Episode 0081: NHL Network Top 20 Defensemen, Roenick's Top 10 Centers, Tokarski is Back, Kronwall May Be Done, Devils Sign No. 17, Our Twitter Poll and Much More!

With NHL Rookie camps and Training camps on the horizon, hockey is suddenly in our foreseeable future! Hold on everyone…the finish line is almost upon us.

This week’s show is chock full of tidbits, but actual storylines are still hard to come by so here we present the best of what is available.

Niklas Kronwall at age 37 has stated that this season could very well be his last in the NHL.  My concern is that when a player makes a statement like this he or she may already be retired in their own mind.  He has won a Stanley Cup and 12 of his 14 years ended in the playoffs.  He has had a solid NHL career with the same organization.

Dustin Tokarski, the goaltender that made a name for himself in the 2014 Eastern Conference Finals for the Montreal Canadiens has been given another crack at an NHL position with his signing of a one-year contract with the New York Rangers.  He will be competing for the backup job behind the King, so we wish him well.  Experience wise he is the leader in the clubhouse, but Mazanec and Georgiev may have something to say about it when all is said and done.

Jeremy Roenick tweeted out his top ten centers in the league, and overall the list is good, but there are some names that may be out of position.  You’ll have to give us a listen and tell us what you think or if there is someone you would have liked to see on the list.

The Forecheckers had their own poll out there on Twitter, and the results were puzzling at best! Which team would improve by 7 or more points this season over last season.  There were 4 choices, the Leafs, the Islanders, the Panthers and the Blue Jackets.  Fifty-eight percent of you said the Leafs had the best chance, but at 105 points last season, they would need a herculean effort to get to 112.  The lowest percentage was the Islanders, at just 8%. Here the team would only need a few more wins and a few less losses, the obvious choice.  Let us know.

The Devils signed their first-round pick, defenseman Ty Smith to a 3-year entry level deal. Congrats to the youngster as he had a solid season in the WHL last season and showed that he should at least be given a chance.

Finally, we come to the NHL Network’s list of the top 20 defensemen in the league.  To say that this was funny to read may be an understatement as we took umbrage with many choices.  Should Hamilton be in the top 20?  Charlie McAvoy?  He has only been around for one full season.  Give us a listen and tell us who you believe should be on this list.  Perhaps you agree…tell us why!

Thanks for all the listening you do and let us know if there is anything you want to hear or just rant at us for our opinions.  Enjoy the show!