NHL 2010-11 Opening Day Rosters

The NHL has released the teams rosters for the opening of the 2010-11 regular season, which begins today with five games scheduled. Here are the rosters, courtesy of The Hockey News:

Anaheim Ducks

Matt Beleskey, Jason Blake, Troy Bodie, Sheldon Brookbank, Ryan Carter, Kyle Chipchura, Cam Fowler, Ryan Getzlaf, Jonas Hiller, Saku Koivu, Paul Mara, Todd Marchant, Curtis McElhinney, Brendan Mikkelson, George Parros, Corey Perry, Bobby Ryan, Luca Sbisa, Teemu Selanne, Dan Sexton, Andy Sutton, Lubomir Visnovsky, Aaron Voros.

Injured: Jason Jaffray, Joffrey Lupul.

Atlanta Thrashers

Nik Antropov, Niclas Bergfors, Zach Bogosian, Eric Boulton, Dustin Byfuglien, Nigel Dawes, Ben Eager, Tobias Enstrom, Ron Hainsey, Evander Kane, Andrew Ladd, Bryan Little, Chris Mason, Freddy Meyer, Fredrik Modin, Johnny Oduya, Ondrej Pavelec, Rich Peverley, Brent Sopel, Anthony Stewart, Chris Thorburn, Boris Valabik.

Injured: Patrice Cormier, Jim Slater.

Boston Bruins

Patrice Bergeron, Johnny Boychuk, Gregory Campbell, Jordan Caron, Zdeno Chara, Andrew Ference, Nathan Horton, Matt Hunwick, David Krejci, Milan Lucic, Brad Marchand, Adam McQuaid, Daniel Paille, Tuukka Rask, Mark Recchi, Michael Ryder, Nolan Schaefer, Tyler Seguin, Dennis Seidenberg, Mark Stuart, Tim Thomas, Shawn Thornton, Blake Wheeler.

Injured: Marc Savard, Marco Sturm, Trent Whitfield.

Buffalo Sabres

Chris Butler, Tim Connolly, Tyler Ennis, Paul Gaustad, Nathan Gerbe, Mike Grier, Jochen Hecht, Patrick Kaleta, Patrick Lalime, Jordan Leopold, Cody McCormick, Ryan Miller, Steve Montador, Shaone Morrisonn, Tyler Myers, Rob Niedermayer, Jason Pominville, Craig Rivet, Derek Roy, Andrej Sekera, Drew Stafford, Thomas Vanek, Mike Weber.

Injured: None.

Calgary Flames

Mikael Backlund, Rene Bourque, Jay Bouwmeester, T.J. Brodie, Craig Conroy, Mark Giordano, Curtis Glencross, Niklas Hagman, Jarome Iginla, Raitis Ivanans, Tim Jackman, Olli Jokinen, Henrik Karlsson, Miikka Kiprusoff, Stefan Meyer, Brendan Morrison, Adam Pardy, Robyn Regehr, Cory Sarich, Steve Staios, Alex Tanguay, Ian White.

Injured: Ales Kotalik, Daymond Langkow, David Moss, Matt Stajan, Ryan Stone.

Carolina Hurricanes

Anton Babchuk, Drayson Bowman, Brett Carson, Erik Cole, Joe Corvo, Zac Dalpe, Patrick Dwyer, Tim Gleason, Jay Harrison, Jussi Jokinen, Tom Kostopoulos, Chad LaRose, Jamie McBain, Patrick O'Sullivan, Justin Peters, Joni Pitkanen, Justin Pogge, Tuomo Ruutu, Bobby Sanguinetti, Jeff Skinner, Eric Staal, Brandon Sutter, Jiri Tlusty, Cam Ward.

Injured: Sergei Samsonov.

Chicago Blackhawks

Bryan Bickell, Dave Bolland, Nick Boynton, Troy Brouwer, Corey Crawford, Jacob Dowell, Jordan Hendry, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Marian Hossa, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith, Tomas Kopecky, Nick Leddy, Fernando Pisani, John Scott, Brent Seabrook, Patrick Sharp, Jack Skille, Viktor Stalberg, Jonathan Toews, Marty Turco.

Injured: Brian Campbell.

Colorado Avalanche

Craig Anderson, Peter Budaj, Kyle Cumiskey, Matt Duchene, Philippe Dupuis, Adam Foote, T.J. Galiardi, Scott Hannan, Milan Hejduk, Jonas Holos, David Jones, John-Michael Liles, Cody McLeod, Ryan O'Reilly, Mark Olver, Kevin Porter, Kyle Quincey, Paul Stastny, Chris Stewart, Ryan Wilson, Daniel Winnik, Brandon Yip.

Injured: David Koci, Peter Mueller.

Columbus Blue Jackets

Jared Boll, Derick Brassard, Chris Clark, Mike Commodore, Derek Dorsett, Nikita Filatov, Mathieu Garon, Jan Hejda, Kristian Huselius, Rostislav Klesla, David LeNeveu, Derek MacKenzie, Steve Mason, Marc Methot, Ethan Moreau, Rick Nash, Samuel Pahlsson, Kris Russell, Anton Stralman, Fedor Tyutin, R.J. Umberger, Antoine Vermette, Jakub Voracek, Kyle Wilson.

Injured: Tomas Kana, Andrew Murray.

Dallas Stars

Krys Barch, Jamie Benn, Fabian Brunnstrom, Adam Burish, Trevor Daley, Loui Eriksson, Mark Fistric, Nicklas Grossman, Kari Lehtonen, Brenden Morrow, James Neal, Matt Niskanen, Steve Ott, Toby Petersen, Andrew Raycroft, Mike Ribeiro, Brad Richards, Stephane Robidas, Brandon Segal, Karlis Skrastins, Brian Sutherby, Tom Wandell, Jeff Woywitka.

Injured: None.

Detroit Red Wings

Justin Abdelkader, Todd Bertuzzi, Dan Cleary, Pavel Datsyuk, Kris Draper, Patrick Eaves, Jonathan Ericsson, Valtteri Filppula, Johan Franzen, Darren Helm, Tomas Holmstrom, Jimmy Howard, Jiri Hudler, Jakub Kindl, Niklas Kronwall, Nicklas Lidstrom, Drew Miller, Mike Modano, Chris Osgood, Brian Rafalski, Ruslan Salei, Brad Stuart, Henrik Zetterberg.

Injured: None.

Edmonton Oilers

Gilbert Brule, Andrew Cogliano, Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers, Devan Dubnyk, Jordan Eberle, Kurtis Foster, Colin Fraser, Sam Gagner, Tom Gilbert, Taylor Hall, Ales Hemsky, Shawn Horcoff, Ryan Jones, Nikolai Khabibulin, Steve MacIntyre, Magnus Paajarvi, Theo Peckham, Dustin Penner, Ladislav Smid, Zach Stortini, Jason Strudwick, Jim Vandermeer, Ryan Whitney.

Injured: J.F. Jacques.

Florida Panthers

Bryan Allen, Steve Bernier, David Booth, Scott Clemmensen, Radek Dvorak, Michael Frolik, Jason Garrison, Chris Higgins, Darcy Hordichuk, Dmitry Kulikov, Shawn Matthias, Kenndal McArdle, Bryan McCabe, Rostislav Olesz, Nathan Paetsch, Steve Reinprecht, Mike Santorelli, Cory Stillman, Tomas Vokoun, Mike Weaver, Stephen Weiss, Dennis Wideman.

Injured: Byron Bitz, Mark Cullen, Marty Reasoner.

Los Angeles Kings

Jonathan Bernier, Dustin Brown, Kyle Clifford, Drew Doughty, Davis Drewiske, Michal Handzus, Peter Harrold, Jack Johnson, Anze Kopitar, Trevor Lewis, Andrei Loktionov, Willie Mitchell, Jake Muzzin, Alexei Ponikarovsky, Jonathan Quick, Brad Richardson, Brayden Schenn, Rob Scuderi, Wayne Simmonds, Ryan Smyth, Jarret Stoll, Kevin Westgarth, Justin Williams.

Injured: Marc-Andre Cliché, Matt Greene, Scott Parse, Colten Teubert, Viatcheslav Voynov.

Minnesota Wild

Niklas Backstrom, Cam Barker, Kyle Brodziak, Andrew Brunette, Brent Burns, Cal Clutterbuck, Matt Cullen, Dennis Endras, Justin Falk, Martin Havlat, Anton Khudobin, Chuck Kobasew, Mikko Koivu, Guillaume Latendresse, John Madden, Antti Miettinen, Eric Nystrom, Nick Schultz, Brad Staubitz, Clayton Stoner, Jose Theodore, Casey Wellman, Greg Zanon, Marek Zidlicky.

Injured: Pierre-Marc Bouchard, Josh Harding.

Montreal Canadiens

Alex Auld, Dustin Boyd, Mike Cammalleri, Mathieu Darche, Lars Eller, Hal Gill, Brian Gionta, Scott Gomez, Josh Gorges, Jeff Halpern, Roman Hamrlik, Andrei Kostitsyn, Maxim Lapierre, Travis Moen, Ryan O'Byrne, Alexandre Picard, Tomas Plekanec, Benoit Pouliot, Carey Price, Tom Pyatt, Jaroslav Spacek, P.K. Subban.

Injured: Andrei Markov.

Nashville Predators

Wade Belak, Francis Bouillon, J-P Dumont, Martin Erat, Cody Franson, Marcel Goc, Patric Hornqvist, Sergei Kostitsyn, Kevin Klein, David Legwand, Anders Lindback, Matthew Lombardi, Shane O'Brien, Cal O'Reilly, Pekka Rinne, Jerred Smithson, Steve Sullivan, Alexander Sulzer, Ryan Suter, Jordin Tootoo, Joel Ward, Shea Weber, Colin Wilson.

Injured: Jamie Lundmark.

New Jersey Devils

Jason Arnott, Martin Brodeur, David Clarkson, Patrik Elias, Mark Fraser, Andrew Greene, Johan Hedberg, Adam Henrique, Ilya Kovalchuk, Jamie Langenbrunner, Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond, Zach Parise, Rod Pelley, Brian Rolston, Henrik Tallinder, Alexander Urbom, Anton Volchenkov, Colin White, Travis Zajac, Dainius Zubrus.

Injured: Bryce Salvador, Anssi Salmela.

New York Islanders

Josh Bailey, Blake Comeau, Rick DiPietro, Mark Eaton, Bruno Gervais, Trevor Gillies, Michael Grabner, Jack Hillen, Trent Hunter, Milan Jurcina, Zenon Konopka, Andrew MacDonald, Radek Martinek, Mike Mottau, Matt Moulson, Nino Niederreiter, Frans Nielsen, P.A. Parenteau, Dwayne Roloson, Jon Sim, John Tavares, Doug Weight, James Wisniewski.

Injured: Kyle Okposo, Rob Schremp, Mark Streit.

New York Rangers

Artem Anisimov, Sean Avery, Martin Biron, Derek Boogaard, Brian Boyle, Ryan Callahan, Erik Christensen, Michael Del Zotto, Brandon Dubinsky, Steve Eminger, Ruslan Fedotenko, Alexander Frolov, Marian Gaborik, Matt Gilroy, Dan Girardi, Tim Kennedy, Henrik Lundqvist, Brandon Prust, Michal Rozsival, Michael Sauer, Marc Staal, Derek Stepan, Todd White.

Injured: Chris Drury, Vaclav Prospal.

Ottawa Senators

Daniel Alfredsson, Chris Campoli, Matt Carkner, Brian Elliott, Mike Fisher, Nick Foligno, Sergei Gonchar, Erik Karlsson, Chris Kelly, Alex Kovalev, Pascal Leclaire, Brian Lee, Milan Michalek, Chris Neil, Chris Phillips, Peter Regin, Jarkko Ruutu, Ryan Shannon, Zack Smith, Jason Spezza, Jesse Winchester.

Injured: Filip Kuba.

Philadelphia Flyers

Oskars Bartulis, Blair Betts, Sergei Bobrovsky, Brian Boucher, Daniel Briere, Dan Carcillo, Matt Carle, Jeff Carter, Braydon Coburn, Claude Giroux, Scott Hartnell, Ville Leino, Andrej Meszaros, Andreas Nodl, Sean O'Donnell, Darroll Powe, Chris Pronger, Mike Richards, Jody Shelley, Kimmo Timonen, James Van Riemsdyk, Matt Walker, Nikolay Zherdev.

Injured: Ian Laperriere, Michael Leighton.

Phoenix Coyotes

Adrian Aucoin, Eric Belanger, Paul Bissonnette, Ilya Bryzgalov, Shane Doan, Oliver Ekman- Larsson, Vernon Fiddler, Martin Hanzal, Ed Jovanovski, Lauri Korpikoski, Jason LaBarbera, Sami Lepisto, Al Montoya, Derek Morris, Petr Prucha, Taylor Pyatt, David Schlemko, Lee Stempniak, Kyle Turris, Scottie Upshall, Radim Vrbata, Ray Whitney, Wojtek Wolski, Keith Yandle.

Injured: Kurt Sauer.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Craig Adams, Mike Comrie, Matt Cooke, Sidney Crosby, Pascal Dupuis, Deryk Engelland, Marc-Andre Fleury, Eric Godard, Alex Goligoski, Brent Johnson, Tyler Kennedy, Patrick Killeen, Chris Kunitz, Kris Letang, Mark Letestu, Ben Lovejoy, Evgeni Malkin, Paul Martin, Zbynek Michalek, Brooks Orpik, Michael Rupp, Maxime Talbot, Eric Tangradi.

Injured: Arron Asham, Jordan Staal.

St. Louis Blues

David Backes, Patrik Berglund, Brad Boyes, Eric Brewer, Carlo Colaiacovo, Ty Conklin, B.J. Crombeen, Matt D'Agostini, Jaroslav Halak, Barret Jackman, Cam Janssen, Erik Johnson, Jay McClement, Andy McDonald, T.J. Oshie, David Perron, Alex Pietrangelo, Roman Polak, Alex Steen, Tyson Strachan, Brad Winchester.

Injured: Nikita Nikitin, Vladimir Sobotka.

San Jose Sharks

Dan Boyle, Ryane Clowe, Logan Couture, Jason Demers, Thomas Greiss, Dany Heatley, Kent Huskins, Patrick Marleau, Jamal Mayers, John McCarthy, Jamie McGinn, Frazer McLaren, Torrey Mitchell, Mike Moore, Douglas Murray, Scott Nichol, Antti Niemi, Antero Niittymaki, Joe Pavelski, Devin Setoguchi, Joe Thornton, Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Niclas Wallin, Tommy Wingels.

Injured: Derek Joslin.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Sean Bergenheim, Brett Clark, Steve Downie, Dan Ellis, Simon Gagne, Adam Hall, Victor Hedman, Randy Jones, Pavel Kubina, Vincent Lecavalier, Mike Lundin, Ryan Malone, Dominic Moore, Mattias Ohlund, Teddy Purcell, Mattias Ritola, Matt Smaby, Mike Smith, Martin St. Louis, Steven Stamkos, Nate Thompson, Dana Tyrell, Michael Vernace.

Injured: None.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Colby Armstrong, Francois Beauchemin, Tyler Bozak, Tim Brent, Mike Brown, Jeff Finger, J-S Giguere, Mikhail Grabovski, Carl Gunnarsson, Jonas Gustavsson, Tomas Kaberle, Phil Kessel, Mike Komisarek, Nikolai Kulemin, Matt Lashoff, Clarke MacArthur, John Mitchell, Colton Orr, Dion Phaneuf, Luke Schenn, Fredrik Sjostrom, Kris Versteeg, Mike Zigomanis.

Injured: Brett Lebda.

Vancouver Canucks

Andrew Alberts, Keith Ballard, Kevin Bieksa, Guillaume Desbiens, Alexander Edler, Christian Ehrhoff, Tanner Glass, Dan Hamhuis, Jannik Hansen, Cody Hodgson, Ryan Kesler, Eddie Lack, Roberto Luongo, Manny Malhotra, Ryan Parent, Mason Raymond, Aaron Rome, Rick Rypien, Mikael Samuelsson, Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin, Lee Sweatt, Raffi Torres.

Injured: Alex Burrows, Sami Salo.

Washington Capitals

Karl Alzner, Nicklas Backstrom, Matt Bradley, John Carlson, Jason Chimera, John Erskine, Eric Fehr, Tomas Fleischmann, Boyd Gordon, Mike Green, Matt Hendricks, Marcus Johansson, D.J. King, Mike Knuble, Brooks Laich, Michal Neuvirth, Alex Ovechkin, Tom Poti, Dany Sabourin, Jeff Schultz, Alexander Semin, Tyler Sloan, David Steckel.

Injured: Semyon Varlamov.

Columbus Blue Jackets 2010-11 Outlook

COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS

OFF-SEASON PLAYER ADDITIONS

Nate Guenin, D (Signed as a free agent, previously with the St. Louis Blues)

Ben Guite, C (Signed as a free agent, previously with the Nashville Predators)

David LeNeveu, G (Signed as a free agent, previously with EC Salzburg of Austria)

Ethan Moreau, LW (Claimed off waivers from the Edmonton Oilers)

Kyle Wilson, C (Signed as a free agent, previously with the Washington Capitals)

OFF-SEASON PLAYER LOSSES

Brendan Bell, D (Signed with Avangard Omsk of the KHL)

Dan Lacosta, G (Unsigned Free Agent)

Kevin Lalande, G (Signed with Vityaz Podolsk Chekhov of the KHL)

Jordan LaVallee, LW (Signed with the Providence Bruins of the AHL)

David Liffiton, D (Signed as a free agent with the Colorado Avalanche)

Greg Moore, RW (Signed as a free agent with the Philadelphia Flyers)

Nathan Paetsch, D (Signed as a free agent with the Florida Panthers)

Andrei Plekhanov, D (Unsigned Free Agent)

2009-10 Season Finish: 5th Central Division, 14th Western Conference, 79 Pts.

2009-10 Playoffs: Did Not Make Playoffs

2010-11 Prediction: 5th Central Division, 13th Western Conference

After making the playoffs for the first time in 2009, the Columbus Blue Jackets were expected to have a fine 2009-10 season, but the team struggled throughout the season and could not get things going, eventually finishing near the bottom of the Western Conference. The Blue Jackets did little to improve their team from last season and could be faced with another disappointing season in 2010-11. The team’s offense has remained nearly intact from the end of last season, and looks to be the strongest part of the team going into the 2010-11 season. Rick Nash brings lots of goal-scoring skill, size, and some toughness to the lineup, while Kristian Huselius provides plenty of offensive depth and playmaking skills to the forward lines despite being somewhat inconsistent, and Jakub Voracek has good offensive skills and some goal-scoring upside. R.J. Umberger gives the team plenty of offensive depth and good shooting skills, while Antoine Vermette, Sami Pahlsson, and Derick Brassard bring plenty of two-way skill and speed to the Blue Jackets. Chris Clark and newcomer Ethan Moreau bring plenty of grit, leadership, and veteran depth to the roster, while Jared Boll, Derek Dorsett, and Tommy Sestito provide lots of toughness and physical play to the forward lines. Andrew Murray and Michael Blunden bring good size, defensive abilities, and shutdown skills to the team’s offense, while Nikita Filatov gives the Blue Jackets a slick skater with some offensive skill and upside. Prospect forwards who will be looking to make the team at training camp include Ryan Johansen, Tomas Kana, Matt Calvert, Tomas Kubalik, and Maksim Mayorov.

While the Blue Jackets boast a fairly stable offense, their defense looks to be the weakest part of the team. The addition of a top-four, puck-moving defenseman with some offensive skill would help make the Blue Jackets a more competitive team back on the blueline. For now, their defensive corps still boasts some veteran and impressive young talent. Mike Commodore provides plenty of size, grit, and defensive skill on the team’s defense, while Rostislav Klesla brings some toughness and a little scoring upside to the blueline. Fedor Tyutin gives the Blue Jackets a defenseman with good size who can play a shutdown role and log lots of minutes, while Jan Hejda brings plenty of puck-moving skill and defensive depth to the blueline. Anton Stralman brings plenty of offensive ability and puck-moving skill to the team’s defense, while Marc Methot gives the Blue Jackets a stay-at-home defenseman with some size. Kris Russell provides some offensive and puck-moving skill to the team, while Grant Clitsome brings a little defensive depth to the blueline. Defensive prospects that will look to secure a roster spot at training camp include John Moore, Nick Holden, Michael Ratchuk, Brett Regner, and Ted Ruth.

The Blue Jackets have a fairly steady goaltending duo in Steve Mason and Mathieu Garon, who will both look to keep the team competitive in net throughout the 2010-11 campaign. Despite struggling in his second season in 2009-10, Mason has excellent positioning, lots of size, and has lots of potential to become an elite goalie at the NHL level. Garon plays very hard on the ice and has a decent glove hand, making him an effective backup for the team. David LeNeveu provides some depth in goal for the Blue Jackets, but will likely spend most of the 2010-11 season in the minors, unless Garon or Mason should be sidelined with an injury.

TEAM STRENGTHS

• Lots of quality prospect forwards.
• Strong goaltending.
• Plenty of defensive defensemen on the blueline.

TEAM WEAKNESSES

• Need more offense on their defense.
• Need some of their forwards to be more consistent this season.
• Could use some more veteran depth on defense.
  

Colorado Avalanche 2010-11 Outlook

COLORADO AVALANCHE

OFF-SEASON PLAYER ADDITIONS
Jason Bacashihua, G (Signed as a free agent, previously with the Hershey Bears of the AHL)
David Liffiton, D (Signed as a free agent, previously with the Columbus Blue Jackets)
Greg Mauldin, C (Signed as a free agent, previously with the New York Islanders)
Julian Talbot, C (Acquired in a trade with the St. Louis Blues)
David Van Der Gulik, RW (Signed as a free agent, previously with the Calgary Flames)
Ben Walter, C (Signed as a free agent, previously with the New Jersey Devils)
Daniel Winnik, C (Acquired in a trade with the Phoenix Coyotes)

OFF-SEASON PLAYER LOSSES
Codey Burki, C (Signed with HC Lugano of Switzerland)
Brett Clark, D (Signed as a free agent with the Tampa Bay Lightning)
Chris Durno, LW (Signed as a free agent with the Tampa Bay Lightning)
Brian Fahey, D (Signed as a free agent with the Washington Capitals)
Darren Haydar, RW (Signed with the Chicago Wolves of the AHL)
Matt Hendricks, C (Unsigned Free Agent)
T.J. Hensick, C (Traded to the St. Louis Blues)
Wes O’Neill, D (Unsigned Free Agent)
Derek Peltier, D (Unsigned Free Agent)
Tom Preissing, D (Signed with Karpat Oulu of Finland)
Ruslan Salei, D (Signed as a free agent with the Detroit Red Wings)
Marty Sertich, C (Signed with EHC Olten of Switzerland)
Brett Skinner, D (Signed with Amur Khabarovsk of the KHL)
Marek Svatos, RW (Unsigned Free Agent)
Darcy Tucker, LW (Unsigned Free Agent)
Tyler Weiman, G (Signed as a free agent with the Vancouver Canucks)
Brian Willsie, RW (Signed as a free agent with the Washington Capitals)
Stephane Yelle, C (Unsigned Free Agent)

2009-10 Season Finish: 2nd Northwest Division, 8th Western Conference, 95 Pts.
2009-10 Playoffs: Lost 4-2 to the San Jose Sharks in the Quarterfinals

2010-11 Prediction: 4th Northwest Division, 11th Western Conference

The Colorado Avalanche weren’t expected to have a successful 2009-10 season, as the team was beginning a rebuild and not expected to make it to the post-season. The Avalanche exceeded everyone’s expectations by having a strong start to the 2009-10 campaign, but faded in the second half of the season and finished eighth in the Western Conference, beating out the St. Louis Blues and Calgary Flames for a playoff spot by five points. The off-season was not a productive one for the team, as they cut ties with several veteran players and have yet to find adequate replacements for some of them. One of the bigger issues facing the Avalanche this season is their offense and whether or not their young talent will be productive enough to carry the team. Paul Stastny, arguably one of the top forwards in Colorado, brings a wealth of playmaking skill, two-way ability, and offensive talent to the forward lines, while sophomore Matt Duchene brings some goal-scoring upside and playmaking skill, and will look to improve upon his fine rookie season in 2010-11. Milan Hejduk provides plenty of goal-scoring skill, offensive depth, and a good shot to the team despite being somewhat susceptible to injury, while newcomer Daniel Winnik brings some defensive talent to the lineup, as well as some skill to the penalty kill. Chris Stewart and Peter Mueller had successful seasons with the Avalanche in 2009-10 with their offensive skill and goal-scoring abilities and will look to put up even better numbers in 2010-11, while Ryan O’Reilly brings some two-way upside to the team, as well as some skill on the penalty kill. T.J. Galiardi gives the Avalanche plenty of playmaking skills, energy, excellent skating, and some skill on the faceoff, while Brandon Yip and Ryan Stoa bring some offensive skill and goal-scoring ability to the lineup. Cody McLeod and David Koci give the Avalanche two very physical and gritty forwards, while David Jones and Kevin Porter bring some scoring potential to the fourth line. Prospect forwards who will be looking to make the team’s roster at training camp include Philippe Dupuis, Tom Fritsche, Justin Mercier, Harrison Reed, Julian Talbot, and Zach Cohen.

Despite losing veterans Brett Clark and Ruslan Salei via free agency this past summer, the Avalanche blueline still boasts some talented veteran players that should help keep the team competitive defensively. John-Michael Liles brings lots of offensive skill, speed, mobility, and skill on the power play to the blueline, while Scott Hannan gives the Avalanche some size and physical play as a shutdown defenseman. Adam Foote brings lots of toughness, grit, defensive depth and leadership to the team, while Kyle Quincey brings some offensive skill and toughness to the blueline. Kyle Cumiskey gives the Avalanche plenty of mobility and offensive upside on defense, while Ryan Wilson provides some size, toughness, and offensive potential to the blueline. Defensive prospects that will look to make the team at training camp include Kevin Shattenkirk, Ray Macias, Jonas Holos, Kevin Montgomery, and Colby Cohen.

The Avalanche goaltending duo of Craig Anderson and Peter Budaj will return once again in 2010-11 and look to keep the team competitive in goal once again. Anderson enjoyed a great start to last season, but faded a little down the stretch, so expectations will be a little high on him to perform well once again. Budaj gives the team a solid backup goaltender who can jump into the starter’s role when necessary, but struggles when given the starter's role. Veterans John Grahame and Jason Bacashihua, as well as youngster Trevor Cann, will look to challenge Budaj at training camp for the backup role.

TEAM STRENGTHS

• Lots of talented young forwards to rebuild the team around.
• Lots of grit and toughness on defense.

TEAM WEAKNESSES

• Need more veteran depth on offense.
• Could use a more stable backup goaltender.

Chicago Blackhawks 2010-11 Outlook

CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS

OFF-SEASON PLAYER ADDITIONS
Joey Crabb, RW (Acquired in a trade with the Atlanta Thrashers)
Chris DiDomenico, C (Acquired in a trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs)
Jimmy Hayes, RW (Acquired in a trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs)
Hugh Jessiman, RW (Signed as a free agent, previously with the Nashville Predators)
Jeremy Morin, LW (Acquired in a trade with the Atlanta Thrashers)
Philippe Paradis, C (Acquired in a trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs)
Fernando Pisani, RW (Signed as a free agent, previously with the Edmonton Oilers)
Ryan Potulny, C (Signed as a free agent, previously with the Edmonton Oilers)
Marty Reasoner, C (Acquired in a trade with the Atlanta Thrashers)
John Scott, D (Signed as a free agent, previously with the Minnesota Wild)
Viktor Stalberg, LW (Acquired in a trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs)
Jeff Taffe, LW (Acquired in a trade with the Florida Panthers)
Marty Turco, G (Signed as a free agent, previously with the Dallas Stars)
Ivan Vishnevskiy, D (Acquired in a trade with the Atlanta Thrashers)

OFF-SEASON PLAYER LOSSES
Akim Aliu, RW (Traded to the Atlanta Thrashers)
Danny Bois, RW (Signed with Red Bulls Salzburg of Austria)
Mike Brennan, D (Unsigned Free Agent)
Adam Burish, RW (Signed as a free agent with the Dallas Stars)
Dustin Byfuglien, LW (Traded to the Atlanta Thrashers)
Joey Crabb, RW (Signed as a free agent with the Toronto Maple Leafs)
Mark Cullen, C (Signed as a free agent with the Florida Panthers)
Ben Eager, LW (Traded to the Atlanta Thrashers)
Colin Fraser, C (Traded to the Edmonton Oilers)
Kyle Greentree, RW (Signed as a free agent with the Washington Capitals)
Adam Hobson, C (Signed with Rogle of Sweden)
Kim Johnsson, D (Unsigned Free Agent)
Andrew Ladd, LW (Traded to the Atlanta Thrashers)
Peter MacArthur, LW (Unsigned Free Agent)
John Madden, C (Signed as a free agent with the Minnesota Wild)
Antti Niemi, G (Signed as a free agent with the San Jose Sharks)
Richard Petiot, D (Signed as a free agent with the Edmonton Oilers)
Marty Reasoner, C (Traded to the Florida Panthers)
Danny Richmond, D (Signed as a free agent with the Toronto Maple Leafs)
Jean-Claude Sawyer, D (Unsigned Free Agent)
Brent Sopel, D (Traded to the Atlanta Thrashers)
Bill Sweatt, LW (Traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs)
Kris Versteeg, RW (Traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs)

2009-10 Season Finish: 1st Central Division, 2nd Western Conference, 112 Pts.
2009-10 Playoffs: 2010 Stanley Cup Champions
Won 4-2 against the Nashville Predators in the Quarterfinals
Won 4-2 against the Vancouver Canucks in the Semi-Finals
Won 4-0 against the San Jose Sharks in the Western Conference Finals
Won 4-2 against the Philadelphia Flyers in the Stanley Cup Finals

2010-11 Prediction: 4th Central Division, 9th Western Conference

The 2009-10 season couldn’t have gone any better for the Chicago Blackhawks, who were looking to win their first Stanley Cup since 1961. After losing to the Detroit Red Wings in the 2009 Western Conference Finals, the Blackhawks retooled their roster by adding Marian Hossa, John Madden, and Tomas Kopecky on offense, Kim Johnsson and Nick Boynton on defense, and Finnish netminder Antti Niemi from Europe. The retooling worked, as the Blackhawks won the 2010 Stanley Cup and ended their 49-year championship drought. However, the team will be hard-pressed to repeat as Stanley Cup champs in 2011 after salary cap constraints have forced the team to trade away much of the rising talent that helped them win it all in 2010. Jonathan Toews, the 2010 Conn Smythe Trophy winner as MVP of the playoffs, brings an abundance of offensive depth, two-way skill, leadership, and great skating to the team, while Patrick Kane provides lots of goal-scoring depth and playmaking skills for the Blackhawks. Marian Hossa gives the team a very shifty winger with excellent offensive skills and goal-scoring ability, while Patrick Sharp brings plenty of goal-scoring ability to the team, as well as skill on the power play and penalty kill. Dave Bolland and Troy Brouwer bring lots of two-way skill and grit to the Blackhawks, while Tomas Kopecky brings a little scoring-upside, two-way skill, and some toughness to the wing. Newcomer Fernando Pisani gives the Blackhawks some offensive depth and shutdown skill on the wing, while Ryan Potulny brings some goal-scoring skill to the checking lines. Forwards Bryan Bickell, Jeff Taffe, and Jack Skille all bring some offensive depth and grit to the checking lines, while newcomer Viktor Stalberg gives the Blackhawks some speed and offensive upside on the wing. With training camp right around the corner, the Blackhawks have several young, prospect forwards who will look to make the team for the 2010-11 season, including Kyle Beach, Chris DiDomenico, Philippe Paradis, Jeremy Morin, and Jake Dowell. Despite having a number of promising offensive prospects, the Blackhawks might want to consider adding another veteran forward for some depth considering they traded away several forwards in order to get back below the salary cap.

Despite depleting their offense due to salary cap constraints, the Blackhawks’ defense still remains fairly intact from last season and should help keep the team competitive during the 2010-11 season. Duncan Keith, the 2010 Norris Trophy winner as the league’s top defenseman, brings a tremendous amount of offense, mobility, and skill to the power play on the blueline, while Brian Campbell also brings lots of power play skill and offensive depth to the team’s defense, as well as some grit. Brent Seabrook provides the Blackhawks with some offensive ability, toughness, and shutdown skill on the blueline, while Niklas Hjalmarsson gives the team some size, grit, and puck-moving skill on defense. John Scott, Nick Boynton, and Jassen Cullimore bring lots of toughness, grit, and physicality on defense, while Jordan Hendry provides some puck-moving skill and a little offense from the blueline. Defensive prospects that will be looking to make the team at training camp include Ivan Vishnevskiy, Nick Leddy, Ryan Stanton, Simon Danis-Pepin, and Shawn Lalonde.

The face of the Blackhawks’ goaltending will look a lot different next season with the departure of Stanley Cup hero Antti Niemi, whom the team let become an unrestricted free agent after they declined a one-year, $2.5 million arbitrator awarded contract due to salary constraints. To replace the Finnish netminder, the team signed long-time Dallas Stars goalie Marty Turco. Despite struggling a little bit over the last two season, Turco brings plenty of veteran depth and good puck-handling skills between the pipes. The Blackhawks will likely have a different backup netminder for the 2010-11 season, as the team is looking at sending Cristobal Huet to the AHL or Europe to erase his $5.6 million salary from their team in order to operate a little more comfortably under the salary cap. Youngster Corey Crawford and veteran Hannu Toivonen will look to compete for the backup role next season in Chicago, unless the Blackhawks decide to keep Huet on their roster.

Carolina Hurricanes 2010-11 Outlook

CAROLINA HURRICANES

OFF-SEASON PLAYER ADDITIONS
Joe Corvo, D (Signed as a free agent, previously with the Washington Capitals)
Jonathan Matsumoto, C (Acquired in a trade with the Philadelphia Flyers)
Riley Nash, C (Acquired in a trade with the Edmonton Oilers)
Bobby Sanguinetti, D (Acquired in a trade with the New York Rangers)
Jared Staal, LW (Acquired in a trade with the Phoenix Coyotes)

OFF-SEASON PLAYER LOSSES
Mike Angelidis, LW (Signed as a free agent with the Tampa Bay Lightning)
Rod Brind’Amour, C (Retired)
Tim Conboy, D (Signed as a free agent with the Buffalo Sabres)
Steven Goertzen, RW (Unsigned Free Agent)
Rob Hennigar, C (Unsigned Free Agent)
Manny Legace, G (Unsigned Free Agent)
Alexandre Picard, D (Signed as a free agent with the Montreal Canadiens)
Brian Pothier, D (Signed with HC Geneve-Servette of Switzerland)
Michael Ryan, C (Unsigned Free Agent)
Ray Whitney, LW (Signed as a free agent with the Phoenix Coyotes)

2009-10 Season Finish: 3rd Southeast Division, 11th Eastern Conference, 80 Pts.
2009-10 Playoffs: Did Not Make Playoffs

2010-11 Prediction: 5th Southeast Division, 15th Eastern Conference

After failing to make the playoffs for the 2009-10 season, the Carolina Hurricanes are now in rebuild mode and have opted to rebuild the team through young talent rather than through the free agent market. While the team could likely miss the playoffs for the 2010-11 season, the Hurricanes will look to make a return to the post-season in a few years time as they begin to stock up on young talent. Eric Staal remains the top forward on the Hurricanes’ roster with his goal-scoring and playmaking skills, great shot, and toughness. Jussi Jokinen brings lots of goal-scoring skill, especially in the shootout, and versatility to the team, while Tuomo Ruutu brings plenty of offensive depth and toughness to the wing. Erik Cole plays with lots of grit, is a solid body-checker, and brings some offensive ability to the team despite injuries taking a major toll on his career and production, while Sergei Samsonov gives the team a very shifty forward with some offensive skill. Brandon Sutter gives the Hurricanes a young center to build around with his two-way skill and offensive upside, while youngster Jiri Tlusty brings some creativity and playmaking skills to the team despite having consistency issues. Chad LaRose gives the team some defensive skill on the checking lines, as well as some decent offensive instincts, while youngster Zach Boychuk brings lots of offensive upside and some grit to the lineup. Tom Kostopoulos gives the Hurricanes a very gritty, physical player who plays with lots of energy and can chip in offensively from time to time, while Patrick Dwyer and Jerome Samson bring some offensive depth to the fourth line. Since the Hurricanes are in rebuild mode, they will have a couple of roster openings this season for some young talent, and could fill those openings with the likes of Riley Nash, Oskar Osala, Zac Dalpe, Drayson Bowman, Jonathan Matsumoto, Nicolas Blanchard, Jared Staal, and Jeffrey Skinner. Despite having a number of talented forward prospects, the Hurricanes will likely struggle offensively this season given the lack of NHL experience by those prospects and may want to look into signing a veteran forward or two for some offensive depth.

While the offense of the Hurricanes may be a little short on veteran depth, their defense has a good mix of veterans and young talent that should keep the team defensively sound next season. Joni Pitkanen brings lots of size, toughness, and offensive skill to the blueline, while Tim Gleason provides lots of toughness, grit, and mobility as a shutdown defenseman. Joe Corvo returns to the Hurricanes after being dealt by the team to the Washington Capitals at the March 3 trade deadline and will bring lots of offensive skill to the team’s defense, especially on the power play. Anton Babchuk returns to the team after a one-year stay in the KHL and will bring lots of offensive skill and a decent shot to the blueline, while Jamie McBain will also bring some offensive skill and some size to the Hurricanes. Jay Harrison gives the team a big, stay-at-home defenseman who plays with lots of toughness, while Brett Carson and newcomer Bobby Sanguinetti bring some offensive skill to the blueline. Prospect defensemen Casey Borer, Bryan Rodney, Brett Bellemore, and Michal Jordan will look to make the Hurricanes’ roster this season at training camp.

The Hurricanes’ goaltending has remained fairly stable in the off-season with Cam Ward returning as the starting goalie and Justin Peters set to become the new backup. Ward brings solid goaltending skills and size between the pipes, while Peters is a hard worker on the ice and can play well when under pressure. Justin Pogge will look to battle for the backup role at training camp with his size and success at the junior level.

TEAM STRENGTHS

• Lots of talented forward prospects to rebuild the team with.
• Plenty of experience on the blueline for next season.
• Plenty of physical players on the team to help wear down the opposition.

TEAM WEAKNESSES

• Offense could struggle given the lack of NHL experience from many of the young players.
• Could use a more experienced backup goaltender.

Calgary Flames 2010-11 Outlook

CALGARY FLAMES

OFF-SEASON PLAYER ADDITIONS
Raitis Ivanans, LW (Signed as a free agent, previously with the Los Angeles Kings)
Tim Jackman, RW (Signed as a free agent, previously with the Phoenix Coyotes)
Olli Jokinen, C (Signed as a free agent, previously with the New York Rangers)
Henrik Karlsson, G (Acquired in a trade with the San Jose Sharks)
Jean-Philippe Lamoureux, G (Signed to a minor league contract, previously with the Buffalo Sabres)
Logan MacMillan, C (Acquired in a trade with the Anaheim Ducks)
Stefan Meyer, LW (Signed as a free agent, previously with the Phoenix Coyotes)
Ryan Stone, C (Signed as a free agent, previously with the Edmonton Oilers)
Alex Tanguay, LW (Signed as a free agent, previously with the Tampa Bay Lightning)

OFF-SEASON PLAYER LOSSES
Brad Cole, D (Unsigned Free Agent)
Nigel Dawes, LW (Signed as a free agent with the Atlanta Thrashers)
Andy Delmore, D (Unsigned Free Agent)
Carsen Germyn, RW (Signed with EHC Olten of Switzerland)
Chris Higgins, LW (Signed as a free agent with the Florida Panthers)
Jason Jaffray, C (Traded to the Anaheim Ducks)
Jamal Mayers, RW (Signed as a free agent with the San Jose Sharks)
Brian McGrattan, RW (Unsigned Free Agent)
Garth Murray, C (Unsigned Free Agent)
Eric Nystrom, LW (Signed as a free agent with the Minnesota Wild)
Brett Palin, D (Signed as a free agent with the Nashville Predators)
Colin Stuart, LW (Signed as a free agent with the Buffalo Sabres)
Vesa Toskala, G (Unsigned Free Agent)
David Van Der Gulik, RW (Signed as a free agent with the Colorado Avalanche)

2009-10 Season Finish: 3rd Northwest Division, 10th Western Conference, 90 Pts.
2009-10 Playoffs: Did Not Make Playoffs

2010-11 Prediction: 2nd Northwest Division, 7th Western Conference

The Calgary Flames started off the 2009-10 season strongly, but began to struggle around the second half of the season as their offense began to play sluggishly. In an attempt to pull the team out of its slump, GM Darryl Sutter shook up the team in a series of trades that saw defenseman Dion Phaneuf head to the Toronto Maple Leafs in a seven-player deal and forward Olli Jokinen to the New York Rangers in a four-player deal. However, the trades were not enough to shake the Flames out of their slump and they missed the playoffs by five points. In an attempt to get back to the playoffs in 2011, the Flames brought back a couple of familiar faces this past summer to help them out offensively. Just months after being traded to the Rangers, Olli Jokinen is back in Calgary. Despite lacking consistency, Jokinen brings good face-off skills and some scoring talent to the lineup. Alex Tanguay returns to the Flames after a rather disappointing season in Tampa Bay in 2009-10. Despite his struggles last season, Tanguay brings plenty of speed, versatility, and excellent passing skills to the forward lines. Team captain Jarome Iginla remains the team’s top player with his exceptional offensive skill, goal-scoring ability, toughness, and leadership. Daymond Langkow brings plenty of offensive depth and passing skills to the lineup, while Matt Stajan provides some goal-scoring skill to the forward lines. Rene Bourque, who had a fine season in 2009-10, brings plenty of two-way skill, speed, goal-scoring skill, and toughness to the team, while Niklas Hagman brings speed and offensive skill to the wing. Ales Kotalik brings a good shot and offensive depth to the wing, but given his inconsistency and pricey contract, he could end up in the minors or Europe for the 2010-11 season. Curtis Glencross brings plenty of toughness, goal-scoring skill, speed, and skill to the power play and penalty kill, while David Moss provides some size, versatility, and offensive depth to the wing. Newcomers Raitis Ivanans and Tim Jackman bring a wealth of toughness, grit, and physical play to the lineup, while Craig Conroy provides plenty of two-way depth and grit to the team. Brett Sutter will look to make the roster full time at training camp with his gritty play, while Mikael Backlund will also look to secure a role with his two-way skill and offensive upside. Other prospects looking to make the Flames’ roster for next season include John Armstrong, Greg Nemisz, Mitch Wahl, Lance Bouma, and Logan MacMillan.

The Flames’ defense remains intact from last season and should help keep the team competitive defensively in the Western Conference in 2010-11. Despite struggling in his first season with the Flames in 2009-10, Jay Bouwmeester will look to have a comeback season in 2010-11 with his excellent skating and offensive skill on the blueline. Robyn Regehr provides plenty of defensive depth to the team, as well as toughness, mobility, and leadership skills. Ian White brings lots of toughness and offensive skill to the Flames’ defense, while Cory Sarich provides lots of toughness and grit as a stay-at-home defenseman. Mark Giordano possesses plenty of offensive skill and toughness, while Steve Staios brings lots of toughness, grit, and leadership to the blueline. Adam Pardy provides plenty of size, some toughness, and mobility to the team’s blueline as a depth defenseman. While the Flames are pretty much set on defense for next season, several defensive prospects will look to make the team next season, including Staffan Kronwall, Keith Seabrook, Gord Baldwin, Matt Pelech, and John Negrin.

The Flames’ goaltending remains fairly strong for next season with Miikka Kiprusoff set to return between the pipes once again. He is a solid goaltender in net, is very competitive, and can handle heavy workloads. Newcomer Henrik Karlsson could end up being the backup to Kiprusoff next season with his incredible size and has some upside to becoming a starting goaltender, but will have some competition at training camp from Matt Keetley and Leland Irving. However, given the lack of NHL experience from the aforementioned goaltenders, the Flames should look at adding a stable backup that can help down the stretch to the playoffs, as Kiprusoff is prone to wearing out late in the season from playing so many games.

TEAM STRENGTHS

• Possesses some talented goal-scorers.
• Lots of grit and toughness on defense.
• Very strong starting goaltender in Kiprusoff.

TEAM WEAKNESSES

• Too many inconsistent scorers on offense could sink the team offensively again in 2010-11.
• Could use a little more offense on their defense.
• Need a more proven, stable backup goaltender.

Buffalo Sabres 2010-11 Outlook

BUFFALO SABRES

OFF-SEASON PLAYER ADDITIONS
Tim Conboy, D (Signed as a free agent, previously with the Carolina Hurricanes)
Jordan Leopold, D (Signed as a free agent, previously with the Pittsburgh Penguins)
Shaone Morrisonn, D (Signed as a free agent, previously with the Washington Capitals)
Rob Niedermayer, C (Signed as a free agent, previously with the New Jersey Devils)
Colin Stuart, LW (Signed as a free agent, previously with the Calgary Flames)

OFF-SEASON PLAYER LOSSES
Jeff Cowan, LW (Unsigned Free Agent)
Joe DiPenta, D (Signed with the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL)
Matt Generous, D (Unsigned Free Agent)
Tim Kennedy, C (Signed as a free agent with the New York Rangers)
Michael Kostka, D (Signed with the Rochester Americans of the AHL)
Toni Lydman, D (Signed as a free agent with the Anaheim Ducks)
Jean-Philippe Lamoureux, G (Signed a minor league contract with the Calgary Flames)
Adam Mair, C (Unsigned Free Agent)
Henrik Tallinder, D (Signed as a free agent with the New Jersey Devils)
Raffi Torres, LW (Signed as a free agent with the Vancouver Canucks)

2009-10 Season Finish: 1st Northeast Division, 3rd Eastern Conference, 100 Pts.
2009-10 Playoffs: Lost 4-2 to the Boston Bruins in the Quarterfinals

2010-11 Prediction: 2nd Northeast Division, 5th Eastern Conference

The Buffalo Sabres had an impressive 2009-10 season by finishing first in the Northeast Division, but were ousted in the first round of the playoffs by the Boston Bruins in six games. The Sabres will look to have another fine season in 2010-11 and make it back to the playoffs for the second straight year. The team boasts a formidable offense led by the talented Thomas Vanek, who brings lots of goal-scoring skill to the lineup, as well as plenty of size. Jason Pominville brings lots of offensive depth, passing and playmaking skills, as well as depth to the power play, while Derek Roy brings playmaking skill and energy to the forward lines. Tim Connolly brings lots of quickness, offensive depth, and skill to the penalty skill despite being very susceptible to injury, while Jochen Hecht is also excellent on the penalty kill and has plenty of two-way skill. Paul Gaustad brings lots of grit and toughness and two-way skill to the lineup, while Drew Stafford provides goal-scoring skill to the forward lines, as well as some size. Mike Grier brings exceptional defensive skill to the team’s offense, as well as lots of skill and some leadership qualities, while newcomer Rob Niedermayer brings some grit, two-way play, and skill to the penalty kill. Patrick Kaleta and Cody McCormick both provide a tremendous amount of grit, toughness, and physicality to the lineup, while Matt Ellis brings a strong work ethic and offensive depth to the wing. Colin Stuart and Mark Mancari will look to make the team next season as depth forwards, but will likely have to battle for roster spots at training camp. Other prospect forwards who will be looking to secure roster spots with the Sabres in the coming weeks include Tyler Ennis, Nathan Gerbe, Felix Schutz, and Derek Whitmore.

The Sabres boast a defense that has a good mix of veterans and young talent, which should keep them fairly competitive on the blueline next season. Craig Rivet remains one of the top defenseman on the team with his gritty play and leadership skills and can even chip in points from time to time. Newcomer Jordan Leopold provides plenty of mobility and offensive skill to the blueline, while 2009-10 Rookie-of-the-Year Tyler Myers brings tremendous size, great skating, and lots of offensive upside to the Sabres’ defense. Chris Butler brings lots of offensive upside and puck-moving skill to the team, while Shaone Morrisonn brings lots of size and defensive depth to the blueline. Andrej Sekera provides mobility, puck-moving skill, and can play a lot of minutes, while Steve Montador brings lots of toughness and a little offensive skill to the team’s defense. Newcomer Tim Conboy brings some toughness to the team and is versatile, as he can play both defense and on the wing, but will likely have to battle for a spot at training camp with prospects T.J. Brennan, Alex Biega, Marc-Andre Gragnani, and Mike Weber. While the Sabres have a fairly stable blueline, the addition of a veteran defenseman could help add some depth to their defense.

Ryan Miller had an exceptional year in 2009-10 which saw him win his first Vezina Trophy as the league’s top goalie and will look to repeat that success in 2010-11. He is very quick to make saves and can dominate against the opposition, which will likely result in him starting the majority of next season’s games. Patrick Lalime will likely backup Miller once again next season and brings plenty of veteran depth to the team in goal. While Lalime brings some veteran depth to the team, he has struggled in net the past few seasons, giving the Sabres a very inconsistent option as a backup goalie. He will likely have competition at training camp for the backup role from prospect Jhonas Enroth.

TEAM STRENGTHS

• Lots of talented players on offense.
• Good mix of veteran and young players on defense.
• Very strong starting goalie in Ryan Miller.

TEAM WEAKNESSES

• Could use another veteran defenseman on the blueline.
• Could use a stronger backup goalie.

Boston Bruins 2010-11 Outlook

BOSTON BRUINS

OFF-SEASON PLAYER ADDITIONS
Greg Campbell, C (Acquired in a trade with the Florida Panthers)
Nathan Horton, RW (Acquired in a trade with the Florida Panthers)
Nathan McIver, D (Signed as a free agent, previously with the Vancouver Canucks)
Jeremy Reich, LW (Signed as a free agent, previously with the New York Islanders)
Nolan Schaefer, G (Signed as a free agent, previously with CSKA Moscow of the KHL)
Wyatt Smith, C (Signed as a free agent, previously with the Pittsburgh Penguins)
David Warsofsky, D (Acquired in a trade with the St. Louis Blues)

OFF-SEASON PLAYER LOSSES
Steve Begin, LW (Unsigned Free Agent)
Drew Fata, D (Unsigned Free Agent)
Drew Larman, C (Unsigned Free Agent)
Guillaume Lefebvre, LW (Signed with HC Ocelari Trinec of the Czech Republic)
Kevin Regan, G (Signed with HC Valpellice of Italy)
Dany Sabourin, G (Signed as a free agent with the Washington Capitals)
Miroslav Satan, RW (Unsigned Free Agent)
Vladimir Sobotka, C (Traded to the St. Louis Blues)
Dennis Wideman, D (Traded to the Florida Panthers)
Andy Wozniewski, D (Signed with EV Zug of Switzerland)

2009-10 Season Finish: 3rd Northeast Division, 6th Eastern Conference, 91 Pts.
2009-10 Playoffs: Won 4-2 against the Buffalo Sabres in the Quarterfinals
Lost 4-3 to the Philadelphia Flyers in the Semi-Finals

2010-11 Prediction: 3rd Northeast Division, 7th Eastern Conference

Expectations were high on the Boston Bruins last season after a very successful 2008-09 campaign which saw them finish atop the Eastern Conference. Last season could be seen by many as a disappointment for the Bruins, as they dropped to sixth in the Eastern Conference and their offense was sluggish and inconsistent at times. To inject some life into their offense, the Bruins acquired star right wing Nathan Horton from the Florida Panthers in exchange for defenseman Dennis Wideman. Horton will bring plenty of goal-scoring skill and fluid skating to the team's forward lines. Horton will likely play alongside star center Marc Savard, giving the team a good scoring combination on the first line. Savard brings a tremendous amount of offensive talent to the Bruins, as well as excellent playmaking and passing skills. Patrice Bergeron provides plenty of offensive depth and two-way skill to the forward lines, while Michael Ryder brings plenty of goal-scoring depth to the wing. Blake Wheeler brings lots of size and goal-scoring skill to the team's offense, while David Krejci provides lots of two-way skill, as well as passing and playmaking skills. Marco Sturm, who brings plenty of speed and skill to the power play and penalty kill, will miss the start of the regular season after off-season knee surgery and likely won't be back until November. Fan favorite Milan Lucic brings a tremendous amount of strength, toughness, grit, size, and a little offensive skill to the Bruins, while Mark Recchi brings lots of leadership and offensive depth to the wing. Greg Campbell, also acquired in the Horton trade, brings some physical play to the lineup, as well as skill to the penalty kill, while Daniel Paille brings some defensive depth to the checking lines. Shawn Thornton and Jeremy Reich bring lots of grit and toughness to the team and will both play enforcer roles on the team. With Trent Whitfield currently sidelined with an injury that will see him miss the start of the regular season, Wyatt Smith was brought aboard as a likely replacement, and could bring some offensive depth to the fourth line if he makes the team at training camp. Tyler Seguin, the second overall pick in the 2010 draft, could very likely make the team this season, and if he does, he will bring lots of offensive skill and two-way play to the forward lines. Other prospect forwards looking to make the team at training camp this year include Brad Marchand, Jamie Arniel, Joe Colborne, Jordan Caron, Zach Hamill, and Yannick Riendeau.

While the loss of Dennis Wideman this past summer in the Nathan Horton trade leaves a big hole in the Bruins' defense, they still possess some talented veteran blueliners and some young defensemen who will look to play bigger roles this season. Zdeno Chara remains the team's top defenseman with his strong intensity, gritty play, offensive skill, and enormous size. Dennis Seidenberg brings lots of mobility, puck-moving skill, and offensive depth to the blueline, while Johnny Boychuk also brings some offensive depth to the team's defense. Mark Stuart brings plenty of defensive depth and toughness to the blueline, while Andrew Ference provides some mobility to the Bruins' defense as a defensive defenseman. Matt Hunwick provides some offensive skill as a fifth or sixth defenseman, while Nathan McIver, Adam McQuaid, and Andrew Bodnarchuk will look to make the team as depth defensemen with their physical play. Other defensive prospects looking to make the team at training camp include Yuri Alexandrov, Matt Bartkowski, Jeff Penner, and Cody Wild. While the team is likely set with their defensive corps, the addition of a veteran defenseman would make them a bit stronger on defense.

The Bruins have a very solid goaltending tandem for next season in the veteran Tim Thomas and youngster Tuukka Rask. Thomas is great at stopping the puck, can make key saves at crucial moments in the game, and plays hard on the ice. Rask, who has a lot of upside, is also great at making key saves and covers a lot of the net. Nolan Schaefer and Matt Dalton figure to be third goalies for the team next season, but will likely spend a lot of time in the minors unless Thomas or Rask should be sidelined with injuries.

TEAM STRENGTHS

• Very strong team in goal.
• Lots of quality, offensive prospects.
• Plenty of goal scorers on offense.

TEAM WEAKNESSES

• Too many inconsistent and injury-prone players on offense.
• Could use another veteran player on defense.

Atlanta Thrashers 2010-11 Outlook

ATLANTA THRASHERS

OFF-SEASON ADDITIONS
Akim Aliu, RW (Acquired in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks)
Donald Brashear, LW (Acquired in a trade with the New York Rangers)
Dustin Byfuglien, LW (Acquired in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks)
Nigel Dawes, LW (Signed as a free agent, previously with the Calgary Flames)
Ben Eager, LW (Acquired in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks)
Andrew Ladd, LW (Acquired in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks)
Chris Mason, G (Signed as a free agent, previously with the St. Louis Blues)
Ian McKenzie, RW (Acquired in a trade with the Nashville Predators)
Freddy Meyer, D (Signed as a free agent, previously with the New York Islanders)
Fredrik Modin, LW (Signed as a free agent, previously with the Los Angeles Kings)
Patrick Rissmiller, LW (Acquired in a trade with the New York Rangers)
Jared Ross, C (Signed as a free agent, previously with the Philadelphia Flyers)
Jaime Sifers, D (Signed as a free agent, previously with the Minnesota Wild)
Mike Siklenka, RW (Signed as a free agent, previously with the Red Bulls Salzburg of Austria)
Brent Sopel, D (Acquired in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks)

OFF-SEASON LOSSES
Maxim Afinogenov, RW (Signed with SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL)
Colby Armstrong, RW (Signed as a free agent with the Toronto Maple Leafs)
Evgeny Artyukhin, LW (Unsigned Free Agent)
Donald Brashear, LW (Contract bought out by the team, Unsigned Free Agent)
Chris Chelios, D (Retired)
Joey Crabb, RW (Traded to the Chicago Blackhawks, later signed as a free agent with the Toronto Maple Leafs)
Chad Denny, D (Unsigned Free Agent)
Josh Gratton, LW (Unsigned Free Agent)
Johan Hedberg, G (Signed as a free agent with the New Jersey Devils)
Rylan Kaip, C (Signed with the Houston Aeros of the AHL)
Slava Kozlov, LW (Unsigned Free Agent)
Pavel Kubina, D (Signed as a free agent with the Tampa Bay Lightning)
Scott Lehman, D (Signed with the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL)
Grant Lewis, D (Traded to the Nashville Predators)
Clarke MacArthur, LW (Signed as a free agent with the Toronto Maple Leafs)
Steve McCarthy, D (Unsigned Free Agent)
Jeremy Morin, LW (Traded to the Chicago Blackhawks)
Mark Popovic, D (Unsigned Free Agent)
Marty Reasoner, C (Traded to the Chicago Blackhawks, later traded to the Florida Panthers)
Christoph Schubert, D (Signed with Frolunda of Sweden)
Matt Siddall, RW (Signed with the Victoria Salmon Kings of the ECHL)
Tim Stapleton, C (Unsigned Free Agent)
Brett Sterling, LW (Traded to the San Jose Sharks, later signed as a free agent with the Pittsburgh Penguins)
Michael Vernace, D (Traded to the San Jose Sharks, later signed as a free agent with the Tampa Bay Lightning)
Ivan Vishnevskiy, D (Traded to the Chicago Blackhawks)
Todd White, C (Traded to the New York Rangers)

2009-10 Season Finish: 2nd Southeast Division, 10th Eastern Conference, 83 Pts.
2009-10 Playoffs: Did Not Make Playoffs

2010-11 Prediction: 3rd Southeast Division, 11th Eastern Conference

The Atlanta Thrashers started off the 2009-10 season a bit slow, but after a mid-season trade that sent star left winger Ilya Kovalchuk to the New Jersey Devils, the team saw its play begin to improve. However, the late-season surge wasn't enough and the Thrashers missed the playoffs by six points. The off-season has brought about a lot of player change in Atlanta, especially on offense, to try to get the team back to the playoffs in 2011. Right wing Nikolai Antropov remains one of the team's top forwards and brings plenty of offensive skill to the team, as well as some two-way talent. Left wing Evander Kane wasn't too bad in his rookie debut last season and will look to better his offensive skills in 2010-11, as well as provide some toughness for the team. Bryan Little saw his production dip a little in 2009-10, but will look to bounce back this coming season. Despite his struggles, he still brings plenty of goal-scoring and playmaking skill to the lineup. Rich Peverley provides plenty of offensive talent to the team, as well as solid faceoff skills, while newcomer Dustin Byfuglien brings lots of size, toughness, offensive skill, and a good shot to the Thrashers' forward lines. Restricted free agent Niclas Bergfors, who was acquired this past February in the Kovalchuk trade, is still not under contract for next season, and according to GM Rick Dudley, negotiations are not going well. The team will likely do all they can to get Bergfors under contract prior to the start of the season, as he brings lots of puckmoving skill, offensive potential, and scoring instincts to the forward lines. Newcomers Fredrik Modin and Andrew Ladd bring plenty of veteran depth and two-way skill to the checking lines, while Jim Slater provides some speed, defensive skill, and a little offensive upside to the team. Ben Eager, Chris Thorburn, Anthony Stewart, and Eric Boulton all bring lots of size, toughness, and grit to the checking lines, while Patrick Rissmiller brings some veteran offensive depth to the fourth line. The Thrashers have a number of talented prospect forwards who will look to make the team at training camp in the coming weeks, including Angelo Esposito, Akim Aliu, Michael Forney, Patrice Cormier, Eric O'Dell, and Daultan Leveille. While the team has plenty of offensive prospects and a few promising forwards already on the team, they lack a proven, consistent goal-scorer. If players like Antropov, Little, Peverley, Byfuglien, and Kane can remain consistent throughout the season, the Thrashers' should have a potent offense. However, if any of these players should struggle or play inconsistent hockey, the team may want to consider acquiring a proven goal-scorer to help pick up the slack.

EDIT
According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, the Thrashers have signed left wing Nigel Dawes to a one-year, two-way contract worth $600,000 at the NHL level and $105,000 at the AHL level. Dawes adds some offensive depth to the team, but can be inconsistent at times in his play.

The Thrashers' defense boasts a good mix of veteran talent and younger players, which should help make them competitive defensively this coming season. Ron Hainsey brings mobility and size to the blueline, as well as some offensive ability. Tobias Enstrom brings lots of offensive skill to the team's defense, especially on the power play, while Zach Bogosian brings lots of offensive potential, mobility, and some toughness to the blueline. Johnny Oduya provides plenty of depth as a defensive defenseman, while Brent Sopel brings some puck-moving skill to the blueline and is also a good shot blocker. Boris Valabik adds lots of grit and toughness to the Thrashers' defense, while Freddy Meyer brings a little offensive depth as a sixth or seventh defenseman. Youngsters Arturs Kulda, Paul Postma, and Andrei Zubarev will all look to compete for a roster spot on the team's defense while at training camp this fall.

The Thrashers' have a fairly steady goaltending tandem in Ondrej Pavelec and Chris Mason, which should keep the team competitive in goal throughout the 2010-11 season. Pavelec has plenty of size and puck-stopping instincts, while Mason provides lots of veteran depth and is a solid player in net. Pavelec and Mason will both likely share the goaltending duties throughout next season, unless one of them begins to outshine the other one in goal. Drew MacIntyre and Peter Mannino also provide the Thrashers with some experience in goal, but will likely spend most of next season in the minors unless there is an injury to Pavelec or Mason.

TEAM STRENGTHS

• Possess a good goaltending tandem in Pavelec and Mason.
• Good mix of veteran and young players on defense.
• Plenty of quality, offensive prospects.

TEAM WEAKNESSES

• Lack a proven goal-scorer.
• A few too many inconsistent players on offense.
• Could use a little more toughness on the blueline.

Anaheim Ducks 2010-11 Outlook

ANAHEIM DUCKS

OFF-SEASON PLAYER ADDITIONS
Josh Green, LW (Signed as a free agent, previously with MODO of Sweden)
Ryan Hillier, LW (Acquired in a trade with the New York Rangers)
Jason Jaffray, C (Acquired in a trade with the Calgary Flames)
Toni Lydman, D (Signed as a free agent, previously with the Buffalo Sabres)
Trevor Smith, LW (Signed as a free agent, previously with the New York Islanders)
Andy Sutton, D (Signed as a free agent, previously with the Ottawa Senators)
Danny Syvret, D (Signed as a free agent, previously with the Philadelphia Flyers)
Aaron Voros, LW (Acquired in a trade with the New York Rangers)
Tomas Zaborsky, LW (Acquired in a trade with the New York Rangers)

OFF-SEASON PLAYER LOSSES
Bobby Bolt, LW (Unsigned Free Agent)
Mike Brown, RW (Traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs)
Kyle Calder, LW (Unsigned Free Agent)
Ryan Donally, LW (Unsigned Free Agent)
Steve Eminger, D (Traded to the New York Rangers)
Brennan Evans, D (Signed as a free agent with the St. Louis Blues)
Joey MacDonald, G (Signed as a free agent with the Detroit Red Wings)
Logan MacMillan, C (Traded to the Calgary Flames)
Matt McCue, D (Traded to the New York Rangers)
Mattias Modig, G (Traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins)
Scott Niedermayer, D (Retired)
Nathan Oystrick, D (Signed as a free agent with the St. Louis Blues)
Brian Salcido, D (Signed with HC Sparta Praha of the Czech Republic)
Aaron Ward, D (Retired)
Shawn Weller, LW (Signed with the Manitoba Moose of the AHL)
James Wisniewski, D (Traded to the New York Islanders)

2009-10 Season Finish: 4th Pacific Division, 11th Western Conference, 89 Pts.
2009-10 Playoffs: Did Not Make Playoffs

2010-11 Prediction: 4th Pacific Division, 12th Western Conference

After a rather disappointing 2009-10 season which saw the Anaheim Ducks finish near the bottom of the Western Conference and miss the playoffs for the first time since 2004, the team will be looking to rebound and make the playoffs for the 2010-11 season. The team's offense remains virtually intact from last season with the most notable departures being checking line forwards Mike Brown and Kyle Calder. With the amount of star power on their forward lines, the Ducks should have a fairly strong and potent offense next season. However, star left wing Bobby Ryan still remains unsigned with one month until the regular season begins. While money hasn't been an issue in the contract negotiations, it's the length of the contract that is holding things up. Ryan wants a two-year deal, while the team wants to sign him to a five-year extension. As the regular season creeps, closer, I'm sure both sides will eventually come to an agreement, as the Ducks will want Ryan in the lineup as soon as possible. Once re-signed, Ryan will likely play on the top line with stars Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry. All three players bring lots of offensive depth, goal-scoring talent, physical play, skill on the power play, and puckmoving talent to the team. Teemu Selanne returns to Anaheim for another season after contemplating retirement over the summer. He will bring lots of speed, offensive talent, and excellent puckhandling skills to the team. Veteran Saku Koivu will bring lots of offensive depth and leadership to the Ducks, while Jason Blake provides some energy and goal-scoring skill to the forward lines despite being an inconsistent scorer at times. Joffrey Lupul is expected to miss the start of training camp while he continues to recover from a blood infection in his back. He brings some goal-scoring talent to the team, and will be missed if he is not ready to return to action by the start of the regular season. In the event that Lupul misses some of the start of the regular season, Dan Sexton could temporarily replace him on the top two lines after a fine rookie season in 2009-10. He has plenty of speed and some scoring upside and should see his play continue to improve in 2010-11. Todd Marchant provides plenty of two-way skill to the checking lines, as well as lots of skill to the penalty kill, while fan-favorite and tough-guy George Parros brings lots of energy, toughness, and grit to the lineup. Kyle Chipchura, Troy Bodie, and newcomer Aaron Voros bring plenty of size and toughness to the forward lines, while Ryan Carter, Matt Beleskey, Trevor Smith, and Jason Jaffray bring some offensive depth to the fourth line. The Ducks have some offensive prospects who will look to make the team at training camp, including Ryan Hillier, Tomas Zaborsky, Nick Bonino, Brandon McMillan, and Kyle Palmieri. Promising youngsters Peter Holland and Emerson Etem will look to impress at training camp as well, but given their age, will likely spend next season in the minors honing their skills.

The Ducks' defense took a major hit this summer with the retirement of star defenseman Scott Niedermayer and was further depleted with the retirement of Aaron Ward and trades of James Wisniewski to the New York Islanders and Steve Eminger to the New York Rangers. Lubomir Visnovsky remains the top defenseman on the team and will bring lots of offensive depth and skill on the power play to the blueline. Newcomers Toni Lydman and Andy Sutton will bring plenty of puckmoving skill and toughness to the blueline, respectively. Sheldon Brookbank will bring lots of grit and toughness to the team, while Brett Festerling and Brendan Mikkelson will look to play bigger roles with the Ducks this season. Luca Sbisa could also make the team this season, and if he does, he will bring some offensive skill to the blueline, while Danny Syvret will look to secure a roster spot as a depth defenseman. Prospects looking to make the team at training camp this year include Jake Gardiner, Mark Mitera, Jake Newton, Mat Clark, and Cam Fowler. Despite having quite a few promising defensive prospects, the Ducks may want to consider signing a free agent defenseman or two to provide sufficient depth on the blueline, as their defense is considerably weaker than it was last season.

The Ducks' goaltending remains stable with Jonas Hiller and Curtis McElhinney as the tandem for next season. Hiller played very strong throughout the second half of the 2009-10 season and will look to continue that dominance to start the 2010-11 season. McElhinney brings plenty of size and sufficient depth as a backup goaltender, but is not very consistent at the NHL level. Prospects Jean-Philippe Levasseur and Timo Pielmeier will look to challenge for the backup role at training camp.


TEAM STRENGTHS

• Very strong team offensively.
• Lots of promising offensive and defensive prospects.
• Plenty of physical players that can help throw off the opposition with physical play.

TEAM WEAKNESSES

• Very weak team on defense. Should look into signing a free agent depth defenseman or two.
• Could use a more proven backup goaltender.

2010-11 NHL Season Predictions

The start of the 2010-11 NHL regular season is now one month away with training camps to start opening in the coming weeks. Here are my predictions for the new season, and below that, where I believe each team will finish in their respected conferences.

EASTERN CONFERENCE
ATLANTIC DIVISION

New Jersey Devils
Philadelphia Flyers
Pittsburgh Penguins
New York Rangers
New York Islanders

NORTHEAST DIVISION

Ottawa Senators
Buffalo Sabres
Boston Bruins
Montreal Canadiens
Toronto Maple Leafs

SOUTHEAST DIVISION

Washington Capitals
Tampa Bay Lightning
Atlanta Thrashers
Florida Panthers
Carolina Hurricanes

WESTERN CONFERENCE
CENTRAL DIVISION

Detroit Red Wings
Nashville Predators
St. Louis Blues
Chicago Blackhawks
Columbus Blue Jackets

NORTHWEST DIVISION

Vancouver Canucks
Calgary Flames
Minnesota Wild
Colorado Avalanche
Edmonton Oilers

PACIFIC DIVISION

San Jose Sharks
Los Angeles Kings
Phoenix Coyotes
Anaheim Ducks
Dallas Stars


EASTERN CONFERENCE
1. Washington Capitals
2. New Jersey Devils
3. Ottawa Senators
4. Philadelphia Flyers
5. Buffalo Sabres
6. Pittsburgh Penguins
7. Boston Bruins
8. Tampa Bay Lightning
9. Montreal Canadiens
10. New York Rangers
11. Atlanta Thrashers
12. Toronto Maple Leafs
13. New York Islanders
14. Florida Panthers
15. Carolina Hurricanes

WESTERN CONFERENCE
1. Vancouver Canucks
2. San Jose Sharks
3. Detroit Red Wings
4. Los Angeles Kings
5. Phoenix Coyotes
6. Nashville Predators
7. Calgary Flames
8. St. Louis Blues
9. Chicago Blackhawks
10. Minnesota Wild
11. Colorado Avalanche
12. Anaheim Ducks
13. Columbus Blue Jackets
14. Dallas Stars
15. Edmonton Oilers