams first round picks.

After missing a game against the Vancouver Canucks, Kane was reportedly involved in a disagreement with teammates.  Kane showed up to a team meeting in a track suit, which breaks the suit and tie dress code of the team, and afterwards, Kane’s teammate Dustin Byfuglien threw the track suit into a locker room shower.

Only days after the incident, Kane opted to have shoulder surgery.  The surgery will sideline Kane for 4-6 months and he will miss the remainder of the season.

With the character and health issues to Kane, it seemed the return for the Jets would be an unfavorable one.  However, bringing in Myers and a first round pick shows that Kane’s value was still high.

Myers, a 25-year-old former Calder trophy winning defenseman, gives the Jets a boost to their defenseive end this season and for seasons to come.  Although his stats have seen a decline in recent years, the 6’8 Myers still has a lot of potential to become a top defender in the NHL, especially now that he is away from the poor situation in Buffalo.

Acquiring forward Drew Stafford provides the Jets with a good fill-in for the loss of Kane. Stafford, now in his 9th season, spent his entire career with Buffalo.  And having him on the wing will provide the Jets with the forward depth that they will need in order to make it out of the Western Conference.

Another big asset to the trade is the first round pick that Winnipeg is receiving.  Although it will be a late first round pick, the Jets are still getting another first round talent in their system to go along with Lemieux and Armia, the other prospects acquired in the trade.

Although the return for the Jets is highly regarded, one cannot undermine the potential that Evander Kane has to become a prominent forward in the NHL for Buffalo.

The Sabres will be without Kane for the rest of this season, but the team hopes that the former 4th overall pick in 2009 draft will reach his potential with his move to Buffalo.

After scoring 30 goals in the 2011-2012 season, the first season after the Atlanta Thrashers moved to Winnipeg, Kane has failed to reach that mark again.  He was not on pace to do so this season as he finished with 10 goals before the surgery.

Buffalo is currently dead last in the league, and many expect the Sabres to get the number one pick in the NHL draft. Expected number one pick, center Connor McDavid, could be on his way to Buffalo.  If that were the case, Kane could benefit greatly from the playmaking ability of McDavid, and the two young forwards could become a dominant force in the league.

Along with Kane, Buffalo is also getting a proven young defender from the Jets in Bogosian.  At 24-years-old, Bogosian has struggled to stay healthy but has been with the Atlanta/Winnipeg franchise since he was drafted by the franchise 3rd overall in 2008.

As with all trades, the winner cannot be determined shortly following the player swap.

Buffalo is getting a couple of young pieces which could fit perfectly into their rebuild and future of the franchise.  If Evander Kane can become the player that many expected him to be, Buffalo will have a top line winger for the future.

Winnipeg on the other hand is getting the best of both worlds, with youth for the future and ready-now players that will contribute to their playoff success if the team gets in.

For more hockey news, tune in to Center Ice every Monday from 12-1 PM on 89.7 FM KRUI.

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In a league where it is hard to find a good, solid goalie, the Penguins have been able to lock up just that.  Since becoming the Penguins full time starter in the 2005-2006 season, Fleury has been one of the best regular season goalies.  In 521 career regular season starts, Fleury holds a 2.61 goals against average and a .911 save percentage.  The Penguins have been a playoff team year after year, and having a consistently solid goalie in Fleury has no doubt been one of the main reasons for their success.

The contract, at just under $6 million per year, is reasonable for the quality of goaltending that Penguins are getting.  Fleury has proved that he deserves to be paid and as a household name in Pittsburgh, $5.75 million is just right.  With the salary cap set to rise after this season, the money spent on Fleury will become less significant and will not cause as much of a hit.

The Penguins were smart to lock Fleury up as they would have faced limited offseason options.  As stated earlier, it is not easy to find a goalie that you can rely on season after season to be the backstop on the ice.  The Penguins are lucky to have a goalie where they know what they will get out of him and know they can trust.

If the Penguins decided not to bring Fleury back, there is little doubt that he would have gotten more years and more money from a different team in free agency.  Teams with goalie needs would jump almost instantly on the chance to lock up a proven goalie for possibly five or six years, even with Fleury being 29 years of age.

It is still early in the season, but Fleury appears to be in the midst of a career year.  In 11 games, he is 9-2 with a 1.99 goals against average and 3 shutouts.  At the “prime” of his career, this could turn into one of Fleury’s top seasons as a pro.

A concern in Fleury’s game can be seen in his inconsistency’s in the past couple of playoffs.  After posting good numbers in the playoffs from 2008-2011, 2012 and 2013 were a whole different story.  In those two playoff years, Fleury had a 4.63 and 3.51 goals against average, respectively.

Despite those struggles in the playoffs, Fleury had a nice bounce back post season in 2014, where he posted a 2.40 goals against average along with a 9.15 save percentage.  It is not a definitive sign of things to come, but it was a big step for Fleury and it very well could have decided his future fate with the Penguins.

Although there are flaws in Fleury’s game, his contract extension is well earned.  Fleury may not be a superstar goalie in the NHL, but he is a good goalie and one that the Penguins and their fans should be very excited to have for four more seasons.

A concern in Fleury’s game can be seen in his inconsistency’s in the past couple of playoffs.  After posting good numbers in the playoffs from 2008-2011, 2012 and 2013 were a whole different story.  In those two playoff years, Fleury had a 4.63 and 3.51 goals against average, respectively.

Despite those struggles in the playoffs, Fleury had a nice bounce back post season in 2014, where he posted a 2.40 goals against average along with a 9.15 save percentage.  It is not a definitive sign of things to come, but it was a big step for Fleury and it very well could have decided his future fate with the Penguins.

Although there are flaws in Fleury’s game, his contract extension is well earned.  Fleury may not be a superstar goalie in the NHL, but he is a good goalie and one that the Penguins and their fans should be very excited to have for four more seasons.

The post Defending Marc-Andre Fleury’s Contract appeared first on KRUI Radio.

After losing in week 5 to the Carolina Panthers 31-24, the Bears hold a 2-3 record.  It has been a disappointing first five games, and the offense deserves a lot of the blame.

The offensive stats show that the Bears have been mediocre in their yards per game. According to ESPN,  Chicago is 17th in the league with 348.6 yards per game,  14th in passing yards with 246.2 per game, and 22nd in rushing yards with 102.4 per game.  The Bears also average 23.2 points per game, good for 17th in the league.

Despite the fact that he has not recorded a rushing touchdown this season, running back Matt Forte has been the go to guy for the Bears offense the past couple weeks.  After rushing for 122 yards in week 4 against the Packers, Forte ran for 61 yards, to go along with 105 receiving yards, against Carolina.  Forte also coughed up a fumble in the game.

Bothered by an ankle injury, wide receiver Brandon Marshall has not been able to use the explosiveness he has shown in past seasons with the Bears.  Since week 3, Marshall has had six receptions for 69 yards and one touchdown.  Alshon Jeffery caught 6 passes for 97 yards and a touchdown at Carolina.

Perhaps the most troubling aspect of the Bears offense has been their play in the second-half of games.  In both week 4 and week 5, the Bears failed to score a touchdown in the second half.

Turnovers were once again the story surrounding Jay Cutler in Carolina.  Cutler threw two interceptions to go along with a fumble.  The most crucial interception came when the Bears were up 24-21 with just under six minutes left.  Cutler overthrew Santonio Holmes and into the diving hands of Carolina safety Thomas Decoud.

There is still a lot of time left in the season, and with no team in the NFC North more than one game ahead of another, the Bears have plenty of time to climb the standings.

If the offense can begin to perform at the level that the league knows it is capable of, the Chicago Bears will have no problem turning the tough start to the season around.

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It’s not much of a surprise for the MVP award to go to a quarterback, and this season will most likely continue that trend.  Manning has had an incredible year for the Broncos, and does beat Brees in terms of statistics.  As far as most valuable player goes, it feels that the Broncos would still have a good year without Manning as the quarterback – obviously not an excellent year like they are having, but the Broncos still have a good overall team.

For the Saints, their lack of a consistent run game makes Brees even more important.  The Saints defense has stepped up with new defensive coordinator Rob Ryan and the return of head coach Sean Payton.  However, the Saints still rely on Brees to win them games.  Against the Patriots, Manning did not excel, and the Broncos had to rely on their run game and big plays from the defense to keep them in the game until they ultimately lost in overtime.  Brees has kept the Saints in every game, and continues to roll.  Right now, it looks like Manning will win the award, but Brees should stay in the conversation if he keeps up his play.

The post Drew Brees: Making a case for NFL MVP appeared first on KRUI Radio.

In the first quarter of the game, Iowa’s defense looked stellar as they held the Badger offense to only 25 total yards of offense.  In fact, the defense was solid throughout the whole first half, other than the 44 yard touchdown pass from Badger quarterback Joel Stave to tight end Jacob Pedersen on a crucial 3rd and 7.

It was not until the fourth quarter that the Wisconsin run game really took off.  In that final fifteen minutes of play, James White ran for 2 touchdowns, an 11 yard and 2 yard run.  White finished the game with 19 attempts for 135 yards and those 2 touchdowns.  Wisconsin went with the dual-threat at running back, as Melvin Gordon had 17 attempts for 68 yards.

“That team has got gaudy statistics in terms of yardage, points per game.  And we were competing very well with them,” said Ferentz.

In the game, Wisconsin totaled 362 yards of total offense, 218 of which came on the ground.

The Iowa defense was led by linebacker James Morris, whose 12 tackles, 1 sack, and 2 tackles for loss all led the team.  Safety Tanner Miller intercepted Wisconsin’s Stave early on in the first quarter.

The offense for Iowa was not able to capitalize on the early chances they were given.  With all 3 scores for the Hawkeye coming off of field goals, there was not much room for Iowa to pass or run.

Always a big part of the Iowa offense are the tight ends.  Ferentz makes it clear that getting the tight ends involved in the pass game is a focus every week.  However, Wisconsin was able to take away a good amount of the targets for the Hawkeyes.

“They made it hard for us, we were not moving the ball consistently.  We weren’t really running or throwing with great proficiency,” said Ferentz.

Iowa quarterback Jake Rudock and running back Mark Weisman, both key components of the Hawkeye offense, were shaken up in this game.  Ferentz stated that both did not finish the game due to precautionary reasons, and should be fine to practice come Tuesday.

Before exiting the game with a left leg injury, Rudock was 12-24 passing with 109 yards and an interception.  Running back Jordan Canzeri had 58 yards on 5 rushed, including a 43 yard run to spark the hometown crowd.

For the Hawkeyes, too much pressure on their quarterback and the inability to capitalize on good field position came back to hurt them in the end.

Wisconsin improves to 6-2(4-1 in the Big Ten) with the win.  The Badgers take on a 6-2 BYU team next week in Wisconsin.

Following the loss, the Hawkeyes fall to 5-4(2-3 in the Big Ten) and will head to Purdue next week to take on a 1-7  Boilermakers team.

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So when the 2013-2014 NHL season rolled around and the celebrations of winning the cup were over, it was time to get back to business for the Blackhawks.  In the first month of the schedule, the Blackhawks 7 of the first 9 games came against Eastern conference teams.  With a record of 6-1-2, the Blackhawks have handled these Eastern teams well, gathering at least a point in each meeting with an opponent from the east and holding a record of 6-0-1 against that side.  Their only regulation loss of the season came against division rival St.Louis, who the Blackhawks also lost to in a shootout just a little more than a week later.  There has been a lot of discussion in the past couple years, as the Western Conference has seemed to out match that of the Eastern for quite some time.  There are some factors to this, such as speed, skill, and also how far of travel that compares between the two conferences which all have an effect on the play between conferences.

Some may say that the Blackhawk’s current record looks better because of the Eastern Conference teams they have played to this point.  However, playing these Eastern Conference teams is helping Chicago, as they are getting a feel for things at the beginning of the year, and becoming better prepared before taking on division and conference opponents, whom they will play throughout the playoffs until the final-if they get there.  It is clear that the Western Conference has just outpowered the east the past couple years, and the Blackhawks have greatly contributed to that trend.  If the team can continue to stay victorious over the other conference, while maintaining their own in the west, look for another deep run from the Blackhawks.

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