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Monday, September 21, 2009

ATLANTIC DIVISION PREVIEW

The toughest division just got tougher. Not only does the Atlantic Division host the defending Stanley Cup champs but offseason moves saw future hall-of-famer Chris Pronger and superstar scoring Marian Gaborik join this already tough division. Oh yeah, and the best goaltender of all-time still roams the net in New Jersey. Two straight years have seen the Atlantic send 4 teams to the playoff and we will see that again this season.

1.) Pittsburgh Penguins
Rear View Mirror: The Pittsburgh Penguins used their resilience all the way to a Stanley Cup championship. To be five points out of a playoff spot with 25 games to play, to come back from 2-0 vs. both the Capitals and the Red Wings in the playoff series, and to win a tough Game 6 and Game 7 to capture the franchise first cup since 1992, is the epitome of resilience. The Penguins offensively were led by their two superstars, Sidney Crosby (77 GP, 33G-70A-103P) and Art Ross/Conn Smyth winner Evgeni Malkin (82 GP, 35G-78A-113P). They also picked up a much needed offensive boast with trade deadline acquisitions Bill Guerin (12 pts in 17 games) and Chris Kunitz (18 pts in 20 games). The champions were also led by rookie head coach Dan Bylsma, who replaced Michel Therrien, and with his aggressive style led the team to an 18-3-4 record down the stretch.
Offseason Ins: D Jay Mckee (STL: 69 GP, 185 BkS), G Brent Johnson (WSH: 12-6-2, 2.81 GAA, .908 save %), LW Mike Rupp (NJ: 72 GP, 136 PIM), RW Chris Conner (DAL: 38 GP, 3G-10A-13P)
Offseason Outs: D Rob Scuderi (164 BkS), D Hal Gill (78 Hits), RW Petr Sykora (25 G), RW Miroslav Satan 36 Pts), D Philippe Boucher (+10), C Mike Zigomanis (63.0 FO%), G Mathieu Garon (2 W)
What Makes Them Tick: When a team has two of the top three scorers in their lineup it’s hard not to point out the obvious: they are a team that is hard to match up against. Both Crosby and Malkin followed up their successful regular seasons with even better postseasons showing that these young stars were ready to take the next step in their development. Also having a bounce back year was third line center Jordan Staal, who followed his sophomore slump (12 goals, -5) with a productive year (22 goals, -5) as the shutdown center. While his numbers weren’t even good for the top twenty in goaltending stats, former first overall pick Marc-Andre Fleury just continues to win when it matters the most, with a 31-18 career playoff record. Defensively, the Penguins will get a boost now that Sergei Gonchar will be available to play from week 1. It is no coincidence that the Penguins were a better team and made their surge when Gonchar returned from shoulder surgery. A top line pairing for Gonchar and hit man Brooks Orpik, who was 2nd in the league with 309 hits, is top notch.
What Could Make Them Go Boom: With 204 games in the past two seasons and their top players not only being asked to shoulder the load of the team, but also their entire countries in an Olympic year, could have an effect on this team. We see it every year the team that makes the Stanley Cup struggles to find a groove early. Just ask the Penguins from last year and they will admit they needed time to find their swagger. Though this team has some youth on their side, it is bound to catch up to them at some point, especially with team leaders Crosby, Malkin and Gonchar having to play big parts in their respective country’s bid for a gold medal. Very rarely does a coach, with no prior head coaching experience, step in with 25 games to play and go onto win a Stanley Cup. In fact, it has only happened one other time when Al MacNeil in 1971 took over the Canadiens to win the Stanley Cup as a rookie midseason replacement. So how the 39-year-old Bylsma will fair in a full season worth of game planning, balancing his ice time, and dealing with the stress of being a coach will be a key to this team success or downfall.
Player to Watch: With the injury to Sergei Gonchar last season, Kristopher Letang was forced into playing top line minutes in only his second season in the league, and Letang flourished. The 22-year-old defenseman scored 10 goals and assisted on 23 others. His development allowed the Penguins to trade highly touted defenseman Ryan Whitney for much needed scoring. The sky is the limit for this mobile puck moving defenseman, who also went on to contribute 13 points in the playoffs. Letang will be a restricted free agent next season and is off to prove he can be a top line defenseman in this league.
Prediction: Back-to-back championships are hard to come by, and there is a reason why it has not happened in the NHL since the Red Wings of 1997-1998 and in sports in general since the Patriots did it back in 2003-2004. It is hard because every team now puts their best game against you, and even makes off-season moves just to match up better to the formula used to win that championship. The Penguins are the favorites to win this tough division because, let’s face it, when you are the Champs you are that on paper until the puck drops. I would not be surprised to see them start out slow like last year, and GM Fred Shero has twice shown us that he can get creative at the trade deadline (Marian Hossa and Kunitz/Guerin) to give them the necessary push for the playoffs.

2.) Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers once again bowed out to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Stanley Cup playoffs, an interstate rivalry that is one of the best in the league. They Flyers also once again battled inconsistency and injuries all season. The orange and black were led by two young centers that seem ready to be added among the elite centers of the league. Jeff Carter finished 2nd in the league in goals (46) and first in the team in points (84) right behind him was captain Mike Richards whose two-way hard-nosed style reminded Flyers fans of the great Bobby Clarke. Among his 30 goals, seven of them were scored shorthanded including two 5-on-3. Speaking of shorthanded situations, they scored 16 total shorthanded goals, and it wasn’t until the last game of the season that the Flyers did not give up a shorthanded goal. Rounding out a balanced scoring attack, the Flyers were the only team with six 25-goal scorers, was Simon Gagne who had a relatively healthy season playing in 79 games and scoring 34 goals, and rugged winger Scott Hartnell who had career high in goals (30) and points (60). Injuries to the defensive core saw many players come in and out to round out the top 6, but the core was veteran Kimmo Timonen (43 pts) and youthful Bryadon Coburn (28 pts).
Offseason Ins: D Chris Pronger (ANH: 82 GP, 11G-37A-48P), G Ray Emery (KHL: 36 GP, 2.12 GAA), C Ian Laperriere (COL: 74 GP, 7G-12A-19, 163 PIM), Brian Boucher (SJ: 12-6-3, 2.18 GAA, .917 save%)
Offseason Outs: G Martin Biron (29 W), RW Mike Knuble (11 PPG), RW Joffrey Lupul (25 G), G Antero Niittymaki (.912 save%) , D Andrew Alberts (157 Hits), D Luca Sbisa (7 A)
What Makes Them Tick: On Draft day this year the Flyers went out and acquired Chris Pronger, the man many thought was born to wear the Orange and Black. That acquisition sent a message to the team that, even though knocked out by the one two punch of Crosby and Malkin the last two postseasons, they are ready for them this time. With the future hall-of-famer Pronger in the mix, the Flyers top 4 defensemen rank as one of the top in the Eastern Conference. Combine that with a talented and balanced scoring attack is why the Flyers are the sexy pick to represent the East in the Stanley Cup. As I mentioned earlier, special teams once again will be an asset to this team that not only scores shorthanded but ranked 6th in the league in both penalty kill (83%) and power play (22.5%).
What Could Make Them Go Boom: When we last saw Ray Emery playing in the NHL he was beating up teammates, banished to the AHL and then ultimately bought out of his new three year contract from the Ottawa Senators. Now Razor will be looked at as the biggest question mark surrounding a team with so much talent. People often forget that this is a goalie that has appeared in more Stanley Cup appearances (one with Ottawa in 2007) than the two castoffs (Biron and Niittymaki) combined, and the coach that was fired (John Paddock) because of his antics was on board for this move. The 26-year-old goalie with the images of boxers on his helmet will be the ultimate high risk high reward for this team, and most likely the key to which direction this season will head for the Flyers.
Player To Watch: Daniel Briere signed a huge eight-year contract and now, heading into his third year, it could be his biggest in the NHL. Last year the 31-year-old center played a career low 29 games because of injuries to his abdomen and groin. Although the sample size was small, Briere still had an impact on the power play with 10 of his 25 points coming on special teams. This former All-Star and five-time 25 or more goal scorer, has done everything he can to prove in the offseason that he is healthy and ready to contribute to this team. With the accelerated development of both Carter and Richards, Briere won’t be asked to be the go-to guy that he was thought of when brought here, but will still be asked to play major minutes on the top power play unit and fill in for the goals lost this offseason (Knuble 27G and Lupul 25G). The Quebec native had some end-of-the-season chemistry with talented center Claude Giroux. Coach John Stevens sees his lines as pairs and has already said that these two speedy players will be a pair. Daniel Briere needs to have a healthy productive season, if not it will be tough for the Flyers to fit a new piece in his place or even to try to unload his hefty salary cap hit.
Prediction: Ray Emery is spectacular, Chris Pronger lives up to the hype, and the team remains relatively healthy. If two of these three things happen, the Flyers will be a lock for a playoff spot and a team to beat in the playoffs. If two out of three do not happen, it could be a long season for the Orange and Black. Emery is the biggest question mark, but since he is only signed for one season, and a couple of proven goalies (Nabakov, Turco, Giguere) being on the market, don’t count the Flyers out to make a deadline push for a goalie. Chris Pronger should live up to the hype. He has shown no signs of slowing down and has led two teams to the Stanley Cup Finals in his first season on the squad. Health will be the biggest question mark for Gagne, considering he has already reported groin issues. Richard’s style of play leads to the chance of injury also, and Carter’s deadly wrist shot was not there in the playoffs due to an injury. The Flyers will contend for the division crown and will be a good pick to represent the East in the Stanley Cup Finals.

3.) New Jersey Devils
Rear View Mirror: The Devils played 51 games without all-world goalie Martin Brodeur, and still survived the storm to improbably win the Atlantic Division. The season for the Devils, though, ended in devastating fashion in an Eastern Conference Quarterfinals Game 7 loss to the Hurricanes. In a season that saw Martin Brodeur break the all-time NHL leader in regular season wins by a goaltender, it was really the spectacular play from backup goalie Scott Clemmensen, who went 25-13-1 in the 40 games he played with a 2.39 GAA and .917 save percentage. Offensively, Zach Parise flourished in the up tempo Brent Sutter style, the former first round pick ranked 5th in the league in scoring (94 pts) and was a legitimate Hart trophy candidate with his 45 goals and was still responsible in his own end (+30). Parise created some great chemistry with his top line mates Travis Zajac (82 GP, 20G-42A-62P) and Jaime Langenbruner (81 GP, 29G-40A-69P). The Devils always seem to find players that come out of nowhere to fit their defensive style of play and Johnny Oduya (82 GP, 7G-22A-29P, +21) and Paul Martin (73 GP, 5G-28A-33P, +21) seem to be the next crop of good defensive players to don the Red and Black.
Offseason Ins: G Yan Denis (NYI: 10-17-3, 2.86 GAA, .910 save%), D Cory Murphy (FLA/TB: 32 GP, 5G-11A-16P), C Rod Pelley (AHL: 75 GP, 15G-23A-38P), RW Nicklas Bergfors (AHL: 66 GP, 22G-29A-51P)
Offseason Outs: RW Brian Gionta (20 G), C John Madden (23 Pts), C Bobby Holik (62 GP), G Scott Clemmensen (25 Wins), RW Mike Rupp (136 PIM)
What Makes Them Tick: Martin Brodeur has been the face of the franchise for 16 NHL season, last year was the first, since a lockout shorten 1994-1995 season, he did not play at least 65 games (he had played 70 in 11 out of the last 12 seasons). One could ask if he is wearing down at the age of 37 considering how he allowed four or more goals in three of the last four games of the first round loss to Carolina. However, he still went on to record five shutouts in his 31 games played. Zach Parise is the new franchise player up front and will again be relied on for big time minutes along with his line mates Zajac and Lagenbruner. Lagenbruner, the 34-year-old captain of the team, had career highs in every offensive category including an amazing +25 and has to build or even match that kind of production for this team to be successful. Returning to the bench for the Devils is 1995; Stanley Cup Champion Jacques Lemaire’s defensive first attitude will help the Devils maintain their identity in a team that did finish 4th overall in team defense (2.52 GAA).
What Could Make Them Go Boom: I would normally say an injury to Martin Brodeur in this section but the organization showed me up, and brought in a capable backup again in former Islander Yann Danis. What could detract this talented offensive team is a clash between the old styles with the new. No one can argue that Brent Sutter’s up tempo more wide open style of play allowed Parise, Zajac, Langenbruner and even Patrik Elias have career statistical years. We all know these players have the talent but many times were asked to play defense first. This will be the case on a Lemaire coached team. It will also be tough to supplant the loss of both long time Devils Brian Gionta and John Madden. Gionta was not scoring at the same pace he was earlier in his career, but still notched 20 goals last season and same with Madden, who although some say lost a step (a career worst -7 last season), was still was a big part of the penalty kill and third line shutdown unit.
Player to Watch: It was a tough time deciding between free agent disappointment Brian Rolston and former captain Patrik Elias in this category because both guys have a lot to prove in different ways this year. I had to go with the Devils all-time leading scorer, who will be out 3-6 weeks to start the season. The 33-year-old Elias had his best goal scoring season since the 2004-05 lockout, notching 31 goals. He most dangerous on the power play with a career-best 12 goals and tying a career mark with 31 power play points. This season the team leader will be asked to play primarily at center on a team that is thin down the middle. Coming off hip/groin surgery it will be important to this team to have Elias healthy and contributing.
Prediction: The Devils want their young talent to step up, and not have to depend on the likes of Rolston, Shanahan and Pandolfo to score many goals. In comes a new crop of fast and capable players hoping to make the team this year (Rod Pelley, Nicklas Bergfors, and Ilkka Pikkarainen) and if they fulfill their potential, the Devils will be a tough team to defend. Martin Brodeur needs to prove that last season was a fluke and not a look at what to expect from the aging future Hall-of-Fame goalie. I believe Brodeur bounces back and Parise, once again, is a Hart trophy contender. The one thing holding them back from winning this tough division is depending on Rolston and Elias who both are big question marks heading into this season.

4.) New York RangersRear View Mirror: The Rangers finished strong under the new direction of fiery head coach John Tortorella but were unable to hold a 3-1 lead against the Capitals in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals when they lost in unromantic fashion in Game 7. The backbone once again was Henrik Lundqvust, who for the third straight season played at least 70 games, and for the fourth straight won at least 30. The teams also seem to get their spark when they brought back prodigal son Sean Avery from the waiver heap. Dallas’s sloppy seconds was the Rangers gain as Avery collected 12 points in the 18 games with the Rangers.
Offseason Ins: RW Marian Gaborik (MIN: 17 GP, 13G-10A-23P), LW Chris Higgins (MTL: 57 GP, 12G-11A-23P), LW Ales Kotalik (BUF/EDM: 75 GP, 20G-23A-43P), LW Donald Brashear (WSH: 63 GP, 121 PIM), C Brian Boyle (LAK: 28 GP, 4G), RW Enver Lisin (PHX: 48 GP, 13G-8A-21P), D Matt Gilroy (HE: 45 GP, 8G-29A-37P), D Ryan McDonagh(WCHA: 36 GP, 5G-11A-16P), C Vaclav Prospal (TB: 82 GP, 19G-26A-45P), C Tyler Arnason (COL: 71 GP, 5G-17A-22P)
Offseason Outs: C Scott Gomez (58 Pts), D Paul Mara (76 GP), D Derek Morris (4 PPP), C Blair Betts (49.3 FO%), LW Markus Naslund (24 G), RW Nik Antropov (13 pts in 18 GP), LW Fredrik Sjostrom (3 SHP), RW Colton Orr (193 PIM), LW Lauri Korpikoski (14 Pts)
What Makes Them Tick: King Henrik has earned the nickname for his stellar play for the Rangers and pretty much being the only reason this team contends for a playoff spot instead of a lottery spot. The Olympic Gold medal winner will have a difficult task this season balancing the amount of games he plays for the blue shirts and the important piece he plays in his country’s defense of their Olympic Gold. The development of young players like RW Ryan Callahan (22 goals last season), C Brandon Dubinsky (Although holding out for a new contract), D Marc Staal (15 Pts), and D Dan Girardi (22 pts) are encouraging for a team that usually relies on free agent acquisitions. These are all players you can build a team around and have shown that, when asked, can step into a prominent role.
What Could Make Them Go Boom: Another offseason full of changes for a team trying to find their identity post Jagr. Out goes free agent disappointment Scott Gomez and in comes widely talented but often injured Marian Gaborik. Since the lockout, the 27-year-old two-time All-Star has averaged .59 goals per game which ranks second only to Alexander Ovechkin. The problem is that, in his 8 year career, he has averaged only 62.3 games played a season. So last year’s 17 games played brought his average down. It also will be interesting to see with so many new faces and a fairly new head coach with the knack of getting under his players skin mesh. Defensively they are still very thin, relying on defensive liabilities like Wade Redden (-5 last season) and Michal Rozsival (-7 last season), and the unproven abilities of Hobey Baker-winner Matt Gilroy, Bobby Sanguinetti and/or Ryan McDonagh.
Player to Watch: Mark Messier is back as special assistant to Glenn Sather. I would watch him to make a real impact on this club. Haha, not really but I had to throw that in there. Chris Higgins was not just a player brought in to save the team millions in cap hit, so they can go out and acquiring another front line scorer. Oh wait, yes he was, but he still is going to be key to this team’s offensive woes. The Rangers ranked 28th in offense last season (2.44 GPG) and addressed that need with the offensive acquisitions this offseason with Higgins leading the pack. The New York native has proven he can score in this league by the fact that he had three straight seasons of 20+ goals until last year’s injury plagued 12 goal campaigns. The former first round pick of the Canadians and All-American at Yale will be asked to show he is worth all those accolades for the Rangers only signed him to a one-year deal.
Prediction: This division will get four teams in the playoffs again with the Rangers being the fourth. Lundqvist is one of the top goaltenders in this league, but if the Rangers are smart they will give him more rest knowing the Olympics are looming for the Swede. Gaborik will be a treat for the east coast fans to watch and who did not get to see him play out West. Rangers’ fans remember him as he scored 5 goals against them in a game back in December of 2007. The health worries me like everyone else, but the team can’t score any less goals than they did last season. Overall, they will float around the 8-10 spot all season and then when the team starts to gel more towards the end they will secure that 8th and final playoff spot.

5.) New York Islander
Rear View Mirror: So the only thing that went well for the New York Islanders last season is they won the NHL lottery, with an NHL-worst 61 points, and earned the right to select franchise player John Tavares. In a season that saw their starting goalie, Rick DiPietro play only five games with a knee injury, the Islanders shifted perennial minor leaguers Joey MacDonald and Yann Danis into the net. The team’s struggle to score goals (2.42 GAA) showed in the fact they were led in scoring by defenseman Mark Streit. The free agent signee was one of the lone bright spots of the team. The All-star’s 16 goals and 40 assists showed the league that he is not just a power play specialist but also, managing to be a +6 with 25 minutes of ice time a game, is a tribute to his steady two way play.
Offseason Ins: C John Tavares (OHL: 56 GP, 58 G-46A-104P) G Dwayne Roloson (EDM: 28-24-9, 2.77 GAA, .915 Save %), G Martin Biron (PHI: 29-19-5, 2.76 GAA, .915 Save %)
Offseason Outs: G Joey MacDonald (14 W), G Yann Danis (10 W), C Mike Sillinger (Class player), LW Andy Hilbert (11 G), LW Dean McAmmond (16 Pts)
What Makes Them Tick: Confetti fell to the floor of the Nassau Coliseum when the Islanders drafted John Tavares, thus shifting the franchise from often injured Rick DiPietro to the fresh faced 19-year-old scoring sensation. The résumé of the 6-0 center is long and full of awards, records, and prestige and he will be expected to be the savior both on and off the ice for this franchise that finished dead last in attendance. 38-year-old Doug Weight returns for the much needed veteran presence and did contribute 21 of his 38 points on the power play last year. Adding a duo of goaltenders (Dwayne Roloson and Martin Biron) acquired this off-season will also stabilize the team’s back line.
What Could Make Them Go Boom: When the owner comes out and says he regrets buying the team and then threatens to move the team in your offseason because of problems updating an old and outdated stadium, you cannot consider this a booming franchise. Though it was nice to see 10,000 fans come out to watch the selection of Tavares, it is not a good sign the Wang is playing preseason games in Kansas City as the Lighthouse Project continues to battle on. I mention all the off-ice issues with this team because it affects the on ice talent. With the uncertainty and financial woes of this team, they are forced to play young and inexpensive players. Tavares should help the offense but, now with the injury to Kyle Okposo, there is not much depth behind him.
Player to Watch: I think I have talked enough about Tavres in this preview, so let’s turn our focus towards another first round pick that is going to play a prominent role on this team, Kyle Okposo. Okposo was selected 7th overall in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft and left school early to make an immediate scoring impact for the Islanders. The 21-year-old center/winger led the team with 18 goals last season and will be looked upon to improve on that number. His season did not start on a good note as he was carted off the ice on a stretcher after receiving a devastating open ice hit from Dion Phaneuf. He was diagnosed with a mild concussion and the Islanders organization hope there is no lingering effects on a player that they are counting on so heavily this season.
Prediction: Tavares will be “as advertised” for this team and, as long as Okposo’s injury does not linger, they will have to be better offensively. Both goalies feel they have something to prove to the league that has told them they are not good enough to start for a contending team. I could see the Islanders turning one or both goaltenders into draft picks at the trade deadline, but beyond hoarding more picks, and Tavares finally playing in the NHL, there is not much more to be excited about on Long Island.

Monday, September 14, 2009

SOUTHEAST DIVISION PREIVEW

A.J. Bloomquist – contributor to “Pucking Awesome”

Welcome to the Southeast, home of more Chick-Fil-A’s per square mile than hockey fans. All joking aside, while hockey may still be catching in warm weather markets, this division does have some of the best kept secrets in the NHL. Two of the previous five Stanley Cup champions reside here (Tampa Bay in 2004, Carolina in 2006). Though the most recognizable player is Alex Ovechkin, other great hockey players also make their careers south of the Mason-Dixon line. Just a taste - Ilya Kovalchuk, Mike Green, Vincent Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis, Nicklas Backstrom, Eric Staal, and Cam Ward. Perhaps the best kept secret of this division is while it usually comes down to Washington or Carolina to finish first, any team has a realistic shot to take the crown this year. The Southeast is just as competitive as any other division in the NHL. Here is my take on how the division will shake out this season.

1.) Carolina Hurricanes

Rearview Mirror: Three years removed from their 2006 Stanley Cup Championship, the Hurricanes returned to familiar territory by playing in the Eastern Conference finals. Flash backwards to December 3, 2008. Carolina was destined to be missing the postseason for the 3rd straight season with a 12-11-2 record under Peter Laviolette. GM Jim Rutherford decides to shake things up by returning former bench boss Paul Maurice to Raleigh. Re-acquiring Erik Cole (80GP, 18G-24A-42PTS, 73PIM) from Edmonton at the trade deadline seemed to boost Carolina’s offensive numbers. With all those changes, the team went on a 33-19-5 run to lock up the 6th seed. After knocking off the New Jersey Devils and Boston Bruins in dramatic 7 game series, they lost in four straight to eventual champion Pittsburgh. Nonetheless, Carolina re-asserted their place as being one of the elite teams in the East.
Off-Season Ins: F Tom Kostopolous (MTL: 78GP, 8G-14A-22PTS, 106PIM), D Andrew Alberts (PHI: 79GP, 13PTS, 157 hits), D Aaron Ward (BOS: 65GP-3G-7A-10PTS, +16)
Off-Season Outs: F Patrick Eaves (to DET), F Frantisek Kaberle (contract buyout)
What Makes Them Tick: The Hurricanes have no “bona-fide” superstar, but they do have a cohesive unit of 23 players led by Captain Rod Brind’Amour (80GP, 16G-35A-51PTS, -23). Eric Staal (82GP, 40G-35A-75PTS, 14PPG) still put up solid offensive numbers, but 37 year old Ray Whitney (82GP, 24G-53A-77PTS, 62 takeaways) has continued to see some of the highest scouring outputs of his 19 year career. Also up front, Tuomo Ruutu (79GP, 26G-28A-54PTS, 228 hits) established himself as a legitimate two-way presence on the ice. Tim Gleason (70GP, 171 hits, 133 blocks) and Denis Seidenberg (70GP, 146 hits, 160 blocks) shore up Carolina’s no-name defense corps. Between the pipes, Cam Ward (68GP, 39-23-5, 2.44GAA, .916 SV %, 6SO) had the best season of his career in re-asserting himself as one of the premiere goalies in the game today. The addition of Kostopolous, Alberts, and Aaron Ward this past offseason gives the team not much in the scoring department, but gives the Hurricanes more physicality to their game.
What Could Make Them Go Boom: The only major way this team goes boom would have to be if they stop listening to Paul Maurice very early on into the season. Just because he has a new contract in his second go around with the franchise, it doesn’t necessarily mean job security. He did provide the Hurricanes with that much needed boost when things were looking grim back in December. Let’s flash backwards a bit. After Maurice led the Hurricanes to the Cup finals in 2002, he was given a new contract extension but was relieved 20 games into the 2003 season. The reason – the team stopped listening to him. Peter Laviolette was his replacement at the time. After he led the Hurricanes to the Cup itself in 2006, he was rewarded with a contract extension. The result – two (almost three) straight postseason-less appearances before getting the boot for Maurice for his second tour of duty.
Player to Watch: After posting career highs in games played (81), goals (19), and points (31), center Chad LaRose is quickly becoming an unsung hero for the Hurricanes. Signed in 2003 as an undrafted free agent from the OHL’s Plymouth Whalers, the 5’9” LaRose has proven many scouts wrong that he didn’t belong in the NHL. However, he had great numbers back in junior hockey (201PTS in 152 career games) to support his cause. Now, with ever increasing offensive numbers and a new two-year contract to keep him in the Research Triangle, LaRose is destined to take the next step in becoming a prominent small, offensive-minded forward. Look for him to be among the team’s scoring leaders this season, a 20G-30A output doesn’t seem all that far-fetched.
Prediction: Carolina is one of the more balanced teams in the league. From a mixture of young guns and veterans, the Hurricanes have depth at scoring, solid defensive play, and outstanding goaltending. Despite not having the strongest special teams in the game, they find ways to steal wins on a regular basis. With the team virtually unchanged from their spectacular run a season ago, Carolina is poised to sneak up on Washington and take the division crown away from two-time defending champion, and perhaps more.

2.) Washington Capitals

Rearview Mirror: After capturing their 2nd straight Southeast Divison crown and the 2nd overall seed in the East, Washington was on the shortlist to contend for the Stanley Cup. After rallying from a 3-1 deficit to beat the NY Rangers in 7 games, reigning two-time Hart Trophy winner Alexander Ovechkin (70GP, 56G-54A-110PTS, league high 528 SOG) led the Caps into battle against his arch-nemesis – Sidney Crosby and the Pegunins. While Alexander the Great (14pts in 7 games) and Sid the Kid (13pts in 7 games) held offensive clinics in the 7 game series, Pittsburgh humiliated Washington in the confines of the Verizon Center when it mattered.
Off-Season Ins: F Mike Knuble (PHI: 82GP, 27G-20A-47PTS, 62PIM), F Brendan Morrison (ANA/DAL: 505PTS in 755 career games)
Off-Season Outs: G Brent Johnson (to PIT), F Donald Brashear (to NYR), F Sergei Federov and F Viktor Kozlov (both signed with KHL-Russia)
What Makes Them Tick: Washington is one of the highest scoring teams in the league, and they have Ovechkin to thank for it. Last season, he accounted for 19.25% and 20.9% of the Capitals’ total shots and goals respectively. While the opposition will tend to focus on Ovie, they shouldn’t forget the other offensive weapons the club has. For starters, Nicklas Backstrom (82GP, 22G-66A-88PTS, 46PIM) and Alexander Semin (62GP, 34G-45A-79PTS, +25) are more than capable to hold their own with Ovechkin. On the blueline, Norris trophy nominee Mike Green (68GP, 31G-42A-73PTS, 18PPG, 110 blocked shots) is quickly establishing himself as one of the top offensive defensemen of his generation. While Green provides the offense from the point, Milan Jurcina (79GP, 157 hits, 131 blocked shots) and Shaone Morrison (72GP, 111 hits, 98 blocked shots) provide much of the defensive muscle that allowed a respectable 245 goals last year. The additions of Knuble and Morrison should give the Caps a bit more offensive punch and lot more size to go along with Ovechkin’s style of play.
What Could Make Them Go Boom: Has goaltender Jose Theodore regained the form that won him the Hart Trophy in 2002 with the Canadiens? After posting some of his best numbers in almost six seasons (57GP, 32-17-5, 2.87 GAA), he was unceremoniously yanked after one game in the 2009 postseason. Boudreau has anointed Theodore as his number one starter in training camp, but will have to fend off some still competition from Semyon Varlamov (w/Hershey-AHL: 27GP, 19-7-1, 2.40 GAA, .920 SV%) in order to keep it. If Theodore holds down that spot, it will be interesting to see if he can still be productive as he was in Montreal. However…
Player to Watch: If Theodore performs like he did during his Colorado days, all eyes will be watching on the aforementioned Varlamov. He only had 6 regular season appearances, but his playoff numbers were spectacular (7-6, 2.53 GAA, .918 SV%, 2 SO). The 23rd overall draft pick in 2006 guided his Russian Super League club to the finals in 2008 before making the transition over to the NHL last fall. He showed the fans in Hershey and Washington what he is capable of, and is poised to become one of the top Russian goalies on the planet today. Depending on his playing time, look for him to carry a sub 2.60 GAA and .920 save percentage this year.
Prediction: The Capitals can win the division for the third straight year. While I believe they can, that’s not the reason why I didn’t pick them to. While the offense and defense is there, I just have too many doubts about the goaltending. Theodore is a hot and cold netminder, while Varlamov is still green to the North American style of the game. I’ve been proven wrong many times before, and I wouldn’t be shocked if I was proven wrong again with my pick. Yet, one or both of these masked men need to step up in order to do so. They are still a very sexy pick to go deep in the post-season, but they gotta get through 82 games first.

3. Tampa Bay Lightning

Rearview Mirror: If a single word could describe last season for Tampa Bay, the appropriate one would be “dysfunctional”. Let’s play a game of Beyond the Numbers just to highlight how things were last year in the Bay Area. First is 200 million, as in the dollar amount that “Saw” producer Oren Koules and Len Barrie ponied-up to purchase the Bolts and lease the St. Pete Times Forum. Second is 16, the number of games of Barry Melrose’ 2nd tenure behind the bench before getting replaced by Rick Tocchet in November. Third is 50, for how many players suited up for Tampa last season (22 defensemen alone). Fourth is 351, for the amount of man games lost to injury last season (and subsequent explanation for why the 3rd number is so large). Fifth is 46, as in how many points 1st overall pick Steve Stamkos netted in his first season (23G-23A in 79GP). The final numbers are 24-40-18, the Bolts’ record for a disastrous 2008-09 season. Bring on the changes by GM Bryan Lawton.
Off-Season Ins: D Victor Hedman (2009 2nd overall draft pick), D Mattias Ohlund (325PTS, 756PIM in 11 seasons with VAN), F Stephane Veilleux (MIN: 81GP, 23PTS, 98 hits), F Todd Fedoruk (PHX: 72GP, 13PTS, 125 hits), G Antero Niittymaki (PHI: 32GP, 13-8-6, 2.76GAA, .912 SV%)
Off-Season Outs: F David Koci (to COL), D Noah Welch (to ATL)
What Makes Them Tick: The Bolts have a very solid forward unit, led by the dynamic duo of captain Vincent Lecavalier (career with TB: 787GP, 302G-367A-669PTS, 561PIM) and Martin St. Louis (career wit TB: 621GP, 234G-331A-565PTS, 226PIM). Lecavalier missed the final five games last season to undergo wrist surgery that hampered his offensive output from last season (77GP, 29G-38A-67PTS, -9). He shoul be good to go for this upcoming season. To help supplement the goal production, head coach Rick Tocchet will continue to look upon Ryan Malone (70GP, 26G-19A-45PTS, 173 hits), and the aforementioned Steve Stamkos. Acquiring Stephane Veilleux and Todd Fedoruk during the off-season will also provide some much needed grit and contribute to an anemic offense that scored only 210 goals last season, tied for 2nd worst in the conference.
What Could Make Them Go Boom: Things took a major hit last season between the pipes and along the blueline last season. Out of the 50 players that dressed for Tampa last season, 22 of them were defensemen and four were goaltenders. The Bolts allowed a massive 3.28 goals last season, 27th in the league. A major retooling in the off-season led to Mattias Ohlund leaving the Pacific Northwest after 11 successful years and the drafting of Swedish phenom Victor Hedman (more on him in a minute) to strengthen the defensive corps. Antero Niiittymaki comes in as a proven backup for starter Mike Smith (41GP, 14-18-9, 2.82GAA, .916 SV%) just in case the youngster goes down again with a concussion. The major question that remains is can the new additions jell together in time to become a cohesive unit in time for the regular season?
Player to Watch: Victor Hedman, thought he hasn’t played a single shift in the NHL, will automatically have his name in the mix for Calder trophy consideration. According to NHL Director of Central Scouting E.J. McGuire, “Victor Hedman brings…unsurpassed combinations of size (6’6”, 220lbs), explosiveness in his skating, quickness and offensive ability (2009 Rookie of the Year winner with 21pts in 43 games with SEL’s MoDo). He is indeed the whole package." He most certainly has the proper defensive mentor in fellow Swede Mattias Ohlund to help the young lad from Ornskoldsvik get acclimated to the NHL and life in North America. Hockey Bay could be seeing the torch passing from one of the present elite Swedish defensemen to the future.
Prediction: A wise man told me “I think Tampa will surprise some people with Stamkos and now Hedman/Ouhland as their defense leaders.” I did believe that Tampa would be good, but not good enough to earn a playoff berth. After researching their off-season moves in comparison with the rest of the conference, I will offer a bold prediction to everybody – not only will the Tampa Bay Lightning make the playoffs, they will advance to the conference semi-finals.

4.) Florida Panthers

Rearview Mirror: Florida and Montreal tied for the 8th and final playoff spot at the end of the season, but the Canadiens made the dance thanks to winning the season series. The “almost made it” for the 2nd straight year wasn’t good enough to convince Jay Bouwmeester to stick around. Demanding for a trade since the end of the 2007-08 season, J-Bo finally got his wish near the NHL Entry Draft by getting shipped to Calgary in exchange for Jordan Leopold. Two points wasn’t enough for GM Jacques Martin either. Itching to get behind the bench again, he’s now in charge of bringing the Habs back to their former glory. The main reason why Florida was able to stay in the thick of the playoff hunt last season was of G Tomas Voukoun’s spectacular play (59GP, 26-23-6, 2.49GAA, .926 SV%, 6SO). But in the end, it just wasn’t good enough yet again.
Off-Season Ins: G Scott Clemmensen (NJ: 40GP, 25-13-1, 2.39GAA, .917 SV%), D Jordan Leopold (CGY: 83GP, 7G-17A-24PTS, 66 hits), C Steve Reinprecht (334PTS in 552 career games), D Ville Koistinen (NSH: 28PTS in 86 career games)
Off-Season Outs: GM Jacuqes Martin (head coach – MTL), D Jay Bouwmeester (to FLA), D Karlis Skrastins (to DAL), C Anthony Stewart (to ATL), LW Ville Peltonen and RW Richard Zednik (both signed with KHL-Russia)
What Makes Them Tick: The Panthers are a very young club up front, let by David Booth (72GP, 31G-29A-60PTS, 11PPG), Stephen Weiss (78GP, 14G-47A-61PTS, 50.9 FO%), Nathan Horton (67GP, 22G-23A-45PTS, 95 hits), and Michael Frolik (79GP, 21G-24A-45PTS, 22PIM). Add veteran Steve Reinprecht into the mix, and you have some veteran leadership to the stable that is sorely lacking after Olli Jokinen was dealt to Phoenix in 2008. The aforementioned quartet were all drafted and developed by the Panthers organization, so with each passing season sees these guys improve more and more as a cohesive unit on the ice for years to come.
What Could Make Them Go Boom: How do you replace the skills of Jay Bouwmeester along the blueline? The truth is you can’t. While Bouwmeester (203PTS in 401 career games w/FLA) possessed brilliant offensive numbers during his career, he also had the size (6’4”, 212lbs) and defensive skills that any team could build a blueline corps around. The man Florida received in return, Leopold, isn’t much of a physical defenseman (6’1”, 200lbs). Look for Keith Ballard to take on the role as top tier defenseman. Despite his 5’11” frame, he is a 208lb physical powerhouse that plays like he’s 6’5” (172 hits, 136 blocked shots). He also did amass 34 points last season. Koistinen also joins a completely rebuilt defense corps for this upcoming season that will be led by veteran Bryan McCabe (457PTS, 1,615PIM in 986 career games).
Player to Watch: Steve Reinprecht (73GP, 14G-27A-41PTS, 20PIM) finally has the chance to increase his offensive output this season. One of the more underrated players in the game today, the 11 year journeyman veteran was squeezed out of Phoenix do to their young stable of talent (or lack of funding). Florida gave the man the opportunity to take a more active role as a top six forward and veteran leader that is really needed for such a young franchise. He has the talent surrounding him to finally crack the 20-goal and 60 point plateau for the first time in his career, and perhaps return to the playoffs since his days with the Avalanche (won Stanley Cup with them in 2001).
Prediction: Losing Olli Jokinen and Jay Bouwmeester the past two season in Sunrise really hurt the Panthers’ chances of making the playoffs, but they still managed to be in the thick of things each year. While they are still a very competitive club on paper, head coach Peter DeBoer is expecting the goaltending tandem of Vokoun and Clemmensen to carry the team on its back to a playoff berth. It could happen, but it’s unlikely. The defensive corps will be severely tested as Florida’s playoff drought will continue for yet another season.

5.) Atlanta Thrashers

Rearview Mirror: The Thrashers celebrated a milestone last season. The club participated in their ninth full season in the NHL in the city of Atlanta. It probably doesn’t sound important, but any hardcore hockey fan would know that this isn’t the city’s first NHL team. The old Atlanta Flames only lasted eight seasons down south before moving to Calgary in 1980. That was the only celebration for Les Thrash, as they finished with 76 points for the 2nd consecutive season, good for 13th in the East. Per usual, leading the way was team captain Ilya Kovalchuk (79GP, 43G-48A-91PTS, 50PIM). Along with Kovalchuk, veteran Slava Kozlov (82GP, 26G-50A-76PTS, 15.8% shooting), and career years by Todd White (82GP, 22G-51A-73PTS, 18:03 TOI/G) & Bryan Little (79GP, 31G-20A-51PTS, 24PIM) contributed towards 257 goals for last season, 41 more scored than 2007-08.
Off-Season Ins: F Nik Antropov (TOR/NYR: 81GP, 28G-31A-59PTS, 12.5% shooting), D Pavel Kubina (TOR: 82GP, 14G-26A-40PTS, 94PIM), D Noah Welch (4th club since lockout), F Anthony Stewart (23rd overall pick in 2003)
Off-Season Outs: D Garent Exelby (to TOR), F Colin Stewart (to TOR), D Clay Wilson (to FLA), D Brett Skinner (to COL)
What Makes Them Tick: Kovalchuk has been the cornerstone of the franchise since being drafted first overall by GM Don Waddell in 2001. His numbers suggest he hasn’t disappointed (297G-260A-557PTS in 545 career games). However, the teams that surrounded him have been failures. To entice the free agent to be that the club is determined to be successful now, Waddell went out and surrounded Ilya with the tools he needs to lead the club back to the postseason. “Swiss-army” forward Nik Antropov (304PTS in 527 career games) was brought in for his ability to play all three positions up front. The addition of Pavel Kubina (746 career games with TOR/TB) on the blueline gives the Thrashers a legit top 4 defense corps. He joins the likes of Ron Hainsey (81GP, 39PTS, 22:22 TOI/G), Tobias Enstrom (82GP, 32PTS, 23:31 TOI/G), and the fourth person I’ll go in depth on a bit later – Zach Bogosian.
What Could Make Them Go Boom: Goaltending woes have doomed this franchise since their inception in 1999. Names such as Rhodes, Nurminen, Hnilicka, Dunham, and Dafoe have guarded the pipes in Blueland and watched their GAA’s skyrocket in the process. Last season, Atlanta surrendered 280 goals – only Toronto allowed more (293). Incumbent starter Kari Lehtonen may be the club’s all time leader in games played (204), wins (94) and shutouts (14), but two groin surgeries in the past four seasons raise several questions about his physical health. Backup netminder Johan “Moose” Hedberg (33GP, 13-12-3, 3.49 GAA, .886 SV%) still gives the Thrashers a proven veteran in case Lehtonen decides to go down with another injury. However, he has only started 41 games or more in a season twice in his career – last in 2002-03 with Pittsburgh.
Player to Watch: While all eyes will be on current “face of the franchise” in Kovalchuk and his impending UFA status, I’d be keeping tabs on the next one - D Zach Bogosian. Selected third overall in 2008 from the Peterborough Petes, Bogosian was having an excellent rookie season before suffering a broken leg. He did finish up strong after returning from injury by netting 11 points (including six goals) in his final 16 games. Not only does Bogosian have good offensive skills (47GP, 9G-10A-19PTS, 47PIM), he also has great size. Listed as 6’2”, 200 lbs., the kid has grown into his body during his time in the OHL. He has the right combination of assets to become a franchise defenseman, something Atlanta has never had in franchise history.
Prediction: The clock is ticking for Don Waddell. His previous 9 seasons of assembling a team has resulted in only one postseason appearance – a 4 game sweep at the hand of the NY Rangers in 2007. With each passing season, the amount of empty seats within the interior of Philips Arena has increased. Atlanta was the only team to average below 80% capacity last season. Even with all the random flurry of offseason acquisitions and smart drafting the past few seasons, it won’t be enough to get the Thrashers back into postseason competition. But will it be enough to keep Kovalchuk in midnight blue after 2010? Will it be enough for Waddell’s job security? The clock is ticking.

Sunday, September 6, 2009

PACIFIC DIVISION PREVIEW

Welcome to the Wild, Wild West! A lot of us on the east coast don’t stay up late enough to see the great hockey action that happens on the west coast, so don’t forget that the President Trophy team came from the Pacific last season. The Stars are two years removed from a Western Conference Finals run and the Ducks won the Stanley Cup in 2007. Then, there is the bottom of the division: the Hamilton/Phoenix Coyotes and Los Angeles-two-years-away-Kings. So here we go in our exploration of the Pacific Division

1.) San Jose Sharks
Rear View Mirror: The good for the Sharks was a President Trophy run and the bad were a first round exit. The team was lead by a balance scoring attack that saw 6 players score 20+ goals led by thier captain Patrick Marleau (38 goals)and sophomore sensations Devin Setoguchi (31 goals). Last year also saw a resurgence of both 30+ defenseman Dan Boyle (57 points) and Rob Blake (45 points) especially on the 3rd ranked power play where they combine for 54 points. Even with a franchise record 117-point season and all the talent in the world the Sharks bowed out disappointingly in a 6 game series to the Anaheim Ducks.
Offseason Ins: LW Dany Heatley (OTT: 82 GP, 39G-33A-72P), C Scott Nichol (NSH: 43 GP- 10 P-79 Hits), D Derek Joslin (AHL: 11G – 30 P- 6 PPG), RW Jed Ortmeyer (AHL: 55 GP-10 G-23 P), G Thomas Greiss (AHL: 30-24-3, 2.47 GAA, .907 save %)
Offseason Outs: LW Milan Michalek (57 pts), RW Jonathan Cheechoo (former 50 goal scorer), D Christian Ehrhoff (25 PP), RW Mike Grier (147 Hits), C Jeremy Roenick (Class guy), G Brian Boucher (12 W), LW Travis Moen (5 P in 19 G), D Alexei Semenov (57 PIM), C Tomas Pilhal (64 GP)
What Makes Them Tick: Up front this team is fast, deep, and excels in scoring the difficult goals, exemplified by their top scorer Joe Thornton (86 points). Big Joe has been dynamic since his trade to the Sharks and will once again be asked to be the team leader on the ice and especially on the power play where he had a team high 11 goals and 35 points. They added some much needed help for Big Joe on the first line with Ottawa outcast Dany Heatley, but with this guys talent also comes baggage as he has now forced his way out of two organizations. The team will also expect bigger things from their improving young guns, Setoguchi and Joe Pavleski, who are both restricted free agents at the end of the season and both coming off career seasons last year.

What Could Make Them Go Boom: Their, now former, captain Marleau had a career-high in goals and was responsible at both ends shown in his career-best plus-16 rating but with a disappointing playoff and only one year left on his contract rumors will fly about the end of his 11-year run in San Jose. Another player on the last year of a long term contract and on the long list of Sharks who disappointed in the playoffs, is goalie Evgeni Nabokov. 34-year-old Nabokov was clearly out played by Jonas Hiller in the playoff series vs the Ducks and missed significant time with two separate injuries last season. With Brian Boucher, Nabokov’s back up for the last two seasons, gone off to Philadelphia, the backup duties are now onto former 3rd round pick Thomas Greiss. Greiss played in the 2006 Olympics for his home country Germany but has only seen action in 3 NHL games, so Nabokov’s health and stability will be counted on more this season.
Player to Watch: Marc-Edouard Vlasic, the man they call “Pickles”, will be counted on heavily on the back line this season. The 22-year-old signed a big four-year, $12.4 million contract extension and will be elevated to top line defensive status. Vlasic already saw significant minutes on the penalty kill and, with the recent trade of Christian Ehrhoff, will see his power play minutes increase. “Pickles” who once scored 73 points in QMJHL, is primed for a big offensive season for the Sharks.
Prediction: Once again this team will be evaluated on the playoff success. We all know they are talented and should win the Pacific Division for the third straight year. If they come out slow, or are not playing to expectations right before the trade deadline, don’t be surprised if Doug Wilson continues to pulls the trigger on big trade pieces like Patrick Marleau or Evgeni Nabokov. I predict another great regular season followed by disappointing playoffs, but that seems like an easy prediction.
2.) Anaheim Ducks
Rear View Mirror: The Ducks were inconsistent for most of the 2008-09 regular season, but turned it on to upset the top seeded, and division rival, Sharks in the first round of the playoffs and even took the powerful Red Wings to a 7-game series in the second round. Led by the dynamic offensive duo of Ryan Getzlaf (91 points) and Corey Perry (32 goals) and Calder Trophy candidate Bobby Ryan (31 goals in 64 games). Defensively, they relied heavily on their two pillars, Chris Pronger and Captain Scott Niedermayer, who ranked 2nd and 3rd in minutes played per game for defenseman. The Ducks had an up and down season but the biggest surprise for the former Stanley Cup Champions was the emergence of Jonas Hiller taking the reigns as their starter goalie. The organization early showed they had faith in the undrafted free agent when they released backup goalie Ilya Bryzgalov during the 2007-08 season but as a backup to former Con Smyth and Stanley Cup winner Jean-Sebastuen Gigure. With Jiggy struggling last season, Hiller split time with each goaltender playing 36 games, but it was Hiller who was given the playoff nod due in large part of his better overall numbers (23-15-1, 2.39 GAA, .919 save %).
Offseason Ins: LW Joffrey Lupu (PHI: 79 GP-25 G- 50 P), C Saku Koivu (MTL: 65 GP-16 G- 50 P), D Nick Boynton (FLA: 68 GP-21 P- 91 PIM),D Luca Sbisa (PHI: 39 GP – 7 P)
Offseason Outs: D Chris Pronger (26:56 TOI/G), D Francoise Beauchemin (5 Pts in 20 GP), RW Rob Niedermayer (14 G), D Bret Hedican (51 GP)
What Makes Them Tick: On draft night it was good news/bad news for the organization. Good news that their Captain Scott Niedermayer decided to come back for his 18th season and once again will be the backbone of this organization. Bad news was that in the salary cap era they could not keep their other big time defenseman Chris Pronger. Pronger was then traded to the Philadelphia Flyers once again for Joffrey Lupul (who the Oilers traded for when traded Pronger to Ducks in 2006), top defensive prospect Luca Sbisa and draft pciks. Thus changing the dynamic of the franchise from their backline to their top line led by young guns of Getzlaf, Perry and Ryan. Their second line scoring should increase with the signing of Saku Koivu (50 points) to play with his countryman Teemu Selanne and the acquisition of Joffrey Lupul (25 goals).
What Could Make Them Go Boom: How do you replace a player like Chris Pronger? The Ducks started laying the ground work last season acquiring former 5th overall pick Ryan Whitney from the Penguins and the tough James Wisniewski from the Blackhawks. They finished off the total remodeling process by letting go of often injured Francois Beauchemin (Toronto) and replacing him with former All-Star Nick Boynton. But the question surrounding this team this season will be how do you replace a Norris Trophy, all around defenseman like Chris Pronger?
Player to Watch: It is a hard place to be when you are drafted right after the so called savior of the league but Bobby Ryan last year finally showed why he deserved to be the second overall pick of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. Salary cap reasons kept the talented forward in the minors to start the season but got recalled for good in November. Showing immediately that this is where he belonged, in January he scored a natural hat trick vs the Kings the last goal a highlight reel spinorama YouTube sensation. Ryan, 22, led the Ducks with a plus-13 plus/minus rating and broke Dustin Penner’s club rookie records for goals (31) and points (57). Obviously much more will be expected from the 6-2 power forward especially on special teams as Ryan is poised to show the league that he isn’t just the guy drafted after Crosby.
Prediction: Their offensive talent is as impressive as any team in the league, yet they still lack that shutdown 3rd line that made them so successful the last couple of seasons. Their defense will be the ultimate question mark with Ryan Whitney needing to show he has no ill effects from his foot surgery. There could be some drama in net as Hiller has proven he should be the number one, but Jiggy wants to prove that last season was more linked to personal problems than his skills. Hiller is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year and Giguere is signed at one more year with a $6 million cap hit, so expect one of these two not to be here at the end of the season, especially if the team needs to pick up some much needed defensive depth. Overall, this team will be fighting hard for a playoff spot but that will have more to do with their offense and goaltending than their defensive play.
3.) Dallas Stars
Rear View Mirror: In a season dominated by injuries to their top talent, the Dallas Stars 2008-09 season was one to forget. Marty Turco, who had seemed to take a step towards an elite goaltender, played in a career high 74 games but had a career worst .898 save percentage which ranked 42nd among NHL goaltenders, his GAA wasn’t much better ranked 30th (2.81). Relying heavily on young, but talented, defensemen caught up to the Stars, who historically has been a great two way hockey team under Ken Hitchcock and Dave Tippett. Offensively, they lost heart and soul captain Brendon Morrow early to a knee surgery that forced him to miss the last 64 games of the season and top flight center Brad Richards was limited to only 56 games due to various injuries. Positive signs that came out of a relative down season were the emergence of “Sweet” Lou Ericksson. The third year for this Swede was a breakout year that saw Eriksson score 36 goals and play a dominant two-way game. Another positive sign was rookie James Neal, only 21-years-old, scoring 24 goals which ranked second for NHL rookies and showing he can ascend into the top six forwards for the Stars.
Offseason Ins: D Karlis Skrastins (FLA: 80GP, 4G-14A-18PTS, +9), G Alex Auld (OTT: 16-18-7, 2.47 GAA, .911 save%)
Offseason Outs: D Sergei Zubov (1999 Stanley Cup), D Darryl Sydor (65GP), RW Mark Parrish (8G), G Tobias Stephan (1-3-1 last season)
What Makes Them Tick: The norm after a disappointing season is to replace the coach and GM. Well, the Stars did both this offseason. Hiring only their third coach in the last 15 years, Marc Crawford and a full time GM in former Stars forward and 199 Conn Smythe Trphy winner, Joe Nieuwendyk. The strength of the team will be fit to play Crawford’s more attacking style offense. They have relentless forwards in Morrow, Eriksson, Richards, Steve Ott and Mike Modano (who is returning for his 20th NHL season). I have not even mentioned the player that has lead the team in points all three seasons he has played in Dallas. Mike Ribeiro has proven the skeptics from Montreal wrong that he can be a top line center. The 29-year-old forward followed a breakout year in 2007-08 (27G-56A-83Pts) with a good year (22G-56A-78Pts) considering he was missing his winger (Morrow) the entire season. Defensively, they have found a new leader to take over for the departed and often injured Sergei Zubov, in another Canadiens Castoff, Stephane Robidas. The journeyman defenseman finally found a home in Dallas, and though has not put up the offensive numbers of a number one defenseman, his +10 rating and ice time (24:32 TOI/G) has proven he is ready to be the leader of this young defense core.
What Could Make Them Go Boom: Marty Turco is in his last year of a contract. The 34-year-old goalie will try to prove that last year was just a blip on the radar and try to do his best Nikolai Khabibulin perform well in a contract year impression. The defense, like I’ve said numerous times in this preview, is talented but young and prone to giveaways and lapse. Best example is Matt Niskanen, who although led the team in defensive scoring (35 Pts) had a team high 49 giveaways and was a -11. Another issue has to be health for this team. With so many of their top 6 forwards coming off serious injuries, one has to speculate if they are going to last through the season. Also a team with not much depth offensively within the organization could turn into déjà vu all over again for the Stars.
Player to Watch: Fabian Brunnstrom was a highlight sought after rookie free agent from Sweden. Teams were lining up to get him to sign and come over to America. The Dallas Stars won that lottery and signed the former Swedish Elite League star to a two-year entry level contract. Brunnstrom’s freshman season did not go as planned since he wan’t even in the lineup for the first two games of the season. Yet later he showed why he was asked to leave his home country to play in the NHL. In Brunnstrom’s first NHL game he scored a hat trick, becoming only the third player in NHL History to accomplish that feat. Although he was in and out of the lineup due to injuries, he finished his rookie year with 17 goals and 12 assists in 55 games played. With his contract only being for another year, this is his season to show that he was worth the hype and force his way into the top 6 forwards rotation.
Prediction: With a new coach usually comes a new attitude and new lease on life and that is what I expect to see in Dallas this season. Marty Turco should bounce back and now has a capable backup in Alex Auld which should cut down on the games played a bit. The key to the year will be the health of Brenden Morrow. Just go back and watch the Stars’ remarkable run toward the 2008 Western Conference Finals and tell me that this guy doesn’t make a big difference on this team. Remember this former first round pick by the Stars took the role of captain from Mike Modano while the Stars legend was still on the team. Speaking of Captain America, it would be fitting to have his last season (if he doesn’t pull a Favre on us) end in the playoffs. The all-time American-born scoring leader (1,329 points), who has been with the franchise since he was taken 1st overall by Minnesota in 1988, is in his last year of his contract and his 20th should be his last.
4.) Los Angeles Kings
Rear View Mirror: The Kings are the young and the fans are the restless. Last year’s early golf game added to the 6th consecutive season where the Kings did not qualify to play for Lords Stanley’s Cup. The NHL’s youngest team (26.27 average age) saw 10 rookies suit up for the team last season. None bigger than 2008 2nd overall pick Drew Doughty. I will have more him later in the preview. Offensively, they are lead by a trio of 20-year olds; 21-year-old Anze Kopitar (82 GP, 27G-39A-66 Pts), 24-year-old Dustin Brown (80 GP, 24G-29A-53 Pts), and wise old man at 27-years of age, Alexander Frolov (77 GP, 32G-27A-59 Pts). Last season, with the hiring of Terry Murray, a point was made to be more responsible in the defensive end and the Kings responded ranking 4th in the NHL in shots allowed and 11th in the league in Goals Against. Speaking of the goaltending, three net-minders played last season, but rookie Jonathan Quick emerged as the leader of the pack. The former 3rd round pick ended the campaign with a 21-18-2 record, 6 shutouts, 2.48 GAA and a .914 save percentage in 44 games played.
Offseason Ins: LW Ryan Smyth (COL: 77GP, 26G-33A-59 Pts), D Rob Scuderi (PIT: 16 pts, 164 BkS)
Offseason Outs: D Kyle Quincey (27 PP), D Tom Preissing(22 GP), LW Kyle Calder (27 Pts)
What Makes Them Tick: With such a young roster, the team knew they needed to add some winning experience to teach these kids how to be successful in the NHL. Enter first, Justin Williams, a Stanley Cup Champion with the Hurricanes in 2006 at last year’s trade deadline. That was followed by the July signing of defenseman Rob Scuderi to a 4-year deal, and whose heroics helped the Penguins win the Stanley Cup in June. The Last key to bringing some much needed leadership to this team was acquiring Captain Canada, Ryan Smyth, from the Avalanche. After two years in Colorado, Smyth will be asked to take top line minutes and improve on his 6th season that saw him score 25+ goals (26 goals in 77 games played last season).
What Could Make Them Go Boom: Anze Kopitar led the Kings in points last season, but the Slovenian center saw his numbers take a big drop off (32 to 27 goals and 77 to 66 points). Now, with the acquisition of big winger Smyth and Justin Williams to play on the top line, big things are expected of this former first round pick who last October signed a huge 7-year deal to be the cornerstone of this growing franchise. Healthy will also be a big issue for this team, as Justin Williams has shown the potential to be a top line 30 goal scorer when in the lineup. The problem is he has played a total of 81 games in the last two years. Talented, but controversial, defenseman Jack Johnson missed 41 games due to a shoulder injury and his health will be crucial to the team defense. None of the three headed monster of Quick, Erik Esberg and Jonathan Bernier have shown they are capable to be full time NHL goaltenders
Player to Watch: The smooth skating Drew Doughty burst onto the scene last season for the Kings as a 19-year-old rookie. He led all NHL rookies and his team with just less than 24 minutes of ice time per game and though his offensive numbers weren’t anything to write home about with 6G-21A-27 Pts, and his -17 is a black mark in an otherwise successful rookie season. In a recent Hockey News article, Detroit Red Wings GM Ken Holland was asked who could be the next Nicklas Lidstrom and he responded with Drew Doughty. That alone shows you how much talent this kid possesses, after a successful World Championship he was asked to attend the Canadian Olympic camp. Big things are expected from this big defenseman in La La Land.
Prediction: The moves to get Williams, Smyth and Scuderi and the core scores of Kopitar, Dustin Brown and Alexander Frolov are something to be excited about in Hollywood. This team, under the direction of Terry Murray and GM Dean Lombardi, seems to be going in the right direction and I am glad that they did not take the risk of acquiring maligned forward Dany Heatley. Who will win the goaltending battle in camp and the pre-season and will be the biggest question mark heading into the season. One of the candidates for the goaltending spot needs to step out of the pot luck and contribute for this team to be on the cusp of that elusive playoff berth that has haunted this franchise.
5.) Phoenix Coyotes
Rear View Mirror: It was a long season that saw the Coyotes finish out of the playoffs for the seventh straight season. Team captain Shane Doan continued to show that you can be successful for a bad team (82 GP, 31G-42A-73 Pts). GM Don Maloney made a ton of moves at the trade deadline acquiring young talent in Scottie Upshall (13 pts in 19 games), Matthew Lombardi (16 pts in 19 games) and Petr Prucha (10 pts in 19 games).
Offseason Ins: G Jason LaBarbera (LA/VAN: 8-10-6, 2.78 GAA, .901 save %), RW Radim Vrbata (TB: 18 GP, 3G-3A-6P), D Adrian Aucoin (CGY: 81 GP, 10G-24A-34P), D Jim Vandermeer (CGY: 108 PIM), LW Lauri Korpikoski (68 GP, 6G-8A-14P), C Vernon Fiddler (NSH: 78 GP, 11G-6A-17P)
Offseason Outs: C Steven Reinprecht (41 pts), LW Joakim Lindstrom (11 ast), D Ken Klee (68 GP), RW Enver Lisin (13G), LW Nigel Dawes (10G), LW Todd Fedoruk (72 PIM), D David Hale (48 GP)
What Makes Them Tick: They have a solid and barely legal core of young players playing significant minutes for this rebuilding team. 21-year-old Peter Mueller leads the pack (72 GP, 13G-23A-36A), followed by 6’5’’ 22-year-old Martin Hanzal (74 GP, 11G-20A). These two big centers along with sophomores Mikkael Boedker (11G as a rookie), Kyle Turris (3rd overall pick in 2007), and Viktor Tikhonov (28th overall pick in 2008) shows the fans of wherever this team plays that they have something to look forward to. Defensively, they will be a tough team to play against as Ed Jovanovksi, Jovo Cop, got some new hard hitters to his squad with the addition of Adrian Aucoin and Jim Vandermeer from the Flames.
What Could Make Them Go Boom: Well, Wayne Gretzky’s team still does not know where they will play their home games in the future. The ongoing U.S. Bankruptcy court battle between the NHL and Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie, has hung a luminous, dark cloud over this organization that has already moved from Winnipeg to the desert. On the ice, that dark cloud seems to be over whatever ice surface they play on, beyond Shane Doan this team does not have a proven NHL scorer and although Keith Yandle (69 GP, 4G-26A-30P) had a decent statistical year the same can be said about the defense beyond Jovanovski. Goaltending will be an issue for this team as Ilya Bryzgalov has not looked as sharp as he did when he first arrived via waivers from the Ducks. The Coyotes signed Bryzgalov to a new 3-year deal in January and saw his save percentage drop from .921 in 2007-08 to .906 last season. The team also has two former Hartford Wolfpack greats in Jason LaBarbara (signed as a UFA from Vancouver) and Al Montoya (6th overall pick in 2004 draft) to push Bryzgalov more this season.
Player to Watch: Rushed from Wisconsin because the Coyotes needed something to get fans to come see them play, Kyle Turris struggled in his first full NHL season. Playing in 63 games the 20-year-old scored a meager 20 points and only lit the lamp 8 times. This former Canadian Junior and Player of the Year who did have success his only year playing in the WCHA (35 points in 36 games for Wisconsin,) has shown promise to be worth his 3rd overall selection in the 2007 NHL entry draft. This season Turris will most likely start the season in the AHL, which most experts will see as a step back in his development. I think this will help his progress and I would not be surprised to see him making an impact with the desert dogs sooner than later.
Prediction: With so much uncertainty surrounding who owns the team and where they will be playing, how can that not be a distraction for the team on the ice? All the players are saying the right thing to the media; “I will play hard wherever I play.” But the team is doing the opposite. Being around the cap lower limit, they are showing that they are not willing to spend because of the uncertainty. I am not saying that in order to win in this league you need a high payroll, since the Predators, who also had their share of owner problems, has won regularly with a low payroll. What I am saying is this organization has let the controversy surrounding it affect everyone involved from players, to management, to the fans and it is not conducive for a winning culture. Not until the U.S. Bankruptcy court can put this team up for new owners, whoever they may be, will we see new life in this losing franchise. Until then, they will continue to be the bottom dwellers in the NHL.

Sunday, August 30, 2009

NORTHEAST DIVISION PREVIEW

A.J. Bloomquist - contributor to "Pucking Awesome"

Continuing the whirlwind tour, we head East for our next preview. The Boston Bruins are the class of the division, but it's anybody guess after that. Ottawa and Toronto are in rebuilding programs, Montreal finished with its renovation, and Buffalo is standing pat as usual. All four of these teams could potentially make the playoffs, but all four could miss them for various reasons. Feel free to scroll down as I explain my pics for how the Northeast division will play out for 2009-10.

1. BOSTON BRUINS

Rear View Mirror: Boston capped off one of the most successful regular season campaigns in club history, registering their highest point output in over 25 years. Unfortunately, a heartbreaking seven game defeat to the Carolina Hurricanes sent the B’s to the golf course a bit too early last year. If you check in several parts of Boston, Scott Walker is considered a curse word much like Aaron Boone back in 2003. Regardless, this team saw offensive breakout seasons from David Krejci (82GP, 22G-51A-73PTS, +37) and Phil Kessell (70GP, 36G-24A-60PTS, +23). All-world play from Norris-trophy winning defenseman Zdeno Chara (80GP, 19G-31A-50PTS, 95PIM) and Vezina-trophy winning goaltender Tim Thomas (54GP, 36-11-7, .933 SV%, 2.10 GAA) led towards the impressive 53-19-10 record last season.

Offseason Ins: Derek Morris (PHX/NYR: 75GP, 5G-15A-20PTS, 40PIM), Steve Begin (MTL: 482 PIM in 409 career games), Dany Sabourin (PIT: 2.85 GAA in 19GP ’08-‘09)

Offseason Outs: Steve Montador (to BUF), Shane Hnidy (to MIN), Stephane Yelle (to CAR)

What Makes Them Tick: From top to bottom, this team is the most complete in the Eastern Conference. Thomas and Chara’s numbers and accolades back that up, but also consider that this team has balanced scoring depth. Eight players scored at least 20 goals (only Kessell cracked the 30 plateau), and six players contributed at least 30 assists. Throw in a full season of Mark Recchi (80GP, 23G-38A-61PTS between TB & BOS) and a healthy Patrice Bergeron (303 Career Games, 228 PTS) and Marco Sturm (156 PTS in 226 Career Games w/ BOS) will only add to the offensive depth. On the blueline, Chara returns with fellow 50 pt. defenseman Dennis Wideman (79 GP, 13G-37A) and newly acquired Derek Morris still gives the B’s the size and grit that can destroy opposing forwards. Factor in the coaching style of Claude Julien, fresh off of winning the Jack Adams, and the Bruins have all the markings of a Stanley Cup contender.

What Could Make Them Go Boom: The Bruins must avoid the injury bug during the regular season and for any player participating in the Vancouver Olympics. Bergeron has missed parts of the past two seasons with concussion-related issues. Sturm only played 19 games before going down for the season with a left knee injury, but still managed to net 13 points in ‘08. While the forward units stepped up to fill in those holes, the same can’t be said for the defense and goaltender positions. Losing Chara not only would hurt the defensive corps, but the voice on the ice as team Captain. Losing Thomas would definitely hurt the B’s between the crease. Dany Sabourin has started at least 15 games the past two seasons with Pittsburgh, but last started full time in the AHL. Tuukka Rask has had great success in the AHL with Providence, but has limited exposure to the NHL (5 Career Games).

Player to Watch: Blake Wheeler, who entered rookie camp with an added 15 lbs of muscle, continues to show why he was taken 5th overall in 2004. If the Phil Kessell holdout continues into the regular season, look for Wheeler to take some of his minutes on top two lines. Wheeler pocketed 45 points in his first full season in the NHL, and has the size and skill set to increase that number exponentially in the years to come.

Prediction: Look for the Bruins to snatch up a 2nd straight Northeast Division crown and a top-three playoff seeding. There is no excuse for this team to underachieve on the ice for 82 games this season, especially after the moves made by GM Peter Chiarelli to improve the defense. The offensive balance is still there. The goaltending position has no controversies. Ownership and management has brought in the tools to get the job done. The postseason is another issue, but I like their chances to be one of four potential representatives from the East in the Stanley Cup finals next spring.

2. BUFFALO SABRES

Rear View Mirror: Flash back to late January 2009 – Buffalo was 6th in the East until injuries derailed a potential postseason appearance. The first significant injury came on February 11th, when Thomas Vanek (40G-24A-64PTS, 20PPG) suffered a fractured jaw after taking a puck to the face. Ten days later, Ryan Miller (59GP, 31-18-6, .919 SV %, 5 SO) went down with an ankle injury on a controversial hit behind the net from Scott Gomez. In the games without their All-Star netminder, the Sabres went 4-7-2 and sealed their fate as becoming the first team to miss the playoffs 2 straight years after winning the President’s Trophy. Many credited the failure towards GM Darcy Regier for not adding some grit to a roster full of finesse players. Others pointed the blame towards Lindy Ruff’s coaching style during the putrid stretch. The real issues were on the ice, specifically towards players who weren’t living up to their paycheck. Players such as Jochen Hecht and Maxim Afinogenov (combined statline: 18G-29A-47PTS), who made a combined $7.3 million last season. In comparison, Paul Gaustad and Clarke MacArthur made almost one-third the amount of money ($2.25 million), but had the better combined statistics (29G-31A-60PTS).

Offseason Ins: Steve Montador (ANA/BOS: 78GP, 4G-17A-21PTS, 143PIM), Mike Grier (SJ: 345PTS in 914 career games; 2nd stint with BUF), Cody McCormick (COL: 250PIM in 190 career games)

Offseason Outs: Teppo Numminen (retired), Jaroslav Spacek (to MTL), Maxim Afinogenov (UFA), Andrew Peters (UFA)

What Makes Them Tick: Under the Regier/Ruff era, Buffalo’s success has been pinned on a balanced system of players scoring, exceptional goaltending, and special teams. These two haven’t survived 12 seasons as the longest GM/coach tandem for no reason. These men are some of the best at identifying, drafting, and grooming talented hockey players. More amazingly, they have been able to draft and develop that talent when the Sabres were in Chapter 11 bankruptcy back in 2002-03. Here’s a statistic for you - out of the 33 players who suited up in the Blue and Gold last season, the Sabres drafted 22 of them; More than any other team in the league. As for the aforementioned Miller and Vanek, forwards Derek Roy (82GP, 28G-42A-70PTS, 9 GWG) and Lady Byng finalist Jason Pominville (82GP, 20G-46A-66PTS, 18PIM) along with defenseman Henrik Tallinder (88PTS in 386CG, all with BUF) and Chris Butler (43GP, 16:43 TOI/G) are prime examples of how Buffalo’s system works. With youngsters such as Nathan Gerbe, Tim Kennedy, Tyler Myers, and Jhonas Enroth waiting in the wings to play in the NHL, the talent pool keeps replenishing itself season after season.

What Could Make Them Go Boom: Two underlying factors can make the Sabres go boom for the 3rd straight season. First, losing Spacek (4G-18A on PP) to free agency means the Sabres have no true point man on the power play. Captain Craig Rivet (1G-10A on PP) and Andrej Sekera (1G-4A on PP) now are ordained as being the two PP QB’s, but expect Ruff to utilize a forward with a blistering slapshot on the point with these men. Potential candidates include Pominville (6G-18A on PP) and Tim Connolly (5G-13A on PP). The other factor is how the Sabres fared against the teams that finished 11th-15th in the East. Last year, they finished a combined 10-9-5 against the lower third, including 2-2 against Tampa Bay (14th) and the Islanders (15th). But the biggest blemishes were a 1-4-1 mark against 11th ranked Ottawa, and a putrid 0-4 record against 13th ranked Atlanta. The Sabres must not overlook these opponents at all next season.

Player to Watch: Jochen Hecht (370 PTS in 618 career games) is due for a rebound after posting some of the most disappointing numbers of his career last year. He has been known for being one of the better two-way forwards in the league who can contribute offensively with at least 40 points. A consummate professional on and off the ice, Hecht knows he needs to improve those numbers or else he’ll have nightly billing in Lindy Ruff’s doghouse. With the return of Mike Grier to Buffalo (55’s linemate from 2004-06), look for Hecht to return to at least 15 goals and 40 points playing on the third line this season.

Prediction: “Status Quo” is a phrase Sabres fans have stomached over the past several seasons from upper management. If anybody notices how the Sabres operate during the Regier/Ruff era, there is a pattern. Before the lockout saw two seasons of making the Eastern Conference Finals (including a Stanley Cup final), then a few years of either early elimination or early tee times. Since the lockout, two more seasons of making the Eastern Conference Finals, then two seasons of early tee times. Expect the “Status Quo” to continue, but in a positive fashion. Just because Buffalo didn’t add acquire any marquee players doesn’t necessarily mean they are doomed to miss the playoffs again. The team addressed the issue of grittiness to supplement the current skill players, and it should clinch a lower playoff seeding this season.

3. MONTREAL CANADIENS

Rear View Mirror: The Centennial for Les Bleu-Blanc-Rouge was supposed to be a season-long celebration for the oldest team in the NHL. Endless promotions honoring the greatest players in club history. Patrick Roy buried the hatchet with the Habs and returned home to have his #33 raised to the rafters. The All Star Game and NHL Entry Draft were awarded to the franchise as part of the festivities. Even the club on the ice, assembled by GM Bob Gainey, had all the components of capping off the Canadiens’ 100th Anniversary with the Stanley Cup. Instead, the season was more Le Noir-Bleu than anything. Goaltender Carey Price (52GP, 23-16-10, 2.83GAA) hit the dreaded sophomore slump. Players ignored then-head coach Guy Carbonneau until he was fired and replaced by Gainey himself near the playoffs. The most famous of all the craziness was the alleged involvement of brothers Andrei and Sergei Kostitsyn and Roman Hamerlik with a crime syndicate. All these factors turned a year of celebration into a year of sorrow in which the Canadiens limped into the 8th and final playoff spot, and were promptly swept by their arch-nemesis Bruins.

Offseason Ins: Head Coach Jacques Martin, Mike Cammalleri (CGY: 81GP, 39G-43A-82PTS, -2), Brian Gionta (NJ: 81GP, 20G-40A-60PTS, +12), Scott Gomez (NYR: 77GP, 16G-42A-58PTS, 60PIM), Paul Mara (NYR: 640PIM in 639 career games), Jaroslav Spacek (BUF: 80GP, 8G-37A-45PTS, 38PIM)

Offseason Outs: Christopher Higgins (to NYR), Doug Janik (to NYR), Tom Kostopolous (to CAR), Alexei Kovalev (to OTT), Mike Komisarek (to TOR), Saku Koivu (to ANA), Alex Tanguay (to TB)

What Makes Them Tick: New head coach Jacques Martin has a good history of grooming younger players into becoming fixtures in the NHL. He did it in Ottawa with Daniel Afredsson, Alexei Yashin, and Zdeno Chara. He did it in Florida with Nathan Horton and Jay Bouwmeester. Now, with a young stable of players led by Kyle Chipchura (14PTS in 49 career games), Matt D’Agostini (53GP, 12G-9A-21PTS, 16PIM), and Ben Maxwell (2006 Draft - 2/49), Martin will again have a chance to go for the hat trick. It will take training camp for the team to develop chemistry with all the new acquisitions, but expect Gionta and Gomez to set some of the tone as they did during their playing days in New Jersey. MOn defense, bringing in Spacek will really help out Andrei Markov on the power play. Markov specializes on setting up left side defensemen with the man advantage, and Spacek led Buffalo defensemen in points last season. Carey Price and Jaroslav Halak (34GP, 18-14-1, 2.86GAA, .915 SV%) are expected to share the workload in net, but Price must bounce back this season in order to be the clear-cut #1.

What Could Make Them Go Boom: Montreal is tight on cap space with all the overspending on long-term deals during the first few days of free agency. Not to mention acquiring Scott Gomez’s bloated contract he signed with the Rangers 2 years ago that sees him getting paid $8 million over the next two seasons. While the team has young talent ready to crack the lineup, this will leave little room for the Habs to make trades at or near the deadline in order to acquire depth. If Gainey does make moves, they have to be on a dollar-for-dollar value. Many other teams have this issue now, such as Chicago and Boston. However, both of those clubs are in better positions for Cup runs than Montreal.

Player to Watch: There isn’t one player to single out for the Canadiens at the moment. Eventually, the player to watch will be the individual who will follow the long line of Habs greats who have worn the captain’s “C” on their left pectoral. Players such as Lalonde, Blake, Richard, Beliveau, Gainey, Carbonneau, and most recently, Koivu. My hunch would be defenseman Andrei Markov (78GP, 12G-52A-54PTS, 24:37 TOI/G) to take a step closer to get that “C”. He is one of the most tenured and respected players on the current roster.

Prediction: The 101st edition of Les Bleu-Blanc-Rouge will have its share of growing pains. If they kept a couple players from last year’s team, the Habs could’ve been easily looking at another postseason berth. Now, that’s not the case. It is going to take a lot of hard work and a lot of team jelling just to even be considered as a bubble team, much like last season’s underachieving club. It wouldn’t shock me if they sneak in as the 8th and final playoff team. It wouldn’t shock me if they missed the postseason all together. Nonetheless, it should be in interesting season to watch at the foot of Rue de la Gauchetière in Montreal.

4. TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS

Rear View Mirror: The ice surface at Air Canada Centre has not seen postseason hockey since the NHL emerged from the lockout in 2005. Four straight seasons of sub-par hockey, including an embarrassing 81-point output last year. Hope finally emerged in November when Brian Burke became the 1st American GM in club history to take on the role of rebuilding Toronto. On the ice, head coach Ron Wilson got the most out of what he had, led by Jason Blake (78GP, 25G-38A-63PTS, 40PIM) and Alexei Ponakorovsky (82GP, 23G-38A-61PTS, 54.6 FO%) up front. Twelve players scored double-digit goals this past season, while ten contributed at least 10 assists. However, only one defenseman registered in both categories – Pavel Kubina (14G-26A in 82G). Defensive mainstay Tomas Kaberle (433PTS in 738 career games) battled injury for most of last season, being limited to 57 contests. Vesa Toskala (53GP, 22-17-11, 3.26GAA, .891 SV%) took hold of the starting goaltending spot last year, but isn’t the same player he was in San Jose.

Offseason Ins: Francois Beauchemin (ANA: 90PTS in 246 career games), Mike Komisarek (MTL: 66GP, 2G-9A-11PTS, 121PIM), Colton Orr (NYR: 82GP, 1G-4A-5PTS, 193PIM), Grant Exelby (ATL: 511PIM in 357 career games), Jonas Gustavsson (Sweden)

Offseason Outs: Pavel Kubina (to ATL), Justin Pogge (to ANA), Jeremy Williams (to DET)

What Makes Them Tick: Ron Wilson is a coach that is on the cutting edge of technology. Much like the late Roger Nielson’s usage of analyzing videotape of opposing teams for scouting purposes, Wilson has utilized personal computers and tablet PC’s to analyze his own team and the opposition on the fly during the course of a game. This season, Wilson might have to analyze how may ways his defensemen can pick apart an offensive attack with the signings of Mike Komisarek and Francois Beauchemin. Both of these blueliners are known for their physical style of play, one that Brian Burke loves. Add Jeff Finger (66GP, 6G-17A-23PTS, 136 HITS) and 19-year old Luke Schenn (more on him later) to the mix, and you have the makings of what could be a very physical defensive corps that will set the tone this year. Expect more of the same physicality up front with the addition of Orr and Exelby to ensure Blake, Ponakarovsky, and Matt Stajan (76GP, 15G-40A-55PTS, 54PIM) continue to provide solid offensive numbers.

What Could Make Them Go Boom: If injuries start to mount for Toronto, they won’t have much in the AHL pipeline for depth. Former Leafs GM John Ferguson, Jr. was one to buy his team’s success instead of drafting and developing players. He would trade away draft picks and prospects in order to win now, but it never happened. The league doesn’t work that way anymore. Burke will take the next couple of drafts to start building his farm system to his liking, but in the short term, look for quick free-agent signings to fill in any holes for the Leafs.

Player to Watch: Expect great things from defenseman Luke Schenn (70GP, 2G-12A-14PTS, 71PIM) this season. This kid, dubbed the “Human Eraser” for his physical presence during the 2008 World Juniors, should benefit by having Komisarek and Beauchemin on his blueline for the next few seasons. Don’t expect any sophomore slump from Schenn, unless he decks a 2nd year player so hard the opposition is keeled over on his knees. He should be good for at least another 200+ hits this season and 120+ blocked shots.

Prediction: Burke must have a sign in his office that reads “Bigger is Better”. They are still a year or two away from being mentioned in the playoff hunt. However, they are starting to take the steps in the right direction by acquiring big, bruising players and shedding the passive, finesse ones. A 2010 lottery pick seems to be in the cards for Toronto this season, but fear not Leafs fans. Burke’s rebuilding efforts usually take at least 2 years, as shown for his success with Vancouver, and especially Anaheim. It will take another year in Toronto to acquire the right pieces, but don’t doubt for one second that the product on the ice won’t be entertaining. It should prove to be bone-jarring fun!

5. OTTAWA SENATORS

Rear View Mirror: Three years removed from playing for the Stanley Cup, the Ottawa Senators are now a shell of what they once were. Inconsistent play, constant bickering, injuries, inconsistent goaltending, and the team’s 3rd coaching change in two years lead the Sens to miss the playoffs for the first time in over a decade. Obviously, when you think of offensive scoring on this team, it’s always going to be the top line of Dany Heatley (82GP, 39G-33A-72PTS), Jason Spezza (82GP, 32G-41A-73PTS), and team captain Daniel Afredsson (79GP, 24G-50A-74PTS). The next closest player in terms of points was defenseman Filip Kuba (71GP, 3G-37A-40PTS, 23:16 TOI/G). Ottawa has always been a one-dimensional team in regards to the big three on offense. Despite the depressing beginning of the season, new head coach Cory Clouston showed that the Sens still have signs of life. Coupled with the stellar play of 24-year old netminder Brian Elliott (31GP, 16-8-3, 2.77GAA), this allowed the Sens to finish one game above .500 for the year.

Offseason Ins: Alexei Kovalev (MTL: 78GP, 26G-39A-65PTS, 74PIM)

Offseason Outs: Alex Auld (to DAL), Brendan Bell (to STL)

What Makes Them Tick: Nearing 40 years of age, Cory Clouston may be one of the youngest coaches in the NHL. Don’t let that fool you for one minute that he is inexperienced. He is a two-time WHL coach of the year, and CHL coach of the year in 2005 with the Kootenay Ice. After posting a respectable 19-11-4 record after taking over for Craig Hartsburg mid-season, his first full year behind the bench will bring a new style of hockey in Canada’s capital. Instead of the defensive-first scheme used in previous seasons, Clouston employs an attacking style in order to create turnovers. Don’t look for this team to rely on Alfredsson, Spezza, and Heatley to carry the load this season. Alexei Kovalev was brought in from Montreal to add more offensive depth to Ottawa. Expect more secondary scoring to come from players like Chris Campoli (13PTS in 25G w/OTT), Brian Lee (53GP, 2G-11A-13PTS, 33PIM) and Nick Foligno (who I will touch on a bit later). Will the 2009 trade deadline acquisition of Pascal Leclare (45-55-10, 2.82GAA in 125 career games) from Columbus really be the answer for Ottawa’s goaltending woes for the past six years? He hasn’t played a game in 5 months since the trade, and he’s battling for the starting job with Elliott.

What Could Make Them Go Boom: The one issue that can make Ottawa go boom already has, and his name is Dany Heatley. After four years and a Stanley Cup finals appearance in Canada’s capital, he wants out because he’s being utilized the wrong way. The trade to Edmonton was on the table, but he utilized his NTC because he wanted to see options from other teams. Various reports suggest Heatley has become a locker room cancer, and how he’s handled himself this off-season seems to back up those allegations. He didn’t even show up for linemate Jason Spezza’s wedding in Ottawa over the summer. What does that tell you about being a good teammate? It will become more interesting to see what happens if he is dealt or not before the opening of training camp. He says he will report if he is not moved, but will he really?

Player to Watch: Nick Foligno has the skills and the pedigree to become a perennial 20 goal scorer. His father, Mike, was known for his offensive numbers and subsequent leaping abilities back in the 1980’s for the Sabres. Although he leaped to pay tribute to his father after scoring his 1st NHL goal, the only way he leaps now is in his goal song - Van Halen’s “Jump”. Foligno scored 17 goals last season, the highest total from somebody not named Dany, Daniel, or Jason. As outlined earlier, Clouston is utilizing an attacking style system this season, so expect plenty of forechecking. This should benefit gritty players like Foligno. If Nick is anything like his father, the grit should translate into his first 20-goal season. Senators fans, get ready to ‘leap’ out of your seats for #71.

Prediction: At the end of the season, Daniel Alfredsson said “I don’t believe we are in a rebuilding mode. I think the whole organization (believes) we're not that far off.”. Somebody should tell “Alfie” that the Ottawa Senators are in a rebuilding mode for this season. A new coach in his first full season with a new system, an All-Star with a Napoleon Complex (granted, he’s a 6’4” Napoleon), and a goal crease that hasn’t seen a legitimate number 1 since Patrick Lalime are all the signals you need. Ottawa will miss the playoffs again this year, but will still have plenty of firepower to be reckoned with as a spoiler.