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College Hockey Season Kicks Off

Oct 13

Posted by Eddie in News, Season Previews | No Comments

Just like the National Hockey League last season, the NCAA kicked off their hockey season last weekend. Teams are set to play 35+ games as they traverse through the season on the road to the NCAA Frozen Four in sunny Tampa, Florida in April 2012. Entering the season, Notre Dame was the top team in the USCHO.com poll. The Fighting Irish split their opening weekend series against defending champion Minnesota-Duluth to fall to No. 2 in this weeks poll. Taking the top spot is Boston College as they won both contests in the Icebreaker Tournament against Michigan State and North Dakota. Boston College, as well as a couple others could be dangerous teams to play against when it comes to tournament time. Here are my three teams to watch over the course of the season.

CCHA: Miami

Take your pick between Michigan, Notre Dame and Miami. All three teams have reached the Frozen Four in the last five seasons but have yet to take the title home. Don’t be surprised if any of the three will be making travel arrangements to Tampa the final week of March. If I were to pick a team, I would pick the Miami Redhawks. This group of seniors reached the national title game in 2009 and the Frozen Four in 2010. After steamrolling the competition en route to the CCHA tournament title in 2011, they fell flat in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Head coach Enrico Blasi will have some big shoes to fill as 45 percent of their goal production is lost due to the graduation of Andy Miele, Carter Camper, Justin Vaive and Pat Cannone. Miele also won the Hobey Baker Award last season.

Just like they have done over the last few years, they will look to reload with experienced veteran players to make up the lost goal production. There seems to be a different player stepping up every year, and it shouldn’t be any different this year. And you can’t forget they are solid in goal with the tandem of Connor Knapp and Cody Reichard.

Hockey East: Boston College

One thing I can count on is a team with Boston in its name playing for a national title. Last year was the first year since 2005 that Boston College or Boston University failed to appear in the national championship game. In that span, Boston College was 2-2 while Boston University was 1-0. The B.C. Eagles are among the top teams in the nation, as they are currently the top team in the nation in the USA Today and USCHO.com polls.

Last season, the Eagles swept the Hockey East regular season and tournament championships, but were upset in the first round of the NCAA tournament when they lost to Colorado College. Legendary bench boss Jerry York still has high expectations for his squad, but they will have to do it with a new No. 1 between the pipes. Junior Parker Milner is the new guy in goal, having the fill the shoes of the graduated (and two-time national champion) John Muse. Miler did win 13 games in his first two seasons as a backup, so he has the experience and confidence necessary for the role. There are two rookies behind him so it’s all-or-nothing should he succeed or struggle. The Eagles won 30 games last season, and it will be quite the feat should they return to the 30-win plateau this season.

2010 first round pick (14th overall) Jaden Schwartz of Colorado College/St. Louis Blues.

WCHA: Colorado College

Just like the CCHA, the WCHA is stacked deep with talented teams. The standings will become a game of musical chairs and the music won’t stop until the final night of the regular season. I have the feeling that North Dakota, Colorado College, and Minnesota could contend for the national championship. As well as Denver looks on paper, I can’t overlook the fact their top goalie Sam Brittain won’t be back until January due to knee surgery.  Despite North Dakota having one of the best goalies in the nation in 30-game winner Aaron Dell , they have to find a way to replace 128 of 177 goals scored last season. For those keeping score at home, that’s 72 percent. Despite finishing sixth in the conference last season, look for the WCHA champion to come from Colorado Springs.

While everyone but Wisconsin is returning their starting goalie, the most complete team on paper is Colorado College. The Tigers should have a healthy Jaden Schartz, who was putting up Sidney Crosby-type numbers (47 points in 30 games) before suffering an ankle injury while playing for Canada in the World Junior Championships. He missed all of January and returned mid-February. Should the sophomore and St. Louis draftee continue on the same tear, he has to be a contender for the Hobey Baker Award. His linemate and brother Rylan, isn’t too bad himself as he had 10 goals and 28 assists in 41 games.

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2011-12 NHL Season Preview: Nashville Predators

Sep 30

Posted by Matt in Season Previews | No Comments

Key Offseason Additions: Niclas Bergfors, Jack Hillen

Key Offseason Losses: Marcel Goc, Joel Ward, Steve Sullivan, Shane O’Brien

Last Season Ranking: 5th in the West

Offense: Leading the way on offense this season for the Nashville Predators will be Sergei Kostitsyn. His 23 goals and 50 points lead a Predators team that struggled offensively last season. He’ll be joined up front by another talented winger, Patric Hornqvist, who managed 21 goals and 48 points in 79 games last season. These two will see plenty of ice time, and have to make the most of it.

The veteran leadership on offense will come from Martin Erat, who is much more skilled than his career high 57 points would lead on. Spending his entire NHL career thus far with the offensively lackluster Predators, Erat has failed to produce the big numbers associated with other players of his talent. He will continue to be a sound threat any time he’s on the ice, and is looking at another season around the 50 point mark.

Centering some of the aforementioned wingers will be David Legwand, a Detroit native. Legwand, who had a bit of a bounce back year last season despite only playing 64 regular season games, will be expected to keep the steam rolling on his production. If Legwand finds his touch early this season, things could be looking up in Nashville.

Unfortunately, the Predators suffered a huge loss when Joel Ward signed with the Capitals. Ward, who had a modest regular season with 29 points, really turned on his game during the playoffs. Losing that kind of production could come back to haunt this squad if no one else steps up. The losses of Marcel Goc and Steve Sullivan, who combined for an additional 46 points last season, will only hurt the Predators even more. For a team that doesn’t score a lot, those three losses will make for some big shoes to fill.

Defense: This team is lead by its defensive abilities every season, and anchoring that defense once again is Shea Weber. He is a top-notch defenseman who will see continue to see big minutes this season, and be relied on to play against the opponent’s best players every night. Right alongside Weber on the blue line will be Ryan Suter, who finished last season as a plus 20. He’ll be working harder than ever to ensure he puts up similar numbers this season.

Rounding out the defense will be Jack Hillen, Kevin Klein, and Jonathan Blum. Each will be heavily relied on to play shut down defense, because Nashville will continue to win low scoring, one goal games. Hillen will see some additional time on the power-play, however, and have an opportunity to contribute offensively as well.

Goaltending: In net for the Predators will be Pekka Rinne, who is one of the best goaltenders in the game right now. Rinne had another successful campaign last season, leading the Predators into the second round of the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. His 2.12 goals against average was a career high, all while starting a career high number of games with 64. Rinne will see around 60 games again this season, but load could be increased depending on where they are in the playoff race.

Backing up Rinne will be another solid netminder, Anders Lindback, who was a 7th round Predators draft pick in 2008. Lindback saw significant playing time last December, and made the most of it with a five game winning streak that included back-to-back shutouts.

HWB Playoff Prediction: Not Playoff bound. Despite the tremendous defense and goaltending, the Nashville Predators don’t have quite enough to put them over the edge this season. They’ll fight for it down the stretch, but come up just short, after a solid effort. Keep them in mind as contenders all season long though as coach Barry Trotz is one of the best in the league, and absolutely knows how to make his players work for him.

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2011-12 NHL Season Preview: Detroit Red Wings

Sep 29

Posted by Chris in Season Previews | 3 Comments

Key Offseason Losses: Brian Rafalski (retirement), Kris Draper (retired), Chris Osgood (retired), Ruslan Salei

Key Offseason Additions: Ian White, Mike Commodore

Last Season Ranking: 3rd in the West

Offense: Top line scoring isn’t a problem in Detroit with guys like Datsyuk and Zetterberg in the lineup. If both players stay healthy, they are both capable of producing at a point-per-game pace. Don’t worry about them. Instead, this is the year for guys like Filppula and Hudler to prove their worth.

Detroit fans have been waiting for a breakout season from Valtteri Filppula. He has the skill, he has the hockey sense, now he just needs to put it together into one cohesive season. At the very least, Filppula should be a 20-goal, 50 point player with the Wings. He has yet to top 40 points in a single season. This could be his year if he centers the second line with Henrik Zetterberg on the wing. Filppula so far has impressed in the preseason and needs to carry that confidence into the regular season.

Hudler had a disappointing season last year after returning from the KHL. Fans called for Hudler to be traded, and Hudler responded with intense offseason workouts with UFC trainers. The result? Well, Hudler is in a contract year and the Wings expect him to be back into the 20 goal, 50 point range again. Coach Mike Babcock has alternated Hudler on Datsyuk’s wing at times this preseason, which could spark his offensive production if it carries over into the regular season. If Hudler doesn’t produce, however, he will likely be on the trading block come March.

The Wings would love to see more consistency from Johan Franzen, who scored five goals in one game against the Ottawa Senators last season and then went scoreless for more than 20 games. But Franzen, along with Dan Cleary and Todd Bertuzzi, provide the Wings with solid depth scoring. Expect the Wings to be among the league leaders in goals scored per game again this season.

Defense: Hockeytown breathed a collective sigh of relief when Nick Lidstrom announced his return, especially after Brian Rafalski blindsided Wings fans by announcing his retirement. But this season may be the year of a different Nik as Niklas Kronwall looks to shoulder more responsibility.

Kronwall will get heavy minutes this season and will fill roles usually occupied by Lidstrom on the penalty kill. Coach Mike Babcock wants to use Lidstrom sparingly, leaving room for Kronwall to blossom into a top defender.

Newcomer Ian White has bounced around the league the past few years, but he may finally find a home with the Wings where he will be counted on to help replace some of the offense the team lost when Rafalski retired. White, a good puck-moving defenseman, will see power play time and will likely be paired with Lidstrom this year, putting the chances of having a career season offensively firmly within reach.

Mike Commodore will help add some toughness and grit to the blue line, something the Wings lacked previosuly, while Jakub Kindl will likely challenge Commodore for the 6th spot on the blue line. Kindl has shown promise in limited playing time in the past and needs to prove his merits as an NHL defenseman.

Goaltending: Playing with the Wings, a goalie doesn’t have to steal many games. But Jimmy Howard was a big reason why the Wings were able to force a Game 7 against the San Jose Sharks in the spring. Coming into his third full NHL season, Howard needs to show more of that poise consistently throughout the season. This isn’t a make-or-break year for Howard, but he’s shown how good he can be and now he needs to realize that potential all season long. Expect Howard to win 30+ games this season.

Behind Howard will be a familiar face in Ty Conklin, a former Wing returning to the squad after a stint with St. Louis. If nothing else, Conklin is solid and capable when he’s called upon and should be a great addition to the roster.

Playoff Prediction: Playoff bound. The Wings are contenders, and with $5 million in cap space they could be big trade-deadline buyers as well. The team looks solid now and they could look even better when the playoffs start in April.

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2011-12 NHL Season Preview: St. Louis Blues

Sep 28

Posted by Matt in Season Previews | 1 Comment

Chris Stewart of the St. Louis Blues

Chris Stewart will lead the offensive attack for the St. Louis Blues in 2011-12

Key Offseason Additions: Jason Arnott, Jamie Langenbrunner, Jonathan Cheechoo, Brian Elliott

Key Offseason Losses: Ty Conklin

Last Season Ranking: 11th in the West

Offense: The additions made in the off-season have really pushed the Blues into contention in the West. However, one of the biggest acquisitions, Chris Stewert, was actually made at the trade deadline last season. Stewart added 15 goals to the Blues offense in only 26 games, and picked up 8 assists to go along with it. Stewart will be counted on to continue his stellar play this season, and lead the Blues offense. He’ll be surrounded by good talent too, playing with the likes of David Backes, Andy McDonald, T.J. Oshie, Patrik Berglund and Alex Steen to name a few.

Oshie, entering his fourth season in the NHL, missed much of last season due to injury. He also missed a practice due to an unexcused absence, was suspended by the team, and people began to question his character. Oshie has bounced back, however, and completed his best off-season training program to date. His fitness test results left him leading the team, tied with Andy McDonald, and he’s clearly ready to prove that he has what it takes to be an NHL star. A career year for Oshie this season wouldn’t be a surprise at all.

The newly acquired Jamie Langenbrunner and Jason Arnott are teammates once again after both being shipped out of New Jersey last season. Their production in New Jersey last season hardly reflects what they’re capable of, and each should have a bounce back year this season with St. Louis. In fact, after being traded to the Capitals, Jason Arnott piled on 7 points in 11 games after only scoring 24 points in the previous 62 games for the Devils. Langenbrunner and Arnott both have some hockey left in them, and will be great assets for the Blues.

Younger players such as Vladimir Sobotka and Matt D’Agostini are going to be counted on for continued  production as well. D’Agostini picked up 21 goals and 25 assists last season, ranking fifth on the team in points. They’ll be joined by B.J. Crombeen and Scott Nichol, two depth players, continuing to battle for more playing time.

Defense: Kevin Shattenkirk will be with the Blues from the get-go this season, and he looks to build on a strong rookie campaign where he played with both the Colorado Avalance and St. Louis Blues, and picked up 9 goals and 34 assists in 72 games. Shattenkirk can move the puck well, and will be a strong addition to the power-play. He’s still a young guy, but has tremendous upside. Alex Pietrangelo, another young defenseman, had a similar season to the aforementioned Shattenkirk. However, Pietrangelo was a first round (4th overall) draft pick by the Blues, and will see additional playing time in his sophomore campaign.

The young defenseman on the Blues roster will be mentored by Veteran Barret Jackman, the 2002-03 rookie of the year. Jackman has struggled the past few season offensively, but as a veteran of the game, he has a lot of knowledge to share. His veteran leadership will also be important to other young defenseman on the Blues squad such as Roman Polak, Carlo Colaiacovo, and Kent Huskins.

Goaltending: With a team that has improved over the summer, Jaroslav Halak will be in a position to improve his numbers this season. His seven shutouts were a career high, but behind a better squad, Halak’s .910 save percentage and 2.48 goals against average from last season should be a thing of the past. Expect Halak to continue standing in net for approximately 55-60 games, with Brian Elliott taking on back-up duty. Elliott has struggled the past couple of seasons in Ottawa and Colorado, but will be a suitable number two netminder for the Blues.

HWB Playoff Prediction: Not Playoff bound. While the team is much improved with their off-season adjustments, they’re still just outside of a playoff birth. Competing in a very tough Central Divison and Western Conference does not make things easy for the young squad.

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2011-12 NHL Season Preview: Columbus Blue Jackets

Sep 27

Posted by Eddie in Season Previews | No Comments

Blue Jackets GM Scott Howson (L) is banking the success of the team on the signing of Jeff Carter (R).

Offseason Losses: Jakub Voracek, Nikita Filatov, Scottie Upshall, Mathieu Garon, Jan Hejda, Mike Commodore, Sami Lepisto

Offseason Additions: Jeff Carter, Vinny Prospal, James Wisniewski, Radek Martinek

Last Season Ranking: 13th in the West

Offense: Jeff Carter coming to Columbus will give the Blue Jackets their first 1-2 offensive punch in franchise history Carter will join Rick Nash and R.J. Umberger on the top line. This will be the primary offense and special teams line as there isn’t much depth beyond the top six. With Carter and Nash, only players with the names of Ovechkin, Kovalchuk, Iginla and Heatley have scored more goals than Carter and Nash over the last four seasons. Pretty impressive to have two of the top six goal scorers during that span are on the same line playing together. They will be worth a look in the early rounds of your fantasy draft if you aren’t too concerned about plus-minus because of whom they have playing behind them.

19-year-old top prospect Ryan Johansen is expected to begin the season centering the third line, but could get bumped up to the second line should he perform well and Antoine Vermette struggle. Various preseason lines have different players playing different positions and on different lines, but the combination of Vermette, Kristian Huselius, Antoine Vermette and newcomer Vinny Prospal to compete on the second and third lines. They have to find a way to succeed and qualify for the playoffs in the difficult Central division with a warming seat underneath GM Scott Howson, and head coach Scott Arniel. Not to mention Nationwide Arena has had more empty seats than filled ones in the last couple seasons since making the playoffs in 2009. Last year they were 27th of 30 in attendance with an average attendance of 13,658.

Defense: The best signing they made this off-season besides bringing in Carter was signing James Wisniewski. He is a young, offensive-minded blue liner who will see time on the first power play unit to create offensive and scoring for a squad that was second from last on the power play last season. If they want to make the playoffs, a 14 percent success rate won’t cut it. They also signed Radek Martinek who didn’t do a whole lot on Long Island last season. Look for 20-year-old David Savard to contend for the third defensive pairing coming out of training camp. If you compare his stats with Springfield of the AHL last season to the rest of the team, he was second behind Wisniewski in goals and points.

Goaltending: With Mathieu Garon departing for Tampa Bay, it is all on the shoulders of Steve Mason. He won 33 games in 2009 before crashing back to Earth in 2010. He played better in 2011 and it could give him confidence going into this season. It could fall in a line of young goalies such as Carey Price and Cam Ward who struggled while they were young before coming around and being a solid No. 1 goalie after a few years of experience.

The Jackets left fans scratching their head when they not only handed Mason the starting job again, but decided against signing a proven backup and will hand the No. 2 reins to Mark Dekanich. They signed him to a 1-way contract despite having 50 minutes of NHL experience under his belt. It is a huge risk to take especially for a team that needs to win to keep the fan base interested.

Playoff Prediction: In the playoffs, but just barely. It all rides on the play of Mason in goal. They did enough up front with the addition of Carter and Prospal and bringing in Wisniewski to anchor the blue line. While Detroit and Chicago are clearly better than them in the division, they will have to contend with Nashville to finish third in the division and to fight for the last playoff spot.

 

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2011-12 NHL Season Preview: Chicago Blackhawks

Sep 26

Posted by Matt in Season Previews | 1 Comment

Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews

Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews will lead the offensive attack for the Chicago Blackhawks in 2011-12

Key Offseason Additions: Steve Montador, Dan Carcillo, Andrew Brunette, Jamal Mayers, Ray Emery

Key Offseason Losses: Brian Campbell, Troy Brouwer, Chris Campoli, Tomas Kopecky,

Last Season Ranking: 8th in the West

Offense: The Chicago Blackhawks offense hopes to build on a productive season in 2010-11 and return this year with a bit more pop. Blackhawks captain, Jonathan Toews, along with winger Patrick Kane, both look to increase their output this season. Kane, specifically, has been saying this off-season he wants to take his game to another level. After a 15 point drop in production last season, you have to assume that Kane is looking to break the 90 point mark and help lead his team back to the playoffs.

Another huge bonus to the squad will be a healthy Marian Hossa. He posted 57 points in a mere 65 games last season, and if healthy, can contribute roughly a point per game to the Blackhawks potent offense. A full season by Hossa could also mean the difference between barely making the playoffs and perhaps winning the division.

Additionally, Patrick Sharp will continue to be a goal scoring threat for the Blackhawks. Sharp lead the squad in goals last season with 34, and will look to improve on his point totals after a career-high 71 points last season.

New to the offense are Andrew Brunette, Dan Carcillo, and Jamal Mayers. While Brunette will be expected to contribute heavily, look for Carcillo and Mayers to provide a physical presence above anything else.

The Blackhawks have a few young guys rounding out the offense. Be sure to keep an eye on Michael Frolik and Viktor Stalberg this season, as both have a tremendous upside. Bryan Bickell and Dave Bolland will be counted on to provide additional depth scoring as well.

Defense: The departure of Brian Campbell places even more importance on Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook, who will lead the Blackhawks defense this season. Both defenseman were huge on the power-play last season, and will continue to hold the blue line on the PP again in 2011-12.

The addition of Steve Montador on the blue line will add some veteran depth for the Blackhawks. He’ll be a great compliment to some of the young defenseman on the squad, such as Niklas Hjalmarsson, Nick Leddy, and Sami Lepisto. Hjalmarsson should see upwards of 20 minutes per game this season, being used in more and more situations as he continues to gain experience.

Goaltending: After the Marty Turco experiment failed last season, the Blackhawks went with rookie Corey Crawford in goal. He played well enough to earn the starting job, and helped Chicago nearly come back from an 0-3 start against Vancouver in last season’s playoffs. Crawford returns this season with the number one spot from the beginning.

In an interesting scenario, however, the Blackhawks chose to sign Ray Emery in the off-season. He’s currently competing with Alexander Salak for the backup job, but you have to imagine he has his eyes on the starting role as well. Last season, after returning to game action with the Anaheim Ducks, Emery won his first six starts, before finishing the season 7-2 with a .926 save percentage and 2.28 goals against average. Emery is looking to prove everyone wrong and earn a starting spot in the NHL again, and Chicago could be the place if Corey Crawford begins to stumble during his sophomore campaign.

HWB Playoff Prediction: Playoff bound. The Blackhawks have what it takes to make it into the playoffs, and could earn another division championship if key players, such as Marian Hossa, stay healthy. Having their best players on the ice for 82 games will be the difference between a potential division win and barely sneaking into the playoffs.

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2011-12 NHL Season Preview: Edmonton Oilers

Sep 25

Posted by Eddie in Season Previews | 1 Comment

Alex Hemsky is part of the supporting cast of Oilers behind sophomores Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle and Magnus Paajarvi.

Offseason Losses: Kurtis Foster, Andrew Cogliano, Sheldon Souray, Jim Vandermeer

Offseason Additions: Ryan Smyth, Eric Belanger, Andy Sutton, Cam Barker, Ben Eager

Last Season Ranking: 15th in the West

Offense: For as bad as they may be as a team, they will have an exciting offense. They have an ensemble of young players due to having high draft picks over the last several years. They are led by franchise players Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle. They also have the grizzled vet (Shawn Horcoff) and young veteran (Alex Hemsky) that should be able to create and generate goals. Should Hemsky stay healthy and play 76+ games, a 65-point season isn’t too much of a stretch. That number can also depend on the play of Hall who plays on the other wing.

Just like Taylor Hall, No. 1 overall draft pick Ryan Nugent-Hopkins looks like he is NHL ready at the ripe age of 18. Early preview guides have him centering the second like with Smyth and Eberle, but depending how he performs in the first 10 games of the season, he could find himself back at the junior level should he struggle to find the net. NHL teams have until the 10th game of the season to send junior-eligible players back down before they are stuck in the NHL for the season.

The team is still young and rebuilding, and they have to find a way to increase goal production. They finished 27th in the league with an average of 2.33 goals per game, and they made an “addition by subtraction” move then they traded Dustin Penner to Los Angles at the deadline and brought back Ryan Smyth. Third liner Magnus Paajarvi could be one of the best young third-line players in the league, as the right winger is behind Hemsky and Eberle in the RW depth chart. The Oilers might be pressured to win soon while they are well under the salary cap and the young talent is playing on their first contact. Should they fail to win once Hall, Eberle and others reach time to negotiate their second contract, they might hit the highway for greener pastures.

Defense: The Oilers have youth and depth at the forward position, but the cupboard is just about bare on the blue line. Besides Ryan Whitney, there isn’t much to get excited about with the defensive unit. They lacked a shutdown defensive pair as well as a puck moving defenseman who could help get the forwards going. They tried to plug those holes with Barker and Sutton, but the impact they will have is still yet to be seen.

If Whitney suffers an injury, the team might be doomed. Before he got hurt last season, they started playing solid hockey around the .500 mark. He was leading the team in minutes, points, and plus-minus. The Oilers went into a tail spin by losing 14 of their next 17 games after he got hurt.

Goaltending: This could be the biggest question mark. They have an aging vet in Nikolai Khabibulin and a young keeper in Devan Dubnyk as the 1-2 combo. Khabibulin is coming off the worse season of his career with a back injury and a 10-32-4 record. Not to mention the distraction he had off the ice last season. With that hopefully behind him, he could focus on the task at hand on the ice. Dubnyk, 25, looked good at times last season. But just like Detroit’s Jimmy Howard during his rookie season, didn’t look like he was ready to be the main man in goal.

Penciled in the third position is 31-year-oldYann Danis, who carried a 8-17-3 record with Khabarovsk of the KHL. He will likely see more time with Oklahoma of the AHL (pending the health of Khabibulin) along with 20-year-old draftee from 2009 Roy Olivier.

Playoff Prediction: Not playoff bound. They will be exciting for your fantasy team and to watch in person, but I believe they need to go the route of the Detroit Red Wings and have two young goalies who can grow and develop with the rest of the team. They have one piece of the puzzle with Dubnyk but they could use a high-pick on a goalie or defenseman in 2012. What could work in their favor is they picked No. 1 the last two seasons. The last team to do that was Ottawa in 1995 and 1996. The season after that, they began a streak of 11 straight playoff appearances.

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2011-12 NHL Season Preview: Colorado Avalanche

Sep 24

Posted by Chris in Season Previews | No Comments

Key Offseason Additions: J.S. Giguere, Semyon Varlamov, Jan Hejda, Shane O’Brien, Chuck Kobasew

Key Offseason Losses: Brian Elliot, Peter Budaj, John Michael Liles, Tomas Fleishmann

Last Season Ranking: 14th in the West

Offense: Colorado has a wealth of good, young talent throughout their roster, but the Western Conference remains tightly contested and Colorado may have a tough time cracking the playoffs with a lack of experience.

The Avs are strong down the middle with Matt Duchene and Paul Stastny leading the team one-two in points last season. Both are exceptional players and will likely lead the team in scoring again this year. Along with right wing Milan Hejduk, who seems to defy age with his consistent play even at 35-years-old, these three form the nucleus of the team’s offense.

David Jones had a breakout season last year with 45 points in 77 games. Jones will likely see time in the top-six and should improve upon last season’s totals. A healthy and concussion-free Peter Mueller could also pay huge dividends offensively for Colorado. Mueller posted point-per-game numbers with the Avs two years ago before being sidelined by concussions that kept him out all of last season. Look for a big bounce back year from Mueller, who could see time on the top line with Duchene this season if training camp lines are any indication of what’s to come.

The player to watch this season will be Gabriel Landeskog, the 2nd overall selection from June’s NHL Entry Draft. Landeskog was widely viewed as the most NHL-ready player atop the draft. With his size and skill he could be thrust into the mix immediately for Colorado. Keep an eye on him to see how he fairs in his first NHL season.

Only three of Colorado’s forwards are signed beyond this season. While the team has the cap space to retain the majority of them, pending free agents will need to utilize this season to make an impression and show that they belong with the Avs as the team looks to build a contender for the future.

Defense: Colorado needs to be better in their own zone and better at keeping the puck out of their net. None of the defenseman who will likely make the opening night roster finished with a positive plus-minus rating last season. Colorado also finished with a league-worst average of 3.5 goals against per game. This stat alone needs to improve if Colorado intends to make a chase at the playoffs.

Erik Johnson, a mid-season acquisition from the St. Louis Blues and former number-one overall draft pick in 2006, has a lot to prove and will get every opportunity to do so with Colorado. Johnson is capable of chipping in offensively and could be a pivot on the power play this year. After scoring 10 points in 22 games last season for Colorado, are 40 or more points out of the question?

Kyle Quincey is capable of eating up top-end minutes on the blue line and has solid puck-moving skills. Injuries hampered him last season, but a healthy season this year should pay immediate dividends for Colorado.

The addition of Jan Hejda will give the blue line depth and a veteran presence while Shane O’Brien helps provide some grit and toughness, if not necessarily quality defending.

Goaltending: After trading Craig Anderson at the trade deadline last season and losing Brian Elliott to free agency, the Avalanche did a good job of restocking with a mix of upcoming talent and a veteran presence.

At only 23-years-old, Semyon Varlamov already has a few NHL seasons under his belt with the Washington Capitals, including some playoff experience. However, his inconsistencies in net prevented him from consistently keeping the number one job. A change of scenery could do some good, but he will still need to be more consistent in net to show that he deserves to be the starter.

Varlamov should also benefit from having a veteran netminder around to help him learn and grow. The Avalanche signed J.S. Giguere to a two year contract on July 1. Giguere, a former Stanley Cup winner, will not only help push Varlamov for playing time, but he should also serve as a mentor to the young goalie and help him with the mental aspects of the game.

Giguere has some injury trouble last season, but he played well enough on a Toronto team that was soft defensively during his two years with the Leafs. If Varlamov struggles, Giguere could take over the number one spot. He still has the size, agility and skill to be a top goaltender.

The Avalanche will be arguable most improved in net this season with the additions of Varlamov and Giguere, but expect some healthy competition throughout the season between these two until one emerges as the number one goalie.

Playoff Prediction: Colorado has a lot of reasons to be excited for the future with their skilled young players. Unfortunately, stiff competition in the West will keep the Avs out of the playoff picture again this year.

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2011-12 NHL Season Preview: Minnesota Wild

Sep 23

Posted by EB in Season Previews | 1 Comment

Key Offseason Additions: Devin Setoguchi, Dany Heatley, Darroll Powe, Mike Lundin

Key Offseason Losses: Martin Havlat, Andrew Brunette, Brent Burns, Antti Miettinen, Chuck Kobasew, Jose Theodore

Last Season Ranking: 12th in the West

Mikko Koivu and Dany Heatley should tear it up this season offensively. But will it be enough to offset a poor defensive bunch?

Offense: The Minnesota Wild have added two key players in Devin Setoguchi and Dany Heatley to replace Martin Havlat and Andrew Brunette. The additions of the snipers should outperform their predecessors, especially in the goals categories.

Heatley had a down season last year with 26 goals and 38 assists while Setoguchi had a solid 4th year posting 41 points, 22 of which were goals. The two are currently slotted with Captain Mikko Koivu which will make for an absolutely awesome line to watch.

Koivu is the heart and soul of the organization, speaking softly, letting his hard work day in and day out talk for him instead. Last year he suffered a hand injury that saw him sidelined for 11 games, possibly impacting his play throughout the season. Still, 62 points in 71 games is a very respectable production. Make note, 45 of those points were assists, something that will play to both Setoguchi and Heatley’s shoot first pass second tendencies.

For the Wild to really not only survive but win key games this upcoming season, they need the help of their second and third lines. Pierre-Marc Bouchard, Matt Cullen, Guilaume Latendresse, Cal Clutterbuck and Kyle Brodziak all need to step it up this season.

From a fantasy perspective, Brodziak is a talented, under valued player that should reach the 40 point mark this year in his 5th full season as a professional. Pick him up late in the draft as most managers will overlook him.

Defense: What positive vibes Wild fans are getting about the offensive changes, they are getting equally negative ones for the defense. The Wild opted to part ways with Brent Burns, a player who was not only a fan favorite, a solid defensive player, but perhaps one of the best offensive defenseman in the league. Sure the point getting is primarily for the offense, but 46 points is going to be sorely missed this season.

No avoiding it, the Wild have perhaps one of the worst bluelines in the league. The team’s previous defense first mentality is now being replaced with relying heavily on their scorers. Mareky Zidlicky struggled last year with hamstring issues, Nick Schultz has yet to break 20 points in a single season, and there really is no other player worth mentioning.

Simply put, it is going to be another tough season for this guy…

Goaltending: Niklas Backstrom has another tough year a head of him. He has been the glue holding this team together, 50 games started and a .920 save percentage. This year expect him to see more shots. Whether he benefits from that or not we will soon find out.

HWB Playoff Prediction: Not Playoff bound. The vote for Minnesota was actually 3-1 that they would make the playoffs, however, after considering the competition in the West, we felt they were not quite there yet.

2011-12 NHL Season Preview: Calgary Flames

Sep 22

Posted by Eddie in Season Previews | No Comments

Key Offseason Losses: Robyn Regehr, Fredrik Modin, Ales Kotalik

Key Offseason Addition: Chris Butler

Last Season Ranking: 10th in the West

Look for Alex Tanguay to crack the 70-point plateau for Calgary this season.

Offense: The Flames got off to a poor start at the beginning of the season. The first half was deadful, they weren’t winning games and they weren’t scoring goals. They were able to find fire the second half where they averaged 3.42 goals per game over the final 47 games of the season. That was when GM Darryl Sutter was fired and Jay Feaster was brought in. Had they been scoring at that clip over the entire season, they would have led the league in scoring. They return every player from the top four lines, with the only addition being 26-year-old prospect Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond.

While he isn’t new, the Flames return Daymond Langkow, who played four games last season when he suffered a neck injury and missed most of the season. He could be a fantasy sleeper as he didn’t play last season and could slip into a later round. Expect him to score between 30-35 points on the third line. Jarome Iginla and Alex Tanguay will be expected to carry most of the scoring load. The big question is how much will the captain have in the tank? His contract ends in two years, and expect him to look elsewhere for a championship should he not get back to the Stanley Cup final before 2013.

They don’t have  a lot of speed due to the aging vets on the forward lines but will be able to play an uptempo style with Curtis Glencross and Rene Bourque on the wing of the second and third line. X-factor players who we should see good things out of this season include Olli Jokinen, David Moss, and Mikael Backlund. In addition to Letourneau-Leblond, look for Paul Byron to have a chance to make the team and see playing time this season.

Defense: If there is anything that will keep the Flames from playing past April 7, it will be there defense. Because they traded away top defenseman Robyn Regehr, there are big shoes and a lot of playing time up for grabs in all three phases of the game. The top defender is now Jay Bouwmeester, but he hasn’t met expectations in regards to his offensive production. Having the ability to move the puck when the team plays an uptempo style is necessary and the offensive will be generated through Bouwmeester. Also look for contributions from newly promoted Mark Giordano, as well as Chris Butler and Anton Babchuk.

Keeping the other team from scoring will be key for the team, as they were fifth in goals against two years ago, but ballooned up to 19th last season.

Goaltending: Miikka Kiprusoff is the alpha and omega when it comes to goaltending for Calgary. Just like I wrote last season, they had to get him a quality backup. They have appeared to do that with Henrik Karlsson. Kipper played and started a post-lockout low 71 games last season but it isn’t much of a drop when he has played between 73 and 76 games since the lockout. They probably can’t afford to have him start between 69-70 games because the rest of the team isn’t strong but I would like to see that if possible. Karlsson is still young but expect him to get between 10-12 starts. Leyland Irving is penciled in as the third goalie should Kiprusoff or Karlsson suffer an injury.

HWB Playoff Prediction: Not playoff bound. They are essentially the same team as last year. Calgary wasn’t able to bring in any additional talent because they have pretty much spent at the ceiling since the lockout. The bad part is they have spent it on bad contracts and it has taken this long for Feaster to manage it properly to have the space to add players. Should Calgary be in the playoff chase come the trade deadline, expect them to be a buyer.


 

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