Site News 22/09

Hello fellow Puckheads! As you may have noticed, things have been a little slow around WAAP lately, and with good reason. Not only did I take a nice, long, well-deserved vacation, but it seems as though my work has gotten noticed by a few other blogs. So...for this season, check out the following links if you want to keep reading my stuff!

Sport Statricity

Last Word On Sports

Both are great, emerging sites and your support will be appreciated! And don't worry, that doesn't mean that WAAP is completely dead, but it does mean that the posts here will be much more infrequent. Also, make sure to keep following me on Twitter, because I'll be tweeting all my links out there as well as sharing them on Facebook and Google+.

On a personal note, I can't thank all you fine people enough for the support you gave me last season. You really helped fuel my love of hockey and blogging, it honestly means so much.

Let's have a great 2013-14 NHL season!!

The Jersey Problem

First of all let me get something straight, this post has nothing to do with the New Jersey Devils (though they certainly have had their share of problems lately). Instead, I wanted to take a look at some of the problems and things an NHL fan should consider when buying a new jersey.

Can't Miss Dates In The 2013-14 NHL Season

The NHL finally released it's 2013-14 schedule yesterday after much anticipation around the hockey world. I thought that instead of wading through all 1230 games to find the ones you want, I'll do all the hard work for you! There's going to be tons of interesting games, and lots of old friends returning as foes who didn't get a chance during 2013 due to no intra-conference play. Here's a list of can't miss dates in next year's NHL season:

Salary Arbitration Refresher Course

Via: jetsnation.com

The NHL free agency period has come and gone, with just a few second tier UFA's remaining on the market. At this time, most teams turn their attention towards getting those last few RFA's signed, and a very common practice for those young players looking for a new contract is salary arbitration. It's a process that isn't as cut and dry as normal contract negotiations, as it involves a third party and can occasionally get somewhat acrimonious. For many hockey fans the different nuances of arbitration can be a little bit confusing, but luckily I'm here to clear things up a bit. Let's take a look at how the process works, and some the players that have applied this year.

What Causes A Junior Star To Bust In The NHL?

When it comes right down to it, the NHL draft is always a crapshoot. Always. For every Sidney Crosby there is an Alexandre Daigle. For every Patrick Kane, there is a Patrik Stefan. With respect to Daigle and Stefan, both carved out a decent little hockey career that most 18 year old players would be lucky to get, however it's not the expected return on a first overall pick. While some like Crosby and Kane could reach the pinnacle of hockey, why could others like Daigle and Stefan stumble so badly? Why is it just so hard to predict how a junior age player's success will translate and evolve as he becomes a pro? Let's take a look at a few case studies and try to find some answers.

After The Frenzy

It's now been a full ten days since the beginning of the NHL free agency period, enough time for most of the big fish to have been scooped up and things to settle down a bit. However, as we enter the dog days of summer, some mid-level players that could make an impact are still up for grabs.