Losing the Magic Touch

Has NHL Hall of Fame General Manager Lou Lamoriello of the New Jersey Devils lost his magic touch on seemingly making all the right moves?

Whenever the Devils has needed a shake up, Lou has always been there to do what is needed whether it be through a trade, free agency or the draft. But he doesn't do it the way most of the other executives do it. Lou doesn't go after the big names or what the hot pick is, he does what's best for the team, making the small, but right moves.

This is why I have been questioning some of Lou's most recent moves. At the time I praised Lou for bringing in Ilya Kovalchuk to the Devils from the Atlanta Thrashers. However, even though Kovalchuk brought an added energy whenever he was on the ice, more than ever did the Devils look less like a team united. If they do resigned Kovalchuk, new head coach John MacLain will have to implent a team attitude into Kovalchuk who at many times seemed to lose that attitude last season.

Then this past week the Devils announced another shocking move, signing free agent Jason Arnott. The 35 year old will be returning back to where he last lifted Lord Stanley's Cup, but Arnott is clearly not in the prime of his career. Will this be another Bobby Holik or Brendan Shanahan move? Bringing back a former Devil in the tail end of his career for a one or two season last, not-so hurrah.

I mean, what happened to not resigning John Madden when he was a free agent because he was too old and wanted too much money? And then going and signing Robby Niedermayer. Wouldn't you rather see Lou signing players who have more then one or two seasons worth left in the tank? There are names out there like Rene Bourque or Steve Ott on the free agent list. So why pick 35 year old Jason Arnott over those guys?

It seems like the only right move Lou has made in a while was naming John MacLean head coach, who I thought deserved the job going into last season. At least the Devils have a coach who can stay with the team for years to come and know what it takes to win.

For now there is plenty of off-season still to come and most definitely more questionable moves.

What If America's Best Athletes Decided to Play Soccer Instead?

Here's what team U.S.A. would look like this World Cup if our best athletes chose to pick up a soccer ball when they were little instead of a football, basketball or even swimming trunks...

Goalie-Michael Phelps (Swimming): This 6'4" swimming great has the height, determination and not to mention a wingspan of 6'7" that could translate into America's Gianluigi Buffon and maybe take some of those gold medals and translate them into a World Cup or two.

Center Fullbacks-Dwight Howard (NBA) & Brock Lesnar (UFC): This backfield will provide size (Lesnar at 6'3", 265 lbs and Howard at 6'11", 265 lbs), defensive prowess (Howard is two time NBA defensive player of the year) and most importantly, intimidation that will keep attackers out of the backfield.

Left Fullback-Joe Mauer (MLB): Considered one of the best offensive and defensive catcher in the game, Mauer will know exactly when to attack and when to stay back and defend against the world's best.

Right Fullback-Troy Polamalu (NFL): Polamalu is one of the best at turning defense into offense and will add an extra bit of intimidation when needed on set plays.

Central Midfielders-Lebron James (NBA) & Adrian Peterson (NFL): Both James and Peterson have the play-making skills to roam the midfield but also have the size and defensive know-how to slow down attackers before the last line of defense.

Left Midfielder-Zach Parise (NHL): Parise has the speed and skills to move the ball upfield and the vision to cross the ball to an attacking striker. Besides his skills, Parise is one of the toughest players out there and has the grit to attack opposing defenses.

Right Midfielder-Alex Rodriguez (MLB): What more is there to say then A-Rod's 591 homeruns? The guy knows how to score and whether you agree or not A-Rod is a team player. He was probably the best shortstop in the MLB but was willing to change positions to win, and that's something team USA hasn't really done in the World Cup, win.

Centre Forward-Dwayne Wade (NBA): Wade provides the height, physicality and jumping ability to attack the keeper and notch up some caps. And don't forget he's a winner, leading the Miami Heat to the NBA championship in 2006.

Striker-Chris Johnson (NFL): Speed, speed and more speed. Johnson ran the 40 yard dash in 4.24 seconds at the NFL combine in 2008, posting the fastest time in NFL history. But Johnson isn't just a sprinter, he knows how to perform, racking up over 2,000 rushing yard last season. With Wade's physicality, Johnson's speed adds a perfect mix on the attacking end.

Coach-Peyton Manning (NFL): The most prepared quarterback every Sunday in the NFL will have this team as the most prepared in the World Cup with his work as their sideline general.

World Cup 2010 Preview

As the 2010 World Cup gets under way here are some players to watch for that could lead to their teams success or failure.

-Lionel Messi, Argentina: He's only 22 but it seems like the wait of Argentina is on him to bring home the cup. Last World Cup he wasn't too dominant and had a total of 0 goals in their 7 qualifiers. Yet Messi did score 43 goals this season for Barcelona so if Argentina is looking to advance far into this tournament look for Messi to have a few big games and if he doesn't then you probably will see Argentina packing it up earlier then they'd like.

-Tim Howard, United States of America: Long has Landon Donovan been the face of American soccer but in his first World Cup, Howard can make a huge impact with his play. Look for Howard to lead the USA team out of the group stage and become a respected team this Cup. I can see Howard having the impact Ryan Miller had for USA's hockey team in the Winter Olympics.

-Didier Drogba, Ivory Coast: Before Drogba's broken arm about a week or so ago I thought Ivory Coast was Africa's best chance of advancing out of the group stage only because of Drogba himself. With some this injury might not impact their play but Drogba plays a physical striking game that he will need his arm. If Drogba can be his old self then Ivory Coast might be able to keep up with the other teams in their group, Portugal and Brazil.

-Philipp Lahm, Germany: Rumor has that yours truly team is Germany so when their captain Michael Ballack went down with torn ligaments in his right ankle my hope in Germany's success this year went down quite a bit. However, once coach Joachim Loew named Lahm their new captain, Germany appears to be a team in the right direction once again thanks to Loew's right decision for the new captaincy.

Be sure to check back in for all the biggest World Cup hot topics!

Kovy + Defense=Success?

Thursday night marked the first time in almost two weeks that New Jersey Devils fans had something to cheer about, with the announcement that Ilya Kovalchuck was headed to New Jersey. Making the blockbuster deal isn’t something Jersey fans are used to; however, they are used to general manager Lou Lamoriello making the right deal at the right time to push the team in the right direction.

Since the start of the franchise the Devils have been about defense, and let’s just say Kovalchuk has not been known for his great defense prowess. Now, as many drool over his electric offensive ability and give the Devils an added sniper that they’ve been in dire need of, Kovalchuk’s commitment to defensive play will surely be tested as long as he’s in New Jersey.

Even though Zach Parise is a superstar in the making, he’s not quite there yet, so picking up Kovalchuk gives the Devils something they’ve never had before: one of the top offensive attackers in the NHL. The Devils give Kovalchuk something he’s never had before: a stable organization. This is why the marriage between Kovalchuk and a defensive team like the Devils will work.

In Atlanta, Kovalchuk was THE guy, not only in his scoring ability but also as the face of the franchise, and taking on the captaincy seemed to frustrate Kovy at times when he wasn’t succeeding. And perhaps that pressure just wasn’t meant for him and he needed to get away from it, just as Jersey fans saw when Patrik Elias was named captain back in 2006. Now in New Jersey all Kovalchuk has to worry about is playing his game.

From the front office with Lamoriello, down to the guys in the locker room like Brodeur and Langenbrunner, New Jersey is loaded with veteran leadership that will be there to make sure Kovy follows the Devils’ way. So if Kovalchuk ever decides to get lazy and not play an all around game, offensively and defensively, you’d be sure that head coach Jacques Lemaire or any of the veterans wouldn’t just let it slide by.

As I mentioned before with Parise, Kovalchuk will have plenty of help offensively. From budding stars like Parise and Travis Zajac, to wily veterans like Patrik Elias and Brian Rolston, New Jersey will have their most potent offensive attack since its ‘A-Line’ days.

Now as the season progresses everyone will find out if the deal that Lamoriello always seems to make work will work again. Whether it was picking up Dough Gilmour, Alexander Mogilny or Joe Nieuwendyk, Lamoriello knows how to push the right buttons to lead the Devils to Lord Stanley’s Cup.

And as for whether the Devils should resign Kovy after this season, or even if they’ll be able to resign him, let’s just finish this season first. But don’t be surprised that by the end of the season Kovalchuk will be a model Devil, playing just as hard in his own zone as in the offensive zone.