#HockeyIsBack
It's that time of year again so we'll drop the puck an take a quick shift to look at a few story lines for each of the 31 teams.
Anaheim Ducks: The Ducks are coming off a conference final appearance and boast a line up full of veteran talent, who are generally as popular as a socks for Christmas. They added veteran goaltender Ryan Miller to either back up or challenge John Gibson for the number one spot depending on Randy Carlyle's temperament. They have a talented blueline with a mix of emerging young stars and veterans, and if thees Ducks can fly together there's a chance they can make another Stanley Cup run.
Arizona Coyotes: The Coyotes are a team many thought would take a step forward last season but their bark was worse than their bite and the desert dogs were just that. If this team wants to get out of the dog house their young pups need to step up and live up to their talent. The addition of Antti Raanta ideally helps solidify the net position after Mike Smith left for Calgary, so it's up to the rest of the team to make that push.
Boston Bruins: The Bruins squeaked into the playoffs last season and were bounced by the Sens in the first round. Their biggest move of the off season was resigning David Pastrnak to a contract extension. They have a mix of veterans and young stars coming along so it will likely be an up and down year. Captain Zedno Chara is bound for the hall of fame but how much does he have left after appearing to lose a step last season. There isn't a ton of depth upfront so (filed under painfully obvious) human mosquito Brad Marchand will have to continue to produce at an elite level if the B's have any chance of competing in the Atlantic division.
Buffalo Sabres: The Sabres made some big moves in the off season firing head coach Dan Bylsma and GM Tim Murray and named star centre Jack Eichel the new GM...I mean signed him to an 8 year 80 million dollar extension. New head coach Phil Housley takes over a team that has a lit of young talent but has a lot to prove before that bandwagon starts filling up.
Calgary Flames: Well, all was quiet on the western front....After adding Mike Smith to presumable improve their goaltending (really only had one way to go) and Travis Hamonic to an already strong blueline, arguably one of the best in the league, the Flames look poised to be a contender in the west. If nothing else they'll be driven by their long time Alberta rival. To top it all off, the legend himself Jaromir Jagr and his mullet will don the flaming C this season. He may not set the ice on fire but if he can be effective on the Power Play, the Flames will make a run.
Carolina Hurricanes: The Canes days of getting blown away appear to be coming to an end. They have a young team poised to make a playoff push in the east for the first time in years. They are in tough in the Metropolitan Division and a lot of things will have to go right for them to make it, but it's certainly a possibility. A lot of that rests on new acquisition Scott Darling (goaltending matters folks) but if he can be what they expect GM Ron Francis has them headed in the right direction.
Chicago Blackhawks: The Blackhawks off season was overshadowed by the whole Marion Hossa saga. Cap circumvention seems about as trendy as Yoga these days and so when a team as desperate for cap space can pull this off there will always by cynics but they will miss him. Big time. He's a special talent not easily replaced. Their core remains in tact and Sadd and Sharp are back so they will be competitive in the West but that window may be closing.
Colorado Avalanche: When an Avalanche gets rolling its hard to stop...for better or worse. When GM Joe Sakic was playing for this team, it meant Stanley Cup glory, these days its, what can go wrong next? The franchise is not on good terms with one of its best players Matt Duchene (who looked more like a hostage in his pre season photo op than as all star) and are coming off one of, if not thee, worst seasons in the salary cap era. So yeah, other than that all's great in the mile high city...The Duchene drama will hopefully be dealt with, for all our sake, sooner than later, and they can hopefully get back to rebuilding a one proud organisation.
Columbus Blue Jackets: The Blue Jackets were one of the surprise teams last season vaulting up near the top of the Eastern Conference mainly backed by a stellar Power Play and goalie Sergi Bobrovski. Will this continue? Maybe. They have a solid lineup and look to be a contender in the east but will be hard pressed to repeat that season. The Torts effect tends to wear thin after a while as well, shocking given his puppy dog personality, so we'll see if this go around is any different.
Dallas Stars: Two years removed from finishing the regular season first in the west, the Stars missed the playoffs last year and were arguably the most disappointing team in the league last year. The yoyo looks to continue as many, (with good reason) have picked them to bounce back in the big way. They added Texas sized goalie Ben Bishop and Defenceman Marc Methot to bolster the back end along with Alex Radulov to supplement an already potent offence. Coach Ken Hitchcock returns behind the bench where he won a Stanley Cup in 1999 looking to return them to glory. They do things bigger in Big D and the Stars hope a let down isn't one of them.
Detroit Red Wings: We're going streaking...no more. After an incredible run of 25 straight post season appearances and four Stanley Cup championships the Red Wings missed the playoffs last season, and will likely start a streak of another kind. After years of trading the future for success the time has come to pay the piper and they rebuild has begun. They don't look poised to push for a playoff spot so at least they got a new arena...
Edmonton Oilers: Good things come to those who wait...and wait...After a decade of misery in the Alberta capital the Oliers made the post season and look poised to be a real contender this year. After backing up a Brinks truck to sign Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, they have a solid core moving forward. Cam Talbot was great last season and as long as he's consistent the glory days may indeed return to the 'City of Champions'.
Florida Panthers: The enigma in Florida goes way beyond counting all those empty seats. They looked like an up and coming team a few seasons ago, then last year happened. A fired coach, injuries and a disappointing performance later, where are we? They have a lot of young guys and solid goaltending but what will it all amount to? They let two of their top scorers go in the entry draft, because well, why not, so this will be one of the more unpredictable squads to watch moving forward.
Los Angeles Kings: The Kings have fallen off their throne. After winning two Stanley Cups with their core they missed the playoffs and don't appear poised to be crowned anytime soon. They have Kings legends Luc Robitaille and Rob Blake running things now, who, while sharp hockey minds are in their first go around in such a position. Drew Doughty will need a new contract before long and they have young starts to resign as well, so the kingdom has much to do.
Minnesota Wild: The Wild had a great regular season last year, relying on Devan Dubnyk heavily at times. Like really, heavily. They have a lot of talent throughout the roster but getting over that hump remains the challenge. Ultimate they'll compete in the west, probably making the playoffs then inevitable realise Bruce Boudreau is still their coach...
Montreal Canadiens: There's never a dull moment in La Belle Province. They put the fan in fanatic and the Habs off season drama was mostly centred around, centre. Or the lack there of. They signed Alex Galchenyuk presumably to play up the middle, then promptly announced he wouldn't. They acquired Jonathan Drouin for a promosing young prospect and lost ling time Hab Andre Markov as well as Alex Radulov. Despite the fact they won the division and look to be strong again there was constant turmoil and a lot of questions moving forward but hey, at least Carey Price is locked up...
Nashville Predators: The music city was rocking last season. The Preds lost in the Stanley Cup finals to the Penguins but took the hockey world by storm in the process. The city looked great in showcasing one of the non-traditional market and hopefully others take notice. They have a steady D core, solid goaltending (at least when Rinne plays at home...) and finishers up front. They lost captain Mike Fisher to retirement so new captain Roman Josi will have to lead this bunch moving forward. Losing Ryan Ellis to start the year hurts as there's little margin for error in the West.
New Jersey Devils: The Devil went down to...Switzerland? Whatever works. The Devils won the draft lottery, and little else, last season and selected Swiss born forward Nico Hischier with the top pick. They lost veteran Mike Cammalleri so look to the future to return to the glory days. Much again will ride on Cory Schneider in net. Ultimately the Meto division may prove too tough a task but they should be improved if only to give the Devil his due...
New York Islanders: If they started their own soap opera would anyone be surprised? Whether it's arena question, a rink they only moved into a few years back, what to do with Captain John Tavares or who will be their goalie moving forward, there's a lot of questions around this squad. They did finish strong under Doug Weight last season after firing mullet enthusiast Jack Capuano. Weight has the job full time for his first season and looks to get them back into the post season.
New York Rangers: The Rangers bought out long time dman Dan Girardi and sent backup goalie Annti Raanta along with Derek Stepan to Arizona. They lost in the second round of the playoffs to Ottawa and one wonders how many more runs 'King' Henrik Lundqvist has left in him. They lack the flashy names up front they used to have, or those names lack the lash they once had, (*Rick Nash*) so it will have to be done by committee in the Big Apple. They did thrown big money at a free agent (Kevin Shattenkirk) because, New York. There is enough talent there to compete but the depth will be tested against the best of the East.
Ottawa Senators: "What have I done to be treated with such disrespect" might as well be written across the Sens uniform. They were a goal away from making the Stanley Cup final and most are writing this off as luck. You don't win by luck in the NHL. And yes, the Sens could certainly take a step back, largely due to the improved teams in their division, but the reality is as long as they stay healthy their frustrating, if not exactly flashy, defensive style combined with solid goaltending, game breaking talent up front and the best denfenceman in the world Eric Karlsson they have a shot in the East.
Philadelphia Flyers: They Flyers are probably sick of seeing their biggest rival continue to succeed as they sputter along. Well, it's not gonna change anytime soon. They Flyers should push for a playoff spot but goaltending is a question mark...again...and they'll need guys to have much better seasons then last year (understatement noted) captain Claude Giroux chief among them, if they're going to make the post season.
Pittsburgh Penguins: Three-peat? It seems almost improbably with the parody in the cap era has ushered in, yet we've seen the Cup change hands between only several teams the last decade. The Pens won their third cup of the Crosby era and there's little reason to doubt they could do it again. They have plenty of star talent, Kris Letang is back and healthy and they get key contributions from inexpensive young talent, perhaps the biggest factor in today's NHL. Matt Murray has won two Cups (as a rookie...yeah) and until proven otherwise they'll be a favourite to hoist the chalice again.
San Jose Sharks: It seems these Sharks just keep treading water long enough not to drown. With all star defenceman Brent Burns and the return of Joe Thornton this team will again compete for a playoff spot but their window may have closed in. Long time Shark Patrick Marleau was let go and signed in Toronto so Joe Pavelski, Logan Couture and co. will have to be the next generation to try and shake the mantle of great regular season team who can't get to the top.
St. Louis Blues: The loss of Robby Fabri wasn't an ideal start to the year. Throw in Jay Bouwmeester's injury and their already Blue in Missouri. They made the post season last year after employing the ever popular fire your coach and replace him with the guy who was already there to replace him strategy. The Blues look to have a balanced lineup that should compete for a spot in the central again, but it won't be easy particularly if they get off to a sow start. Jake Allen had a meltdown last season but bounced back so if he's got his head on straight things may not end on such a sour note.
Tampa Bay Lightning: Lets be honest, if they were healthy last season things would've been very different in Tampa last year. Fans are hoping lightning doesn't strike twice and that Steven Stamkos can finally enjoy a healthy season after being injury riddle the past several. They handed the goaltending reigns to Andre Vasilevskiy so it's up to him to take them to that next level. They have a deep roster just a few years removed from a Stanley Cup Final and they will be a force to be reckoned with in the East.
Toronto Maple Leafs: The Leafs slow and steady rebuild took a giant leap forward last year and they added veterans like Ron Hainsey and Patrick Marleau to supplement their vast crop of young talent. They pushed the Capitals in the playoffs and look to take that next step. Barring any unforseen setbacks they'll be competitive and at the very least push for a playoff spot. Let's not plan the parade route just yet though...
Vancouver Canucks: Coming off a rough season the Canucks have seem to embrace the fact they need to rebuild. They are hamstrung by a few contract, looking at you Loui Ericsson, and the Sedin's have made it clear they aren't going anywhere anytime soon, so new coach Travis Green will have to blend the youth with his veterans as they push forward with this plan. They're not expected to challenge for the playoffs, with good reason, but will let Bo Horvat and co. continue to develop as they build for the future.
Vegas Golden Knights: It's not saying a lot when the most entertaining thing about a team is their twitter account, but that may be the case in Sin City's inaugural season. To be fair, it's pretty funny. They Knights, aided by new expansion draft rules, (mercifully) shouldn't be as awful as most of the expansion teams of years past, but don't expect them to push for the Cup anytime soon. At least game experience will be a blast, if you can remember it...
Washington Capitals: At this point they are the Charlie Brown of the NHL. They keep going for that football only to fall flat on their face again and again. What's going to be different this season? They lost several pieces on the blueline (Alzner, Schmidt, Shattenkirk) and up front (Johansson) so their depth will be tested more than in years past. Their core is still strong but if they haven't gotten them to the promised land this far what makes this go around any different?
Winnipeg Jets: The Jets have rarely soared since moving to Winnipeg but seem to have all the parts to take off this season. They addressed their goaltending by bringing in Steve Mason, and still have a deep roster of young players poised to push they best of the West. They will need all of them on the same page and signed both Brian Little and Nicolaj Ehlers to new contracts so they've committed themselves to this group as well as their coach and GM so its up to them now.
