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

Washington Capitals 2008-09 Outlook

WASHINGTON CAPITALS

NOTABLE ADDITIONS
Jose Theodore, G (Signed as a free agent, previously with the Colorado Avalanche)

NOTABLE LOSSES
Matt Cooke, LW (Signed as a free agent with the Pittsburgh Penguins)
Steve Eminger, D (Traded to the Philadelphia Flyers)
Cristobal Huet, G (Signed as a free agent with the Chicago Blackhawks)
Olaf Kolzig, G (Signed as a free agent with the Tampa Bay Lightning)

2007-08 Season Finish: 1st Southeast Division, 3rd Eastern Conference, 94 Pts.
2007-08 Playoffs: Lost 4-3 to the Philadelphia Flyers in Quarterfinals

2008-09 Prediction: 1st Southeast Division, 3rd Eastern Conference

The Washington Capitals were one of the most improved teams in the NHL during the 2007-08 season. After a slow start that saw the Capitals in last place in the Eastern Conference and the league in early November, Bruce Boudreau was brought in to replace Glen Hanlon as head coach. The Capitals had a strong finish to the season, just managing to squeeze past the Carolina Hurricanes for a playoff spot, and as a result, became the first team in NHL history to make the playoffs after being in last place in the league at any point during the same season. The Capitals figure to be a competitive team in the Eastern Conference during the 2008-09 season, especially with their highly talented offense. Alexander Ovechkin, one of the premier stars in the league, gives the Capitals lots of goal-scoring talent, offensive skills, and an excellent shot. Youngsters Alexander Semin and Nicklas Backstrom bring lots of offensive potential, passing skills, and goal-scoring talent. Michael Nylander and Viktor Kozlov provide the Capitals with plenty of veteran depth and offensive experience, while Sergei Fedorov gives the team a decent two-way forward with good offensive skills. Matt Bradley and Donald Brashear give the Capitals two physical forwards with lots of gritty play, while Chris Clark provides plenty of toughness and goal-scoring skills to the forward lines. Brooks Laich and Tomas Fleischmann give the team two offensively talented forwards who can score goals, while Boyd Gordon and Eric Fehr bring decent offensive depth to the Capitals. David Steckel and Quintin Laing also bring plenty of offensive depth and experience to the team. Prospects Chris Bourque, Francois Bouchard, and Oskar Osala will look to make the team at training camp on their fine offensive skills and potential. While the Capitals have plenty of young talent on offense, the addition of another veteran forward for depth could be beneficial to the team.

The Capitals defense did not change much over the summer, with the only departure being Steve Eminger via trade with Philadelphia, and should be just as competitive during the 2008-09 season as it was in 2007-08. Mike Green, who enjoyed a very productive season in 2007-08, is fast becoming the top player on the Capitals defense with his fine offensive skills and physical play. Tom Poti and Brian Pothier both provide plenty of offensive talent and toughness to the Capitals' defense, while Jeff Schultz brings plenty of offensive upside to the blueline. John Erskine gives the Capitals a rugged defenseman with lots of toughness, while Milan Jurcina brings plenty of defensive depth to the team's defense. The Capitals will likely see prospects Karl Alzner and Sami Lepisto vie for a roster spot at training camp on their fine offensive play. The addition of a veteran defenseman to the blueline could be beneficial to the Capitals young defensive corps.

The Capitals' goaltending changed completely following the 2008 playoffs, with trade deadline acquisition Cristobal Huet signing with Chicago and long-time starting goaltender Olaf Kolzig signing with Tampa Bay. Upon losing the two goaltenders, the Capitals immediately signed Jose Theodore via free agency. Theodore, who struggled during the 2006-07 season, greatly improved his game last season with the Colorado Avalanche. Theodore gives the Capitals solid depth and experience in goal. Brent Johnson, who was the Capitals' backup goaltender until the acquisition of Huet, will return as the backup for the 2008-09 season. Johnson gives the Capitals solid depth and veteran experience in goal. Prospects Simeon Varlamov and Michal Neuvirth could challenge Johnson for the backup role at training camp on their fine goaltending skills.

STRENGTHS

• Lots of talented young players on offense.
• Plenty of physical bodies on defense.
• Solid, experienced goaltending.

WEAKNESSES

• Could use a little more veteran depth on offense.
• Need more veteran depth on defense.

Vancouver Canucks 2008-09 Outlook

VANCOUVER CANUCKS

NOTABLE ADDITIONS
Nolan Baumgartner, D (Signed as a free agent, previously with the Dallas Stars)
Steve Bernier, RW (Acquired in a trade with the Buffalo Sabres)
Rob Davison, D (Signed as a free agent, previously with the New York Islanders)
Pavol Demitra, C (Signed as a free agent, previously with the Minnesota Wild)
Darcy Hordichuk, LW (Signed as a free agent, previously with the Carolina Hurricanes)
Ryan Johnson, C (Signed as a free agent, previously with the St. Louis Blues)
Kyle Wellwood, C (Claimed off waivers from the Toronto Maple Leafs)

NOTABLE LOSSES
Luc Bourdon, D (Deceased)
Brad Isbister, LW (Signed as a free agent with the Ottawa Senators)
Trevor Linden, C (Retired)
Aaron Miller, D (Unsigned Free Agent)
Brendan Morrison, C (Signed as a free agent with the Anaheim Ducks)
Markus Naslund, LW (Signed as a free agent with the New York Rangers)
Byron Ritchie, C (Signed with HC Geneve-Servette of the Swiss National League)
Ryan Shannon, RW (Traded to the Ottawa Senators)
Mike Weaver, D (Signed as a free agent with the St. Louis Blues)

2007-08 Season Finish: 5th Northwest Division, 11th Western Conference, 88 Pts.
2007-08 Playoffs: Did Not Make Playoffs

2008-09 Prediction: 5th Northwest Division, 13th Western Conference

After a late season collapse that saw the Vancouver Canucks miss the 2008 playoffs, it appear that changes to the team were imminent. Early in the summer, general manager Dave Nonis was fired and replaced by Mike Gillis. Shortly after free agency began, the Canucks saw the retirement of Trevor Linden and the departures of Brendan Morrison and Markus Naslund, depleting the team's already questionable offense. Heading into the off-season, the biggest need the Canucks had to address was the lack of scoring forwards and offensive depth. While the team was able to add a little offensive depth over the summer, the team is still in desperate need of some scoring forwards. Twins Daniel and Henrik Sedin remain the Canucks two best forwards. They bring lots of offensive skill, goal-scoring and passing talent, and depth to the team and they seem to get better every season. Newcomer Pavol Demitra, signed via free agency, gives the Canucks lots of offensive depth and skill, and could likely see his numbers increase if he plays on a line with the Sedins. Steve Bernier gives the Canucks a solid, young scorer with plenty of offensive promise, while Kyle Wellwood brings the Canucks a decent amount of offensive potential even though he is a bit susceptible to injury. Taylor Pyatt and Ryan Kesler both bring the Canucks a fair amount of offensive skill, goal-scoring talent, and toughness. Alex Burrows, Jeff Cowan, and newly acquired Darcy Hordichuk give the Canucks lots of toughness, physicality, and gritty play. Ryan Johnson and Matt Pettinger give the Canucks plenty of offensive and veteran depth, while Mason Raymond shows lots of offensive talent and potential. The Canucks have plenty of promising offensive prospects who will look to make the team at training camp, including Michael Grabner, Jason Jaffray, Rick Rypien, Juraj Simek, and Jannik Hansen, who played impressively for the Canucks during the 2007 playoffs.

The Canucks defense remains one of the strongest parts of the team, despite the tragic death of Luc Bourdon in a motorcycle accident back in June. Mattias Ohlund and Sami Salo both bring lots of offensive talent to the Canucks' blueline, while Ohlund also brings lots of physical play to the team's defense. Willie Mitchell and Kevin Bieksa both bring lots of hard-hitting play and physicality to the Canucks' blueline, while Lukas Krajicek gives the team decent defensive depth and toughness. Rob Davison gives the Canucks a physical presence on the blueline, while Nolan Baumgartner provides plenty of veteran depth. Also, look for youngster Alexander Edler to provide an offensive spark to the team's defense, as he has promising offensive skills. While the Canucks have promising defensive talent in prospects Nathan McIver, Patrick Coulombe, Taylor Ellington, Yann Sauve, and James Sharrow, they will all likely play the season in the minors given the Canucks depth on defense. With the number of physical bodies the team has on defense, they will likely be a physical team in the defensive zone during the 2008-09 season, but could use another offensive defenseman for depth and help on the power play.

The Canucks' goaltending will likely be the strongest part of the team for the 2008-09 season with Roberto Luongo set to return as the starting goaltender. Luongo is one of the most talented goaltenders in the league today and gives the Canucks lots of depth in goal. In a highly unusual and irregular move by team management, Luongo has been named captain of the Canucks. While the NHL allows goaltenders to be named team captains, they cannot act as team captains. Willie Mitchell has been designated the player who will deal with the officials on game nights in place of Luongo. Curtis Sanford will likely be the Canucks' backup goaltender for the 2008-09 season on his solid play and depth. However, promising goaltending prospect Cory Schneider could look to secure the backup role at training camp on his fine talent.

STRENGTHS

• Lots of physical players on defense.
• Solid depth in goal.

WEAKNESSES

• Lack solid scoring depth beyond their first line.
• Need more offense on defense.
• Could be forced to trade some of their minor league talent to improve their offense.

Toronto Maple Leafs 2008-09 Outlook

NOTABLE ADDITIONS
Jeff Finger, D (Signed as a free agent, previously with the Colorado Avalanche)
Mikhail Grabovski, C (Acquired in a trade with the Montreal Canadiens)
Niklas Hagman, LW (Signed as a free agent, previously with the Dallas Stars)
Ryan Hollweg, LW (Acquired in a trade with the New York Rangers)
Curtis Joseph, G (Signed as a free agent, previously with the Calgary Flames)
Jamal Mayers, RW (Acquired in a trade with the St. Louis Blues)
Mike Van Ryn, D (Acquired in a trade with the Florida Panthers)

NOTABLE LOSSES
Scott Clemmensen, G (Signed as a free agent with the New Jersey Devils)
Bryan McCabe, D (Traded to the Florida Panthers)
John Pohl, C (Signed with HC Lugano of the Swiss National League)
Andrew Raycroft, G (Contract bought out, Signed as a free agent with the Colorado Avalanche)
Mats Sundin, C (Unsigned Free Agent)
Darcy Tucker, RW (Contract bought out, Signed as a free agent with the Colorado Avalanche)
Kyle Wellwood, C (Claimed off waivers by the Vancouver Canucks)
Andy Wozniewski, D (Signed as a free agent with the St. Louis Blues)

2007-08 Season Finish: 5th Northeast Division, 12th Eastern Conference, 83 Pts.
2007-08 Playoffs: Did Not Make Playoffs

2008-09 Prediction: 5th Northeast Division, 14th Eastern Conference

The Toronto Maple Leafs will be looking for their first playoff birth during the 2008-09 season since 2004. However, the team is currently going through a rebuild and is not likely to finish among the top teams in the league. The Maple Leafs unloaded several veteran players over the summer in an effort to get younger, with the most notable departure being Mats Sundin, who is contemplating retirement. If Sundin were to return to the Maple Leafs, the team would get a huge boost to their offense with his offensive talent, goal-scoring skills, and leadership. Even if Sundin does not return to Toronto, there are plenty of quality forwards ready to step up for the Maple Leafs. Nik Antropov, who had a career season in 2007-08, brings the team lots of offensive talent, two-way play, and toughness, and could figure to be one of the Maple Leafs top scorers for the 2008-09 season. Jason Blake, who struggled a bit last season, gives the Maple Leafs a quality scorer with plenty of offensive depth and will look to improve his play in the new season. Alexei Ponikarovky gives the team plenty of offensive depth and skill, while youngsters Jiri Tlusty and newly acquired Mikhail Grabovski provide the Maple Leafs with lots of offensive upside and talent. Niklas Hagman brings plenty of veteran depth and goal-scoring skills to the team, while Matt Stajan gives the Maple Leafs a capable two-way center. Alex Steen gives the team decent offensive talent and the potential to be a goal-scorer, while Dominic Moore brings good offensive depth and two-way talent. Ryan Hollweg, Ben Ondrus, Jamal Mayers, and Mark Bell all provide lots of toughness and gritty play to the Maple Leafs' checking lines. Bell, once a promising offensive player, has been in decline for the past couple of seasons and will miss about half of the 2008-09 season serving a jail sentence for drunken driving. Boyd Devereaux gives the Maple Leafs good, veteran depth, while Robbie Earl and Jeremy Williams give the team two promising offensive forwards. The Maple Leafs have several talented prospect forwards who will look to make the team at training camp on their fine offensive skills, including Darryl Boyce, Alex Foster, Brent Aubin, and Nikolai Kulemin. To improve their chances of making the playoffs in 2008-09, the Maple Leafs could look to add a couple of top-six forwards to their roster, especially if Mats Sundin does not return to the team.

The Maple Leafs lost a lot of offensive experience on their blueline after trading veteran Bryan McCabe to the Florida Panthers. However, McCabe was seen as expendable due to his high salary and management's desire to trim some payroll. Even with the departure of McCabe, the Maple Leafs still have plenty of talented defensemen. Tomas Kaberle gives the Maple Leafs a wealth of offensive talent on defense, as well as veteran depth and leadership, while Pavel Kubina also brings lots of offensive skill and toughness. Newcomer Mike Van Ryn, acquired from Florida in a trade, gives the team plenty of offensive skill on the blueline even though he is a bit prone to injury, while Jeff Finger brings the Maple Leafs toughness and some offensive potential. Youngster Anton Stralman gives the team a promising blueliner with plenty of skill, while Carlo Colaiacovo and Ian White bring lots of defensive depth to the Maple Leafs, though Colaiacovo, like Van Ryn, is a bit susceptible to injury. As with their offense, the Maple Leafs have several talented defensive prospects who will look to make the team at training camp, including Jonas Frogren, Staffan Kronwall, Jaime Sifers, and Luke Schenn. While Toronto has plenty of offensive defensemen on their blueline, the addition of a veteran defenseman or two for depth could be beneficial to the team.

Vesa Toskala returns as the Maple Leafs' starter for the second straight season. Toskala enjoyed a fine season in 2007-08 and played well for the team. Backup Andrew Raycroft, who struggled mightily last season, had his contract bought out early in the summer as was replaced with one-time Maple Leafs goaltender Curtis Joseph. The addition of Joseph gives the team plenty of veteran depth in goal and could easily jump into the starter's role if Toskala should struggle. However, Joseph's age could keep him from playing a lot of games during the 2008-09 season and he could face competition at training camp from prospect Justin Pogge.

STRENGTHS

• Good mix of veterans and young players on offense.
• Lots of offense of defense.
• Solid goaltending.

WEAKNESSES

• Need more goal-scorers on offense.
• Need more veteran and defensive depth on defense.
• Not a lot of high-caliber prospects in the minors.

Tampa Bay Lightning 2008-09 Outlook

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING

NOTABLE ADDITIONS
Brandon Bochenski, RW (Signed as a free agent, previously with the Nashville Predators)
Matt Carle, D (Acquired in a trade with the San Jose Sharks)
Adam Hall, RW (Signed as a free agent, previously with the Pittsburgh Penguins)
Andrew Hutchinson, D (Signed as a free agent, previously with the New York Rangers)
David Koci, LW (Signed as a free agent, previously with the Chicago Blackhawks)
Olaf Kolzig, G (Signed as a free agent, previously with the Washington Capitals)
Zenon Konopka, C (Signed as a free agent, previously with the Columbus Blue Jackets)
Ryan Malone, LW (Acquired in a trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins)
Andrej Meszaros, D (Acquired in a trade with the Ottawa Senators)
Vaclav Prospal, LW (Acquired in a trade with the Philadelphia Flyers)
Mark Recchi, RW (Signed as a free agent, previously with the Atlanta Thrashers)
Gary Roberts, LW (Acquired in a trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins)
Radim Vrbata, RW (Signed as a free agent, previously with the Phoenix Coyotes)

NOTABLE LOSSES
Dan Boyle, D (Traded to the San Jose Sharks)
Mathieu Darche, LW (Signed as a free agent with the Buffalo Sabres)
Marc Denis, G (Signed as a free agent with the Montreal Canadiens)
Andreas Karlsson, C (Signed a contract to play in Europe for the 2008-09 season)
Filip Kuba, D (Traded to the Ottawa Senators)
Brad Lukowich, D (Traded to the San Jose Sharks)
Craig MacDonald, LW (Signed as a free agent with the Columbus Blue Jackets)
Alexandre Picard, D (Traded to the Ottawa Senators)
Brian Rolston, RW (Acquired in a trade with the Minnesota Wild, later signed with New Jersey)
Andre Roy, LW (Signed as a free agent with the Calgary Flames)
Tim Taylor, C (Retired)

2007-08 Season Finish: 5th Southeast Division, 15th Eastern Conference, 71 Pts.
2007-08 Playoffs: Did Not Make Playoffs

2008-09 Prediction: 3rd Southeast Division, 9th Eastern Conference

The Tampa Bay Lightning were probably the most active team when free agency began on July 1st. After finishing in last place in the league for the 2007-08 season, the team revamped itself on offense, defense, and goaltending in order to ice a more competitive team for the 2008-09 season. The Lightning's offense underwent the most changes, with many talented forwards brought in through free agency and trades. The two best forwards in Tampa Bay remain Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis. Lecavalier is one of the top forwards currently in the NHL, and he brings the Lightning lost of offensive skill and depth as well as lots of leadership and toughness. St. Louis gives the team plenty of offensive depth and goal-scoring skills. The Lightning signed one of the most coveted players on the free agent market this summer when they acquired the rights to Ryan Malone in a trade with Pittsburgh. Malone gives the Penguins lost of offensive depth and physical play. Returning to the team after a brief stint with Philadelphia is Vaclav Prospal, who brings excellent goal-scoring skills and veteran depth to the Lightning. Radim Vrbata provides the team with good offensive depth, while Jussi Jokinen gives the Lightning an excellent shooter, particularly in a shootout, and capable goal-scorer. Michel Ouellet brings plenty of offensive depth and toughness to the team, while veteran Mark Recchi brings lots of offensive talent, veteran depth, and leadership to the Lightning. Gary Roberts, Evgeny Artyukhin, Chris Gratton, David Koci, and Nick Tarnasky all give the team lots of physicality and gritty play, while Ryan Craig provides decent offensive skills and a bit of toughness. Adam Hall, Jeff Halpern, and Jason Ward all bring plenty of offensive depth and skill to the Lightning's checking lines. The Lightning have a few prospect forwards who could likely make the team at training camp. 2008 1st overall pick Steven Stamkos seems a sure bet to make the team, while Blair Jones and Brandon Segal may find it tough to make the team given the depth on offense. Given the Lightning's abundance of forwards, it's likely that several will be assigned to the minors to start the season, while a few could be used as trade bait to improve their defense.

While the Lightning stacked up on forwards during the summer, the team neglected to add veteran depth to their defense and decided to go with younger defensemen to build their blueline. Matt Carle and Andrej Meszaros were both added via trades at the cost of Dan Boyle, Brad Lukowich, and Filip Kuba. However, Carle brings decent offensive skills to Tampa Bay's blueline, while Meszaros also provides good offensive talent and a bit of toughness. Paul Ranger also gives the team a decent offensive blueliner with some physicality, while Shane O'Brien brings lots of toughness and gritty play to the team's defense. Mike Lundin and newcomer Andrew Hutchinson both provide the Lightning with decent defensive skills. Given the lack of defensive depth on Tampa Bay's blueline, prospects Vladimir Mihalik, Janne Niskala, and Matt Smaby could all have a good chance of making the team at training camp. With the team lacking veteran talent on their blueline, the logical choice for the Lightning would be to trade one or more of their excess forwards for defensive help. If Tampa Bay fails to land an experienced blueliner early in the season, the team will likely find itself struggling to keep goals out of the net.

To solidify their goaltending, the Lightning added veteran goalie Olaf Kolzig via free agency. Kolzig gives the team plenty of veteran depth and experience, those his age is starting to catch up with him as he struggled at times last season in Washington. Backing up Kolzig for the 2008-09 season will be Mike Smith. He gives the Lightning a solid backup and has plenty of promise to possibly be their starter. Prospects Karri Ramo and Riku Helenius could challenge Smith at training camp for the backup role, but both will likely spend the season in the minors given Smith's experience.

STRENGTHS

• Lots of quality depth offensively.
• Plenty of quality, young defensive talent.
• Solid depth in goal.

WEAKNESSES

• Have way too many forwards signed to NHL contracts.
• Lack experience on defense.
• Head coach Barry Melrose hasn't coached in some time.

St. Louis Blues 2008-09 Outlook

ST. LOUIS BLUES

NOTABLE ADDITIONS
Matt Foy, RW (Signed as a free agent, previously with the Minnesota Wild)
Chris Mason, G (Acquired in a trade with the Nashville Predators)
Mike Weaver, D (Signed as a free agent, previously with the Vancouver Canucks)
Brad Winchester, LW (Signed as a free agent, previously with the Dallas Stars)
Andy Wozniewski, D (Signed as a free agent, previously with the Toronto Maple Leafs)

NOTABLE LOSSES
Mike Johnson, RW (Signed with Kolner Haie of Germany)
Ryan Johnson, C (Signed as a free agent with the Vancouver Canucks)
Jamal Mayers, RW (Traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs)
Martin Rucinsky, LW (Signed with HC Sparta Praha of the Czech Extra League)
Hannu Toivonen, G (Signed with Ilves Tampere of the SM-Liiga of Finland)
Matt Walker, D (Signed as a free agent with the Chicago Blackhawks)

2007-08 Season Finish: 5th Central Division, 14th Western Conference, 79 Pts.
2007-08 Playoffs: Did Not Make Playoffs

2008-09 Prediction: 5th Central Division, 14th Western Conference

The St. Louis Blues have been a rebuilding team since the lockout ended in 2005. Rather than rebuild the team through veteran talent via free agency, the Blues are preferring to build their team with prospects. The Blues are not likely to be a playoff contending team next season, but with the growing young talent they have, could be a competitive team once again in a few years. Paul Kariya, one the Blues' top offensive players, brings the team lots of goal-scoring skills, offensive depth, and leadership, while veteran Keith Tkachuk provides the team with lots of toughness and offensive skills. Brad Boyes and Andy McDonald give the Blues two talented, goal-scoring forwards with good passing skills. Lee Stempniak and David Perron give the Blues two talented forwards with lots of offensive upside who will likely play for the team for years to come. David Backes brings lots of physicality and offensive talent to the Blues forward lines, while Jay McClement provides decent offensive depth. Dan Hinote, Cam Janssen, D.J. King, and Brad Winchester give the Blues three very tough and gritty forwards, while Matt Foy and Yan Stastny bring decent offensive depth. The Blues have several talented and promising prospect forwards who will look to make the team at training camp, including Patrik Berglund, T.J. Oshie, Lars Eller, and Tomas Kana. While the Blues have plenty of young forwards with lots of offensive talent, the addition of a few veteran forwards for depth could be beneficial to the team.

The Blues' defense suffered a huge loss as training camp opened with a knee injury to Erik Johnson that will likely see him miss the entire 2008-09 season. Johnson brings plenty of toughness and offensive skills to the blueline that will be sorely missed in the new season. Eric Brewer and Barret Jackman are two rugged defenseman who bring lots gritty play and defensive skills to the Blues' defense. Jay McKee and Mike Weaver bring lots of defensive depth and veteran talent to the blueline, while Jeff Woywitka and Andy Wozniewski give the Blues some decent defensive depth. With the injury to Johnson, 2008 first round draft pick Alex Pietrangelo could very well make the team. Pietrangelo plays with a good, physical edge and has lots of offensive upside. Prospects T.J. Fast, Roman Polak, and Steve Wagner will look to make the team at training camp on their fine defensive skills. As with their offense, the Blues have some decent young talent on their blueline, but the addition of a veteran defenseman or two, particularly and offensive defenseman, could significantly improve their defense.

Manny Legace had a decent season as the Blues' starting goaltender in 2007-08, but looked shaky at times. Hannu Toivonen, who had a very disappointing 2007-08 season, would have been Legace's backup for the 2008-09 season but opted to sign over in Finland and was replaced via trade with Chris Mason. Legace and Mason will likely share the goaltending duties for the 2008-09 season, unless one goaltender outshines the other. The Blues have decent goaltending depth with Legace and Mason and either one can easily step into the starters' role if the other should struggle or get sidelined with an injury.

STRENGTHS

• Plenty of good, prospect forwards.
• Lots of toughness on defense.
• Plenty of solid, veteran depth in goal.

WEAKNESSES

• Need more veteran players for depth on offense.
• Need more offense on defense.
• Could use more veteran players on defense.

San Jose Sharks 2008-09 Outlook

SAN JOSE SHARKS

NOTABLE ADDITIONS
Rob Blake, D (Signed as a free agent, previously with the Los Angeles Kings)
Dan Boyle, D (Acquired in a trade with the Tampa Bay Lightning)
Brad Lukowich, D (Acquired in a trade with the Tampa Bay Lightning)

NOTABLE LOSSES
Curtis Brown, C (Signed with Kloten Flyers of the Swiss National League)
Brian Campbell, D (Signed as a free agent with the Chicago Blackhawks)
Matt Carle, D (Traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning)
Sandis Ozolinsh, D (Unsigned Free Agent)
Patrick Rissmiller, LW (Signed as a free agent with the New York Rangers)
Craig Rivet, D (Traded to the Buffalo Sabres)
Alexei Semenov, D (Unsigned Free Agent, Invited to San Jose's Training Camp as a Tryout)

2007-08 Season Finish: 1st Pacific Division, 2nd Western Conference, 108 Pts.
2007-08 Playoffs: Won 4-3 against the Calgary Flames in Quarterfinals
Lost 4-2 to the Dallas Stars in Semi-Finals

2008-09 Prediction: 1st Pacific Division, 2nd Western Conference

The San Jose Sharks enjoyed a late season surge in 2007-08, losing only two games after the trade deadline on February 26 and were among the favorites to win the Stanley Cup. However, the team struggled in the playoffs and was bounced in the second round by the Dallas Stars. After making some changes to the team during the off-season, mainly on defense, the Sharks look to be a better team than last season and could likely be among the favorites to win the Stanley Cup in 2008-09. Joe Thornton gives the Sharks one of the best playmakers and passers in the game. Coupled with his goal-scoring talent and toughness, Thornton is easily one of the most skilled players in the game. Jonathan Cheechoo, Milan Michalek, and Patrick Marleau give the Sharks three skilled goal-scorers with lots of offensive depth, though Marleau's offensive production has been in decline for the past few seasons. Joe Pavelski and Devin Setoguchi are quickly emerging as legitimate goal-scorers on the Sharks' offense and will likely be staples on the team's forward lines for years to come. Ryane Clowe and Torrey Mitchell give the Sharks two offensively talented forwards with a lot of toughness, though Mitchell is going to miss at least the next eight weeks with two broken bones in his lower left leg that he suffered during a training camp scrimmage. Jeremy Roenick, one of the most outspoken players in the league today, gives the team lots of leadership and offensive depth, while veteran Mike Grier brings lots of speed and talented two-way play to the team. Marcel Goc provides plenty of offensive depth for the Sharks, while Jody Shelley brings lots of rugged and gritty play to the team as an enforcer. The Sharks have plenty of talented, young forwards who will look to make the team at training camp on their fine offensive skills, including Logan Couture, Lukas Kaspar, Riley Armstrong, Tom Cavanagh, and Tomas Plihal, who is currently on a training camp tryout. While the Sharks have plenty of young, offensive talent on their forward lines, the addition of a veteran forward or two for depth could be beneficial to the team come playoff time.

The Sharks saw several changes made on their defense during the first few days of free agency, including the departure of the highly skilled Brian Campbell. To replace Campbell and address the need for an offensive defenseman, the Sharks acquired Dan Boyle in a trade with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Boyle brings the Sharks lots of offensive skill and depth on the blueline, especially on the power play. The Sharks defense also got a lot tougher with the addition of Rob Blake via free agency. Blake gives the Sharks lots of leadership, defensive depth, and physical play on defense. Kyle McLaren and Doug Murray also give the Sharks two gritty and rugged defensemen. Brad Lukowich provides the team with plenty of defensive depth, while Christian Ehrhoff and Marc-Edouard Vlasic give the Sharks rising offensive potential on the blueline. Prospects Nick Petrecki and Derek Joslin could look to earn a roster spot at training camp on their fine defensive talent. While the Sharks have plenty of physical bodies on the blueline, the addition of another offensive defenseman could prove beneficial to the team.

Evgeni Nabokov enjoyed a career season in 2007-08 as the Sharks starting goaltender and will look to have another fine season in 2008-09. One of the top goaltenders in the league, Nabokov is a very talented and solid goaltender that's tough to beat. Brian Boucher, signed late last season for depth going into the playoffs, enjoyed a fine performance in the few games he played. He was resigned over the summer to be the Sharks backup goaltender for the 2008-09 season. Boucher is a solid netminder who could easily take over as the starter for Nabokov if he should struggle or suffer a lengthy injury during the 2008-09 season.

STRENGTHS

• Plenty of quality goal-scorers on offense.
• Very physical defense with plenty of veteran depth.
• Solid goaltending.

WEAKNESSES

• Could use another veteran forward or two for depth.
• Could use a bit more offense on defense.

Pittsburgh Penguins 2008-09 Outlook

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS

NOTABLE ADDITIONS
Matt Cooke, LW (Signed as a free agent, previously with the Washington Capitals)
Ruslan Fedotenko, LW (Signed as a free agent, previously with the New York Islanders)
Eric Godard, RW (Signed as a free agent, previously with the Calgary Flames)
Danny Richmond, D (Acquired in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks)
Miroslav Satan, RW (Signed as a free agent, previously with the New York Islanders)

NOTABLE LOSSES
Ty Conklin, G (Signed as a free agent with the Detroit Red Wings)
Adam Hall, RW (Signed as a free agent with the Tampa Bay Lightning)
Marian Hossa, RW (Signed as a free agent with the Detroit Red Wings)
Georges Laraque, RW (Signed as a free agent with the Montreal Canadiens)
Ryan Malone, LW (Traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning)
Gary Roberts, LW (Traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning)
Jarkko Ruutu, LW (Signed as a free agent with the Ottawa Senators)

2007-08 Season Finish: 1st Atlantic Division, 2nd Eastern Conference, 102 Pts.
2007-08 Playoffs: Won 4-0 against the Ottawa Senators in Quarterfinals
Won 4-1 against the New York Rangers in Semi-Finals
Won 4-1 against the Philadelphia Flyers in Eastern Conference Finals
Lost 4-2 to the Detroit Red Wings in Stanley Cup Finals

2008-09 Prediction: 3rd Atlantic Division, 5th Eastern Conference

The Pittsburgh Penguins enjoyed a fine performance in the 2008 playoffs, but were unable to defeat the more experienced Detroit Red Wings in the Stanley Cup Finals. As free agency approached this past July, many of the players central to the team’s playoff success were eligible for unrestricted free agency and Penguins lacked the salary cap space to retain them all. The Penguins managed to keep unrestricted free agents Brooks Orpik, Pascal Dupuis, Mark Eaton, and Jeff Taffe, and resigned restricted free agents Evgeni Malkin and Marc-Andre Fleury to long-term extensions. The team was unsuccessful in retaining Marian Hossa, Ryan Malone, Gary Roberts, Georges Laraque, Jarkko Ruutu, Adam Hall, and Ty Conklin. The Penguins were able to find suitable replacements for most of the departed players, and should still have a competitive team on the ice for the 2008-09 season. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin remain the Penguins two best forwards, as well as among the two most talented players in the NHL. Crosby brings the Penguins superb passing skills, fantastic vision on the ice, and a great goal-scoring ability, while Malkin gives the team outstanding offensive skills and a terrific goal-scoring ability as well. Petr Sykora gives the Penguins excellent offensive talent and veteran depth, while Jordan Staal brings decent goal-scoring skills and toughness to the forward lines. To make up for the offensive skills lost with the departure of Hossa, the Penguins signed Miroslav Satan via free agency. The team is hoping that Satan’s goal-scoring talent and offensive depth will be able to match that of Hossa. Pittsburgh is also hoping that newly acquired Ruslan Fedotenko will be able to contribute the same offensive numbers that some of the other departed players put up last season. Maxime Talbot and Tyler Kennedy had fine seasons in 2007-08 and will look to improve on their offensive skills in 2008-09. Pascal Dupuis gives the Penguins a decent, checking line forward, especially when killing penalties, while Jeff Taffe gives the team decent offensive depth on the checking lines as well. Newcomers Matt Cooke and Eric Godard give the Penguins lots of toughness and gritty play, while the latter will look to fill the enforcer’s role last held by the departed Georges Laraque. Prospects Keven Veilleux, Ryan Stone, Chris Minard, Dustin Jeffrey, and Connor James will all look to make the team on their fine offensive talent. While the Penguins should have no problems with their offensive play in the new season, the addition of another scoring forward could be beneficial to the team, especially if Satan and Fedotenko can produce the desired numbers.

The Penguins saw little change to their defense over the summer, which will likely be as competitive as it was last season. The team got some bad news recently with Sergei Gonchar being sidelined indefinitely with a dislocated shoulder. His offensive skills will be sorely missed, especially on the power play. The Penguins will likely look to within to replace Gonchar, possibly with Kris Letang or even Alex Goligoski. Letang and Goligoski have decent offensive skills, but will have to improve them significantly to fill Gonchar’s shoes. Ryan Whitney could be another option to replace Gonchar, as he has decent offensive talent as well. Hal Gill and Brooks Orpik give the Penguins two hard hitting and physical defensemen who are not afraid to mix it up with the opposition. Darryl Sydor, Mark Eaton, and Rob Scuderi all give the Penguins decent defensive depth and talent on the blueline. Prospects Paul Bissonnette and Danny Richmond will look to make the team at training camp on their toughness and gritty play.

Marc-Andre Fleury and Dany Sabourin will be the goaltending tandem for the Penguins during the 2008-09 season. Fleury enjoyed a fine season in 2007-08 and will look to do so again during the new season. Sabourin, who saw some action last season as the backup to Ty Conklin when Fleury was injured, is a very capable backup for the Penguins. His fine play from last season will likely carry over into the new season.

STRENGTHS

• Very strong team offensively.
• Lots of defensive depth.
• Strong goaltending.

WEAKNESSES

• Could use another goal-scoring forward.
• Need more offense on defense.