Take that, TSN! The top players in the CFL

Jon Cornish enjoyed a breakout 2011 season, but is he the best RB in the CFL?

With TSN releasing their Top 50 players currently in the CFL, it caused a lot of stir around the league’s players, media and fans. While I don’t expect this column to cause nearly as much of a stir, I decided to do something similar.

It was interesting to see only four linebackers and five offensive linemen make the TSN list, which was dominated by receivers and had seven of the week 1 starting quarterbacks on it (what does that tell you about everyone’s expectations for Edmonton this season?).

Here’s my breakdown of the top players at each position around the league, and, just for fun, the top ten Canadian players. Keep in mind this is all in my humble opinion; no corrupt balloting, no inaccurate points system, just who I think is the best at each position.

Since there are an abundance of players at some positions, those will have top 10 lists, while the smaller groups will have a top 5.

Let the Twitter wars  debates  fights  minor disagreements begin!

Quarterback

1.       Anthony Calvillo – Montreal Alouettes

2.       Travis Lulay – BC Lions

3.       Ricky Ray – Edmonton Eskimos Toronto Argonauts

4.       Henry Burris – Calgary Stampeders Hamilton Tiger-Cats

5.       Buck Pierce – Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Notes: As long as AC is in the league, he’s #1. Lulay emerged bigtime last season, but will have to work to keep his #2 spot with Ray and Burris in new locations. I’ve always been a fan of a healthy Buck Pierce, let’s hope his health holds up like it did last season.

Running Back

1.       Jon Cornish – Calgary Stampeders

2.       Cory Boyd – Toronto Argonauts

3.       Brandon Whitaker – Montreal Alouettes

4.       Avon Cobourne – Hamilton Tiger-Cats

5.       Andrew Harris – BC Lions

Notes: Two Canadian RBs in the top 5? Absolutely. Cornish put on a show late last season, while Harris also was a late bloomer en route to being the Grey Cup’s Most Outstanding Canadian. Whitaker will always put up better stats, but he’s behind a better O-Line and is a multi-faceted threat coming out of the backfield. Boyd is the best power runner in the league, and Cobourne is now the greybeard among CFL backs.

Receiver

1.       Jamel Richardson – Montreal Alouettes

2.       Geroy Simon – BC Lions

3.       Nik Lewis – Calgary Stampeders

4.       SJ Green – Montreal Alouettes

5.       Andy Fantuz – Hamilton Tiger-Cats

6.       Arland Bruce – BC Lions

7.       Weston Dressler – Saskatchewan Roughriders

8.       Fred Stamps – Edmonton Eskimos

9.       Andre Durie – Toronto Argonauts

10.   Terrence Edwards – Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Notes: Richardson has exploded the last couple of years, and should keep his pace going up with the retirement of veteran teammate Kerry Watkins. Simon is poised to become the CFL’s all-time leading receiver. Durie is the more underrated of the group, while Stamps will try and bounce back from an injury-shortened 2011. Nik Lewis is my favourite player to watch, because you never quite know what he’s going to do when he gets the ball.

Offensive Line

1.       Josh Bourke – Montreal Alouettes

2.       Dmitri Tsoumpas – Calgary Stampeders

3.       Scott Flory – Montreal Alouettes

4.       Marwan Hage – Hamilton Tiger-Cats

5.       Jovon Olafioye – BC Lions

6.       Ben Archibald – BC Lions

7.       Brendon Labatte – Saskatchewan Roughriders

8.       Kyle Koch – Edmonton Eskimos

9.       Luc Brodeur-Jourdain – Montreal Alouettes

10.   Dominic Picard – Saskatchewan Roughriders

Notes: Bourke is the reigning Most Outstanding Lineman, and deservedly so, while Tsoumpas will probably someday win the same award. Hage is hands down the best centre in the league, Flory the most experienced, and Koch perhaps the most underrated. Honourable mentions to Winnipeg’s Glenn January, Montreal’s Jeff Perrett, BC’s Angus Reid, and Edmonton’s Gord Hinse, who could all easily be on the list.

Defensive Line

1.       Keron Williams – BC Lions

2.       Khalif Mitchell – BC Lions

3.       John Bowman – Montreal Alouettes

4.       Aaron Hunt – Montreal Alouettes

5.       Odell Willis – Saskatchewan Roughriders

6.       Kevin Huntley – Toronto Argonauts

7.       Charleston Hughes – Calgary Stampeders

8.       Marcus Howard – Edmonton Eskimos

9.       Greg Peach – Hamilton Tiger-Cats

10.   Eric Taylor – BC Lions

Notes: The fact that BC has three DLinemen in the top 10, and Hunt at #4 was with them last year shows the awesome front four they have. Willis will have to have a bounce back season in a way, after facing some off-season troubles, while Bowman will start the year on the injured list, as will Peach. Howard broke onto the scene late last season, but should be a bright spot on Edmonton’s roster this year.

Linebacker

1.       Korey Banks – BC Lions

2.       Markeith Knowlton – Hamilton Tiger-Cats

3.       Chip Cox – Montreal Alouettes

4.       Jamall Johnson – Hamilton Tiger-Cats

5.       Shea Emry – Montreal Alouettes

6.       TJ Hill – Edmonton Eskimos

7.       Juwan Simpson – Calgary Stampeders

8.       Jay Pottinger – Toronto Argonauts

9.       Anton McKenzie – BC Lions

10.   JC Sherritt – Edmonton Eskimos

Notes: I’ve said it before, but Banks is the best defensive player the CFL has to offer in the Lions’ hybrid linebacker-defensive back position. Knowlton and Cox play similar positions with their respective teams, while Emry is the top Canadian and middle linebacker. Simpson had an impressive year last season, and Pottinger brings a unique toughness veteran leadership to Toronto’s defence.

Defensive Back

1.       Jovon Johnson – Winnipeg Blue Bombers

2.       Jonathan Hefney – Winnipeg Blue Bombers

3.       Dwight Anderson – Montreal Alouettes

4.       Byron Parker – BC Lions

5.       Lin-J Shell – BC Lions

6.       Ryan Phillips – BC Lions

7.       Keon Raymond – Calgary Stampeders

8.       James Patrick – Saskatchewan Roughriders

9.       Geoff Tisdale – Hamilton Tiger-Cats

10.   Billy Parker – Montreal Alouettes

Notes: Johnson and Hefney make a killer one-two tandem in the secondary, and are the heartbeat of the Bombers’ defence. The Lions should have the best overall secondary in the league, while Montreal’s mended group also includes Jerald Brown. Raymond and Patrick will have to come up big in their teams’ young secondaries, and Tisdale returns to Hamilton, where he broke out as a solid presence in the secondary.

Punter

1.       Burke Dales – Edmonton Eskimos

2.       Paul McCallum – BC Lions

3.       Mike Renaud – Winnipeg  Blue Bombers

4.       Sean Whyte – Montreal Alouettes

5.       Noel Prefontaine – Toronto Argonauts

Notes: Dales has consistently been the best punter in terms of average over the past couple of seasons, but McCallum has the creative side to him where he can successfully pull off a fake whenever the opportunity presents itself. Renaud has a strong leg, and Whyte held his own last year in his first season as a CFL punter.

Placekicker

1.       Paul McCallum – BC Lions

2.       Sean Whyte – Montreal Alouettes

3.       Noel Prefontaine – Toronto Argonauts

4.       Luca Congi – Hamilton Tiger-Cats

5.       Rene Paredes – Calgary Stampeders

Notes: McCallum and Whyte were teammates in BC until last spring, but McCallum will have the edge in the battle until he retires. Prefontaine’s lefty kicking still gives him good distance and accuracy, and Congi and Paredes won training camp battles for their jobs. Chris Milo of the Riders could find his way onto this list no problem should they falter, and the Bombers’ Justin Palardy also has a solid leg.

Top Ten Canadians

1.       Jon Cornish – Calgary Stampeders

2.       Andy Fantuz – Hamilton Tiger-Cats

3.       Josh Bourke – Montreal Alouettes

4.       Dmitri Tsoumpas – Calgary Stampeders

5.       Shea Emry – Montreal Alouettes

6.       Andrew Harris – BC Lions

7.       Scott Flory – Montreal Alouettes

8.       Andre Durie – Toronto Argonauts

9.       Paul McCallum – BC Lions

10.   Rob Bagg – Saskatchewan Roughriders

Notes: Yes, Bagg didn’t make it into the receivers’ list above, but he’s still one of the league’s better Canadian players. Since the offensive lineman position is very much still a Canadian position, it’s fitting that there are three of them on the list. The Canadian positions that are lacking: D-Line, defensive back, and, as always is the case recently, quarterback.

CFL Pre-Season Defensive Rankings

Keron Williams is one of the best D-Linemen in the CFL, but is he on the best defence?

With the CFL pre-season set to start tonight, players around the league will attempt to make their mark on their coaches and management, hoping to earn or keep their roster spot.

Last week I looked at the offences and how I ranked them, now here’s a look at the defensive rankings, one through eight. Let me start by saying that the defences were much harder to rank in my mind than the offences were. It should also be noted that only Tim Burke (Winnipeg) and Richie Hall (Saskatchewan) are the only two defensive coordinators who are still with the same team they were with last season.

1.       BC Lions: Rich Stubler takes over as defensive coordinator with Mike Benevides’ promotion to Head Coach, and has quite an arsenal in terms of personnel. According to one member of the Montreal Alouettes’ offensive line, Keron Williams is the quickest defensive lineman in the league when it comes to getting off the line, and Williams has Khalif Mitchell and Eric Taylor in the middle of the line as well, forming quite a trio up front. The second line of defence, the linebackers, are led by Korey Banks, who I believe is the best defensive player in the league, and Anton McKenzie, who were both big parts in the Lions’ championship in 2011. The defensive secondary boasts some impressive names as well, with Byron Parker and Lin-J Shell being the two newcomers, joining Dante Marsh and Ryan Phillips. Free safety is quite deep as well, with non-imports JR Larose, Jason Arakgi and Cauchy Muamba all vying for the starting job.

Positional Grade Breakdown: DL – A-, LB – A-, DB – A, Defensive Coordinator – A

2.       Winnipeg Blue Bombers: According to the Bombers’ almost immediate firing of offensive coordinator Jamie Barresi following the Grey Cup loss to BC, it wasn’t their defence which lost them the championship game. Tim Burke heads a solid cast in Swaggerville. Kenny Mainor and Justin Vega should take on more prominent roles on the defensive line, which lost longtime fan favourite Doug Brown to retirement. Draft pick Jake Thomas should also be able to find some time in the middle of the line. Henoc Muamba will likely inherit the starting middle linebacker spot from the departed Joe Lobendahn, and his freak athleticism should bolster the linebacking corps, which also includes Clint Kent.  The defensive secondary is impressive, with Jovon Johnson and Jonathan Hefney coming off huge seasons. Deon Beasley and Alex Suber will also play huge roles in the secondary for Winnipeg.

PGB: DL – B, LB – B, DB – A-, DC – A+

3.       Calgary Stampeders: With 16 defensive lineman currently in camp, the Stamps are not short of talent on the front line. Justin Phillips, Corey Mace and Junior Turner are three non-imports who join import Charleston Hughes in the trenches, but non-imports Ameet Pall and Brian Bulcke could also factor in at the position. Juwan Simpson, Marc Calixte, Malik Jackson and Joe Lobendahn are the top four linebackers, but Justin Conn and Akwasi Antwi play important roles on special teams, and could find their way into getting playing time defensively thanks to their size and speed.  Erik Fraser patrols the back portion of the defence from his safety position, and Geoff Tisdale, Keon Raymond and Brandon Smith are all coming off strong seasons in 2011. Rick Campbell takes over the Stamps’ defensive coordinator duties.

PGB: DL – B+, LB – A-, DB – A-, DC – B+

4.       Montreal Alouettes: Quite possibly my favourite coaching move of the off-season was Montreal’s bringing Jeff Reinebold back to the CFL as their new DC. Reinebold, known for being a bit of a wild boy in his head coaching days with Winnipeg in the late ‘90s, is a complete opposite personality to that of head coach Marc Trestman. Will this turn out to be a match made in heaven? We’ll see. But enough about Reinebold, let’s talk about his personnel. Their secondary was decimated by injuries last season, but Dwight Anderson and Etienne Boulay at full health will be a tough duo to beat. Jerald Brown also returns from a season-ending injury, and Billy Parker is consistent back there as well.  Linebacker Marc-Olivier Brouillette could also figure into the secondary in addition to his normal position. Middle linebacker Shea Emry is one of the best Canadians in the game, and free agent acquisitions Rod Davis and Mark Restelli join him and Chip Cox in what should be a very exciting linebacking group to watch. The defensive line got weaker with the release of Anwar Stewart and Eric Wilson, but they signed Aaron Hunt to clog up the middle. With John Bowman now out for a month with a knee injury, more pressure will be on as-yet unproven Chima Ihekwoaba and Luc Mullinder. Good thing Mike Sinclair, their D-Line coach, is one of if not the best positional coach that the sport of football has to offer.

PGB: DL – B+, LB – A, DB – B+, DC – B+

5.       Hamilton Tiger-Cats: A formidable linebacking corps headlines the Ticats’ defensive unit, highlighted by Markeith Knowlton and Jamall Johnson, who are both right up there with Banks in terms of being among the best in the league. Rey Williams and free agent acquisition Kevin Eiben will also wreak havoc for opposing offences. Up front, Greg Peach is another free agent signing who should make his mark felt on the opposition, along with tackle Eddie Steele. Ryan Hinds, Carlos Thomas, and Bo Smith make up part of a secondary which got torched in the Eastern Semi last season, and could be the weak point in the defence.  I for one am very excited to see what Casey Creehan will do with the defence, in his first season as a coordinator.

PGB:  DL – B, LB – A+, DB – B+, DC – A-

6.       Saskatchewan Roughriders: Richie Hall is one of the best coordinators in the CFL, and his Riders defence should be stronger than last season, when everything seemed to go wrong for Rider Nation on both sides of the ball. Safety Craig Butler is coming off an impressive breakout season, and with James Patrick and Lance Frazier on either side of him, it should be a solid middle of the secondary. The outside got better with the signing of Paul Woldu as well. Linebackers will be mostly new, with two starters gone. Mike McCullough is a veteran presence, and 2010’s #1-overall pick Shomari Williams will be a force to be reckoned with. Up front, Tearrius George and Odell Willis join a group which includes Brent Hawkins and Keith Shologan.

PGB: DL – B+, LB – B-, DB – B+, DC – A-

7.       Toronto Argonauts: Another team for which everything seemed to go wrong for last season, the Argos will look to rebound, with new coordinator Chris Jones at the helm. Ricky Foley provides some character and speed to their D-Line, which also has a mountain up front in 6-foot-8 Kevin Huntley. Jason Pottinger is the only real veteran in the linebacking corps, and will be relied upon heavily in the second line of defence. Ejiro Kuale and Tristan Black will likely flank Pottinger at the outside linebacker spots. The secondary took some big blows with the departures of Byron Parker and Lin-J Shell, but Jordan Younger will be a force at the safety position. Evan McCollough and Matt Black should take on bigger roles in the starting group, along with Sean Smalls.

PGB: DL – B, LB – B, DB – B-, DC – A-

8.       Edmonton Eskimos: Poor Edmonton. Greg Peach, Rod Davis, Mark Restelli were all lost to free agency, and coordinator Rich Stubler jumped ship further west to BC. The bright spot is that they have a mostly Canadian defensive line, which should be able to provide some quality pressure on opposing QBs. Etienne Legare, Ted Laurent, Jermaine Reid, and Don Oramasionwu are joined by import Rashad Jeanty up front. Linebacker TJ Hill will likely be joined by JC Sherritt and Damaso Munoz to form a fairly undersized group, Munoz being the tallest at 5’11. Their secondary might need some help too, as Donovan Alexander, Weldon Brown and Rod Williams are the only true returning starters at defensive back. Hopefully new coordinator Mark Nelson will put together some solid gameplans, and will be able to find a couple of diamonds in the rough to help boost the defensive ranking.

PGB: DL – B+, LB – B-, DB – C+, DC – B-

And, just like last week, here is how each team fared defensively in net yards and points a year ago.

Yards Against:

1.       Winnipeg – 5420

2.       BC – 5725

3.       Calgary – 6088

4.       Edmonton – 6437

5.       Montreal – 6465

6.       Saskatchewan – 6574

7.       Hamilton – 6757

8.       Toronto - 7591

Points Against:

1.       BC – 385

2.       Edmonton – 401

3.       Winnipeg – 432

4.       Montreal – 468

5.       Calgary – 476

6.       Hamilton – 478

7.       Saskatchewan – 482

8.       Toronto – 498

CFL Pre-Season Offensive Rankings

Anthony Calvillo and coach Marc Trestman make a formidable duo

With training camps well underway, the Canadian Football League regular season is officially right around the corner.

A crazy off-season has seen coaches and players switch teams, and some unexpected retirements from veteran free agent players. All of this means is that the CFL is wide open this year, and for the first time, I can realistically see no less than six of the CFL’s teams being a legitimate contender for the 100^th Grey Cup title in November.

With so much personnel movement and so many changes, it might be tough for some people to figure out how to rank each team offensively and defensively going into the 2012 season.

While time will tell how the teams will fare, here are my offensive rankings assuming each team stays healthy and no surprise moves are made. I also provide a positional grade breakdown (PGB) of each team. I should also mention that there is no formula connecting the PGB and where each team is ranked.

Offence:

1.       Montreal Alouettes: As long as Anthony Calvillo and/or Marc Trestman are in Montreal, there is no way I see Montreal dropping below #2 in the pre-season offensive rankings. Jamel Richardson and S. J. Green are arguably the best receiving duo in football, and Brian Bratton is often a forgotten man in the receiving corps. Brandon Whitaker will try and repeat as league rushing champion behind the league’s best offensive line, anchored by reigning lineman of the year Josh Bourke and right guard Scott Flory. Not to be forgotten up front is right tackle Jeff Perrett, who is the most underrated lineman in the CFL.  Marcus Brady is the new offensive coordinator, but Trestman will still have a major say in the offence, which should play to Montreal’s benefit.

PGB: QB – A+, WR – A, RB – A, OL – A+, Offensive Coordinator – A-

2.       Toronto Argonauts: Yes, the Argos finally have a legitimate quarterback behind centre. No, it’s not the year 1997 and the QB is not Doug Flutie. The addition of Ricky Ray automatically makes the Argos a better offence, and new head coach and offensive coordinator Scott Milanovich is one of the brightest young minds in all of football. Cory Boyd is a solid threat at running back, and Andre Durie should be able to get some time in the backfield as well. Durie will primarily play slotback however, in a receiving corps that includes Ray’s former teammates Jason Barnes and Maurice Mann. Chris Van Zeyl , Joe Eppele, and Cedric Gagne-Marcoux are joined by new arrivals Marc Parenteau and Wayne Smith on an improving O-Line. I for one am really excited to see how Milanovich will use all of his weapons in his first offence that is entirely his to run.

PGB: QB – A, WR – A-, RB – A, OL – B, OC – A

3.       BC Lions: With the reigning League and Grey Cup MVP behind centre, how could BC not be in the top 3? Travis Lulay returns, and with Andrew Harris now cemented in the starting role at running back, it will by no means be a one-dimensional Lion attack this summer. Lulay will also have the benefit of having Arland Bruce III for the entire season this year, as well as having Geroy Simon back. Simon is poised to become the CFL’s all-time leading receiver. The Lions are one of only two teams (Montreal being the other) to return all five starters on the offensive line, which is a huge advantage having that chemistry still in place. Shawn Gore had a breakout season last year, so look for him to have another big year with most of the attention focused on the superhero duo of Spiderman (Bruce) and Superman (Simon). Offensive Coordinator Jacques Chapdelaine is also back once again.

PGB: QB – A-, WR – A, RB – B+, OL – A, OC - A

4.       Hamilton Tiger-Cats: Just as the Ray factor in Toronto improves that offence, Henry Burris and Andy Fantuz make Hamilton a better team right off the bat. Burris will not only have Fantuz to throw to, but a solid possession receiver in Dave Stala along with speedster Chris Williams. Avon Cobourne is no longer in the backfield, but former Rookie of the Year Martell Malett should find himself a comfortable home in Steeltown. Also looking to find a home in Hamilton is Samuel Giguere, who spent the last three seasons in the National Football League. Their offensive line is still anchored by one of the best characters in the game, Marwan Hage, and veterans Tim O’Neill and Pete Dyakowski will also play leadership roles among what could be a young line. George Cortez is the new sheriff in town as head coach and OC, and Jeremaine Copeland brings many years and two championships to the coaching staff as receivers coach.

PGB: QB – B+, WR – A, RB – B+, OL – B-, OC – A-

5.       Calgary Stampeders: Gone is Burris, so the reins of the Calgary offence lie in the hands of Drew Tate. The 29-year old is responsible for the Stamps trading Burris, as he earned the starting job late last season. At his disposal is a stellar receiving corps, headlined by Nik Lewis and Ken-Yon Rambo, but don’t forget Romby Bryant or former #1-overall pick Chris Bauman. Jon Cornish can be credited with kickstarting a Canadian revolution at running back, and he, like Tate, unseated an established starter a year ago in Joffrey Reynolds. Cornish is one of the more exciting players in the league, and runs behind a fairly experienced O-Line including Stanley Bryant and Dimitri Tsoumpas. 2012 draft pick Mike Filer could add some toughness and work ethic into the middle of the line as well. Also dangerous out of the backfield are LaMarcus Coker, who burst onto the scene in the 2011 Touchdown Atlantic game, and hometown boy Matt Walter, who recently graduated from U of Calgary. Longtime CFL quarterback Dave Dickenson brings an experienced mind to the coaching staff.

PGB: QB – B, WR – A-, RB – A, OL – B, OC – B+

6.       Winnipeg Blue Bombers: Once again, and not to beat a media dead horse, the big question around the Bombers offence will be: can Buck Pierce stay healthy? He did for the better part of last season, and the Bombers played in the Grey Cup game. Chris Garrett emerged late in the season thanks to injuries in the backfield, and he’ll be expected to carry most of the load for Winnipeg this season. Terrence Edwards is the most experienced receiver in a group that includes youngsters Clarence Denmark and Cory Watson. The biggest hole is on the O-Line, where Glenn January and Steve Morley are the only lineman over the age of 26. Without that experience up front, Pierce could find himself scrambling more than head coach Paul LaPolice and OC Gary Crowton are comfortable with. Still, with Edwards and co. along with other big targets (five receivers of 6’4 or taller in camp), the Bombers should still be alright. It’s not that Winnipeg’s offence is bad and ranked #6, it’s that the five offences ahead of them are just that good.

PGB: QB – B, WR – B+, RB – B+, OL – C, OC – B

7.       Saskatchewan Roughriders: Every chart or ranking list reaches a point where said list has a drop-off from one rank to the next. Here be that drop-off. Which is strange, considering the Riders receiving corps. Weston Dressler, Chris Getzlaf, and Rob Bagg are a very dangerous trio, and Dallas Baker is another returning starter from a year ago. Dwayne Jarrett and Sinorice Moss are new names to the CFL, but hardcore football fans will recognize their names from south of the border (Moss played for the New York Giants while Jarrett was a college star at USC). The only problem is that they have a quarterback who is on a downward spiral after a good first couple of seasons. Darian Durant is not the same quarterback without Andy Fantuz, he proved that much last season. The outstanding trio mentioned above are hoping that Durant will be able to re-discover the form that took them to two Grey Cups in a row in 2009 and 2010. Joining Durant in the backfield are Brandon West and Yvenson Bernard, as well as former OUA star Nathan Riva. First overall pick Ben Heenan and free agent acquisition Brendon Labette join Chris Best and Dan Goodspeed on the O-Line. First-year OC Bob Dyce will make the calls from the sidelines with the help of assistant coaches Khari Jones (quarterbacks) and Jason Tucker (receivers), who are no stranger to the CFL game, or excelling in it.

PGB: QB – C+, WR – A-, RB – C+, OL – B+, OC – B

8.       Edmonton Eskimos: I’m going to be blunt and honest here, trading Ricky Ray was the worst thing the Esks could have done for their 2012 Grey Cup chances. Steven Jyles, the man they acquired for Ray, will compete with former MVP Kerry Joseph for the starting QB spot, and they will have a receiving corps which really only has one big name in Fred Stamps. And Stamps is coming off quite a sensitive injury (a ruptured testicle), so it is uncertain at what point he’ll be back to 100%. 6’6 Greg Carr adds some size to the group, while Cary Koch and Adarius Bowman are the only other well-known names at receiver. Calvin McCarty is the thunder to Hugh Charles’ lightning in the backfield, but even though each has been given a chance before, neither one has proven himself to be a legitimate starting back. After those two and fullback Mathieu Bertrand, the running back position is quite slim. Maybe the only bright spot at this point in time is that the offensive line seems pretty solid. Gord Hinse, Simeon Rottier, Kyle Koch and Scott Mitchell all return, and Dylan Steenburgen enters his first full season as an Eskimo after three training camps and two Grey Cups with Montreal.  At least OC Marcus Crandell can feel safe in that.

PGB: QB – C, WR – B, RB – C+, OL – B+, OC – B

And, for some comparison purposes, here are the top 8 offences (in Net Yards and Points) from a year ago.

Yards:

1.       Montreal – 7269

2.       Calgary – 6954

3.       BC – 6646

4.       Edmonton – 6294

5.       Winnipeg – 6148

6.       Hamilton – 6112

7.       Saskatchewan – 5891

8.       Toronto – 5743

Points:

1.       Montreal – 515

2.       BC – 511

3.       Calgary – 511

4.       Hamilton – 481

5.       Winnipeg – 432

6.       Edmonton – 427

7.       Toronto – 397

8.       Saskatchewan - 346

Be sure to come back next Wednesday and see which team’s defence I will have ranked first, just in time for the CFL pre-season opener, a double-header on TSN as Toronto visits Hamilton and Saskatchewan travels to B.C.

Under Construction: How to build a winner in the NHL

With Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals set to go tonight in East Rutherford, those select few who predicted New Jersey and Los Angeles would meet in the final series are revelling in their luck glory, and the two teams in question are buckling down for what could be a long, competitive series.

Many people are raising the question, how did these two teams get to the final? The simple answer is that they won 12 postseason games. But nothing is simple, and these two teams were built, starting long before this season even began.

Additions and subtractions have been made along the way, but it’s always an ongoing process, as professional teams are always under construction.

Pay attention GMs and coaches around the league, because here’s how to build a team that will go all the way to the final.

Have an unorthodox goaltender

New Jersey has Martin Brodeur, winner of almost half as many awards as Nicklas Lidstrom, and who still employs the classic two pad stack on a nightly basis. His superior stickhandling is something which more goalies are starting to emulate, but it’s still unusual to see a tender with dangles like Marty.

At the other end, Jonathan Quick is nominated for his first Vezina this season, and brings back memories of JS Giguere by getting really low in his stance to see the puck (but I bet Quick is hoping he has a better result than Giguere did in the finals vs these Devils). Both Brodeur and Quick have had to swim through their creases to make ridiculous saves this season, and while many goaltenders today use the butterfly, I hope the unorthodox stays at least in a couple of nets.

Have a big, strong, European centre (preferably from an obscure country)

The Kings have Slovenian superstar Anze Kopitar, who is no slouch at 6’3, 225 lbs. Lining up across from him could be New Jersey’s Dainius Zubrus from Lithuania, who stands 6’5 while also weighing 225 lbs. Kopitar is definitely the more skilled player of the two, but having a big hulking centre has paid off for New Jersey as well. It’s no secret that having a great centre is key to success (See Sidney Crosby, Jonathan Toews, Joe Sakic, Steve Yzerman, etc), but having one who is talented as well as physically imposing and punishing is extremely beneficial. The fact that these two are European as well as big is a big middle finger to the notion of the past that all Europeans were skinny little fast guys.

Defence must be anchored by a shot-blocking machine

Anton Volchenkov and shot blocking have been synonymous since his days in Ottawa, when he led the league consistently in this stat. While not blocking as many now in New Jersey, Volchenkov is still one of the best at it, and the less shots that get through, the less chances of scoring the opposition have (yeah, I’m a mathmetician).  The man leading the playoffs in blocked shots going into Game 1 of the finals was Los Angeles’ Matt Greene, who looks about as fearless as he is, and was a big reason the Kings were able to so easily dispose of St Louis in the second round. These two guys don’t get a lot of credit in the media, but they have been big factors since arriving with their respective clubs. (Note: Shots were 25-17 in favour of LA in a game of 68 minutes. That’s an average of about 0.6 shots a minute. Shot blockers of the world, Unite!)

Captain America

Zach Parise wears the ‘C’ for New Jersey, and his counterpart Dustin Brown has done so in Hollywood for a few seasons now. They’re both good talents and scorers, but as has become evident over the past few months is that they’re both solid leaders as well. The only question is, which one of them will wear the ‘C’ for the United States at the Olympics in 2014?

Have lots of trade rumours about said captains at the deadline

I expect that next year we’ll be hearing rumours out of every NHL city that they’re set to trade their captain. This was the case for both teams this season, as Parise is in the final year of his contract, and Brown at the time was an underachieving player on an underachieving team. Luckily for both teams, both players stayed put. Brown answered in his first game after the deadline with a hat trick, and Parise went on a tear of his own down the stretch. Both players are valid Conn Smythe nominees for their teams this postseason, and are good at both ends of the ice. That being said, I still think it’s good strategy to start those rumours for teams on the playoff bubble.

Make an acquisition at the deadline that will raise some eyebrows

Los Angeles got Jeff Carter, who had been essentially a non-factor on a terrible Columbus team this year. He has stepped in and performed admirably with former Philadelphia teammate Mike Richards, but at the time of his trade to LA many people questioned whether this would work, or whether the two would revert back to their party animal ways which got them shipped out of Philly. Well, it’s worked.

Another move which worked at the deadline was Marek Zidlicky going to the Devils from Minnesota, to help boost the blueline offensively. At the time of the trade, Zidlicky had a measly 14 assists. Now in the playoffs, he has 7 assists to go with a goal, and plays the point on the powerplay. Another successful trade in the end.

Have a defenceman with two first names

New Jersey has Peter Harrold. Los Angeles has Willie Mitchell. Enough said.

Someone needs to play close to 2:00 on every powerplay

Los Angeles’ Drew Doughty rose to fame with his play in the 2010 Olympics, and ever since breaking into the NHL has been a regular on the Kings’ powerplay. He will usually play the majority of the powerplay time, as does Ilya Kovalchuk for New Jersey. It’s interesting to see CBC track his ice time over the course of the game, and see how his average shift time starts out at something like 30 seconds, pretty normal for a forward. After the first couple of Devil powerplays, his average shift time will rocket up to over a minute, something not many forwards are used to. The stamina of these two important powerplay pieces will be something to watch as the series goes on, but neither one looked close to burning out in Game 1.

Have a player whose last name is Bernier

Los Angeles’ backup goaltender is Jonathan Bernier, while New Jersey forward Steve Bernier is routinely on the third line. If your name is Bernier, and you’re coming up through the draft system, I like your chances.

Head coach needs to say not very much, but a lot at the same time

The dryness of both head coaches is astonishing. We all know that Darryl Sutter is not very outspoken, but when he talks, it’s profound. Meanwhile, New Jersey’s Peter Deboer has had his personal shouting matches differences with John Tortorella well documented, but that being said, he’s got a persona in press conferences that isn’t too unsimilar to Sutter. I enjoy these coaches for their brief, succinct and often humourous (though not always intentionally so) press conferences. And their hair is outstanding too. Sutter's hair makes him look like a mad scientist of sorts.

Be located on the coast of an ocean

Sorry most teams, looks like you’ll have to relocate.

Parting Shots:

-          Nick Lidstrom retired this week after a 20-year career in which he never missed the playoffs. I was very surprised nobody on the TSN Panel ranked him as their #1 defenceman of all time. Nothing against Bobby Orr, he revolutionized the position of defenceman and was stellar for his whole career, but it was a short career. In my mind, Lidstrom is the best there ever was. To play 24+ minutes on average every game for his entire career of 20 years is remarkable. He was +450 over his career and scored half of his goals on the powerplay (and 30 of his 54 career postseason goals too). The game of hockey is going to miss this guy.

-          Tim Thomas has announced he’s considering taking a year off from hockey. Hm. Going into the final year of his contract. Interesting. Should I be surprised, given the antics of the Bruins’ goaltender over the past few months? No. Am I? Yes. I feel like not many teams are going to want to take a gamble on a netminder of his age and media past who has sat out for a full year and a bit (probably around 16 months by the time training camps roll around next year). It will be interesting to see now what Boston will do with his contract over his summer.

-          Speaking of old goaltenders who have been out of the game a while, rumours began circulating that Dominik Hasek is looking to stage yet another comeback in the NHL. Yeah, right, next thing you know, Peter Forsberg will sign another NHL contract, Mark Messier will suit up for the Rangers again, and Jaromir Jagr will return again. What’s that, Jagr did return? Well then. Say hello to Paul Kariya ladies and gentlemen.

-          Is anyone else really upset that Claude Giroux and Danny Briere are still leading the postseason in goals?? I mean come on, they only played two series and really only scored in the disastrous embarrassment that was the Pittsburgh series!

-          In case anyone cares, the NHL combine is going on right now. Oh, nobody cares? Well this is a waste of a point.

CFL Drafts of the past

With just over a week to go until the CFL Canadian College Draft, the eight teams around the league are finalizing their draft boards and preparing for the draft itself after months of scouting and evaluating. The video highlights and testing numbers have been looked at, the interviews conducted, and the teams will now be putting together their lists of what they need and who fits into what they’re looking for.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders hold the first overall pick, and the consensus is that they’ll likely select offensive lineman Ben Heenan with the selection. With the retirement of offensive guard Gene Makowsky in the off-season, the Riders might find a good replacement in Heenan. Another positive for the Riders here is that Heenan played his university football in the province, with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies.

The CFL draft is unique wherein anyone in the draft can make an impact, whether they be a first-round pick or a sixth-round pick. As readers might remember from my column “Ode to the Sleepers and Stinkers” from March, I love a good sleeper pick as well as a good bust, and the CFL draft is always full of them.

Here are lists, going backwards in time, of the best sleeper picks in CFL draft history, followed by some of the biggest draft busts, as well as some of the surprise picks in the last fifteen years of the draft.

Sleepers

What is a sleeper? A sleeper here shall be defined as a player taken in one of the last two rounds of the draft, who earned a regular spot on a roster or made a significant impact with the team who drafted him, or a team he was traded to. Others could be added to this list, but they were released from the team who drafted them, therefore nullifying their status as a sleeper (ex: Mathieu Bertrand).

Luc Brodeur-Jourdain, OL, 6^th round, 48^th pick overall by Montreal in 2008

Brodeur-Jourdain, a prospect from Laval, was 2008’s “Mr. Irrelevant,” the nickname provided to the last person chosen in a draft. He has since proven to be anything but irrelevant, stepping in at centre and filling the void left when longtime Alouette centre Bryan Chiu retired the day before training camp began in 2010. LBJ helped the Alouettes to a Grey Cup victory in his first year as the starter, and has become the anchor in arguably the league’s best offensive line, who produced the league’s leading rusher in Brandon Whitaker in 2011.

Chris Getzlaf, WR, 5^th round, 33^rd pick overall by Hamilton in 2007

The University of Regina receiver has seen his production increase steadily over his four-year career, since arriving in Saskatchewan in an August 2007 trade. Getzlaf helped the Riders to back-to-back Western Division championships, and in 2011 earned his first career 1,000-yard receiving season while also being named his team’s Most Outstanding Canadian. Getzlaf formed ¼ of the Riders’ “Canadian Air Force” with Rob Bagg, Andy Fantuz, and Jason Clermont, but with Fantuz now a Tiger-Cat and Clermont retired, Getzlaf should once again see his production increase in 2012.

Bryan Crawford, RB, 5^th round, 44^th pick overall by Toronto in 2005

While his offensive numbers are nothing spectacular, Crawford’s value was found on special teams, where he played seven seasons for the Argonauts. He was one of the mainstays on an Argo team which has seen massive personnel turnover over the past four or five years, and is one of the reasons why the Argos special teams have been so successful along with the emergence of Chad Owens over the past two seasons. Crawford retired this off-season, but his value to the Argonauts’ franchise is not one to be frowned upon.

Dave Stala, WR, 6^th round, 50^th pick overall by Montreal in 2003

Stala spent six years among a myriad of star receivers in Montreal before signing with Hamilton, where he has spent the last three seasons. During his time in Montreal, Stala played in three Grey Cups, and accumulated 1,037 yards in his third season, while in Hamilton he has become a fan favourite not just for his production on the field, but for his creative touchdown celebrations as well (His hackey sack celebration might be one of the best of all time). In 2010, Stala was the East Division nominee for Most Oustanding Canadian, and led the Ticats in receiving last season. With Andy Fantuz’s signing in the off-season, he will play a more complementary role, but one he will no doubt embrace.

Chris Hardy, DB, 6^th round, 47^th pick overall by Edmonton in 1997

Hardy, like Crawford, was a player who was able to find a niche on special teams in the CFL. A quarterback with University of Manitoba in college, Hardy made the switch to free safety, where he played limited time, but showed his true versatility on special teams. During six-year stints with each Edmonton and Toronto, Hardy played time on the coverage teams, as well as displayed his skill at punting and placekicking at various points in his career. Hardy was a team captain in the later years of his career with the Argonauts, and was an important cog on their special teams wheel while providing veteran leadership in the locker room.

Busts

It should be noted that this list of “busts” does not include draft picks who pursued an NFL career instead, but rather a group who tried the CFL route and became busts. Also, busts have to be someone who had some pre-draft buzz around them, or someone who people might remember. Even the most hardcore CFL fan can look at the first two rounds of the 2005 draft and go “Huh?” at many of the names.

Saleem Borhot, DB, 2^nd round, 12^th pick overall by Edmonton in 2010

This was a pick that surprised many who felt that Borhot’s lack of strength and size would see him at the best being a later-round pick or free agency pickup. Borhot didn’t last too long in Edmonton, as he was put on the injured reserve before the season ended, and had been the recipient of a few highlight-reel hits delivered by the ball carriers in five appearances.

Dylan Barker, DB, 1^st round, 1^st pick overall by Hamilton in 2008

Barker being on this list is in no way a reflection on Barker’s talent level. He was very deserving of the #1-selection, but just ran into too many injury troubles, including a broken leg which ended his rookie season before it started, and a back injury which caused him to miss the entire 2011 season. While he never amounted to being the hard-hitting safety which the Ticats drafted him to be, he did set a record with 37 special teams tackles in 2009. However, the back injury forced him into retirement this January, meaning Barker’s short career puts him on this list.

Chris Bauman, WR, 1^st round, 1^st pick overall by Hamilton in 2007

Is Hamilton cursed with drafting busts? Or is Bauman cursed with being a bust? Bauman, a 6-foot-4 receiver, showed flashes of his potential during four seasons with Hamilton, but only accumulated a total of 1,511 yards for the Ticats before signing a very lucrative contract with Edmonton last off-season. Bauman continued to underachieve, however, with only 11 catches in only seven games as an Eskimo. Bauman has since moved on to his third team, after being signed by Calgary post-release from Edmonton, meaning that not only was Bauman the bust of the draft in 2007, but also the bust of the free agency class in 2011.

Adam Braidwood, DL, 1^st round, 1^st pick overall by Edmonton in 2006

Braidwood would be named the Eskimos’ rookie of the year in 2006, but things quickly went downhill after that. He played only three more years of CFL football before being let go by Edmonton for a variety of reasons. Mixed Martial Arts became a more interesting career to Braidwood, while he also wound up in severe legal troubles after being charged with aggravated assault and forcible confinement, along with several firearm offences. While, like Bauman, showing flashes of his potential, it was the off-field distractions which led Braidwood to being named a bust.

Dave Miller-Johnston, K, 1^st round, 2^nd pick overall by Toronto in 1998

Miller-Johnston is the highest kicker ever selected in the CFL draft, but the Concordia product never attempted a kick in the CFL. How bad is it? Tie Domi has more attempted kicks in the CFL than Miller-Johnston. Also, if you try Googling “Dave Miller-Johnston CFL,” Google says “Did you mean: Dave Miller-Johnson CFL?” Yeah, pretty easy to say this guy was a bust.

Surprise Picks

The surprise picks are players who leapt onto the draft radar essentially at the draft, or who were taken perhaps unexpectedly high.

Akwasi Antwi, LB, 4^th round, 26^th pick overall by Calgary in 2011

Antwi wasn’t on many teams’ radars because a lot of teams might not have known he was draft-eligible. Even Antwi himself didn’t even know he was draft eligible, nor did a lot of people at Mount Allison, who were all pleasantly surprised when Antwi’s name was called at the ’11 draft. After only three years in the CIS, Antwi played in all eighteen games for the Stampeders, mainly on special teams, but Calgary’s draft board was likely the only one he was on due to defensive coordinator Chris Jones’s connections out east.

Marco Brouillette, LB, 3^rd round, 23^rd pick overall by Montreal in 2010

A quarterback at Universite de Montreal, Brouillette was on some people’s draft boards, but not as high as 23^rd overall. The Alouettes snapped him up early because of his freak athletic ability, and versatility on the field. Moved to the defensive side of the ball, Brouillette showed his versatility in an injury-decimated Montreal defence in 2011, appearing at all three linebacker spots as well as halfback and free safety. He also scored his first CFL touchdown on an electrifying fake punt, where he showed off his speed and running ability which made him a successful CIS quarterback and put him on the draft radar to begin with.

Samuel Giguere, WR, 1^st round, 8^th pick overall by Hamilton in 2008

Giguere was on the NFL scene by the time the 2008 CFL draft rolled around, but much like Vaughn Martin (drafted 39^th overall by Montreal in 2011), it was expected that Giguere would fall down to the later rounds because of his NFL potential. Hamilton was quick on the draw however, snatching him up with the hopes that his NFL career wouldn’t work out. Well, unfortunately for Hamilton, it did somewhat work out, and the Sherbrook graduate is still south of the border. Just because he hasn’t yet had a CFL career doesn’t mean he won’t, but it does mean he is one of the surprise picks.

Warren Kean, K, 1^st round, 2^nd pick overall by Edmonton in 2007

With Sean Fleming still the Eskimos’ number one guy (although ironically he would retire after the 2007 season), some found it strange that Edmonton would pick a kicker so high. With little demand for kickers at the time, and only one other kicker drafted (35^th overall), Kean going 2^nd overall surprised some around the league. Consider this too: current CFL regulars JP Bekasiak, Justin Phillips and Jabari Arthur were all first-round selections that year as well, as the 4^th, 5^th, and 6^th selections. With Derek Schiavone, Grant Shaw and Burke Dales now Eskimos, Kean’s career was short-lived, although he did sign short-term contracts with Calgary and Saskatchewan over the past couple of seasons. Miller-Johnston is still the biggest bust at kicker, but Kean being selected so early is still one of the all-time surprises.

Philippe Girard, DB, 1^st round, 5^th pick overall by Edmonton in 1998

The second Mount Allison player in this category, Girard is a surprise pick not only because of where he was drafted, but where he played on the field. Girard, an All-Canadian at defensive halfback, played the majority of his CFL career as a defensive end; an abrupt change for sure. Drafted ahead of future superstars Ben Cahoon and Scott Flory, Girard was likely on the draft radars of many teams, but perhaps not as high as 5^th overall; in an NCAA-heavy first three rounds, the focus was clearly south of the border and certainly not on Atlantic Canada. Girard remains the highest-drafted player out of Mount Allison, and was the highest-drafted player out of the AUS until 2003.

Best Draft team-by-team

Keeping in mind that this is only taking into consideration the last fifteen years, here are the best draft years each team has had in that time.

BC Lions: 2010: Shawn Gore (WR), Hamid Mahmoudi (DB), Akeem Foster (WR), Cauchy Muamba (DB)

Calgary Stampeders: 2005: Miguel Robede (DL), Godfrey Ellis (OL), John Comiskey (OL), Brett Ralph (WR)

Edmonton Eskimos: 2008: Greg Wojt (OL), Tim St-Pierre (LB/FB/LS), Justin Cooper (DL)

Saskatchewan Roughriders: 2006: Andy Fantuz (WR), Luca Congi (K)

Winnipeg Blue Bombers: 2008: Brendon Labette (OL), Aaron Hargreaves (WR), Don Oramasionwu (DL), Pierre-Luc Labbe (LB/LS)

Hamilton Tiger-Cats: 2003: Julian Radlein (FB), Kevin Scott (LS), Agustin Barrenechea (LB/FB)

Toronto Argonauts: 2008: Mike Bradwell (WR), Mark Dewit (OL), Tyler Scott (WR), Matt Black (DB)

Montreal Alouettes: 2008: Shea Emry (LB), Andrew Woodruff (OL), Paul Woldu (DB), Luc Brodeur-Jourdain (OL)

The 2012 CFL Draft will take place Thursday, May 3^rd in Toronto and will be broadcast on TSN. It is an exciting time for college players around Canada, and is the first sign that training camps are right around the corner. Who will be the next Marco Brouillette, Dava Stala, and Dave Miller-Johnston? Only time will tell, but be sure to tune in to TSN next Thursday to start finding out!