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.

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.

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.

NORTHWEST DIVISION PREVIEW

We start our whirlwind tour through the league out West. We seem to have a two horse race between the Vancouver Canucks and the Calgary flames, with both teams going defensive in the offseason. We will break it down by first looking at last season’s biggest accomplishments or, what we like to call, the Rear View Mirror. Then we move along to the Ins and Outs; what each team picked up (with some key stats) and what they lost (the one key stat that will be missed) in the offseason. We have to throw in What Makes Them Tick (the Strength of the team) and What Could Make Them Go Boom (what could derail them from finishing below what I predict.) Finally we finish it off with the Player to Watch and Predictions for the upcoming season. Now, let’s look at the teams of the Northwest Division from top to bottom, according to my picks.

1) VANCOUVER CANUCKS:
Rear View Mirror: The 2008-09 Canucks exceeded expectations and rode a hot goalie to a 100 point season, a Northwest Division crown, and an appearance in the 2nd round of the playoffs. Led in points by the Sedin Twins, the offense also saw career years from Alex Burrows (28 goals, 51 pts) and Ryan Kessler (26, 59). The backbone of the team last season was of course all world goalie Robert Luongo. Though Big Lou missed two months with a groin injury (Canucks 9-14 in those games), he still went 33-13-7 and finished 5th in both GAA (2.34) and save percentage (.920).

Offseason Ins: RW Mikeal Samuelsson (DET: 81 GP–19 G–40 P), C Cody Hodgson (OHL: 53 GP–43 G–92 P, D Aaron Rome (AHL: 48 GP-28 P-153 PIM), G Andrew Raycroft (COL: 12-16-0, 3.14 GAA, .892 Save%, D Christian Ehrhoff (SJ: 77GP-8 G-42 P), D Mathieu Schneider (ATL/MON: 67 GP-9 G-32 P), D Brad Lukowich (58 GP - 8 P)

Offseason Outs: D Mattias Ohlund (82 GP), C Mats Sundin (8 Playoff Pts), G Jason LaBarbera (.915 Save%), LW Taylor Pyatt (86 Hits)

What Makes Them Tick: The Vancouver Canucks begin and end with team captain Roberto Luongo, 155 wins in his 3-years since being plucked from South Florida. This year will be no different as the Canucks will win the division if their workhorse is in net for the majority of the games. General Manager Mike Gillis could also sleep a little easier after the Canucks signed both the Sedin Twins to 5-year extensions on the first day of Free Agency. The Sedin Twins stat lines in their 8 seasons with the Canucks; 288 goals, 634 assists, and 922 points in 1,288 games combined. Needless to say, the team depends heavily on the Sedin’s and added Mikael Samuelsson from the Red Wings to play with them on the top power play unit. What also makes them tick is the solid shutdown defensive tandem of often injured but talented Sami Salo and rugged shot tracker Willie Mitchell. When healthy, combined with great goaltending, this pairing is one of the toughest to score upon.

What Could Make Them Go Boom: The one player this talented team is missing is a power play quarterback or that Minute Muncher top defenseman. Alex Elder or Kevin Bieksa could develop into that role as both saw significant time on the PP last season, but both did not put up the kind of numbers needed to be a quarterback. That is why late in the offseason Mike Gillis tried to add more depth by acquiring both Christian Ehrhoff and Brad Luckowich from the Sharks and signing veteran power play stallworth Mathieu Schneider. But overall even with those depth acquistions the departure of Mattias Ohlund to Tampa, puts more pressure on both Bieksa and Elder who will be counted on more heavily along the backline and their continued development offensively could be the difference between a division crown and 6th or 7th seed in the West.

Player to Watch: Cody Hodgson has already been named the OHL's most outstanding player and Hockey News #2 rated prospect. Because of his age, Hodgson cannot be sent to the AHL, so now comes his time to showcase his skills in the NHL.

Predictions: With the maturation of players like Kesler, Burrows and even Mason Raymond, combined with the steady veterans Pavol Demitra, Samuelsson, and big body Steve Bernier, Roberto Luongo finally has some protection, making this the most deep offensive team he has played for in front. I, like many, expect big things from Cody Hodgson and believe in the development of Bieksa and Edler. Overall, with great goaltending and a more balanced scoring attack, this team should win the Northwest division for the 3rd time under Alain Vigneault.


2) CALGARY FLAMES:
Rear View Mirror: The Flames had a big time trade deadline acquisition of Olli Jokinen, which saw him and the team get hot (12 pts in first 8 games with Flames), and then fade out of first just to get bounced out by the Blackhawks in the first round. Jarome Iginla ended up disappointed, by his standards, coming off a 50-goal 2007-08 with 35 goals last season. Mikka Kiprusoff lead the league with 45 wins but that was due more to his league high 76 games played than his play as he was 32nd in GAA (2.84).

Offseason Ins: D Jay Bouwmeester (FLA: 82 GP-15 G-42 P), RW Fredrik Sjostrom (NYR: 79 GP-7G-3 SHP), C Mikael Backlund (WHL: 28 GP-12 G-30 P)

Offseason Outs: LW Mike Cammalleri (39 G), D Adrian Auccoin 22:17 TOI), LW Todd Bertuzzi (44 Pts), D Jim Vandermeer (85 Hits), LW Andre Roy (83 PIM), C Wayne Priemau (53 % Faceoff)

What Makes them Tick: With the sign and trade on draft day for Jay Bouwmeester, combined with Dion Phaneuf, the Flames have two top defenseman to rival any in the league. Having these two workhorses, that together played 4335 minutes last season, should lower the league high 2155 shots Kiprusoff faced last season. Offensively, a full season of having the top line combination of Iginla and Jokinen will be a strength for this team. As we saw last season, when these guys click, they produce big numbers.

What Could Make Them Go Boom: Though they made one of the biggest trade deadline moves, what caused them to fade down the stretch was the lack of depth within the organization. With the big financial move towards Bouwmeester, this again puts the Flames in a precarious place if a big injury hits this squad. Their depth has not improved; in fact, it has gotten worse with the subtractions of Cammalleri and Bertuzzi up front and Adrian Auccoin and Jordan Leopold on the back line.

Player to Watch: Rene Bourque was never drafted even after a successful 4-year run at the University of Wisconsin and being named the 2005 AHL Rookie-of-the-Year. In 2006, after a successful rookie season, Bourque had a scary injury when his jugular vein was cut by an errant skate. Then, on July 1, 2008 his Flames career began with a disappointing first season scoring of only 21 goals in 58 games. When healthy it is proven that Bourque is the secondary scorer that the Flames desperately need to balance out the offense.

Predictions: When the Flames made the bold move to acquire Jay Bouwmeester at the draft, they followed the successful post lockout model: using two defenseman that can take up a lot of minutes so as to avoid the expenses of acquiring a decent 5th, 6th or even 7th defenseman. This, like I said, has been successful and even though Jay Bo has never played a meaningful game in March in his career, experts cannot forget that this is one of the best defenseman to play the game today. I also like the hiring/poaching of Brent Sutter to join the family business, as he had the notorious defensive Devils playing an up tempo style. I just don’t like the depth of this team enough to pick them ahead of the deeper Canucks because, in a long 82-game grind, you need to rely on a plethora of players and this team does not have that.


3) EDMONTON OILERS:
Rear View Mirror: The Craig MacTavish era ended with a third straight early golf trip and most of it was due to lack of scoring and sophomore mini slumps. Talented forwards Sam Gagner and Andrew Cogliano followed up productive rookie seasons with subpar seasons, and big time forwards Ales Hemsky, Shawn Horcoff and Dustin Penner all had disappointing offensive seasons. The biggest bright spot for the Oilers was team MVP Dwayne Roloson who once started 36 straight games for them and ended up with 28-24-9 record, 2.77 GAA and .915 save percentage.

Offseason Ins: G Nikolai Khabibulin (CHI: 25-8-7, 2.33 GAA, .919 Save%), C Mike Comrie (NYI/OTT: 63 GP. 10G-17A-27P)

Offseason Outs: G Dwayne Roloson (28 wins), LW Ales Kotalik (11 Pts in 19 games with Oilers)

What Makes Them Tick: Two straight off-seasons the Oilers acquired Sheldon Souray and Lubomir Vishnovsky. Those two are steady pillars to build a defense around. Combine them with offensive threats like Tom Gilbert (45 pts) and Denis Grebeshkov (39 pts) and you have yourself a pretty fearsome top 4. Vishnovsky had 31 points in his first 50 games as an Oiler before losing his season due to shoulder surgery. Having the former Los Angeles King healthy will be a big boost to a team that depends on a lot of their defense for scoring.

What Could Make Them Go Boom: On paper their offense looks speedy, sensational and scary, but last year that paper got tossed in the recycling bin. The big threats did not live up to their potential shown in the fact that two of their top four scorers were defensemen. More is to be expected of the top 6 forwards this season as the Oilers struck out in trying to acquire/beg Dany Heatly to come booster their offense. This will make or break the Oilers that seem to be on the cusp of making the final playoff spot in the West.

Player to Watch: Dustin Penner was signed away from the, then Stanley Cup Champions, Anaheim Ducks with a five-year, $21.25 million offer sheet. Then came the expectations to match the 29 goals he had for the Ducks. Two years into the contract the former Maine Black Bear has 40 goals and 84 points, last year he was put in Coach MacTavish dog house and relegated to fourth line duty. Now, with new coach Pat Quinn, Penner will have a chance to play on the top line with Hemsky and Horcoff. With that speed on his line, Penner should finally take his place as a dominant power forward in this league. If not, look for him to be trade bait or buyout bait at the end of the season.

Predictions: New life this season for the Oilers as Pat Quinn and Tom Renney replace the defensive minded MacT. Although this team would have been a lock to make the playoffs, had they convinced Dany Heatley to pack his things and head west, they will be improved nonetheless and I will be interested to see how Nikolai Khabibulin does in a non contract year as the primary number one goalie not sharing time.


4) MINNESOTA WILD:
Rearview Mirror: “As the World (of Gaborik) Turns” was the theme of the season for the Wild last year. When healthy, this team was a threat for both the playoffs and more but, when injured, they sputtered offensively and relied heavily on their spectacular goaltending. Marian Gaborik, the face of the origination for 8 seasons, only played 17 games but amassed 23 points as the Wild finished a mere 2 points out of the playoffs. Overshadowing the Gaborik “Is he going to play?” question was an MVP season for goalie Niklas Backstrom. The undrafted free agent finished third in the Vezina voting and finished with a career high 37 wins and was top 5 in both GAA (2.33) and save percentage (.923). He also received a four-year contract extension to remain the last line of defense for the Wild. Also breaking out for the Wild was 4th-year forward Mikko Koivu, who led the Wild in total points (67), power play points (26), and shorthanded points (6). He even came back quickly from a horrific knee injury when many thought he was out for the year. Only missing 6 games he came back to score 5 points in the last 3 games for the playoff push. Now that is a leader.

Offseason Ins: Martin Havlat (CHI: 29 G-77 P), Kyle Brodziak (EDM: 11 G-27 P), Greg Zanon (NSH: 11 P-237 BkS), Shane Hnidy (BOS: 12 P-76 BkS)

Offseason Outs: RW Marian Gaborik (13 G), D Martin Skoula (81 GP), LW Stephane Veilleux (13 G), D Marc-Andre Bergeron (18 PP), D Kurtis Foster (+7), C Dan Fritsche (13 P)

What Makes Them Tick: For the first time in the franchises 8 years of existence, the cornerstones of Marian Gaborik, GM Doug Risegrough and Coach Jaques Lemaire will not be there when the puck drops on October 3rd. These positions have been replaced by a speedy, but often injured, Martin Havlat, legacy Chuck Fletcher and upstart Todd Richards and a more offensive approach. This will start from the defensive end where offensive minded Brent Burns, Kim Johnsson and Marek Zidlicky roam. A first line combination of Havlat, Koivu, and Brunette should shine on the special teams, a place where the Wild have always had success (9th overall last year). Combine that with a penalty kill that finished second last season and now includes Greg Zanon with his 237 block shots.

What Could Make Them Go Boom: With the new regime moving towards a more offensive style, do the Wild have enough offense to create wins? A big piece of the offense, Martin Havlat will be asked to do something he has never done in his career, play back-to-back full 82-game season. The closest he came to this was 2001-02 playing in 72 games after a 73 game rookie campaign. If they are missing the point per game Havlat, then it will be Gaborik déjà vu all over again for the offense that was led by 37-year-old Owen Nolan (25 goals) and 35-year-old Andrew Brunette (22 goals).

Player to Watch: Former first round pick Brent Burns looks to forget a year that saw him injured and bouncing back and forth from forward to defenseman to build on his rising status. Burns, a converted forward burst onto the scene as defenseman with 15 goals in 2007-8 and was named as the best defenseman at the 2008 World Championship. Now, with Richards employing a system that allows the defense to join the rush and fully recover from concussion issues, Burns is primed to pick up where he left off and take his spot as a top defender in the NHL.

Predictions: With so much change around this team, it is hard not to think that they will take some time to get comfortable in the new system. It has been done before for this organization, but they are depending on a forward that, though talented, is often injured and has left them on the cusp of a playoff berth. This season will not be any different, but, hey, at least they will continue the string of selling out every game in franchise which is good for the health of the league.


5) COLORADO AVALANCHE:
Rearview Mirror: For a team that has been a perennial playoff contender and won 2 Stanley Cups since moving to the Mile High City, a last place finish was not a surprise, The Avs were missing their franchise player and captain, Joe Sakic, and up and coming star, Paul Stastny, for most of the season. They scored a league low 190 goals, and their goaltending was one of the worst in the league (253 goals against).

Offseason Ins: D Kyle Quincey (LAK: 4 G, 38 P, 27 PP), D Tom Preissing (LAK: 5 PP in 22 GP), G Craig Anderson (FLA: 15-7-5, 2.71 GAA, .924 Save%), Matt Duchene (OHL: 31 G-79 P)

Offseason Outs: C Joe Sakic (Hall of Fame, too many stats to write), RW Ryan Smyth (59 Pts), C Ian Laperriere (103 Hits), G Andrew Raycroft (12 W), C Tyler Arnason (22 Pts)

What Makes Them Tick: The Avs believe they drafted a superstar in third overall pick Matt Duchene. Unless he comes to camp and looks out of place he should start the season as an 18-year-old rookie. Duchene, who at the last minute got some buzz as being taken #1 overall, is a talented forward. He, along with a healthy Paul Stastny, gives the team a two top skilled centers. The Avs field a good top line with forwards Wojtek Wolski (42 pts last season) and Milan Hejduk (8th year with 20 or more goals). They also picked up talented defenseman, Kyle Quincey, and his power play prowess in the Ryan Smyth trade to the Kings.

What Could Make Them Go Boom: Their top 7 defenseman’s average age is 30, led by veteran Adam Foote who is 37. Their only defensemen under 30 are Quincey (23) and John-Michael Liles (28). Though tough, this veteran defense could be a problem down the road. They traded away their second leading scorer in the off-season, so how a team that was last in scoring improve, will be another big question mark for the Avs.

Player to Watch: Craig Anderson will finally get his chance to prove he can be a starting goalie in the NHL. A 3rd round pick of the Chicago Blackhawks in 2001, he saw his first significant playing time last year for the Florida Panthers. The 28-year old made the most of his 31 games played, posting a 15-7-5 record, 2.71 GAA and .924 save percentage. Anderson kept the Panthers in a close playoff race and even set an NHL record for most saves in a shutout, when he stopped 53 shots versus the Islanders in 2007-08. The Park Ridge, Illinoisian will be the focal point even if this team improves or not.

Predictions: It is hard to go through what this organization went through this off-season both on and off the ice and not continue to be near the bottom of the standings. They hired unknown Joe Sacco, after attempting to get Patrick Roy to take the job, for their third coach in three years. They also fired GM Francois Giguere and replaced him with previous Assistant General Manager Greg Sherman. But the hardest person to replace will be Joe Sakic, the 20-year veteran, all with the Colorado/Quebec franchise, and one of the classiest players to have played in the league, having left as the eighth all-time leading scorer with 1,641 in 1,378 career games. He will not only be missed by the Avalanche but also by the entire league.

"Edited by Laura Wald www.TheGreenLife.us"

A Month of Vacation

So I looked at the Blog today and realized I had not written anything in a month. A lot has to do with some much needed vacation traveling for me. Well I am back just like Brett Favre! Want to introduce also to the Pucking Awesome Nation a new voice, a great hockey mind named A.J. Bloomquist, I know you all will enjoy reading his intake. Coming next week is the First Annual Pucking Awesome Preview edition! Below is the schedule so check back and enjoy the preview of this upcoming NHL season.

AUGUST 23rd – Northwest

AUGUST 30th – Northeast

SEPTEMBER 6th – Pacific

SEPTEMBER 13th – Southeast

SEPTEMBER 20th – Atlantic

SEPTEMBER 27th – Central

OCTOBER 2nd – Stanley Cup Picks

NHL Schedules

Of the two big NHL scheduling events last Wednesday, the first announcement was the worst kept secret: the annual Winter Classic will be held at Boston’s Fenway Park. This outdoor festivity has quickly become a huge success for the NHL, as represented by great TV ratings and pure excitement around the New Year’s event. Much of the debate has not been about the venue, as I think it should be, but about the teams that are involved. Some experts think that two-time Hart trophy winner, Alex Ovechkin, fresh off of his dominating regular season and playoffs, should be the showcase of this spectacle. I do not agree. I don’t agree for the simple reason that it has already been seen that people watch no matter who is playing. In 2008, a matchup that featured the big “rivals”, Penguins and Sabres, drew a 2.6 overnight rating and a 5 share for NBC. Last season, when two actual division rivals faced off, the Red Wings and Blackhawks earned a 2.9 overnight rating and a 6 share. These are very impressive numbers for a sport drowning in obscurity. I can back up the league for once in their selection of two major markets, Boston and Philadelphia, to participate. Hockey is very important in these cities and deserves to be seen by its large number of fans residing there. Besides, we all know the NHL will be pushing for a Rangers game at Yankee Stadium next year, most likely against the Capitals and Ovechkin, so this is Bean-town and Philly’s year.

Which brings me to the venues the league has selected this year. I understand they are trying to lure fans into ball parks with rich history, but they are limiting themselves by sheer numbers alone. I think they had it right the first year with a NHL-record crowd of 71,217 in Ralph Wilson Stadium, a football stadium seating almost 74,000 people. Now, all of sudden, they are limiting themselves to the only 30,000-40,000 fans that can fit into a baseball stadium. I am not a marketing genius by any means, but I know that leaves about 40,000 less tickets they can sell. The profit loss is obvious, but perhaps even more important is the “emotional” statistic of losing possible future fans for life that could have emerged from such a unique game experience. I heard that Beaver Stadium at Penn State (107,282 capacity), TCF Bank Stadium in Minnesota (50,000), and even Fed Ex Field (91,704) were considered, but the final vote went to the Green Monster….? The NHL has to get off this baseball kick and go back to football fields and get more people and fans involved in this wonderful idea.

The second event after the big non-surprise announcement was the releasing of the NHL regular season schedules. Other than the Chris Pronger debut as a Flyer, I have certain matchups circled on my calendar the first month of the season. I will be watching the NHL Premier Games in Stockholm (Wings vs. Blues) and Helsinki (Blackhawks vs. Panthers) mostly to see how the Blues and Panthers have improved in the off-season. No, but really, what I’m really watching for is how will the Red Wings bounce back? How will Hossa fit in with his new team and how the world perceives the NHL this year? In October, of course, there are a lot of debuts with new teams (Tavares, Hedman, Gaborik, and the whole Canadiens) and players facing their old teams (Hossa on Oct 8, Pronger on Oct. 10, Kovalev on Oct. 17, Gaborik on Oct. 30). We even have two nights where all 30 NHL teams will be in action on October 3 and 24, and this in just the first month of the season! We should be in for a great year.