The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
John Tavares entered this season as the most hyped NHL rookie since Sidney Crosby. And while the New York Islanders left-winger probably won't pull off a 100-point inaugural season like Sid the Kid, he is showing the makings of a future superstar. As of Monday, the first overall pick in the June entry draft led all rookies in goals (15) and points (27) through 36 games. That puts the 6 ft., 195 lb. Tavares on pace for a 34-goal, 62-point campaign. While those numbers don't quite blow us away, they are more than admirable on a woeful Islanders roster. Besides, J.T. is only 19. He still has time to grow into the type of player that in junior was already drawing comparisons to Mike Bossy. Remember, this is the same Tavares who three years ago broke the OHL scoring record for a 16-year-old, a mark formerly held by none other than The Great One himself. For now, though, Tavares is an early favourite for the Calder Trophy as the top rookie. In the coming seasons, he will be counted on to help transform the Isles from perennial sad sacks into contenders. Like Crosby before him, he may very well be up to the task. Elsewhere, San Jose's Joe Thornton was leading the league in points as of Monday. After disappearing in the playoffs last spring, perhaps Big Joe is looking to make amends. See 'Miller' on pg. Continued from pg. In net, Buffalo's Ryan Miller is making a strong push for the Vezina Trophy, leading all goalies in save percentage, goals-against average and shutouts. He's the key to an overachieving Sabres team that could contend for top spot in the East. The season has not been kind to Canadian-based teams thus far, with only Ottawa and Calgary in playoff positions as of this writing. The Sens were holding onto seventh in the East with passable goaltending from Brian Elliott and Pascal Leclaire and a whole lot of underperforming up front. Former 56-goal man Jonathan Cheechoo continues his descent into obscurity, on pace for seven goals this season. The enigmatic Alexei Kovalev will be lucky to crack the 20-goal mark, and Jason Spezza looks like a guy with too much job security...which he is. Let the rebuilding begin in the nation's capital. In an extremely tight Western Conference, the Flames were owners of the sixth playoff spot Ð lower than they should be, but still only five points away from the top seed. Miikka Kiprusoff will have to continue his superhuman work in net if the Flames are to leapfrog over the surprising Kings, Preds and Avs to compete with the Hawks and Sharks for tops. The meltdown in Edmonton continues. After years of barely making the playoffs or barely missing them, the Oilers are now certifiably one of the worst clubs in the entire NHL. New starter Nikolai Khabibulin is out indefinitely with a back injury, but even when he was healthy his 3.03 GAA and .909 SP weren't exactly setting the league on fire. The only bright spot in the City of Champions is that Dustin Penner is finally beginning to earn some of that monster contract he was given when lured away from Anaheim. In Toronto, everyone knew the Leafs would stink, and they have. Even CBC is starting to shun them and giving the Canadiens more national airtime on Saturday nights. Speaking of Montreal, no one was quite sure how the Habs would look following the summer's massive roster overhaul. Four-goal man Scott Gomez hasn't found his footing just yet (will he?), but Mike Cammalleri and Brian Gionta have put up respectable numbers Ð not the kind of numbers worthy of their immense paydays, but respectable numbers nonetheless. Everyone needs to step it up a notch in Montreal if are to avoid another humiliating campaign out of the post-season. They're not that far back from the mid-tier teams, so there is time to turn things around. The frustration continues for fans of the Vancouver Canucks, but like the Canadiens, it's not too late for them to make their mark. It's not so much that the Canucks have been bad this season...it's just that their opponents have been better. Four games above .500 just isn't good enough for a club that some felt was ready to compete for the Stanley Cup. Part of the problem is that the supporting cast has stumble, and it certainly doesn't help that Roberto Luongo has at times looks most un-Luongoish. The season is not yet half over, and lot can and will happen over the next 40-odd games. Stay tuned.
