NHL Preview 2017-18: Ottawa Senators

GM: Pierre Dorion (since 2016). 8/10
Coach: Guy Boucher (since 2016). 8.5/10

2016-17 record: 44-28-10, 98 points, 12th overall, Eastern Conference finalists.

Departures: Marc Methot (D), Chris Neil (RW), Viktor Stalberg (LW), Tommy Wingels (LW).

Arrivals: Johnny Oduya (D), Erik Bergdoerfer (D), Nate Thompson (C).

Top forwards: Mark Stone (60-65 points), Mike Hoffman (60-65 points), Kyle Turris (55-65 points), Derick Brassard (50-60 points), Bobby Ryan (40-55 points), Jean-Gabriel Pageau (35-45 points), Alexandre Burrows (30-40 points), Ryan Dzingel (30-35 points), Zack Smith (30-35 points).

Must-improve forwards: Burrows' production took off when he joined the Sens, so hopefully he keeps that going and puts the last few seasons in Vancouver behind him. Ryan and Pageau both had terrific playoffs that bode well for the upcoming season.

Top defensemen: Erik Karlsson (70-85 points), Dion Phaneuf (30-35 points), Cody Ceci (20-25 points), Fredrik Claesson (20-25 points), Chris Wideman (15-20 points).

Goalies: Craig Anderson (86/100), Mike Condon (79/100).

Top rookies: Thomas Chabot (20 years old, D, 2015 first-round pick), Colin White (20, C, 2015 first-round pick), Andreas Englund (21, D), Filip Chlapik (20, C), Logan Brown (19, C, 2016 first-round pick).

Analysis:
The Hockey News didn't just invent that Karlsson should be in the same conversation as Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby for the title of World's Best Player - he proved it by being the best player in the postseason last year despite playing on a broken foot. Any roster with Karlsson leading the play has a chance to win the game on any given night.

Add to that last season's Cinderella story, Anderson in net, who has been rock-solid since coming over to the Sens during the 2010-11 season.

Then add three potential (and past) 30-goal scorers on the wing in Stone, Hoffman and Ryan (Clarke MacArthur would have been a fourth, but post-concussion syndrome will probably keep him out of hockey for the time being) and two 60-point centers in Turris and Brassard, and you've got yourself one of the most balanced top-six units in the league, let alone the East.

And that's not factoring in Pageau's development, he of the 4-goal night in the second round last Spring. And Dzingel and Smith by his side. And an effective shut-down unit comprised of Thompson and Tom Pyatt. And a head coach (Boucher) who specializes in defensive systems and has a degree in psychology to tear his opponents apart. Oh, and his assistant, Marc Crawford, is a former Stanley Cup-winning head coach (1996, Colorado Avalanche).

Yeah, these Sens are for real. (At least until Anderson's retirement).

Prediction: 2nd in the Atlantic Division.

NHL Preview 2017-18: Florida Panthers

GM: Dale Talon (second stint, since 2017). 8.5/10
Coach: Bob Boughner (since 2017). 7/10

2016-17 record: 35-36-11, 81 points, 23rd overall, out of playoffs after finishing first in the Atlantic the year before.

Departures: Tom Rowe (GM and interim head coach), Jonathan Marchessault (C), Jaromir Jagr (RW), Jason Demers (D), Reilly Smith (RW), Jussi Jokinen (LW), Shawn Thornton (RW) Reto Berra (G), Michael Sgarbossa (C).

Arrivals: Radim Vrbata (RW), Evgeny Dadonov (RW), Michael Haley (C), Jamie McGinn (LW).

Top forwards: Aleksander Barkov (65-75 points), Jonathan Huberdeau (65-75 points), Vincent Trocheck (55-65 points), Dadonov (50-55 points), Nick Bjugstad (40-50 points), Denis Malgin (20-30 points), Vrbata (25-30 points), Colton Sceviour (25-30 points).

Must-improve forward: Bjugstad lost the 2C spot to Trocheck, but perhaps he can play as a winger on the top-six and get going again.

Top defensemen: Aaron Ekblad (30-40 points), Keith Yandle (35-40 points), Michael Matheson (20-25 points), Alex Petrovic (20-25 points).

Goalies: Roberto Luongo (87/100), James Reimer (76/100).

Top rookies: Owen Tippett (18 years old, RW, 10th overall pick in 2017), Ian McCoshen (22, D), Henrik Borgstrom (20, C), Michael Downing (22, D), Jayce Hawryluk (21, RW).

Analysis:
Two years ago, the Panthers finished first in the Atlantic on the strength of a roster that GM Dale Tallon took five years to build (technically less, because he won the 2012 GM Of The Year award after a strong finish). But the Cats' new owners were convinced they could do even better with the help of analytics, so they "promoted" Tallon to President and named his assistant Rowe the GM. Rowe proceeded to tear the team down, starting with the defense, as Erik Gudbranson and Dmitry Kulikov were sent away and Yandle, Dylan McIlrath, and Mark Pysyk were acquired.

It'll likely take Tallon a couple of years to rid his roster of Rowe's acquisitions and insert some talent and grit around or instead of guys who can barely "move the puck forward". Case in point: the Vrbata acquisition seems like simple "hole-plugging" to me, as almost everyone in the hockey world knows he is unable to produce outside of the Arizona Coyotes organization. But you need players to fill jerseys and reach the cap floor, and trade deadline bait to stock up on draft picks, right?

It pains me to say this, but they're wasting prime years from the Huberdeau, Barkov, Ekblad, Trocheck, and Bujgstad core, years during which future Hall of Fame goalie Luongo will only get older.

Heck, now that I think of it, perhaps this team should be down in the basement with the Detroit Red Wings. Oh well, I'll maintain my initial gut feeling:

Prediction: 5th in the Metropolitan Division.

NHL Preview 2017-18: Pittsburgh Penguins

GM: Jim Rutherford (since 2015). 8/10
Coach: Mike Sullivan (since 2015). 8.5/10

2016-17 record: 50-21-11, 111 points, 2nd overall, repeat Stanley Cup champions.

Departures: Chris Kunitz (LW), Marc-André Fleury (G), Nick Bonino (C), Trevor Daley (D), Ron Hainsey (D), Mark Streit (D), David Warsofsky (D).

Arrivals: Antti Niemi (G), Greg McKegg (C), Matt Hunwick (D), Ryan Reaves (RW).

Top forwards: Sidney Crosby (80-95 points), Evgeni Malkin (75-95 points), Phil Kessel (60-70 points), Jake Guentzel (50-60 points), Conor Sheary (50-60 points), Patric Hornqvist (40-50 points), Bryan Rust (25-30 points), Carl Hagelin (25-30 points), Scott Wilson (25-30 points).

Must-improve forwards: Yeah, uh, no.

Top defensemen: None. Just kidding: Kristopher Letang (60-65 points; he could almost be a point-per-game d-man, but gets injured so often you must take points away), Justin Schultz (45-55 points), Ian Cole (20-25 points), Brian Dumoulin (15-20 points).

Goalies: Matt Murray (92/100), Niemi (71/100), Tristan Jarry (75/100).

Top rookies: Daniel Sprong (20 years old, RW), Jarry (22, G), Dominik Simon (23, C), Filip Gustavsson (19, G), Kasper Bjorkqvist (20, RW).

Analysis:
Mike Sullivan is either a magician or a genius, because he took the joke of the 2015-16 playoffs ("How can the Pens win the Cup with just ONE NHL defenseman in Letang?") and doubled down on no-names when Letang couldn't even dress for a single playoff game. And won a second-consecutive Cup, getting outplayed and boxed in their own zone in 90% of the games.

How "no-name" were they? Four of them left this summer, and Pittsburgh is still likely the top team in the East, ahead of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

All of that is also a testament to GM Rutherford, whom you may remember as the guy who took the Hartford Whalers from near-obscurity and turned them into the even-more obscure Carolina Hurricanes, lucking out on a Stanley Cup in 2006 and failing to make the playoffs in just about every other season. He then inherited a cap-strapped, underachieving Penguins roster consisting of Crosby, Malkin, Fleury, Letang and 19 nobodies and made them the team to beat again by having each one of his acquisitions and call-ups become important cogs in the machine. Oh, and cash-strapped? Yeah, about that: he managed to add the $64M, eight-year Kessel contract to that roster. Magician or genius or lucky, or all of the above?

There is seemingly no end in sight for those two, who have defied expectations (and logic, and reason). Except for the fact that Letang and Malkin tend to miss a lot of games due to injuries, and that the next time Crosby gets hit hard anywhere or just softly on the head might spell the end of his career. And Murphy's Law being what it is, these things will all happen in the same season. But not before the Pens have a chance to three-peat, right?

Prediction: 1st in the Metropolitan Division.

NHL Preview 2017-18: Chicago Blackhawks

GM: Stan Bowman (since 2009). 9/10
Coach: Joel Quenneville (since 2008). 9/10

2016-17 record: 50-23-9, 109 points, 3rd overall. First-round playoff exit (sweep).

Departures: Niklas Hjalmarsson (D), Scott Darling (G), Artemi Panarin (LW), Marian Hossa (RW), Marcus Kruger (C), Tyler Motte (LW), Brian Campbell (D), Trevor Van Riemsdyk (D), Dennis Rasmussen (C), Michal Rozsival (D).

Arrivals: Brandon Saad (LW), Patrick Sharp (RW), Laurent Dauphin (C), Connor Murphy (D), Anton Forsberg (G), Jean-François Bérubé (G), Lance Bouma (LW), Tommy Wingels (LW), Jordan Oesterle (D).

Top forwards: Patrick Kane (80-85 points), Jonathan Toews (60-65 points), Saad (55-60 points), Artem Anisimov (40-45 points), Alex DeBrincat (30-40 points), Nick Schmaltz (30-40 points), Richard Panik (35-40 points), Ryan Hartman (30-35 points), Tanner Kero (30-35 points), Sharp (30-35 points), Dauphin (25-30 points).

Must-improve forward: After years of producing in the high-60s in terms of point production while winning Selke trophies as the league's best defensive forward, Captain Serious (Toews) has stagnated at 58 for the last two seasons. Granted, his partner Hossa had a so-so season in 2015-16 and Toews himself missed ten games last year, but he's 29, his decline should not happen for another good three or four years. This time, Hossa's gone for the year (and "retirement" is actually a possibility in his case) and Saad only half-replaces the future Hall of Famer, but that means Toews needs to step up and make his teammates better himself. Perhaps playing in between Saad and Schmaltz might be a solution.

Top defensemen: Duncan Keith (45-55 points), Brent Seabrook (35-40 points), Murphy (20-25 points), Michal Kempny (15 points), Gustav Forsling (10 points).

Goalies: Corey Crawford (91/100), Forsberg (74/100).

Top rookies: DeBrincat (19 years old, LW, over two points per game, 127 in 63, in the OHL), John Hayden (22, C, point-per-game player at Yale), Ville Ponka (23, D), Chad Krys (19, D), Radovan Bondra (20, LW).

Analysis:
A small step backwards for Chicago is still a tremendous season by any other measure.

In true Hawks fashion, they will not rebuild by tearing the roster apart and finishing at the bottom of the standings - they did that a decade ago, ensuring they not have to do it again until Toews, Kane, Keith and Crawford all retire.

Instead, Coach Quenneville will be hard on the young guys and have them learn twice as fast as they would on an awful team. A year or two from now, though, they'll be ready to challenge for first-place in the division again, all while not missing the playoffs in the meantime.

Prediction: 3rd in the Central Division.

NHL Preview 2017-18: Toronto Maple Leafs

GM: Lou Lamoriello (since 2015). 8/10
Coach: Mike Babcock (since 2015). 9/10

2016-17 record: 40-27-15, 95 points, 14th overall. First-round playoff exit.

Departures: Matt Hunwick (D), Antoine Bibeau (G), Brian Boyle (C), Seth Griffith (C), Brendan Leipsic (LW).

Arrivals: Patrick Marleau (F), Ron Hainsey (D), Dominic Moore (C).

Top forwards: Auston Matthews (70-75 points), Mitch Marner (60-65 points), William Nylander (60-65 points), James Van Riemsdyk (60-65 points), Nazem Kadri (55-60 points), Tyler Bozak (40-45 points), Marleau (40-45 points), Connor Brown (35-40 points), Zach Hyman (30-35 points).

Must-improve forward: Joffrey Lupul will likely be assigned to LTIR for the second-straight season, despite some reports saying he feels like he should be playing. Two years on LTIR will likely hamper his chances of securing a new contract next summer, as few teams want to take a chance on a guy who has been forced to sit out two consecutive seasons because of purported health reasons. What he can do is go the Clarke MacArthur route and try to get healthy on his own and force his way into the line-up.

Top defensemen: Nikita Zaitsev (35-45 points), Jake Gardiner (35-40 points), Morgan Reilly (25-30 points), Hainsey (15-20 points), Connor Carrick (10-15 points), Alexey Marchenko (10 points).

Goalies: Frederik Andersen (85/100), Curtis McElhinney (74/100).

Top rookies: Kasperi Kapanen (21 years old, RW, 2014 first-round draft pick), Travis Dermott (20, D), Jeremy Bracco (20, RW), Adam Brooks (21, C), Carl Grundstrom (19, LW).

Analysis:
Hey, it's in my DNA to hate the Leafs as much as anyone else, and I do think they're on the clock to take one step backwards in their development - after all, Coach Babcock did say the rebuild was going to be "painful"...

That being said, let's face it, there's no way they miss the playoffs while playing in the Atlantic Division this season. Even if they just coast through, their line-up will win them 40 to 45 games, and that's enough to finish in third place to set up another chapter in the Battle Of Ontario.

The NHL will pull out all the stops to make this season - the league's and the Leafs' 100th Anniversary - one for the books, but as we've seen countless times before, that's exactly when things never work out. The pressure will just be too great for these kids, who can't handle it yet.

Prediction: 3rd in the Atlantic Division.

NHL Preview 2017-18: Winnipeg Jets

GM: Kevin Cheveldayoff (since 2011). 6.5/10
Coach: Paul Maurice (since 2014). 7.5/10

2016-17 record: 40-35-7, 87 points, 20th overall.

Departures: Paul Postma (D), Ondrej Pavelec (G), Mark Stuart (D), Brian Strait (D), Chris Thorburn (RW).

Arrivals: Steve Mason (G), Dmitry Kulikov (D), Michael Sgarbossa (C).

Top forwards: Mark Schiefele (75-85 points), Blake Wheeler (70-75 points), Patrik Laine (65-75 points), Nikolaj Ehlers (60-65 points), Bryan Little (45-60 points), Mathieu Perreault (45-50 points), Kyle Connor (35-40 points), Adam Lowry (25-35 points), Nicolas Petan (20-30 points).

Must-improve forward: Shawn Matthias used to be regarded as a potential second-liner, but now, on his fifth team, he mans the fourth and plays around 13 minutes per game.

Top defensemen: Dustin Byfluglien (50-55 points), Jacob Trouba (35-45 points), Tyler Myers (30-35 points), Kulikov (20-30 points), Tobias Enstrom (20 points), Josh Morrissey (20 points).

Goalies: Connor Hellebuyck (84/100), Mason (80/100).

Top rookies: Connor (20 years old, LW, 2015 first-round draft pick), Jack Roslovic (20, C, 2015 first-round draft pick), Tucker Poolman (24, D), Logan Stanley (19, D, 2016 first-round draft pick), Eric Comrie (22, G, former Team Canada Juniors star goalie).

Analysis:
Enough with building the team, now's the time to start delivering on the development.

It's not yet fair to lump the Jets with the true contenders - your Pittsburgh Penguins, your Nashville Predators, your Dallas Stars, your Edmonton Oilers - although their offense can definitely hold its own against any team. Their defense needs to find its consistency first, and a lot of that will come when Hellebuyck starts finding his; Winnipeg has everything to win in letting him develop at his own pace à la Jake Allen, because he has "Future Vezina Winner" written all over him.

There's one book that captures the essence of the 1980s Jets, who were a mighty team that had the bad luck of playing in the same division the four-time Stanley Cup champion Oilers and two-time finalists Calgary Flames, aptly titled Coming Up Short. If this generation's team is to stand a chance, its GM may have to pull off his second trade this decade (and win it) to do so.

Prediction: 5th in the Central Division, second Wild Card in the West. Playoff-bound.

Video Of The Week: Lou Canon

Lou Canon (whose government name is Leanne Greyerbiehl) is a Canadian former elementary school teacher and current sister-in-law to songwriter extraordinaire Hayden; it was he who encouraged her to pursue music as more than a pastime, offering his home studio as the venue to record her self-titled 2011 debut album, which he also released on his own Hardwood Records. She also appears on his 2013 release Us Alone.

She released her sophomore effort last April, titled Suspicious, and she releases the second video for it today, called Fever, directed by Sammy Rawal and Vanessa Heins with cinematography by Vancouver-based image-shaper Carl Elster:

Oh, perhaps I should have mentioned that the video succeeds in making wallpaper, milk and skinny white women seem creepy.

NHL Preview 2017-18: Minnesota Wild

GM: Chuck Fletcher (since 2009). 7.5/10
Coach: Bruce Boudreau (since 2016). 9/10

2016-17 record: 49-25-8, 106 points, 5th overall.

Departures: Martin Hanzal (C), Jason Pominville (RW), Marco Scandella (D), Erik Haula (C), Darcy Kuemper (G), Christian Folin (D), Jordan Schroeder (C), Tyler Graovac (C), Alex Tuch (RW).

Arrivals: Tyler Ennis (LW), Marcus Foligno (LW), Kyle Quincey (D), Ryan Murphy (D), Cal O'Reilly (C).

Top forwards: Mikael Granlund (65-75 points), Charlie Coyle (55-60 points), Nino Niederreiter (55-60 points), Eric Staal (45-55 points), Mikko Koivu (45-60 points), Zach Parise (40-50 points depending on his playing 60 or 72 games), Jason Zucker (45-60 points), Joel Eriksson Ek (25-35 points), Ennis (20-35 points).

Must-improve forward: He doesn't need to improve per se, but poor Parise has really caught the injury bug, slowing him and his production down from the levels he had accustomed his fans to.

Top defensemen: Ryan Suter (30-40 points), Matt Dumba (35-45 points), Jared Spurgeon (35-40 points), Jonas Brodin (25 points).

Goalies: Devan Dubnyk (92/100), Alex Stalock (79/100).

Top rookies: Eriksson Ek (20 years old, C, 2015 first-round draft pick), Luke Kunin (19, C, 2016 first-round draft pick), Jordan Greenway (20, LW), Gustav Olofsson (22, D), Kirill Kaprizov (20, LW, point-per-game player in the ultra-defensive KHL).

Analysis:
GM Fletcher has gotten himself out of his self-created cap crunch, and Coach Boudreau usually finishes with division titles, a feat he almost achieved yet again last year despite a roster that, on paper, looked average. Extremely balanced and deep, but average nonetheless.

Then again, Dubyk was robbed of a Vezina nod last season by Carey Price's reputation, the same Price who plainly stole the Hart from him in 2014-15. He has become one of the best goalies in the world and will be counted upon to backstop this Wild team whenever the offense and defense falters, which shouldn't be too often.

I do not think Staal has it in him to reach beyond expectations once more, and the previous seasons' whipping boy Koivu will also regress a bit, but with the depth at forward on this team, both will still be able to contribute somewhat. However, the youth have clearly taken over, and Granlund, Coyle, Zucker and Niederreiter will be running the show from now on.

Prediction: 1st in the Central Division.

NHL Preview 2017-18: Arizona Coyotes

GM: John Chayka (since 2016). 7/10
Coach: Rick Tocchet (since 2017). 6/10

2016-17 record: 30-42-10, 70 points, 27th overall.

Departures: Dave Tippett (Head Coach), Shane Doan (RW), Radim Vrbata (RW), Connor Murphy (D), Mike Smith (G), Anthony DeAngelo (D), Alex Burmistrov (C), Josh Jooris (C), Laurent Dauphin (C), Peter Holland (C), Teemu Pulkkinen (RW).

Arrivals: Derek Stepan (C), Antti Raanta (G), Jason Demers (D), Niklas Hjalmarsson (D), Nick Cousins (C), Emerson Etem (RW), Adam Clendening (D), Joel Hanley (D).

Top forwards: Stepan (55-65 points), Max Domi (45-55 points), Clayton Keller (35-45 points), Anthony Duclair (35-40 points), Christian Dvorak (35-40 points), Brendan Perlini (25-30 points), Tobias Reider (35 points), Dylan Strome (30-35 points), Lawson Crouse (15-25 points), Cousins (15 points).

Must-improve forward: Duclair will bounce back, there is no doubt in my mind. Kids need time, and this kid was a tad more difficult to begin with - remember, he'd fallen from the first round to 80th overall (late third round) at the 2013 draft.

Top defensemen: Oliver Ekman-Larsson (40-50 points), Alex Goligoski (30-40 points), Jakob Chychrun (20-30 points), Demers (25-30 points), Hjalmarsson (20-25 points).

Goalies: Raanta (84/100), Louis Domingue (79/100).

Top rookies: Keller (19 years old, C, 2016 first-round draft pick), Strome (20, C, 3rd-overall pick at the 2015 draft), Christian Fischer (20, RW), Kyle Wood (21, D), Nick Merkley (20, C, 2015 first-round draft pick).

Analysis:
The 'Yotes are all-in for a playoff spot this year, because they need to sell season-ticket subscriptions or risk having to leave the state altogether.

And so they changed their coaching staff, traded for a true #1 center, likely improved in net, added Hjalmarsson and Demers on D and some decent depth up front in the form of Cousins and Etem, all while youngsters like Domi, Duclair, Strome, Keller and Dvorak look to keep progressing, under the tutelage of new captain Ekman-Larsson.

They will be in it until the very end, but I think they will miss the final Wild Card spot in the West by a point or two.

Prediction: 4th in the Pacific Division.

NHL Preview 2017-18: New York Islanders

GM: Garth Snow (since 2006). 8.5/10
Coach: Doug Weight (since 2017). 8/10

2016-17 record: 41-29-12, 94 points, 17th overall, tied with the Tampa Bay Lightning right outside the playoff picture.

Departures: Ryan Strome (RW), Travis Hamonic (D), Jean-François Bérubé (G), Mikhail Grabovski (C).

Arrivals: Jordan Eberle (RW), Seth Helgeson (D).

Top forwards: John Tavares (70-80 points), Eberle (50-60 points), Anders Lee (45-55 points), Joshua Ho-Sang (40-50 points), Josh Bailey (40-45 points), Brock Nelson (40-45 points), Anthony Beauvillier (30-35 points), Andrew Ladd (20 goals and 40 points), Mathew Barzal (20-30 points).

Must-improve forward: Ladd was awful for the first half of the season, taking forever to get adapted to his new team and puzzling head coach Jack Capuano along the way. Upon Capuano's firing, he hit his stride, which should continue this season as he takes on more of a leadership role with this young group.

Top defensemen: Nick Leddy (45-50 points), Johnny Boychuk (30-35 points), Calvin De Haan (25-30 points), Dennis Seidenberg (20-25 points), Thomas Hickey (20 points), Adam Pelech (15 points), Ryan Pulock (10-15 points).

Goalies: Jaroslav Halak (86/100), Thomas Greiss (80/100).

Top rookies: Barzal (20 years old, C, 2015 first-round draft pick), Ho-Sang (21, RW, 2014 first-round draft pick, had his moments when called up last year), Pulock (23, D, 2013 first-round draft pick), Michael Dal Colle (21, LW, 5th-overall draft pick in 2014), Kieffer Bellows (19, RW, 2016 first-round draft pick).

Analysis:
Off-ice issues keep surfacing for the Isles, but GM Snow keeps finding ways to improve his roster every season through savvy trades (Leddy, Halak, Boychuk, Eberle) and sometimes even a decent free agent signing (Ladd, for example). He has also drafted well (Tavares, Beauvillier) and boldly (Ho-Sang), and whenever his draft picks do not pan out to his liking, he always finds a suitor in Edmonton who will take them (Strome, Griffin Reinhart) out of his hands.

He's not adverse to making season-impacting mistakes, though, as can be attested by the Bérubé situation last year that was mostly responsible for Halak spending half the season in the AHL, until he was needed to win all 7 of the Islanders' last 7 games - he won six of them, and Greiss surrendered too many goals in the other for Halak to save the day.

Still, when it comes to ranking GMs, he's in the top-5 for bang-for-your-buck trades and definitely #1 for entertainment value. He is never content to just sit on his laurels and watch a season unfold without stamping it with his distinct signature.

That is why I see the Brooklyn-based team finishing with the top Wild Card spot in the East. Well, that and the roster he's assembled, led by Tavares and Halak in contract seasons.

Prediction: 4th in the Metropolitan Division, first Wild Card in the Eastern Conference.