Season Preview: Pittsburgh Penguins

We're barreling down the stretch now with our season previews as camps are establishing their rosters. Jobs will be won, hearts will be broken, and some interesting developments can occur out of injury and necessity. Before you know it, the puck will drop on regular season hockey and we'll see how close to the mark (or how far off) we were with our predictions.

And now, the Piitsburgh Penguins.

Team M.O.: These guys went from pretenders to champions since Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin managed to breathe life into the team. Since their championship season, however, you can't seem to feel that they may have taken a step back in certain ways. Sure guys like Marc-Andre Fleury and Brooks Orpik are still around, but there's been a hell of a lot of turn over and you have to wonder, will the new faces be able to have immediate chemistry?

Last Season: Fourth in the Eastern Conference, where they took their championship defense to the Conference Semifinals before being eliminated by the giant-killing Montreal Canadiens.

Offense: Though the talents of the two players will always be compared, Crosby's emerged as the more matured and complete player between he and Malkin. However, Malkin's overall ability is higher and if he's ever going to push to be the "Number 1" guy in Pittsburgh, he's gotta embrace the two concepts that make Crosby the leader. Not too far behind them is Jordan Staal, who's the better two-way player than those two, but he's going into the season on the shelf with injury. Around them, Chris Kunitz battled injuries last season but he's still got a good enough blend of skills and toughness to land a scoring role. Mike Comrie took a short contract to revitalize his career and will be expected to fulfill the scoring needs that Pittsburgh needs addressed.

Since they have two of the best offensive players in the game, the team's opted to focus the rest of their roster on defensive-minded forwards instead of rounding out their "top-six" per se. Among them, Arron Asham defects from the Philadelphia Flyers and gives the team a solid two-way player who brings the toughness. He'll be complemented by Michael Rupp and Matt Cooke, who fulfill the same role except Cooke's a bit more of a "gashole" on the ice. Pascal Dupuis put up his best numbers since his career season in 2002-03, but will he have enough offensive consistency to help the Penguins' secondary scoring? Tyler Kennedy still has a lot of potential, overall, but he needs to put together a full-season to warrant more press over his hockey playing abilities. Maxime Talbot battled injuries last season as well, but when he's on he's one of the best penalty-killers a team could ask for. Waiver-wire castoff Craig Adams found a new lease on life in Pittsburgh and has parlayed his opportunity with them into a solid penalty-killing role. Eric Godard is the resident enforcer and he ain't half bad at the fisticuffs either. Brett Sterling, Eric Tangradi, and Nick Johnson are some of the players who will be in competition to round out the forward corps.

The team doesn't have much cap space to go out and grab another scoring forward, so they'll need guys to come from within an take the spot. They have two talented centers to put them with but as the Alex Ponikarovsky experiment showed, not everyone can generate chemistry with Sid the Kid.

Defense: Paul Martin comes over from free agency and while he suffered a broken arm last season with the New Jersey Devils, he should help regain some of the offense they lost when Sergei Gonchar took off and maybe has better two-way ability that he did too. Zbynek Michalek comes over from the Phoenix Coyotes and gives the club a solid shot-blocking defender who excels in defensive situations. Kris Letang wasn't as productive last season but still gives the team a solid defender with offensive presence. Brooks Orpik is quite delightful as a shutdown defender; perhaps the team will put him on a line with Michalek. Alex Goligoski provides the team with power-play specialst while Ben Lovejoy will graduate to the NHL as a third-pairing defender. Deryk Engelland, Corey Potter, and Robert Bortuzzo figure to be in the mix for the seventh spot.

All and all, not too bad. They'll have to remain healthy to be effective but the talent is there.

Goaltending: Marc-Andre Fleury remains a bright starting goaltender but he seems to lose his effectiveness the more he plays. Brent Johnson's not necessarily starter material, but perhaps he can get 25 starts and relieve Fleury on his off-games? John Curry took a backflip backwards last season, which has opened the door for Mattias Modig to challenge him for the Number 3 spot. All and all though, the goaltending's solid enough to be competitive.

Management: Coach Dan Bylsma is one of the brightest coaches in the league (but considering that he's from Michigan, we're entirely biased!) G.M. Ray Shero signed a 5-year extension but one has to wonder if people will be as optimistic about that deal after the end of the season and the subsequent off-season, where seven forwards are set for unrestricted free agency.

Prediction: Third in the Atlantic Division and on the playoff bubble.

From a defensive perspective, these guys are alright. From an offensive perspective, however, they are somewhat short on players who can consistently produce (especially up-front). The team stands a chance if they can remain healthy and consistent, but if either Crosby or Malkin go down with injury, there will be a chance for them to fall (and should both go down, expect a lottery pick.)

Season Preview: Phoenix Coyotes

We're barreling down the stretch now with our season previews as camps are establishing their rosters. Jobs will be won, hearts will be broken, and some interesting developments can occur out of injury and necessity. Before you know it, the puck will drop on regular season hockey and we'll see how close to the mark (or how far off) we were with our predictions.

And now, the Phoenix Coyotes.

Team M.O.: Underdogs in the truest sense of the word, these guys are back for their second (and unfortunately, perhaps final) season since the team was placed into bankruptcy. Though no suitable owner's been found, there's some light on the horizon; there just needs to be an owner who believes in the team as much as the team believes in itself. And for good reason too...

Last Season: Fourth in the Western Conference, where they pushed the Detroit Red Wings to 7 games in the Conference Semifinal before getting dispatched. Though they lost to their pseudo-rivals (many Detroiters now living in Phoenix were making it known they weren' rooting for the home team), it was a great awakening for hockey fans throughout the Valley as to the type of team they almost lost. Hopefully it puts more fannies in the seats as the team's improved over the off-season.

Offense: Shane Doan's the heart and soul of the squad and no matter how good anyone else on the team can be, they always seem to suffer when he isn't around. Wojtek Wolski was a significant acquisition for the Coyotes and if he can give them the point-per-game production he was giving them toward the end of the season, he'll give something Phoenix hasn't had in a significant amount of time. Ray Whitney was brought over through free agency and gives the team a forward that's pure offense (something else they've seemed to lack lately, especially on the power play.) Martin Hanzal has just re-signed an extension and will continue his role centering the team's second line; he gives the team that big two-way center that any team would love to have. Radim Vrbata will be returning in a contract season for the Coyotes, so hopefully that translates to a 50 points or better (he's still a 40-45 point producer on an off-season.) Petr Prucha will likely start on that line, but he's gonna have to rediscover his scoring touch if he wishes to get an extension from the Coyotes (much less an NHL job in the subsequent off-season.) Scottie Upshall looked promising on a top-scoring unit until he went down with a knee injury; he might start lower on the depth chart until he gets comfortable and explodes. Speaking of which, Lee Stempniak was re-signed by the Coyotes and while he'll be out to prove that last season wasn't a mirage, he still gives the team a solid Top-6 scorer in a Top-9 setup. Eric Belanger was shored up after a dispute with the Washington Capitals; he makes the perfect addition to round out their forward corps as a two-way winger who can be pushed to produce if given the right linemates.

The fourth line will resemble your standard checking line with an edge. Taylor Pyatt provides the team with a big-bodied defensive winger while Vernon Fiddler excelled for the Coyotes on both the penalty kill and in the faceoff dot (though he might move back to his natural position of wing to accommodate the Coyotes' glut of centers.) Lauri Korpikoski remains the shootout specialist who can serve in a Top-9 role in a pinch while enforcer Paul Bissonette will get into the contests where toughness will be necessary. This leaves the competition for the final forward spot to come down between tryout Kyle Wellwood, depth forward Andrew Ebbett, and either rookies Kyle Turris, Mikael Boedker, or Viktor Tikhonov, all of which are blue-chip prospects with NHL experience.

While that lineup of forwards doesn't feature any other marquee names other than Doan, there's a significant amount of talent and balance in this lineup that is unparalleled to what the Coyotes have gone into their most recent seasons with. The players are relatively durable and even if injuries occur, the depth will be there thanks to all the rookies who've been marinating to perfection in the minors; this will be the season for them to breakout.

Defense: I was concerned at first about who the Coyotes were going into the season with but now that camp's underway, the smoke's clearing and things look clearer and for the better. Ed Jovanovski's in the last year of his deal so I expect him to put up some awesome numbers; hopefully he has a strong all-round year that gives both he and the team to see it fit for him to stick around. Derek Morris managed to come back and while he has the tools to be an offensive star, he seems to play at his best when he's used in a shutdown role. Keith Yandle's play continues to improve by leaps and bounds; should his production and defensive play continue to improve then he'll start getting first-pairing assignments on a regular basis. Adrian Aucoin seems to have found a new lease on life in Phoenix; his leadership and offensive ability has been a great benefit for everyone on the team from rookie to veteran. Sami Lepisto kicked off his first full-length NHL assignment last season and while he struggled at first, he managed to turn it up towards the end and can now confidently give the Coyotes a solid third-pairing defender who has the versatility to move up. David Schlemko's done very well in his assignments with the Coyotes to reasonably establish him ready for NHL duty as well.

The team has one more open spot on defense due to the sad fact that Kurt Sauer's still unable to play as a result of a concussion/vertigo/psychological/substance issues (it hasn't been disclosed so we can all but assume.) While youngsters Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Maxim Goncharov seem intriguing, neither have skated on North American ice. It would be better for them to take an assignment to the minors and sign Shane Hnidy (providing he doesn't have an absolutely awful camp) because he gives the team that physical defenseman they lost when Jim Vandermeer was traded to the Edmonton Oilers.

Aside from that, the Coyotes have sufficient depth at the minor league level that they can draw from if any of their players go down. From the crafty players like Ekman-Larsson and Goncharov to the solid defensive players like Jonas Ahnelov.

Goaltending: Ilya Bryzgalov darn near won the Vezina Trophy last season and if there was any criticism I have of the goaltending situation last season it was that Jason Labarbera was not used enough. I know that Bryzgalov's the "big money guy" but Labarbera should be penciled in for 25-35 starts this season so Bryzgalov will become more effective and refreshed come playoff time. He doesn't have to carry an underperforming team anymore so it's time to distribute the workload between a great Number 1 goaltender and a solid Number 1A.

Beyond them the team still has Al Montoya and Matt Clime in the minors, so their depth is also sufficient.

Management: GM Don Maloney won the NHL's General Manager Of The Year Award due to his shrewd moves that put together a team that broke 100-points despite being absolutely broke. Coach Greg Tippett won the Jack Adams Award for best coach due to the system he was able to install despite not having started training camp with the team. Shane Doan won the King Clancy Trophy for his leadership abilities. All they need now's an owner who believes in them too.

Prediction: Second in the Pacific Division and in the playoffs with the potential for a nice run.

Make no mistake. I do like the L.A. Kings better on paper, but we all know how that goes from time to time. If L.A. slips and San Jose performs as average as I believe they will, then these guys will have the division title. At first, the Coyotes were weak in terms of prospects, followed by a period where they didn't have enough veteran presence. Now, they have a perfect blend of both, so it's the perfect time for the pack to attack.

Season Preview: Philadelphia Flyers

We're barreling down the stretch now with our season previews as camps are establishing their rosters. Jobs will be won, hearts will be broken, and some interesting developments can occur out of injury and necessity. Before you know it, the puck will drop on regular season hockey and we'll see how close to the mark (or how far off) we were with our predictions.

And now, the Philadelphia Flyers

Team M.O.: The Broad Street Bullies still use a formula of toughness to go with a balanced attack that is fortified by sound forwards, excellent defenders, and, well, some somewhat-average goalies. It was a semi-successful formula for them last season...

Last Season: They made the playoffs as a Seventh seed in the Eastern Conference thanks to a shootout, but they parlayed that into an Eastern Conference Championship before losing the Stanley Cup Finals to the Chicago Blackhawks in six games. Many said better goaltending could have won the series, but the Flyers, for some reason, are content with what they have.

Offense: Not many teams have the kind of offensive depth to allow them to roll three scoring lines the way the Flyers do. The Flyers couldn't have asked for more when they drafted Mike Richards and Jeff Carter in 2003. Richards has become a solid all-around forward an leader while Carter's been a boon to their offensive production. Daniel Briere remained healthy for most of last season and really dominated come playoff time; he might be small but he can definitely score. Scott Hartnell saw his production drop a bit last season but he still provides the team with a legitimate power forward who can fight and generate points. Ville Leino came alive for the Flyers last season after a subpar campaign with the Detroit Red Wings; Flyers fans will hope they see the guy they met during the playoffs and not the guy Detroit knew as an inconsistent goal-scorer with defensive issues. James van Riemsdyk started off strong but started to run out of gas at the end of the season; this is not uncommon with young players and it was better for him to have his funk then instead of going into this season with the "sophomore slump." Nikolai Zherdev comes back from Russia and will look to return with his top-end offensive skills to go with an overall-improved attitude towards playing in North America; that could be the sleeper signing of the off-season. Claude Giroux also took some big steps forward last season and gives the team with a solid playmaker who knows who to get the puck to score. It would be interesting to see who ends up tabbed with the Number 9 duties. Bill Guerin was brought over on a tryout-contract and will realistically win the job if Darroll Powe or even David Laliberte can't win the job in camp.

That fourth line's gonna be super-nasty, though. Ian Laperriere and Dan Carcillo are both solid checkers who can rile up the opposition; the difference being that Laperriere provides leadership and can pick his spots better. Jody Shelley was brought over to act as the team's resident enforcer while Blair Betts gives the team a solid checking center. Andreas Nodl and Jonathon Kalinski will also be battling for depth spots at camp.

There's nothing they could do to improve this setup; they've got the best group of offensive forwards in the Eastern Conference if not the league.

Defense: Chris Pronger and Kimmo Timonen remain their big-money defensemen and for great reason: Chris Pronger can dominate the game in a variety of ways while Timonen is a solid point-producing defender who excels on the power play. Matt Carle enjoyed his best season since his rookie year in San Jose and the Flyers will hope they can help revive the career of Andrej Meszaros, who was traded for after two disastrous season with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Braydon Coburn may not be a big point producer but is valuable in a defensive role while Sean O'Donnell was signed as a free agent to provide toughness and leadership. Matt Walker and Oskars Bartulis will battle for the depth spot in camp.

It would be hard to realistically make this defensive corps better and I put them amongst the best defensive corps in the league.

Goaltending: Well, with such an impressive group of forwards and defensemen you knew it had to get somewhat thin elsewhere. I will give Michael Leighton credit though, he took significant steps forward for the team both during the regular season and the playoffs. Yet even with this in consideration, he should be a guy who gets in roughly 30-40 games with someone to share starting duties with. While Brian Boucher showed some flashes of brilliance during the post-season, he hasn't necessarily been a solid option for the Flyers and might do better to be sent to the minors instead of remaining with the big squad. Johan Backlund also factors into the goaltending battle at camp and while he has the experience at a minor and European level, his individual numbers have never been in the elite category, so there's the question as to how well he'd do for the club after the preseason's over.

You can bet that these guys will be watching the waiver wire for an available goaltender (read: Thomas Greiss from the San Jose Sharks.) If they can't find one over waivers and neither Boucher or Backlund are up to task to platoon with Leighton, then maybe a veteran like Jose Theodore would take a small, short contract just to get back in the league again.

Management: Despite Paul Holmgren's battle to work with the salary cap (which will only be magnified once Carter goes RFA), he's erased the memories of the team's crushingly disappointing 2006-07 season by making the moves necessary to get the team back to being Cup Contenders. Peter Laviolette was hired last off-season as the head coach and while he may have preached an anti-fighting game with the Carolina Hurricanes, the Flyers looked like their usual selves without the amount of penalties a team like the Anaheim Ducks incurs. As long as the right players keep coming up through the system and the team keeps winning, these two can do whatever they need to.

Prediction: Second in the Atlantic Division and in the playoffs.

The New Jersey Devils are better because their team's a bit more balanced but the Flyers are still as every bit competitive as any other team in the league. They'll need to push hard come playoff time, though, because after this season, they may be faced with a mass exodus of players similar to what the Chicago Blackhawks had to suffer through after they won the championship last season.

Season Preview: Ottawa Senators

We're barreling down the stretch now with our season previews as camps are establishing their rosters. Jobs will be won, hearts will be broken, and some interesting developments can occur out of injury and necessity. Before you know it, the puck will drop on regular season hockey and we'll see how close to the mark (or how far off) we were with our predictions.

And now, the Ottawa Senators

Team M.O.: The team's relied on the "top-six/bottom-six" format of offensive attack (largely due to where their money's being spent) to compete against the other teams in the league and fortifies that with a balanced attack. After making the 2007 Stanley Cup Finals, the team was swept in the Conference Quarterfinals the following season and missed the playoffs completely the year after. A few bodies were moved to give the team a sense of competitiveness and it wasn't necessarily all bad.

Last Season: Fifth in the Eastern Conference, where they were eliminated in 6 games by the then-defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins. Not bad considering the drama they faced with Dany Heatley's departure and the uncertainty of their goaltending tandem going into the season.

Offense: Jason Spezza battled MCL injuries last season but was managed to increase his rate of production from the season before; while he isn't dishing passes to Heatley anymore, he could break a point-per-game average if he can remain healthy. You have to wonder how much Daniel Alfredsson has left in the tank but if we know anything from following the Detroit Red Wings, don't ever count out a Swede just because of his age; he still remains one of the best top-line forwards in hockey. Milan Michalek's first season in Ottawa left much to be desired thanks to injury issues, he too should expect a bounce back campaign as long as he can stay healthy through camp. Mike Fisher stepped up in a big way for the Sens last season and provides the team with a legitimate second-line center who can probably serve as a top-line guy in a pinch. Alex Kovalev wasn't dominant given his salary but gives the team a scoring winger who gives you second-line production at worst and top-line production at best. Due to how close the team is to the cap, they will likely have internal competition for the remaining scoring forward spot depending on whether or not coach Cory Clouston wants to group Fisher/Kovalev with either a sound two-way guy (Nick Foligno), a playmaker (Peter Regin), or a forward with versatility (Chris Kelly). Regardless of whomever gets that job, the other two will likely find positions on the third unit so it isn't all bad.

Beyond them, Jarkko Ruutu and Chris Neil will continue to find ways to piss off the opposition; with Neil taking on the heavyweights. Jesse Winchester and Ryan Shannon will likely continue in their roles as defensive/energy forwards. The last remaining spots will be battled for by Zack Smith, Ryan Keller, Corey Locke, Roman Wick, and Cody Bass.

I'd love to see another scoring winger on that club but they'd have to find a way to make that fit in their salary structure. Will their Number 6 forward please stand up? And will the guy be able to get 40 points or better?

Defense: Sergei Gonchar defected from the Pittsburgh Penguins and while injuries are a concern, he gives the team a solid point-producer from the blueline. Erik Karlsson was solid in his debut for the Sens and should give the team another point-producing option on defense. People may regard Chris Phillips as a defender of the defensive variety, but he's still good for 20 points or better throughout the course of a season. Chris Campoli gives the team a playmaking defender who's average at the defensive aspects of the game. Matt Carkner's finally made the jump out of the minors and has become the team's enforcer for good reason; not too many people wanna stand up to a dude who's 6'4" and 230 lbs. Since Filip Kuba's down with injuries, Brian Lee and David Hale will likely enter camp as the 6th or 7th defenders respectively and will have until the end of October to prove to the team why they belong there.

All and all, not bad on the Senators for having a legitimate-looking defensive squad.

Goaltending: It's becoming harder to remember when Pascal Leclaire was a solid blue-chip prospect. After sustaining numerous injuries, his campaign last year was anything but magnificent. Nevertheless, he still hasn't run out of racetrack yet to put it all together for a spectacular season. He shouldn't have to deal with a significant brunt of playing time either, as Brian Elliott had a second straight year where had to save the team with his goaltending performance. While Elliott didn't necessarily put up elite individual numbers, the team managed to find a way to win in front of him and sometimes, that's all that counts.

Mike Brodeur was spectacular for the Senators in call up duty last season so the team's good-to-go as far as their goaltending's set.

Management: GM Bryan Murray took over a team that went from Stanley Cup Contender and turned them into a playoff contender, at best. No, the coaching situation hasn't helped, but few of his moves have really done well to fortify the team. In retrospect, maybe he should've just stuck to coaching the team because they at least had a system the players believed in. Cory Clouston's been no slouch though, and last season is any indication, he should do better during his second full-season with the Senators.

Prediction: Third in the Northeast Division and on the playoff bubble.

These guys aren't as great as the Buffalo Sabres or the Boston Bruins, yet I still consider them to be better than both the Montreal Canadiens and the Toronto Maple Leafs. How well they perform will rely largely on the health of key players and the ability of the role players to step up and contribute in ways that defies their job.

Season Preview: New York Rangers

We're about halfway done with our season preview and are a little ahead of schedule. Hopefully we can get this kicked out well before September ends and the teams start their travel season in lovely Europe. Pre-season hockey rules so go check it out in a town near you!

And now, the New York Rangers.

Team M.O.: One of the Original Six, these guys seem like they're addicted to spending. Sometimes it works, like it did in 1994. However, more often than not, when you simply throw money at a situation and hope it goes away, you can only expect to be inconsistent at best when it comes to winning and that's exactly what we have here.

Last Season: Ninth in the Eastern Conference and out of the playoffs on a shootout goal. Talk about just coming up short. Will it be better this season? It depends on a few things.

Offense: Marian Gaborik's commanding a salary in excess of $7M but has been worth every penny so far; he'll be worth more if his next few campaigns happen to play out injury-free. The same can't be said for Chris Drury, who despite being a solid leader hasn't come remotely close to justifying the money he's been earning on that team (he has a no-movement clause though, so the team's stuck with him until the contract expires.) Brandon Dubinsky has a career season in scoring despite missing 13 games with injury; he'll probably get the top-center spot on the club along with Gaborik and newcomer Alexander Frolov (who himself is looking to rebuild his confidence after a disastrous season with the L.A. Kings.) The Vaclav Prospal experiment worked out well for the Rangers last season and he'll return to give the team a legit second-liner or top-line compliment if the team goes in that direction. Ryan Callahan's been relatively consistent as a scoring forward and wil be good for around 40 points if he can manage to get into every game. The real X-factor for the team's scoring will either be be newcomer Mats Zuccarello (though small he's very skilled and could breakout in a huge way in the "new" NHL similar to how he's done during his time in Europe) or free agent try out Ruslan Fedotenko, who has been decent but not spectacular since winning the cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004.

While the top-six is somewhat average, the depth forwards have both enough skill and sandpaper to make it a chore for the opposition to show up every night. Artem Anisimov did well in his first full year with the Rangers and gives the team an intriguing option at center (he could break out in a scoring role this season.) Erik Christensen's been passed around like a doobie but he's done better with the Rangers than he has with the other clubs he's been on; if he can get secondary-scoring with third-line ice time he'll give them a reason not to move him again. Todd White was brought over from the Atlanta Thrashers and while he's had solid production in the past, one has to wonder how much of that was thanks to playing with Ilya Kovalchuk. Brian Boyle did well in call-up duty for the Rangers last season, a good camp will parlay that into a permanent role with the big club. Tim Kennedy was brought over as an unqualified/unrestricted free agent to push for a depth forward position on the chart. In terms of the sandpaper, Derek Boogaard will become the resident enforcer, Brandon Prust will be the resident middleweight, and Sean Avery will always be the best agitator in the league. They'll definitely be keeping the flies off or the opponents in the penalty box.

All and all, there isn't so much a need for moves as there are a need for everyone to step up and do what they can to overachieve.

Defense: Though Wade Redden is set to appear at camp, there might be nothing he can do (short of being miraculous) to stop the Rangers from assigning him and his salary to the AHL so they can get cap compliant. The re-signing of Marc Staal would necessitate a move like this because Staal's maturity means his overall ability to handle a larger role with the Rangers. Michal Rozsival might draw some ire for his salary as well, but he gives the team over 20 points on a bad season and roughly 40 on a good one; he just needs to bounce back and produce as he did a few seasons back. Michael Del Zotto made a lot of noise early last season but then cooled; while prolific from the blueline, he'll need to tighten up defensively if he wishes to go from being a power-play specialist to first-pairing stud. Dan Girardi has improved defensively and gives the team a solid puck-mover who can break 20 points a season. Matt Gilroy was recalled last season and never got sent back down; he'll likely finish camp with an NHL job unless he takes a major step back. Steve Eminger gets traded (again) and will provide the Rangers with a solid Number 6-7 defenseman who is a jack-of-all trades and a master of none. The last spot (or few spots depending on what they do for salary management) will be fought for by Pavel Valentenko (who's coming back to North America after spending some time in Russia), Michael Sauer, Ryan McDonagh, and free agent try-outs Garnett Excelby and Alexei Semenov.

All and all, not terribly mind-blowing but there's a world of potential for them to exceed the expectations of Rangers fans.

Goaltending: Kinda hard to complain about goaltending when Henrik Lundqvist is your starter. They brought over Martin Biron this season and will hopefully opt to work with a Number 1/1a type setup as opposed to relying on Lundqvist for 70+ games, which can leave him ineffective come playoff time. Chad Johnson will be a solid Number 3 option while the team develops Cameron Talbot in the minors. All and all, good stuff.

Management: I'm kinda mixed about how Glen Sather's done with his job. On one hand, I don't consider a GM to be incredible when his solution to addressing cap issues is to bury salary. On the other hand, he did land Lundqvist, Dubinsky, Callahan, Staal, and Del Zotto, so he at least has a nose for talent. John Tortorella will get the chance to bring the team back to the playoffs but you can bet his job will be on the line if the team goes in any other direction but forward.

Prediction: Fourth in the Atlantic Division and out of the playoffs.

I would like to be optimistic and say these guys are a bubble team because all things considered they could be. However, they're in the toughest division in their conference and with the overall improvement to the other Eastern Conference teams thanks to the salary cap, there's too much of a concern with injuries and underachievement to expect great results this season.

Season Preview: New York Islanders

We're about halfway done with our season preview and are a little ahead of schedule. Hopefully we can get this kicked out well before September ends and the teams start their travel season in lovely Europe. Pre-season hockey rules so go check it out in a town near you!

And now, the New York Islanders.

Team M.O.: These guys are the like the Edmonton Oilers but in the Eastern Conference; they had their glory years during the 80's before becoming a so-so team in the 90's and followed that up with a roller coaster ride into oblivion, which is where they're at today. Only problem? They haven't made the Stanley Cup Finals in recent history and have two other teams to compete with in their market: One's an original six franchise while the other is a Stanley Cup winner who have two of the best players in the game skating for them. These guys are in rebuild mode but while the future might not be here, it can't be that far off... right?

Last Season: Thirteenth in the conference and out of the playoffs. Not great, but still an improvement over the dead-last finish the season before that landed them John Tavares. About that...

Offense: Tavares wasn't necessarily spectacular in his rookie season but all things considered, 54 points was probably more than could have been expected for on that team that's rebuilding. He convinced management to sign his friend Matt Moulson though, and the end result was giving the team a solid-yet-completely unexpected 30 goal scorer; the heat will be on for him to hit those same kind of numbers again. Kyle Okposo took a step forward with his production this season; if he can become better defensively he'll be one of the best scoring wingers in the league. Frans Nielsen and Josh Bailey both took a few steps forward last season and if they can build off of their previous campaign, they can provide the Islanders with solid and reliable second line forward who can produce as such. It would be excellent if Blake Comeau could start avoiding the injury bug because his rate of production's steadily improving with him. Doug Weight gives the team a playmaking forward who's close to the end of his career; at best he'll give the team close to 40 points, but at worst he'll go down early with injury and be done for the season (or for good.) Trent Hunter also seems to be particularly affected by the injury bug and while he's not their top scorer, his versatility is important enough to warrant his presence in the lineup. Rob Schremp was claimed off waivers and gave the team some decent production considering the amount of games he was in. He went down with a knee injury toward the end of the season so hopefully he can set the tone in camp.

Looking at the remaining portion of the forward position, we see a mix of grit and youth. John Sim seems to have a nose for the net and an attitude that gets the opposition riled. He'll be joined by Zenon Konopka, who was acquired as a free agent to provide an interesting combination of leadership, face-off skills, and fighting ability. The remaining positions will likely be battled for by PA Parenteau, Jesse Joensuu, Matt Martin, and possibly newcomer Nino Niederreiter. If the team opts to have an enforcer to supplement Konopka, the battle will be between Trevor Gillies and Jeremy Yablonski. Wonder if these guys have talked about their tilt last year in the AHL...



All and all, these guys could use a veteran scoring winger or two, and they definitely have the cap space to take salary. They could probably score Brian Rolston from the waiver wire if they call up the New Jersey Devils and say "You want us to take his salary off your hands?" Any other moves would be awesome, but owner Charles Wang's kinda tightfisted when it comes to investing in the payroll of the club.

Defense: Defensively the club's unspectacular but complete. Mark Streit was a point shy of another 50 point campaign and gives the team an unlikely-yet-intriguing Number 1 defender. James Wisniewski was acquired from the Anaheim Ducks to give the club another point-producing defenseman, he's just of the P.O.'d variety. Mark Eaton came over as a free agent; expect him to log Top-four defender minutes in a defensive role. Jack Hillen broke out last season as a source of points from the back end; he'll get more ice time when he gets better defensively (ditto for Bruno Gervais.) Andrew MacDonald has done well enough in call up duty for the club to warrant consideration on either their second or third-pairing units, depending on the type of defensive strategy they're going for. Milan Jurcina comes over through free agency after an oft-injured campaign last year while Radek Martinek was out most of last season.

It'll be interesting to see who ends up getting "the cut" and why.

Goaltending: Dwayne Roloson wasn't dominant last season but was by no means terrible, posting a 3 GAA with a .907 save percentage on a club that dealt with a lot of youth and injuries. Speaking of injuries, Rick DiPietro is starting the season off healthy and one can only hope that he can reverse his fortunes and get back to being a consistent NHL performer. The goaltending depth gets a little thin after them so unless their prospects are spectacular in camp, they might want to see if any of the remaining free agent goalies are interested in a two-way deal.

Management: Give Garth Snow credit, he can't make all the moves necessary to make the team uber-competitive but he's definitely doing what he can to make shrewd moves while ensuring loyalty. Scott Gordon will have a second year with the club and while people will be realistic with the team's expectations, he will be expected to get them to gain more victories than they did last season.

Prediction: Fifth in the Atlantic Division and out of the playoffs.

Simply stated, these guys will improve from last season and the season before that, but they aren't anywhere near the New Jersey Devils, Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers, or even the New York Rangers in regards to competitiveness. Their current roster will have to be older or better fortified in order to make that kinda jump and unless spectacular injuries happen to any of those teams, the Islanders can't realistically be poised to succeed.

Season Preview: New Jersey Devils

We're about halfway done with our season preview. Hopefully we can get this kicked out well before September ends and the teams start their travel season in lovely Europe. Pre-season hockey rules so go check it out in a town near you!

And now, the New Jersey Devils.

Team M.O.: Typically a defense-first team that's built around their goaltender, the team's taking advantage of their budding offensive talent as their star goaltender is starting to get closer to the end of his playing career. They made a hell of a splash last season and acquired one of the best players in the league. The problem now is that they aren't cap compliant and who knows what moves will have to be made to make that possible.

Last Season: They finished second overall in the Eastern Conference but failed to get out of the Conference Quarterfinals and were eliminated in 5 games. One has to wonder if that wouldn't have happened if they were to give their backup goaltender more playing time.

Offense: No doubt the big story in the off-season was the re-signing fiasco of Ilya Kovalchuk. Now that his contract issues are settled, the Devils have one of the best wingers in the league. He would be an amazing compliment to Zach Parise and Travis Zajac, who continue their ascension into NHL stardom (Parise was still over a point-per-game player last season while Zajac had a career season with 67 points.) Jason Arnott was acquired from the Nashville Predators and will likely be on a line with the offensively-gifted Patrik Elias and team captain Jamie Langenbrunner; these guys will give the team secondary scoring that will rival most teams' first lines. Though Brian Rolston was expected to play the role of a top-line scoring winger, he hasn't been able to deliver than in a New Jersey Devils uniform. The team would ideally love to get out of that contract but considering that it's a 35+ contract, his salary would count against the salary cap even if he were to be assigned to the minors. Dainius Zubrus, however, could be assigned to the minors to give the team breathing room; so he had better do everything in his power to ensure he has an excellent camp if he doesn't want to be playing games in the AHL. David Clarkson, meanwhile, was re-signed before the free agency period began and is starting to look like a legitimate agitating goal-scorer; hopefully his offensive production continues to improve.

As for the team's checking unit, they look like they're going to go into battle with the energetic Rod Pelley, the tough-as-nails Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond, and NHL sophomore Vladimir Zharkov, who did very well in a defensive role for the Devils. Adam Mair has been invited to training camp to compete for a roster spot and will probably be able to sign with the team once they've figured out their salary issues up front.

The team needs to figure out which if their forwards they can jettison and get cap compliant. In a perfect world Rolston could be waived and claimed and Zubrus could be re-assigned outright. However the world's far from perfect and even if those two took off, they'd have to turn to within for replacements; which may or may not work for them.

Defense: Andy Greene had a breakout season last year as a small-yet-skilled point-producting defensemen from Michigan... kinda reminds us of Brian Rafalski in a way. Colin White managed to be injury free most of last season and will give the club a solid and steady defensive defender. Henrik Tallinder and Anton Volchenkov were brought on during the off-season to provide the team with two solid shutdown defenders who may actually pair up together on a unit. Bryce Salvador and Mark Fraser provide the team with a solid physical third-pairing who are as capable of dropping the mitts as they are playing a solid defensive role for the club. Anssi Salmela looks like he's going to be on the shelf for a while so the club may turn to a defender like Tyler Eckford to play as that Number 7 forward who can generate points.

All and all the defense doesn't look too shabby, especially for a group of guys who will clog up the neutral and defensive zones so their forwards can attack and their goaltender can defend.

Goaltending: Martin Brodeur remains one of the best goaltenders in the game but simply needs to play less in order for the team to achieve more in the post-season. Johan Hedberg was brought on last seasn and but up some pretty serious numbers on a non-playoff Atlanta Thrasher team (21-16-6 in 47 games played with a 2.62 GAA and .915 save percentage.) If the team can get the two to platoon then the achievements can be taken off of the individual (Brodeur) and focused back on the squad.

Management: Give it to Lou Lamoriello; though somewhat eccentric the guy's managed to build some pretty legitimate teams in a market where there's two other teams fighting for the spotlight. We'll be anxious to see how well John MacLean handles his first full-season of coaching at the NHL level.

Prediction: First in the Atlantic Division and in the playoffs.

Cap issues be damned, these guys are still better than everyone else in their division. They can't take anything for granted though; because as long as the Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers, and New York Rangers are in the mix, they're going to have to bring it every night to establish their supremacy.