STANDINGS PREDICTIONS-where I expect teams to finish this season.
Eastern Conference Standings:
1. Pittsburgh Penguins
2. Washington Capitals
3. Buffalo Sabres
4. Philadelphia Flyers
5. Tampa Bay Lightning
6. Boston Bruins
7. New York Rangers
8. Toronto Maple Leafs
9. Montreal Canadiens
10. Carolina Hurricanes
11. New York Islanders
12. Florida Panthers
13. Winnipeg Jets
14. Ottawa Senators
15. New Jersey Devils
Western Conference Standings:
1. Los Angeles Kings
2. Vancouver Canucks
3. Detroit Red Wings
4. San Jose Sharks
5. Nashville Predators
6. Chicago Blackhawks
7. Minnesota Wild
8. Anaheim Ducks
9. St. Louis Blues
10. Columbus Blue Jackets
11. Edmonton Oilers
12. Dallas Stars
13. Calgary Flames
14.Colorado Avalanche
15. Phoenix Coyotes
PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS
WEST EAST
Conference Quarterfinal: 1LAK def. 8ANA 4-1 1PIT def. 8TOR 4-0
7MIN def. 2VAN 4-3 2WSH def. 7NYR 4-2
6CHI def. 3DET 4-3 3BUF def. 6BOS 4-3
4SJS def. 5NSH 4-2 4PHI def. 5TBL 4-1
Conference Semifinal: 1LAK def. 7MIN 4-2 1PIT def. 4PHI 4-3
4SJS def. 6CHI 4-2 2WSH def. 3BUF 4-2
Conference Final: 4SJS def. 1LAK 4-2 2WSH def. 1PIT 4-3
Stanley Cup Final: WSH def. SJS 4-3
This will be the year for the Caps and Sharks to silence their critics and shake off their playoff problems. In the end, Ovechkin will raise the Cup and be on a more even plane with Crosby, taking out his Penguins in the Conference Final.
GOAL SCORING-These are the potential goal ranges I am projecting for players I expect to score at least 20 goals this season. Injjuries will be a factor, but this is the bar I am setting for these players. Higher than expected will be a pleasant surprise, and totals below will be a disappointing season. The 20-24 range will be the most volatile in my predictions, as there are so many I have deemed capable.
50+ goals: TBL-Steven Stamkos, Alexander Ovechkin.
45-49 goals: VAN-Daniel Sedin.
40-44 goals: Corey Perry. CBJ-Rick Nash. CGY-Jarome Iginla. NJD-Ilya Kovalchuk NYR-Marian Gaborik.
35-39 goals: Bobby Ryan. CRL-Eric Staal. CHI-Patrick Sharp. COL-Matt Duchene. MIN-Dany Healtey. NJD-Zach Parise. NYI-John Tavares. PIT-Sidney Crosby. SJS-Patrick Marleau, Martin Havlat. TOR-Phil Kessel. VAN-Ryan Kesler. WSH-Alexander Semin.
30-34 goals: BOS-Nathan Horton. BUF-Derek Roy, Thomas Vanek. CRL-Jeff Skinner. CBJ-Jeff Carter. COL-Paul Stastny. DAL-Jamie Benn. DET-Henrik Zetterberg. EDM-Taylor Hall. LAK-Anze Kopitar, Dustin Penner. MTL-Brian Gionta, Tomas Plekanec. NYI-Michael Grabner. PHI-Daniel Briere, Claude Giroux, Jaromir Jagr. PIT-Evgeni Malkin. STL-David Backes, Chris Stewart. SJS-Logan Couture. TBL-Vincent Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis. TOR-Nikolai Kulemin. VAN-Alexandre Burrows.
25-29 goals: ANA-Ryan Getzlaf, Teemu Selanne. BUF-Brad Boyes, Jason Pominville, Drew Stafford. CBJ-Matt Calvert. CHI-Marian Hossa, Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews. COL-Milan Hejduk, David Jones, Gabriel Landeskog. DAL-Loui Eriksson, Brenden Morrow. DET-Daniel Cleary, Pavel Datsyuk, Johan Franzen. EDM-Ales Hemsky. FLA-David Booth, Stephen Weiss. LAK-Dustin Brown, Mike Richards, Justin Williams. MIN-Guillaume Latendresse. MTL-Michael Cammalleri. NSH-Colin Wilson. NJD-Patrik Elias. NYI-Matt Moulson, Kyle Okposo. NYR-Brandon Dubinsky, Brad Richards. OTT-Daniel Alfredsson, Nikita Filatov, Jason Spezza. PHI-James van Riemsdyk. PIT-Chris Kunitz, James Neal, Jordan Staal. STL-David Perron. SJS-Joe Pavelski, Joe Thornton. TOR-Mikhail Grabovski. VAN-Mikael Samuelsson. WSH-Nicklas Backstrom, Mike Knuble. WPG-Evander Kane, Andrew Ladd.
20-24 goals: ANA-Jason Blake, Andrew Cogliano, Saku Koivu. BOS-Patrice Bergeron, Milan Lucic, Brad Marchand, Tyler Seguin. BUF-Tyler Ennis, Ville Leino. CRL-Jussi Jokinen, Tuomo Ruutu, Brandon Sutter. CBJ-Ryan Johansen, R.J. Umberger, Antoine Vermette, Derrick Brassard. CGY-Rene Bourque, Curtis Glencross, Lee Stempniak, Alex Tanguay. CHI-Bryan Bickell, Dave Bolland, Michael Frolik. COL-Chuck Kobasew, Peter Mueller. DAL-Michael Ryder. DET-Todd Bertuzzi, Tomas Holmstrom. EDM-Jordan Eberle, Shawn Horcoff, Ryan Jones, Magnus Paajarvi, Ryan Smyth. FLA-Evgeny Dadonov, Tomas Fleischmann, Scottie Upshall, Kris Versteeg. LAK-Simon Gagne, Jarret Stoll. MIN-Pierre-Marc Bouchard, Cal Clutterbuck, Matt Cullen, Mikko Koivu, Devin Setoguchi. MTL-Erik Cole, Max Pacioretty. NSH-Martin Erat, Blake Geoffrion, Patric Hornqvist, Sergei Kostitsyn, David Legwand. NJD-Travis Zajac. NYI-Blake Comeau, P.A. Parenteau, Brian Rolston, Ryan Strome, Nino Niederreiter. NYR-Artem Anisimov, Brian Boyle, Ryan Callahan, Ruslan Fedotenko, Derek Stepan, Wojtek Wolski. OTT-Bobby Butler, Milan Michalek. PHI-Scott Hartnell, Jakub Voracek. PHX-Shane Doan, Lauri Korpikoski, Radim Vrbata, Ray Whitney. PIT-Pascal Dupuis, Tyler Kennedy, Steve Sullivan. STL-Patrik Berglund, Matt D'Agostini, Andy McDonald, T.J. Oshie, Alex Steen. SJS- Ryane Clowe. TBL-Ryan Malone, Teddy Purcell. TOR-Tyler Bozak, Joffrey Lupul, Clarke MacArthur. VAN-Henrik Sedin, Marco Sturm. WSH-Jason Chimera, Mike Green, Brooks Laich. WPG-Nik Antropov, Dustin Byfuglien, Bryan Little, Blake Wheeler.
AWARDS-my guesses at who will win and be nominated
Vezina: W-Henrik Lundqvist. N-Pekka Rinne, Ilya Bryzgalov
Jennings: W-Pekka Rinne
Calder: W-Gabriel Landeskog. N-Adam Larsson, Ryan Strome
Hart/Lindsay: W-Alex Ovechkin. N-Evgeni Malkin, Steven Stamkos
Lady Byng: W-Loui Eriksson. N-Pavel Datsyuk, Martin St. Louis
Selke: W-Pavel Datsyuk. N-Ryan Kesler, Patrice Bergeron
Norris: W-Shea Weber. N-Drew Doughty, Mike Green
Art Ross: W-Evgeni Malkin
Richard: W-Alex Ovechkin.
Conn Smythe-Alex Ovechkin.
DRAFT ORDER-draft seating i project for the 2012 draft (pick ownership subject to change).
1. Phoenix Coyotes
2. Colorado Avalanche
3. New Jersey Devils
4. Ottawa Senators
5. Calgary Flames
6. Dallas Stars
7. Winnipeg Jets
8. Florida Panthers
9. Oilers
10. Islanders
11. Hurricanes
12. Blue Jackets
13. Blues
14. Canadiens
15. Maple Leafs
16. Ducks
17. Rangers
18. Wild
19. Blackhawks
20. Bruins
21. Lightning
22. Predators
23. Red Wings
24. Sabres
25. Flyers
26. Canucks
27. Los Angeles Kings
28. Pittsburgh Penguins
29. San Jose Sharks
30. Washington Capitals
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Season Preview-Northeast Division
1. BUFFALO SABRES
Last Season: 43-29-10, 96 points. 7th in Conference (3rd in Div.)-Lost in Conference Quarterfinal to PHI
Key Gains: Ville Leino, Robyn Regehr, Ales Kotalik, Christian Ehrhoff
Key Losses: Tim Connolly, Chris Butler, Steve Montador, Mark Parrish
Coach: Lindy Ruff
Forward Lines: 1. Thomas Vanek, Derek Roy, Jason Pominville
2. Drew Stafford, Paul Gaustad, Brad Boyes
3. Ville Leino*, Jochen Hecht, Tyler Ennis
4. Patrick Kaleta, Cody McCormick, Nathan Gerbe
Defensive Pairings: 1. Robyn Regehr*, Christian Ehrhoff*
2. Tyler Myers, Andrej Sekera
3. Jordan Leopold, Mike Weber
Goalie Tandem: Ryan Miller, Jhonas Enroth
Analysis:The Sabres are a team who managed to get a whole lot better without making all that many moves. They beefed up their defense massively, bringing in Christian Ehrhoff and Robyn Regehr, two of the game's better defenseman to add to an already talented blue line. Put them in front of all world goalie Ryan Miller, and teams will find it very hard to score goals against the Sabres, and boy will they have to. The Sabres offense is very talented and very deep. Derek Roy's return to the lineup after an injury-plagued season may make the biggest difference. Add in a potential 25 goal scorer in Ville Leino and the potential for a bounce back season from former 40-goal scorer Brad Boyes, and the Sabres will be one of the most feared teams in the league.
2. BOSTON BRUINS
Last Season: 46-25-11, 103 points. 3rd in Conference (1st in Div.)-Won Stanley Cup
Key Gains: Benoit Pouliot, Joe Corvo
Key Losses: Michael Ryder, Tomas Kaberle, Mark Recchi
Coach: Claude Julien
Forward Lines: 1. Milan Lucic, David Krejci, Nathan Horton
2. Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, Tyler Seguin
3. Benoit Pouliot*, Chris Kelly, Rich Peverley
4. Shawn Thornton, Greg Campbell, Daniel Paille
Defensive Pairings: 1. Zdeno Chara, Dennis Seidenberg
2. Joe Corvo*, Johnny Boychuk
3. Andrew Ference, Adam McQuaid
Goalie Tandem: Tim Thomas, Tuukka Rask
Analysis: Fresh off their championship season, the Bruins look to repeat. There have been hardly any changes made to their roster Tomas Kaberle was replaced by Joe Corvo, who is almost as offensively talented and is much better defensively than Kaberle. Benoit Pouliot will replace streaky Michael Ryder. A former 4th overall pick, Pouliot comes to his third team hoping to taste some of his true potential. Mark Recchi's retierment will be offset by a now more experienced Tyler Seguin. If last year's team was enough to win the Cup, that means the hardly retooled B's have a decent shot at a repeat. However, with so many powerhouse teams, particularly in their Conference, the road to continued glory will certainly be a difficult one.
3. TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS
Last Season: 37-34-11, 85 points. 10th in Conference (4th in Div.)-Did not qualify for playoffs.
Key Gains: Tim Connolly, John-Michael Liles, Cody Franson, Matthew Lombardi
Key Losses: Tim Brent, Jean-Sebastien Giguere, Brett Lebda, Christian Hanson
Coach: Ron Wilson
Forward Lines: 1. Nikolai Kulemin, Mikhail Grabovski, Phil Kessel
2. Clarke MacArthur, Tim Connolly*, Joffrey Lupul
3. Matthew Lombardi*, Tyler Bozak, Colby Armstrong
4. David Steckel*, Nazem Kadri, Mike Brown
Defensive Pairings: 1. Dion Phaneuf, Luke Schenn
2. John-Michael Liles*, Mike Komisarek
3. Carl Gunnarsson, Cody Franson*
Goalie Tandem: James Reimer, Jonas Gustavsson
Analysis: The Maple Leafslook to have a surprisingly good season. After a promising push for the playoffs, the Leafs showed they were not far off from being a postseason squad late last season. Brian Burke added a sprinkling of under the radar talent to bolster their young lineup. The oft-injured Tim Connolly, who will begin the season on IR, is an extremely talented centerman when he's healthy. Matthew Lombardi fits a similar mold. John-Michael Liles brings offensive prowess to the blue line and Cody Franson will provide greater depth and future potential. The biggest question will be if James Reimer can build on his stellar rookie season. He may very well be the difference between the playoffs and an early spring. With 30-40 goal talent in Kessel, Grabovski, and Kulemin, plus Phaneuf and Liles on the point, the Leafs look to have a fearsome power play.
4. MONTREAL CANADIENS
Last Season: 44-30-8, 96 points. 6th in Conference (2nd in Div.)-Lost in Conference Quarterfinal to BOS
Key Gains: Chris Campoli, Erik Cole, Peter Budaj, Brian Willsie
Key Losses: Benoit Pouliot, Jeff Halpern, Roman Hamrlik, Alex Auld, James Wisniewski, Tom Pyatt
Coach: Jacques Martin
Forward Lines: 1. Andrei Kostitsyn, Tomas Plekanec, Michael Cammalleri
2. Erik Cole*, Scott Gomez, Brian Gionta
3. Max Pacioretty, Lars Eller, Mathieu Darche
4. Travis Moen, Blair Betts*, David Desharnais
Defensive Pairings: 1.Andrei Markov, Jaroslav Spacek
2. P.K. Subban, Hal Gill
3. Josh Gorges, Yannick Weber
Goalie Tandem: Carey Price, Peter Budaj*
Analysis: The Canadiens managed to have a solid season last year despite constant and major injury probelms, but I expect their luck to finally run out a bit this season. Though Andrei Markov will be returning, they lost both James Wisniewski and Roman Hamrlik from their blue line. They are still extremely deep there, but with the injury history of Markov, Gorges, and Spacek, they will have a lot harder time if they run into injury trouble this year. Their only major addition was Erik Cole, who is a solid second liner, but will not provide all that much of a spark to a streaky and generally unperforming group of talented forwards. Look for the Habs to float around the edge of the playoff picture.
5. OTTAWA SENATORS
Last Season: 32-40-10, 74 points. 13th in Conference (15th in Div.)-Did not qualify for playoffs.
Key Gains: Alex Auld, Nikita Filatov, Zenon Konopka, Mark Parrish
Key Losses: Ryan Shannon
Coach: Paul MacLean
Forward Lines: 1. Milan Michalek, Jason Spezza, Daniel Alfredsson
2. Nikita Filatov*, Peter Regin, Bobby Butler
3. Nick Foligno, Colin Greening, Erik Condra
4. Chris Neil, Stephan Da Costa, Mika Zibanejad
Defensive Pairings: 1. Chris Phillips, Erik Karlsson
2. Sergei Gonchar, Filip Kuba
3. Brian Lee, Jared Cowen
Goalie Tandem: Craig Anderson, Alex Auld*
Analysis: Hopes are not very high for the Senators this season. Last year was an extreme disappointment and Bryan Murray quickly gutted the team. Little remains of the old Sens, but the young are what will be fun to watch. Many young prospects will be coming in to fill roles fresh off a championship season in the AHL. This is a team who could be very good in a few years, but will also need to choose how to deal with the returning players, many of whom are old and have huge contracts. Alfredsson will be healthy and put up decent numbers, but is nearing retirement. Gonchar could be on the move, and this may finally be the year the Sens dump the underachieving Jason Spezza. Craig Anderson is a question mark in net; He's generally either red hot or ice cold.
Last Season: 43-29-10, 96 points. 7th in Conference (3rd in Div.)-Lost in Conference Quarterfinal to PHI
Key Gains: Ville Leino, Robyn Regehr, Ales Kotalik, Christian Ehrhoff
Key Losses: Tim Connolly, Chris Butler, Steve Montador, Mark Parrish
Coach: Lindy Ruff
Forward Lines: 1. Thomas Vanek, Derek Roy, Jason Pominville
2. Drew Stafford, Paul Gaustad, Brad Boyes
3. Ville Leino*, Jochen Hecht, Tyler Ennis
4. Patrick Kaleta, Cody McCormick, Nathan Gerbe
Defensive Pairings: 1. Robyn Regehr*, Christian Ehrhoff*
2. Tyler Myers, Andrej Sekera
3. Jordan Leopold, Mike Weber
Goalie Tandem: Ryan Miller, Jhonas Enroth
Analysis:The Sabres are a team who managed to get a whole lot better without making all that many moves. They beefed up their defense massively, bringing in Christian Ehrhoff and Robyn Regehr, two of the game's better defenseman to add to an already talented blue line. Put them in front of all world goalie Ryan Miller, and teams will find it very hard to score goals against the Sabres, and boy will they have to. The Sabres offense is very talented and very deep. Derek Roy's return to the lineup after an injury-plagued season may make the biggest difference. Add in a potential 25 goal scorer in Ville Leino and the potential for a bounce back season from former 40-goal scorer Brad Boyes, and the Sabres will be one of the most feared teams in the league.
2. BOSTON BRUINS
Last Season: 46-25-11, 103 points. 3rd in Conference (1st in Div.)-Won Stanley Cup
Key Gains: Benoit Pouliot, Joe Corvo
Key Losses: Michael Ryder, Tomas Kaberle, Mark Recchi
Coach: Claude Julien
Forward Lines: 1. Milan Lucic, David Krejci, Nathan Horton
2. Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, Tyler Seguin
3. Benoit Pouliot*, Chris Kelly, Rich Peverley
4. Shawn Thornton, Greg Campbell, Daniel Paille
Defensive Pairings: 1. Zdeno Chara, Dennis Seidenberg
2. Joe Corvo*, Johnny Boychuk
3. Andrew Ference, Adam McQuaid
Goalie Tandem: Tim Thomas, Tuukka Rask
Analysis: Fresh off their championship season, the Bruins look to repeat. There have been hardly any changes made to their roster Tomas Kaberle was replaced by Joe Corvo, who is almost as offensively talented and is much better defensively than Kaberle. Benoit Pouliot will replace streaky Michael Ryder. A former 4th overall pick, Pouliot comes to his third team hoping to taste some of his true potential. Mark Recchi's retierment will be offset by a now more experienced Tyler Seguin. If last year's team was enough to win the Cup, that means the hardly retooled B's have a decent shot at a repeat. However, with so many powerhouse teams, particularly in their Conference, the road to continued glory will certainly be a difficult one.
3. TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS
Last Season: 37-34-11, 85 points. 10th in Conference (4th in Div.)-Did not qualify for playoffs.
Key Gains: Tim Connolly, John-Michael Liles, Cody Franson, Matthew Lombardi
Key Losses: Tim Brent, Jean-Sebastien Giguere, Brett Lebda, Christian Hanson
Coach: Ron Wilson
Forward Lines: 1. Nikolai Kulemin, Mikhail Grabovski, Phil Kessel
2. Clarke MacArthur, Tim Connolly*, Joffrey Lupul
3. Matthew Lombardi*, Tyler Bozak, Colby Armstrong
4. David Steckel*, Nazem Kadri, Mike Brown
Defensive Pairings: 1. Dion Phaneuf, Luke Schenn
2. John-Michael Liles*, Mike Komisarek
3. Carl Gunnarsson, Cody Franson*
Goalie Tandem: James Reimer, Jonas Gustavsson
Analysis: The Maple Leafslook to have a surprisingly good season. After a promising push for the playoffs, the Leafs showed they were not far off from being a postseason squad late last season. Brian Burke added a sprinkling of under the radar talent to bolster their young lineup. The oft-injured Tim Connolly, who will begin the season on IR, is an extremely talented centerman when he's healthy. Matthew Lombardi fits a similar mold. John-Michael Liles brings offensive prowess to the blue line and Cody Franson will provide greater depth and future potential. The biggest question will be if James Reimer can build on his stellar rookie season. He may very well be the difference between the playoffs and an early spring. With 30-40 goal talent in Kessel, Grabovski, and Kulemin, plus Phaneuf and Liles on the point, the Leafs look to have a fearsome power play.
4. MONTREAL CANADIENS
Last Season: 44-30-8, 96 points. 6th in Conference (2nd in Div.)-Lost in Conference Quarterfinal to BOS
Key Gains: Chris Campoli, Erik Cole, Peter Budaj, Brian Willsie
Key Losses: Benoit Pouliot, Jeff Halpern, Roman Hamrlik, Alex Auld, James Wisniewski, Tom Pyatt
Coach: Jacques Martin
Forward Lines: 1. Andrei Kostitsyn, Tomas Plekanec, Michael Cammalleri
2. Erik Cole*, Scott Gomez, Brian Gionta
3. Max Pacioretty, Lars Eller, Mathieu Darche
4. Travis Moen, Blair Betts*, David Desharnais
Defensive Pairings: 1.Andrei Markov, Jaroslav Spacek
2. P.K. Subban, Hal Gill
3. Josh Gorges, Yannick Weber
Goalie Tandem: Carey Price, Peter Budaj*
Analysis: The Canadiens managed to have a solid season last year despite constant and major injury probelms, but I expect their luck to finally run out a bit this season. Though Andrei Markov will be returning, they lost both James Wisniewski and Roman Hamrlik from their blue line. They are still extremely deep there, but with the injury history of Markov, Gorges, and Spacek, they will have a lot harder time if they run into injury trouble this year. Their only major addition was Erik Cole, who is a solid second liner, but will not provide all that much of a spark to a streaky and generally unperforming group of talented forwards. Look for the Habs to float around the edge of the playoff picture.
5. OTTAWA SENATORS
Last Season: 32-40-10, 74 points. 13th in Conference (15th in Div.)-Did not qualify for playoffs.
Key Gains: Alex Auld, Nikita Filatov, Zenon Konopka, Mark Parrish
Key Losses: Ryan Shannon
Coach: Paul MacLean
Forward Lines: 1. Milan Michalek, Jason Spezza, Daniel Alfredsson
2. Nikita Filatov*, Peter Regin, Bobby Butler
3. Nick Foligno, Colin Greening, Erik Condra
4. Chris Neil, Stephan Da Costa, Mika Zibanejad
Defensive Pairings: 1. Chris Phillips, Erik Karlsson
2. Sergei Gonchar, Filip Kuba
3. Brian Lee, Jared Cowen
Goalie Tandem: Craig Anderson, Alex Auld*
Analysis: Hopes are not very high for the Senators this season. Last year was an extreme disappointment and Bryan Murray quickly gutted the team. Little remains of the old Sens, but the young are what will be fun to watch. Many young prospects will be coming in to fill roles fresh off a championship season in the AHL. This is a team who could be very good in a few years, but will also need to choose how to deal with the returning players, many of whom are old and have huge contracts. Alfredsson will be healthy and put up decent numbers, but is nearing retirement. Gonchar could be on the move, and this may finally be the year the Sens dump the underachieving Jason Spezza. Craig Anderson is a question mark in net; He's generally either red hot or ice cold.
Season Preview-Atlantic Division
1. PITTSBURGH PENGUINS
Last Season: 49-25-8, 106 points. 4th in Conference (2nd in Div.)-Lost in Conference Quarterfinal vs. TBL
Key Gains: Steve Sullivan, Jason Williams
Key Losses: Maxime Talbot, Mike Rupp, Chris Conner
Coach: Dan Bylsma
Forward Lines: 1. Chris Kunitz, Sidney Crosby, Pascal Dupuis
2. James Neal, Evgeni Malkin, Steve Sullivan*
3. Matt Cooke, Jordan Staal, Tyler Kennedy
4. Dustin Jeffrey, Marc Letestu, Joe Vitale
Defensive Pairings: 1. Kris Letang, Brooks Orpik
2. Paul Martin, Zbynek Michalek
3. Matt Niskanen, Ben Lovejoy
Goalie Tandem: Marc-Andre Fleury, Brent Johnson
Analysis: This was a tough choice between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia for top team in the division. Both teams are extremely deep and talented in every facet of the game. But when it comes down to it, my reasoning for choosing Pittsburgh is what the Penguins did last season. While missing both Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin for the entire second half of the season, the Penguins stilled finished the season with their second highest win total in team history, and had the same amount of points as the division leading Flyers. If they were that good with a mediocre offensive lineup, imagine what they'll be like with Crosby and Malkin back in the lineup. It is still uncertain as to when Crosby will return, but adding the Art Ross caliber talent of Evgeni Malkin will provide enough of a spark as it is. Scoring from the wings will, as usual, be the one thing lacking from the Penguins this year.
2. PHILADELPHIA FLYERS
Last Season: 47-23-12, 106 points. 2nd in Conference (1st in Div.)-Lost in Conference Semifinal vs. BOS
Key Gains: Jakub Voracek, Maxime Talbot, Andreas Lilja, Wayne Simmonds, Brayden Schenn, Ilya Bryzgalov
Key Losses: Ville Leino, Daniel Carcillo, Brian Boucher, Darroll Powe, Sean O'Donnell, Jeff Carter, Mike Richards, Kris Versteeg, Blair Betts
Coach: Peter Laviolette
Forward Lines: 1. Scott Hartnell, Danny Briere, Jaromir Jagr*
2. James van Riemsdyk, Brayden Schenn*, Claude Giroux
3. Jakub Voracek*, Sean Couturier, Matt Read
4. Andreas Nodl, Maxime Talbot*, Wayne Simmonds*
4. Andreas Nodl, Maxime Talbot*, Wayne Simmonds*
Defensive Pairings: 1. Chris Pronger, Kimmo Timonen
2. Matt Carle, Andrej Meszaros
3. Braydon Coburn, Andreas Lilja*
Goalie Tandem: Ilya Bryzgalov, Sergei Bobrovsky
Analysis: After a season which saw them stay atop the Eastern Conference for most of the year, the Flyers were swept in the second round of the playoffs by the Bruins thanks to their game of musical chairs in net. The first major move they made in the off-season was to correct their long-standing net issues by acquiring Ilya Bryzgalov from Phoenix. Many question how he will fare in Philly, but keep in mind that he has put together stellar, Vezina-caliber seasons behind a team that is really not very good. Imagine what difference he will make with a team that has as much talent as the Flyers. The Flyers continued a questionable array of salary dumping moves, shipping off Captain Mike Richards, Jeff Carter, and Kris Versteeg to L.A., Columbus, and Florida respectively, but their adequate gains from these deals mixed with the presence of Bryzgalov and a healthy Chris Pronger will make the Flyers extremely tough to beat. They are not as talented as the Penguins down the middle, but their scoring ability from the wings is far superior, and they WILL be deep at center within a few years thanks to the acquisitions of Brayden Schenn and the 8th overall pick from Columbus which they used to draft Sean Couturier.
3. NEW YORK RANGERS
Last Season: 44-33-5, 93 points. 8th in Conference (3rd in Div.)-Lost in Conference Quarterfinal vs. WSH
Key Gains: Brad Richards, Mike Rupp
Key Losses: Matt Gilroy, Sean Avery, Vinny Prospal, Bryan McCabe
Coach: John Tortorella
Forward Lines: 1. Ruslan Fedotenko, Brad Richards*, Marian Gaborik
2. Wojtek Wolski, Brandon Dubinsky, Ryan Callahan
3. Artem Anisimov, Brian Boyle, Derek Stepan
4. Mats Zuccarello, Mike Rupp*, Erik Christensen
Defensive Pairings: 1. Marc Staal, Dan Girardi
2. Michael Sauer, Ryan McDonagh
3. Steve Eminger, Michael del Zotto
Goalie Tandem: Henrik Lundqvist, Martin Biron
Analysis: The Rangers are definitely a better team then they were last year with the addition of Brad Richards. He should spark Marian Gaborik back into 40, even 50, goal form if he can stay healthy. The rest of the lineup is extremely deep with 20-goal talent. Henrik Lundqvist is perennially a top-5 goaltender, which makes up a little bit for the fact that the Rangers are not very deep on defense. All-around, this should be a very good team. But they are in a division with two powerhouse teams, and their habit of choking despite owning high-priced talent makes me hesitant to say they will go very far into the playoffs, despite their very obvious reasons for signing Richards (who is a former Conn Smythe trophy winner) and Rupp (who scored a Cup winning goal for the Devils), as well as resigning Ruslan Fedotenko (who scored two goals in Game 7 when Richards won the Cup with the Lightning and Tortorella).
4. NEW YORK ISLANDERS
Last Season: 30-39-13, 73 points. 14th in Conference (5th in Div.)-Did not qualify for playoffs.
Key Gains: Marty Reasoner, Brian Rolston, Steve Staios, Jay Pandolfo
Key Losses: Bruno Gervais, Zenon Konopka, Trent Hunter, Radek Martinek, Jack Hillen
Coach: Jack Capuano
Forward Lines: 1. Matt Moulson, John Tavares, Michael Grabner
2. Blake Comeau, Frans Nielsen, Kyle Okposo
3. P.A. Parenteau, Ryan Strome, Nino Niederreiter
4. Jay Pandolfo*, Marty Reasoner*, Brian Rolston*
Defensive Pairings: 1. Mark Streit, Travis Hamonic
2. Andrew MacDonald, Milan Jurcina
3. Mark Eaton, Steve Staios*
Goalie Tandem: Al Montoya, Evgeni Nabakov
Analysis: The Islanders are always a tough team to call because of their lack of depth and experience. This year however, I see them doing a little better. They are still not a playoff team, but they have a ridiculous amount of young talent up front, and now have some veterans in Reasoner, Pandolfo, and Rolston to guide them. Tavares is getting better every year, Grabner and Moulson had 30 goal seasons a year ago, Okposo is set to break out finally if healthy, and Strome and Niederreiter are likely to make the team and add an extra youthful spark. Mark Streit will be healthy on defense, which will make a huge difference. Travis Hamonic was very promising in his rookie season, and veteran Steve Staios will help round out a now more experienced blue line crew. The goalie situation is questionable as always: Al Montoya was very good at the end of last season, but is still unproven; Rick DPietro is oft-injured and unreliable; Evgeni Nabakov flat-out refused to play for the Islanders last season.
5. NEW JERSEY DEVILS
Last Season: 38-39-5, 81 points. 11th in Conference (4th in Div.)-Did not qualify for playoffs
Key Gains: Cam Janssen, Eric Boulton
Key Losses: Colin White, Brian Rolston, David Steckel
Coach: Peter DeBoer
Forward Lines: 1. Ilya Kovalchuk, Travis Zajac, Zach Parise
2. Patrik Elias, Dainius Zubrus, Petr Sykora
3. Mattias Tedenby, Jacob Josefson, Nick Palmieri
4. Eric Boulton*, David Clarkson, Cam Janssen*
Defensive Pairings: 1. Anton Volchenkov, Henrik Tallinder
Defensive Pairings: 1. Anton Volchenkov, Henrik Tallinder
2. Adam Larsson, Mark Fayne
3. Andy Greene, Bryce Salvador
Goalie Tandem: Martin Brodeur, Johan Hedberg
Analysis: The Devils surge late last season showed that they are capable of great things. But that doesn't mean they will achieve them. Thanks to a decent D, decent goaltenidng, and expected bounceback seasons from Parise, Kovalchuk, and Zajac, the Devils will win some games, but likely not nearly enough to put them anywhere near a playoff spot. They have three major problems in their way: depth, and, paradoxically, youth and age. Outside of Patrik Elias, there is not a reliable scorer after the top line, depending on how Petr Sykora is after a year off from the NHL. They have many young inexperienced players who are unproven, and not expected to perform other than Adam Larsson, and should they fail or other players become injured, there are only more inexperienced callups to plug into the lineup. Outside of these players, most of the remaining lineup is very old. Brodeur is likely in his last season. Elias was an All-Star last year, but is still only getting older. Sykora may not have much left in the tank either. Many aged veterans have proven they can still play, but it is still hard to expect much of them. The Devils have a very talented top line, but that's really about it.
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