Mailbag: 12/20/11

So, as you devoted readers know, normally I release the Mailbag on Saturdays. I drank way too much beer this weekend, and as you know, beer comes before crappy hockey blogging, so the Mailbag is a little late this week. But without further adieu, here goes:

Do you see the Caps actually trading Alexander Semin or is simply too risky?


Michael
Newton, Massachusetts

Semin will likely be a Capital for the duration of 2011-2012.

I can't see it happening for a few reasons. Semin is an unrestricted free agent after this season and has a $6.7 million cap hit which would be pro-rated throughout the rest of the season. Semin is an all-world talent but only has 6 goals and 6 assists in 28 games this season. The asking price would be pretty steep for a player of Semin's merit and there's a pretty high risk that he'll leave for Russia, or the Capitals, after the season. He could bolster a contender, but the reality is he's not exactly your typical trade deadline piece, the way Ilya Kovalchuk wasn't what the Devils needed in 2010. Contenders are looking to add pieces, not superstars, and Semin doesn't fit the bill.

Do you think Darryl Sutter is a good fix as coach of the Kings?


Dale
Sacramento, California


No. Shall I elaborate? First, the Kings haven't responded to the firing of Terry Murray. As abrasive as Sutter can be, he hasn't coached since 2006. Other than driving the Flames to the Finals in 2004, Sutter has been past the second round once since his coaching career began in 1993. His teams have historically under-achieved and have never been able to score, which is the Kings biggest problem at the moment (they are last in goal scoring in the entire league). Defense is nice, but the Kings need to score. Sutter will not help alleviate that.

Can the Hurricanes build on their big win over Vancouver last week?


Kevin
Stratham, New Hampshire


Absolutely. They played a hard-fought overtime game against Florida that ended in defeat (Carolina is 0-6 in OT this year) but beyond the Vancouver game the Canes are playing very well under Kirk Muller. The results haven't been there but the team has played a much better team game and you can feel a breakout coming. Phoenix at home will be a big test on Wednesday and losing Jeff Skinner and Joni Pitkanen to concussions indefinitely will obviously hurt. But the Canes have enough firepower, coupled with Cam Ward playing better, to try and make a second-half push. Despite being wretched they only sit 9 points out of the 8th playoff spot with 48 games remaining.

The NHL and NBA both had their lockouts. What do you think the NHL did to make itself more successful that the NBA didn't?


Kyle
Washington, New Jersey


The lockout was really a rebirth for the NHL. It made the product far more fan-friendly by adding rules that open up scoring. The hard salary cap was also incredibly important despite its inflation over the past few seasons. By leveling the playing field, hockey has grown in markets like Nashville, Carolina, and Dallas where all teams have been able to compete with big spenders like Detroit and Montreal. The NBA doesn't have a hard salary cap the way the NHL does and subsequently many teams have been out of playoff contention for years. Having more scoring, a faster game, more TV relevance with events like the Winter Classic and a $2 billion TV deal, the NHL has made huge strides in progressing what was a once stagnant game that other major sports leagues such as the NBA haven't made. The NHL is undoubtedly gaining popularity while the NBA is treading water.