1) Detroit (Central)--> It takes a gambling man to bet against the Wings, who kept their Stanley Cup winning roster intact and added sniper Marian Hossa to the fold. The only possible factor that could hold this team back would be a poor season from goalie Chris Osgood
2) Dallas (Pacific)--> If Sean Avery can be the effective player that he proved to be at times with the Rangers, the Stars will be a tough team to beat in the West. They have above average scoring, solid defense and an All-Star goalie in Marty Turco.
3) Calgary (Northwest)--> Captain Iginla now has a bona-fide winger to play with in Mike Cammalleri, and Todd Bertuzzi is looking rejuvenated. If goalie Mikka Kiprusoff can return to All-Star form, the Flames will be a big contender.
4) San Jose (Pacific)--> A returning group of forwards will be joined by a revamped blueline which includes veteran stars Dan Boyle and Rob Blake. Evgeni Nabokov is capable of stealing games in net.
5) Edmonton (Northwest)--> One of the NHL's most improved teams, the Oilers have a great core of young players and acquired some veteran help in gritty forward Erik Cole and speedy defenceman Lubomir Visnovsky. Mathieu Garon will have to continue his progression between the pipes.
6) Anaheim (Pacific)--> The Ducks have taken a step backwards, but will still compete. They have potential All-Stars at every position, but their depth has been destroyed by Burke's attempts to fix salary cap woes.
7) Chicago (Central)--> The Hawks have surrounded young leader Jonathon Toews with an abundance of talent, including their biggest off-season acquisition, puck-moving blueliner Brian Campbell. This team could surprise a lot of people this season.
8) Vancouver (Northwest)--> The Canucks will continue to have scoring woes, which will prevent them from reaching the upper tier of the conference. But world-class goaltending from Roberto Luongo and a strong blueline will help this team squeak into the playoffs.
9) Phoenix (Pacific)--> An exciting team with a bunch of young talent, the Coyotes' lack of experience will hold them back in the playoff race. Look for this team to be a contender in the next 2 or 3 years.
10) Minnesota (Northwest)--> Coach Jacques Lemaire's defensive minded system will keep this team in every game, but distractions stemming from the Marian Gaborik contract debacle, lack of scoring depth and goaltending questions will keep this team out of the playoffs.
11) L.A. Kings (Pacific)--> The Kings have perhaps the brightest future of any NHL team, especially on the blueline, but they are not ready for the next step. Goaltending will be their main issue until top prospect Jonathon Bernier is ready.
12) Columbus (Central)--> The Bluejackets made a lot of moves this off-season, in an attempt to surround Rick Nash with more talent. In order to reach the playoff level, Nash will have to score like a Hart Candidate, and Pascal Leclaire must prove that he can handle the grind of a full season in net.
13) Nashville (Central)--> It will take a repeat performance from Dan Ellis in net for this team to be anywhere near the playoff picture, after losing a top young scorer in Alex Radulov to the KHL. The Predators will struggle to score this season.
14) Colorado (Northwest)--> The Avs' biggest downfall will be in net, as a tandem of Peter Budaj and Leafs' cast-off Andrew Raycroft is far from promising. Huge years from Sakic and Stastny will be key if the Avs are to make any noise.
15) St. Louis (Central)--> A team made up of aging veterans and young kids, the Blues could end up almost anywhere in the West, depending on the contributions of rookies who are being asked to play large roles. The loss of former first overall pick, defenceman Erik Johnson, is a huge loss for this team.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
NHL Regular Season Preview
With the exception of the four games played in Europe this past week, the NHL regular season will finally begin this week. Here are my predictions for the Eastern Conference Standings (Western Conference to follow):
1)Montreal (Northeast) → GM Bob Gainey kept the key components of a great team from last year together, while adding underrated forwards Alex Tanguay and Robert Lang to the fold. The key to their success will be the emergence of young goalie Carey Price.
2) Washington (Southeast)→ The Washington Capitals can no longer be labeled as Alex Ovechkin’s team. George McPhee has surrounded his prize sniper with a good nucleus of young talent, including Niklas Backstrom, who is poised for a huge year.
3) Philadelphia (Atlantic)→ In the closest divisional race, the Flyers will narrowly defeat Pittsburgh and the Rangers for the Atlantic Division title. Philly has great depth up front and a solid blue line, and some good young prospects knocking on the door, which keeps the veterans on their toes.
4) Pittsburgh (Atlantic)→ After a trip to the Cup Finals last season, look for the Pens to get off to a sluggish start. Unfortunately for the rest of the league, you can only hold talents such as Crosby and Malkin down for so long. The loss of top defenceman Sergei Gonchar will be a big blow.
5) New York Rangers (Atlantic)→ The Rangers are a tough team to make a prediction for, because of the large amount of changes made in the off-season. That being said, it’s easy to see that they have a lot of talent, and world-class goaltender Henrik Lundquist will keep them in every game.
6) Boston (Northeast)→ I see Boston as a team that deserves more respect. They were very close to knocking off Montreal last season and made some subtle upgrades this off-season, which should continue to push them in the right direction.
7) Ottawa (Northeast)→ Goaltending will continue to be an issue for the Sens, but they are still too deep and talented up front to miss the playoffs. That being said, if things don’t go their way this season, look for massive changes in the Nation’s Capital.
8) Tampa Bay (Southeast)→ One of the more intriguing teams going into this season, Tampa can boast a bevy of offensive punch up front. Their success will be determined by the play of their young, inexperienced blueline, and unproven goaltending.
9) Carolina (Southeast)→ The Canes could easily be a playoff team this season, as they have some of the league’s best offensive depth. I see them just barely missing out of the big dance after a close race with their divisional rivals from Tampa Bay. Carolina’s defence will be their downfall, as they have little top end talent to boast on the blueline.
10) Buffalo (Northeast)→ A fast, exciting offensive team, Buffalo will still fall short of the playoffs due to lack of experience and grit. They may make a push if young sniper Thomas Vanek explodes for a big year.
11) Florida (Southeast)→ The Panthers are a young and improving team, but will be distracted all year by the saga of franchise defenceman Jay Boumeester, who is rumoured to want out of the Sunshine State.
12) New Jersey (Atlantic)→ The Devils brought back some aging talent in attempt to return to their glory years, but I see their plan backfiring. This team will always ride on the aging back of goaltender Martin Brodeur, and I see this as the year he finally begins to decline.
13) Toronto (Northeast)→ Good goaltending and a lot of grit will keep the Leafs from falling to the basement in the East, but there is no scoring depth up front at all. Look for more players to be unloaded at the trade deadline for picks and prospects.
14) New York Islanders (Atlantic)→ The Isles are going with an abundance of youth this season, and that will cause some growing pains as the year wears on. The biggest storyline on the Island is whether or not prized-prospect Kyle Okposo will live up to expectations.
15) Atlanta ( Southeast)→ The Thrashers may as well change their name to the Atlanta Kovalchuks, as they possess no bona-fide scoring besides their Russian sniper. It will take some huge seasons from young and unproven players for this team to avoid the basement.
1)Montreal (Northeast) → GM Bob Gainey kept the key components of a great team from last year together, while adding underrated forwards Alex Tanguay and Robert Lang to the fold. The key to their success will be the emergence of young goalie Carey Price.
2) Washington (Southeast)→ The Washington Capitals can no longer be labeled as Alex Ovechkin’s team. George McPhee has surrounded his prize sniper with a good nucleus of young talent, including Niklas Backstrom, who is poised for a huge year.
3) Philadelphia (Atlantic)→ In the closest divisional race, the Flyers will narrowly defeat Pittsburgh and the Rangers for the Atlantic Division title. Philly has great depth up front and a solid blue line, and some good young prospects knocking on the door, which keeps the veterans on their toes.
4) Pittsburgh (Atlantic)→ After a trip to the Cup Finals last season, look for the Pens to get off to a sluggish start. Unfortunately for the rest of the league, you can only hold talents such as Crosby and Malkin down for so long. The loss of top defenceman Sergei Gonchar will be a big blow.
5) New York Rangers (Atlantic)→ The Rangers are a tough team to make a prediction for, because of the large amount of changes made in the off-season. That being said, it’s easy to see that they have a lot of talent, and world-class goaltender Henrik Lundquist will keep them in every game.
6) Boston (Northeast)→ I see Boston as a team that deserves more respect. They were very close to knocking off Montreal last season and made some subtle upgrades this off-season, which should continue to push them in the right direction.
7) Ottawa (Northeast)→ Goaltending will continue to be an issue for the Sens, but they are still too deep and talented up front to miss the playoffs. That being said, if things don’t go their way this season, look for massive changes in the Nation’s Capital.
8) Tampa Bay (Southeast)→ One of the more intriguing teams going into this season, Tampa can boast a bevy of offensive punch up front. Their success will be determined by the play of their young, inexperienced blueline, and unproven goaltending.
9) Carolina (Southeast)→ The Canes could easily be a playoff team this season, as they have some of the league’s best offensive depth. I see them just barely missing out of the big dance after a close race with their divisional rivals from Tampa Bay. Carolina’s defence will be their downfall, as they have little top end talent to boast on the blueline.
10) Buffalo (Northeast)→ A fast, exciting offensive team, Buffalo will still fall short of the playoffs due to lack of experience and grit. They may make a push if young sniper Thomas Vanek explodes for a big year.
11) Florida (Southeast)→ The Panthers are a young and improving team, but will be distracted all year by the saga of franchise defenceman Jay Boumeester, who is rumoured to want out of the Sunshine State.
12) New Jersey (Atlantic)→ The Devils brought back some aging talent in attempt to return to their glory years, but I see their plan backfiring. This team will always ride on the aging back of goaltender Martin Brodeur, and I see this as the year he finally begins to decline.
13) Toronto (Northeast)→ Good goaltending and a lot of grit will keep the Leafs from falling to the basement in the East, but there is no scoring depth up front at all. Look for more players to be unloaded at the trade deadline for picks and prospects.
14) New York Islanders (Atlantic)→ The Isles are going with an abundance of youth this season, and that will cause some growing pains as the year wears on. The biggest storyline on the Island is whether or not prized-prospect Kyle Okposo will live up to expectations.
15) Atlanta ( Southeast)→ The Thrashers may as well change their name to the Atlanta Kovalchuks, as they possess no bona-fide scoring besides their Russian sniper. It will take some huge seasons from young and unproven players for this team to avoid the basement.
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