1. Detroit Red Wings
What I like: The power play. Three guys scored 10 or more
PPG last year, and you have to assume that Datsyuk would have done so too had
he not missed a quarter of the season. They ranked top 5 in the league, and
given that they were also top 10 in penalties drawn, the opportunities will be
there.
What I don’t like: Depth on D. Take Lidstrom out of the
lineup and things start to get ugly pretty quick. Kronwall isn’t a top guy yet
and Brad Stuart isn’t exactly an offensive juggernaut. Add a non-descript
bottom 3, and it could be problematic as the season progresses.Endgame player: Lidstrom. Still a perennial Norris finalist on the other side of 40, his vision and passing is still unparalleled. Get him the puck late and he’ll help turn it into a goal.
Prediction: A whole year of Datsyuk and a bounce-back year from Howard pulls them ahead of Vancouver for 1st in the West.
What I like: The top guys. The Sedin twins and Kesler are
the most lethal trio in the league, and the contrast of the twins’ finesse and
Kesler’s grit make Vancouver tough to deal with when they’re all on the ice
together. Even when they’re not, they make their linemates better, to the tune
of 26 goals for Burrows.
What I don’t like: Luongo’s mental health. Lu has never
been the most stable of individuals in big games, and you have to believe that
losing last year’s Finals isn’t going to help him in that regard. While he’ll
never be mentioned as an all-time big game goalie, he needs to at least stop
being a hindrance for the Canucks to think about hoisting the Cup.Endgame player: Kesler. A force during the Olympics, he had his second coming-out party during the playoffs, where he combined 19 points with nearly 80 hits. A real difference-maker and possibly the most clutch player on the team.
Prediction: Sheer star power allows the ‘Nucks to waltz through an otherwise putrid division.
What I like: The goalies. One of the few situations in
the league where two heads might actually be better than one. While Quick is
the better of the two, Bernier could start for a lot of teams. LA has the
luxury of using Bernier to keep Quick healthy and rested, which can only help
them in the playoffs.
What I don’t like: The second scorers. LA was exposed in
last year’s playoffs as a team with only one truly elite scorer when Kopitar
went down late in the year. Mike Richards could be the one to step up, but he’s
more effective when he doesn’t have to shoulder the scoring load; could the
answer be Dustin Penner?Endgame player: Richards. Richards is the best two-way forward in the league, and makes a difference in all three phases of the game. His leadership will be invaluable as the Kings try to go deeper into the playoffs.
Prediction: The Pacific goes down to the wire, but the Kings finally unseat the Sharks for the division crown.
What I like: The centers. Thornton is a world-class
playmaker who centers one of the best top lines in the league. Logan Couture
looked like the real deal last year, and should improve on what were stellar
rookie numbers. Handzus is a solid role player who should improve the third
line, and Desjardins showed promise in the season opener. Fantastic depth.
What I don’t like: The trade. While Brent Burns was a
great pickup (and deserved a better chance to win than he was getting in
Minnesota), the Sharks gave up over 100 points between Heatley and Setoguci.
Will the enigmatic (and somewhat injury-prone) Martin Havlat find himself in
San Jose?Endgame player: Patrick Marleau. Marleau is a force to be reckoned with at the end of the game, as nearly a quarter of his goals last season were GWGs. Combine that with the potential for 40 PPP, and he’s the engine that makes the Shark offense go.
Prediction: The Sharks score enough to win until Niemi is back in game shape, en route to another 95+ point season.
What I like: The top PP unit. Pick 5 of these 6: Toews, Kane,
Hossa, Sharp, Keith, Seabrook. Only Hossa scored fewer than 20 PPP, and he was
only one short. When they’re on, they’re nearly unparalleled in their ability
to make the opposition pay for lapses on defense.
What I don’t like: The penalty kill. The Blackhawks suffered
when a man down last season, killing off fewer than 80% of penalties. This is
odd considering the level of talent they are able to throw out there, but
nevertheless an area that could use some serious improvement.Endgame player: Toews. The Hawks’ captain has a knack for showing up when the team needs him the most, leading the team with 8 GWG. Though Kane scored the Cup winner two seasons ago, it is Toews who they turn to with time winding down.
Prediction: The chemistry issues and inconsistency of a season ago are mostly gone, and Crawford posts another solid season in net, keeping the Hawks comfortably in the playoffs.
What I like: The top line. Perry, Getzlaf, and Ryan are
the total package. They’re gritty, they can score, and they play tons of
minutes. Their GVT last year ranked them as the 2nd best top line in
the league, only behind Vancouver. As they go, so go the Ducks.
What I don’t like: The depth. The second line isn’t
awful, boasting Selanne and Koivu, but this team goes downhill FAST. The same
GVT rankings that had the Ducks’ top line at second best placed the rest of the
team below replacement level. That is awful, and I’m shocked that the Ducks
didn’t do more to shore it up in the offseason.Endgame player: Selanne. The Finnish Flash is the elder statesman on the roster, and enjoyed a career resurgence last season. He’s gonna need to do it again for the Ducks to not be scrapping for a playoff spot at the end.
Prediction: The top line scores and Hiller is stellar in goal, but the Ducks can’t avoid a low seed and a tough first-round draw.
What I like: The additions. Columbus has been the Rick
Nash show for way too long. Management finally wised up in the offseason,
bringing in an explosive center for Nash in Jeff Carter, and rounding out the
top line with the ageless Vinny Prospal. This takes the burden off second-line
guys like Vermette and Umberger, and makes the Jackets a much deeper and better
team.
What I don’t like: The goaltending. Steve Mason just
doesn’t do it for me. He had a fantastic rookie season, but hasn’t posted a GAA
under 3.00 in the two years since.
Compounding that with letting the relatively effective Garon go to Tampa
in favor of Curtis Sanford, who hasn’t been in the league the last two years,
doesn’t make much sense.Endgame player: Nash. Regardless of who is around him, this is Nash’s show. He’s a highlight-reel guy who is unstoppable when he decides that he’s going to score. He’ll only get better with better teammates.
Prediction: The offense is downright potent, and Mason is solid enough to put the Jackets in the playoffs for the second time in their history.
What I like: The young defense. Even after letting Erik Johnson
go in a trade last season, the Blues boast one of the best collections of young
blueliners in the league. Shattenkirk and Pietrangelo both topped 40 points in
their rookie seasons, and should blossom into high-end top 4 defensemen sooner
rather than later.
What I don’t like: Chances allowed. The Blues allowed the
second fewest shots in the league last season, behind the trap-happy Devils.
Unfortunately, they allowed goals on 10% of their shots, in the mix with teams
like Colorado, Columbus, and Edmonton. The Blues have a better goalie than any
of those teams, but need to keep teams from getting quality chances.Endgame player: Jason Arnott. I watched a lot of Caps games last year, and he was their best player by the end of the season. He’s still a great passer and has fantastic vision on the ice. A phenomenal pickup.
Prediction: The offense stays strong, the defense does a better job of keeping opposing shooters out of Halak’s lap, and the Blues end up back in the postseason.
What I like: The goaltending. I don’t know how they do
it. It’s like they have a goaltending assembly line in Nashville. Dunham,
Vokoun, Mason, Ellis, and now Rinne. Rinne might be the best of the set, but
even he has to look over his shoulder at Anders Lindback. As usual, it’s gonna
be hard to score on Nashville.
What I don’t like: The offense. Problem is, it’s going to
be equally hard for Nashville to score. There isn’t a thirty-goal guy on the
roster right now, at least not yet. There are some intriguing young guys, but
it’s hard to tell if any of them will take that next step.Endgame guy: Shea Weber. That slap shot is a force to be reckoned with, and for a team that is going to struggle to generate offense, it is essential that the puck be on Weber’s stick at the end of games.
Prediction: Rinne is stellar, but he can’t do it all on his own, and the offense lets the Preds down.
What I like: The philosophy. The Wild finally realized
that barely breaking 200 goals just wasn’t going to do it; it put WAY too much
pressure on Backstrom to be perfect. So the Wild went out and made the
splashiest trade of the offseason, picking up Dany Heatley and Devin Setoguchi.
Now, their top line is intimidating, with Koivu having serious weapons in Heatley
and Bouchard.
What I don’t like: The defense. The Wild have three
defensemen with over 5 years’ experience and three guys with less than five
between them. There are going to be some growing pains on defense, and
Backstrom better be ready.Endgame guy: Koivu. He’s posted better than 40 assists in each of the last three seasons, and with better passing options than he’s ever had (he and Gaborik never played 60 games in the same season) good things are on the horizon.
Prediction: Scoring will be up for the Wild, but they’ll give up just a few too many to make the postseason.
11. Dallas
Stars
What I like: The passing ability. Yeah, Brad Richards
moved to greener pastures in New York, but even with his nearly 50 assists gone,
Dallas has some great playmakers. Ribero topped 50 assists last year, and
Eriksson wasn’t far behind. The setups should remain plentiful in Big D.
What I don’t like: The depth. Steve Ott is playing on the
second line. That’s indicative of a lot of things, none of them good. It doesn’t
get much brighter the lower down you go, with Vernon Fiddler centering the
corpse of Radek Dvorak on the third line. Someone’s going to need to take the
pressure off the top line.Endgame player: Brendan Morrow. The captain does it all for Dallas, he’s both their goals leader and second on the team in hits. You need this kind of hard worker when the game gets close.
Projection: There’s just not enough secondary scoring and the division proves too tough for Dallas.
12. Calgary
Flames
What I like: The old guard. I kinda feel bad for Jarome
Iginla and Miikka Kiprusoff. Every year they show up, work their tails off, and
see the team send another season down the tubes. Hard to believe that this was
a Cup team not that long ago Hopefully management sees fit to either trade them
or give them some help.
What I don’t like: The centers. Oh my. David Moss is the
top guy, but he’s never topped 40 points in a season. Olli Jokinen is still
here, somehow. Roman Horek draws third-line duty as a rookie, and Matt Stajan
has never lived up to the hype created in Toronto. Endgame player: Iginla. A 40-40 guy last season, he’s never played less than 70 games in any season. I think he’s a Hall of Famer and I’d take him on my team any day.
Projection: Occasional flashes of brilliance in a beige sea of mediocrity. Another long winter in Calgary.
13. Colorado
Avalanche
What I like: The young centers. Duchene has already
proven himself to be a special talent, and Ryan O’Reilly showed signs of
improvement. Stastny might be the best of the set, but he needs people around
him to start scoring; he actually scored more goals last year than the year
before, but registered 24 fewer assists.
What I don’t like: Scoring on D. The top two scoring
D-men from last year, Liles and Shattenkirk, now ply their trades elsewhere.
None of the defenders on the roster have recorded a 40 point season, though a
few have gotten close. Given that the forwards are no great shakes, the Avs are
gonna need someone on the backline to step up.Endgame player: Varlamov. I liked Varly on the Caps, but he was always being pushed to the background. I think he’s solid in big games, not that he’s in any danger of playing in one.
Projection: Goalie and center are settled, but the lack of talent on the wings and on D doom the Avs.
14. Edmonton
Oilers
What I like: The youth. There are as many guys on this
team under 21 as there are over 35. Most everyone seems to be younger than 27,
and even with the 17 years of service provided by both Khabibulin and Smyth,
the current roster has an average of 5 years of experience; take those guys out,
and its less than 4 years. If nothing else, it will be fun watching the team
mature.
What I don’t like: The goaltending. They’ve handed the
reigns over to Devan Dubnyk, who hasn’t exactly set the world on fire since he
came into the league. Oh well, better than the now-38-year-old Khabibulin,
whose best years are WELL behind him.Endgame player: Shaun Horcoff. The only constant on the roster left over from the last time the Oilers made the playoffs, Horcoff gives a solid effort every night. There are worse guys to have around a young team.
Prediction: Some great flashes from the developing talent, just too few and far between.
What I like: Shane Doan. Death, taxes, and Doan leading
the team in points. Only these things are certain.
What I don’t like: The offense. I don’t know who is gonna
score on this team. They’ve gotten a ton out of a bad roster in the past few
years, mostly because of Bryzgalov. With their savior off to Philly, the
offense is gonna get exposed early and often.Endgame player: Keith Yandle. He’s improved upon his point total every year he’s been in the league. Though I think 50 assists is a bit much to ask, he’s one of the most dynamic players on the roster.
Prediction: Mike Smith doesn’t cut it in goal, and they can’t score. Division games will be painful to watch.
May all your hits be crits,
B
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