This should be a good depth signing by Pittsburgh, especially at the price. Although Comrie was limited to only 43 games with Edmonton last season because of a bout with mononucelosis, he is a veteran in the league at age 29 and has twice hit the 30-goal plateau in his career. Whether he gets time as the center on the second or third line, Comrie should help provide some offensive depth for the Penguins and make them a more dangerous team as they now have three good centers and Malkin can for sure move back to the wing where he will be much more effective.

CCM Vector U + CL Grip Stick Tavares Edition Sr.

CCM has produced one of the lightest sticks on the market in the new CCM Vector U + CL Grip series and have added the Tavares edition. The stick is modeled after John Tavares of the New York Islanders, having all the same features of the CCM U + Crazy Light, but sporting a eye catching blue and orange Islander’s colors as well as the Tavares curve.

CCM has produced a lightweight stick of 405 grams in total weight by using multiple layers of high-grade carbon fiber.

As most hockey players, a concern with the lightweight stick is the sacrifice of performance and durability. CCM has addressed this in full with an impact enhanced slash zone and a tapered shaft for a low kick point aiding in faster shot releases.

Throw in the matte textured feel for better puck control and you have yourself one heck of a hockey stick.

CCM has a video explaining the separation between them and the competitors. Also check out the  CCM U + CL Hockey Skates that Matt previewed to match the stick. Both can be found at Ice Warehouse.

Key Offseason Additions: Paul Martin, Zbynek Michalek, Arron Asham

Last Season Ranking: 4^th in East

Offense:

The Penguins will again be anchored by the offensive production of team captain Sidney Crosby and winger Evgeni Malkin with secondary scoring coming from Chris Kunitz and Jordan Staal. However, in the off season the Penguins again failed to address the pressing issue of finding a suitable right winger to play alongside Sidney Crosby, prompting many to believe that Malkin and Crosby could end up together on the top line this season. Such a move would extremely hinder the offensive depth of the Penguins. A more likely scenario will see Staal moving up to the second line where he will center Malkin, which should benefit both players immensely and put Malkin back up to 90-100 points this season. Players like Pascal Dupuis and Maxim Talbot may be called upon to help provide more offensive depth while players like Eric Tangradi will need to show that they deserve a consistent spot with the big club this season.

Whatever Pittsburgh lacks in offense they make up for with grit. Tough guy Arron Asham signed a one-year deal with Pittsburgh where he will have good company in fellow tough guy Eric Goddard, who accumulated 76 penalty minutes in 45 games last season, and super pest Matt Cooke. Asham may even get an opportunity on the wing of Jordan Staal on Pittsburgh’s second line, which would be beneficial for Pittsburgh if Asham can create space for the other scorers.

Defense:

Pittsburgh lost a lot of skill on their power play with the departure of Sergei Gonchar, who was the team’s third-leading scorer with 50 points last season. But the team hopes that defenseman Alex Goligoski will help fill the void left on the point by Gonchar’s departure. The additions of Paul Martin and Zbynek Michalek will also help solidify the Penguins’ blue line and make the team difficult to play against. Martin has twice been plus-20 or better in his past three seasons and could have career highs in points with a more offensive-minded team like the Penguins.

Goaltending:

Marc-Andre Fluery and Brent Johnson will again handle the workload in net. Fluery had a solid season last year with 37 wins and a 2.65 goals against average along with a .905 save percentage. Expect more of the same from Fluery this year as the Penguins will need to him to steal a few games along the way. While Fleury will handle the majority of the workload, Johnson is more than capable as a backup and could get himself 15-20 starts and around 10 wins again this year.

Season Outlook:

Any team that boasts the likes of both Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin is dangerous offensively, but the Penguins will need to be good on defense this year too. The loss of Sergei Gonchar will hurt the team, especially on the power play, but the additions of Martin and Michalek will certainly help fortify the team’s blue line and make them tough to score on. Expect the Penguins to definitely be playoff contenders come next April.

Key Offseason Additions: James Wisniewski, Mark Eaton, Milan Jurcina, Nino Niederreiter, Zenon Konopka, P.A. Parenteau

Last Season Ranking: 13th in East

John Tavares needs to have a big season for the Islanders to have a chance in 2010-11

Offense:

The New York Islanders are continuing to work with a young squad, spending much of the past decade rebuilding their team. This season, we should see tremendous growth out of the 2009 first overall draft pick, John Tavares. He started the 2009-10 campaign on a roll, and finished strong as well. Over the last 8 games of the season, he tallied 11 points. Throughout the middle of the season, however, Tavares struggled. As he develops and gets better, so will the Islanders.

To compliment Tavares, the Islanders have brought back 30 goal scorer Matt Moulson to play on his left wing. On the right wing will be Kyle Okposo. He put together a nice season last year, picking up 19 goals and 52 points, but is still only 22 years old. Okposo’s numbers have increased in each season with the Islanders, but with another year of experience under his belt, and playing alongside Tavares and Moulson, look for Okposo to have a real break out season.

Beyond the top line, the Islanders don’t have too much going on. While their lack of depth will hurt again this season, they have made some big strides. Blake Comeau is another youngster who put together a nice season last year, putting up 35 points in only 61 games. If he stays healthy, he’ll be a nice threat on the 2nd line. Additionally, we could see Rob Schremp really have a break out season. He was a highly touted prospect with the Oilers organization, but management didn’t really think he had a shot with the team. Instead, after coming to the Islanders, he put up 25 points in only 44 games, including 5 goals and 5 assists on the power play.

Finally, we have a couple of new additions to the squad. First, Nino Niederreiter, the 5th overall pick in the 2010 draft. He’s a Swiss stud who’s only 17 years old right now. He’ll turn 18 on September 8th, but is said to already have NHL size, and could very well see time with the big boys this fall. Nino has put up good numbers everywhere he’s been, including a 60 point campaign, in 65 games, last season with the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL. Beyond that, the Islanders brought in Zenon Konopka to protect the current and future stars. Konopka bullied his way to 265 penalty minutes with the Lightning last season, and will more than likely have a repeat performance.

Defense:

The defense continues to build up and add depth, just like the offense, but the 2010-11 line-up still won’t be enough. Leading the way is Mark Streit, one of the better defenseman in the game. He moves the puck very well, and is a star on the power play. Streit ended last season pretty hot, and should pick up right where he left off.

The new guys, James Wisniewski, Mark Eaton, and Milan Jurcina are all experienced defenseman. Wisniewski is the youngest, and has the most potential as well. He’ll see lots of time on the power play, and should have a pretty big impact at that role. Eaton should see time on the power play as well. Both he and Jurcina will pick up more responsibility with the Islanders than they had with their previous teams. Radek Martinek and Jack Hillen will also battle for ice time on defense.

Goaltending:

The Islanders have two skilled goaltenders in Rick DiPietro and Dwayne Roloson. However, DiPietro has only started 12 games in the past two seasons combined. His injury troubles have certainly plagued the team, but with Dwayne Roloson on the squad as well, they have two netminders who are capable of holding the number one spot. Expect a strong battle through training camp, and even into the season, for the number one goaltending position. If DiPietro can stay healthy, and regain his old form, he could earn back his position.

Season Outlook:

The New York Islanders are still in the midst of a rebuilding project, but the situation is definitely progressing. Youngsters like John Tavares, Kyle Okposo, Matt Moulson, and Rob Schremp will lead the way this season, while future stars such as Nino Niederreiter try to make the squad. Doug Weight will also return to add veteran leadership. Unfortunately, the Islanders still lack enough depth to be a true contender this season. A playoff appearance might not be out of the question though if all the pieces fall in to place and the Islanders can add some additional help at the trade deadline.

Key Offseason Additions: Jason Arnott, Johan Hedberg, Ilya Kovalchuk (?), Henrik Tallinder, Anton Volchenkov

Last Season Ranking: 2nd in the East

Offense: The New Jersey Devils have always been a defensive minded team but with the retirement of head coach Jacque Lemaire, the team is trying to spark some play in the opponents zone. With forwards such as Zach Parise and Travis Zajac it should be relatively easy to do. Include the possibility of a free agent signing of superstar Ilya Kovalchuk and  gritty forward Jason Arnott and the team has two solid lines of offensive threat.

The problem though lies in the third and fourth lines. With the new NHL being as fast paced as it is, all four lines need to produce. With the loss of gritty forward Rob Niedermayer, unfortunately veteran Brian Rolston is really incapable of carrying the load. Expect a top heavy team of only two NHL lines.

Goaltender Martin Brodeur is still the face of the franchise, yet with the lack of depth this season, don't expect the team to go far in the playoffs.

Defense: head coach Jacque Lemaire has retired and the defense that the Devils have been known for will go out the window. Well, perhaps not, as the team has picked up some quality defenders in Anton Volchenkov and Henrik Tallinder.

Much like the woes of the offense being only two lines, New Jersey will only have 1 defensive pairing worth while. Sure Andy Greene had a breakout year last season with 31 assists and 37 total points, but don’t expect that to happen again this year.

Goaltending: Is there really much to say besides the fact that goaltender Martin Brodeur is still unbelievably good at his age of 38? No, that just about sums it up really. The man is a beast, starting 76 games last season. Yet as some critics may say, all those games played during the regular season uses up just about everything come playoff time.

The Devils though may have come to their senses with the signing of Johan Hedberg. Hedberg comes in with a 2.93 goals against average and a .900 save percentage from a much lesser defensive minded team the Atlanta Thrashers.

Season Outlook: The New Jersey Devils are always a good team, as they need to be in one of the closest and toughest divisions within the East. The team though lacks the depth needed to really have a Stanley Cup run, especially if superstar Ilya Kovalchuk does not sign with the team. This late towards the start of the season, the Devils have put all their eggs in one basket and that is never a good thing. The major off season acquisitions are completed leaving a diluted free agency pool to fill the shoes of Kovalchuk, as if that is even possible.

Top 10 NHL Game 7 Moments

This was the first video I came across. It chronicles some of the most memorable goals, saves and blunders that occurred in the most exciting game in sports: an NHL game seven. Moment ranked nine and five were some of the most-played game seven goals in NHL history, while fans of Detroit and New Jersey will probably not want to revisit moments from the 2009 playoffs.

Top 10 NHL Playoff Controversial Goals/Non Goals

They say you can’t win the Stanley Cup without a little bit of luck. Over the years, teams have won the Stanley Cup with a bounce/goal/missed call going their way. This video is no different as it showed several teams getting a controversial goal going their way as far back as the second round that played a role in helping them advance to the Finals or even better, win the Stanley Cup. How different history would be if the controversy didn’t go in their favor?

Top 10 Between the Legs Goals

This is one of the most creative top ten lists I have seen. These are “one of a kind” goals, that are tough to even try in practice let alone execute in a game situation. A lot of the goals look similiar but they are still amazing to watch. They will make you say “Woah” more than Joey Lawrence in an episode of Blossom.

Video courtesy to Youtube user HockeyWebCaster.

Tip #1: Preparation is key

There are numerous resources, both online and in print, available for Fantasy Hockey players to consult before draft day that will help them better prepare. Take a gander at some of these resources, print them off, read over them a few times and highlight some key names. Know what stat categories your league has and how many positions you can play on any given night. It also can’t hurt to make notes about which players excel in what categories (goals, assists, total points, plus/minus, etc).

Tip #2: Go into draft day with a game plan

Much like Tip #1, it is important to go into draft day with a game plan – but understand that plans can go awry. You might not be able to get Sidney Crosby or Joe Thornton in the first round, but if you want to take a center, know who else is available and have backup choices prepared for that scenario. Know who the big names are and who is likely to go quickly and plan accordingly. Know which players you want to take high up and which players you want to take later in the draft as sleepers. Have some sort of game plan for draft day on how you want to draft your talent and try to stick to it, but have alternatives ready if you can’t.

Tip #3: Select all-around good talent high in the draft

If your league rewards several offensive stat categories, like goals, assists, plus/minus and power play points, then consider taking a player that excels in several of these categories. He will be more valuable to you than a player that only scores for you in one or two categories. Research which players do well in multiple stat categories and try to take one or two of those players high in the draft.

Tip #4: Consider a right wing high in the draft

Scoring right wingers are hard to come by, so consider taking a right wing high up in your draft – it will pay dividends throughout the season.

Tip #5: Spread the wealth

Try not to take too many players from one team. If you select the first two lines of the Chicago Blackhawks, you should get a fair amount of offense on most nights, but if the team gets shut out then you’re in a world of hurt. Spread out your selections among different teams so that if one team tanks your team doesn’t follow suite.

Tip #6: Look for linemates

While you should try to avoid taking too many players from one team, it can’t hurt to try to match up linemates. It will be twice the fun if you can get both the goal and the assists in your fantasy stats when one of your choices sets up the other. If it’s an even-strength goal, you’re also a plus-2!

Tip #7: Look for that sleeper

Who would have expected Steve Stamkos to follow up a mediocre season with a 51-goal effort last year? Stamkos fell far in most drafts, but this year he will be at the top of the list for many managers. Keep an eye out for those young stars who could explode with a breakout year. You’ll look like a fantasy genius if you nab them late in the draft when nobody else even has the player on their list.

Tip #8: Goaltending is not a sure thing

Sure, Martin Brodeur or Roberto Luongo will likely get you a lot of wins and great goalie stats, but there are always goalies who come out of nowhere and have stellar seasons (think: Antti Niemi, Steve mason, Jimmy Howard, Tuuku Rask, etc). This just goes to show that you are not always guaranteed the best goalies when you take the highest ranked goalies. It doesn’t matter which goalies you take or where you take them in the draft, always keep your eyes on the free agent pool for that goalie who is about to start an incredible hot streak.

Tip #9: Don’t forget to have fun

Fantasy Hockey is intended to be fun. So have fun with it and enjoy yourself and enjoy the season!

Below is a list of some proposed rule changes tested in Toronto, as well as Pro’s and Con’s of each.

Hybrid Icing

Current Rule: Icing is called when a player on the defensive team touches the puck after it crosses the goal line. It could be negated if an attacking player touches the puck before the defensive team.

Proposed Rule: Allow the linesman to determine what player has advantage around the area of the faceoff dots. If the defensive player has advantage, icing could be called. If the attacking player has the advantage, play would continue.

Pro’s: This would prevent injuries from players racing for the puck. Several players have suffered serious injuries (remember Kurtis Foster in 2008?) including broken legs and ankles.

Con’s: While the official has more freedom to call/wave off icing, it could lead to controversy in instances if there is a tie or no player has a distinct advantage for the puck. Last thing I want to see is a blown call like this at a critical point in the game such as the final minute or in overtime.

Yellow Verification Line

Current Rule: None.

Proposed Rule: A yellow line would be placed three inches behind the goal line. If the puck touched the line, it would clearly mean the puck crossed the goal line/entered the net.

Pro’s: This one is pretty obvious. How many good goals with video review technology are  turned back because it could not be determined the puck completely crossed the line? Remember the World Cup goal earlier this summer? It can only help the replay officials determine goals from both the overhead and in-net camera angles. It could also speed up the process.

Con’s: Hockey is played in a 3D world. Camera angles and a yellow line is still in a 2D environment. I’m confident the yellow line would help and speed up the review process but I have a feeling this won’t solve all problems.

Changing Ends for Overtime

Current Rule: Teams and goalies stay at the same sides as the third period.

Proposed Rule: Teams switch ends for Overtime. They will attack at the same end of the rink as they did in the second period.

Pro’s: For those who hate the shootout, this could lead to more scoring opportunities as players are further from the bench. It would be risky for teams to make line changes on the fly because a team could be caught off guard and easily create a odd-man rush. They should implement this before going to a 3-on-3 overtime.

Con’s: This took a while to think about, but it could be more difficult for a goalie to go to the team’s bench for an extra attacker in a delayed-penalty situation.

Smaller Goal Cage

Current Rule: The current depth of the net is 44 inches.

Proposed Rule: Make it more shallow to 40 inches.

Pro’s: It would create more room behind the net. More space for offensive forwards to setup plays or attempt wrap-around shots.

Con’s: We already see several goals that will hit go inside the net and quickly pop out. 4 inches doesn’t seem like much, but when shots happen that quickly it could lead to increased goal reviews. Another unintentional drawback is more, bigger hit’s from defensemen who want to lay out a forward coming from behind the net.

Faceoff Infractions

Current Rule: When the center cheats on a faceoff, a winger will usually jump in and take the faceoff.

Proposed Rule: The opposing center gets to choose what player he wants to take the faceoff against. That player just has to be on the ice.

Pro’s: It will teach center’s to not cheat on faceoff. Especially if it’s in their own zone, because most likely the opponent will pick a defenseman to take the draw against.

Con’s: This rule seems silly. Having a player pick who he want’s to take the faceoff against? This could turn some fan’s off especially if he leads to a goal for the non-offending team.

For more information about the NHL Research Development and Orientaiton Camp, The Hockey News posted a video as well as interviews from General Managers and others involved with the camp.

This may have been the case for the St. Louis Blues and the Toronto Maple Leafs, but the Phoenix Coyotes are far from a sub-standard team. Expect big numbers from Lee Stempniak in this upcoming season.

Right wing Lee Stempniak agreed to a 2 year deal with the Phoenix Coyotes.

Stempniak, at the age of 27, is coming into the prime of his career. Last season he split time with both the Toronto Maple Leafs and then ending with the Phoenix Coyotes.  Stempniak played 62 games with Toronto and 18 with Phoenix.

With Toronto Stempniak posted 14 goals, 16 assists for 30 points and a -10 rating. What is amazing is in the 18 games played with Phoenix, he matched his goal count at 14, added 4 more assists for an average of a point per game, as well as a +10 rating.

Lee Stempniak is a key addition to a young and talented Phoenix Coyotes. Pair him up with a healthy Matthew Lombardi and an extremely hard working Wojtek Wolski, Stempniak could be posting some serious numbers next season.

Combined he totaled 48 points in 80 games, 28 goals and 16 assists.