No team is more disappointed about how last season ended than the Western Conference Champions Vancouver Canucks. After an embarrassing 4-0 Game 7 loss to the Bruins on home ice, which was followed by outside riots that resulted in millions of dollars in damages, the Vancouver Canucks begin a long and more difficult road to return to the Finals and seek redemption. There is no doubt in my mind or anyone's in Canada, that the Canucks are still Canada's best hope to bring the Stanley Cup back to its country. The Montreal Canadiens were the last Canadian team to win the cup in 1993.
2010-2011 began as a year of destiny for Vancouver. They had a very busy offseason which brought them the biggest defenseman on the market in Dan Hamhuis as well acquiring Keith Ballard from Florida. The Canucks thought they finally had the toughness and depth to win the cup. They easily won the President's Trophy for the best record in the NHL, but it was a late season injury to its biggest checking center Manny Malhotra that made fatigue set in a bit quicker.
The Canucks added forward depth at the trade deadline getting Maxim Lapierre and Chris Higgins in separate deals. The additions helped them in the playoffs. After exorcising their playoff demons the Chicago Blackhawks in Round 1, it seemed the story would end perfectly with the Canucks winning the franchise's first Stanley Cup in its 40th anniversary season. They managed to overcome a hot goalie in Pekka Rinne in Nashville in Round 2 and exorcised their 2010 nemesis in Antti Niemi in the conference finals against San Jose, who I will write about sometime this week. But, on their road to the final they suffered key injuries and some players were not 100% like Ryan Kesler and even the Sedin's.
However, the Finals presented their biggest test in Tim Thomas of the Bruins. The Canucks jumped out to a quick 2-0 series lead against Boston after winning the first two games on home ice. However, the Canucks barely won their two home games and the Bruins actually managed to play well in Vancouver and never seemed to lose any confidence heading home. Also, the Canucks lost their #1 defenseman in Dan Hamhuis to injury. During period 1 in Game 3, both teams were even in the frame, but after a hit to the head of Nathan Horton by Canucks Aaron Rome, the series seemed to change. The Bruins felt motivated and Tim Thomas started to play out of his mind, stopping shots a great NHL goalie would not stop. Boston trumped Vancouver 8-1 in Game 3 in Boston and the Canucks confidence began to suffer. Rome would be suspended for the rest of the final. They followed up a Game 3 overwhelming victory with a 4-0 shutout of Vancouver in Game 4. Roberto Luongo's confidence was simply shattered.
In Game 5, the Canucks returned home determined to go back to Boston up 3-2 with a chance to close out the series. They did just that, but yet again it was only a 1-0 victory so Boston was still confident. Despite an extra day to prepare for Game 6, the Canucks lost Game 6 in Boston 5-2 and the rest of the story told itself.
So, now comes the healing and redemption part. The biggest question is can Luongo rebound from a terrible series against Boston as well as the Canucks. As mentioned above, they still are Canada's best hope for a Stanley Cup, but it will be more difficult for them. They did add some toughness and lost toughness. Torres, Ehrhoff, Bolduc and Glass are gone. In come Marco Sturm, Andrew Ebbett and Byron Bitz. They also brought in Owen Nolan and Todd Fedoruk for a professional tryout. Nolan if healthy and effective can be a 20 goal scorer although with his age those days are likely over. But if he can get at least 15 it will be good for Vancouver. Fedoruk is an enforcer and will be a plus for Vancouver along with Bitz. Ebbett is also a physical presence.
Luongo can bounce back and I think he will feel more motivated than ever. He does have a large cloud of pressure on him to win the Stanley Cup for Vancouver and prove his long-term contract is worth it, otherwise Cory Schneider is ready to step in at any moment. One person who should feel a lot of pressure and motivation is Head Coach Alain Vigneault, who was out-coached by Claude Julien in the Finals. But, why is there pressure on him? Well the Canucks have hired former Oilers coach Craig MacTavish to be the Head Coach of their minor league affiliate in Chicago. MacTavish led the Oilers to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2006 and was a finalist for many coaching vacancies this year. If the Canucks get off to a rough start or are not in the right state of mind to go for another cup run or victory, Vigneault could be on the chopping block and MacTavish will most likely be his successor.
However, I think their road back to the finals will be much more difficult than what they went through this year. I think teams like Chicago, Detroit and San Jose got better and they are the #1 target in the tough Western Conference. But, they have another very good chance. If they can avoid the Blackhawks in the playoffs, they can certainly return to the finals and if they do, I think they will win the cup even if this years final is a rematch of this past years.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Monday, August 29, 2011
Breaking Down new Head Coaches
There are a few new coaches in the league this season, some first time and some former coaches in new places, so here is my breakdown of all new coaches in the league.
Claude Noel (Winnipeg):
He finished the 2009-2010 campaign as the interim coach in Columbus and coached the Canucks minor league affiliate in Manitoba last season. Now he is the coach of the Winnipeg Jets and due to his familiarity with the city and Arena, he can make the former Thrashers organization get accustomed to new surroundings easier. But for him it will be a struggle all year long, but there will a time when the Jets will be on fire this year. I think this is an experiment year for him and the organization.
Kevin Dineen (Florida):
Many thought he should have been a coach two years ago, but was passed over by many teams even being in the final two for a few positions like in Columbus last summer before Scott Arniel got the job and Tampa Bay before Guy Boucher got it. He also was a candidate in Colorado before Joe Sacco got the nod. Now he gets the shot he longed for in Florida. He is a first time Head Coach, but is known to have played the game very tough. The Panthers have the most new pieces to work with and he will have a challenge to build multiple chemistry's together. He might get off to a slow start, but come mid-season the Panthers could gel and be a force to reckoned with. He does have to find consistent goaltending, which will be his Achilles heel.
Glen Gulutzan (Dallas):
Don't know much about Glen, but the Stars went for a first year coach rather than an experienced veteran. They almost hired Kirk Muller, but went for one that can work with young players. Dallas will be tough to play against and you cannot take them lightly, but the question is can he mesh rookies and vets together. It will be tough.
Paul MacLean (Ottawa):
Ottawa has had lots of respect for the Detroit Organization and Paul MacLean was Mike Babcock's right hand man there. Many also thought he would be a coach already and Devils fans though that Lou hired the wrong MacLean last summer. Ottawa might be in a rebuilding year, but if he follows the Detroit philosophy and creates his own identity with the Sens, lookout for Ottawa in a year or two.
Mike Yeo (Minnesota):
Won the Cup as an assistant in Pittsburgh in 2009, but coached the Minnesota Wild AHL affiliate in Houston last season. He is in the same boat as John MacLean was with NJ, can one year in the AHL payoff? I think it will simply because he can learn from past first year coaches with 1 year of AHL coaching experience.
Peter DeBoer (New Jersey):
He enters an organization with the most dangerous coaching job in the NHL considering he is their 7th coach since the lockout ended in Summer 2005. Brent Sutter and Jacques Lemaire have been the most consistent and he is known as a continuation of the Sutter philosophy or an extension. I think he will have success and learn from his mistakes in Florida. Devils fans will grow to love DeBoer as a coach, Yes he is no Lemaire simply because you cannot compare any coach to Jacques Lemaire. I think the players will respect him and not quit on him like they did with John MacLean.
Claude Noel (Winnipeg):
He finished the 2009-2010 campaign as the interim coach in Columbus and coached the Canucks minor league affiliate in Manitoba last season. Now he is the coach of the Winnipeg Jets and due to his familiarity with the city and Arena, he can make the former Thrashers organization get accustomed to new surroundings easier. But for him it will be a struggle all year long, but there will a time when the Jets will be on fire this year. I think this is an experiment year for him and the organization.
Kevin Dineen (Florida):
Many thought he should have been a coach two years ago, but was passed over by many teams even being in the final two for a few positions like in Columbus last summer before Scott Arniel got the job and Tampa Bay before Guy Boucher got it. He also was a candidate in Colorado before Joe Sacco got the nod. Now he gets the shot he longed for in Florida. He is a first time Head Coach, but is known to have played the game very tough. The Panthers have the most new pieces to work with and he will have a challenge to build multiple chemistry's together. He might get off to a slow start, but come mid-season the Panthers could gel and be a force to reckoned with. He does have to find consistent goaltending, which will be his Achilles heel.
Glen Gulutzan (Dallas):
Don't know much about Glen, but the Stars went for a first year coach rather than an experienced veteran. They almost hired Kirk Muller, but went for one that can work with young players. Dallas will be tough to play against and you cannot take them lightly, but the question is can he mesh rookies and vets together. It will be tough.
Paul MacLean (Ottawa):
Ottawa has had lots of respect for the Detroit Organization and Paul MacLean was Mike Babcock's right hand man there. Many also thought he would be a coach already and Devils fans though that Lou hired the wrong MacLean last summer. Ottawa might be in a rebuilding year, but if he follows the Detroit philosophy and creates his own identity with the Sens, lookout for Ottawa in a year or two.
Mike Yeo (Minnesota):
Won the Cup as an assistant in Pittsburgh in 2009, but coached the Minnesota Wild AHL affiliate in Houston last season. He is in the same boat as John MacLean was with NJ, can one year in the AHL payoff? I think it will simply because he can learn from past first year coaches with 1 year of AHL coaching experience.
Peter DeBoer (New Jersey):
He enters an organization with the most dangerous coaching job in the NHL considering he is their 7th coach since the lockout ended in Summer 2005. Brent Sutter and Jacques Lemaire have been the most consistent and he is known as a continuation of the Sutter philosophy or an extension. I think he will have success and learn from his mistakes in Florida. Devils fans will grow to love DeBoer as a coach, Yes he is no Lemaire simply because you cannot compare any coach to Jacques Lemaire. I think the players will respect him and not quit on him like they did with John MacLean.
2011-2012 Atlantic Division Preview (Could be 4 team race)
NY Islanders:
General Manager: Garth Snow
Head Coach: Jack Capuano
Key Additions: Marty Reasoner, Brian Rolston (Trade via NJ)
Key Subtractions: Trent Hunter (Traded to NJ, then bought out), Jack Hillen (Nashville), Radek Martinek (Columbus), Zenon Konopka (Ottawa), Nathan Lawson (Montreal)
Are the Islanders ready to take the next step and finally make the playoffs? They certainly can with their potent offense and high-end skill. However, they have to stay healthy and that mostly applies to goaltender Rick DiPietro, who is often injured. He has to stay healthy and be very consistent. Also, Kyle Okposo and Mark Streit have to be healthy and John Tavares has to step up his game and hopefully reach his potential of being a 40 goal scorer. Finally, the play of Michael Grabner will also determine their destiny. Again, I think they have the skill and firepower to win, but can they do it on a consistent basis.
New Jersey Devils:
General Manager: Lou Lamoriello
Head Coach: Peter DeBoer
Key Additions: Cam Janssen, Eric Boulton, Trent Hunter (Trade via NY Islanders, bought out), Maxim Noreau (Trade via Minnesota)
Another year, another new coach for the Devils. Their biggest move for a 3rd straight offseason was naming a coach. This time its Peter DeBoer, who I think is exactly what the Devils need. They wanted for a long time to finish what Brent Sutter started and they will get a chance to do so with DeBoer. However, they will have to find success without top center Travis Zajac, who will be out until November. But, their success will depend on Brodeur, Parise's and Kovalchuk's play as well as secondary scoring of players like Elias, Clarkson, Tedenby, Josefson and Zubrus. I think they will be back in the playoffs and will make some noise.
Key Subtractions: Colin White (San Jose), Mike McKenna (Ottawa), Anssi Salmela (KHL), Pierre-Luc Letourneau-LeBlond (Traded to Calgary)
NY Rangers:
General Manager: Glen Sather
Head Coach: John Tortorella
Key Additions: Brad Richards, Mike Rupp, Tim Erixon (Trade via Calgary)
Key Subtractions: Evgeny Grachev (Traded to St. Louis), Matt Gilroy (Tampa Bay), Vaclav Prospal (Columbus), Chris Drury (retirement)
The NY Rangers in my mind could be either a deep playoff threat or a huge disappointment as they usually are. However, I expect them to reach Round 2 of the playoffs and even take their opponent to 7 games, but their success will depend on Henrik Lundqvist.
Pittsburgh Penguins:
General Manager: Ray Shero
Head Coach: Dan Bylsma
Key Additions: Steven Sullivan, Jason Williams, Alexandre Picard
Key Subtractions: Maxime Talbot (Philadelphia), Mike Rupp (NY Rangers), Eric Godard (Dallas), Corey Potter (Edmonton)
The Penguins will reach the Finals in my view, but again if both Crosby and Malkin are healthy and effective, simply put.
Philadelphia Flyers:
General Manager: Paul Holmgren
Head Coach: Peter Laviolette
Key Additions: Ilya Bryzgalov, Jaromir Jagr, Maxime Talbot, Brayden Schenn (Trade via Los Angeles), Wayne Simmonds (Trade via Los Angeles), Jakub Voracek (Trade via Columbus), Andreas Lilja, Michael Nylander (Tryout)
Key Subtractions: Mike Richards (Traded to Los Angeles), Jeff Carter (Traded to Columbus), Sean O'Donnell (Chicago), Dan Carcillo (Chicago), Kris Versteeg (Traded to Florida), Ville Leino (Buffalo), Danny Syvret, Brian Boucher (Carolina)
A huge makeover involving their two core players getting traded will take a while to mesh and create new chemistries. They will be a cup contender, but I think the division will be a 4 team race and I am picking the Penguins to win this division.
General Manager: Garth Snow
Head Coach: Jack Capuano
Key Additions: Marty Reasoner, Brian Rolston (Trade via NJ)
Key Subtractions: Trent Hunter (Traded to NJ, then bought out), Jack Hillen (Nashville), Radek Martinek (Columbus), Zenon Konopka (Ottawa), Nathan Lawson (Montreal)
Are the Islanders ready to take the next step and finally make the playoffs? They certainly can with their potent offense and high-end skill. However, they have to stay healthy and that mostly applies to goaltender Rick DiPietro, who is often injured. He has to stay healthy and be very consistent. Also, Kyle Okposo and Mark Streit have to be healthy and John Tavares has to step up his game and hopefully reach his potential of being a 40 goal scorer. Finally, the play of Michael Grabner will also determine their destiny. Again, I think they have the skill and firepower to win, but can they do it on a consistent basis.
New Jersey Devils:
General Manager: Lou Lamoriello
Head Coach: Peter DeBoer
Key Additions: Cam Janssen, Eric Boulton, Trent Hunter (Trade via NY Islanders, bought out), Maxim Noreau (Trade via Minnesota)
Another year, another new coach for the Devils. Their biggest move for a 3rd straight offseason was naming a coach. This time its Peter DeBoer, who I think is exactly what the Devils need. They wanted for a long time to finish what Brent Sutter started and they will get a chance to do so with DeBoer. However, they will have to find success without top center Travis Zajac, who will be out until November. But, their success will depend on Brodeur, Parise's and Kovalchuk's play as well as secondary scoring of players like Elias, Clarkson, Tedenby, Josefson and Zubrus. I think they will be back in the playoffs and will make some noise.
Key Subtractions: Colin White (San Jose), Mike McKenna (Ottawa), Anssi Salmela (KHL), Pierre-Luc Letourneau-LeBlond (Traded to Calgary)
NY Rangers:
General Manager: Glen Sather
Head Coach: John Tortorella
Key Additions: Brad Richards, Mike Rupp, Tim Erixon (Trade via Calgary)
Key Subtractions: Evgeny Grachev (Traded to St. Louis), Matt Gilroy (Tampa Bay), Vaclav Prospal (Columbus), Chris Drury (retirement)
The NY Rangers in my mind could be either a deep playoff threat or a huge disappointment as they usually are. However, I expect them to reach Round 2 of the playoffs and even take their opponent to 7 games, but their success will depend on Henrik Lundqvist.
Pittsburgh Penguins:
General Manager: Ray Shero
Head Coach: Dan Bylsma
Key Additions: Steven Sullivan, Jason Williams, Alexandre Picard
Key Subtractions: Maxime Talbot (Philadelphia), Mike Rupp (NY Rangers), Eric Godard (Dallas), Corey Potter (Edmonton)
The Penguins will reach the Finals in my view, but again if both Crosby and Malkin are healthy and effective, simply put.
Philadelphia Flyers:
General Manager: Paul Holmgren
Head Coach: Peter Laviolette
Key Additions: Ilya Bryzgalov, Jaromir Jagr, Maxime Talbot, Brayden Schenn (Trade via Los Angeles), Wayne Simmonds (Trade via Los Angeles), Jakub Voracek (Trade via Columbus), Andreas Lilja, Michael Nylander (Tryout)
Key Subtractions: Mike Richards (Traded to Los Angeles), Jeff Carter (Traded to Columbus), Sean O'Donnell (Chicago), Dan Carcillo (Chicago), Kris Versteeg (Traded to Florida), Ville Leino (Buffalo), Danny Syvret, Brian Boucher (Carolina)
A huge makeover involving their two core players getting traded will take a while to mesh and create new chemistries. They will be a cup contender, but I think the division will be a 4 team race and I am picking the Penguins to win this division.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
2011-2012 Pacific Division Preview (Can the Kings unseed the Sharks?)
Dallas Stars:
General Manager: Joe Nieuwendyk
Head Coach: Glen Gulutzan
Key Additions: Eric Godard, Sheldon Souray, Michael Ryder, Vernon Fiddler, Radek Dvorak, Adam Pardy
Key Subtractions: Brad Richards (NY Rangers), Jamie Langenbrunner (St. Louis), Jason Williams (Pittsburgh), Jeff Woywitka (Montreal)
The Dallas Stars got off to a very strong start last season, but struggled down the stretch leading to Marc Crawford's firing as coach. But with current ownership problems, the Stars will still be very tough to beat, but are still in a rebuilding year.
Phoenix Coyotes:
General Manager: Don Maloney
Head Coach: Dave Tippett
Key Additions: Patrick O'Sullivan, Justin Pogge, Mike Smith, Kyle Chipchura, Curtis McElhinney, Alex Bolduc, Boyd Gordon, Raffi Torres,
Key Subtractions: Ilya Bryzgalov (Philadelphia), Andrew Ebbett (Vancouver), Eric Belanger (Edmonton), Vernon Fiddler (Dallas), Ed Jovanovski (Florida)
The Phoenix Coyotes had another year of making the playoffs, but this year will be tougher for them die to losing veteran leadership and a goaltender in Ilya Bryzgalov. I say they fall slightly short, but they will be in a battle for the 8th and final playoff spot.
Anaheim Ducks:
General Manager: Bob Murray
Head Coach: Randy Carlyle
Key Additions: Andrew Cogliano (Trade via Edmonton), Kurtis Foster (Trade via Edmonton), Matt Smaby, Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers
Key Subtractions: Andy Sutton (Traded to Edmonton), Kyle Chipchura (Phoenix), Andreas Lilja (Philadelphia)
After getting bounced in Round 1 by Nashville, the Ducks will have no easy road this year. Even though having reigning Hart Trophy winner Corey Perry and Jonas Hiller healthy, they are a playoff team, but not Stanley Cup bound.
Los Angeles Kings:
General Manager: Dean Lombardi
Head Coach: Terry Murray
Key Additions: Mike Richards (Trade via Philadelphia), Ethan Moreau, Simon Gagne, Colin Fraser (Trade via Edmonton)
Key Subtractions: Alexei Ponikarovsky (Carolina), Michal Handzus (San Jose), Brayden Schenn (Traded to Philadelphia), Wayne Simmonds (Traded to Philadelphia), Ryan Smyth (Traded to Edmonton)
The Kings were very busy making over their team this offseason and are thus pumped for a chance to win the Pacific Division. However, they are likely to fall short, but with the goaltending of Jonathan Quick, they will be a threat in the Western Conference.
San Jose Sharks:
General Manager: Doug Wilson
Head Coach: Todd McLellan
Key Additions: Michal Handzus, Martin Havlat (Trade via Minnesota), Brent Burns (Trade via Minnesota), James Sheppard (Trade via Minnesota), Colin White, Andrew Murray, Jim Vandermeer
Key Subtractions: Devin Setoguchi (Traded to Minnesota), Dany Heatley (Traded to Minnesota), Scott Nichol and Kent Huskins (St. Louis), Charlie Coyle (Traded to Minnesota), Ben Eager (Edmonton), Ian White (Detroit), Jamal Mayers (Chicago), Niclas Wallin and Kyle Wellwood (TBD)
The Sharks underwent a complete makeover and are poised to end all the years of playoff disappointments and not only reach the Stanley Cup Final, but win the Cup. MY feeling is that they are on track, but this year is still not the year, but maybe in the next 2-3 years everything will fall into place for them.
General Manager: Joe Nieuwendyk
Head Coach: Glen Gulutzan
Key Additions: Eric Godard, Sheldon Souray, Michael Ryder, Vernon Fiddler, Radek Dvorak, Adam Pardy
Key Subtractions: Brad Richards (NY Rangers), Jamie Langenbrunner (St. Louis), Jason Williams (Pittsburgh), Jeff Woywitka (Montreal)
The Dallas Stars got off to a very strong start last season, but struggled down the stretch leading to Marc Crawford's firing as coach. But with current ownership problems, the Stars will still be very tough to beat, but are still in a rebuilding year.
Phoenix Coyotes:
General Manager: Don Maloney
Head Coach: Dave Tippett
Key Additions: Patrick O'Sullivan, Justin Pogge, Mike Smith, Kyle Chipchura, Curtis McElhinney, Alex Bolduc, Boyd Gordon, Raffi Torres,
Key Subtractions: Ilya Bryzgalov (Philadelphia), Andrew Ebbett (Vancouver), Eric Belanger (Edmonton), Vernon Fiddler (Dallas), Ed Jovanovski (Florida)
The Phoenix Coyotes had another year of making the playoffs, but this year will be tougher for them die to losing veteran leadership and a goaltender in Ilya Bryzgalov. I say they fall slightly short, but they will be in a battle for the 8th and final playoff spot.
Anaheim Ducks:
General Manager: Bob Murray
Head Coach: Randy Carlyle
Key Additions: Andrew Cogliano (Trade via Edmonton), Kurtis Foster (Trade via Edmonton), Matt Smaby, Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers
Key Subtractions: Andy Sutton (Traded to Edmonton), Kyle Chipchura (Phoenix), Andreas Lilja (Philadelphia)
After getting bounced in Round 1 by Nashville, the Ducks will have no easy road this year. Even though having reigning Hart Trophy winner Corey Perry and Jonas Hiller healthy, they are a playoff team, but not Stanley Cup bound.
Los Angeles Kings:
General Manager: Dean Lombardi
Head Coach: Terry Murray
Key Additions: Mike Richards (Trade via Philadelphia), Ethan Moreau, Simon Gagne, Colin Fraser (Trade via Edmonton)
Key Subtractions: Alexei Ponikarovsky (Carolina), Michal Handzus (San Jose), Brayden Schenn (Traded to Philadelphia), Wayne Simmonds (Traded to Philadelphia), Ryan Smyth (Traded to Edmonton)
The Kings were very busy making over their team this offseason and are thus pumped for a chance to win the Pacific Division. However, they are likely to fall short, but with the goaltending of Jonathan Quick, they will be a threat in the Western Conference.
San Jose Sharks:
General Manager: Doug Wilson
Head Coach: Todd McLellan
Key Additions: Michal Handzus, Martin Havlat (Trade via Minnesota), Brent Burns (Trade via Minnesota), James Sheppard (Trade via Minnesota), Colin White, Andrew Murray, Jim Vandermeer
Key Subtractions: Devin Setoguchi (Traded to Minnesota), Dany Heatley (Traded to Minnesota), Scott Nichol and Kent Huskins (St. Louis), Charlie Coyle (Traded to Minnesota), Ben Eager (Edmonton), Ian White (Detroit), Jamal Mayers (Chicago), Niclas Wallin and Kyle Wellwood (TBD)
The Sharks underwent a complete makeover and are poised to end all the years of playoff disappointments and not only reach the Stanley Cup Final, but win the Cup. MY feeling is that they are on track, but this year is still not the year, but maybe in the next 2-3 years everything will fall into place for them.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
2011-2012 Northeast Division Preview (Why Buffalo will rise)
Toronto Maple Leafs:
General Manager: Brian Burke
Head Coach: Ron Wilson
Key Additions: Tim Connolly, John Michael-Liles (Trade via Colorado), Cody Franson (Trade via Nashville), Matthew Lombardi (Trade via Nashville)
Key Subtractions: Brett Lebda (Traded to Nashville), Tim Brent (Carolina), JS Giguere (Colorado), Christian Hanson (Washington)
The Leafs are the most scrutinized team in the NHL and in Canada especially. They are the biggest market in the league and have yet to make the playoffs since the lockout ended in Summer 2005. Its no secret Brian Burke is still cleaning up the mess left by former Leafs GM John Ferguson Jr. However, this year is expected to be very different as the Leafs will definitely battle for the final playoff berth in the east. In 2006-2007, they missed out on the final day. However, they will likely fall slightly short again.
Ottawa Senators:
General Manager: Bryan Murray
Head Coach: Paul MacLean
Key Additions: Zenon Konopka, Mark Parrish, Alex Auld, Nikita Filatov (Trade via Columbus)
Key Subtractions: Cody Bass (Columbus), Ryan Shannon (Tampa Bay), Curtis McElhinney (Phoenix), Ryan Potulny (Washington)
The Senators success will depend on a healthy Daniel Alfredsson, a consistent Jason Spezza and the goaltending of Craig Anderson. However, they will fall short once again as they are still rebuilding, but they are not far away from returning to their 2007 Cup Form.
Montreal Canadiens:
General Manager: Pierre Gauthier
Head Coach: Jacques Martin
Key Additions: Erik Cole, Jeff Woywitka, Brian Willsie, Nathan Lawson, Peter Budaj, Mark Mitera (Trade via Anaheim)
Key Subtractions: Tom Pyatt (Tampa Bay), Alexandre Picard (Pittsburgh), Benoit Pouliot (Boston), Curtis Sanford (Columbus), Alex Auld (Ottawa), Roman Hamrlik (Washington), Brent Sopel (KHL), Paul Mara (TBD), Jeff Halpern (Washington)
The Canadiens probably provided the biggest scare in the playoffs to the eventual Cup Champion Bruins. However, after a disappointing defeat in Game 7 in overtime, the Canadiens hope to return to the form that carried them through the 2010 playoffs all the way to the Conference Finals. As usual Carey Price will have to be relied upon as he usually is. He did live up to expectations in 2010-2011 and had a bounce back year.
Buffalo Sabres:
General Manager: Darcy Regier
Head Coach: Lindy Ruff
Key Additions: Ville Leino, Robyn Regehr (Trade via Calgary), Christian Ehrhoff
Key Subtractions: Tim Connolly (Toronto), Mark Parrish (Ottawa), Chris Butler (Traded to Calgary), Rob Niedermayer (Switzerland), Mike Grier (TBD)
For the first time since 2006-2007, Sabres fans have something great to feel about possibly going for the Cup. They will be healthy and have a fresh new owner in Terrance Pegula, who has said he will spend big to bring the Stanley Cup to Northwest New York State. They have finally build themselves a defensive core that will be tough to play against with Ehrhoff, Myers, Regehr and Sekera. Ryan Miller will be in the Vezina conversation and the Sabres are healthy with Derek Roy back at 100%. My prediction is that they will win the Northeast and will make it to Round 2 of the playoffs, but I think they are my dark horse pick to go all the way to the Stanley Cup.
Boston Bruins:
General Manager: Peter Chiarelli
Head Coach: Claude Julien
Key Additions: Benoit Pouliot, Joe Corvo (Trade via Carolina)
Key Subtractions: Tomas Kaberle (Carolina), Michael Ryder (Dallas), Mark Recchi (retirement)
Fresh off their Cup Win, the Bruins will look to repeat, but I think it will be very tough for Tim Thomas to do this again. I think the Bruins will be major targets by all 30 teams and will likely suffer a Round 1 defeat this season. I think they will be a Top 5 team in the East, but like I said unlikely to go far in the playoffs.
General Manager: Brian Burke
Head Coach: Ron Wilson
Key Additions: Tim Connolly, John Michael-Liles (Trade via Colorado), Cody Franson (Trade via Nashville), Matthew Lombardi (Trade via Nashville)
Key Subtractions: Brett Lebda (Traded to Nashville), Tim Brent (Carolina), JS Giguere (Colorado), Christian Hanson (Washington)
The Leafs are the most scrutinized team in the NHL and in Canada especially. They are the biggest market in the league and have yet to make the playoffs since the lockout ended in Summer 2005. Its no secret Brian Burke is still cleaning up the mess left by former Leafs GM John Ferguson Jr. However, this year is expected to be very different as the Leafs will definitely battle for the final playoff berth in the east. In 2006-2007, they missed out on the final day. However, they will likely fall slightly short again.
Ottawa Senators:
General Manager: Bryan Murray
Head Coach: Paul MacLean
Key Additions: Zenon Konopka, Mark Parrish, Alex Auld, Nikita Filatov (Trade via Columbus)
Key Subtractions: Cody Bass (Columbus), Ryan Shannon (Tampa Bay), Curtis McElhinney (Phoenix), Ryan Potulny (Washington)
The Senators success will depend on a healthy Daniel Alfredsson, a consistent Jason Spezza and the goaltending of Craig Anderson. However, they will fall short once again as they are still rebuilding, but they are not far away from returning to their 2007 Cup Form.
Montreal Canadiens:
General Manager: Pierre Gauthier
Head Coach: Jacques Martin
Key Additions: Erik Cole, Jeff Woywitka, Brian Willsie, Nathan Lawson, Peter Budaj, Mark Mitera (Trade via Anaheim)
Key Subtractions: Tom Pyatt (Tampa Bay), Alexandre Picard (Pittsburgh), Benoit Pouliot (Boston), Curtis Sanford (Columbus), Alex Auld (Ottawa), Roman Hamrlik (Washington), Brent Sopel (KHL), Paul Mara (TBD), Jeff Halpern (Washington)
The Canadiens probably provided the biggest scare in the playoffs to the eventual Cup Champion Bruins. However, after a disappointing defeat in Game 7 in overtime, the Canadiens hope to return to the form that carried them through the 2010 playoffs all the way to the Conference Finals. As usual Carey Price will have to be relied upon as he usually is. He did live up to expectations in 2010-2011 and had a bounce back year.
Buffalo Sabres:
General Manager: Darcy Regier
Head Coach: Lindy Ruff
Key Additions: Ville Leino, Robyn Regehr (Trade via Calgary), Christian Ehrhoff
Key Subtractions: Tim Connolly (Toronto), Mark Parrish (Ottawa), Chris Butler (Traded to Calgary), Rob Niedermayer (Switzerland), Mike Grier (TBD)
For the first time since 2006-2007, Sabres fans have something great to feel about possibly going for the Cup. They will be healthy and have a fresh new owner in Terrance Pegula, who has said he will spend big to bring the Stanley Cup to Northwest New York State. They have finally build themselves a defensive core that will be tough to play against with Ehrhoff, Myers, Regehr and Sekera. Ryan Miller will be in the Vezina conversation and the Sabres are healthy with Derek Roy back at 100%. My prediction is that they will win the Northeast and will make it to Round 2 of the playoffs, but I think they are my dark horse pick to go all the way to the Stanley Cup.
Boston Bruins:
General Manager: Peter Chiarelli
Head Coach: Claude Julien
Key Additions: Benoit Pouliot, Joe Corvo (Trade via Carolina)
Key Subtractions: Tomas Kaberle (Carolina), Michael Ryder (Dallas), Mark Recchi (retirement)
Fresh off their Cup Win, the Bruins will look to repeat, but I think it will be very tough for Tim Thomas to do this again. I think the Bruins will be major targets by all 30 teams and will likely suffer a Round 1 defeat this season. I think they will be a Top 5 team in the East, but like I said unlikely to go far in the playoffs.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
2011-2012 Central Division Preview (Still Detroit and Chicago's to lose)
Columbus Blue Jackets:
General Manager: Scott Howson
Head Coach: Scott Arniel
Key Additions: Jeff Carter (Trade via Philadelphia), James Wisniewski, Vaclav Prospal, Cody Bass, Radek Martinek, Aaron Johnson, Curtis Sanford
Key Subtractions: Ethan Moreau (LA), Nikita Filatov (Traded to Ottawa), Andrew Murray (San Jose), Sami Lepisto (Chicago), Mike Commodore (Detroit), Jan Hejda (Colorado), Scottie Upshall (Florida), Mathieu Garon (Tampa Bay)
The Blue Jackets got off to a strong start under new coach Scott Arniel this past season, but faltered down the stretch. However, the team made a huge splash in free agency signing unrestricted free agent defenseman James Wisniewski to a 6 year $33 million dollar contract. This was seen by many as a very steep price to pay for a top 4 defenseman who has not played like one in recent years. However, he is familiar with the Central division having played with the Blackhawks earlier in his career. They also made a huge splash up front by landing star center Jeff Carter from the Flyers, but it cost them Jakub Voracek, who was one of their top prospects. Carter at first was not as excited about the deal, but since has conformed to being a Jacket. Carter will finally give Columbus their center-man for Nash. I think the Blue Jackets success will depend on Steve Mason and the health of Rick Nash. My prediction is that they will fall short again, but they can pull off an element of surprise especially with Prospal on the team.
St. Louis Blues:
General Manager: Doug Armstrong
Head Coach: Davis Payne
Key Additions: Evgeny Grachev (Trade via NYR), Jason Arnott, Jamie Langenbrunner, Scott Nichol, Kent Huskins, Brian Elliott, Jonathan Cheechoo, Danny Syvret
Key Subtractions: Cam Janssen (NJ), Tyson Strachan (Florida), Paul Kariya (retired)
The St. Louis Blues once again found themselves lacking any success in the season. But, this year I think with the veteran additions they made and some toughness and depth they are primed for the playoffs. They not only have a good chance to make the playoffs, but do some damage especially with Jaroslav Halak in net.
Nashville Predators:
General Manager: David Poile
Head Coach: Barry Trotz
Key Additions: Jack Hillen, Tyler Sloan, Niclas Bergfors, Brodie Dupont (Trade via NYR)
Key Subtractions: Cody Franson (Traded to Toronto), Matthew Lombardi (Traded to Toronto), Marcel Goc (Florida), Shane O'Brien (Colorado), Joel Ward (Washington), Steve Sullivan (Pittsburgh)
The Nashville Predators took a huge step forward in 2010-2011 by reaching Round 2 of the playoffs for the first time in team history before being beaten by the eventual Western Conference Champs Vancouver Canucks. I think that they can surprise many and reach Round 3 this year, because of one guy "Pekka Rinne." They did however suffer some big losses in leadership from Cody Franson, Joel Ward and Steve Sullivan, so Rinne will be heavily relied upon. Also, it will be interesting to see how Shea Weber plays after being taken to arbitration by the team. They will be a playoff team.
Chicago Blackhawks:
General Manager: Stan Bowman
Head Coach: Joel Quenneville
Key Additions: Sami Lepisto, Dan Carcillo, Andrew Brunette, Sean O'Donnell, Jamal Mayers, Steve Montador, Rostislav Olesz (Trade via Florida),
Key Subtractions: Chris Campoli (TBD), Mary Turco (TBD), Jordan Hendry (TBD), Fernando Pisano (TBD), Brian Campbell (Traded to Florida), Tomas Kopecky (Florida), Troy Brouwer (Traded to Washington)
A year after winning the Cup in 2010, the 2010-2011 version of the Blackhawks core was still intact, but they took a step back. However, they almost became the 4th team in NHL history to rally from an 0-3 playoff deficit in Round 1 against their heated Western rival, the Vancouver Canucks. This year the Blackhawks are now more focused an re-energized to make another deep playoff run and win their 2nd cup in 3 years. I think they will be a major threat this year based on their offseason additions of veteran leadership and toughness. Dan Carcillo will add more fuel to the both the Wings-Hawks rivalry as well as the Canucks-Hawks rivalry. I think Corey Crawford has established himself as a future franchise goaltender and Toews is quickly becoming the best captain in the NHL as well a a great two-way player. Kane will need to have a much better season and stay healthy. Watch-out Vancouver, the Blackhawks are on their way back to re-claim the Western Title. My Prediction is that they will win the Stanley Cup and be the first 2 time Champ since the lockout, they are that deep. And they do have the best defensive pairing in the NHL with Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook. Yes, they lost some valuable pieces, but they added some grit and passion they lacked. Lookout for Ben Smith as well.
Detroit Red Wings:
General Manager: Ken Holland
Head Coach: Mike Babcock
Key Additions: Ty Conklin, Ian White, Mike Commodore
Key Subtractions: Brian Rafalski (retirement), Chris Osgood (retirement), Derek Meech (Winnipeg), Ruslan Salei (KHL)
It will be between the Red Wings and Blackhawks for the division crown, but I think the loss of Brian Rafalski will hurt them, but I think with their revamped coaching staff of Mike Babcock, who is the best coach in Hockey and veteran leadership, they will be in the conference finals against Chicago. I think Chicago is slightly stronger, but I think Detroit and Vancouver are the biggest threats to them.
General Manager: Scott Howson
Head Coach: Scott Arniel
Key Additions: Jeff Carter (Trade via Philadelphia), James Wisniewski, Vaclav Prospal, Cody Bass, Radek Martinek, Aaron Johnson, Curtis Sanford
Key Subtractions: Ethan Moreau (LA), Nikita Filatov (Traded to Ottawa), Andrew Murray (San Jose), Sami Lepisto (Chicago), Mike Commodore (Detroit), Jan Hejda (Colorado), Scottie Upshall (Florida), Mathieu Garon (Tampa Bay)
The Blue Jackets got off to a strong start under new coach Scott Arniel this past season, but faltered down the stretch. However, the team made a huge splash in free agency signing unrestricted free agent defenseman James Wisniewski to a 6 year $33 million dollar contract. This was seen by many as a very steep price to pay for a top 4 defenseman who has not played like one in recent years. However, he is familiar with the Central division having played with the Blackhawks earlier in his career. They also made a huge splash up front by landing star center Jeff Carter from the Flyers, but it cost them Jakub Voracek, who was one of their top prospects. Carter at first was not as excited about the deal, but since has conformed to being a Jacket. Carter will finally give Columbus their center-man for Nash. I think the Blue Jackets success will depend on Steve Mason and the health of Rick Nash. My prediction is that they will fall short again, but they can pull off an element of surprise especially with Prospal on the team.
St. Louis Blues:
General Manager: Doug Armstrong
Head Coach: Davis Payne
Key Additions: Evgeny Grachev (Trade via NYR), Jason Arnott, Jamie Langenbrunner, Scott Nichol, Kent Huskins, Brian Elliott, Jonathan Cheechoo, Danny Syvret
Key Subtractions: Cam Janssen (NJ), Tyson Strachan (Florida), Paul Kariya (retired)
The St. Louis Blues once again found themselves lacking any success in the season. But, this year I think with the veteran additions they made and some toughness and depth they are primed for the playoffs. They not only have a good chance to make the playoffs, but do some damage especially with Jaroslav Halak in net.
Nashville Predators:
General Manager: David Poile
Head Coach: Barry Trotz
Key Additions: Jack Hillen, Tyler Sloan, Niclas Bergfors, Brodie Dupont (Trade via NYR)
Key Subtractions: Cody Franson (Traded to Toronto), Matthew Lombardi (Traded to Toronto), Marcel Goc (Florida), Shane O'Brien (Colorado), Joel Ward (Washington), Steve Sullivan (Pittsburgh)
The Nashville Predators took a huge step forward in 2010-2011 by reaching Round 2 of the playoffs for the first time in team history before being beaten by the eventual Western Conference Champs Vancouver Canucks. I think that they can surprise many and reach Round 3 this year, because of one guy "Pekka Rinne." They did however suffer some big losses in leadership from Cody Franson, Joel Ward and Steve Sullivan, so Rinne will be heavily relied upon. Also, it will be interesting to see how Shea Weber plays after being taken to arbitration by the team. They will be a playoff team.
Chicago Blackhawks:
General Manager: Stan Bowman
Head Coach: Joel Quenneville
Key Additions: Sami Lepisto, Dan Carcillo, Andrew Brunette, Sean O'Donnell, Jamal Mayers, Steve Montador, Rostislav Olesz (Trade via Florida),
Key Subtractions: Chris Campoli (TBD), Mary Turco (TBD), Jordan Hendry (TBD), Fernando Pisano (TBD), Brian Campbell (Traded to Florida), Tomas Kopecky (Florida), Troy Brouwer (Traded to Washington)
A year after winning the Cup in 2010, the 2010-2011 version of the Blackhawks core was still intact, but they took a step back. However, they almost became the 4th team in NHL history to rally from an 0-3 playoff deficit in Round 1 against their heated Western rival, the Vancouver Canucks. This year the Blackhawks are now more focused an re-energized to make another deep playoff run and win their 2nd cup in 3 years. I think they will be a major threat this year based on their offseason additions of veteran leadership and toughness. Dan Carcillo will add more fuel to the both the Wings-Hawks rivalry as well as the Canucks-Hawks rivalry. I think Corey Crawford has established himself as a future franchise goaltender and Toews is quickly becoming the best captain in the NHL as well a a great two-way player. Kane will need to have a much better season and stay healthy. Watch-out Vancouver, the Blackhawks are on their way back to re-claim the Western Title. My Prediction is that they will win the Stanley Cup and be the first 2 time Champ since the lockout, they are that deep. And they do have the best defensive pairing in the NHL with Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook. Yes, they lost some valuable pieces, but they added some grit and passion they lacked. Lookout for Ben Smith as well.
Detroit Red Wings:
General Manager: Ken Holland
Head Coach: Mike Babcock
Key Additions: Ty Conklin, Ian White, Mike Commodore
Key Subtractions: Brian Rafalski (retirement), Chris Osgood (retirement), Derek Meech (Winnipeg), Ruslan Salei (KHL)
It will be between the Red Wings and Blackhawks for the division crown, but I think the loss of Brian Rafalski will hurt them, but I think with their revamped coaching staff of Mike Babcock, who is the best coach in Hockey and veteran leadership, they will be in the conference finals against Chicago. I think Chicago is slightly stronger, but I think Detroit and Vancouver are the biggest threats to them.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
2011-2012 Northwest Division Preview
Colorado Avalanche:
General Manager: Greg Sherman
Head Coach: Joe Sacco
Key Additions: Shane O'Brien, JS Giguere, Chuck Kobasew, Simeon Varlamov (trade via Washington)
Key Subtractions: Phillipe Dupuis (Toronto), Brian Elliott (St. Louis), Tomas Fleischmann (Florida), Peter Budaj (Montreal), John-Michael Liles (Traded to Toronto)
After a surprising 2009-2010 campaign which almost led to a first round upset over the Sharks in the playoffs, the Colorado Avalanche found themselves back in the NHL cellar in 2010-2011. But, this year they hope some new toughness and fresh blood can lead them back to the playoffs. They do have another potential star in Gabriel Landeskog coming into camp and two new goaltenders. One thing is certain, Joe Sacco is back on the hot seat as an NHL coach. I think they will be better than this past season, but will fall short. But falling short does not rest well with Team President Eric Lacroix, who still expects the Avalanche to be cup contenders. However, with little or no identity on defense, the Avs might need to stay in the lottery.
Minnesota Wild:
General Manager: Chuck Fletcher
Head Coach: Mike Yeo
Key Additions: Darrol Powe (Trade via Philadelphia), Dany Heatley (Trade via San Jose), Devin Setoguchi (Trade via San Jose)
Key Subtractions: Patrick O'Sullivan (Phoenix), Chuck Kobasew (Colorado), Cam Barker (Edmonton), Andrew Brunette (Chicago), Jose Theodore (Florida), Brent Burns (Traded to San Jose), Martin Havlat (Traded to San Jose), James Sheppherd (Traded to San Jose), Antti Miettinen (KHL), John Madden (unsigned)
The Minnesota Wild underwent many radical changes much like the Florida Panthers did. They have a new coach and a new fresh offensive scheme. I think they are going to be a dangerous and tough team to play against with the likes of Stoner and Clutterbuck. They will have to be very healthy though especially team captain Mikko Koivu, who will play on the line with Heatley and Setoguchi. The Wild will definitely be a player this year in the tough west, but again will likely fall short of the playoffs. A lot will again depend on the play of Niklas Backstrom.
Edmonton Oilers:
General Manager: Steve Tambellini
Head Coach: Tom Renney
Key Additions: Ryan Smyth (Trade via LA), Eric Belanger, Corey Potter, Josh Green, Ben Eager, Darcy Hordichuk, Cam Barker
Key Subtractions: Colin Fraser (Traded to LA), Andrew Cogliano (Traded to Anaheim), Jim Vandermeer (San Jose), Sheldon Souray (Dallas)
The Oilers again found themselves at the very cellar of the NHL and chose Ryan Nugent-Hopkins with the #1 overall pick. This year they hope with the veteran leadership of Ryan Smyth, who returns after 5 years away from Edmonton will lead them out of last place and hopefully close to the 8th spot. However, they will once again fall short this season despite adding toughness and checking ability.
Calgary Flames:
Key Additions: Scott Hannan, Chris Butler (Trade via Buffalo), Pierre-Luc Letourneau-LeBlond (Trade via NJ)
Key Subtractions: Robyn Regehr (Traded to Buffalo), Adam Pardy (Dallas)
General Manager: Jay Feaster
Head Coach: Brent Sutter
The Flames had a nice late year run this past season, but still fell short of the playoffs and thus have not made it there since Brent Sutter took over the helm at coach. However, with a fresh voice at the front office of Jay Feaster and a hungry roster, they are eager to prove their skeptics wrong. They will definitely be a huge factor in the very difficult but yet unpredictable Western Conference.
Vancouver Canucks:
General Manager: Mike Gillis
Head Coach: Alain Vigneault
Key Additions: Marco Sturm, Byron Bitz, Alexander Sulzer, Andrew Ebbett
Key Subtractions: Tanner Glass (Winnipeg), Lea Sweatt (Ottawa), Alex Bolduc and Raffi Torres (Phoenix), Christian Ehrhoff (Buffalo)
After an embarassing Game 7 loss to the Bruins in the Finals, the Canucks have found themselves still being one of the NHL's elite. They did suffer some losses in toughness with Torres, Glass and Bolduc leaving via free agency as well as Christian Ehrhoff, but they did manage to add toughness in Bitz, Ebbett, and possibly Todd Fedoruk if he makes the team. They managed to lockup Kevin Bieksa long-term this past summer, who rounds out the top defensive shut down pairing for the Canucks with Dan Hamhuis. I think the Canucks will once again be Stanley Cup Contenders, but they will have to try to avoid the Blackhawks at any cost in the playoffs, who will be very hungry to return the favor. My guess is that they once gain win the Northwest Division and make it to Round 2 of the playoffs at the very least, however their road to finally win the elusive cup will be much tougher this year than it was this past season.
General Manager: Greg Sherman
Head Coach: Joe Sacco
Key Additions: Shane O'Brien, JS Giguere, Chuck Kobasew, Simeon Varlamov (trade via Washington)
Key Subtractions: Phillipe Dupuis (Toronto), Brian Elliott (St. Louis), Tomas Fleischmann (Florida), Peter Budaj (Montreal), John-Michael Liles (Traded to Toronto)
After a surprising 2009-2010 campaign which almost led to a first round upset over the Sharks in the playoffs, the Colorado Avalanche found themselves back in the NHL cellar in 2010-2011. But, this year they hope some new toughness and fresh blood can lead them back to the playoffs. They do have another potential star in Gabriel Landeskog coming into camp and two new goaltenders. One thing is certain, Joe Sacco is back on the hot seat as an NHL coach. I think they will be better than this past season, but will fall short. But falling short does not rest well with Team President Eric Lacroix, who still expects the Avalanche to be cup contenders. However, with little or no identity on defense, the Avs might need to stay in the lottery.
Minnesota Wild:
General Manager: Chuck Fletcher
Head Coach: Mike Yeo
Key Additions: Darrol Powe (Trade via Philadelphia), Dany Heatley (Trade via San Jose), Devin Setoguchi (Trade via San Jose)
Key Subtractions: Patrick O'Sullivan (Phoenix), Chuck Kobasew (Colorado), Cam Barker (Edmonton), Andrew Brunette (Chicago), Jose Theodore (Florida), Brent Burns (Traded to San Jose), Martin Havlat (Traded to San Jose), James Sheppherd (Traded to San Jose), Antti Miettinen (KHL), John Madden (unsigned)
The Minnesota Wild underwent many radical changes much like the Florida Panthers did. They have a new coach and a new fresh offensive scheme. I think they are going to be a dangerous and tough team to play against with the likes of Stoner and Clutterbuck. They will have to be very healthy though especially team captain Mikko Koivu, who will play on the line with Heatley and Setoguchi. The Wild will definitely be a player this year in the tough west, but again will likely fall short of the playoffs. A lot will again depend on the play of Niklas Backstrom.
Edmonton Oilers:
General Manager: Steve Tambellini
Head Coach: Tom Renney
Key Additions: Ryan Smyth (Trade via LA), Eric Belanger, Corey Potter, Josh Green, Ben Eager, Darcy Hordichuk, Cam Barker
Key Subtractions: Colin Fraser (Traded to LA), Andrew Cogliano (Traded to Anaheim), Jim Vandermeer (San Jose), Sheldon Souray (Dallas)
The Oilers again found themselves at the very cellar of the NHL and chose Ryan Nugent-Hopkins with the #1 overall pick. This year they hope with the veteran leadership of Ryan Smyth, who returns after 5 years away from Edmonton will lead them out of last place and hopefully close to the 8th spot. However, they will once again fall short this season despite adding toughness and checking ability.
Calgary Flames:
Key Additions: Scott Hannan, Chris Butler (Trade via Buffalo), Pierre-Luc Letourneau-LeBlond (Trade via NJ)
Key Subtractions: Robyn Regehr (Traded to Buffalo), Adam Pardy (Dallas)
General Manager: Jay Feaster
Head Coach: Brent Sutter
The Flames had a nice late year run this past season, but still fell short of the playoffs and thus have not made it there since Brent Sutter took over the helm at coach. However, with a fresh voice at the front office of Jay Feaster and a hungry roster, they are eager to prove their skeptics wrong. They will definitely be a huge factor in the very difficult but yet unpredictable Western Conference.
Vancouver Canucks:
General Manager: Mike Gillis
Head Coach: Alain Vigneault
Key Additions: Marco Sturm, Byron Bitz, Alexander Sulzer, Andrew Ebbett
Key Subtractions: Tanner Glass (Winnipeg), Lea Sweatt (Ottawa), Alex Bolduc and Raffi Torres (Phoenix), Christian Ehrhoff (Buffalo)
After an embarassing Game 7 loss to the Bruins in the Finals, the Canucks have found themselves still being one of the NHL's elite. They did suffer some losses in toughness with Torres, Glass and Bolduc leaving via free agency as well as Christian Ehrhoff, but they did manage to add toughness in Bitz, Ebbett, and possibly Todd Fedoruk if he makes the team. They managed to lockup Kevin Bieksa long-term this past summer, who rounds out the top defensive shut down pairing for the Canucks with Dan Hamhuis. I think the Canucks will once again be Stanley Cup Contenders, but they will have to try to avoid the Blackhawks at any cost in the playoffs, who will be very hungry to return the favor. My guess is that they once gain win the Northwest Division and make it to Round 2 of the playoffs at the very least, however their road to finally win the elusive cup will be much tougher this year than it was this past season.
Monday, August 22, 2011
2011-2012 Southeast Division Preview
Winnipeg Jets:
General Manager: Kevin Cheveldayoff
Head Coach: Claude Noel
Key Additions: Tanner Glass, Randy Jones, Derek Meech, Eric Fehr (trade via Washington), Kendall McArdle (Trade via Florida)
Key Subtractions: Eric Boulton (NJ), Anthony Stewart (Carolina), Radek Dvorak (Dallas)
The NHL is back in Winnipeg where it ended somewhat 15 seasons ago when the Jets bolted for Phoenix. Now the Jets will be the most displaced team with likely the farthest distance to travel for most of their road games, but only for this season. That is because the Jets are back, but not from Phoenix, this time from Atlanta. They will need to make three trips to Washington, Carolina, Tampa Bay and Florida. All will require more than a thousand miles. The Vancouver Canucks usually are the team with heaviest travel schedule, but Winnipeg will top that this season. Next season they are expected to join either the Northwest or Central Divisions in the Western Conference if NHL decides to realign using 6 divisions with 3 in each conference.
But, now to the Jets team as a whole. They do have a new front office staff as well as coaching staff as they basically got rid of everyone who used to be in the Atlanta Organization which include Don Waddell as Team President, Rick Dudley as General Manager and Craig Ramsay as Head Coach. They brought in Kevin Cheveldayoff as GM and Claude Noel as coach and have a new minor league affiliate in St. John's, Newfoundland. They made some low key quality additions to their roster for toughness, but mostly went with development from within the organization. They are yet to lockup Zack Bogosian, their top defenseman to a new deal, but still have a lot of talent in their club. However, they are a young team with not much offensive upside and I think that they will have a relatively tough first season back in Winnipeg, but at least the NHL is back there. Hopefully with the long travel they will be able to bond. That will be up to captain Andrew Ladd to get them to that level.
Tampa Bay Lightning:
General Manager: Steve Yzerman
Head Coach: Guy Boucher
Key Additions: Tom Pyatt, Ryan Shannon, Mathieu Garon, Matt Gilroy
Key Subtractions: Sean Bergenheim (Florida), Mike Smith (Phoenix), Simon Gagne (LA), Randy Jones (Winnipeg)
The Lightning made a statement this past season under rookie coach Guy Boucher by upsetting the Penguins and Capitals in the first two rounds of the playoffs and nearly defeating the eventual Cup Champion Bruins in 7 games in Round 3. Now, I think they are healthy and hungry to go one round further and they are close to returning to the top form they had in 2004 when the won the Cup. They did lose Sean Bergenheim to division and state rival Panthers, but I think that they have the youth in Steven Stamkos and talent to still be very effective in the unpredictable Southeast division despite their losses like Gagne. They again will be a playoff team in my mind and I think with the correct management of Dwayne Roloson, they can go to the Finals.
Carolina Hurricanes:
General Manager: Jim Rutherford
Head Coach: Paul Maurice
Key Additions: Brian Boucher, Tomas Kaberle, Anthony Stewart, Alexei Ponikarovsky, Tim Brent
Key Subtractions: Erik Cole (Montreal), Joe Corvo (Traded to Boston)
The Hurricanes nearly missed the playoffs by one game when they lost their season finale on home ice against division rival Lightning. This past offseason they added some quality determined to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2009. They will again have to rely on the effective goaltending of Cam Ward.
Florida Panthers:
General Manager: Dale Tallon
Head Coach: Kevin Dineen
Key Additions: Matt Bradley, Tomas Fleischmann, Scottie Upshall, Ed Jovanovski, Marcel Goc, Sean Bergenheim, Kris Versteeg (Trade via Philadelphia), Tomas Kopecky, Jose Theodore, Brian Campbell (Trade via Chicago)
Key Subtractions: Byron Bitz (Vancouver), Niclas Bergfors (Nashville), Darcy Hordichuk (Edmonton), Tomas Vokoun (Washington), Marty Reasoner (NY Islanders)
No team in the NHL made more radical changes than the Florida Panthers. They had the most money to spend and they opened their wallet's immediately when the offseason started. GM Dale Tallon brought in a lot of familiar faces in Campbell, Versteeg and Kopecky that he had while he was GM of Blackhawks. All of them won the cup in 2010 and he is attempting to do the same with the Panthers. He has a new coach in Kevin Dineen after firing current Devils coach Peter DeBoer. Dineen will have a roster with proven winners. But, I think that they will be a bit thin in the goaltending position with Theodore and Clemmensen. However, I think they do have scoring depth and will be a fun team to watch with players like Mike Santorelli, Evgeny Dadonov, Dmitry Kulikov, and Stephen Weiss expected to have big years. This team can make a huge statement this year in the Southeast, but I think they will fall a bit short, but look out for Florida in the next 2-3 years.
Washington Capitals:
General Manager: George McPhee
Head Coach: Bruce Boudreau
Key Additions: Jeff Halpern, Roman Hamrlik, Tomas Vokoun, Christian Hanson, Ryan Potulny, Joel Ward
Key Subtractions: Scott Hannan (Calgary), Jason Arnott (St. Louis), Brian Willsie (Montreal), Marco Sturm (Vancouver), Boyd Gordon (Phoenix)
No team in the NHL has more to prove than the Capitals. Plain and simple, they have been the most underachieving team the past 3-4 seasons. They have yet to make it to the Conference Finals and if they fail to make it to at least the Finals this year, it could bring major radical change both at the top and at the coaching position. Alexander Semin, Mike Green and Nicklas Backstrom will be key to any success they have this season both in the 82 game frame and the playoffs. Last season they tightened up defensively and sacrificed offense, but this season they have to combine a great defense and goaltending with productivity from the offense driven by Alexander Ovechkin. I believe they will win this division this season with a viable goaltender in Vokoun and with the additions they made. Hamrlik will add veteran leadership on defense and Joel Ward will hope to have another playoffs like he did with Nashville this past season. He does not need a good regular season, but a good productive Playoff. I say the Capitals will finally make it to at least the Eastern Final.
General Manager: Kevin Cheveldayoff
Head Coach: Claude Noel
Key Additions: Tanner Glass, Randy Jones, Derek Meech, Eric Fehr (trade via Washington), Kendall McArdle (Trade via Florida)
Key Subtractions: Eric Boulton (NJ), Anthony Stewart (Carolina), Radek Dvorak (Dallas)
The NHL is back in Winnipeg where it ended somewhat 15 seasons ago when the Jets bolted for Phoenix. Now the Jets will be the most displaced team with likely the farthest distance to travel for most of their road games, but only for this season. That is because the Jets are back, but not from Phoenix, this time from Atlanta. They will need to make three trips to Washington, Carolina, Tampa Bay and Florida. All will require more than a thousand miles. The Vancouver Canucks usually are the team with heaviest travel schedule, but Winnipeg will top that this season. Next season they are expected to join either the Northwest or Central Divisions in the Western Conference if NHL decides to realign using 6 divisions with 3 in each conference.
But, now to the Jets team as a whole. They do have a new front office staff as well as coaching staff as they basically got rid of everyone who used to be in the Atlanta Organization which include Don Waddell as Team President, Rick Dudley as General Manager and Craig Ramsay as Head Coach. They brought in Kevin Cheveldayoff as GM and Claude Noel as coach and have a new minor league affiliate in St. John's, Newfoundland. They made some low key quality additions to their roster for toughness, but mostly went with development from within the organization. They are yet to lockup Zack Bogosian, their top defenseman to a new deal, but still have a lot of talent in their club. However, they are a young team with not much offensive upside and I think that they will have a relatively tough first season back in Winnipeg, but at least the NHL is back there. Hopefully with the long travel they will be able to bond. That will be up to captain Andrew Ladd to get them to that level.
Tampa Bay Lightning:
General Manager: Steve Yzerman
Head Coach: Guy Boucher
Key Additions: Tom Pyatt, Ryan Shannon, Mathieu Garon, Matt Gilroy
Key Subtractions: Sean Bergenheim (Florida), Mike Smith (Phoenix), Simon Gagne (LA), Randy Jones (Winnipeg)
The Lightning made a statement this past season under rookie coach Guy Boucher by upsetting the Penguins and Capitals in the first two rounds of the playoffs and nearly defeating the eventual Cup Champion Bruins in 7 games in Round 3. Now, I think they are healthy and hungry to go one round further and they are close to returning to the top form they had in 2004 when the won the Cup. They did lose Sean Bergenheim to division and state rival Panthers, but I think that they have the youth in Steven Stamkos and talent to still be very effective in the unpredictable Southeast division despite their losses like Gagne. They again will be a playoff team in my mind and I think with the correct management of Dwayne Roloson, they can go to the Finals.
Carolina Hurricanes:
General Manager: Jim Rutherford
Head Coach: Paul Maurice
Key Additions: Brian Boucher, Tomas Kaberle, Anthony Stewart, Alexei Ponikarovsky, Tim Brent
Key Subtractions: Erik Cole (Montreal), Joe Corvo (Traded to Boston)
The Hurricanes nearly missed the playoffs by one game when they lost their season finale on home ice against division rival Lightning. This past offseason they added some quality determined to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2009. They will again have to rely on the effective goaltending of Cam Ward.
Florida Panthers:
General Manager: Dale Tallon
Head Coach: Kevin Dineen
Key Additions: Matt Bradley, Tomas Fleischmann, Scottie Upshall, Ed Jovanovski, Marcel Goc, Sean Bergenheim, Kris Versteeg (Trade via Philadelphia), Tomas Kopecky, Jose Theodore, Brian Campbell (Trade via Chicago)
Key Subtractions: Byron Bitz (Vancouver), Niclas Bergfors (Nashville), Darcy Hordichuk (Edmonton), Tomas Vokoun (Washington), Marty Reasoner (NY Islanders)
No team in the NHL made more radical changes than the Florida Panthers. They had the most money to spend and they opened their wallet's immediately when the offseason started. GM Dale Tallon brought in a lot of familiar faces in Campbell, Versteeg and Kopecky that he had while he was GM of Blackhawks. All of them won the cup in 2010 and he is attempting to do the same with the Panthers. He has a new coach in Kevin Dineen after firing current Devils coach Peter DeBoer. Dineen will have a roster with proven winners. But, I think that they will be a bit thin in the goaltending position with Theodore and Clemmensen. However, I think they do have scoring depth and will be a fun team to watch with players like Mike Santorelli, Evgeny Dadonov, Dmitry Kulikov, and Stephen Weiss expected to have big years. This team can make a huge statement this year in the Southeast, but I think they will fall a bit short, but look out for Florida in the next 2-3 years.
Washington Capitals:
General Manager: George McPhee
Head Coach: Bruce Boudreau
Key Additions: Jeff Halpern, Roman Hamrlik, Tomas Vokoun, Christian Hanson, Ryan Potulny, Joel Ward
Key Subtractions: Scott Hannan (Calgary), Jason Arnott (St. Louis), Brian Willsie (Montreal), Marco Sturm (Vancouver), Boyd Gordon (Phoenix)
No team in the NHL has more to prove than the Capitals. Plain and simple, they have been the most underachieving team the past 3-4 seasons. They have yet to make it to the Conference Finals and if they fail to make it to at least the Finals this year, it could bring major radical change both at the top and at the coaching position. Alexander Semin, Mike Green and Nicklas Backstrom will be key to any success they have this season both in the 82 game frame and the playoffs. Last season they tightened up defensively and sacrificed offense, but this season they have to combine a great defense and goaltending with productivity from the offense driven by Alexander Ovechkin. I believe they will win this division this season with a viable goaltender in Vokoun and with the additions they made. Hamrlik will add veteran leadership on defense and Joel Ward will hope to have another playoffs like he did with Nashville this past season. He does not need a good regular season, but a good productive Playoff. I say the Capitals will finally make it to at least the Eastern Final.
Friday, August 19, 2011
NHL unlikely to adopt any major rule changes experimented in this weeks Research and Development Camp
This past week in Etobicoke, Ontario the National Hockey League conducted its 2nd annual Research and Development Camp testing any new potential ways to improve the game both in a statistical and safety perspective. NHL coaches Dan Bylsma and Dave Tippet got to experiment these rules first hand by coaching their respective teams made up of top prospects eligible for the 2012 & 2013 NHL Entry Drafts. They tested dozens of new potential rules that might go in effect as early as this season, but most likely in the next Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
Some of the rules are:
-Shallower Nets for more wraparound goals
-Goal Verification Line for video review
-Offside and Face-off infraction consequences
-icing rules (no-touch and hybrid)
-curved glass on benches to prevent another Chara-Pacioretty incident
-removal of goaltender trapezoid
-new headshot rules (an off-ice discussion)
-new safer ways to follow through on checks into the boards
-tie-breaking formats (3 on 3 if 4 on 4 fails
Other rules were tested out as well. However, most of the rules will not likely go into effect until the 2012-2013 season at the earliest if there is even a season. I think the verification line, shallow nets and redesigned goal's will go into effect this year, but from a statistical view, those rules will likely wait. The removal of the trapezoid is something that might happen as well this season, but yet again most likely in next CBA.
Some of the rules are:
-Shallower Nets for more wraparound goals
-Goal Verification Line for video review
-Offside and Face-off infraction consequences
-icing rules (no-touch and hybrid)
-curved glass on benches to prevent another Chara-Pacioretty incident
-removal of goaltender trapezoid
-new headshot rules (an off-ice discussion)
-new safer ways to follow through on checks into the boards
-tie-breaking formats (3 on 3 if 4 on 4 fails
Other rules were tested out as well. However, most of the rules will not likely go into effect until the 2012-2013 season at the earliest if there is even a season. I think the verification line, shallow nets and redesigned goal's will go into effect this year, but from a statistical view, those rules will likely wait. The removal of the trapezoid is something that might happen as well this season, but yet again most likely in next CBA.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Devils Zajac to miss 3 months with torn Achilles Tendon
The New Jersey Devils struggling offensive corps suffered an early season blow. Top center Travis Zajac tore his Achilles Tendon during offseason workouts and underwent surgery early this morning. Zajac had played in 401 consecutive games, so his Devils Iron Man streak will end. He is scheduled to return sometime in November from injury.
Lamoriello today said, he has no plans to sign anyone to fill in for Zajac or bring anyone in for a tryout. This likely means that Elias will start the year as the top line center with Josefson moving to the 2nd line, Steckel will move to the 3rd line and Adam Henrique will likely make the team out of camp. So, the decision to sign a center might come towards the end of training camp if their current line-up does not produce in the preseason as its capable.
The decision not to sign someone probably means that Lamoriello will not use the created $6 million dollars in cap space after the Colin White and Trent Hunter buyouts. This means that he is setting the Devils up to be buyers at the trade deadline or be very aggressive on the Free Agent Market in Summer 2012. So, with the Zajac injury the Devils projected forward line-up is:
Kovalchuk Elias Palmieri
Parise Josefson Tedenby
Zubrus Steckel Clarkson
Boulton Henrique Zharkov
Extras: Janssen, Pelley
Lamoriello today said, he has no plans to sign anyone to fill in for Zajac or bring anyone in for a tryout. This likely means that Elias will start the year as the top line center with Josefson moving to the 2nd line, Steckel will move to the 3rd line and Adam Henrique will likely make the team out of camp. So, the decision to sign a center might come towards the end of training camp if their current line-up does not produce in the preseason as its capable.
The decision not to sign someone probably means that Lamoriello will not use the created $6 million dollars in cap space after the Colin White and Trent Hunter buyouts. This means that he is setting the Devils up to be buyers at the trade deadline or be very aggressive on the Free Agent Market in Summer 2012. So, with the Zajac injury the Devils projected forward line-up is:
Kovalchuk Elias Palmieri
Parise Josefson Tedenby
Zubrus Steckel Clarkson
Boulton Henrique Zharkov
Extras: Janssen, Pelley
Monday, August 15, 2011
Will NHL have another work stoppage?
The 2011-2012 season will be the last season in this new post-lockout Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) and it is set to expire in the end of September 2012 unless the NHL and the Players (NHLPA) reach a new deal or extend the current deal for another given amount of time. There is no doubt that if the a new CBA is not reached by July 1, 2012 it might affect the way some or all of the teams conduct their business in the offseason. Zach Parise might not have a huge market for him with the possibility of the labor uncertainty.
But, there is a bright spot in the sense that two professional sports leagues, the NBA and the NFL just had their own labor uncertainties and the NBA one is still ongoing and there is a huge feeling that there will be no basketball this season. The NFL Lockout ended in the end of July and it went on for almost 160 days, which is almost 6 months and came within weeks of wiping out some games. Basketball on the other hand is likely to call an impasse and the sides a still very very and extremely far apart. So, will the NFL and NBA lockouts impact what happens with the NHL. I think the NHL should look at the two cases very closely and try to come up with a resolution as quickly as possible.
There is no doubt that the current system in the NHL has some flaws, but it is working much better than the old one. In the old system only big spending teams succeeded and small market teams struggled dearly. The NHL revenues are increasing every year due to the rising salary cap every year. If revenues fall, the cap will fall, but it has not. The NHL has just entered into a new 10 year deal with Comcast/NBC worth over $2 Billion dollars and that should be a blueprint as to why there should be no work stoppage.
NHLPA head Donald Fehr must educate the players on the current system and see what he and the players would like. My feeling is that the Salary Cap and Linkage (Cost Certainty) should remain intact. I think that the two sides will reach the CBA and look at the NFL and NBA as the reason to avoid a work stoppage. Here are 5 issues that will likely come up in CBA talks:
1. Salary Cap Format
2. Front-Loaded Contracts/Maximum Yearly Salary/Term Lengths on Contracts
3. Head Injuries/Player safety
4. Rules
5. Season Format
But, there is a bright spot in the sense that two professional sports leagues, the NBA and the NFL just had their own labor uncertainties and the NBA one is still ongoing and there is a huge feeling that there will be no basketball this season. The NFL Lockout ended in the end of July and it went on for almost 160 days, which is almost 6 months and came within weeks of wiping out some games. Basketball on the other hand is likely to call an impasse and the sides a still very very and extremely far apart. So, will the NFL and NBA lockouts impact what happens with the NHL. I think the NHL should look at the two cases very closely and try to come up with a resolution as quickly as possible.
There is no doubt that the current system in the NHL has some flaws, but it is working much better than the old one. In the old system only big spending teams succeeded and small market teams struggled dearly. The NHL revenues are increasing every year due to the rising salary cap every year. If revenues fall, the cap will fall, but it has not. The NHL has just entered into a new 10 year deal with Comcast/NBC worth over $2 Billion dollars and that should be a blueprint as to why there should be no work stoppage.
NHLPA head Donald Fehr must educate the players on the current system and see what he and the players would like. My feeling is that the Salary Cap and Linkage (Cost Certainty) should remain intact. I think that the two sides will reach the CBA and look at the NFL and NBA as the reason to avoid a work stoppage. Here are 5 issues that will likely come up in CBA talks:
1. Salary Cap Format
2. Front-Loaded Contracts/Maximum Yearly Salary/Term Lengths on Contracts
3. Head Injuries/Player safety
4. Rules
5. Season Format
Friday, August 12, 2011
What happens if Devils lose Zach Parise to Free Agency next year?
While we do not as Devils fans and analysts want to even think about next year's free agent frenzy as the current season has not even happened, we do know that there is a possibility that Zach Parise might leave the team as an unrestricted free agent. Which leads to the question, what might or might not happen if it becomes reality?
While, I do think that the two sides will eventually come to a long-term agreement at some point during the season, because I do expect Lou to negotiate a contract for him while the season is ongoing, there is still that negative possibility. Lou Lamoriello has been known as a GM that loses big name marquee free agent talents to other teams that in some cases are also hated division rivals. But, instead of going out to sign free agents to pluck holes, Lou decided to built through youth and develop his prospects even though they might not have been even ready to play in the NHL. Lamoriello's reputation around the league is not to overpay and hard line negotiations, which scared off a lot of his own players from staying in New Jersey. He has had to deal with a lot of these headaches this past decade.
In Summer 2001 after a devastating Game 7 loss in the Finals to the Colorado Avalanche, the Devils lost Sean O'Donnell to the Boston Bruins and leading goal scorer Alexander Mogilny to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Lou Lamoriello only signed veteran defenseman Tommy Albelin to a contract, who was on the tail-end of his career. It seems that ever since that Game 7 loss, the Devils offensive struggles began and continues even to this day. Before that they were a team nobody wanted to play, but after a struggling 2001-2002 campaign which ended in a Round 1 defeat in the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes, the Devils were brought back to Earth.
In Summer 2002, the Devils lost Bobby Holik to the rival Rangers, who overpaid dearly for him. The Devils ended up making a blockbuster trade with the then Anaheim Mighty Ducks, which helped both teams since the Devils defeated the Ducks in the 2003 Finals. They traded Petr Sykora, a member of one of the most popular lines in Devils history to Anaheim for Jeff Friesen and Oleg Tverdovsky. So, in that sense Lou Lamoriello did not sign Free Agents, but improved his team through a trade. Lamoriello is more of a fan of making trades rather than free agency.
In 2003 after winning the cup, the Devils lost Joe Nieuwendyk to the Leafs and chose not to bring back Oleg Tverdovsky, who struggled in his lone season in New Jersey. The Devils did have a major cup hangover only to lose to the Flyers in Round 1 of the 2004 playoffs. 2004 was a pointless offseason as the Devils lost nobody, but did sign defenseman Richard Matvichuk and brought back forward Krzysztof Oliwa. However, there was no season in 2004-2005 due to a lockout.
But, since the lockout, no franchise has endured bigger struggles than the Devils. In 2005, Lamoriello probably lost his biggest core players in Scott Niedermayer to Anaheim. While, Lamoriello offered the biggest contract reportedly, Scott wanted to play with his brother in Anaheim. The Devils were not aggressive in a crazy free agent market, because they had limited cap space and due to Lou's ideology. They signed Malakhov, Rafalski and McGillis along with bringing back Alexander Mogilny. Only Rafalski lasted the whole season as the rest of the three struggled with poor play. The Devils were ousted by Carolina in Round 2 of the playoffs.
In 2006, the Devils lost nobody to free agency as they managed to keep Patrik Elias, but 2007 was probably the huge low turning point for the Devils. Also in 2006-2007 they watched Niedermayer captain the Ducks to the Stanley Cup. They lost both Scott Gomez and Brian Rafalski in Summer 2007 to free agency. Gomez in 2006 went to arbitration with the Devils and won the case and made it known he wanted to be paid like a superstar and went for a 7 year $51.5 million dollar contract with the rival Rangers learning from Bobby Holik. Gomez used Holik as an idol while with Devils. Rafalski took a 5 year $30 million dollar contract from Detroit. He partnered with Nicklas Lidstrom and it was the top defensive pairing in the league and they led the Red Wings to a Stanley Cup. It took Lou two days to recover from the losses and he went against his philosophy and signed Dainius Zubrus and Karel Rachunek, two quality, but not star potential players to pluck those holes. The Devils were shutout 11 times the following year and lost to the Rangers in round 1 in the playoffs.
In 2008, the Devils signed Brian Rolston and brought back Bobby Holik in free agency and lost nobody but Arron Asham. However, they did not get past Round 1 again. In 2009, they lost John Madden and Brian Gionta and did not sign anyone but Rob Niedermayer in September. Madden won the cup with Chicago. In 2010, they were active, but lost another core member in Paul Martin to the rival Penguins. However this summer they signed Parise to a one-year-deal to avoid arbitration and now are working on a long-term deal. However, the CBA states that a new deal cannot be signed until January 1st, so anything could change.
So, now the question is, what will happen should Parise leave the Devils for free agency? Several teams will court Zach come July 1st, 2012 like the Toronto Maple Leafs, Buffalo Sabres, both New York Teams in the Rangers and Islanders, the Vancouver Canucks, San Jose Sharks, LA Kings, Montreal Canadiens, and his home state Minnesota Wild. All will be up to Lou should he lose Parise. If he feels that there is somebody in Free Agency worth signing that could help the team, he might push to sign him, but lets keep in mind the CBA expires in September of 2012 and it could lead to some potential free agents to not sign anywhere until a new CBA or Collective Bargaining Agreement is reached. So, the Devils probably used that as the reason to avoid arbitration and only sign a one-year-deal.
If Parise leaves, I think that Lou Lamoriello will see how much salary cap space he has and decide his action, but do not expect him to do much. He will say that he believes in the depth that he has through the prospect system and might give his younger players a chance to prove themselves in bigger situations. Mattias Tedenby might be asked to play in the spot vacated by Parise. But, other than Parise, next years Free Agent Class seems weak, so with Parise likely to be locked-up sometime during the season, it might be a slow frenzy. But, like I said, do not expect Lou to go crazy on the free agent market if Parise is to leave. Expectations will remain the same in New Jersey. Parise is yet to prove himself in the playoffs as he only has proved himself during the regular season.
While, I do think that the two sides will eventually come to a long-term agreement at some point during the season, because I do expect Lou to negotiate a contract for him while the season is ongoing, there is still that negative possibility. Lou Lamoriello has been known as a GM that loses big name marquee free agent talents to other teams that in some cases are also hated division rivals. But, instead of going out to sign free agents to pluck holes, Lou decided to built through youth and develop his prospects even though they might not have been even ready to play in the NHL. Lamoriello's reputation around the league is not to overpay and hard line negotiations, which scared off a lot of his own players from staying in New Jersey. He has had to deal with a lot of these headaches this past decade.
In Summer 2001 after a devastating Game 7 loss in the Finals to the Colorado Avalanche, the Devils lost Sean O'Donnell to the Boston Bruins and leading goal scorer Alexander Mogilny to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Lou Lamoriello only signed veteran defenseman Tommy Albelin to a contract, who was on the tail-end of his career. It seems that ever since that Game 7 loss, the Devils offensive struggles began and continues even to this day. Before that they were a team nobody wanted to play, but after a struggling 2001-2002 campaign which ended in a Round 1 defeat in the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes, the Devils were brought back to Earth.
In Summer 2002, the Devils lost Bobby Holik to the rival Rangers, who overpaid dearly for him. The Devils ended up making a blockbuster trade with the then Anaheim Mighty Ducks, which helped both teams since the Devils defeated the Ducks in the 2003 Finals. They traded Petr Sykora, a member of one of the most popular lines in Devils history to Anaheim for Jeff Friesen and Oleg Tverdovsky. So, in that sense Lou Lamoriello did not sign Free Agents, but improved his team through a trade. Lamoriello is more of a fan of making trades rather than free agency.
In 2003 after winning the cup, the Devils lost Joe Nieuwendyk to the Leafs and chose not to bring back Oleg Tverdovsky, who struggled in his lone season in New Jersey. The Devils did have a major cup hangover only to lose to the Flyers in Round 1 of the 2004 playoffs. 2004 was a pointless offseason as the Devils lost nobody, but did sign defenseman Richard Matvichuk and brought back forward Krzysztof Oliwa. However, there was no season in 2004-2005 due to a lockout.
But, since the lockout, no franchise has endured bigger struggles than the Devils. In 2005, Lamoriello probably lost his biggest core players in Scott Niedermayer to Anaheim. While, Lamoriello offered the biggest contract reportedly, Scott wanted to play with his brother in Anaheim. The Devils were not aggressive in a crazy free agent market, because they had limited cap space and due to Lou's ideology. They signed Malakhov, Rafalski and McGillis along with bringing back Alexander Mogilny. Only Rafalski lasted the whole season as the rest of the three struggled with poor play. The Devils were ousted by Carolina in Round 2 of the playoffs.
In 2006, the Devils lost nobody to free agency as they managed to keep Patrik Elias, but 2007 was probably the huge low turning point for the Devils. Also in 2006-2007 they watched Niedermayer captain the Ducks to the Stanley Cup. They lost both Scott Gomez and Brian Rafalski in Summer 2007 to free agency. Gomez in 2006 went to arbitration with the Devils and won the case and made it known he wanted to be paid like a superstar and went for a 7 year $51.5 million dollar contract with the rival Rangers learning from Bobby Holik. Gomez used Holik as an idol while with Devils. Rafalski took a 5 year $30 million dollar contract from Detroit. He partnered with Nicklas Lidstrom and it was the top defensive pairing in the league and they led the Red Wings to a Stanley Cup. It took Lou two days to recover from the losses and he went against his philosophy and signed Dainius Zubrus and Karel Rachunek, two quality, but not star potential players to pluck those holes. The Devils were shutout 11 times the following year and lost to the Rangers in round 1 in the playoffs.
In 2008, the Devils signed Brian Rolston and brought back Bobby Holik in free agency and lost nobody but Arron Asham. However, they did not get past Round 1 again. In 2009, they lost John Madden and Brian Gionta and did not sign anyone but Rob Niedermayer in September. Madden won the cup with Chicago. In 2010, they were active, but lost another core member in Paul Martin to the rival Penguins. However this summer they signed Parise to a one-year-deal to avoid arbitration and now are working on a long-term deal. However, the CBA states that a new deal cannot be signed until January 1st, so anything could change.
So, now the question is, what will happen should Parise leave the Devils for free agency? Several teams will court Zach come July 1st, 2012 like the Toronto Maple Leafs, Buffalo Sabres, both New York Teams in the Rangers and Islanders, the Vancouver Canucks, San Jose Sharks, LA Kings, Montreal Canadiens, and his home state Minnesota Wild. All will be up to Lou should he lose Parise. If he feels that there is somebody in Free Agency worth signing that could help the team, he might push to sign him, but lets keep in mind the CBA expires in September of 2012 and it could lead to some potential free agents to not sign anywhere until a new CBA or Collective Bargaining Agreement is reached. So, the Devils probably used that as the reason to avoid arbitration and only sign a one-year-deal.
If Parise leaves, I think that Lou Lamoriello will see how much salary cap space he has and decide his action, but do not expect him to do much. He will say that he believes in the depth that he has through the prospect system and might give his younger players a chance to prove themselves in bigger situations. Mattias Tedenby might be asked to play in the spot vacated by Parise. But, other than Parise, next years Free Agent Class seems weak, so with Parise likely to be locked-up sometime during the season, it might be a slow frenzy. But, like I said, do not expect Lou to go crazy on the free agent market if Parise is to leave. Expectations will remain the same in New Jersey. Parise is yet to prove himself in the playoffs as he only has proved himself during the regular season.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Will Devils return to playoffs this year?
Last summer, the Devils were involved in one of the most ugliest contract battles in league history and for some reason it created a huge distraction for a team trying to prepare for a huge season. Yes, most of the Devils were busy working out and preparing for a season which they and the fans thought would be a year of big opportunity and possibly glory. However, the Kovalchuk contract saga was a distraction for New Jersey and a huge motivating factor for all teams to punish the Devils on the ice. While the players did not admit it as an excuse simply because this is a no excuse league, it definitely showed that it was based on the chemistry's they failed to build and relationships they tried to establish. Zach Parise was hurt for most of the year and missed 69 games, which was mostly the reason that Lou Lamoriello signed him to a one-year-deal to avoid arbitration. I think they will keep him long-term, and Lou will break his rule of no negotiating during the season and lock him up in January 2012.
Most General Managers were unhappy with the Devils and Lou Lamoriello's handling of the saga and it probably ruined his reputation around the league. It was not until Jacques Lemaire came back to replace the fired John MacLean when Lou Lamoriello started to earn some respect back around the NHL. Lamoriello traded team captain Jamie Langenbrunner to the Stars and immediately changed the dynamic on the team. Langenbrunner could have also started the Devils demise when he was out for one game in March 2010 with what the team called rest, but he interpreted it as a healthy scratch. It was shortly after that the Devils started a miracle run, which only put them out of the playoffs by a small margin. Lemaire not only salvaged the season, but he fixed Ilya Kovalchuk, fixed the mindset of the team and he also made the Devils earn back the respect of the league.
Now to this season, Lemaire is once again gone into retirement and this time he won't return for good. The Devils did not hire a coach until July 18th when they named Peter DeBoer as their new coach. Many though the Devils were giving Lemaire time to enjoy the summer and then ask him to return for one more go around. However, it was not the case, Lou actually used his time wisely and carefully and was the last vacancy to fill the position. DeBoer said he plans to stick with what worked late last season, but definitely wants to find new creative ways to find more offense and fix the struggling power play, which has plagued the Devils since 2002. Yes, the Devils power play was actually worst in the NHL when they won the cup in 2003. Now, your power play has to be effective otherwise you will not win games.
So, there are many burning question to answer for the Devils this season.
Will Ilya Kovalchuk return to his 40-50 goal form and how will he co-exist with DeBoer and Parise?
If the Devils are going to rely on Kovalchuk and Parise for offense, they can think about the lottery again for 2012. Simply put the Devils need to get certain players like Elias, Zajac and Clarkson along with Zubrus going again. But that is not the question. I think Kovalchuk will score at least 35 goals this year, but I see him finishing with 43, but I can only base it off his play form the past season. He will definitely have a huge year under DeBoer and I think he can co-exist with Parise and get along with DeBoer. It will depend on his attitude and being able to adjust to being a Devil.
Will Parise stay healthy?
There is no question that Zach Parise was a huge loss for the Devils this past season and it plagued them offensively. The Devils struggled with Parise, but he entered the season with the injury and aggravated it in the end of October. This year I think he will stay healthy and be very effective in his role.
Who will have a breakout year offensively other than the big names?
I think David Clarkson will have a breakout year offensively and having past experiences with Peter DeBoer should help him. He was most excited to know that he was the new coach.
Will Larsson make the team and how effective can he be?
I think Larsson will make the team, but he will play some games in Albany during the middle of the season. He will be effective when he plays, but I think some Albany assignments will help his development.
Will they make the playoffs?
As I mentioned in the previous post, I have them finishing 7th in the East and I think if they make it past round one, the season will be a success.
Most General Managers were unhappy with the Devils and Lou Lamoriello's handling of the saga and it probably ruined his reputation around the league. It was not until Jacques Lemaire came back to replace the fired John MacLean when Lou Lamoriello started to earn some respect back around the NHL. Lamoriello traded team captain Jamie Langenbrunner to the Stars and immediately changed the dynamic on the team. Langenbrunner could have also started the Devils demise when he was out for one game in March 2010 with what the team called rest, but he interpreted it as a healthy scratch. It was shortly after that the Devils started a miracle run, which only put them out of the playoffs by a small margin. Lemaire not only salvaged the season, but he fixed Ilya Kovalchuk, fixed the mindset of the team and he also made the Devils earn back the respect of the league.
Now to this season, Lemaire is once again gone into retirement and this time he won't return for good. The Devils did not hire a coach until July 18th when they named Peter DeBoer as their new coach. Many though the Devils were giving Lemaire time to enjoy the summer and then ask him to return for one more go around. However, it was not the case, Lou actually used his time wisely and carefully and was the last vacancy to fill the position. DeBoer said he plans to stick with what worked late last season, but definitely wants to find new creative ways to find more offense and fix the struggling power play, which has plagued the Devils since 2002. Yes, the Devils power play was actually worst in the NHL when they won the cup in 2003. Now, your power play has to be effective otherwise you will not win games.
So, there are many burning question to answer for the Devils this season.
Will Ilya Kovalchuk return to his 40-50 goal form and how will he co-exist with DeBoer and Parise?
If the Devils are going to rely on Kovalchuk and Parise for offense, they can think about the lottery again for 2012. Simply put the Devils need to get certain players like Elias, Zajac and Clarkson along with Zubrus going again. But that is not the question. I think Kovalchuk will score at least 35 goals this year, but I see him finishing with 43, but I can only base it off his play form the past season. He will definitely have a huge year under DeBoer and I think he can co-exist with Parise and get along with DeBoer. It will depend on his attitude and being able to adjust to being a Devil.
Will Parise stay healthy?
There is no question that Zach Parise was a huge loss for the Devils this past season and it plagued them offensively. The Devils struggled with Parise, but he entered the season with the injury and aggravated it in the end of October. This year I think he will stay healthy and be very effective in his role.
Who will have a breakout year offensively other than the big names?
I think David Clarkson will have a breakout year offensively and having past experiences with Peter DeBoer should help him. He was most excited to know that he was the new coach.
Will Larsson make the team and how effective can he be?
I think Larsson will make the team, but he will play some games in Albany during the middle of the season. He will be effective when he plays, but I think some Albany assignments will help his development.
Will they make the playoffs?
As I mentioned in the previous post, I have them finishing 7th in the East and I think if they make it past round one, the season will be a success.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
New Ex-Devil Colin White signs with Sharks
Colin White's time as a free agent lasted all but less than 24 hours. The San Jose Sharks signed him to a 1 year deal worth $1 Million dollars. White was bought out along with recently acquired Trent Hunter yesterday saving the Devils almost $5.9 million in cap space.
White will give the Sharks some toughness that they lack come playoff time. He will likely be in and out of the line-up depending who the Sharks play and will be a 3rd line defenseman. There is no word today on what the Devils plan to do with the cap space the recent buyouts created.
White will give the Sharks some toughness that they lack come playoff time. He will likely be in and out of the line-up depending who the Sharks play and will be a 3rd line defenseman. There is no word today on what the Devils plan to do with the cap space the recent buyouts created.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Devils officially buyout Colin White and Trent Hunter
The best news entering the 2011-2012 season for the New Jersey Devils is that they will not have salary cap issues facing them like they did last year. Today the Devils officially bought out the contracts for defenseman Colin White and recently acquired forward Trent Hunter. Right now, the Devils have roughly a little under $5.9 million in cap space remaining.
Both players will have part of their salaries count against the Devils cap for the next two seasons, but its only a part. With White gone, the Devils now only have Patrik Elias and Martin Brodeur as the only two players remaining from their 2003 Stanley Cup Championship squad. Hunter was acquired last week from the Islanders in a trade for Brian Rolston.
It is not yet known whether Lou Lamoriello will make any further transactions to use up part of the space, but it might only be a small one. I doubt any further moves will be made, so here is their current projected line-up:
Ilya Kovalchuk || Travis Zajac || Nick Palmieri
Zach Parise || Patrik Elias || Dainius Zubrus
Adam Henrique || Jacob Josefson || Mattias Tedenby
Eric Boulton || David Steckel || David Clarkson
Extras: Vladimir Zharkov, Cam Janssen, Rod Pelley
Henrik Tallinder || Mark Fayne
Andy Greene || Anton Volchenkov
Bryce Salvador || Adam Larsson
Extras: Mark Fraser, Matthew Corrente, Alexander Urbom.
Both players will have part of their salaries count against the Devils cap for the next two seasons, but its only a part. With White gone, the Devils now only have Patrik Elias and Martin Brodeur as the only two players remaining from their 2003 Stanley Cup Championship squad. Hunter was acquired last week from the Islanders in a trade for Brian Rolston.
It is not yet known whether Lou Lamoriello will make any further transactions to use up part of the space, but it might only be a small one. I doubt any further moves will be made, so here is their current projected line-up:
Ilya Kovalchuk || Travis Zajac || Nick Palmieri
Zach Parise || Patrik Elias || Dainius Zubrus
Adam Henrique || Jacob Josefson || Mattias Tedenby
Eric Boulton || David Steckel || David Clarkson
Extras: Vladimir Zharkov, Cam Janssen, Rod Pelley
Henrik Tallinder || Mark Fayne
Andy Greene || Anton Volchenkov
Bryce Salvador || Adam Larsson
Extras: Mark Fraser, Matthew Corrente, Alexander Urbom.
2011-2012 Unofficial Standings Predictions
Ok, its August and the rosters are not set yet, so here are my early standings predictions:
Eastern Conference:
1. Pittsburgh Penguins
2. Washington Capitals
3. Buffalo Sabres
4. Boston Bruins
5. Philadelphia Flyers
6. NY Rangers
7. New Jersey Devils
8. Tampa Bay Lightning
9. Montreal Canadiens
10. Florida Panthers
11. Carolina Hurricanes
12. Winnipeg Jets
13. Toronto Maple Leafs
14. NY Islanders
15. Ottawa Senators
Western Conference:
1. Chicago Blackhawks
2. Vancouver Canucks
3. Los Angeles Kings
4. Detroit Red Wings
5. San Jose Sharks
6. Nashville Predators
7. Anaheim Ducks
8. St. Louis Blues
9. Calgary Flames
10. Phoenix Coyotes
11. Dallas Stars
12. Columbus Blue Jackets
13. Minnesota Wild
14. Colorado Avalanche
15. Edmonton Oilers
Eastern Conference:
1. Pittsburgh Penguins
2. Washington Capitals
3. Buffalo Sabres
4. Boston Bruins
5. Philadelphia Flyers
6. NY Rangers
7. New Jersey Devils
8. Tampa Bay Lightning
9. Montreal Canadiens
10. Florida Panthers
11. Carolina Hurricanes
12. Winnipeg Jets
13. Toronto Maple Leafs
14. NY Islanders
15. Ottawa Senators
Western Conference:
1. Chicago Blackhawks
2. Vancouver Canucks
3. Los Angeles Kings
4. Detroit Red Wings
5. San Jose Sharks
6. Nashville Predators
7. Anaheim Ducks
8. St. Louis Blues
9. Calgary Flames
10. Phoenix Coyotes
11. Dallas Stars
12. Columbus Blue Jackets
13. Minnesota Wild
14. Colorado Avalanche
15. Edmonton Oilers
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