Hockey

Stanley Cup Prediction

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+ – Division Winner
Eastern Conference
1. Philadelphia Flyers+
2. Washington Capitals+
3. Boston Bruins+
4. Pittsburgh Penguins
5. Buffalo Sabres
6. Tampa Bay Lightning
7. New York Rangers
8. Montreal Canadiens
Western Conference
1. Vancouver Canucks+
2. San Jose Sharks+
3. Detroit Red Wings+
4. Los Angeles Kings
5. Chicago Blackhawks
6. Anaheim Ducks
7. St. Louis Blues
8. Nashville Predators
Conference Finals
Flyers over Sabres
Kings over Sharks
Stanley Cup Finals

Flyers over Kings

Northwest Division Preview

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1. Vancouver Canucks
They’ll need to get over last years final failure
2. Calgary Flames
They’re still contenders, but the division is becoming more competitive
3. Minnesota Wild
An influx of offense should rejuvenate them
4. Colorado Avalanche
After going two steps backward last year they must leap forward
5. Edmonton Oilers
It will be another year before they will contend for the playoffs
Key Acquisitions
Canucks: F Marco Sturm
Flames: D Chris Butler
Wild: F Dany Heatley, F Devin Setoguchi
Avalanche: G Semyon Varlamov, G J.S. Giguere
Oilers: F Ryan Smyth, F Eric Belanger
Team Previews
Vancouver
There has been a lot of time for the Canucks to think about what happened in the last two games of the Stanley Cup Finals last year.  It’s hard to say that Vancouver won’t make it back, but they have a lot of soul searching to do.  First is with goaltender Roberto Luongo.  More concerns are coming up that he can never win the Stanley Cup.  That still remains to be seen because he can still get the job done by getting Vancouver back into the playoffs.  They decided to stand pat with the roster that took them to the Stanley Cup Finals last year.  Henrik and Daniel Sedin are still among the best players in the NHL.  Their playoff performances though will damage their reputations going forward.  Ryan Kesler would be on the top line of the other 29 teams in the league, but he fits in perfectly with the Canucks top two lines.  Alex Burrows was a pest during the playoffs and will look to continue his upward trend. Whether Mason Raymond and Mikael Samuelsson can have better scoring seasons will be the key to their offense.  Their depth on the blue-line is still staggering.  Kevin Bieksa and Dan Hamhuis form a terrific duo and Alex Edler complements Vancouver’s power play with excellent precision.  
Calgary
They had a rough going last year, but remained competitive even after firing GM Darryl Sutter halfway into the season.  This year the roster looks the same, but are counting too much on aging veterans to make another run at the playoffs.  Jarome Iginla is still a productive force for the Flames.  Him and Alex Tanguay formed a good duo last year and the Flames re-signed Tanguay to keep that chemistry going.  Whether they can ever get anything out of Olli Jokinen remains to be seen, but they expect more of the same from Rene Bourque and Curtis Glencross with their 20+ goal seasons.  Calgary invested a lot in defenseman Jay Bouwmeester and they haven’t yet seen that investment come to fruition.  Anton Babchuk and Mark Giordano had great seasons, but it will be overlooked if Bouwmeester has another down year after wanting out of Florida for so many years.  Goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff is still playing in a lot of games at this stage in his career.  The Flames will have to keep him fresh if they are to end their two year drought in the playoffs.
Minnesota
A big splash was made in two separate deals between Minnesota and San Jose this offseason.  The Wild gave San Jose Brent Burns in exchange for Devin Setoguchi in a draft day deal.  Then into the free agency period the Wild dealt Martin Havlat to San Jose for Dany Heatley.  The deal that brought Setoguchi fulfilled needs for both teams, but the deal that brought Heatley was a surprise.  For one no one thought that they would be able to deal Havlat and his contract.  And two who thought they would be able to get one of the best scorers in the process?  Heatley’s two years in San Jose weren’t spectacular by any stretch.  They expected him to play big in the playoffs and he fell flat.  With Heatley and Setoguchi playing on the top line with Mikko Koivu it will instantly bring life to Minnesota’s offense.  Far less pressure playing in Minnesota than in San Jose.  Nick Schultz is their top defenseman on the blue-line now that Burns is gone.  Schultz isn’t an offensive force, but can manage the teams attack.  Niklas Backstrom had a nice bounce back season in net for the Wild, but his record indicates that there was no support from the offense.  That should change this year.
Colorado
The expectations were getting to this young team last year and it showed down the stretch.  The peculiar deadline trade of Kevin Shattenkirk and Chris Stewart to St. Louis for Erik Johnson and Jay McClement brought more angst than relief.  Going forward this year the Avalanche believe that they are poised to get back into contention with a fresh start.  Young stars Matt Duchene and Ryan O’Reilly have to shake off their struggles from last year.  Paul Stastny and David Jones should continue to provide support with Duchene and O’Reilly on the top two lines.  With Erik Johnson now charged with leading the defense he must start living up to is billing as the number one overall pick in 2006.  Another problem in the Rocky Mountains was their goaltending.  They believe they’ve solved that problem with the additions of Semyon Varlamov and J.S. Giguere.  Both have had trouble staying healthy for a full season.  The Avs believe that with both of them sharing the load in net that they will stay healthy for what Colorado hopes is a playoff run.
Edmonton

The Oilers are going about their rebuilding project the right way. They have two stars in the making in Taylor Hall and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins who will eventually bring Edmonton back into the playoffs. They haven’t been to the playoffs since 2006, the year in which they lost in the Stanley Cup Finals.  Looking at them now they have good pieces in place to remain competitive and stay out of the cellar in the Western Conference.  Bringing back Ryan Smyth won’t make a big impact for the Oilers, but it will help in bringing along the young players.  Eric Belanger is a great playmaker and will help win important faceoffs throughout the game.  Taylor Hall led the team in goals scored last year and should approach the 30 goal plateau this year.  If Shawn Horcoff and Ales Hemsky can remain healthy for more than 40 games it will put less pressure on Sam Gagner and Jordan Eberle to repeat their early success last year.  Ryan Whitney is becoming a mainstay on the blue-line, but health has become a problem for him.  Tom Gilbert is another big body who was a good producer on the point when Whitney was out. They’ll have to find a new goalie soon.  Nikolai Khabibulin is nearing the end of his career.  Waiting in the wings is the 6-6 Devan Dubnyk who put up good numbers in 35 games last year.

Central Division Preview

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1. Detroit Red Wings
This could be the last time they contend with Lidstrom
2. Chicago Blackhawks
With some added grit Chicago could make another title run
3. St. Louis Blues
It’s time for the Blues to reach their potential
4. Nashville Predators
Their defensive trio can’t do it all by themselves
5. Columbus Blue Jackets
They want to win now, but they’re still weak in net
Key Acquisitions
Red Wings: D Ian White, G Ty Conklin
Blackhawks: D Steve Montador, F Andrew Brunette
Blues: F Jason Arnott, F Jamie Langenbrunner
Predators: F Niclas Bergfors
Blue Jackets: F Jeff Carter, D James Wisniewski
Team Previews
Detroit
They will do enough on offense and defense to win games, but will they get a better year from goaltender Jimmy Howard?  He did win 37 games last year, but his 2.79 GAA was way too high for him. Bringing back Ty Conklin to backup Howard was a good move to help insure there isn’t any let down in net this season.  Detroit must have a healthy Pavel Datsyuk if they are to make another run at the Cup.  They will get the same consistent production from Henrik Zetterberg, but the key is with Datsyuk.  The same can be said for Johan Franzen who was healthy, but didn’t produce at his usual pace.  Valtteri Filppula and Darren Helm will have to emerge as premiere players this season.  They can’t continue to rely on them as players waiting in the wings.  The defense will have Nicklas Lidstrom for another season and that bodes well for the entire team.  He never stops playing at a high level and has been instrumental in the emergence of fellow Swede Niklas Kronwall. Ian White will try to replace the production of the retired Brian Rafalski. It will be hard, but the Red Wings depth on defense is as good as its ever been.
Chicago
The salary cap era in the NHL hasn’t been too kind to the Blackhawks.  They have lost some key players due to the restrictions of the salary cap the last two offseasons.  However, they still have a talented core that will be around for a long time and that alone will keep them in contention.  Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane are two of the best young forwards in the NHL.  They are complemented well on the top line with Patrick Sharp who must be re-signed soon or he will likely find a new home after the season.  Marian Hossa is still a great scorer, but age is starting to catch up with him.  Dave Bolland must stay healthy to keep the second line productive when Toews and Kane are in slumps. Andrew Brunette was a great find who will bring added scoring to the power play.  Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook are the only defenseman who can provide a consistent scoring threat from the blue-line.  Steve Montador was brought in to try and change that, but youngster Nick Leddy can provide added offense as well. Goaltender Corey Crawford had some fans forgetting about Antti Niemi.  Crawford was given an opportunity to be the full time starter and didn’t disappoint.  How he does in his second full season will determine the Blackhawks fortunes.
St. Louis
If the St. Louis Blues are going to get back to the playoffs, they will need a big season from goalie Jaroslav Halak.  It was big news last year when they acquired him from Montreal after his tremendous playoff performance in 2010.  He fell flat last year and so did the rest of the team.  Halak has a good young defense in front of him that should rejuvenate him and the Blues.  Kevin Shattenkirk was acquired at the trade deadline last year that saw Erik Johnson depart to Colorado.  Shattenkirk is a good puck passer and excellent on the power play.  Along with Alex Pietrangelo who is in the mold of Chris Pronger who once played in St. Louis, the Blues have a fabulous blue-line.  Along with Shattenkirk the Blues received Chris Stewart who has drawn comparisons to Jarome Iginla in Calgary.  If Stewart does live up to that potential the Blues will have a one-sided victory in that deal. Veterans Jason Arnott and Jamie Langenbrunner were brought in more for support and to keep the young players motivated and focused.  David Backes and T.J. Oshie are stars in the making, but Oshie must stay healthy and keep his head on straight.  If Andy McDonald can stay healthy the Blues will have a big boost from the wing to set up Backes and Oshie for easy goals.
Nashville
It’s imperative that the Predators keep the trio of start they have in Shea Weber, Ryan Suter and Pekka Rinne.  It will be tough, but for the future of the franchise to stay competitive they must keep all three.  They advanced past the quarterfinals last year for the first time in franchise history.  The big reason was because of those three mentioned earlier.  Weber is a physical force wherever he is on the ice.  Like Zdeno Chara for Boston, Weber has a devastating slap shot that is tough to pick up.  Suter is an excellent setup man on the blue-line.  Not the fastest skater, but he knows his way around the ice.  Rinne is among the best goaltenders in the NHL today.  Another Vezina trophy nomination this season will result in a big pay day coming to the 6-5 Finn.  The Predators have struggled to find a consistent scoring threat, but that hasn’t stopped them from competing.  Patric Hornqvist and Sergei Kostitsyn were the top goal scorers last year and must be again. A full season from Mike Fisher after being acquired last season from Ottawa will help set up Nashville’s top scorers.  If David Legwand and Colin Wilson both have 50+ point seasons it will be a breathe of fresh air in the Music City.
Columbus

They made two big moves to help improve the team now and for the future, but it might not be enough in the competitive Central Division.  Jeff Carter was the Flyers best scorer in Philadelphia. Now the Blue Jackets expect the same, but also expect a resurgent Rick Nash.  Nash struggled last year.  He had no one else to take the pressure off him the entire season.  With Carter aboard all that should change.  R.J. Umberger and Antoine Vermette had decent seasons, but should bounce back with Jeff Carter’s presence. Columbus hopes that with that move on offense, the defense will be much improved with the signing of James Wisniewski.  He received a hefty pay raise after a career year in Montreal and New York with the Islanders.  He should instantly bring life to the Blue Jackets power play which was near the bottom statistically last year.  It remains to be seen if Fedor Tyutin and Kris Russell will pan out, but with Wisniewski aboard their roles will be more to their talents.  Goaltender Steve Mason must return to his rookie season in which he had 10 shutouts and a goals-against average of 2.29.  Since then he’s had a combined 8 shutouts and a goals-against average over 3.00.  Columbus’ success can only go as far as Steve Mason takes them.

Pacific Division Preview

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1. San Jose Sharks
This has to be the year they get over the hump and play for the Cup
2. Los Angeles Kings
The next step is to get past the first round of the playoffs
3. Anaheim Ducks
So goes G Jonas Hiller, so goes the Ducks season
4. Phoenix Coyotes
They’ve defied all odds the last 2 years, but not this year
5. Dallas Stars
A new head coach means a rough season in ‘Big D’
Key Acquisitions
Sharks: D Brent Burns, F Martin Havlat, F Michal Handzus
Kings: F Mike Richards, F Simon Gagne
Ducks: F Andrew Cogliano, D Kurtis Foster
Coyotes: G Mike Smith, F Raffi Torres
Stars: F Michael Ryder, D Sheldon Souray
Team Previews
San Jose
They went all in again this year with a bit of house cleaning in the offseason.  They dealt away two of the best goal scorers to get some help on the blue-line and add a playmaker to the offense. Brent Burns is the perfect complement to Dan Boyle on the blue-line.  Burns is more of a goal scorer while Boyle is perfect at setting up the scorers.  Both should make each other more potent. Martin Havlat is the playmaker that the Sharks have lacked. Other than Joe Thornton there isn’t anyone else that is a consistent threat to setup the other scorers.  Havlat has been an afterthought since signing his free agent deal in Minnesota.  He will be tasked with replacing Dany Heatley who hasn’t lived up to his billing in the playoffs for the Sharks the last two years.  With Thornton on the top line will be the reliable Patrick Marleau.  He is their best goal scorer and their catalyst on offense.  Following the top line are a slew of young scorers in Logan Couture, Ryan Clowe and Joe Pavelski.  All three are great players that make the Sharks team go.  Goaltender Antti Niemi was good, but not anywhere near what he was for Chicago two years ago.  He’ll have to be that if the Sharks want to win the Stanley Cup.
Los Angeles
This is the Kings make or break year.  They have put all of their chips on the table to make a move this year at getting to the Stanley Cup Finals.  General Manager Dean Lombardi traded a top prospect in Brayden Schenn and an established player in Wayne Simmonds to acquire Philadelphia Flyers captain Mike Richards. He then signed Richards’ former teammate when he played for the Flyers in Simon Gagne.  Two moves that will pay dividend for the rest of the team that is already in place.  Richards immediately helps on the power play and in penalty kill situations.  Gagne will be a good complement with Richards on the same line.  Anze Kopitar being fully recovered from an ankle injury should scare the rest of the league.  This could be an MVP year for him.  Dustin Brown, Justin Williams and Jarret Stoll are scrappy players who can also score goals with the best of them.  Which Dustin Penner will show up this year?  LA would like to see the former 30 goal scorer in Edmonton.  Drew Doughty and Jack Johnson could have another great young defenseman in Alec Martinez coming through the ranks after his late season performance.  Their blue-line is extremely deep.  Jonathan Quick had another great year in net for the Kings and will have to continue that upward trend for the Kings to get out of the quarterfinals.
Anaheim
There wasn’t a hotter team for the last two months of last season than the one in Anaheim.  They surged past a lot of teams in the Western Conference to host a playoff series.  Unfortunately they were knocked out of that series by Nashville, but the Ducks remain relatively intact and will have a healthy Jonas Hiller in net to start the season.  If Hiller doesn’t have anymore bouts with vertigo this season the Ducks will be a dangerous team.  The return of Teemu Selanne might not mean much, but his 80 point season last year was one for the ages.  He is without a doubt the heart and soul of this team.  Ryan Getzlaf must remain healthy for the Ducks to remain competitive, but even without him the Ducks were fine thank to last years MVP, Corey Perry.  His 50 goal season was one that many hockey fans will talk about for a long time.  Bobby Ryan could potentially have a season like the one Perry had last year, but he doesn’t have to do that.  His 70+ point seasons are just fine.  Look for Lubomir Visnovsky to not skip a beat after his 68 point season last year.  His fellow linemate Toni Lydman should continue to be an excellent complement to Lubo.  Cam Fowler had a tremendous rookie season last year and will only get better thanks to the many veterans the Ducks have on the blue-line.
Phoenix
With so much turmoil regarding the arena and ownership the Coyotes manage to compete and have been in the playoffs the last two years.  All the credit goes to head coach Dave Tippett who shouldn’t have been let go in Dallas.  What he has done is simply amazing.  This year is going to be even tougher for the Coyotes. They let go their franchise goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov to Philadelphia.  To replace him they brought in Mike Smith who was once a top prospect in Dallas under Tippett.  Smith did underachieve in Dallas and Tampa Bay, but Phoenix is a perfect spot for him.  Less attention and less pressure in the sense that no one will expect him to replace Bryzgalov.  Captain Shane Doan continues to be a consistent scorer for the Coyotes.  Without a lot of support he doesn’t give in to the naysayers that don’t think Phoenix can compete.  Veterans Radim Vrbata and Ray Whitney are excellent complements and set a good example for the young players Phoenix is bringing along.  The time will come very soon that defenseman Keith Yandle will be nominated for the Norris trophy.  He is the real deal.  Pretty soon he will have another great defenseman alongside him in Oliver Ekman-Larsson.  Their 1st round pick in 2009 is quickly becoming a household name in the desert.
Dallas

They let their best player leave during free agency.  Now they are left to pick up the pieces.  They can’t replace Brad Richards, but they still have some talent in place to try and help offset that loss. Loui Eriksson and Brenden Morrow will be tasked with trying to replace what Richard was able to do for the Stars.  Both are good players, but it will be hard to ask them to try and do that.  Mike Ribeiro will take over the top line.  He is a good setup man and it should be a nice welcome for Eriksson and Morrow.  Whether Jamie Benn can continue to increase his production remains to be seen.  Newcomer Michael Ryder wasn’t asked to do a lot in Boston, but it will be a different story in Dallas.  Defensively the Stars should be sound with Stephane Robidas and Alex Goligoski holding down the blue-line.  Both are great offensive defenseman. Especially Goligoski who is a force on the power play.  Goaltender Kari Lehtonen had a great year for the Stars last year.  If he is right Dallas might surprise some people this year and that will be because of Lehtonen.

Southeast Division Preview

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1. Washington Capitals
The moves they made in the offseason will result in a deep playoff run
2. Tampa Bay Lightning
Their success depends on their goalies and blue-line
3. Carolina Hurricanes
They will need even more production from Staal and Ward
4. Florida Panthers
All the offseason moves combined with the young talent will eventually lead to the playoffs
5. Winnipeg Jets
A supportive fan base won’t be enough to get the Jets into the playoffs
Key Acquisitions
Capitals: F Troy Brouwer, D Roman Hamrlik, G Tomas Vokoun, F Joel Ward
Lightning: G Mathieu Garon
Hurricanes: G Brian Boucher, D Tomas Kaberle
Panthers: D Brian Campbell, G Jose Theodore, F Kris Versteeg, F Scottie Upshall
Jets: F Eric Fehr
Team Previews
Washington
They desperately needed some grit after another early exit in the playoffs.  George McPhee didn’t stand pat and made some key moves to bring some grit to their talented roster.  Acquiring Troy Brouwer and Joel Ward to complement the scoring of Alex Ovechkin, Alexander Semin and Nicklas Backstrom was huge. Brouwer is a Stanley Cup winner in Chicago and knows what it takes to play during the playoffs.  Ward had a fantastic playoff run last year in Nashville and was rewarded for that run by signing with a powerhouse team.  Should all the players mentioned perform up to their standards the Capitals will be among the best scoring teams once again.  Tomas Vokoun was signed to a one year contract to help the Caps win right now.  He is among the best goaltenders year in and year out, but Michal Neuvirth will get his chance to play as well learning under Vokoun.  Mike Green has to return to form.  If he doesn’t the defense will suffer again.  Signing Roman Hamrlik was a big acquisition as it helps offset the issue of Green’s health.  John Carlson and Dennis Wideman aren’t too bad either on the blue-line.
Tampa Bay
Boston had to beat the Lightning in 7 games of the conference finals to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals last year.  They lost some key pieces during the offseason, but the majority of their core has stayed intact.  Steven Stamkos and Martin St. Louis are apart of that core and they both are expected to continue their 90 point production.  Vincent Lecavalier had a good year and an even better playoff run.  He’ll need to be even better for the Lightning to make the next step into the Stanley Cup Finals.  Teddy Purcell will have to step into a bigger role with the departures of Simon Gagne and Sean Bergenheim.  Tampa Bay received a spark in net when they acquired goaltender Dwayne Roloson last year.  They will be careful not to overwork the 42 year old net-minder.  That’s why they signed Mathieu Garon to be the backup.  He is more than capable of spelling Roloson for 30 games.  This will be the year for defenseman Victor Hedman to see if he can live up to his billing as a top-5 pick.  He has been good, but he must be great.  A full season with Eric Brewer should help Hedman become a great player.
Carolina
They just missed out on the playoffs last year.  Now Carolina has to regroup with the talent they have.  Captain Eric Staal will look to have another stellar season, but he will need help from other teammates to get Carolina into the playoffs.  Particularly Jussi Jokinen and Tuomo Ruutu.  Both were fantastic two years ago, but with the expectations they haven’t been able to repeat those performances.  Jeff Skinner was phenomenal in his rookie season. Can he continue to put up 30 goal seasons from here on out? Goaltender Cam Ward is a fan favorite for the Hurricanes.  He is their security blanket with a suspect defense the past couple years.  Brian Boucher was a great acquisition to keep Ward fresh for the playoff run later in the year.  Will the Hurricanes get what they expect out of defenseman Tomas Kaberle?  That will be a big question for them as he instantly becomes their best defenseman. Joni Pitkanen and Jamie McBain aren’t too shabby either, but they will need Kaberle to produce a 40 point season.
Florida
There is a good mix of established players, free agent signings and young players that is built to win for a long time in Florida.  At the top is Stephen Weiss and David Booth.  With all the moves GM Dave Tallon made in the offseason both Weiss and Booth will have less pressure and should produce 60+ point seasons.  Kris Versteeg is one of three former Chicago Blackhawks players that Tallon acquired in the offseason.  Tomas Kopecky and Brian Campbell are the other two.  Tallon is familiar with those players since he was the former GM of Chicago before their Stanley Cup championship two years ago.  Versteeg is a talented young forward who should push for 30 goals this season.  Scottie Upshall can do the same.  He’s a pure shooter and is exactly what the Panthers need with Booth and Weiss on the top line.  Sean Bergenheim’s playoff performance in Tampa Bay didn’t go unnoticed and the Panthers would like to see that from him.  With Campbell and Ed Jovanovski on the blue-line Florida has a deep defensive line. Dmitry Kulikov is already establishing himself as a mainstay for many years.  Jose Theodore isn’t an upgrade over Tomas Vokoun, but with him and Scott Clemmensen sharing the net it isn’t a bad combination.
Winnipeg

The NHL has returned to Winnipeg for the first time since 1996. That last year in Winnipeg happened to be a playoff year for the Jets.  They have inherited a good team in the Atlanta Thrashers, but they play in perhaps the toughest division in the NHL.  It is unlikely these Jets will compete for a playoff spot this year, but with a supportive fan base it will be tough to beat the Jets in Winnipeg.  Subtle moves were made in the offseason to improve the Jets.  They hired a new coach in Claud Noel who coached in the same arena in Winnipeg for the Manitoba Moose last season. He knows the area and will take advantage of that.  He has a pretty good roster that includes captain Andrew Ladd.  His 59 point season last year was a career high, but expect that to go up this year.  Evander Kane is a young talented forward that is ready to breakout into the 60 point range.  If Eric Fehr can stay healthy he can provide added scoring punch coming over from Washington. Dustin Byfuglien transitioned nicely into a defenseman last year. He still put up amazing offensive numbers and will continue to improve on defense.  Tobias Enstrom is ready to become a Norris Trophy contender.  Back to back 50 point seasons prove that. Goaltender Ondrej Pavelec rebounded nicely after a scary scene on opening night last year.  He is healthy and ready to show he can play amongst the best in the league.