Season Preview: Toronto Maple Leafs

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 Toronto Maple Leafs.

Team M.O.: The only club in a market that's entirely hockey mad, the Leafs enjoyed a decent level of financial success without having to deliver. However, the fact they haven't made the playoffs since the lockout ended is starting to be met with fan apathy, as the once-full arena is now sold out in paid attendance only. Enter Brian Burke, who's come in to be the architect of a tough brand of hockey that no doubt appeals to the fans in the Toronto area.

Last Season: Last in the Eastern Conference and out of the playoffs. This was the third consecutive year that the team finished last in the division. While that second round draft pick would have been nice, they certainly got a piece of the puzzle that can definitely help them now instead of later.

Offense: Phil Kessel put up five less points than he did playing for a far-superior Boston Bruins squad the season before; he's a pure-goal scorer who's now a veteran player before his 23rd birth day. Tyler Bozak managed to put up 27 points in his 37 game audition last season; the type of camp he's been having so far indicates he will be on Toronto's roster opening night. The newly acquired Kris Versteeg could be one of the most solid moves the team made in the off-season; his production should improve now that he isn't buried on an immense team like the Chicago Blackhawks' squad he played for last season. Mikhail Grabovski gives the team a solid scoring option; he'll be looking to rebound after spending some time in the infirmary last season. Nikolai Kulemin is the two-way guy in a group full of offensive-minded players, but he finished last season playing on Toronto's top-line (even if by default) and will get top-six minutes this season. Clarke MacArthur was signed as an unqualified free agent and has done well thus far to ensure he'll be playing a scoring role for the team. With all these options for offense, there's hardly room for Luca Caputi, and he's been trying a lot harder than some of the other youngsters in the Maple Leafs system. The team won't have him sit in the press box though so if he doesn't get regular ice-time, he'll likely go back to the minors.

Their scoring forwards look good, but MacArthur's the eldest at 25. Will they succeed without solid veteran presence?

Going further down the line shows the bottom-six that focuses on defense and toughness the way most Burkian teams do. People may criticize Colby Armstrong's current salary but he may be one of the best "Number 7" style forwards around. He stands to benefit in Toronto's current system; while defensively solid he has some intriguing offensive potential which could come to life with the Leafs. Mike Brown was brought over in a trade from the Anaheim Ducks and gives the team a solid checking winger who can dish out the punishment. He's kinda small though, so if one of the heavies come knocking, Colton Orr will be around to chill them out. Fredrik Sjostrom didn't quite live up to being a first-round pick, but he's become a solid penalty killer as he's grown in the NHL. John Mitchell missed some time with injury last season yet is poised to be one of the bottom-six pivots for the club.

The Leafs have a slew of players fighting for the last remaining spots in camp though in my mind, two are better options than the others. Mike Zigomanis has returned from Europe and while he's a talented player at a minor level, he's an adept faceoff specialist at the NHL level which is something the Leafs could use. While the team has an abundance of toughness, Jay Rosenhill would act as a further deterrent against the opposition to try anything stupid. Out of the other three candidates for the job, Christian Hanson had a respectable debut in call-up action, but doesn't necessarily stand out in any particular direction and may be better served to go to the minors. Tim Brent has been a lights-out performer at the minor league level, can he make that translate into a major league role? Nazem Kadri may be one of the team's highly-touted prospects, but is he ready for the NHL? Too many questions for a team that needs answers now.

All and all, the group of forwards looks remarkably young (I don't think there's one over 29) so the elder players will have to help the younger ones get along while still figuring things out themselves. Could be difficult, could be beneficial.

Defense: The Leafs have become Dion Phaneuf's team and while his production slipped somewhat when he came over, the team won more often than not with him in the lineup, giving little doubt as to why he was awarded the "C" over the off-season. Tomas Kaberle certainly isn't a lousy option for the next defender, his 49 points last season was actually amongst the best for the team. Francois Beauchemin is a solid second-pairing defender for the Leafs but you'd love to see him do better defensively (he hasn't been a plus player since winning the Stanley Cup with the Anaheim Ducks in 2007.) Mike Komisarek is coming off both injury and a less than spectacular season; given the depth on the team it's probably better that he's suited to be the Number 4 defender on the club. Carl Gunnarsson started off last season in the minors, but he did very well in call-up duty to warrant inclusion in this year's defensive corp. Luke Schenn's production didn't improve as much as his defensive play did; he'd be on any other team's second-unit if their depth weren't as overwhelming as Toronto's. Brett Lebda's out with a shoulder injury, so that could pave the way for the team to consider Matt Lashoff or Danny Richmond for fill-in duty until Lebda returns. Jeff Finger remains on the team's roster and injured as well, but you can safely assume he'll be reporting to the AHL as soon as he's cleared to play; he wouldn't be a problem if it weren't for the absurd $3.5M salary he received from when John Ferguson Jr. was still running the team.

You can't get any deeper than that along the blueline folks.

Goaltending: It's safe to say that goaltending didn't go as well as Toronto had hoped and the players pegged for the goaltender position are just as anxious to do better too. Jean-Sebastien Giguere battled some injuries and off-ice issues that left him expendable by the Anaheim Ducks but his numbers improved after being moved to the Leafs. He'll look to act as the starter and mentor who will groom Jonas Gustavsson into a bona-fide starter. Gustavsson was thought to go through that last season, but when Vesa Toskala became ineffective for the club, he ended up playing in more contests than either he or the team expected. Though both players are somewhat inconsistent, if they can put it together than they'll be one of the scariest goaltending tandems in the league. James Reimer and Jussi Rynnas look to be holding down the fort in the minors yet both will come guns blazing should something happen to the other goaltenders.

Management: Burke's done well to transform the team into his image and while coach Ron Wilson takes some of the flack for what happened this season, he still managed to coach some pretty successful teams in the past; he'll need to do it again if he wants to have a job come April.

Prediction: Fourth in the Northeast Division... and on the playoff bubble?

Make no mistake, this is a very talented group of players. However, while the defense is remarkably supreme, the forwards are still raw and the goaltending is still somewhat inconsistent. Basically, they need to get their $#!+ completely together to pull ahead of the competition. Will they do that this season?

Season Preview: Tampa Bay Lightning

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 Tampa Bay Lightning.

Team M.O.: A once dominant team before the lockout (and in this case, we mean the 2004 Stanley Cup Champions), they didn't weather the post-lockout NHL so well. Unlike the Blues however, these guys ended up sold to a "rogue" group of NHL owners who were so dysfunctional that they were out of the equation not even two seasons later. Can't say it didn't bring better things though, as the team's ever-revolving ties to Detroit keep bringing it into a positive direction.

Last Season: Twelfth in the Eastern Conference and out of the playoffs. This was better than two performances that saw them draft first (Steve Stamkos) and second (Victor Hedman) for the two seasons prior, but once Jeff Vinik was secured as the team's owner, the plan was to take Tampa Bay's immense amount of talent and actually make it go back to being the Stanley Cup winning club that they can be.

Offense: Though critics were tough on Stamkos for "only" getting 45 points in his rookie season, he exploded to put up 95 points on the club, silencing his critics, and winning the Rocket Richard Trophy (co-held with the Pittsburgh Penguins' Sidney Crosby) as the highest goal scorer in the league. That was in no large part to playing with Martin St. Louis, who amassed one less point than Stamkos despite the fact he's 35! The team hopes that some of that will rub off on Vincent Lecavalier, he hasn't been his usual point-per-game self despite an abundance of ability (maybe some of their forward depth will let him play a bit more, er, passionately this season.) Simon Gagne's coming over in a contract season and though prone to injury, he's a very gifted point-producer who can secure a spot on their scoring lines. Ryan Malone is also adept at scoring goals and gives the team a quality power forward. Steve Downie broke 200 penalty minutes last season but also scored 46 points; he's good at being an agitator because he's got the skills and toughness to back it up. Scorer Teddy Purcell looks poised to play either a reserve role as a scorer or make their fourth-lune unit if they need him to provide energy.

Going to the checking forwards, the team brought on Sean Bergenheim, Dominic Moore, Marc Pouliot, and Chris Durno through free agency to provide a defensive presence and will fill roles that need to be filled (Bergenheim, Moore, and Pouliot will factor into penalty killing while Durno will probably be asked to enforce despite not having taken on the heavies.) Nate Thompson may not be a prototypical enforcer, but he can fight and kill penalties without issue. Adam Hall, Dana Tyrell, and Johan Harju are battling for the depth spots at camp and considering how they've done so far, the final call's still too close to tell.

I'd love to see a genuine enforcer on this team but they'll get by as long as the role players know their role. I would say that another veteran checker couldn't hurt, but since there isn't anyone capable and still in the cupboard, giving a prospect a shot sounds like a logical idea.

Defense: Mattias Ohlund's production wasn't astounding during his first season with the Lighting but gives the team a solid leader who comes to play every night his body lets him. Victor Hedman managed to get 20 points in his rookie season and looks equally poised to experience a productive year much like Stamkos had last season. The team managed to bring Pavel Kubina back, who gives the team a solid and proven top-level defender; something this team needed horribly for the past few seasons. Brett Clark was acquired in the off-season to give the team someone who knows how to use the body when it comes to defense. Randy Jones was acquired in the off-season too but to provide a different role; while he's not the best defender he is a capable point-producer from the blue line and should factor into the power play. Mike Lundin provides the team with a solid defensive defender while Matt Smaby would make a solid book-end as the physical Number 7 defender.

It would be nice for Paul Ranger to announce his triumphant return but that sounds like it may never happen (which is extremely unfortunate.) Regardless, I think their defensive corp is intriguing this season and if they can remain healthy, they'll be surprisingly effective.

Goaltending: Kinda like the good vibes I'm feeling here. You've got Mike Smith, who was dealt away from the Dallas Stars organization, played as a starter, but seemed to be bogged down by inconsistency and health issues. Nevertheless, he's got a glut of all world talent who just needs another goaltender who's as capable as he is to successfully platoon with. So what happened? The team was able to get Dan Ellis through free agency, bringing on a 1A goaltender who's friends with Smith from their days in the Dallas Stars organization. Good for both of them and the team should hope that they can push each other the right way to be both competitive and cooperative. Cedrick Desjardins will be their replacement should one be injured.

Management: Vinik was committed to success and hired Steve Yzerman as his new GM. Though he'll always be regarded as a Red Wing, he's done everything right to push the team in a more competitive direction this season. He's brought on coach Guy Boucher, who plays an innovative 1-3-1 system that's enjoyed success in the AHL. If he can get that to translate to the NHL level then the team will be golden.

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

Their goaltending's legit, their defense is above-average, their checking forwards are capable and their scoring forwards are flat out awesome. Put us down for thinking that Steve Yzerman's Lighting will restore respectability back to Tampa Bay as a hockey market; the rest of the Southwest Division's got their work cut out for them when they face these guys.

Season Preview: St. Louis Blues

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 St. Louis Blues.

Team M.O.: A once dominant team before the lockout, they didn't weather the post-lockout NHL so well. Still, they qualified for the playoffs in 2008-09 before returning to Earth last season but even still, they just missed the cut by a nose...

Last Season: Ninth in the Western Conference and out of the playoffs. Considering how unlikely it was considered for them to make the playoffs the previous season, 9th wasn't that bad of a finish.

Offense: After the retirement of Keith Tkachuk and the decision by Paul Kariya to not play for the season, the Blues have Andy McDonald as their veteran forward who's to help the young offensive corp take charge. David Backes took a slight step back in terms of the production, but still gives the team a tough-as-nails power forward who can capably produce on a scoring line. Brad Boyes was another player who took a step back, albeit a larger one, so the team will hope he can get back to his 65 point or better form that he's played to for the past few seasons (excluding the one immediately prior.) T.J. Oshie, however, took a significant step forward and if he can find some consistency to his game, he may end up one of the most complete forwards the team has. David Perron is another young player who can fill a scoring role nicely, the sooner he can find the ability to kick the lid off 50 points a season is the sooner he'll be the team's first line option. Alexander Steen seems to have rediscovered his game now that he's gone from the Toronto Maple Leafs; the Blues fans should hope that this capable two-way forward can continue to score 50 points or more throughout the season. Patrik Berglund has a mountain of potential but saw a 21 point drop in his production from 2009 to 2010; Blues fans will hope that's merely an aberration. Vladimir Sobotka would love to compete for a scoring role, but he's currently recovering from shoulder surgery and when he does return, it may be to fortify a checking role. Matt D'Agostini and T.J. Hensick will likely make the squad as reserve scoring forwards but will need to make the best of their opportunity to remain with "the big club."

As for the grinders and muckers, Jay McClement remains an underrated defensive player who can take the important draws for the big club (though his faceoff win percentage was slightly under 50% last season, he'll look to improve that this forthcoming season.) B.J. Crombeen and Brad Winchester check, hit, and dish out the punishment... and that's before the resident enforcer/hometown hero Cam Janssen takes to the ice.

All that said, yes the veteran presence is thin but it's also time for the "kids" to start realizing they're men at this point and need to play accordingly. The tools are there, they just need to realize they're in tool box with a Blues logo on it.

Defense: Golf carts be damned, Erik Johnson did well his first season back and could break 40, if not 50, points this season. Captain Eric Brewer gives the team some badly needed leadership in the room, though his numbers will never be super impressive he's a valuable asset in helping keep the team on track. Barret Jackman doesn't dish out the pain like he used to but he still gives the team with a solid defensive defender while Roman Polak improved significantly in the defensive aspects of the game during his second full season in the NHL. The deal to acquire Carlo Colaiacovo was a boon to the Blues; though health remains an issue he is still good for 30 points or better from the blueline.

Vying for the last two defensive spots are a cast of prospects and fringe players looking to "make the jump." Alex Pietrangelo has a wealth of offensive ability, but has been shown to be a defensive liability at the NHL level and might benefit from some additional development. Tyson Strachan has been plugging away in the Blues organization for the past three seasons; he's doing what he can to make himself stand out at camp to finally make the team at the start of the season. Ian Cole did very well in an audition with the St. Louis Blues minor affiliate Peoria Rivermen to warrant serious consideration. The team brought Nikita Nikitin over from the KHL and will hope his size and skill can better fortify their blue line. And if none of them are an option, perhaps the team could turn to Nathan Oystrick; who has been solid in the minor leagues and a respectable performer when given an NHL assignment.

That camp battle alone should tell you volumes about their defensive depth; I don't think we need to go further.

Goaltending: The biggest acquisition for the Blues over the off-season was the trade they made for Jaroslav Halak, who as a member of the Montreal Canadiens lead the way over some stunning playoff series defeats of the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins before succumbing to the Philadelphia Flyers. Ty Conklin has also a capable goaltender who is very effective if given 30-35 appearances a season. Knocking on the door is goaltender Ben Bishop; chances are he'll make the team next season unless Conklin has an absolutely lights-out season for the Blues this year. Like mentioned with the defensive situation, they're all set on who they have in goal.

Management: Give team president John Davidson credit; he did well handling the press while the team went through a rebuilding process that was rather painful at times. Davis Payne's system seems to have gotten a better response out of the club; the team hopes his system and methods of motivation continue to be effective. Doug Armstrong has been promoted to G.M. and his first move was to acquire Halak. Considering he was instrumental in getting Dave Tippett his first NHL job, this might be one of the better things to happen for the Blues in the off-season.

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

These guys are the new Chicago Blackhawks with far less flair. That might work out to their advantage though as the team has intriguing talent that just needs to have the floodgates opened for a prolific year. If these guys underachieve they're definitely going to have the Chicago Blackhawks on their tails with both the Nashville Predators and Columbus Blue Jackets not that far behind; that type of competition will cost them a playoff spot. However, if these guys bring their best effort each and every night; they'll take a look at the standings come playoff time and be like "We earned that?! Awesome!"

Season Preview: San Jose Sharks

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 San Jose Sharks.

Team M.O.: All and all, the team's very balanced much like the Boston Bruins in the Eastern Conference. That said, their success lives and dies by the overall quality of players they have in their roles. While the team flirted with having split goaltending duties in the past, but it didn't work out then; they're praying it will work out now.

Last Season: First in the Western Conference, where they finally broke into the Western Conference Finals... where they were dispatched in 4 games by the Chicago Blackhawks. They made some changes in the off-season, were they the right ones?

Offense: I don't care who you tout as the "big" center of the team, Joe Pavelski's worth mentioning first because he's going to be an elite playmaker in the league. Hockey people don't like his size though, so they have a guy like "Jumbo" Joe Thornton to fortify their scoring lines with the same skill set and an immense presence. Patrick Marleau enjoyed something of a bounce back season per se but that's only because the bar's raised so high for his performance to the point where anything less than a point-per-game is worrisome. Playing with Dany Heatley certainly didn't hurt or vice versa; the move to the Sharks has been a boon to both of their productivity. Devin Setoguchi suffered something of an "off" season last year but was still averaging a .51 point-per-game average, which is respectable for a second-line forward. Ryane Clowe managed to look like a combination of his new and old selves last season, putting up 57 points to go with 131 penalty minutes; he really is one of the most underrated power forwards in the league. In terms of scoring forwards; they may chose to have Benn Ferriero on their roster as their "Number 7" scoring winger, but he should still have waiver options so the team may chose to assign him to the minors instead. Regardless, this is as good as a group of scoring forwards as you'll find and keeps them competitive with the rest of the teams in their division.

Going into the "bottom-six" portion of the depth chart, Logan Couture's done well in his stints with the Sharks to the point where having him playing on the third unit could be better than having him spend more time in the minors; his skills are what they are but he can still learn the speed of the NHL game. Torrey Mitchell's done very well as a checker and could be a surprise source of secondary scoring. Jamie McGinn's another young forward who'll start off with checking duties but likely be called upon for offensive situations once he matures as well. Scott Nichol gives the checking guys some experience, as well as a nasty presence. Frazer McLaren, however, looks to be the new "take-out-the-trash" guy because he's 6'5" and 250 lbs (yowza!) but he can still skate a regular shift. Jamal Mayers was brought on to provide veteran presence but just because he's getting up there in age doesn't mean he can't throw down, either. John McCarthy will likely crack the lineup thanks to his speed and defensive presence while Steven Zalewski may crack the line up if Ferriero is re-assigned; Zalewski might not be spectacular but he's versatile.

If anything fails the checking forwards, it's either inexperience or injuries. Otherwise, they look pretty good from here.

Defense: Hockey fans in Tampa Bay still rue the day the Lightning sent Dan Boyle to the Sharks; he still generates close to 60 points annually from the blue line. Marc-Edouard Vlasic's still trying to find a level of consistency with his game but he's becoming a more complete defenseman each year. Douglas Murray doesn't throw down nearly as much as you'd want to see him do, but he still provides the team a solid defender who's capable of negating the oppositions offensive attack. Niclas Wallin was unspectacular when coming over from the Carolina Hurricanes, but the team re-signed him because having Cup-winning veteran defensemen on a good contract isn't a bad thing. Kent Huskins gives the team a solid third-pairing defender; he kinda disappeared come playoff time so that's something of a concern. The last remaining spots are going to be battled for by Jay Leach, tryout Andreas Lilja, and prospects Derek Joslin and Jason Demers.

All and all, the depth looks great at first but kinda tapers off when you go down. It's by no means bad but just not optimal.

Goaltending: The crease is crowded but whether or not that's a good thing remains to be seen. The team picked up Antti Niemi from the Blackhawks and he provides a team with a goaltender who's as consistent in the playoffs as he is in the regular season; though those results came with a far superior defense playing in front of him so it will be interesting to see how he does with the Sharks. Antero Niittymaki was brought over and while he's a capable goaltender to use in a 1/1A setup, his consistency (or lack thereof) is somewhat frustrating; leaving you no choice but to designate him as the backup so he'll be pushed to push for the starting job.

I'm not a fan because Thomas Greiss is looking to be the odd man out on this lineup and considering the Shark's roster needs, they likely won't go into the season with three goaltenders. Greiss, if anything, understands their system and has done well when called upon. If he gets waived, he will be claimed. Beyond him is Alex Stalock, but he's only a season removed from college so he's got waiver rights all day.

In short, two new goalies in a system could be a blessing or a curse. Call it a roll of the dice and if you're a Shark's fan, hope for the best.

Management: Coach Todd McLellan's brought a system to the Sharks that the players and the management are believing in. It's efficient, it works, and he's just as bright as the guy who taught him. If anything, it's up to GM Doug Wilson's vision to come to fruition. Can the teams he builds finally get over the top?

Prediction: Third in the Pacific Division yet still in the playoffs.

The Pacific Division is arguably the best and will for certain send three teams into the playoffs. Their group of forwards are spectacular and the rest of the team's still slightly above average. While San Jose takes a slight step back this season in comparison to the loaded L.A. Kings or the balanced Phoenix Coyotes, they'll still be competitive enough to land a playoff spot.

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.