NHL Storylines

With NHL training camps set to open this weekend, thought I'd take a look at some of the bigger storylines going into the season, as well as a few of personal interest.

March of the Penguins??
The Penguins were unceremoniously bounced from the playoffs by the rival Flyers last year, their defense resembling a series of strategically placed pylons, and look to return to the Cup finals for the first time since winning it all in 09. With a healthy Crosby and Malkin, they will be among the favourites but its up to Marc Andre Fleury to return his stellar form if they have a serious chance to win it all.

Sharks: Sink or Swim
San Jose has long been one of those teams that has been hanging around as a contender for years, and killed more than one of my hockey pools. They have a lot of talent but have yet to make it count in the post season. New addition Brad Stuart should help of defense, so it's up to Joe Thornton and co. to step up their game or this team as constituted may undergo big changes in the off season.

Broadway Bound?
Is the Stanley Cup destined to return to the bright lights of MSG? The Rangers haven't been there since Mark Messier helped them end a very long drought back in 1994 and with the addition of Rick Nash and a loaded roster this may well be the year.

Victory Lap
Both Teemu Selanne and Daniel Alfredsson are back for at least this season, maybe more, but it's great to see that they didn't slip quietly into retirement like many players after the last lockout. They will be given their chance to have a send off from fans and shown the gratitude they deserve for their years of outstanding play and leadership.

Bobby Lou
The Brian Burke firing has been widely speculated to have had something to do with his refusal to trade for Roberto Luongo. It will be interesting to see what happens under new GM Dave Nonis. Toronto is one one of the possibilities as is Florida, his seemingly preferred choice, and Philidelphia for who the seemingly hundredth year in a row are looking to solve their goaltending situation. Luongo may be wise to ried out this shorter year in Vancouver with a contender then move in the off season. They have a legitimate shot at making a run and there's no shame in being part of a tandem with Cory Schneider to make that happen.

He's Back
The Montreal Canadiens  brought in new GM Marc Beregevin and he subsequently went out and brought back former Habs coach Michel Therrien. Therrien is known as a no nonsense coach and will expect a lot from this young team. He has a lot of talent to work with and if he can get the most out of them Montreal should challenge for a playoff spot.

Restricted Free Agents
There are a number of talented young players who are not under a  long term contract, including Montreal's PK Subban, the New York Rangers Michael Del Zotto, the Avalanche's Ryan O'Reiley and Dallas's Jamie Benn. When and for how much money they get signed will likely impact similar signings and it will be paramount that teams get them inked as they will be highly regarded if offer sheets are allowed to be made.

Nordiques?
There is no doubt fans in Quebec City want a hockey club. In my opinion they deserve one. There are currently a number of bad markets in the league who are not making money, where people simply don;t have the interest of love for the game, and that would certainly not be the case in La Belle Province. Plans to build a new arena and an outpouring of community support should help to persuade the league to get franchises where they belong, a la Winnipeg, and help boost that already record revenue.

Scheduling Conflict
The NHL revealed it's schedule and while they did what they could there will no doubt be some teams crying foul. The schedule calls for teams to play two of their division opponents five times and the other two four times. This will obviously affect some teams strength of schedule as Detroit may play Columbus and St. Louis may play Chicago that extra game. An advantage, sure, but this is an unfortunate result of the lockout and something teams will have to deal with.

There are plenty more story lines going into the year. Let me know which ones you're most interested in.