Preseason Preview: Minnesota Wild

It's time for another Preseason Preview. This is where we check out the teams going into the season.

Now, the Minnesota Wild.

Team M.O.: Historically speaking, this is a team that's played a solid defensive game and showed a high-level of commitment to the players they've drafted since their inception. How committed? 8 out of 10 of their first round draft picks are still in the system; the exceptions being Marian Gaborik (who left because the N.Y. Rangers offered more money) and A.J. Thelen (who was last playing AA-level minor hockey in the ECHL.) However, that all might change soon...

Last Season: ... the team made ninth place in the Western Conference, missing the playoffs by 3 points. At the end of the season, Coach Jacques Lemaire resigned, GM Doug Risebrough was fired, and Marian Gaborik left the only team he's ever known. Owner Craig Leiopold tapped into Pittsburgh's talent bang, obtaining Chuck Fletcher as the G.M. and Todd Richards as the head coach. Martin Havlat, who was butt-hurt over Chicago re-signing Marian Hossa, moved to Minnesota to take over for Marian Gaborik.

Offense: Havlat, Mikko Koivu, and Pierre-Marc Bouchard are each solid offensive contributors and are still tapping into their prime. Andrew Brunette and Owen Nolan may night be tapping into their prime any longer, but they're still talented and provide good guidance for a team that's young overall. Antti Miettinen, Kyle Brodziak, and Eric Belanger provide a solid checking presence while Cal Clutterbuck has proven that he hits anything that moves (he lead the NHL in hits last season. Pretty impressive for a rookie.) Oh, and lest we forget, Derek Boogaard is the resident enforcer on the team. This team may want another top-six forward and another checking-line forward, but this team may also want to see James Sheppard and Benoit Pouliot grab those spots instead, so they may want to make some invites to camp. They can put a group of 12 NHL forwards together with what they have, but their forward depth is relatively average.

Defense: The defense is pretty balanced on this squad and IMO only needs a minor tweaking. Brent Burns battled injuries this season but is still a talented young player while a whole lotta upside. Kim Johnsson and Marek Zidlicky were very productive for the team on offense, but still ended up on the minus side of the plus/minus which kinda contracts what playing defense is about. Nick Schultz took a slight step back but still has potential to become a defensive minded top-4, if not top-pairing, defender. With Greg Zanon and Shane Hnidy rounding up the bottom pairing, the team may look to find a gritty defenseman who's not afraid to mix the mitts, bur I think they'll choose to get a puck-moving defender instead.

Goaltending: Their goaltending is excellent and will allow them to pull a trade later on in the season if they wished to do so. Niklas Backstrom was excellent for the team last season. Josh Harding was good too, but for whatever reason the team couldn't win in front of him. Wade Dubielewicz was brought in and while he will remain third on the depth chart and at worst will be a solid insurance policy should something else happen to the other two. At best, he'll be the backup if someone is moved.

Expectations: I like them. Tab me down as someone who thinks they have the chance to end up in one of the top spots in the division and make the playoffs this season.

Preseason Preview: Los Angeles Kings

It's time for another Preseason Preview. This is where we check out the teams going into the season.

Now, the Los Angeles Kings.

Team M.O.: Young and scrappy, the L.A. Kings have been trying to find a direction for a few seasons now since they've been playoff-less since the 2001-02 season. They had the misfortune of acquiring the wrong players to try and carry the load (like Dan Cloutier) but with their top-end prospects becoming solid NHL players and many surprise revelations with their depth prospects, these guys might make some serious noise this season.

Last Season: Last in the division and second last in the conference, a lot of their young offensive players took something of a step back last season. Yet with Jonathan Quick showing the ability to lead a goaltending platoon with Erik Ersberg, the Kings have something to hope for.

Offense: As I alluded to earlier, Anze Kopitar, Alexander Frolov, and Dustin Brown all took a productive step in the wrong direction last season, so they'll need to prove that it was merely a setback due to maturing at the NHL level. Ryan Smyth was brought in through trade and should provide a solid second-line presense along with Jarret Stoll and Michal Hanzus. Wayne Simmonds emerged as a solid checking option while Ratis Ivanans will continue to police the team while getting into as many games as possible. The team could do well from a top-six perspective, so they may wish to add some checking presence before the team so they don't have to lean so much on their emerging forwards to handle that.

Defense: This group of defenders may be some of the youngest playing at the NHL level. Drew Doughty compiled 21 points in his rookie season while Jack Johnson scored 11 points in 46 games (the same total he had in 71 games the prior season) showing promise of maturing despite missing close to half the season with a shoulder surgery. The team acquired Rob Scuderi through free agency so expect he and Sean O'Donnell to provide a solid defensive presence on the blue line. Now O'Donnell might not be as aggressive as he was last season, but that's not a problem with Matt Greene around. The team could use another NHL defender (maybe two) to tack onto their squad, especially now that Kyle Quincey is gone and that everyone else on the depth chart still has rookie eligibility. Marc-Andre Bergeron still needs a job, but Mathieu Schneider might take a discount to play at home. We'll see.

Goaltending: While all the hockey analysts were swooning over Kings prospect Jonathan Bernier, Jonathan Quick and Erik Ersberg have come out of almost no where to provide the team with goaltending so solid that they waived veteran Jason Labarbara to keep that tandem together. They're efficient, young, and dangerous. L.A. fans need to hope that they can continue to evolve and cooperate in a tandem to provide the team with the optimum result.

Expectations: The team needs at least another NHL defender to even be considered a threat in the division, let alone the conference. If they manage to grab one though, these guys need to see the situation of Dallas and San Jose (who's stock could be falling) and the Coyotes' situation and capitalize on it each and every game so they can make it to the playoffs. Otherwise, they're going to have another early season, leaving the fans in L.A. further disenfranchised.

Preseason Preview: Florida Panthers

Well, its August and that means there's not a whole much of anything going on. That said, I'm gonna try and nail out 30 team evaluations before the preseason is underway.

Now, the Flordia Panthers

Team M.O.: The team's been focused on a defense-first system that forces the other team to take shots that are easy to field, but now that the team's looking for a new GM the M.O. is likely to change. Lets say they're going to do the same thing this year and be going in a different direction once new blood is inserted.

Last Season: Close only counts in horseshoes, and while the Panthers were tight up until the end, they didn't have enough gas to get out of 9th in the conference and thus eliminated from the playoffs. Then their star defenseman walks while they got a spare in return. Talk about a kick in the pants.

Offense: This team relies on David Booth, Stephen Weiss, and Nathan Horton to generate the offensive attack. Not saying they aren't talented or capable, but they're not quite in their prime and haven't exactly had the best role models to emulate (well, save Richard Zednik, but he's gone now.) Nevertheless, Booth and Weiss took great strides last season and the trio should be good again this season. Steven Reinprecht was added after the season in a trade with Phoenix to pair up with Cory Stillman to provide some veteran leadership. Gregory Campbell has emerged as a legitimate checking line forward and Michael Frolik was impressive last season, generating 45 points in his rookie campaign, which may get him a spot on the second line. Looking at the forward depth chart, they seem to need reinforcements for their bottom-six forwards. If they can pick up someone like Mike Peca or Manny Malhotra they'd be good. If they could do that and pick up a toughguy (doesn't have to be anyone special, just a raw goon) they'd be better off. Getting a top-six winger might be a good idea too, why not Maxim Afingeonov?

Defense: Keith Ballard flourished in the Panthers system last season and put up the best numbers he's had in several seasons. Same goes for Bryan McCabe, who was an afterthought in Toronto yet because a positive (yet expensive) contributor for the Panthers. Jordan Leopold was acquired for the departing Jay Bouwmeester and should provide a top-four presense for the team. Beyond this though the remaining defensemen (spots 4-7) on the squad played in 41 NHL games last season combined While Bryan Allen should rebound this season, they should still get a veteran presence on the squad to help with the development of the young defenders who'll no doubt be riding the plane from Florida to Rochester.

Goaltending: Tomas Vokoun is an excellent starter who works well when his goaltending partner can still get into 25 games. With Scott Clemmensen joining on after a career season in New Jersey, expect the goaltending to be solid as a rock for the next coming season.

Expectations: I think I need to see the final roster to determine how these guys finish up. If they can get a few other components before the season starts, then I think they have a chance at grabbing the Number 7 or 8 spots come playoff time. If this is the roster the team goes into the season with however, then I think Miami is going to miss the playoffs for an 11th year.

Preseason Preview: Edmonton Oilers

Well, its August and that means there's not a whole much of anything going on. That said, I'm gonna try and nail out 30 team evaluations before the preseason is underway.

Now, the Edmonton Oilers

Team M.O.: The Oilers play a defense-first and stingy playmaking game that they use to win games that usually have low scoring totals as the end result (while the team scores by committee, there were no players who exceeded 23 goals last season.)The Oilers have a team that has an established checking presence with a blossoming scoring presence that will stand to improve with time.

Last Season: 11th in the Western Conference which is too far out for a playoff spot. GM Kevin Lowe is starting to feel the heat after both missing the playoffs every season since their 2006 run to the Finals and making some questionable personnel decisions (like signing Dustin Penner as an RFA which cost the team draft picks and a salary that he hasn't come close to justifying.) So coach Craig MacTavish was canned and Kevin Lowe was promoted (?!?!) so both Steve Tambellini and Pat Quinn were brought in to give a team a new lease on life and point them in a new direction.

Offense: Ales Hemsky is one of the best playmaking wingers in the league and his best years are still ahead of him. Shawn Horcoff seems to have returned to earth after his breakout 2006 campaign but is still a valuable center who's good for at least 50 points a season. Marc Pouliot and Fernando Pisani provide a legitimate checking presence while Ethan Moreau does that same, just with a little more agitation for the opposition. What the team has working for them is the trio of Sam Gagner, Andrew Cogliano, and Robert Nilsson entering their third seasons and appear to be growing along with the team. However, the acquisitions of Dustin Penner and Patrick O'Sullivan have thus far not gone in the direction the team's hoped and will continue to lean on them to get better. Zach Stortini provides the enforcement, but not too many people are afraid of him because he wrestles more than punches and can lose fights at the wrong time. All and all, I think the team could stand to pick up a veteran top-six forward who can help some of the younger guys find their game.

Defense: As their style indicates, the defense is pretty solid on this team. Sheldon Souray is the undisputed leader of the team and will take care of things either with his scoring or with his fists. Lubomir Visnovsky supplies the team with a power play quarterback who isn't a liability when given top-four minutes. Tom Gilbert and Denis Grebeshkov are emerging as complete defenders who can be given top-four minutes without taking dumb penalties. Steve Staios as lost a step with age but is still a valiant bottom-pairing defender while Ladislav Smid is beginning to emerge out of the minors as an NHL defender. The team will likely go with Jason Strudwick as their seventh defender but given that Theo Peckham provided the team with a gritty defensive defender during his audition last season, Strudwick will need to work hard to not end up riding the buses of the AHL himself. As far as Edmonton's defense goes, it's just about as good as it gets.

Goaltending: Edmonton had a three-headed goaltending monster last season and out of three, only one is still with the team... and he's tabbed for the backup position. The team acquired Nikolai Khabibulin to handle the starting gigs and while he is an immense talent of a goaltender, his age and style leave some concerns about whether or not he'll be the right guy for the job. Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers didn't put up bad numbers for the Oilers last season, but he didn't put up spectacular numbers either. Considering the other goaltenders on the depth chart, the team may have to bring in a third goaltender through free agency if their current duo can't get it figured out.

Expectations: If the team makes the playoffs, then Pat Quinn was the difference. If not, then Steve Tambellini will hopefully bring in the right components necessary for the team to head in a better direction.

Preseason Preview: Detroit Red Wings

Well, its August and that means there's not a whole much of anything going on. That said, I'm gonna try and nail out 30 team evaluations before the preseason is underway.

Now, the Detroit Red Wings

Team M.O.: The Wings use their combination of finesse and intelligence to master their puck-possession style of play. Their method wins them plenty of games and I mean a bunch of them. Sports Illustrated named the Red Wings as the most successful NHL franchise and with 4 Stanley Cup victories since 1997 have started to show that they're in a league of their own. Their lack of toughness, however, is a major detraction from fans who prefer the North American style of game. Sometimes it hurts them, sometimes it doesn't.

Last Season: The 2008 Stanley Cup Champions took their title defense to seven games in the 2009 Stanley Cup Finals only to lose to the Pittsburgh Penguins by a goal. It sucks for their fans that they didn't repeat, but considering how many of the recent defending Cup champions have either been eliminated in the conference quarterfinals or missed the playoffs entirely, that speaks highly of how well organized this club is.

Offense: Pavel Datsyuk and Hendrik Zetterberg have emerged as two of the best players in the NHL, as they're capable of playing at both sides of the ice and are absolutely dangerous when they have the puck. Johan Franzen graduated from a fourth line grinder to becoming one of the top scoring power forwards in the league. Dan Cleary is starting to reclaim his status as a first round draft pick by breaking his way into the Red Wings' top six forward group while Valtteri Filppula is emerging as a second line center. Darren Helm has made the team with his 45 levels of fast while Kris Draper still provides a veteran checking presence than can win faceoffs. Tomas Holmstrom and Kirk Maltby will be returning this season but I have a feeling it might be their last in a Red Wings uniform, as time and injuries have taken a toll on both players. The Wings will be bringing in Ville Leino from the minors along with Patrick Eaves and Jason Williams (who's returning for his second tour with the Wings) to help round out the offense who'll play the two-way, puck possession style of game the Wings are known for. The Wings would do well to sign or trade for an agitating winger who can fight as well as an enforcer who can be smart enough to do well with both the payers and the coaches on the team. Justin Abdelkader is great but would be better off eating up minutes in Grand Rapids than he would be in playing either a checking or depth role for the Wings this season.

Defense: When your first defensive pair is Niklas Lidstrom and Brian Rafalski, all is right in the world. These guys have consistently been two of the top scoring defenders in the league. Niklas Kronwall and Brad Stuart have settled in as a legitimate shut down second-pairing, but both need to stop the occasional brain cramps they've been suffering lately. Jonathan Ericcson is going to be doing what he can to break into the top pairings with his blend of offensive skill and willingness to fight while Brett Lebda gives the team a solid puck-moving depth defensemen. The team has Derek Meech and Andreas Lilja tabbed for the number 7 or 8 spots, but Meech hasn't shown the ability to get into the lineup on a regular basis while Lilja is still in the infirmary because he tried to fill a role for the team needed that he just wasn't entirely prepared for: a defensive defensman who can fight. If the Red Wings could unload or reassign Meech and maybe someone else for someone who can fill that role, their blueline would look delicious.

Goaltending: A lot of people like to doubt Chris Osgood and rightfully so because consistency has been an issue, but when he's in the pressure cooker, he battles through it and is exceptionally well at it. He's starting to get up there in age though, so now he's going to work with Jim Howard, who for financial and waiver reasons is now the Red Wings second goaltender. His individual numbers are excellent, but his win-loss numbers don't look good for the team so he'll have to figure out a way to help them win. Detroit has a bumper crop of young goaltenders brewing in the minors, so should something happen to their first two options, they'll probably look for within for help and not through trades or free agency.

Expectations: Say what you will about them being "soft" but the Red Wings are still the measuring stick for which all other teams are judged by. Its going to be tough for them this year, especially now that the Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets, and St. Louis Blues have really improved as teams, but they've still got almost everything necessary to go deep into the playoffs, if not win it all. If Ken Holland can add some toughness and Mike Babcock can lead the team to victory, then they'll be the best team in the league... again.

Preseason Preview: Dallas Stars

Well, its August and that means there's not a whole much of anything going on. That said, I'm gonna try and nail out 30 team evaluations before the preseason is underway.

Now, the Dallas Stars

Team M.O.: This is a team that likes have a focused, well-balanced attack that is reliant on intelligence to win hockey games. They have guys who are tough, they also have guys who are finesse and highly skilled. When they have it together they're on top of their game. But this group doesn't seem to battle through adversity well and unless all is well with the usual faces in the dressing room, the team struggles mightily.

Last Season: The team finished 12th in the conference and out of the playoff race. This is a far cry from the Western Conference Final the appeared in the season before when they lost to the eventual champion Detroit Red Wings. Some people like to blame the Sean Avery fiasco, but there were plenty of other factors. While Brendan Morrow's injuries were a significant factor, last year's problem centered around Marty Turco's inability to stop a beach ball and Dallas's lack of goaltending depth to help the team should that happen. IMO, the front office with Brett Hull made a series of arrogant moves that could potentially bite them in the ass for a while.

Offense: Brendan Morrow's one of the best power forwards in the league and when you lose a player of his caliber after 18 games into the season, it's not going to make things easy if other players should fail. Brad Richards was also prolific when he was in the lineup, but he too battled injuries throughout the season as was Jere Lehtinen. It wasn't all bad though, as Loui Eriksson had a breakthrough campaign for the Stars and may have been the best forward they had in the lineup all year, notching 63 points and showing excellent dedication to two-way hockey. Mike Riberio wasn't as prolific as he was the season before, but was pretty darn close with 78 points. Steve Ott provided some second-line production while remaining one of the best agitators in the league while Krys Barch supplied the fisticuffs. James Neal and Fabian Brunnstrom made the big squad and will need another season or two until they're truly ready for the NHL. Mike Modano was respectable this past season, but may not have much NHL left in him.
If the team needs to make any moves, it would be to bring in a checking forward to help the bottom forward units. A scoring forward shouldn't be necessary unless injuries start to pile up again.

Defense: The Stars are going into the season with a bunch of defenders who aren't flashy but should be able to get the job done. Stephane Robidas and Trevor Daley should provide solid defense to go along with about 25-30 points. Karlis Skrastins was brought in to provide a veteran top-four defender that will replace Sergei Zubov while Jeff Woywitka was brought in to give the team's defense some depth and grit. Matt Niskanen and Niklas Grossman took impressive strides in their first full NHL campaigns. Mark Fistric, Andrew Hutchinson, and Ivan Vishnevskiy performed respectably in the time they were called up to play with the big club. Dallas will probably have the latter trio battle for their number seventh spot with the nod most likely going to Hutchinson due to the fact he has to clear waivers. Out of any other position in the club, I like their defense the best.

Goaltending: When your big money goaltender starts to lose games, the whole team feels it. Marty Turco has always stood out as one of the premier puckhandling goaltenders in the league that, for whatever reason, watched his game completely unravel last season and he's going to have to prove to the team, himself, and everyone else that last year was just a fluke. Since lack of goaltending depth was a problem last season, the club brought in Alex Auld from the Ottawa Senators and should be able to get in about 40 games for the team if they need him to. As long as the duo can stay healthy and let the prospects develop on the farm, the team won't need to bring anyone else in.

Expectations: Dallas has all the tools to be a successful team in the league but might have seen their best stretch of seasons behind them. The Anaheim Ducks made some smart signings in the off-season while the LA Kings and Phoenix Coyotes are starting to emerge as competitive squads with a deeper youth movement. If these guys are going to have a shot at a successful season, they're going to need to remain healthy and remain focused. Otherwise they'll be on the outside looking in as far as the playoffs go.

Preseason Preview: Columbus Blue Jackets

Well, I accidentally deleted the Columbus review so here's the short and sweet version.

The Columbus Blue Jackets

Team M.O.: These guys have adopted the Ken Hitchcock's defensive style of play and have added all kindsa sandpaper to it. However, they're young, feisty, and collectively have a lot of untapped offensive potential. They could be a dangerous team this season.

Last Season: Columbus made the playoffs for the first time in franchise history where they were eliminated in four games by the Detroit Red Wings in the Western Conference Quarterfinals.

Offense: Rick Nash is the man here, but no one can deny the affects that R.J. Umberger and Antoine Vermette have had since joining the club. Derrick Brassard showed a lot of promise before getting injured, so the Columbus fans will hope he regains his form when he comes back. Jarret Boll is one of the toughest young guys on the squad but Derek Dorsett isn't afraid to chuck knuckles either. The team let Manny Malhotra and Mike Peca walk through free agency, but picked up defensive powerhouse Sammy Pahlsson in the process. If Fredrik Modin can be injury free and if Raffi Torres can regain his offensive touch, then they might be good as is. Probably wouldn't be surprised if there were a few invites to camp, though.

Defense: The defense on this team doesn't make a whole lot of waves while being silently affective. Fedor Tyutin lead the team in defensive scoring last season while Mike Commodore is starting to look comfortable in his role as a rugged defender with solid leadership skills. It was an up year for Jan Hejda as he's starting to realize his potential by playing a top-four defensive role in the NHL while it was a down year for Rostislav Klesla who was limited to 34 games due to injuries. Marc Methot seems poised to be on the Columbus team on a permanent basis as will Kris Russell, but Russell needs to start watching his play without the puck. If those guys can perform well, they won't need to sign anyone else and can use Mathieu Roy in a gritty Number 7 defender role.

Goaltending: Steve Mason won the Calder Trophy and has subsequently won the starting job in Columbus. Backing him up will be Mathieu Garon, who will provide invaluable experience in both having played the starter's role before and having won a Stanley Cup last season with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Daniel LaCosta has re-signed with the team and will report to the minors as their third goaltender; the depth on this team is fine by me.

Expectations: These guys should make the playoffs IMO. How far they get depends on how much the youngsters step up and how much the veterans can hold down the fort.