Week 1 of the NFL season is in the books, and for those who don't know, I am a San Diego Chargers fan. If you are unfamiliar with football, cheering for the Chargers probably feels like cheering for the Sharks: you'll enjoy regular season success, then watch your immensely talented team get knocked off in the playoffs because they are missing....something. It's horribly frustrating, and in my 18 years as a Chargers fan, I've seen them get to the Super Bowl and get destroyed, and seen them go 1-15 only to have the guy they wanted to draft the next year say he will never play for them (hey, Eli - I'm still bitter). Anyway, it was a very disappointing game last night, and I'm very tired this morning.
Ironic that today we check out a team that, if they don't do sometihng in the playoffs soon, could end up in the same category as the Sharks and pre-1997 Red Wings: teams that can't get far in the playoffs despite boatloads of talent.
Vancouver Canucks
Arrivals: Keith Ballard; Dan Hamhuis; Manny Malhotra; Jeff Tambellini; Raffi Torres; Cory Schneider
Departures: Willie Mitchell; Brad Lukowich; Andrew Raycroft; Pavol Demitra; Steve Bernier; Michael Grabner
The Canucks were one of the big contenders for the Stanley Cup last season, as they have been for the past few years. However, for the second straight year, the Canucks ran into the Blackhawks in the second round and were unable to advance to the Western Conference Finals. The Canucks have a ton of talent in place, but made some moves that they believe will put them over the top and finally get them to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 1994.
Offense: The Canucks are led by the red-headed twins Henrik and Daniel Sedin. Daniel has always been known as the better goal scorer, while Henrik was known as the play-maker. Neither player, however, had done anything really special until last season, when Henrik picked up 112 points to win the Art Ross and Hart Trophy. Unfortunately, neither one of them was unable to lead their team past the Blackhawks. Beyond the Sedins, the Canucks received 35 goals from referee-target Alexandre Burrows, who has shown steady improvement throughout his first four years in the NHL. The Canucks also got 30 goals out of former Red Wing Mikael Samuelsson, who showed that he was worth the money the Red Wings were unable to give him due to the salary cap. The Canucks are expecting good things from Ryan Kesler, their possible future captain (more on that in a moment), who potted 25 goals last year while being nominated for a Selke Trophy as one of the best defensive forwards in the NHL. The Canucks also have 2 good offensive defensemen in Alex Edler and Christian Ehrhoff, who both exceeded the 40 point mark last season. The Canucks finished 2nd in the NHL in total offense, and can score with anyone in the league. Their PP finished a respectable 6th in the NHL, and one thing that you do not want to do is get in to a shootout with them, because they can go toe to toe with anyone offensively.
Defense: Last season, the Canucks defense was good, but not great. Like the Red Wings of the mid-'90s, there was a little too much finesse back there, although the absence of Willie Mitchell for half of the season certainly did not help. The Canucks looked to remedy that problem by bringing in Dan Hamhuis from Nashville/Pittsburgh/Philadelphia, a physical defenseman with an offensive upside. In a sign that the Canucks are not concerned about Roberto Luongo's health, they brought in goalie-wacker Keith Ballard, who hopes to lay some lumber on the opponents instead of his teammates. They still have Sami Salo and Kevin Bieksa, and the Canucks have 7 bonafide NHL defensemen on their roster. The Nucks are going to have to figure out who is going to sit, but it's not a bad problem to have. Up front, the Canucks have Selke-candidate (and possible future winner) Ryan Kesler, and they added Manny Malhotra to bolster their third line and upgrade their face-off skills. The Canucks finished 13th in the NHL in team defense, and the additions of Hamhuis and Ballard should improve that. Their penalty killing finished 18th, an area where the Canucks can vastly improve.
Goaltending: The Canucks thought they were getting their stud goalie in Roberto Luongo when they traded for him a few years ago, but his play since then has been inconsistent at best. The team believed in him so much they named him the captain, a move that was as curious as it was stupid. However, Luongo recently relinquished the "C", and hopefully it will go to a leader on the team. It was thought that Luongo was going to give the Canucks the presence in net they had lacked throughout their entire history, but so far he has not lived up to the hype. Personally, I think that Luongo is the most over-rated player in the entire NHL, and I say that knowing full well that he "won" a gold medal for the Canada in the Olympics. However, I just do not believe that he has made the Canucks that much better in the grand scheme of things. Don't get me wrong; he's a pretty good goalie. But nothing he has done in his career has defined him as "elite". Until he can show that he can carry the team and advance them in the playoffs against a good team, I just don't buy the hype surrounding him.
Coaching: Alain Vigneault has been the coach of the Canucks since the 2006-07 season, and has compiled a very good regular season record, winning 3 Northwest Division championships in 4 years. He won the Jack Adams award with the Canucks in 2006-07, the first time he had won and his second nomination (the other was with Montreal in 1999-2000). However, for all of the regular season success he has enjoyed with the Canucks, he has failed to get them to the Western Conference Finals in any of his 4 seasons, and this season he has been handed all of the tools he presumably will need to get the Canucks to the next level. He will be under an enormous amount of pressure this year, and if Vancouver struggles for any extended length of time, I believe a change could be made. I also believe that if the Canucks do not get out of the second round, this will be Vigneault's last year in Vancouver.
Player to Watch: Ryan Kesler is one of the leading candidates to be named captain of the Canucks (ironic since he's American - Captain Canuck, anyone?), and if his play from last season improves, he could have his first 30-goal season while taking home his first Selke Trophy at the end of the year. Kesler is one of the best two-way forwards in the NHL, and there were many (myself included) who thought he would win the Selke last year. He's a brash guy, unafraid to voice an opinion or mix things up on the ice. He was one of the best players for Team USA at the Olympics, and he has really stepped up to become a true leader on the Canucks. I think this could be a breakout year for him, but it will be interesting to see how he handles becoming captain if that comes to fruition.
Player With Something to Prove: Look, the Canucks aren't going anywhere until Roberto Luongo finally delivers in the playoffs. His GAA has risen each of his past 3 years in the playoffs, while at the same time his SV% has gone down. Last year, he posted a 3.22 GAA and an .895 SV%, both stats that would get him cut or traded had they been regular season stats. If Luongo can't get it together and play the way he is capable in the playoffs, the Canucks will be known as the new Sharks; tons of talent that gets them regular season success, but nothing to show for it in the playoffs. As the Red Wings can attest, all the talent in the world won't win a Cup if the goalie is not up to the task. Luongo is the highest-visible player on an extremely good team, and consequently he needs to be their best player night in and night out.
Why They Can Win the Division: They are the most talented and best team top to bottom in the Northwest, and this division is theirs to lose. Like Detroit throughout most of the last decade, the Canucks appear to be head and shoulders above the rest of the teams in the division, and should have little competition for the division crown over the course of the season.
Why They Won't Win the Division: It's going to take a collapse of pretty big proportions coupled with one of the other teams coming out of nowhwere for the Canucks not to earn one of the top-3 seeds in the West heading into the playoffs. A long-term injury to one of their key players could certainly hurt their chances, but overall this is a very deep team that should navigate the regular season with few issues.
My Prediction: The Canucks are entering the 2010-11 season as the favourite to win the West and get to the Stanley Cup Finals. I'll believe that when I see it. I have no doubts the Canucks are a talented team, and on paper they have to be considered one of the top contenders in the NHL. However, as long as they have Luongo on the team, I will always question whether they have the ability to get beyond the second round, let alone win the Stanley Cup. I'm not sold on Vigneault as a coach, and I'm curious to see whether Henrik Sedin's great season last year was indicative of what he is capable of or was just a fluke. I see the Canucks winning the Northwest, but only because I don't see a major threat to them within the division. Like the Red Wings for most of the past 10 years, the regular season isn't going to mean anything to the Canucks; they could win the President's Trophy and still have this season considered a failure. For the Canucks, it's Stanley Cup or bust, and what they do in the playoffs will determine whether this year is a success or not. I only hope that if the Wings play the Canucks in the playoffs, it's in the third round so I don't have to deal with 9 pm start times. I'm an old man and that's way past my bedtime.
Showing posts with label Northwest Division. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Northwest Division. Show all posts
Monday, September 13, 2010
Know Thy Enemy - Colorado Avalanche
The Red Wings are less than a week away from training camp, and this weekend the rookies participated in the rookie tournament. Pretty soon battles will start for positions, new players will be formally introduced to the Red Wing-way, and pre-season games (real, honest-to-God hockey games) will be played. We're really going to start cranking these previews out, and today we look at an old rival who recently fell on hard times, but seems to be coming back to life. Maybe this will make the rivalry exciting again.
Colorado Avalanche
Arrivals: Daniel Winnik
Departures: Brett Clark; Darcy Tucker
The Dive. Even now, years later, I still loathe them. I realize that the Avs had fallen on hard times and that took some of the spice out of the rivalry between the two teams. However, last season the Avs, in what was supposed to be a rebuilding year, surprised the hell out of everyone (including their own fans) and finished 8th in the West, earning a spot in the ultra-competitive playoffs. Their inexperience showed in their first-round matchup against the Sharks, but the Avs definitely seem to be a team on the rise.
Offense: The Avs are led on offense by Paul Statsny, who is quickly turning into their leader both on offense and on the team as a whole. He finished with 79 points in 81 games, and was their leading scorer. He is helped out by Calder-finalist Matt Duchene, who put forth an impressive rookie season with 24 goals and 55 points, enough to make him the leading rookie-scorer in the NHL, and give the Avs a solid second-line center. Mostly the Avs have a lot of young talent at forward, including Brandon Yip, TJ Galiardi and Ryan O'Reilly, all players who had good seasons last year which the team is hoping they will build on. Milan Hejduk is returning for another season, and if he can stay healthy for the entire season, then the Avs will have their best pure goal scorer available to contribute. The Avs are also hoping that Peter Mueller can continue his torrid pace that he set after his trade from the Coyotes late last year. The Avs don't get a ton of offense from their blueline, with John-Michael Liles and Kyle Quincey (man, it would be nice to have him back) being their leading defensemen scorers. The Avs finished 6th overall in goals for last year, so you can't sleep on them, as they can score with just about anyone on the team. Their PP is average, finishing 15th with a success rate of just over 18%. Overall, the Avs are a good offensive team, but given their youth, I question whether that can be sustained.
Defense: The Dive has a very underrated defensive corps, led by Liles and Quincey. They still have a holdover from the Fight Night days in Adam Foote, their captain and on-ice leader. His offensive skills are pretty much non-existent at this point of his career (not that he ever was a high-scoring guy), but he's a smart player who still has a physical side to his game. He may be a dirty idiot, but he's the best they've got. Like the offense, the defense is also fairly young, with only Scott Hannan being considered true "veterans". The defense finished 17th in goals against last season, but their team defense really trailed off towards the end of the season when the youth of the team showed. The Avs will be looking to improve a penalty kill that finished 21st in the NHL, although they were successful in killing off 80% of the penalties against them. The defense is good but not great, and would be the weak link on the team from my perspective.
Goaltending: Craig Anderson was signed as a free agent from Florida, and promptly set the NHL on it's ear with his October, where he was scorching hot. However, over the course of the season, his numbers really came back to Earth, and I think that was due to a combination of teams scouting him and seeing him more than once, and fatigue on his part due to the fact this was his first season as a full-time starter. He played in 71 games, and faced the most shots in the NHL while making the most saves. Considering his status as a first-time starter, his numbers were good, especially given the young team in front of him. From everything I remember about last season combined with what I've read about him from their fans, he was clearly the team's MVP and the Avs probably would not have made the playoffs without him. Backing him up is Peter Budaj, the Avs "goalie-of-the-future" who never played up to his potential, leading the Avs to seek out Anderson's services.
Coaching: Joe Sacco is a young coach who took over a young team, and he squeezed every last ounce of talent out of his team last year. He definitely is a coach that stresses offense, as the Avs went from being a lousy offensive team to a high-scoring one. The team allowed the most shots in the NHL last season, and team defense does not seem to be stressed nearly as much as the offense is. I did notice in the few games that I watched that the Avs are an extremely fast team (owing partially to their youth), and they use that speed to gain an advantage on their opponents. They are not a very physical team, preferring to use their speed and skill over size. He had a free pass last year since it was supposed to be a re-building year, but this year the team will be expected to take another step forward.
Player to Watch: Matt Duchene burst onto the scene last year as a rookie, leading all rookies in points with 55 and tying for the rookie lead in goals with John Tavares at 24. What's impressive is that he finished +1 on a mediocre defensive team, and he saw some PK time. Duchene seems to be the real deal, and with some experience, he's going to become a dynamic player in the league. Don't ask me why, but I feel like that there will no sophomore slump from him, and he will build on these numbers.
Player With Something to Prove: Craig Anderson entered the season last year as a relative unknown, but after his October, there were some who considered him an early candidate for the Vezina. As the season progressed, however, he really came down to Earth, and his solid stats don't really tell the tale of how remarkedly different his season was between the first half and second half. As I said earlier, he was the main reason why the Avs made the playoffs last year, and if he takes a step backwards this season, the Avs could find themselves on the outside looking in once again. I think that Anderson needs to show the team and the NHL that he is a legitimate #1 goalie who can carry a team year-in and year-out.
Why They Can Win the Division: The Avs only finished 8 points behind the Canucks last season in the division, although they were in the mix for most of the season. The team seemed to have hit the collective wall towards the end of the season, although that was not unexpected due to how young the team is. The Avs pretty much kept their team intact, only losing Brett Clark and Darcy Tucker, 2 players who did not really contribute much to the team. In fact, with Tucker leaving, the Avs' "idiot-ness" has decreased significantly. If the young players on the team continue to develop in a positive fashion, and the veterans like Hejduk and Foote can stay healthy, the Avs could conceivably give the Canucks a run for their money in the division.
Why They Won't Win the Division: A lot of what the Avs do this season is going to hinge on whether Anderson can stay at the level he was at for most of the year last year, and whether their young players can continue their positive development with no setbacks. If either one of these things don't happen, the Avs will find themselves looking up at the Canucks once again.
My Prediction: I think the Avs are going to take a step back this season. I think there are too many "ifs" surrounding the team, especially around their young forwards and their development. I believe that some of them (especially Duchene) will be better, but to expect each and every one of their players to play as good or better as they did last year is a little too much to expect. Between the overall lack of elite talent on the Avs and the hyper-competitiveness of the West, the Avs have no margin for error, and I just don't see them getting better this year. I think they'll narrowly miss the playoffs, but the experience will be good for them. I will also guarantee that I will froth at the mouth if the Wings lose to them, because even though 90% of the players that made up the rivalry are gone, I still hate them. I want the Wings to beat the Avs every time, and beat them badly. Anything less than 4-0 against them makes me very upset.
Colorado Avalanche
Arrivals: Daniel Winnik
Departures: Brett Clark; Darcy Tucker
The Dive. Even now, years later, I still loathe them. I realize that the Avs had fallen on hard times and that took some of the spice out of the rivalry between the two teams. However, last season the Avs, in what was supposed to be a rebuilding year, surprised the hell out of everyone (including their own fans) and finished 8th in the West, earning a spot in the ultra-competitive playoffs. Their inexperience showed in their first-round matchup against the Sharks, but the Avs definitely seem to be a team on the rise.
Offense: The Avs are led on offense by Paul Statsny, who is quickly turning into their leader both on offense and on the team as a whole. He finished with 79 points in 81 games, and was their leading scorer. He is helped out by Calder-finalist Matt Duchene, who put forth an impressive rookie season with 24 goals and 55 points, enough to make him the leading rookie-scorer in the NHL, and give the Avs a solid second-line center. Mostly the Avs have a lot of young talent at forward, including Brandon Yip, TJ Galiardi and Ryan O'Reilly, all players who had good seasons last year which the team is hoping they will build on. Milan Hejduk is returning for another season, and if he can stay healthy for the entire season, then the Avs will have their best pure goal scorer available to contribute. The Avs are also hoping that Peter Mueller can continue his torrid pace that he set after his trade from the Coyotes late last year. The Avs don't get a ton of offense from their blueline, with John-Michael Liles and Kyle Quincey (man, it would be nice to have him back) being their leading defensemen scorers. The Avs finished 6th overall in goals for last year, so you can't sleep on them, as they can score with just about anyone on the team. Their PP is average, finishing 15th with a success rate of just over 18%. Overall, the Avs are a good offensive team, but given their youth, I question whether that can be sustained.
Defense: The Dive has a very underrated defensive corps, led by Liles and Quincey. They still have a holdover from the Fight Night days in Adam Foote, their captain and on-ice leader. His offensive skills are pretty much non-existent at this point of his career (not that he ever was a high-scoring guy), but he's a smart player who still has a physical side to his game. He may be a dirty idiot, but he's the best they've got. Like the offense, the defense is also fairly young, with only Scott Hannan being considered true "veterans". The defense finished 17th in goals against last season, but their team defense really trailed off towards the end of the season when the youth of the team showed. The Avs will be looking to improve a penalty kill that finished 21st in the NHL, although they were successful in killing off 80% of the penalties against them. The defense is good but not great, and would be the weak link on the team from my perspective.
Goaltending: Craig Anderson was signed as a free agent from Florida, and promptly set the NHL on it's ear with his October, where he was scorching hot. However, over the course of the season, his numbers really came back to Earth, and I think that was due to a combination of teams scouting him and seeing him more than once, and fatigue on his part due to the fact this was his first season as a full-time starter. He played in 71 games, and faced the most shots in the NHL while making the most saves. Considering his status as a first-time starter, his numbers were good, especially given the young team in front of him. From everything I remember about last season combined with what I've read about him from their fans, he was clearly the team's MVP and the Avs probably would not have made the playoffs without him. Backing him up is Peter Budaj, the Avs "goalie-of-the-future" who never played up to his potential, leading the Avs to seek out Anderson's services.
Coaching: Joe Sacco is a young coach who took over a young team, and he squeezed every last ounce of talent out of his team last year. He definitely is a coach that stresses offense, as the Avs went from being a lousy offensive team to a high-scoring one. The team allowed the most shots in the NHL last season, and team defense does not seem to be stressed nearly as much as the offense is. I did notice in the few games that I watched that the Avs are an extremely fast team (owing partially to their youth), and they use that speed to gain an advantage on their opponents. They are not a very physical team, preferring to use their speed and skill over size. He had a free pass last year since it was supposed to be a re-building year, but this year the team will be expected to take another step forward.
Player to Watch: Matt Duchene burst onto the scene last year as a rookie, leading all rookies in points with 55 and tying for the rookie lead in goals with John Tavares at 24. What's impressive is that he finished +1 on a mediocre defensive team, and he saw some PK time. Duchene seems to be the real deal, and with some experience, he's going to become a dynamic player in the league. Don't ask me why, but I feel like that there will no sophomore slump from him, and he will build on these numbers.
Player With Something to Prove: Craig Anderson entered the season last year as a relative unknown, but after his October, there were some who considered him an early candidate for the Vezina. As the season progressed, however, he really came down to Earth, and his solid stats don't really tell the tale of how remarkedly different his season was between the first half and second half. As I said earlier, he was the main reason why the Avs made the playoffs last year, and if he takes a step backwards this season, the Avs could find themselves on the outside looking in once again. I think that Anderson needs to show the team and the NHL that he is a legitimate #1 goalie who can carry a team year-in and year-out.
Why They Can Win the Division: The Avs only finished 8 points behind the Canucks last season in the division, although they were in the mix for most of the season. The team seemed to have hit the collective wall towards the end of the season, although that was not unexpected due to how young the team is. The Avs pretty much kept their team intact, only losing Brett Clark and Darcy Tucker, 2 players who did not really contribute much to the team. In fact, with Tucker leaving, the Avs' "idiot-ness" has decreased significantly. If the young players on the team continue to develop in a positive fashion, and the veterans like Hejduk and Foote can stay healthy, the Avs could conceivably give the Canucks a run for their money in the division.
Why They Won't Win the Division: A lot of what the Avs do this season is going to hinge on whether Anderson can stay at the level he was at for most of the year last year, and whether their young players can continue their positive development with no setbacks. If either one of these things don't happen, the Avs will find themselves looking up at the Canucks once again.
My Prediction: I think the Avs are going to take a step back this season. I think there are too many "ifs" surrounding the team, especially around their young forwards and their development. I believe that some of them (especially Duchene) will be better, but to expect each and every one of their players to play as good or better as they did last year is a little too much to expect. Between the overall lack of elite talent on the Avs and the hyper-competitiveness of the West, the Avs have no margin for error, and I just don't see them getting better this year. I think they'll narrowly miss the playoffs, but the experience will be good for them. I will also guarantee that I will froth at the mouth if the Wings lose to them, because even though 90% of the players that made up the rivalry are gone, I still hate them. I want the Wings to beat the Avs every time, and beat them badly. Anything less than 4-0 against them makes me very upset.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Know Thy Enemy - Calgary Flames
We're a week away from Training Camp, and I'm getting giddy. Giddy in the sense that I will finally have something to watch on TV besides The Office reruns and baseball teams I don't care about. While the NFL season is fun for me (mostly because I gamble on it), nothing compares to the start of the NHL season; when every team believes they have a legitimate shot at winning the Stanley Cup (except the Leafs, who will never win again).
We are moving on to a team that has had high aspirations but not lived up to them the past few years. We head north into Alberta for today's preview.
Calgary Flames
Arrivals: Alex Tanguay; Olli Jokinen; Tim Jackman
Departures: Eric Nystrom; Christopher Higgins; David Van Der Gulik
The Flames were a team expected to really contend in the Western Conference last year, but after hanging around in the playoff race for most of the season, they fell apart late in the year and finished a disappointing 9th, tied with the Blues 5 points out of a playoff spot. The Flames went through an interesting transition last year, trading away Dion Phaneuf in the middle of the season, but overall they really struggled under new coach Brent Sutter. The Flames are hoping that some old faces will be able to re-energize a moribund offense from last year.
Offense: This is the area the Flames really struggled with last year, finishing second last in the NHL in total offense. The team is led by former Rocket Richard Trophy-winner Jarome Iginla, their captain and team leader, but once again the Flames are hoping that they can find a center that can properly maximize Iginla's talents. I've always liked Iginla, minus the series in 2007 against the Wings when he went super-stupid a la Shane Doan. The Flames are hoping they found that center in Olli Jokinen, a stud in Florida who has failed to live up to expectations in both his first go-round with Calgary and a stint in New York with the Rangers. The Flames are hoping that Jokinen will not have as much pressure on him this season, and that he and Iginla can form some sort of dynamic duo. The Flames also brought in another re-tread, Alex Tanguay, who had an awful season last year in Tampa. He will be united with Matt Stajan, a former Toronto prospect (get ready for this theme throughout this preview) who never lived up to his potential and was included in the Phaneuf deal last year. The Flames are hoping that the bad years these guys have had are in the past, and that they will finally get to where they are capable of in terms of scoring. A pleasant surprise for the Flames last year was Rene Bourque, who put up career highs in goals (27) and points last year (58), and the hope is that he will team up with Jokinen and Iginla to form a very dangerous first line. Outside of that top line, the Flames will be leaning on Daymond Langkow, Craig Conroy and Alex Kotalik to chip in with scoring. On the blueline, Ian White (another former Leaf) came over and immediately became a contributor, but the Flames will be looking for Jay Bouwmeester to justify the trade and sign deal they made with him last year. It was hoped that once Bouwmeester was surrounded by some real talent, he would shine, but he really disappointed a lot of people, including Steve Yzerman, who left him off the Team Canada Olympic Team. Ultimately, if the Flames are going to do anything in the Western Conference, their offense needs to get immensely better.
Defense: Despite the loss of Dion Phaneuf, the Flames still have one of the better, albeit underrated, defensive corps in the conference. They are led by Bouwmeester, one of the best skaters in the NHL and a big body back there. He's more like Lidstrom in that he is not a very physical defenseman, but he's smart and rarely makes killer mistakes. If his offense picks up, he could be an All-Star this year. Also contributing is Ian White, who is more of an offensive defenseman and will be looked to pick up and improve the power play. Mark Giordano is a physical defenseman with good puck skills, and he has steadily gained playing time and an increased role on the team. Cory Sarich and Steve Staios are the veterans on the blue line, and while neither contributes much offensively, they are both steady defensemen who can play against the other team's 3rd and 4th lines. The Flames currently have Robyn Regehr as well, but I've heard rumours that he may be on his way out. If he does stay on the team, he immediately makes the second pairing better, as he is a very physical guy who plays with an edge.
Goaltending: The Flames live and die with Mikka Kiprusoff. All Kipper did last year was play in his customary 70+ games, in which he put up a 2.31 GAA and a .920 SV% while winning 35 games. Whatever problems the Flames have, it's not in goal, as Kiprusoff has always been among the best goalies in the NHL. If he ever sustains a serious injury, the Flames are going to be in some serious trouble. You'll notice that I am not mentioning their backup goalie; 1, I don't know exactly who it is, and 2, it doesn't matter because he's going to play less than 10 games anyway.
Coaching: Brent Sutter, brother to GM Darryl Sutter, is in his second season with the Flames after he had walked away from the Devils. Sutter coaches the way he played: tough, hard, and with little finesse. He has been successful at all levels, especially in junior where he won a Memorial Cup (just as hard to win as a Stanley Cup given that there is a very small window and far more teams) and 2 World Junior Championship Gold medals for Canada. Last year was an aberration for him in terms of his team's success, and with an influx of talent coming to camp this year, Sutter should have more to work with.
Player to Watch: Jarome Iginla has been one of the premier power forwards in the NHL, capable of scoring 50 goals or pounding the crap out of just about anyone in the league. However, he has not had a consistent center that can feed him the puck, so his goal totals have been up and down for the past couple of seasons. With Olli Jokinen back in town, the potential is there that Iginla could get back to the 40-50 goal range, and again establish himself as one of the pre-eminent right wingers in the league. If he gets back to where he was 3-4 years ago, it will go a long way to getting the Flames back to contender status in the West.
Player With Something to Prove: Jay Bouwmeester was always known as a guy who was a great player on a bad Panthers team. It was long thought that once he was surrounded by talent, his skills would really be showcased and he would become one of the top teams in the league. The Flames traded for his rights before last season and signed him to a big deal, and he promptly went out and had probably his worst season as a pro. With Dion Phaneuf gone and Bouwmeester entering his prime, it's time for him to step up and show the league that his hype was deserved. He's got the physical abilities necessary to be a top defenseman; now it's about showing it on the ice.
Why They Can Win the Division: They've got the goaltending to go toe-to-toe with anyone in that division (Luongo definitely included). Their defensive corps is solid if unspectacular, and the Flames have traditionally been one of the more physical teams. If they can turn around that awful offense and score some goals, they could easily contend for the division with the Canucks.
Why They Won't Win the Division: My brain keeps telling me that at some point Kiprusoff's body is going to rebel against the team for playing him over 70 times per year, and this could be that year. If he gets hurt, forget about it; they're done. I also am not sold on the fact that Jokinen and Tanguay are somehow going to resurrect their careers in Calgary after having terrible seasons last year. If the offense doesn't improve, the Flames will once again be looking up at everyone else in the conference.
My Prediction: I think the Flames really underachieved last year, as they should have been a playoff team given the talent they had. However, they removed a big locker room distraction when Dion Phaneuf was traded to the Leafs, and this year the theme of the Flames is going to be "Fresh Starts". I don't believe the Flames are Stanley Cup contenders, but I also don't believe they are as bad as they showed last year. I see them as a playoff team this year, and with Kipper leading the way, they could make some noise in the early rounds. However, I don't see a huge future for this team the way they are currently constituted, and it seems like they are floundering. I will say this: the Sea of Red is one of the coolest things I have ever seen. I just hope I don't have to see it because the Wings are playing them in the playoffs: I hate the late games.
We are moving on to a team that has had high aspirations but not lived up to them the past few years. We head north into Alberta for today's preview.
Calgary Flames
Arrivals: Alex Tanguay; Olli Jokinen; Tim Jackman
Departures: Eric Nystrom; Christopher Higgins; David Van Der Gulik
The Flames were a team expected to really contend in the Western Conference last year, but after hanging around in the playoff race for most of the season, they fell apart late in the year and finished a disappointing 9th, tied with the Blues 5 points out of a playoff spot. The Flames went through an interesting transition last year, trading away Dion Phaneuf in the middle of the season, but overall they really struggled under new coach Brent Sutter. The Flames are hoping that some old faces will be able to re-energize a moribund offense from last year.
Offense: This is the area the Flames really struggled with last year, finishing second last in the NHL in total offense. The team is led by former Rocket Richard Trophy-winner Jarome Iginla, their captain and team leader, but once again the Flames are hoping that they can find a center that can properly maximize Iginla's talents. I've always liked Iginla, minus the series in 2007 against the Wings when he went super-stupid a la Shane Doan. The Flames are hoping they found that center in Olli Jokinen, a stud in Florida who has failed to live up to expectations in both his first go-round with Calgary and a stint in New York with the Rangers. The Flames are hoping that Jokinen will not have as much pressure on him this season, and that he and Iginla can form some sort of dynamic duo. The Flames also brought in another re-tread, Alex Tanguay, who had an awful season last year in Tampa. He will be united with Matt Stajan, a former Toronto prospect (get ready for this theme throughout this preview) who never lived up to his potential and was included in the Phaneuf deal last year. The Flames are hoping that the bad years these guys have had are in the past, and that they will finally get to where they are capable of in terms of scoring. A pleasant surprise for the Flames last year was Rene Bourque, who put up career highs in goals (27) and points last year (58), and the hope is that he will team up with Jokinen and Iginla to form a very dangerous first line. Outside of that top line, the Flames will be leaning on Daymond Langkow, Craig Conroy and Alex Kotalik to chip in with scoring. On the blueline, Ian White (another former Leaf) came over and immediately became a contributor, but the Flames will be looking for Jay Bouwmeester to justify the trade and sign deal they made with him last year. It was hoped that once Bouwmeester was surrounded by some real talent, he would shine, but he really disappointed a lot of people, including Steve Yzerman, who left him off the Team Canada Olympic Team. Ultimately, if the Flames are going to do anything in the Western Conference, their offense needs to get immensely better.
Defense: Despite the loss of Dion Phaneuf, the Flames still have one of the better, albeit underrated, defensive corps in the conference. They are led by Bouwmeester, one of the best skaters in the NHL and a big body back there. He's more like Lidstrom in that he is not a very physical defenseman, but he's smart and rarely makes killer mistakes. If his offense picks up, he could be an All-Star this year. Also contributing is Ian White, who is more of an offensive defenseman and will be looked to pick up and improve the power play. Mark Giordano is a physical defenseman with good puck skills, and he has steadily gained playing time and an increased role on the team. Cory Sarich and Steve Staios are the veterans on the blue line, and while neither contributes much offensively, they are both steady defensemen who can play against the other team's 3rd and 4th lines. The Flames currently have Robyn Regehr as well, but I've heard rumours that he may be on his way out. If he does stay on the team, he immediately makes the second pairing better, as he is a very physical guy who plays with an edge.
Goaltending: The Flames live and die with Mikka Kiprusoff. All Kipper did last year was play in his customary 70+ games, in which he put up a 2.31 GAA and a .920 SV% while winning 35 games. Whatever problems the Flames have, it's not in goal, as Kiprusoff has always been among the best goalies in the NHL. If he ever sustains a serious injury, the Flames are going to be in some serious trouble. You'll notice that I am not mentioning their backup goalie; 1, I don't know exactly who it is, and 2, it doesn't matter because he's going to play less than 10 games anyway.
Coaching: Brent Sutter, brother to GM Darryl Sutter, is in his second season with the Flames after he had walked away from the Devils. Sutter coaches the way he played: tough, hard, and with little finesse. He has been successful at all levels, especially in junior where he won a Memorial Cup (just as hard to win as a Stanley Cup given that there is a very small window and far more teams) and 2 World Junior Championship Gold medals for Canada. Last year was an aberration for him in terms of his team's success, and with an influx of talent coming to camp this year, Sutter should have more to work with.
Player to Watch: Jarome Iginla has been one of the premier power forwards in the NHL, capable of scoring 50 goals or pounding the crap out of just about anyone in the league. However, he has not had a consistent center that can feed him the puck, so his goal totals have been up and down for the past couple of seasons. With Olli Jokinen back in town, the potential is there that Iginla could get back to the 40-50 goal range, and again establish himself as one of the pre-eminent right wingers in the league. If he gets back to where he was 3-4 years ago, it will go a long way to getting the Flames back to contender status in the West.
Player With Something to Prove: Jay Bouwmeester was always known as a guy who was a great player on a bad Panthers team. It was long thought that once he was surrounded by talent, his skills would really be showcased and he would become one of the top teams in the league. The Flames traded for his rights before last season and signed him to a big deal, and he promptly went out and had probably his worst season as a pro. With Dion Phaneuf gone and Bouwmeester entering his prime, it's time for him to step up and show the league that his hype was deserved. He's got the physical abilities necessary to be a top defenseman; now it's about showing it on the ice.
Why They Can Win the Division: They've got the goaltending to go toe-to-toe with anyone in that division (Luongo definitely included). Their defensive corps is solid if unspectacular, and the Flames have traditionally been one of the more physical teams. If they can turn around that awful offense and score some goals, they could easily contend for the division with the Canucks.
Why They Won't Win the Division: My brain keeps telling me that at some point Kiprusoff's body is going to rebel against the team for playing him over 70 times per year, and this could be that year. If he gets hurt, forget about it; they're done. I also am not sold on the fact that Jokinen and Tanguay are somehow going to resurrect their careers in Calgary after having terrible seasons last year. If the offense doesn't improve, the Flames will once again be looking up at everyone else in the conference.
My Prediction: I think the Flames really underachieved last year, as they should have been a playoff team given the talent they had. However, they removed a big locker room distraction when Dion Phaneuf was traded to the Leafs, and this year the theme of the Flames is going to be "Fresh Starts". I don't believe the Flames are Stanley Cup contenders, but I also don't believe they are as bad as they showed last year. I see them as a playoff team this year, and with Kipper leading the way, they could make some noise in the early rounds. However, I don't see a huge future for this team the way they are currently constituted, and it seems like they are floundering. I will say this: the Sea of Red is one of the coolest things I have ever seen. I just hope I don't have to see it because the Wings are playing them in the playoffs: I hate the late games.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Know Thy Enemy - Edmonton Oilers
I hope that everyone had a wonderful Labour Day. I used the last long weekend of summer to work on my golf game and play a little pick-up baseball, and my body responded by essentially seizing up. It's hard to believe that such a small amount of physical exertion could cause this much stiffness, but there you go. I guess I'm getting older, and while I'm not in pro-athlete shape, I still like to think I'm not in Kyle Wellwood territory yet.
Once again, there's not a ton going on in the NHL right now. I won't get into the Dan Ellis thing, because it's stupid and not news at all. Kovy's contract saga is over (thank the maker for that), and it looks like Kirk Maltby might be getting an offer from the Red Wings soon. Training camp is less than 2 weeks away, and pretty soon we'll be watching pre-season games wondering who's going to get the coveted last forward spot.
We finished up the Central Division last week, and today we will be heading north and west to the...Northwest Division. In case you're wondering the order of these, I am looking at each team in reverse order of where they finished in the standings last year. Without further ado, let's move to the last place team from the Northwest last year.
Edmonton Oilers
Arrivals: Kurtis Foster; Colin Fraser; Alexandre Giroux; Jim Vandermeer
Departures: Ethan Moreau; Riley Nash; Robert Nilsson; Patrick O'Sullivan
Last year is a year the Oilers would like to forget. After the past few seasons when the Oilers were at least competitive, they went in the tank last year, finishing last overall in the NHL. The Oilers were not particularly adept at anything beyond getting injured and having their "stars" dramatically underachieve. This year does not promise to be pretty for the Oilers.
Offense: Taking a look at the Oilers' offense, there are very few names that jump out at you as legitimate offensive stars. The offense revolves around Ales Hemsky, probably their best player. Unfortunately, injuries limited him to 22 games last year, although he did score 22 points in those 22 games. The big surprise was Dustin Penner's breakout season where he led the Oilers in scoring with 63 points, making Kevin Lowe look a little smart for signing him to that monster contract as an RFA a few years ago. Besides Penner and Sam Gagner, no player on the Oil ended up with more than 40 points, and there will be a lot expected of the younger players this season. Sam Gagner and Andrew Cogliano are going to both be expected to step up this season, but the Oil are going to be looking for contributions from some rookies, most notably Team Canada WJC hero Jordan Eberle and Number 1 Overall pick Taylor Hall. Hall is going to very likely make the team this season, and being the first pick in the draft automatically carries a lot of pressure. It will be interesting to see how he responds, but everything I've read about him indicates he is a very confident player who should be able to adjust to the demands of playing in the NHL. For me, my eyes will be on Eberle, a guy who scored big goal after big goal for Canada at the WJC the last couple of years, and who has very quickly developed a reputation as being clutch. Those 2 guys should inject some much needed energy and life into an offense that finished 27th in the NHL last year. However, one area where Edmonton could expect to see a boost is offense from their defensemen. Ryan Whitney played well in his first full season, scoring 39 points for a bad offensive team. Sheldon Souray will be expected to stay healthy for the whole season and will be a boon to the power play. The signing of Kurtis Foster is also designed to infuse some scoring into the lineup, as he will be another pivotal player on the power play should Souray not be able to stay off IR this season. Overall, there might be some improvement in the Oil's offense, but not a lot.
Defense: As I said, the defense of the Oilers is not that bad at first glance. They are led by former Penguin Ryan Whitney, who was never seen as a great player in Pittsburgh but seems to be doing well in Edmonton. He's more of an offensive defenseman, but he was a plus player on a bad team last year, and that means something. Souray will be looking to play more than 37 games last year, and if he can do that, he brings a lot of experience to a young team. Tom Gilbert is a relatively unknown blueliner, but he's got some offensive upside. The signing of Foster and the trade for Vandermeer will add some more experience and talent to the defense. Overall, the defense is probably the strongest area of the team, and the team is hoping that this will prevent them from becoming the worst defensive team in the NHL for the second year in a row. They gave up 15 more goals than the #29 team (the Leafs), and if the Oilers want to be even remotely competitive, they are going to have to get better in this area.
Goaltending: Now if there's an area the Oilers need help in, it's in net. The Oil have been and continue to hope that Nikolai Khabibulin can become a legitimate #1 goalie again, but unfortunately his drinking and driving seem to have gotten in the way of his training. If this were the last year of Khabi's contract, I would pencil him in as a Vezina candidate, but since he's safe for a few more years, all bets are off. If Khabibulin is unable to be the guy the Oilers thought he was, then they are in big trouble. Martin Gerber, Jeff Deslauriers, and Devan Dubnyk are all on the roster, but none of them have any enjoyed any real sustained success in the NHL to this point in their careers. The Oil had 3 goalies play significant minutes last year, and none of them did very well. The Oilers are going to have to get decent play from their goalies.
Coaching: Tom Renney took over as coach of the Oilers this past off-season, and he inherits a young team. Renney is a good coach who enjoyed some success with the Rangers for a number of years before being ousted. He's a former junior coach who also enjoyed some significant success on the international stage, winning multiple medals in the World Championships and a silver medal at the 1994 Olympics. His teams have always been characterized as being solid defensively, but there is little flash there. He will be expected to continue the development of the team into making them respectable in the next few years, but there is little pressure on him this year.
Player to Watch: I think it's a safe bet that all eyes are going to be on Taylor Hall this year. He's coming into camp with a spot on the team pretty much locked up, and he's expected to really challenge for the Calder Trophy this year. He's a dynamic offensive player who put up big numbers in junior (106 points in 57 games last year), and he also showed that he can perform in the playoffs, scoring 35 points in 19 games as the Spitfires won the OHL Championship. He's going to be expected to score big points for the Oil this year, with 50 being a benchmark that seems reachable. However, when you check out his Prospect Profile you'll see that his favourite player is Sidney, so my respect for him just went down a notch. Either way, Hall should be an exciting player to watch this year.
Player With Something to Prove: This year has to be the year that Khabibulin proves he belongs in the discussion of better goalies in the NHL. A lot of people forget that he was a huge reason why the Lightning won the Cup in 2004, and he had a big hand in the Blackhawks' turnaround the last few seasons. However, last year was very forgettable for him personally, and with his back problems seemingly behind him, things were looking up. However, there was that pesky "convicted of a DUI and sentenced to 30 days in jail" thing that he has decided to appeal, so the question will be how much of a distraction that is over the course of a season. The Oilers are a young team overall, and Khabi is one of the main veterans on the team and someone the younger guys will be looking up to. This year could go a long way to restoring a lot of people's opinions about him.
Why They Can Win the Division: Not a chance in hell. None. Zero. Nil. If the Oilers win the Northwest, I will personally fly to Edmonton and have my picture taken with the Gretzky statue. Naked.
Why They Won't Win the Division: This is still a pretty bad team. They are definitely in transition right now, and the process of restoring respectability to the franchise of the '80s begins this year. Unfortunately, even in a weak division like the Northwest, there's no hope for them. I think if they can stay out of the basement in the Western Conference, the season will be considered a success.
My Prediction: This team is years away from being mediocre, although they are moving in the right direction. Unfortunately for their fans, they can expect another long season resulting in a lottery pick. However, if history tells us anything, in 3-4 years, the Oilers will parlay those picks into a Stanley Cup championship, and will then have to sell off the depth players that got them there. Either way, the only highlight for me regarding the Oilers is the H2H2 game on March 11, when I hope to witness my first ever Wings victory at Joe Louis Arena (don't ask me about the only other game I've seen at the Joe - I still have nightmares about it - ok, ask me if you want). Ultimately, this team will be finishing towards the bottom of the NHL standings, but for some reason, the Wings will have problems with them.
Once again, there's not a ton going on in the NHL right now. I won't get into the Dan Ellis thing, because it's stupid and not news at all. Kovy's contract saga is over (thank the maker for that), and it looks like Kirk Maltby might be getting an offer from the Red Wings soon. Training camp is less than 2 weeks away, and pretty soon we'll be watching pre-season games wondering who's going to get the coveted last forward spot.
We finished up the Central Division last week, and today we will be heading north and west to the...Northwest Division. In case you're wondering the order of these, I am looking at each team in reverse order of where they finished in the standings last year. Without further ado, let's move to the last place team from the Northwest last year.
Edmonton Oilers
Arrivals: Kurtis Foster; Colin Fraser; Alexandre Giroux; Jim Vandermeer
Departures: Ethan Moreau; Riley Nash; Robert Nilsson; Patrick O'Sullivan
Last year is a year the Oilers would like to forget. After the past few seasons when the Oilers were at least competitive, they went in the tank last year, finishing last overall in the NHL. The Oilers were not particularly adept at anything beyond getting injured and having their "stars" dramatically underachieve. This year does not promise to be pretty for the Oilers.
Offense: Taking a look at the Oilers' offense, there are very few names that jump out at you as legitimate offensive stars. The offense revolves around Ales Hemsky, probably their best player. Unfortunately, injuries limited him to 22 games last year, although he did score 22 points in those 22 games. The big surprise was Dustin Penner's breakout season where he led the Oilers in scoring with 63 points, making Kevin Lowe look a little smart for signing him to that monster contract as an RFA a few years ago. Besides Penner and Sam Gagner, no player on the Oil ended up with more than 40 points, and there will be a lot expected of the younger players this season. Sam Gagner and Andrew Cogliano are going to both be expected to step up this season, but the Oil are going to be looking for contributions from some rookies, most notably Team Canada WJC hero Jordan Eberle and Number 1 Overall pick Taylor Hall. Hall is going to very likely make the team this season, and being the first pick in the draft automatically carries a lot of pressure. It will be interesting to see how he responds, but everything I've read about him indicates he is a very confident player who should be able to adjust to the demands of playing in the NHL. For me, my eyes will be on Eberle, a guy who scored big goal after big goal for Canada at the WJC the last couple of years, and who has very quickly developed a reputation as being clutch. Those 2 guys should inject some much needed energy and life into an offense that finished 27th in the NHL last year. However, one area where Edmonton could expect to see a boost is offense from their defensemen. Ryan Whitney played well in his first full season, scoring 39 points for a bad offensive team. Sheldon Souray will be expected to stay healthy for the whole season and will be a boon to the power play. The signing of Kurtis Foster is also designed to infuse some scoring into the lineup, as he will be another pivotal player on the power play should Souray not be able to stay off IR this season. Overall, there might be some improvement in the Oil's offense, but not a lot.
Defense: As I said, the defense of the Oilers is not that bad at first glance. They are led by former Penguin Ryan Whitney, who was never seen as a great player in Pittsburgh but seems to be doing well in Edmonton. He's more of an offensive defenseman, but he was a plus player on a bad team last year, and that means something. Souray will be looking to play more than 37 games last year, and if he can do that, he brings a lot of experience to a young team. Tom Gilbert is a relatively unknown blueliner, but he's got some offensive upside. The signing of Foster and the trade for Vandermeer will add some more experience and talent to the defense. Overall, the defense is probably the strongest area of the team, and the team is hoping that this will prevent them from becoming the worst defensive team in the NHL for the second year in a row. They gave up 15 more goals than the #29 team (the Leafs), and if the Oilers want to be even remotely competitive, they are going to have to get better in this area.
Goaltending: Now if there's an area the Oilers need help in, it's in net. The Oil have been and continue to hope that Nikolai Khabibulin can become a legitimate #1 goalie again, but unfortunately his drinking and driving seem to have gotten in the way of his training. If this were the last year of Khabi's contract, I would pencil him in as a Vezina candidate, but since he's safe for a few more years, all bets are off. If Khabibulin is unable to be the guy the Oilers thought he was, then they are in big trouble. Martin Gerber, Jeff Deslauriers, and Devan Dubnyk are all on the roster, but none of them have any enjoyed any real sustained success in the NHL to this point in their careers. The Oil had 3 goalies play significant minutes last year, and none of them did very well. The Oilers are going to have to get decent play from their goalies.
Coaching: Tom Renney took over as coach of the Oilers this past off-season, and he inherits a young team. Renney is a good coach who enjoyed some success with the Rangers for a number of years before being ousted. He's a former junior coach who also enjoyed some significant success on the international stage, winning multiple medals in the World Championships and a silver medal at the 1994 Olympics. His teams have always been characterized as being solid defensively, but there is little flash there. He will be expected to continue the development of the team into making them respectable in the next few years, but there is little pressure on him this year.
Player to Watch: I think it's a safe bet that all eyes are going to be on Taylor Hall this year. He's coming into camp with a spot on the team pretty much locked up, and he's expected to really challenge for the Calder Trophy this year. He's a dynamic offensive player who put up big numbers in junior (106 points in 57 games last year), and he also showed that he can perform in the playoffs, scoring 35 points in 19 games as the Spitfires won the OHL Championship. He's going to be expected to score big points for the Oil this year, with 50 being a benchmark that seems reachable. However, when you check out his Prospect Profile you'll see that his favourite player is Sidney, so my respect for him just went down a notch. Either way, Hall should be an exciting player to watch this year.
Player With Something to Prove: This year has to be the year that Khabibulin proves he belongs in the discussion of better goalies in the NHL. A lot of people forget that he was a huge reason why the Lightning won the Cup in 2004, and he had a big hand in the Blackhawks' turnaround the last few seasons. However, last year was very forgettable for him personally, and with his back problems seemingly behind him, things were looking up. However, there was that pesky "convicted of a DUI and sentenced to 30 days in jail" thing that he has decided to appeal, so the question will be how much of a distraction that is over the course of a season. The Oilers are a young team overall, and Khabi is one of the main veterans on the team and someone the younger guys will be looking up to. This year could go a long way to restoring a lot of people's opinions about him.
Why They Can Win the Division: Not a chance in hell. None. Zero. Nil. If the Oilers win the Northwest, I will personally fly to Edmonton and have my picture taken with the Gretzky statue. Naked.
Why They Won't Win the Division: This is still a pretty bad team. They are definitely in transition right now, and the process of restoring respectability to the franchise of the '80s begins this year. Unfortunately, even in a weak division like the Northwest, there's no hope for them. I think if they can stay out of the basement in the Western Conference, the season will be considered a success.
My Prediction: This team is years away from being mediocre, although they are moving in the right direction. Unfortunately for their fans, they can expect another long season resulting in a lottery pick. However, if history tells us anything, in 3-4 years, the Oilers will parlay those picks into a Stanley Cup championship, and will then have to sell off the depth players that got them there. Either way, the only highlight for me regarding the Oilers is the H2H2 game on March 11, when I hope to witness my first ever Wings victory at Joe Louis Arena (don't ask me about the only other game I've seen at the Joe - I still have nightmares about it - ok, ask me if you want). Ultimately, this team will be finishing towards the bottom of the NHL standings, but for some reason, the Wings will have problems with them.
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