And so I went with my Eastern Conference and Western Conference predictions... might as well dig myself an even deeper hole and try to predict the various award winners.
President's Cup (regular season champs): Pittsburgh Penguins
Prince Of Wales Trophy (Eastern Conference Cup finalists): New York Rangers
Clarence-Campbell Trophy (Western Conference Cup finalists): St. Louis Blues
Stanley Cup Champions: St. Louis Blues
Conn Smythe (playoff MVP): Jaroslav Halak
Art Ross (points scoring leader): Evgeni Malkin
Rocket Richard (leading goal scorer): Steven Stamkos
Hart (MVP voted by the press):Steven Stamkos
Ted Lindsay (MVP voted by players): Alex Ovechkin
Vezina (top goalie): Jonathan Quick
Calder (best rookie): Jacob Trouba
Lady Byng (most sportsmanlike): Jason Pominville
Norris (best defenseman): Shea Weber
Bill Masterton (perseverance/comeback): Erik Karlsson
Frank Selke (best defensive forward): Tomas Plekanec
Jack Adams (top coach): Patrick Roy
King Clancy (humanitarian): Alexandre Burrows
Mark Messier (best leader): Henrik Zetterberg
GM: Bryan Murray
Showing posts with label 2013-14. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2013-14. Show all posts
Friday, October 4, 2013
2013-14 NHL Season Preview: Western Conference
In the second part of my NHL Preview series, I'll take a look at the Western Conference, where the new playoff rule for the final two spots could very well apply.
Western Conference:
The Central Division:
1. Chicago Blackhawks
I usually never pick a reigning Stanley Cup champion to finish first in their division the following year, mostly because of fatigue - and also because they usually lose key components of their team to free agency. But not only are the Hawks' key pieces under long-term contract, they're also playing in the weakest conference in the league - they won't coast through thanks to St. Louis and L.A., but their high-end talent and depth is unmatched in the West while Pittsburgh and New York will face each other much more often.
2. St. Louis Blues
This is Ken Hitchcock's Moment Of Truth with the Blues, a well-balanced team of players in their peak years. They'll don't need Jaroslav Halak to steal games, but he will - that's what he does. The defense is among the best in the league, led by the Big Three of Alex Pietrangelo (now paid like a Norris winner), Kevin Shattenkik and Jay Bouwmeester. Built a bit like the Boston Bruins in that there are no superstars on offense but instead will score by committee, they don't have Boston's grit nor the same level of abilities - where the Bruins boast six possible 60-point players, the Blues have five guys capable of reaching 45-to-50. But they like to win 2-1 or 1-0, and they will.
3. Minnesota Wild
The Wild have built themselves a team that can contend right now with a strong leadership group that includes captain Mikko Koivu, former New Jersey captain Zach Parise, and former Buffalo Sabres captain Jason Pominville - all of whom are potential Olympians. The future's also pretty much guaranteed, with the best stable of prospects at the AHL level. Ryan Suter could use some help on defense, and both goalies are question marks when it comes to health but the Wild remains a fine team.
4. Colorado Avalanche
How can a team of talented attackers, an iffy defense and questionable goaltending be ranked 4th in their division? One reason is how weak that division is, the other is the fact that first-year head coach Patrick Roy can teach an AHLer to contain an NHLer any day of the week - but offense has to come naturally. And the Avs have plenty of that, perhaps enough to trade either Ryan O'Reilly or Paul Stastny for help on the back end near the trade deadline, though it may not prove necessary. I've heard people wonder aloud about André Benoit as a 3rd/4th D - but Roy saw a lot of him in the past few seasons as an RDS contributor and analyst in Montréal (which he did between coaching games with his Québec Remparts of the LHJMQ), and he liked what he saw. Expect other coaches not to like Roy, he'll get under their skin a lot, save for perhaps 5 of them.
5. Dallas Stars
All the talk is about Tyler Seguin, and while he will likely be a point-per-game player for nearly ten seasons, it would be wrong to build around him; he's more a ''piece of the puzzle'' guy than ''big picture'' player. Jamie Benn looks like he got the call to be the face of the franchise, and I think he's a year or two removed from being able to consistently put points on the board, but rookie Valeri Nichushkin will lend a much needed hand. Shawn Horcoff and Ray Whitney will be fine leaders for the kids to look up to, and in a couple of years, the Stars could contend. In the meantime, they'll be a playoff-bubble team. They'll likely make it this year on the strength of their powerplay (which should crack the league's top-10) and because their conference is so weak.
6. Nashville Predators
As always, the defense will be impressive and hard to beat. And, as always, goals will come at a premium - on both sides of the ice. I love Mike Fisher, but he shouldn't be anyone's first-line pivot at this point in his career. Rookie Filip Forsberg could very well finish first in team scoring, followed by stud defenseman Shea Weber and... rookie defender Seth Jones. Yeah, it's that bad.
7. Winnipeg Jets
I don't expect coach Claude Noel to last until Halloween, and he may have won less than five games at that point, though it's not entirely his fault: GM Kevin Cheveldayoff has built this team going half-way on exactly what you should do (through the draft and patch up through fee agency), and half-way exactly what you should never do - overpay to retain your current top players although they have led you to the bottom, thus preventing direct position-by-position immediate improvement. Most GMs aren't stupid enough to downgrade their rosters via trade on purpose, yet the Jets have painted themselves into a corner, with a really awful colour to boot.
The Pacific Division:
1. Los Angeles Kings
How little do I think of this division? I'm guessing a team that has trouble scoring more than two goals per game will win it. Jonathan Quick is one of the two best goalies in the world, so stopping pucks won't be an issue; Slava Voynov dislodged Drew Doughty as the #1 defenseman, but that just makes him better, not Doughty worse. The trouble with the Kings is Anze Kopitar should always get ore than 75 points, Dustin Brown should get 30 goals and 200 PIMs, and the second line with Mike Richards and Jeff Carter should be just as productive. Often, they're not. But the Kings are jusdged on their playoff success anyway, and they're Cup contenders for sure.
2. Vancouver Canucks
Why second? I don't know. The Sedins still work their magic, Alexandre Burrows and Ryan Kesler are dynamic role players with a finishing touch, Roberto Luongo will lead Canada at the Olympics, John Tortorella is a fine tactical coach despite his temper... I guess I just don't feel the defense as well as I used to. It's porous, and no longer as productive. Their window is closing fast.
3. Edmonton Oilers
A worthy coach to show the uber-talented youngsters how to play a better all-around game, three point-per-game players, a 35-goal man in Jordan Eberle, and the year Devan Dubnyk proves his critics wrong all make for a stong showing this year. The addition of Andrew Ference on defense will help a lot.
4. San Jose Sharks
I could totally live in a world without the San Jose Sharks. Even the Stanley Cup wouldn't see a difference. This is the year where we realize just how old Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, Brad Stuart and Dan Boyle really are.
5. Anaheim Ducks
I like the Ducks. I love Saku Koivu and Teemu Selanne; I usually draft Ryan Getzlaf in my hockey pools and I wish François Beauchemin had never left the Montréal Canadiens. But I still have to face the fact that they're an injury or two of being dead-last in their division. These are the years to rebuild, to have a contender when John Gibson will be ready to take the mantle as #1 goalie.
6. Phoenix Coyotes
TheSeattle Portland Québec Phoenix franchise isn't done going through harsh times. Past Mike Ribeiro, no one is worthy of first-line status on that team; past Keith Yandle and Oliver Ekman-Larsson, no defenseman deserves to be an opening night roster NHLer. Brace yourself, Mike Smith, it'll be a long 6 years.
7. Calgary Flames
The Flames desperately needed to rebuild. But they should have planned it earlier,, and allowed Jarome Iginla and Miikka Kiprusoff to retire as Flames more gracefully, all the while preparing the next generation to take over. As it stands, they lost both with very little in return, and no one's ready to take the mantle. Bob Hartley will lose his hair and his cool all winter long with this team, one I'm surprised actually reached the cap floor.
The playoff picture:
Los Angeles (1B) - Colorado (7)
Vancouver (2) - Edmonton (3)
Chicago (1A) - Dallas (8)
St. Louis (2) - Minnesota (3)
Western Conference:
The Central Division:
1. Chicago Blackhawks
I usually never pick a reigning Stanley Cup champion to finish first in their division the following year, mostly because of fatigue - and also because they usually lose key components of their team to free agency. But not only are the Hawks' key pieces under long-term contract, they're also playing in the weakest conference in the league - they won't coast through thanks to St. Louis and L.A., but their high-end talent and depth is unmatched in the West while Pittsburgh and New York will face each other much more often.
2. St. Louis Blues
This is Ken Hitchcock's Moment Of Truth with the Blues, a well-balanced team of players in their peak years. They'll don't need Jaroslav Halak to steal games, but he will - that's what he does. The defense is among the best in the league, led by the Big Three of Alex Pietrangelo (now paid like a Norris winner), Kevin Shattenkik and Jay Bouwmeester. Built a bit like the Boston Bruins in that there are no superstars on offense but instead will score by committee, they don't have Boston's grit nor the same level of abilities - where the Bruins boast six possible 60-point players, the Blues have five guys capable of reaching 45-to-50. But they like to win 2-1 or 1-0, and they will.
3. Minnesota Wild
The Wild have built themselves a team that can contend right now with a strong leadership group that includes captain Mikko Koivu, former New Jersey captain Zach Parise, and former Buffalo Sabres captain Jason Pominville - all of whom are potential Olympians. The future's also pretty much guaranteed, with the best stable of prospects at the AHL level. Ryan Suter could use some help on defense, and both goalies are question marks when it comes to health but the Wild remains a fine team.
4. Colorado Avalanche
How can a team of talented attackers, an iffy defense and questionable goaltending be ranked 4th in their division? One reason is how weak that division is, the other is the fact that first-year head coach Patrick Roy can teach an AHLer to contain an NHLer any day of the week - but offense has to come naturally. And the Avs have plenty of that, perhaps enough to trade either Ryan O'Reilly or Paul Stastny for help on the back end near the trade deadline, though it may not prove necessary. I've heard people wonder aloud about André Benoit as a 3rd/4th D - but Roy saw a lot of him in the past few seasons as an RDS contributor and analyst in Montréal (which he did between coaching games with his Québec Remparts of the LHJMQ), and he liked what he saw. Expect other coaches not to like Roy, he'll get under their skin a lot, save for perhaps 5 of them.
5. Dallas Stars
All the talk is about Tyler Seguin, and while he will likely be a point-per-game player for nearly ten seasons, it would be wrong to build around him; he's more a ''piece of the puzzle'' guy than ''big picture'' player. Jamie Benn looks like he got the call to be the face of the franchise, and I think he's a year or two removed from being able to consistently put points on the board, but rookie Valeri Nichushkin will lend a much needed hand. Shawn Horcoff and Ray Whitney will be fine leaders for the kids to look up to, and in a couple of years, the Stars could contend. In the meantime, they'll be a playoff-bubble team. They'll likely make it this year on the strength of their powerplay (which should crack the league's top-10) and because their conference is so weak.
6. Nashville Predators
As always, the defense will be impressive and hard to beat. And, as always, goals will come at a premium - on both sides of the ice. I love Mike Fisher, but he shouldn't be anyone's first-line pivot at this point in his career. Rookie Filip Forsberg could very well finish first in team scoring, followed by stud defenseman Shea Weber and... rookie defender Seth Jones. Yeah, it's that bad.
7. Winnipeg Jets
I don't expect coach Claude Noel to last until Halloween, and he may have won less than five games at that point, though it's not entirely his fault: GM Kevin Cheveldayoff has built this team going half-way on exactly what you should do (through the draft and patch up through fee agency), and half-way exactly what you should never do - overpay to retain your current top players although they have led you to the bottom, thus preventing direct position-by-position immediate improvement. Most GMs aren't stupid enough to downgrade their rosters via trade on purpose, yet the Jets have painted themselves into a corner, with a really awful colour to boot.
The Pacific Division:
1. Los Angeles Kings
How little do I think of this division? I'm guessing a team that has trouble scoring more than two goals per game will win it. Jonathan Quick is one of the two best goalies in the world, so stopping pucks won't be an issue; Slava Voynov dislodged Drew Doughty as the #1 defenseman, but that just makes him better, not Doughty worse. The trouble with the Kings is Anze Kopitar should always get ore than 75 points, Dustin Brown should get 30 goals and 200 PIMs, and the second line with Mike Richards and Jeff Carter should be just as productive. Often, they're not. But the Kings are jusdged on their playoff success anyway, and they're Cup contenders for sure.
2. Vancouver Canucks
Why second? I don't know. The Sedins still work their magic, Alexandre Burrows and Ryan Kesler are dynamic role players with a finishing touch, Roberto Luongo will lead Canada at the Olympics, John Tortorella is a fine tactical coach despite his temper... I guess I just don't feel the defense as well as I used to. It's porous, and no longer as productive. Their window is closing fast.
3. Edmonton Oilers
A worthy coach to show the uber-talented youngsters how to play a better all-around game, three point-per-game players, a 35-goal man in Jordan Eberle, and the year Devan Dubnyk proves his critics wrong all make for a stong showing this year. The addition of Andrew Ference on defense will help a lot.
4. San Jose Sharks
I could totally live in a world without the San Jose Sharks. Even the Stanley Cup wouldn't see a difference. This is the year where we realize just how old Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, Brad Stuart and Dan Boyle really are.
5. Anaheim Ducks
I like the Ducks. I love Saku Koivu and Teemu Selanne; I usually draft Ryan Getzlaf in my hockey pools and I wish François Beauchemin had never left the Montréal Canadiens. But I still have to face the fact that they're an injury or two of being dead-last in their division. These are the years to rebuild, to have a contender when John Gibson will be ready to take the mantle as #1 goalie.
6. Phoenix Coyotes
The
7. Calgary Flames
The Flames desperately needed to rebuild. But they should have planned it earlier,, and allowed Jarome Iginla and Miikka Kiprusoff to retire as Flames more gracefully, all the while preparing the next generation to take over. As it stands, they lost both with very little in return, and no one's ready to take the mantle. Bob Hartley will lose his hair and his cool all winter long with this team, one I'm surprised actually reached the cap floor.
The playoff picture:
Los Angeles (1B) - Colorado (7)
Vancouver (2) - Edmonton (3)
Chicago (1A) - Dallas (8)
St. Louis (2) - Minnesota (3)
Thursday, October 3, 2013
2013-14 NHL Season Preview: Eastern Conference
Fall is here, I caught a cold which developed into a bronchitis - and that means hockey season is here. Like just about every year, I'll go with my predictions; I was pretty spot-on in some cases last year, and very off-the-mark in just as many. Time to get my beak wet...
The NHL went nuts and changed their divisions and playoff format, introducing the concept of a ''wild card'' in which three teams from each division is guaranteed to make it to the post-season, and the remaining two spots in each conference will go to the best two remaining, regardless of division.
Because I think it will actually be used, I'll just jump forward to the meat and bones:
Eastern Conference:
TheAdams Atlantic Division:
1. Boston Bruins
Perennial contenders fresh off a Stanley Cup Finals berth, the Bruins have tinkered with their roster this summer more than in years past, retaining most of their core players but upgrading in character. At his age, Jarome Iginla won't score 40 goals, but he can sure replace Jaromir Jagr and even be more physical; Loui Eriksson is as consistent as they come for a typically-Bruins-y 60-70 points per season, which any player on their top two lines can get to. It's the type of team Tyler Seguin could never fit into, so his trade to the Dallas Stars was addition by subtraction. Tuuka Rask is a top-10 goalie and the defense if young, brutal and can pinch in offensively. The best-balanced team in the NHL.
2. Ottawa Senators
How do you replace the team's heart and soul when the captain decides to leave as a free agent? Acquire a consistent 30-goal man like Bobby Ryan who could reach the 40-goal plateau with a master passer like Jason Spezza. Erik Karlsson remains a force on defense, and paired with Marc Methot, could play upwards of 25 quality minutes per game. They have one of the best goaltending duos in the game in Craig Anderson and Robin Lehner to go with a very bright coach. They're also tough enough to resist playing Boston, Toronto and Philadelphia.
3. Detroit Red Wings
The Wings in third? Well, yeah. The offense is a mix of ''very experienced'' and ''unseasoned kids'', and though the veterans are World-Class players, they can't play all 60 minutes of every game. The defense may have over-achieved last year (probably thanks to coach Mike Babcock, the best in the business), and I have a feeling they may hit some rough patches this year, in a full 82-game schedule. They'll evolve into a great time by the time the youngsters take over for the veterans, and they're among the very good teams in the NHL, but they are sitting between chairs at the moment. Lucky for them, Jimmy Howard is a steady presence in front of the net.
4. Montréal Canadiens
Their core group of youngsters is among the league's most promising, chief of which being reformed bad boy, team player, Norris Trophy winner and possibly (who would've thought just two years ago?) the best choice for next captain, P.K. Subban. Sniper Max Pacioretty is barely 24, and Alex Galchenyuk is a 19-year old phenom. Lars Eller could further develop into a 60-point two-way center, and Brendan Gallagher's career may not last over 10 seasons because he plays all-out, but they'll all be memorable. Add Jarred Tinordi as a possible ox on D and you've got the cornerstone of a decade-long contender. The present's not bad either, with one of the best and most consistent two-way centers in the world in Tomas Plekanec and one of the league's top-5 defenders of the last decade, Andrei Markov. Of course, all they require is that Carey Price show why he's the highest-paid player in team history, which so far he has been unable to. But watching him during training camp, I can say that he's been looking like an NHL goalie for the first time in three or four years; sure, that goalie is Stéphane Fiset, but you've got to start somewhere. If Price can't get it done, Zach Fucale will, in 4 years.
5. Toronto Maple Leafs
The Leafs made it to the playoffs for the first time in nearly a decade last season, and they had better not get used to it. They'll be the most affected by the Wings moving into their division, and while they do have an elite sniper in Phil Kessel, they lack secondary scoring and forward depth.
6. Tampa Bay Lightning
Though I think Ben Bishop will end up being the solution in front of the net, and Steven Stamkos will probably score 50 goals per year for the foreseeable future, the current-day NHL requires a much stronger top-6 up front and a much more consistent, accurate, physical top-4 on defense. It looks like Victor Hedman is coming into his own, but he needs help.
7. Buffalo Sabres
Who knows what this team will look like after the trade deadline, as a major rebuild is under way and more veterans could be sacrificed.
8. Florida Panthers
Sure, adding Tim Thomas and a rag-tag team of misfits who passed their tryouts and ended up signing at a great bargain makes them look better than they did three weeks ago, but the Panthers 4 years and 4 top-5 draft picks away from contending for the playoffs again. They'll score more goals than last year (and that they were looking at just a month ago), they'll let in less, except instead of losing 5-2, they might end up losing a lot of 3-2 and 2-1 games. Sucsess often comes through struggle, and these kids will get more than their fair share this season.
The Metropolitan Division:
1. Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pens have the actual best player in the world (Evgeni Malkin) as well as the guy most people think is the best in the world (Sidney Crosby); they have a pure sniper who could eventually crack the 50-goal plateau once or twice and is a sure-shot to score 40 any year in James Neal; they also have a slew of imposters who would struggle to find powerplay time and second-line duties on other teams but fare extremely well in Pittsburgh because they're fed by elite players (I'm looking at you, Chris Kunitz and Pascal Dupuis). The defense isn't what it was when they won the Cup, though they did bring back an older Rob Scuderi, and the man between the pipes has gone from a blue-chip Olympian to one of the league's biggest question marks. Still, the top-heavy Pens should win their division, as they're rested from three straight early playoff exits.
2. New York Rangers
Possibly the most talented team in the league, the Rangers are perennial under-achievers. They undoubtedly have the best defense in the league, the best (or second-best) goalie in the world in Henrik Lundqvist, and a potent offense that boasts a past Rocket Richard winner (Rick Nash), a Conn Smythe winner as the third (!) center (Brad Richards) and enough talent to have six 60-point players, especially if Alain Vigneault takes their leash off; they also have enough character to go deep in the playoffs.
3. Washington Capitals
Alex Ovechkin is back to his old ways, Niklas Backstrom is good for 75-85 points, Mikhail Grabovski is good for 60 and a couple of selfish distractions, and their top-3 on D is pretty good. Braden Holtby is also looking good between the pipes. I don't know about playoff success, but I'm sure getting there won't prove too difficult.
4. Philadelphia Flyers
With all the tweaks GM Paul Holmgren applied this summer, the Philadelphia Flyers are one player away from Stanley Cup contention. Unfortunately, that player is soon-to-be-retired Chris Pronger, but other teams will have top d-men available before long. The farce in nets will be fun to watch, but it shouldn't hinder the team's hopes too much. Plus, Ray Emery will find his stride.
5. Columbus Blue Jackets
I don't see them regressing too much, but getting through in the East will prove to be too much of a challenge for the Jackets. They simply lack the resources and talent, and are an injury to Marian Gaborik away from being bottom-feeders. Their defense is promising, though, and they may just sacrifice one of their-top two to make room for (possible Calder winner) Jacob Trouba and trade for some help at center.
6. New York Islanders
Sure, they have an MVP candidate in John Tavares, and a decent finisher in Matt Moulson. But they lost their best defenseman (Mark Streit) to Philly and their goaltending is just too old and/or questionable.
7. Carolina Hurricanes
Lots of promising prospects, decent middle-to-high level scorers (Eric Staal, Jeff Skinner), a Conn Smythe winner in nets (Cam Ward), but almost every team's line-up is better than the Canes'. Simply put: all teams improve each year (well, 28 out of 30, anyway), it's those who improve more than the others do that can leap forward. The Canes just can't.
8. New Jersey Devils
Lose a World-Class superstar forward? Check. Start a goalie who should have retired two seasons ago? Check. Financial troubles stop you from spending money on top-end free agents over the summer? Check. A year removed from losing captain Zach Parise to free agency, Ilya Kovalchuk bolts. That's 150 points gone with no return. Say what you will, but Travis Zajac isn't the player who'll pick up the slack, and neither is Michael Ryder. Damien Brunner and Jaromir Jagr should perform admirably considering they're practically alone save a rebound season from Adam Henrique. The defense is suspect, and the best goalie will start the season warming the bench - and that's discounting the fact that he's still unproven. If you thought Newark was already depressing, you ain't seen nothin' yet.
Playoff picture:
Boston (1B) - Montreal (7)
Ottawa (2) - Detroit (3)
Pittsburgh (1A) - Philadelphia (8)
Rangers (2) - Washington (3)
The NHL went nuts and changed their divisions and playoff format, introducing the concept of a ''wild card'' in which three teams from each division is guaranteed to make it to the post-season, and the remaining two spots in each conference will go to the best two remaining, regardless of division.
Because I think it will actually be used, I'll just jump forward to the meat and bones:
Eastern Conference:
The
1. Boston Bruins
Perennial contenders fresh off a Stanley Cup Finals berth, the Bruins have tinkered with their roster this summer more than in years past, retaining most of their core players but upgrading in character. At his age, Jarome Iginla won't score 40 goals, but he can sure replace Jaromir Jagr and even be more physical; Loui Eriksson is as consistent as they come for a typically-Bruins-y 60-70 points per season, which any player on their top two lines can get to. It's the type of team Tyler Seguin could never fit into, so his trade to the Dallas Stars was addition by subtraction. Tuuka Rask is a top-10 goalie and the defense if young, brutal and can pinch in offensively. The best-balanced team in the NHL.
2. Ottawa Senators
How do you replace the team's heart and soul when the captain decides to leave as a free agent? Acquire a consistent 30-goal man like Bobby Ryan who could reach the 40-goal plateau with a master passer like Jason Spezza. Erik Karlsson remains a force on defense, and paired with Marc Methot, could play upwards of 25 quality minutes per game. They have one of the best goaltending duos in the game in Craig Anderson and Robin Lehner to go with a very bright coach. They're also tough enough to resist playing Boston, Toronto and Philadelphia.
3. Detroit Red Wings
The Wings in third? Well, yeah. The offense is a mix of ''very experienced'' and ''unseasoned kids'', and though the veterans are World-Class players, they can't play all 60 minutes of every game. The defense may have over-achieved last year (probably thanks to coach Mike Babcock, the best in the business), and I have a feeling they may hit some rough patches this year, in a full 82-game schedule. They'll evolve into a great time by the time the youngsters take over for the veterans, and they're among the very good teams in the NHL, but they are sitting between chairs at the moment. Lucky for them, Jimmy Howard is a steady presence in front of the net.
4. Montréal Canadiens
Their core group of youngsters is among the league's most promising, chief of which being reformed bad boy, team player, Norris Trophy winner and possibly (who would've thought just two years ago?) the best choice for next captain, P.K. Subban. Sniper Max Pacioretty is barely 24, and Alex Galchenyuk is a 19-year old phenom. Lars Eller could further develop into a 60-point two-way center, and Brendan Gallagher's career may not last over 10 seasons because he plays all-out, but they'll all be memorable. Add Jarred Tinordi as a possible ox on D and you've got the cornerstone of a decade-long contender. The present's not bad either, with one of the best and most consistent two-way centers in the world in Tomas Plekanec and one of the league's top-5 defenders of the last decade, Andrei Markov. Of course, all they require is that Carey Price show why he's the highest-paid player in team history, which so far he has been unable to. But watching him during training camp, I can say that he's been looking like an NHL goalie for the first time in three or four years; sure, that goalie is Stéphane Fiset, but you've got to start somewhere. If Price can't get it done, Zach Fucale will, in 4 years.
5. Toronto Maple Leafs
The Leafs made it to the playoffs for the first time in nearly a decade last season, and they had better not get used to it. They'll be the most affected by the Wings moving into their division, and while they do have an elite sniper in Phil Kessel, they lack secondary scoring and forward depth.
6. Tampa Bay Lightning
Though I think Ben Bishop will end up being the solution in front of the net, and Steven Stamkos will probably score 50 goals per year for the foreseeable future, the current-day NHL requires a much stronger top-6 up front and a much more consistent, accurate, physical top-4 on defense. It looks like Victor Hedman is coming into his own, but he needs help.
7. Buffalo Sabres
Who knows what this team will look like after the trade deadline, as a major rebuild is under way and more veterans could be sacrificed.
8. Florida Panthers
Sure, adding Tim Thomas and a rag-tag team of misfits who passed their tryouts and ended up signing at a great bargain makes them look better than they did three weeks ago, but the Panthers 4 years and 4 top-5 draft picks away from contending for the playoffs again. They'll score more goals than last year (and that they were looking at just a month ago), they'll let in less, except instead of losing 5-2, they might end up losing a lot of 3-2 and 2-1 games. Sucsess often comes through struggle, and these kids will get more than their fair share this season.
The Metropolitan Division:
1. Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pens have the actual best player in the world (Evgeni Malkin) as well as the guy most people think is the best in the world (Sidney Crosby); they have a pure sniper who could eventually crack the 50-goal plateau once or twice and is a sure-shot to score 40 any year in James Neal; they also have a slew of imposters who would struggle to find powerplay time and second-line duties on other teams but fare extremely well in Pittsburgh because they're fed by elite players (I'm looking at you, Chris Kunitz and Pascal Dupuis). The defense isn't what it was when they won the Cup, though they did bring back an older Rob Scuderi, and the man between the pipes has gone from a blue-chip Olympian to one of the league's biggest question marks. Still, the top-heavy Pens should win their division, as they're rested from three straight early playoff exits.
2. New York Rangers
Possibly the most talented team in the league, the Rangers are perennial under-achievers. They undoubtedly have the best defense in the league, the best (or second-best) goalie in the world in Henrik Lundqvist, and a potent offense that boasts a past Rocket Richard winner (Rick Nash), a Conn Smythe winner as the third (!) center (Brad Richards) and enough talent to have six 60-point players, especially if Alain Vigneault takes their leash off; they also have enough character to go deep in the playoffs.
3. Washington Capitals
Alex Ovechkin is back to his old ways, Niklas Backstrom is good for 75-85 points, Mikhail Grabovski is good for 60 and a couple of selfish distractions, and their top-3 on D is pretty good. Braden Holtby is also looking good between the pipes. I don't know about playoff success, but I'm sure getting there won't prove too difficult.
4. Philadelphia Flyers
With all the tweaks GM Paul Holmgren applied this summer, the Philadelphia Flyers are one player away from Stanley Cup contention. Unfortunately, that player is soon-to-be-retired Chris Pronger, but other teams will have top d-men available before long. The farce in nets will be fun to watch, but it shouldn't hinder the team's hopes too much. Plus, Ray Emery will find his stride.
5. Columbus Blue Jackets
I don't see them regressing too much, but getting through in the East will prove to be too much of a challenge for the Jackets. They simply lack the resources and talent, and are an injury to Marian Gaborik away from being bottom-feeders. Their defense is promising, though, and they may just sacrifice one of their-top two to make room for (possible Calder winner) Jacob Trouba and trade for some help at center.
6. New York Islanders
Sure, they have an MVP candidate in John Tavares, and a decent finisher in Matt Moulson. But they lost their best defenseman (Mark Streit) to Philly and their goaltending is just too old and/or questionable.
7. Carolina Hurricanes
Lots of promising prospects, decent middle-to-high level scorers (Eric Staal, Jeff Skinner), a Conn Smythe winner in nets (Cam Ward), but almost every team's line-up is better than the Canes'. Simply put: all teams improve each year (well, 28 out of 30, anyway), it's those who improve more than the others do that can leap forward. The Canes just can't.
8. New Jersey Devils
Lose a World-Class superstar forward? Check. Start a goalie who should have retired two seasons ago? Check. Financial troubles stop you from spending money on top-end free agents over the summer? Check. A year removed from losing captain Zach Parise to free agency, Ilya Kovalchuk bolts. That's 150 points gone with no return. Say what you will, but Travis Zajac isn't the player who'll pick up the slack, and neither is Michael Ryder. Damien Brunner and Jaromir Jagr should perform admirably considering they're practically alone save a rebound season from Adam Henrique. The defense is suspect, and the best goalie will start the season warming the bench - and that's discounting the fact that he's still unproven. If you thought Newark was already depressing, you ain't seen nothin' yet.
Playoff picture:
Boston (1B) - Montreal (7)
Ottawa (2) - Detroit (3)
Pittsburgh (1A) - Philadelphia (8)
Rangers (2) - Washington (3)
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