He’s failed to settle anywhere other than Edmonton. He’s been back, but movement could continue to ride the veteran’s recent trend.

Just months after pressing Kings’ GM Dean Lombardi into a trade that shipped the 17-year NHL veteran home to Alberta, there’s a chance Ryan Smyth could be on the move again.

For Smyth and the Oilers to part ways sounds a bit odd, but not in this instance. The biggest factor in the effect Smyth’s credibility has on the NHL‘s trade-market is a mutual agreement between player and organization before the deal is made. Of course, this won’t be made public — but it’s business, and confidential discussions do exist.

If he so chooses, Ryan Smyth can waive his no-trade clause and hop aboard a postseason run with a contending team. This would be on a pure ‘rental’ basis for the regular season’s finish and the postseason. Again, Smyth would have to have some sort of an understanding with Oilers’ brass that a return to Edmonton was imminent for the ’12-’13 campaign.

Not only would this give Smyth a shot at the Cup, but the return would be somewhat respectable for the Oilers. Along with clearing roster space to continue development of their youth — which is at the core of the club and it’s depth as well, the Oilers would get something in return for Smyth, whether it be cash, a draft pick, or a not-so-sexy roster player.

Then, of course, Smyth joins Edmonton’s mix again next year. He’ll be 36 years old, but the way he’s performed and shown solid leadership with Edmonton’s youthful roster at the age of 35, he at least deserves time to lay out his contract wishes. 36 is an age many NHL clubs are skeptical to commit to for anything pricey and/or lengthy, I’m guessing a moderately cheap two-year deal is mapped out regardless of what happens at this year’s deadline.

Front of the net presence? Veteran presence? Either way, he could be a presence for a new team on July 27...

For a player that weighs success on such simple, under-the-radar tactics, don’t let age label Smyth’s cover page. I want to compare him to MLB great Jamie Moyer. If he meets his current pace, which is set to notch 57 points at season’s end, that will be his second-highest point total in his previous six seasons. There is a bright spot to Smyth’s NHL future as he grows older, his skills don’t seriously depend on his youth. He’s always had below average speed, a bad shot, and no physical presence. It’s smarts, awareness, and experience that fuel his success, and he’s riding it like it’s the mid-90′s.

There are four big name clubs said to have interest in acquiring the left winger before February 27′s trade deadline — the Boston Bruins, San Jose Sharks, Detroit Red Wings, and New York Rangers. The only team that has shown any pulse in this situation is the Rangers, but that was recently shrugged off by a ‘surprised’ Smyth. Although there is something for New Yorker’s to note, Smyth vehemently denied allegations that he had requested a trade out of Los Angeles early last summer. Welp, guess what happened?

In fact, I’d say Smyth would be a decent fit for the Los Angeles Kings at the trade deadline, but there will be no reunion, for a vast number of reasons. Amidst Los Angeles’ scoring struggles, Smyth has exploited his importance. I will say this with confidence, that if Smyth somehow was a member of this year’s Kings roster, they’d have 5-6 more wins to their name.

I’d consider Smyth’s short term future to be wide open, and a return to Edmonton to ride out in fashion. This could likely be his last shot at a Cup, it’s hard to not root for a veteran on fumes, even if they did leave your team on tasteless terms.

It’s a matter of respect for a classy player. Ryan Smyth owes it to himself, and to the Edmonton Oilers, to act on this win-win opportunity.

No matter where you work – no matter what your job is, you have a role that you’re supposed to fulfill. You might be the person that answers phone calls from customers. You might be in charge of marketing a new product to potential customers. Your job might even be to babysit everyone to make sure fistfights don’t break out in the halls (we call that managing).

If the company is set up correctly, then everyone can trust that if they do their job, then they are helping to contribute to the company’s success. The thought process goes a little something like this: I’ll do my job right, my co-worker will do their individual job right; I’ll help them out when I can, and they’ll help me out when I can. When all is said and done, the company should do pretty well.

A hockey team is no different.

The margin for error is so thin with the salary cap and three-point games that has caused pronounced parity across the NHL landscape. Make no mistake about it—if a team’s best players aren’t playing like the best players, the team isn’t going to have much success over an extended period of time. But a team is made up of much more than just “top-6” scorers that are paid to play big minutes and put the puck in the net.

There are six other forwards that end up playing a combined 20-25 minutes per game. When a coach says “our so-called third and fourth lines did most of our work and created most of our opportunities,” and the top-6 forwards held their own, then there’s a good chance that the team is going to come out on top.

Do that over a stretch of games and the team will climb the standings. Do it for 82 games and the team will be playing into April, May, and possibly even into June.

Bottom six guys know that they’re not there to put up 30 goals and dominate on the power play. They have a separate role with different responsibilities that contribute to the team in distinctive ways. And they are accountable for those clear responsibilities.

Gregory Campbell has show what a good fourth liner can bring to a team...

One of the most important parts of the job is to help set the tone for the team—especially at home. Any player on the team can do it, but it’s the responsibility of the fourth line guys around the league to bring the intensity from the opening faceoff not only for themselves, but for their teammates as well.

“We always talk about, especially early in the game,” Kings forward Colin Fraser told ViewFromMySeats. “Having a good shift and trying to provide energy for the rest of the guys. Maybe if we’re not playing well as a team, hopefully our line can go out there and pick up the pace a little bit.”

But does the energy of a certain line really help the rest of the team?

“I think so, yeah,” Fraser continued. “I like to think so anyway. We’re just gritty, hard-nosed guys that play as hard as we can everyday and every shift. We hope the other guys feed off of that, because you’re not going to be at 100% everyday. That’s our job for our line, to come in and give everybody a boost.”

He’s not the only fourth liner that thinks that way. It’s instilled in every single role player around the NHL. They aren’t going to put points up on the board on a nightly basis, so they have to fill other roles to become effective players in the league. And in reality, there are plenty of roles to fill aside from all-star sniper in the NHL.

“I’m here to provide that spark,” Kevin Westgarth said about his role. “I’m not going to be chipping in 20 goals a year, so it’s one of those things where if I can get in a hit and keep their players on their toes when I’m out there, then I’m doing my job.”

Fellow fourth-liner Kyle Clifford agreed with his linemates’ outlook. “You definitely want to come out big and strong,” Clifford said. “That’s kind of the role for our line is to come out and get some energy and some physical, cycle play going on.”

That sounds simple enough, doesn’t it? Every team wants to set the tone early in a game that they are going to be the more physical, more aggressive team on a given evening. If a team can get that from their role players, then ideally the more skilled players can feed off of the emotion and to continue to a strong start. In the NHL – and at all levels of hockey – the more aggressive team that is playing in the opponent’s zone most of the night, will usually win its fair share of games. Defensemen get frustrated, opposing players get tired, and at some point the physical play in the other team’s zone leads to either power play chances or goals.

Throw the body around, create energy, and try not to screw up too often. That's the job description of a fourth liner...

If a fourth line does its job effectively from the opening faceoff, they can help the game snowball in their teams’ favor. Announcers will say that the team has “their skating legs” or that they “came to play,” tonight, but often times the catalyst for a strong start is the work and effort of players who are paid to do work and play with effort.

When they do their job correctly, then the team can look like an unstoppable force. Before you know it, the coach is rolling all four lines and the team is seemingly able to attack in waves. Line after line, shift after shift, the team brings energy and intensity at their opponent. It’s not an enjoyable experience for any team that has to deal with that for a full 60 minutes.

The teammates appreciate the hard work as well. All-Star netminder has the best seat in the house when the Kings fourth line is rolling. “I think that’s something the team needs, especially in our own building, to have guys playing with emotion,” Quick said after the team’s last game before the All-Star break. “That was huge. They were a big, big reason why we won the game [against Ottawa]—the way that line played.”

Once a team sees success from a 20-man effort from the beginning of the game, it’s a little easier to get the players to believe that the work pays off. “As a group, [Sutter] came in here and talked to us,” Clifford told the media after the aforementioned game against Ottawa.” “He said, ‘we have to learn from this, we come out with that emotion, it’s going to have dividends for our team. If we come out like that at the start of every game, and come out like that for the second and third periods, then definitely we’re going to get our wins.’”

Still, playing a fourth line role isn’t the easiest thing to do. If it was, then there would be plenty of junior and AHL stars that would be able to find spots on the 23-man rosters in the NHL.

Kevin Westgarth of the Los Angeles Kings talks about some of the unique challenges and responsibilities of playing a fourth line role in the NHL:

“Playing fourth line, it’s a huge privilege and a lot of fun, but also it has its own sets of challenges sometimes. Just depending on the way the game goes, you don’t get into the game right away if there’s a power play off the first little bit or whatever. But just taking advantage of any opportunity to get out there and us bringing that energy, that’s a huge part of this team’s identity is being hard to play against. That’s a huge thing that we can do, just bring that energy and that relentless pursuit.”

Their job is to put the team ahead of the individual. It’s great for all players to do that on a team, but it’s one of the fundamental duties when reviewing a fourth liner’s job description. Take pride in a teammates’ goal. Take pride in going to war and protecting a teammate when the opposition crosses the line. Take pride in being the catalyst for the team for seven or eight months every year.

Sometimes, the key to a strong fourth line is what they don’t do—don’t take penalties. Don’t turn the puck over. Don’t give up goals.

“They’re all guys that have to play hard and bang,” Sutter said of his fourth line. “If they don’t, then they’re not very effective… When you have guys that have to play like that, it’s important that they do.”

Sometimes that includes dropping the gloves to spark the team or defend a teammate. When a player does that for the team, he’s doing his part. He’s doing his job. He’s filling his role. It’s imperative that his teammates appreciate the effort and respond appropriately, or the entire system falls apart.

Sutter talked about Clifford, but it really could be applied to any role player doing his part for the team. “A kid like that goes to war for you, you better respond in an emotional way for him.”

It may not be fancy, but it’s exactly what a team expects from its fourth line players. Clifford continued to talk about his linemates on the fourth line—but he could have been talking about the ideal fourth line for any team around the NHL. “We all kind of play the same way,” Clifford said. “We’re real simple and we just get pucks in deep and get some hits going—that gets energy for the team; and it creates energy ourselves too.

So what does a team need from their fourth line? First and foremost, they need energy. All 30 teams want a fourth line that can create a spark for the rest of the team. They want the role players to set an example for the rest of the team. There will be nights when they are asked to protect their teammates and there will be nights when they chip in a little bit on the score sheet with some secondary scoring, but it always comes back to energy on a nightly basis.

If a team plays with more energy every night, they’re going to win a lot more games than they lose.

Say what you want about Brian Burke. You may love him or your may hate him. Hell, you may love the Toronto Maple Leafs or you may hate them. But whether you agree with the way he builds teams or not, you have to admit the man is entertaining.

Jason Farris had a book that came out a little while ago called “Behind the Moves: NHL General Managers Tell how Winners are Built.” Who is this Jason Farris guy? He’s was recently hired as the Vice President of Business Operations for the Dallas Stars, so he has a pretty good idea of what he’s talking about here.

Within the hardback, Farris talks to current GMs like Lou Lamoriello, Ken Holland, and even the always compelling Brian Burke (among many others). If there’s another book out there that talks to a bunch of GMs about running NHL teams, I’ve never seen it. So if you’re a hockey nerd, this kind of thing should be right up your alley.

Let’s be honest: if you’re reading View From My Seats, you’re probably a hockey nerd. The first step is admitting.

The book costs about $100. For that price, I would want an NHL GM to hand-deliver the book and explain the interworkings of an NHL team over lunch (that they pay for). In lieu of personally picking Brian Burke’s brain, here’s a video where he pulls back the curtain and gives us an idea as to what goes on behind the scenes of an NHL organization. If you have about seven minutes, it’s well worth your time.

If nothing else, you get to see Brian Burke rant like only Brian Burke can.

If you liked Part I, here’s a link to another four minutes of Burke talking to Farris including the gem, “if you’re the last person to figure [something] out as a general manager, you’re screwed.”

I will say, and confidently so, that it’s safe to applaud Gary Bettman right now.

It’s been bleak for NHL fans in Ohio’s Capital for quite some time. Amidst the worst season in franchise history, this weekend was to be no different for Blue Jackets faithful, Columbus’ roster free of any All-Star Game selections. However, there was some light to be had Saturday, with Jackets’ rookie Ryan Johansen scheduled to take chances in the NHL‘s Breakaway Challenge as part of the Skills Competition. Johansen became an afterthought during coffee and toast Saturday morning, as word branched to the club’s fanbase that Columbus, Ohio was to host the NHL‘s 2013 All-Star Game.

This is right in too many ways. In fact, it’s so right, Bettman almost doesn’t deserve a lick of credit. Location? You couldn’t beat it. Talk about being surrounded by strong hockey markets; You’ve got Detroit, Pittsburgh, and Chicago within one-tank drives. If you’re somewhat familiar with North America’s geography, Columbus should be an instant hub if we’re talking NHL league-wide events – the city is dead central to the NHL‘s mapscape. Nati0nwide Arena will be an animal house at this time next year, book it.

At this point, the cannon is pointed directly at Scott Howson...

But for now, it’s a cavern of disappointment, a cavern where frustrated fans flocked to Saturday in protest of the team’s management. It’s gotten so bad, Blue Jackets owner John P. McConnell sent a letter to season ticket holders to apologize for the miserable product he’s put together, followed by a few optimistic notes in effort to maintain support. Yet, it’s almost impossible for Blue Jackets fans to emulate any sort of optimism in relation to their team right now. That’s what makes this weekend’s decision to host the 2013 All Star Game in Columbus so darn perfect.

If nothing else at the moment, this plants a tiny renewal of excitement for the franchise. The problems engrained within Columbus’ roster and front office are going to need some time and patience in order to rebound correctly. Things can only get better for the fanbase over the next year, but it’s going to be a slow, step-by-step process. What role does the 2013 All Star Game play into this? It presents a glimmer of happiness and excitement for Jackets fans for the next 12 months, it takes a bit of pain away from yet another rebuild project.

Not just a positive for the fans, but something the team itself can seriously benefit from. This opens up what could be a huge comeback campaign for the team’s advertising, special events, merchandise sales, all with league-wide exposure. Columbus must cash in on this opportunity. Maybe some of those season ticket holders will be more apt to renew now that you’ve scored on this bid, McConnell.

For all of the empty seats, for all of the disgruntled fans, for all of the losses, and for the never ending cycle of rebuilding, let this be not just an exciting event hosted in your town, but a glimmer of hope for a franchise that seriously needs a boost. The NHL needs to work in Ohio, it must work in Ohio – this is a chance to beat the demon that is the lingering struggle of professional hockey in ‘the heart of it all.’

And at the very least, enjoy the spotlight.

Around View From My Seats, we enjoy great writing almost as much as we enjoy the sport we cover. Each week, there are excellent writers doing their thing all over the hockey blogosphere—so many, in fact, that it’s easy to miss some of the good stuff that gets published each week. Each week throughout the season, we shoot to bring you some of the best writing from around the web. Some will be from the mainstream media and some will be from talented bloggers doing it for the love of the game. Some entries will come from beat writers around North America and still others will come from national writers bringing a “big picture” perspective. We don’t care. We’re just looking for great hockey writing. Everything else can go to hell.

If you find anything that catches your eye and you think should be included, feel free to contact us and we’ll consider it for next week’s installment!

Without further ado, here is our weekly trip around the hockey blogosphere bringing you some of the best articles that you may have missed.

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“Let me get into the numbers a little bit. The industry in terms of hockey-related revenue was at right about $2 billion before the lockout and the first year after the lockout. We expect it to be a little over $3 billion this year. I’ve heard rumors, of course, that the owners are going to be asking for significant concessions or major concessions or enormous concessions, and whether that will prove to be true remains to be seen. I’ve been in this business long enough to be satisfied that their positions will become clear when the time comes, and we don’t need to invent imaginary horribles until we get there.”

via Proteau: One-on-one with NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr – The Hockey News

“When it comes to collective bargaining, Fehr doesn’t want only the executive board or the negotiating committee involved. He wants the rank-and-file involved, too. Each team will have its own mini negotiating committee – “four or five guys getting all the information, reading it, talking about it,” according to Schultz. Fehr will make a point to schedule bargaining sessions with the league so players can attend. If a session is held during the season, he wants it in a place where teams will be, at a time when players from both teams can attend.”

via Don Fehr’s union sounds ready to take on NHL – Yahoo! Sports

“Bottom line, the Penguins desperately needed a player like Neal and they knew how to get the most out of him. That’s huge for them, because the guess is that Neal couldn’t produce those power play minutes or numbers in Dallas. It just wasn’t possible this season. Conversely, the Stars are still learning how to use Goligoski.

So, in retrospect, both sides have reasons to have made the trade, both sides seem happy with what they got, and that should be enough, right?”

via What better time to re-examine the James Neal trade than today? – Dallas Morning News

“Is the game better off with Ovechkin involved? Absolutely but why should he go when he’s on the suspended list? If he can’t play in a regular game should he even be allowed to play in the ASG? I’m curious what Brendan Shanahan would have done if he was still an active player?”

via Ovechkin says No Thanks – True Hockey

“The added aggravation of a concussion is that it’s impossible to project how long a player will be out.

“I’ve stopped asking the doctor and trainer,” Burke said. “I just wait until I get a report that he is riding the bike.”

via Costly concussions – USA Today

“In the same way that pitchers in baseball have the Cy Young Award, goalies have the Vezina Trophy that is awarded annually, and since there is already recognition given to the best goalie for every season, goalies normally get excluded from consideration for the Hart Trophy. However, Lundqvist’s season puts him into consideration for the Hart Trophy. Entering the all-star break, he is the only goaltender to be in the top 5 in the league in wins, goals against average, save percentage, and shutouts. More importantly, although the Rangers are 2nd in the NHL in points, they are only 11th in the league in goals, which reflects how important Lundqvist’s play has been to his team’s success.”

via Henrik Lundqvist Is the Heart of the Rangers, But is He Also the Hart of the NHL? – The Hockey Writers

“Two team sources think Thomas’s decision won’t have a negative effect inside the dressing room because it reflects no deviation from his character. Separately, the sources both said Thomas’s actions merely revealed what his teammates have known since 2006-07, his first full season with the Bruins: that he is a solitary, me-against-the-world figure who often puts himself in front of the team.”

via Team is used to Thomas’s ways – Boston Globe

“While my father knew enough people for me to get to a lot of Washington Capitals games, the minor league experience started for me when Baltimore got hockey back in the form of the Baltimore Bandits, in which we were season ticket holders for their first season. It was closer to home, easier to get to, and a chance to see different players than what I’ve been seeing at the old Capital Centre. Sad to say, that didn’t last long as the Bandits only stayed two season before departing to Cincinnati because the city didn’t support the team, thanks to lack of advertising about the team.”

Via Baltimore, bandits, and life in the locker room – Shooting for the Show (guest post by Scotty Wazz)

“Personally, I was optimistic that the NHL had thought this through, and could make good on its promise to make the schedule more efficient. Gone would be the days of an East Coast team flying out to California for two games against the Ducks and Kings, only to return later in the season to play the Sharks and the Stars. Not to mention a third trip out west to swing through Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton. Not to mention those Western teams coming East.

Players around the league shake their heads at this type of thing every year.

Maybe, we thought, the new travel schedule wouldn’t be that bad if we could have fewer, longer, better organized road trips. I assumed, also, that the travel burden would be eased on teams such as the Wild, the Red Wings, the Jets and the Stars.

After all, wasn’t that what prompted the realignment discussion to begin with?”

via The Player: Why NHL players rejected realignment, and why the backlash was worth it – Puck Daddy

“The corner of Portage Avenue and Main Street is known to be the coldest spot in North America,” says native son Monty Hall. (Yes, that Monty Hall.) It’s an oft-repeated claim, but there is something almost supernaturally frigid about the iconic downtown intersection a few blocks from the Jets’ home ice at the MTS Centre. Former Hurricanes coach Paul Maurice remembers his first visit. He called a friend on a pay phone from the corner but had to hang up early. “My hand was freezing to the phone,” he says.

via Everybody loves Winnipeg – SI.com

“I think sometimes our league forgets about people like that,” Tortorella said. “That restores a little faith for me, that the league stepped up and when it was clear it was deserved, and gave it to him. It’s not just pedigree, it’s what he’s done on the ice. I couldn’t be happier.”

“He’s a big reason why I’m here and can talk with you today,” Tortorella said of Girardi. “That’s the highest compliment you can give him. He has turned himself into a pro.”

via Rangers’ Girardi Rises From Free Agent to All-Star – Slap Shot blog