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Hockey World Blog Season Previews 2010: Vancouver Canucks

Sep 21

Posted by EB in Season Previews | No Comments

Key Offseason Losses: Kyle Wellwood, Andrew Raycroft

Key Offseason Additions: Raffi Torres, Bill Sweatt, Dan Hamhuis, Manny Malhotra, Mason Raymond, Keith Ballard

Last Season Ranking: 3rd, West

It is expected that Henrik Sedin will be named captain with the expectation of leading the team to a Stanley Cup Victory this season.

It is expected that Henrik Sedin will be named captain with the expectation of leading the team to a Stanley Cup Victory this season.

Offense: Second only to the Washington Capitals in goals last season (268), the Vancouver Canucks will be one of the top offensive teams again this upcoming season.

Both Henrik and Daniel Sedin were crazy last season, Henrik 112 points and Daniel 85 points. Keep in mind that Daniel only played 63 games, he could have easily reached the 100 point mark. From there you have Ryan Kessler (75), Alexandre Burrows (67), Mikael Samuelsson (53) and Mason Raymond 53) all over 50 point seasons.

Defense: Christian Ehrhoff lead the team with a plus 36 last season as well as netting 14 goals, passing for 30 assists totaling 44 points. Expected line-mate and recently acquired Dan Hamhuis from the Nashville Predators has been in the league 6 years and all played with the Predators, it will be nice to see him holding the blue-line for a much better offensive team in the Canucks.

Alexander Edler had an excellent season as well with 42 points. Partnering with other newly acquired Keith Ballard from the Florida Panthers should provide two solid defensive pairings.

Lastly Kevin Bieksa and Sami Salo should hold down the third pairing, although Shane O’Brien is still working on a roster spot.

Goaltending: News, controversy, whatever you wish to call it, has been following the removal of Captaincy from net-minder Roberto Luongo. What was once a bold move in the Canuck’s organization has now caused them to back track. This though for fans should be a positive thing, with Henrik Sedin expected to receive the C, Luongo is now able to focus solely on playing goalie. A 40-22-4 record last season, 2.57 goals against average and a .913 save percentage, Luongo will be the top goalie in the league to pick up for wins this season on your fantasy team. Not convinced yet? Backup Cory Schneider has only played 10 games in the last two seasons with a 2-5 record. Luongo will be the new Brodeur.

Season Outlook: When asked if the Vancouver Canucks could be a Stanley Cup Contender this season, Macho Man Randy Savage had only two words to say, “Ohhh Yeahhh!” I’m going to leave it at that and agree with the Macho Man.

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Hockey World Blog Season Previews 2010: Dallas Stars

Sep 20

Posted by EB in Season Previews | No Comments

The Dallas Stars Ice Girls are about all that is worth seeing in the American Airlines Center because surely the team won't be much to look at this year.

The Dallas Star's Ice Girls are about all that is worth seeing in the American Airlines Center because surely the team itself won't be much to look at this year.

Key Offseason Losses: Mike Modano, Marty Turco

Key Offseason Additions: Faabian Brunnstrom, Jace Coyle, Scott Glennie, Travis Morin, James Neal, Matt Niskanen, Andrew Raycroft

Last Season Ranking:12th, West

Offense: The Dallas Stars are a complex team, housing good young talent but not getting the end results they want. Brad Richards, Loui Eriksson, James Neal and Mike Ribeiro all had 50+ point season last year. Brad Richards totaled 91 points, however ofthose points, only 24 of them were goals. Sure he has the playmaker hands but with the team in the middle of the pack for team goals, they need to put more pucks in the net. Mike Ribeiro had 53 point last season but only played 66 games to a few injuries and looks to rebound this year if he can stay healthy.

Newcomers Scott Glennie and  Travis Morin look to add some vigor to the team. Glennie, 19, has played 3 seasons in the WHL for the Brandon Wheat Kings, posting 58, 70 and 89 points as he progressed. Morin, 26, has a bit more on his resume, playing in the AHL, ECHL and the WCHA. Out of his 383 games played, he has a .94 points per game totaling 361 points.

Defense: It is hard to speak positively about the depth depleted defense. Sure they have Stephane Robidas who had a respectable 41 point season last year, but after that, the other defensemen are mediocre at best. The only other player to really be concerned is the Star’s offseason signing of youngster Jace Coyle. Playing in the WHl last year he had a season high of 10 goals, 46 assists and a plus 14 rating. Factor in the 5′ 11″ 180 pounder is only 20, the Stars are hoping he could be the future defensive leader in future years.

Goaltending: Much like the team’s defense, the Stars lack a true star goalie. After letting Marty Turco go to Chicago, the team is left to work with Kari Lehtonen and newly acquired Andrew Raycroft. Lehtonen should prove to be the number one goalie, but look for a constant battle for the entire year as both will be expected to go through highs and lows during the season.

Season Outlook: To the point, not looking good for a once powerful team. Long time face of the franchise Mike Modano was walked away from and joins a conference rival in the Detroit Red Wings. Look for Modano reaking vengeance on his former team as well as darn near all the teams in the NHL. The Dallas Stars are in a rebuilding year and will be for a few more seasons. For fans, it is expected to get worse before it gets better.

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Hockey World Blog Season Previews 2010: San Jose Sharks

Sep 19

Posted by Chris in Season Previews | No Comments

Key Offseason Losses: Evgeni Nabokov, Manny Malhotra, Rob Blake

Key Offseason Additions: Jamal Mayers, Antero Niittymaki, Antti Niemi

Last Season Ranking: 1st in West

Offense:

Rumor has it that the NHL is considering a change to the All-Star game format. Instead of East versus West, they will make it the San Jose Sharks versus the world. Yeah, they’re pretty good.

The Sharks will again be anchored by the offensive production of Joe Thornton, Dany Heatley and Patrick Marleau who scored a combined total of 103 goals and 254 points last season. It’s not so much a question of whether or not these three will thrive; it’s how much they will thrive. And the sky seems to be the limit for the Sharks’ trio of stars.

As if those three weren’t deadly enough, the team also witnessed the coming out party of 26-year-old Joe Pavelski during the playoffs last season where he led the team with nine goals and 17 points in only 15 playoff games. The team will look for Pavelski to be a huge pivot on the offense this season and pick up right where he left off in the playoffs. Pavelski certainly gives the team more options but it definitely makes them a greater threat and harder to contain in the offensive zone. Add in the offensive capabilities of Ryane Clowe and you have one of the most threatening offenses in the NHL.

Defense:

Don’t believe for a second that the offense gets to have all the Tampa+Bay+Lightning+v+San+Jose+Sharks+KdfVbJtUBzSlfun. In fact, defenseman Dan Boyle was fourth on the team in points last season with 58, including 43 assists. But what really works for this team is the fact that everyone helps out on defense. The Sharks were not only 8th in the league in goals against per game last season, but four of the top six players in plus/minus on the team were forwards. Only two players who skated in 50 or more games produced minus stats. This team not only knows how to put the puck in the opposition’s net, but they know how to keep it out of their own, too.

Look for Marc-Edouard Vlasic to have a big year as he gets called up to the top defensive pairing alongside Dan Boyle to help replace the recently retired Rob Blake. Vlasic tied for the team-lead in plus-minus with a plus-21 and is capable of chipping in 30 or more points. Vlasic could have a career year this season.

Goaltending:

San Jose’s biggest changes in the offseason came in goal. The team decided not to extend an offer to unrestricted free agent Evgeni Nabokov and instead signed Antero Niittymaki to take over starting duties. In 49 games with Tampa Bay last season, Niittymaki had 21 wins and a 2.87 goals against average. While Niittymaki’s numbers aren’t terribly by any means, they should drastically improve with a much better defense in front of him.

Still, as insurance, the team also added Stanley Cup winner Antti Niemi to compete for the starting job. Niemi finished the season last year for the Chicago Blackhawks with 26 wins and a 2.25 goals against average before backstopping the Hawks to the Stanley Cup.

It’s still unclear whether or not both goalies will share duties in net or if coach Todd McLellan will designate a number one starter. The most likely scenario will have the starts going to the hot goaltender who is playing well.

Season Outlook:

There’s no reason why San Jose shouldn’t be at the top of the Western Conference rankings again this season. They are a great regular season team and can score goals with flair and style. Been there, done that. When the pressure is on and the intensity turns up come playoff time, the Sharks sink. Sure, Thornton, Heatley and Marleau may have led the team in points during last year’s postseason, but they certainly need to be better than the collective minus-21 that they exhibited. Unless San Jose’s top players can step up and be the best players throughout both the regular season and the playoffs, the Sharks will continue to be a great regular season team and a sub-par playoff performer.

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Hockey World Blog Season Previews 2010: Anaheim Ducks

Sep 18

Posted by Eddie in Season Previews | No Comments

Key Offseason Losses: Scott Neidermayer, James Wisnewski

Key Offseason Additions: Paul Mara, Toni Lydman

Last Season Ranking: 11th, West

The top two prospects in the Anaheim system are defensemen. Luca Sbisa will play this season, while 2010 12th overall draft pick Cam Fowler (above) should be in the NHL full-time in 2011.

The top two prospects in the Anaheim system are defensemen. Luca Sbisa will play this season, while 2010 12th overall draft pick Cam Fowler (above) should be in the NHL full-time in 2011.

 Offense: Anaheim is a team that is capable of making the playoffs with their offense. They are headlined by the triple threat of Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and Bobby Ryan. The top line of the Ducks was good when they were able to play together, which wasn’t the case last season when Getzlaf was injured before the Olympic break but proceeded to play in Vancouver. It ultimately cost the Ducks a playoff birth as he wasn’t able to recover fully and the team went from on the bubble to out of the playoff picture when they lost five straight coming out of the break. The second line should add quality depth should any of the top three players go down, featuring Jason Blake, Saku Koivu, and Joffrey Lupul. 

Defense: Just as the offense is good, the defense is just as bad. They lost leadership and a veteran presence on the blue line when Scott Neidermayer retired. Not to mention one of the young defensemen of the future when James Wisnewski jumped ship and went to the Islanders. They were able get some of the holes plugged when they signed Paul Mara and Toni Lydman, but it’s not enough to replace the skill and leadership Neidermayer brought. Look for Luca Sbisa and Lubomir Visnovsky to contribute on the scoreboard as well. Sbisa’s downside is that he’s missed 40+ games the last two seasons with Portland of the WHL due to injury.

Goaltending: Jonas Hiller is the man between the pipes. After wrestling the job away from J-S Giguere, Hiller has found his place in Anaheim. After struggling to find his ground the first couple months on the job, Hiller was solid in goal the second half of the season. The Ducks would not have been in contention for the playoffs if it weren’t for Hiller. Should Hiller go down, Curtis McElhinney is the backup.

Season Outlook: Head coach Randy Carlyle can’t afford to dig himself another early season hole. In his 5 previous seasons in Anaheim, they have started out the season slow with the exception of the 2007 season when they started out 27-4-6 and brought home the Stanley Cup at the end of the season. They have what it takes from the forwards and goaltending to be a contender for the playoffs, but the defense is what should worry Anaheim fans. Look for them to come up short of the top eight when the season is over.

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Hockey World Blog Season Previews 2010: Phoenix Coyotes

Sep 17

Posted by EB in Season Previews | No Comments

Key Offseason Losses: Matthew Lombardi, Zbynek Michalek

Key Offseason Additions: Adrian Aucoin, Eric Belanger, Martin Hanzel, Taylor Pyatt, Lee Stempniak, Ray Whitney, Wojtek Wolski

Last Season Ranking: 4th, West

Offense: The Phoenix Coyotes surprised a lot of fans last year and look to wow a few more this upcoming season. The team has 4 solid lines that all can score. Those expected to top the points for the Coyotes are Wojtek Wolski, Shane Doan and a healthy returning Scottie Upshall. Added last year Lee Stempniak looks to continue his point per game production (18) with the club after netting only 30 points in 62 games played with Toronto last season. New comers from free agency veteran Ray Whitney and playmaker Eric Belanger look to add the depth and skill to make the Coyotes one of the most deep teams in the NHL.

Rookie defensman Oliver Ekman-Larsson will be a player worth watching at the young age of 19 this season with the Coyotes.

Rookie defensman Oliver Ekman-Larsson will be a player worth watching at the young age of 19 this season with the Coyotes.

Defense: Like the offense, the team’s defense is also one of the deepest defenses. Last season the Coyotes were one of the top goals scored by defense. The team is lead by tough nose Ed Jovanovski, a strong supporting cast, and better yet, top defensive team point getter Keith Yandle is expected to line with rookie Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Oliver, at age 19,  is a player to watch for this season coming from Sweden. A skilled puck handler and playmaker offensively, as well as a very sound positioning defensive style that likes to pick some pockets.

Goaltending: As if it could get any better, it most certainly does. Netminder Ilya Brysgalov very well could be one of the top goaltenders next season. Posting a 42-20-0 record in 69 games started, was 6th best in goals against average (2.29) as well as second to only Martin Brodeur in shutouts with 8. Backup netminder Jason LaBarbera will be a solid replacement when Ilya needs some rest.

Season Outlook: Perhaps my viewpoint of the Coyotes is a little biased, this I am aware of. Despite that, in a non-biased assessment, the Coyotes could very well put up another 100 point season, lead the Pacific Division over the tough San Jose Sharks, and perhaps even challenge for Western Conference leader.

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Hockey World Blog Season Previews 2010: Los Angeles Kings

Sep 16

Posted by Matt in Season Previews | No Comments

Key Offseason Losses: Alexander Frolov, Randy Jones, Raitis Ivanans

Key Offseason Additions: Alexei Ponikarovsky, Willie Mitchell

Last Season Ranking: 6th in West

Offense:

Leading the way for the Los Angeles Kings will be their young and talented center, Anze Kopitar. Halfway through November, last season, Kopitar was leading the league in points after picking up 30 in his first 19 games. While he cooled down at times, his season was exceptional as he finished with a career best in goals (34), assists (47), points (81) and plus/minus (+6). In addition to Kopitar, the Kings feature Ryan Smyth and Dustin Brown. Smyth is pretty consistent scoring 20-30 goals each season, but has missed time the past few seasons due to injury. If he stays healthy, his production could certainly increase. Brown, the Kings captain, produces much like Smyth does. However, Brown is due for a real break out season, and this could be it. He will start coming in to his prime over the next few seasons.

Drew Doughty of the Los Angeles KingsNewcomer Alexei Ponikarovsky should fit in well in LA. He will see good ice time, and play alongside several stars who could really help improve his game. Wayne Simmonds should also see an expanded role on the squad after posting 16 goals and 40 points last season. He’s a great two way player who’s young, full of energy, loves to hit and isn’t afraid to drop the gloves either. Beyond that, players like Justin Williams, Michal Handzus, Brad Richardson and Scott Parse will provide the depth up front. Williams is a skilled veteran who saw time with Smyth and Kopitar when he was healthy, unfortunately, he missed 33 games due to injury last year. He hasn’t played a full season since 2006-07, which was only one of two seasons he’s played a full 82 games in his nine year career.

Defense:

The Kings feature two of the top young defenseman in the league on their unit, Drew Doughty and Jack Johnson. Both players are in their early twenties, and already see significant ice time playing against the oppositions top line. They’re already quite experienced for how young they are, seeing time in the playoffs last season, and both winning medals in the 2010 Olympics as well (Doughty won gold with Team Canada, Johnson silver with USA). You can bet both of these guys are hungry for another season, and ready to make another run in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The Kings will also be deploying Rob Scuderi back on the blue line this season. He plays more of a stay at home game and won’t see much power play time, but will instead kill penalties. In addition, they’ve brought in Willie Mitchell through free agency. He played 48 games with the Canucks last season, but missed the second half of the season with a concussion. The concussion, the 3rd of his career, scared off a lot of interested teams, but Mitchell insists that he is healthy and fully recovered. The Kings would love to get a full season out of him, as a veteran in the league, he could really help stabilize the Kings defensive corps.

Goaltending:

Jonathan Quick will be back between the pipes for the Kings this season, which should come as no surprise. He posted good numbers last year with 39 wins, a .907 save percentage and a 2.54 goals against average. If he can improve on those numbers a bit, as expected, the Kings will be in even better shape this season. Backing up Quick will be Erik Ersberg.

Season Outlook:

The Kings went from 2nd to last in the West two years ago, with only 79 points, to a 6th seeded playoff team with 101 points last season. While they won’t make a 20+ point jump in the standings as they did from 2008-09 to 2009-10, the Kings should be able to compete with last seasons numbers. The addition of Alexei Ponikarovsky and a healthy Willie Mitchell will help this team repeat last years performance. With the hunger and determination of this young squad, they should be able to make a deeper run into the playoffs. The Kings could even surprise some people and be a sleeper team in the West come next spring.

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Hockey World Blog Season Previews 2010: Washington Capitals

Sep 15

Posted by Matt in Season Previews | No Comments

Key Offseason Losses: Eric Belanger, Milan Jurcina, Brendan Morrison, Shaone Morrisonn, Jose Theodore

Key Offseason Additions: Dany Sabourin

Last Season Ranking: 1st in East

Backstrom, Ovechkin and Semin could all break the 100 point mark this season for the Capitals

Backstrom, Ovechkin and Semin could all break the 100 point mark this season for the Capitals

Offense:

The Washington Capitals bring arguably the NHL’s most prolific offense to the ice again this season. Alex Ovechkin has reached at least 50 goals and 100 points in four out of five NHL seasons so far. He’s a dynamic player, moves very well on the ice, has a terrific shot, and just knows how to put the puck in the net. Of course it doesn’t hurt when the man centering you is one of the most talented playmakers in the league. Nicklas Backstrom has continued his growth year after year in the league, tallying 33 goals and 68 assists last season, breaking the 100 point mark for the first time in his young career. He should be right back around that mark this season as he and Ovechkin will continue to dominate. Finishing out the triple threat is Alexander Semin. He’s playing in the final year of his contract and will more than likely become a free agent next summer, so expect his production to be steady or increase. By the way, Semin notched 40 goals and 44 assists of his own last season, so any more production out of this guy could lead him to a 100 point campaign as well.

While it may seem like there is quite a weight on the backs of those three players, the depth of the Washington Capitals forwards has been growing in recent years. The most promising, I believe, is Tomas Fleischmann. His production has increased in recent seasons as he continued to work hard and earn more ice time. He started last season on IR, but then came in hot, scoring 11 points in his first 10 games back (including a 9 game point streak). He churned along the rest of the season and finished with 51 points in 69 games, including 20 points on the power play. Continuing down the line you have Brooks Laich and Mike Knuble, a couple of veteran scoring wingers who can do some damage of their own. This team should have no problem leading the league in goals for again this season.

Defense:

Overall, the defense is one year older and wiser. We’ve seen the past few seasons that the run and gun style of the Capitals can be highly successful in the regular season, but come playoff time, you’re lost if you don’t have great defense. Fortunately they bring back a solid one-two punch with Mike Green and Jeff Schultz. Green is an offensively gifted defenseman, putting up 70+ points in each of the last two seasons. Shultz is more of a big bodied, laid back defenseman. It allows the two to work smoothly with the likes of Ovechkin and Backstrom, and remain effective in getting them the puck. Both are still young, however, and after experiences last season, they should come in this season ready to play the way it takes to win a championship.

Beyond that, the Capitals have a couple veteran defenders in Tom Poti and John Erskine. They should have also learned from frustrating playoff losses, and be able to help the young guys make the transition with their leadership. It will be especially useful for the likes of John Carlson and Karl Alzner, both of whom are young and talented, but have yet to see a full season in the NHL.

Goaltending:

After deciding to part ways with Jose Theodore, the Capitals look to finally hand the reigns over to the young Semyon Varlamov. While Varlamov showed promise in the 2008 playoffs, he wasn’t able to fully grab the starting job after struggling with injuries last season. Overall, however, his numbers were good. He finished the year 15-4-6 with a .909 save percentage and a 2.55 goals against average. Varlamov is a very talented and athletic goalie, moves well in the net, and should be able to hold on to his number one role this season.

Backing up Varlamov will be another young goalie, Michal Neuvirth. He started 16 games last season for the caps, filling in when injuries plagued the other netminders. He’ll see some more time this season, but could be splitting back up duties with recently acquired Dany Sabourin, who was a nice offseason depth signing by the Capitals.

Season Outlook:

The reigning President’s Trophy winners should be tearing up scoresheets once again this year. Their offense is the NHL’s best as teams still struggle to contain their top scorers during the regular season. It’s likely that Washington will run through the competition in 2010-11 and finish the season among the leaders in the standings, with a good chance of repeating as the winner of the President’s Trophy. The real test will come playoff time again. Do the Capitals have what it takes to win low scoring games with lots of battles? Can the defense and goaltender shut down the opposition? And finally, can players like Mike Green and Alexander Semin, who were seemingly absent in the 2010 playoffs, show up and be as productive as they are during the season? The Washington Capitals are one year older, wiser, and hungrier. With the lessons they’ve learned, expect them to go far this season.

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Hockey World Blog Season Previews 2010: Tampa Bay Lightning

Sep 14

Posted by Chris in Season Previews | No Comments

Key Offseason Losses: Antero Nittymaki, Alex Tanguy, Ryan Craig, Kurtis Foster

Key Offseason Additions: Dan Ellis, Simon Gagne, Dominic Moore, Pavel Kubina, Randy Jones, Brett Clark

Last Season Ranking: 12th in East

Offense:

Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis have been the foundation of this team for several years now, but last season, former number one draft pick Steve Stamkos gave Lightning fans 51 reasons to hope for a better and brighter future. In only his second year in the league, Stamkos tied Sidney Crosby for the league lead in goals with 51 and added 44 assists for 95 total points. These are the three players who will lead the charge again this season.

steven-stamkosStill, what hindered this team was their lack of depth. Newly crowned general manager Steve Yzerman quickly took care of those issues with several decisive moves. On offense, Yzerman added forward Simon Gagne through a trade with the Philadelphia Flyers. Gagne will help give Tampa Bay two sturdy scoring lines and will certainly help on the power play. Although injury-prone, Gagne is capable of producing at nearly a point-per-game pace during the season.

Both Ryan Malone and Steve Downie will both be called upon to continue their physical style of play this season, but both players are capable of producing offensively as well. Malone notched 21 goals last year while Downie tallied 22 and also added 208 penalty minutes and a plus-14 as well. Both of these players not only give Tampa a physical prowess, but they help give the team that additional scoring depth that will help them win.

Dominic Moore, a free agent signing, will not only bring secondary scoring depth to the lineup but he also works hard and has a good defensive game as well – which Tampa sorely needs.

Defense:

Yzerman made some adjustments on defense as well by adding some grit with the addition of defenseman Pavel Kubina. As a former Stanley Cup winner, Kubina not only lends a veteran presence, but he plays tough and can also chip in 30-40 points per season, which will hopefully help fill the void left by the departed Kurtis Foster. The team also inked blueliners Randy Jones and Brett Clark. Both players have been in the NHL long enough to help bring some experience to the team while giving Tampa more options on the blue line.

Sophomore Victor Hedman, the second-overall draft choice during the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, should benefit from the experience of an entire NHL season under his belt. Another season under the wing of veteran defenseman Mattius Ohlund should help Hedman continue to improve rapidly.

Goaltending:

It goes without saying that goaltending has been nothing short of a mess in Tampa in recent years, which is why signing Dan Ellis was essentially the first move that Yzerman made as general manager. With the departure of Antero Nittymaki, the team needed a reliable goaltender and Ellis will hopefully fit the bill. While his stats haven’t been spectacular the past several seasons, he has been relatively consistent and should be a good addition to Tampa’s lineup. Hopefully some healthy competition stirs up between Ellis and backup Mike Smith, causing both players to work hard and play their best.

Season Outlook:

A lot of the pieces seem to be falling into place for the Tampa Bay Lightning and they very well could prove to be one of the most improved teams this season. General manager Steve Yzerman made it a point to add depth to the roster and sign a steady number one goaltender. The team’s additions may be enough to sneak them into the playoffs this season, but if nothing else, the moves made by Yzerman should give the team the foundation to build a contender in the years to come.

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Hockey World Blog Season Previews 2010: Ottawa Senators

Sep 13

Posted by Matt in Season Previews | No Comments

Key Offseason Losses: Anton Volchenkov, Matt Cullen

Key Offseason Additions: Sergei Gonchar

Last Season Ranking: 5th in East

Offense:

The Ottawa Senators return essentially the same guys up front which lead them to a postseason birth, as well as another early playoff exit, last year. The biggest loss up front for the Sens is Matt Cullen, a trade deadline pick up last season. He didn’t add a whole lot coming down the stretch, but was effective in the playoffs as he picked up 8 points in 6 games against the Penguins.

Jason Spezza and Daniel AlfredssonReturning scorers for the Senators include Daniel Alfredsson, Jason Spezza, Milan Michalek, Alex Kovalev, and Mike Fisher. Alfredsson had another outstanding season last year, posting point per game numbers, while missing 12 regular season games. Jason Spezza saw time on the IR as well. If he can stay healthy the entire season, he could head back up near the 80-90 point range, and continue his domination as the Sens top center. Milan Michalek made an impact last season, his first in Ottawa, as a 20 goal scorer. However, he too spent a great deal of time injured. Playing alongside Alfredsson or Spezza, he shouldn’t have a big problem contributing offensively. Kovalev struggled to find his true scoring touch last season, but it remains to be seen if he’s on the decline, or can still make plays. As one of the most skilled puck handlers in the game, he should rebound and find his touch again this season, at least enough to score his 600th career assist (22 away) and 1000th career point (10 away).

Both Mike Fisher and Peter Regin had impressive seasons last year, and both will look to build on that success heavily. Regin, entering only his 2nd full season in the NHL, proved last season that he deserves a spot on one of the top two scoring lines. If any of the aforementioned players fall in to a drought, Regin could make his way up the depth chart quite quickly. He should see more time on the power play this season as well.

Providing some great scoring depth, as well as grit and toughness, are Chris Neil and Jarkko Ruutu. Neither player is going to light up the score sheet with points every game, but they definitely will in penalty minutes. Both players know how to agitate, and get under their opponents skin very well. They’ll be sure to drop the gloves for any reason, whether its protecting their own star players, or just to give the team an energy boost. Definitely great assets to an offensively skilled team.

Defense:

While the Senators lost star defenseman Anton Volchenkov to free agency, they picked up Sergei Gonchar to replace him. Gonchar is one of the games elite defenseman and will fit in great playing alongside Spezza and Alfredsson. His contribution on the top power play unit will be felt as well. Last season, he picked up 30 power play points with the Penguins, and should improve upon those numbers if he stays healthy this season. Complimenting Gonchar will be a core group of solid defenseman. Chris Phillips is a big body, a great shut down player and will be very responsible defensively. Filip Kiba is another big body to man the blue line, and will be effective on the power play as well. He has good vision and moves the puck well on the break out. Erik Karlsson should improve upon last years marks, and maybe make his way up the depth chart. He’s a young defenseman (20 years old) from Sweden, but had a great rookie season with the Sens as he posted 26 points in 60 games. At only 5’11”, he needs to pack on the muscle to be more effective defensively, but his contributions will surely be felt as a fast puck moving defenseman on the power play.

Goaltending:

Splitting time between the pipes this season will be Brian Elliot and Pascal Leclaire. Elliot ran the show for the majority of last season, but Leclaire saw his fair share of time as well, starting 31 games. It still doesn’t look like Ottawa has a true number one in yet, so the goalie battle may ensue again in 2010-11. We’ll see if this brings out the best in both goalies, or if the rotational system gets real old, real fast.

Season Outlook:

The Senators are a hungry team, and bring back a number of highly skilled players on offense. Players like Spezza, Michalek and Kovalev need to produce like they’re supposed to, and stay healthy, for the rest of the offense to kick in to high gear. The top power play unit could be one of the best in the league with Gonchar joining Spezza and Alfredsson. They will  be very dangerous. The question mark remains in goal, as it was for last season. If we see either Elliot or Leclaire develop in to a true number one goalie, things are looking good for the Senators. They should remain in about the same position as last year, as long as the team stays healthy. They simply can’t afford to lose a player like Spezza for any extended amount of time if they want to make a run. Come playoff time, the Senators could be kicking on all cylinders, and are definitely capable of surprising a few people.

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Hockey World Blog Season Previews 2010: Atlanta Thrashers

Sep 12

Posted by Eddie in Season Previews | No Comments

Key Offseason Losses: Johan Hedberg, Colby Armstong, Maxim Afinogenov, Pavel Kubina, Slava Kozlov

Key Offseason Additions:Ben Eager, Andrew Ladd, Chris Mason, Fredrik Modin, Dustin Byfuglien

Last Season Ranking: 10th place, East

Offense: This is a franchise that had superstars Ilya Kovakchuk and Dany Heatley, and they still couldn’t produce more than successful season. Bryan Little is the only player to score over 30 goals for the Thrashers. He scored 31 in 2009 and 13 last year. Which Bryan Little will show up this season? The top line is expected to be anchored by Nik Antropov and newcomer Dustin Byfuglien with Niclas Bergfors on the left wing. Antropov and Byfuglien will be counted on to have strong seasons like they did last season. It will be more difficult for Byfuglien because in Chicago he was surrounded by star players and could fly under the radar. In Atlanta, he will be one of the star players mostly due to his performance in the playoffs for Chicago. Look for fellow former Blackhawks Andrew Ladd and Ben Eager to make contributions to the Atlanta offense.

In his second year, Evander Kane will be one of the players to watch for Atlanta. Last season he played in 66 games, scored 14 goals and recorded 12 assists.

In his second year, Evander Kane will be one of the players to watch for Atlanta. Last season he played in 66 games, scored 14 goals and recorded 12 assists.

Defense: An area where the Thrashers needed to improve upon because they allowed 250 goals last season. That placed them 24th in the NHL, as their problem was letting opponents get quality looks at the net and being out-shot very frequently.  New coach Craig Ramsay will be implementing a 5-man defensive system. A former Selke award winner, Ramsay will depend on his forwards to backcheck on defense just as hard as they rush down the ice with the puck. They are lacking depth beyond the first pairing of Tobias Enstrom and Zach Bogosian due to Pavel Kubina signing with Tampa Bay. One upgrade they received was trading with the Blackhawks for shot blocker Brent Sopel.

Goaltending: They say that the goalie is only as good as the team in front of him. So when the Thrashers allowed 250 goals last season, Johan Hedberg bolted to New Jersey where he can backup Martin Brodeur and backup Ondrej Pavelec was put into the slot as No. 1. But the team management figured that Pavelec wasn’t ready to handle top goalie duties full-time, so they brought in 34-year-old Chris Mason from St. Louis to split time with Pavelec. Mason went 30-22-8 with the Blues, while Pavelec was 14-18-7. The big difference is Mason’s GAA was 2.53 while Pavelec’s GAA was 3.29. Not bad for someone who competed their first full season in the NHL. If the defense can play better, the goalies will play better. In return, the team could win more games instead of playing from behind so often.

Season Outlook: The best news to come out of the ATL was that GM Don Waddell was moving up to Team President while promoting his assistant Rick Dudley to GM. What Dudley did was hire Ramsay and take advantage of Chicago’s salary cap problems to get quality players Chicago wasn’t able to hold on to. They have the pieces there to make the playoffs, which they have done only once in team history. This might not be the season Atlanta makes the playoffs, but expect them to be a force on the Atlanta sports scene and the Southeast division in a couple of seasons.

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