2009 NHL PREVIEWS

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After suffering yet another first-round playoff exit, something had to change in Calgary.

And change it did, as the Flames fired head coach Mike Keenan and replaced him with Brent Sutter, younger brother of general manager Darryl Sutter. The elder Sutter also pulled off a big trade in the offseason, acquiring coveted defenseman Jay Bouwmeester from Florida.

The task for the Flames this year is obvious. Keep up the good work in the regular season, but then carry that success into the playoffs. After all, a team that has averaged nearly 98 points a season since the lockout simply can't afford to have not won a single playoff series over that span.

The addition of Bouwmeester should vastly improve an already stalwart defense, but the Flames didn't address the team's biggest concern, that is, lightening the offensive load for captain Jarome Iginla. Last year, Mike Cammalleri more than did the job with a team-high 39 goals, but he opted to sign a lucrative five-year deal with Montreal this summer.

However, the improved defense should help goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff bounce back from a down year. If it doesn't, then the Flames could be in big trouble considering Kiprusoff is not far behind Iginla as Calgary's second-most important player.


ON THE ATTACK
Iginla has been the cornerstone of the Flames for more than a decade and, at 32 years old, he still has at least a few good years left in him.

Last year, Iginla narrowly missed going over 90 points for a third straight season when he posted 35 goals and a team-high 54 assists. Beginning with his Art Ross Trophy-winning year of 2001-02, the winger has averaged 41 goals and 83 points per season. He has also proven to be extremely durable in that span, averaging just over 79 games a season.

Expect more of the same from Iginla this year, as he does the heavy lifting for Calgary's offense once again.

Outside of the Bouwmeester pick-up, the biggest positive this year for the Flames seems to be the fact that the team will have an entire season with Olli Jokinen centering Iginla's line.

Jokinen was picked up in a trade with Phoenix just before last year's deadline and he notched 15 points (8 goals, 7 assists) in just 19 games with the Flames. The 30-year-old Finn also saw his first-ever action in the NHL playoffs last year and posted two goals and three assists as Calgary went down in six games to Chicago.

There is a pretty big hole on the top line where Cammalleri accounted for 82 points as the team's No. 1 left winger. Rene Bourque is most likely to play the wing opposite Iginla and that should help him improve on his 21 goals and 40 points from last year.

Even if Cammalleri had stayed with the Flames, the club would still suffer from a lack of depth at the wings. However, Calgary does boast a solid second- line center in Daymond Langkow.

Langkow had 21 goals and 28 assists in 73 games for the Flames last year, but he did struggle following the acquisition of Jokinen, who forced Langkow to the second line. Langkow notched just three goals and four assists in the final 17 games of the season.

Dustin Boyd and David Moss are expected to play the wings on the second unit. Boyd had 11 goals and 11 assists in 71 games last year, while Moss punched in 20 goals and recorded 39 points over 81 contests.

Craig Conroy and Jamie Lundmark should center the next two lines, but the remaining winger spots are up for grabs. Expect returning players like Curtis Glencross and Eric Nystrom to compete for the slots with offseason acquisitions such as Fredrik Sjostrom and Nigel Dawes.

The Flames could also wind up using 41-year-old winger Theo Fleury this year, that is, if his comeback from a six-year layoff goes well. Fleury, who has 455 goals and 1,088 points in 1,084 NHL games, has been invited to Calgary's training camp with no guarantee of making the team.


ON DEFENSE
As stated above, the arrival of Bouwmeester should help an excellent defensive club get even better this year.

Bouwmeester joins a Calgary defensive corps that already boasts Dion Phaneuf, the hard-hitting youngster, as well as Robyn Regehr, one of the best defensive blueliners in the NHL.

But, Bouwmeester is now the top guy on the totem pole and he showed in Florida that he can handle the responsibilities of a No. 1 defensemen. Last year with the Panthers, Bouwmeester led the entire NHL with 2,213 minutes of ice time while skating in all 82 games.

Bouwmeester, who will turn 26 years old shortly before the season begins, has the size, skating ability and offensive weapons to be one of the league's best all-around defensemen for years to come. He is also extremely durable and currently holds the NHL's longest active games played streak, having skated in 342 consecutive contests.

Last year, Bouwmeester tied career-highs in goals (15) and points (42) and those numbers should go up considering Calgary boasts more offensive ability than Florida.

The presence of Bouwmeester should also take some pressure off Phaneuf, whose minus-11 rating raised some questions about the 24-year-old's decision-making.

Still, Phaneuf is one of the brightest young defensive talents in the league, and despite his age he already has 323 games of NHL experience under his belt. Last year, however, he seemed fatigued at times and struggled to career lows in goals (11) and points (47).

While Phaneuf had an inconsistent year for Calgary in 2008-09, Regehr did what is expected of him, that is, stop opposing players from scoring. His eight points -- all assists -- marked his lowest point total since 2001-02, but Regehr's plus-10 rating was indicative of his responsible play at the back end.

Cory Sarich also turned in a strong campaign for the Flames last year, notching a career-high 20 points (2g, 18a) and leading all Calgary defensemen with a plus-12 rating.

Adam Pardy and Mark Giordano are also expected back on the Calgary blueline. Pardy hopes to build on a solid rookie season, while Giordano will try to be productive for an entire season after notching 19 points in just 58 games with the Flames in 2008-09.


IN THE CREASE
Kiprusoff is a big key to the Flames' success and Calgary would like to see him improve from last year.

The 2005-06 Vezina Trophy winner did set a personal best and team record with 45 wins, but his goals against average (2.84) and save percentage (.903) were his worst marks since catching on as a starter with Calgary four years ago.

Perhaps the 32-year-old Finnish backstop is worn down from four seasons of heavy use by the Flames. Since taking over the No. 1 spot in Calgary, Kiprusoff has averaged 75 games played a year and saw action in 76 contests in 2008-09.

Still, don't expect the Flames to cut Kiprusoff's playing time by much as the club is still expected to use Curtis McElhinney as the backup. In 19 career NHL games, McElhinney is just 1-9-0 with a lofty 3.23 GAA. Those aren't exactly the type of numbers that inspire confidence.


WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE
The Flames have shown the ability to punch their ticket to the postseason year after year and expect them to join the playoff party for the sixth straight time in 2009-10. Bouwmeester's presence will certainly be a positive, but it's anybody's guess how the Flames new star defensemen will help with the club's recent playoff woes, especially since Bouwmeester has never had the privilege of playing in an NHL postseason contest. That being said, the team's improved defense should be one of the best units in the NHL and that could make all the difference in the playoffs, when offense is hard to come by.

 

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Talk about offseason turmoil. This summer, the Colorado Avalanche said goodbye to their head coach, general manager and the best player in franchise history, cementing the team's status as a rebuilding club.

GM Francois Giguere was fired shortly after the regular season and replaced by Greg Sherman on June 3. Head coach Tony Granato was given his walking papers the same day that Sherman received his promotion and the following day Joe Sacco became the team's third coach in as many seasons.

The biggest symbolic change, however, came later in the summer when longtime captain Joe Sakic made it official and announced his retirement on July 9. Sakic played his entire career with the Quebec/Colorado franchise and his 625 goals and 1,641 points make him a lock for the Hall-of-Fame.

Even though Sakic was out of action due to injuries for most of the last two seasons, his departure signals the end of an era in Denver. If finishing last in the Northwest Division a year ago didn't get the point across that this team needs to rebuild, perhaps Sakic's retirement did the trick.

ON THE ATTACK
The biggest problem for the Avs over the past few years, besides the inability to find a suitable replacement for Patrick Roy in goal, has been the club's inability to stay healthy.

The club no longer has Sakic's health to worry about, but unfortunately, the Avs best player coming into this season also happens to be a major injury risk.

Paul Stastny anchors Colorado's top line, but his inability to stay on the ice has hurt the Avs in each of the last two seasons. After playing in all 82 games as a rookie in 2006-07, the 23-year-old centerman saw action in 66 games the following season and suited up for just 45 contests last year.

Stastny, a second-round pick by Colorado in 2005, is nearly a point-per-game player for his career, posting 185 points in 193 contests for the Avs. Last year, he tallied 36 points (11 goals, 25 assists) and was the fifth-leading scorer for Colorado despite the fact that he missed nearly half the season.

With Stastny out of action for most of the year, the Avs top scoring option was Milan Hejduk, who led the club with 27 goals and tied for the club lead with 59 points. However, Ryan Smyth, who tied Hejduk for the scoring lead, won't be back this year after being traded to Los Angeles this summer.

All told, the Avs were a simply awful offensive club in 2008-09 as they scored just 190 goals all year and claimed the dubious distinction of the NHL's lowest-scoring team. Colorado did little to solve that problem in the offseason and that could make it easier for Matt Duchene, the third overall pick in the 2009 draft, to make the team.

By most accounts, Duchene projects as an explosive array of offensive talents and could someday be counted among the league's best centermen. The Ontario native will be just 18 years old at the start of the season, but getting him NHL experience would be in keeping with the franchise's rebuilding strategy.

The Avs possess a few serviceable forwards in wingers Wojtek Wolski and Marek Svatos, but overall the team has little scoring depth to speak of and that means Colorado will be one of the NHL's lowest-scoring teams once again.

ON DEFENSE
As bad as Colorado's offense was last year, the team's defense wasn't much better.

The Avs surrendered 253 goals in 2008-09, giving them the fifth-worst defense in the NHL. To help in that regard, Colorado traded Smyth to the Kings for blueliners Tom Preissing and Kyle Quincey as well as a fifth-round draft pick in 2010.

Preissing averaged 35 points a season with three different NHL clubs from 2005-06 through 2007-08, but Quincey could be the real find. The 24-year-old played in 72 games for LA last year and led the Kings' blueline with 38 points.

Quincey's arrival should help take some pressure of John-Michael Liles, who was easily Colorado's best offensive rearguard last season with 39 points.

Also returning to the Colorado defense are veterans Adam Foote, Scott Hannan, Ruslan Salei and Brett Clark.

Foote won Stanley Cup titles with the Avs in 1996 and 2001, but at 38 years of age, his current tenure in Denver is good for little more than drumming up nostalgia for the old days. He will, however, serve as the Avs captain this year, making him the only player other than Sakic to hold that distinction since the club's relocation from Quebec.

IN THE CREASE
As mentioned earlier, the Avs quest for an heir to replace the legendary Roy in goal has not gone as planned. Colorado will give the search for that heir another shot this season after signing Craig Anderson to a two- year, $3.6 million deal this summer.

Anderson showed up on Colorado's radar as a result of his solid 2008-09 campaign in Florida, where he was part of a successful goaltending tandem with Tomas Vokoun. The 28-year-old saw action in a career-high 31 games and went 15-7-5 with a 2.71 goals against average and .924 save percentage.

Although Anderson is still largely unproven as a goaltender he certainly has the inside track on the starting job, as Peter Budaj has done little to distinguish himself in that role.

Budaj, who recently turned 27 years of age, had his worst season between the Colorado pipes in 2008-09, going 20-29-5 with a 2.86 GAA and .899 save percentage.

WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE
Last year marked the first time the Avalanche finished last in the division since the team's move to Denver and there is little evidence to suggest the club will fare much better this season. If Stastny stays healthy, Anderson plays well in goal and a whole bunch of other things go right the club may be able to compete for a playoff spot, but most likely the 2009-10 Avs are destined to wallow in the lower depths of the Western Conference.

 

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If Edmonton Oilers new bench general Pat Quinn did his best Rick Pitino impression circa Boston Celtics days, he would tell the youngsters and veterans alike that Wayne Gretzky, Jari Kurri and Grant Fuhr are not walking through that door. And if they do, they're gonna be old.

While the Celtics continued their NBA dominance through the eighties, Edmonton enjoyed its days of grace during the same era thanks to stars such as Gretzky, Kurri, Paul Coffey, Mark Messier and Kevin Lowe. The Oilers won all five of their championships during that decade, but haven't been in the playoffs since losing to Carolina in the 2006 Stanley Cup Finals.

The Oilers suffered through their second straight fourth-place finish in the Northwest Division last year, leading to the firing of head coach Craig MacTavish in April. The most successful season the team had under MacTavish's leadership was in 2005-06, when the team advanced to the finals for the first time since 1990 as the eighth seed before losing in seven games to Carolina. MacTavish missed the playoffs six times in his eight years with the club.

So in order to regain some semblance of its triumphant past, Edmonton added the legendary Pat Quinn to its head coaching post. Quinn, a former NHL defenseman and long-time bench boss, is the eighth coach in franchise history and most recently led the Toronto Maple Leafs as head coach from 1998-2006 and as general manager from 1999-2003. Quinn, 66, certainly has a worthy resume, but will it carry over to the players? Is his hockey philosophy outdated? Edmonton is waiting patiently.

Tom Renney was appointed associate head coach by Oilers general manager Steve Tambellini and led the New York Rangers from the end of the 2003-04 campaign until February 23 of this past season. Tambellini was limited as far as improving the team is concerned, but brought in goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin. The netminder fills the void left by Dwayne Roloson, who departed for the New York Islanders. The Oilers tried to entice Dany Heatley, but talks fell through.

Quinn, whose 657 wins rank fifth all-time, and Renney are left with a young, raw team that is either headed for stardom or a turn for the worse. Hopefully for the Oilers, these younger players will be hungry and determined to make an everlasting impression on the coaching staff this season. Edmonton needs a lot of help scoring up front after right wing Alex Hemsky and defenseman Sheldon Souray both recorded a team-high 23 goals. Hemsky was the top point and assist man with 66 and 43, respectively, while Quinn hopes his new style will open the offense. The defense will keep Edmonton somewhat competitive.

ON THE ATTACK
The Oilers didn't land a gunner they had anticipated, and hope Hemsky can build off his 23-goal campaign. His 23 markers in 72 games were a career high. Captain and left winder Ethan Moreau registered 14 goals and 12 assists in 77 games for the Oilers, who were 18th in the NHL with 2.78 goals per game in 2008-09. All four lines struggled last season, but the youth movement could come in handy for the new campaign.

Right wing Erik Cole was a bust and eventually was sent to Carolina, while Ales Kotalik was second on the team in goals with 20 in 75 games with both Buffalo and Edmonton. Kotalik, however, was signed by the New York Rangers in the offseason.

Center Patrick O'Sullivan was acquired from Los Angeles late in the season, but has been criticized for being soft and undersized. He had two goals and four assists in 19 games for the Oilers. Forwards Andrew Cogliano and Sam Gagner hope to get back on track with more experience for Edmonton's weak offense. Robert Nilsson is another young winner Quinn gets to mold under his creative eye.

Center Shawn Horcoff posted 17 goals and 36 helpers in 80 games a year ago, and is the type of two-way player this young team desires. Earlier this month the Oilers inked veteran winger Mike Comrie to a one-year contract, and he rejoins the Oilers after playing for the club from 2000-03. Tambellini also brought in forward Chris Minard. Minard appeared in 20 games for the Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins last season and registered a goal and two assists. Edmonton needs to improve its power play as evidenced by its 22nd rating in the league last season. Some offensive prospects to keep an eye on this season will be 2008 first-round pick Jordan Eberle, 2009 top pick Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson and center Rob Schremp to name a few.

ON DEFENSE
Souray is a solid defenseman and provided a lot of offense with 23 goals and 30 assists in 81 games. The veteran blueliner was three goals shy of matching his career high established during the 2006-07 campaign as a member of Montreal. Lubomir Visnovsky appeared in 50 games a year ago and the team has high hopes for a bigger contribution in 2009-10. The Czech recorded eight goals and 23 assists, while Tom Gilbert played in all 82 games for the second straight season, posting five goals and 40 assists. Edmonton's defense finished 27th in penalty killing and 22nd in total defense last year. Quinn can only do so much to shore up a streaky back line.

The Oilers re-signed defenseman Jason Strudwick and brought back Denis Grebeshkov, while Ladislav Smid signed on in the offseason. Grebeshkov, Souray and Gilbert finished among the NHL's top-scoring defenseman in 2008-09.

Edmonton will also try to get everything it can out of aging blueliner Steve Staios. Some prospects to keep an eye out for are Theo Peckham, Taylor Chorney and Jeff Petry.

IN THE CREASE
With Roloson with the Islanders after going 28-24-9 a year ago with one shutout and a .915 save percentage, Tambellini signed backstop Khabibulin to a four-year contract worth a reported $15 million. That's a lot of money for the one-time star, who spent the past four seasons with Chicago. Roloson spent four years with Edmonton and helped them to the Finals in his first season with the team. Now he is with an even worse club on Long Island.

The 36-year-old Khabibulin had a record of 25-8-7 with a 2.33 goals against average to go along with a .919 save percentage in 42 games with the Blackhawks last season. In 15 playoff games for the Hawks, the Russian was 8-6 with a 2.93 goals against average and a .898 save percentage.

Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers and Devan Dubnyk will serve as Khabibulin's backup. Drouin-Deslauriers will most likely see the most time in mop-up duty. The Oilers, though, will no doubt be relying on Khabibulin to get the Oilers back to the postseason for the first time since Roloson left his mark in 2005-06.

WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE
There's plenty of optimism spewing about in Edmonton this year, but in reality they're no better than another fourth-place finish in the Northwest Division. If the Oilers overachieve, which is highly unlikely, than perhaps their playoff drought will create some life in the Alberta area. Quinn's squad is very young and fast, which can cause problems trying to set up scoring opportunities. Too many young players can cause problems as far egos are concerned, but Quinn will make sure that doesn't happen. With a lack of size and scoring up front, there are high expectations from the usual suspects and even some younger players such as Gagner and Cogliano. We already know Hemsky, Kotalik, Souray and Horcoff can play, now it's time to see if it finally come together. A three-year playoff absence is a brutal stretch for a one-time monster of the NHL, and maybe the 2010-11 season will bring more success and a few more players ready to contribute right away.

 

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The Minnesota Wild haven't been big on change since entering the league in 2000, but a new wind is certainly blowing in St. Paul this year.

As we know, change isn't always a good thing, but the Wild remained the same for so long that sooner or later you knew things had to be shaken up. Since the expansion club's inaugural season of 2000-01, the Wild have relied on the same star player (Marian Gaborik), head coach (Jacques Lemaire) and general manager (Doug Risebrough). So it's fitting that all three would leave the North Star State at the same time.

Shortly after the season Lemaire was fired and Risebrough was shown his walking papers a week later. Gaborik, meanwhile, opted to test free agency and the oft-injured speedster signed with the New York Rangers for five years and $37.5 million on July 1. Lemaire will also be on another team's payroll in 2009-10, as he was hired as head coach of the New Jersey Devils. Risebrough, meanwhile, is still unemployed.

The Wild gave Lemaire's old job to Todd Richards, who will serve as a head coach in the NHL for the first time, and Chuck Fletcher took over GM duties from Risebrough.

The Lemaire-Risebrough era was marked by a conservative, defensive style of play. The main exception to that, of course, was the explosive play of Gaborik. The trio will be best remembered in Minnesota for making it to the Western Conference finals in 2003 -- the club's third year in existence.

However, the Wild never won another playoff series after that and after the club missed out on a playoff berth last year, the ownership decided it was time for a change.

Richards and Fletcher will try to pull a 180 with the Wild, turning the franchise into an up-tempo club that puts the opposition on its heels. Sounds like the kind of system Gaborik could've thrive under, too bad he won't be there to take part in that transition.

ON THE ATTACK
The Wild's biggest move this offseason, outside of the changes mentioned above, came in the form of free-agent signee Martin Havlat, who inked a six-year, $30 million deal with Minnesota.

Havlat is a winger with offensive skill reminiscent of Gaborik, but he also suffers from the same injury issues. Last year was an exception as the 28-year-old Havlat played in a career-high 81 games in leading the Blackhawks with 77 points (29 goals, 48 assists).

However, the Wild have to be a little worried that Havlat will become an injury concern once again, especially since his contract year is now in the rearview mirror. After all, the Swedish winger averaged just over 36 games a season in his three previous campaigns prior to last year's success with the Blackhawks. Then again, maybe 2008-09 was the sign of things to come for a fitter Havlat.

Mikko Koivu is Minnesota's top centerman and also the club's leading scorer from last season. With Gaborik missing all but 17 games, Koivu shouldered the offensive load for the Wild with 67 points on 20 goals and 47 assists. Andrew Brunette could also be on the top line, playing on the left wing opposite of Havlat. The 36-year-old was good for 50 points (22g, 28a) last year, finishing second on the Wild in scoring.

Owen Nolan experienced a resurgence last year with the Wild, tallying a team-high 25 goals. It was the highest goal output for the former No. 1 overall pick since he tallied a career-high 44 goals for San Jose in 1999-2000. It would be huge for Minnesota if Nolan could repeat his 2008-09 total, but at 37 years old, the Wild shouldn't count on it.

Pierre-Marc Bouchard added 46 points (16g, 30a) for Minnesota last year and will be valuable this season as a player who can play at center or on the wing.

Havlat won't be the only new face on offense as the Wild also signed veteran winger Petr Sykora just a few weeks before the season was scheduled to begin. Sykora had 25 goals and 21 assists in 76 games with Pittsburgh last year and helped the Penguins win the Stanley Cup in the spring.

ON DEFENSE
The Wild boast some solid puck-moving defensemen and that should help ease the transition to a more up-tempo style of play.

The best all-around blueliner for Minnesota is Brent Burns, who would like to bounce back after playing in just 59 games in 2008-09.

Burns, 24, had 15 goals and 43 points while playing in all 82 games during the 2007-08 campaign, but last year he missed the last 19 contests of the season with a concussion. He wound up with eight goals and 19 helpers on the year.

Marek Zidlicky was Minnesota's best offense blueliner in 2008-09, pumping in 12 goals and 42 points. However, the 32-year-old Czech has always struggled in his own zone and was a minus-12 for the season last year.

Kim Johnsson is another mobile defensemen who may benefit from Minnesota's new style of play. The veteran Swede had strong offensive seasons while a member of the Philadelphia Flyers in the earlier part of the decade, but has topped out at 27 points in his three seasons with the Wild. Expect Johnsson to improve on his two goals and 22 assists from last year.

Nick Schultz will also be back on the Wild blueline, while newcomers Greg Zanon and Shane Hnidy are ready to join the mix. Neither of the veteran free-agent signees are an offensive threat, but Hnidy brings a big body and Zanon has a fearless streak that makes him a super shot-blocker.

IN THE CREASE
Minnesota's trademark defensive system was a godsend for goaltenders, as the trap strategy helped limit the amount of shots the netminders would face.

That could all change this year with players given more leeway to improvise, so expect No. 1 goaltender Niklas Backstrom to have more rubber thrown his way.

Backstrom had an excellent season a year ago, going 37-24-8 with a 2.33 goals against average and .923 save percentage. The 31-year-old Finn also showed his durability, playing in a career-high 71 games.

Serving as the backup once again will be 25-year-old Josh Harding, who was a second-round pick by the Wild in 2002. Harding had a poor 3-9-1 record in 19 games last year, but his GAA (2.21) and save percentage (.929) were actually better than Backstrom's.

WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE
Havlat's health will factor greatly into Minnesota's finish in the standing this year. Sure, the Wild were usually able to weather Gaborik's absences in years past, but that was in large part due to the defense-first system put in place by Lemaire. If Minnesota plans to win with offense this year, then its best offensive weapon needs to be on the ice. Even with a healthy year from their new star player, the Wild will likely find itself on the outside of the Western Conference playoff picture. Transition is not often easy, especially when you play in the ultra-competitive Northwest Division.

 

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The Vancouver Canucks have been dominant since their days as a top choice for video game connoisseurs during the Sega Genesis era.

With speedy puck handlers such as Pavel Bure, Cliff Ronning and Trevor Linden, and backstop Kirk McLean tearing up the video game world back in the early 1990s, the Canucks set the foundation for success that still lingers today. Petr Nedved, Geoff Courtnall and Murray Craven are also long gone, but today's core of players that won the Northwest Division last year for the second time in three tries is back and hungrier for more.

The Canucks were eliminated in six games by the Chicago Blackhawks in the Western semis and recorded 40 or more wins in the regular season for the sixth time in the past eight years. Head coach Alain Vigneault will be behind the bench and is 133-86-27 since the 2006-07 campaign. Vigneault has to be appreciative for the moves Canucks president and general manager Mike Gillis made during the offseason to keep the club competitive.

Gillis' first major move of the offseason was re-signing forwards Daniel and Henrik Sedin to new five-year contracts in July. Daniel and Henrik have played their entire NHL careers with the Canucks after being drafted by Vancouver second and third overall, respectively, in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft. The twin brothers led the Canucks in scoring last season with 82 points apiece, as Daniel notched 31 goals and 51 assists and Henrik posted 22 goals and 60 helpers.

Locking up the Sedin's was nice, but opening the vault for prized goaltender Roberto Luongo was even sweeter. Luongo was set to become a free agent following the 2009-10 season, and Vancouver wisely inked the 30-year-old to a family-settling 12-year contract extension through the 2021-22 season. Luongo, a one-time Lester B. Pearson Award and Hart Memorial Trophy nominee, has recorded 115 of his 230 career wins over the last three seasons, during two of which he has backstopped the Canucks to the Western Conference Semi-Finals.

Luongo was named the Canucks' captain prior to last season, when he posted a record of 33-13-7 with a 2.34 goals-against average. It was his fourth consecutive season with at least 30 wins. He also established a franchise record for shutouts in a season (nine) despite playing in only 54 games.

All that's left is getting Vancouver back to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since the 1993-94 campaign, and winning that elusive ring. The Canucks are favorites to win the Northwest again and will be battling with Calgary for division supremacy, but they must be cautious of Minnesota and Edmonton. Colorado, meanwhile, still has some work to do.

ON THE ATTACK
Daniel Sedin enters his ninth season in Vancouver and led the club with 31 goals, five short of his career high set during the 2006-07 campaign. Sedin's smarts and quick hands has helped him become a major scoring threat in the Northwest, as evidenced by his average of almost 30 goals per season over the last four years. His brother, Henrik, posted 22 goals and a team-high 60 assists to finish tied with Daniel for the team lead in points at 82.

Henrik is an assist machine and is averaging 62 helpers a year over the past four seasons. He had a career-high 71 assists in 2006-07 and has always been reliable in getting his teammates involved. Fellow center Ryan Kesler enjoyed a career year in 2008-09, and is expected to contribute even more this upcoming season. Kesler, a five-year pro, had 26 goals and 33 assists in 82 games. The durable native of Michigan was a Selke Trophy Finalist.

Mats Sundin signed a big deal last December, but turned out to be a bust with nine goals and 19 assists in 41 games. Sundin was not re-signed by the Canucks and is still currently a free agent. Veteran forward Pavol Demitra appeared in 69 games for the Canucks in 2008-09, recording 20 goals and 33 helpers for 53 points, good enough for fourth on the team. Demitra, who entered the league back in 1993-94, had 20 or more goals for the 10th time in his career, but his skills are slipping a bit as his 35th birthday looms. He is expected to be out until mid-October because of shoulder surgery.

Forwards Alexandre Burrows, Kyle Wellwood, Taylor Pyatt and Jannik Hansen all chipped in during Vancouver's 100-point season. Burrows scored 15 goals in his last 25 games.

The Canucks bolstered their offense in the offseason by signing free agent right wing Mikael Samuelsson to a three-year contract. The Swede had 19 goals and 21 assists in 81 games last season for Detroit, and added five goals and 10 points in 23 playoff games. His experience and skills will help such prospects as center Cody Hodgson, forward Michael Grabner and Jordan Schroeder. Enforcer Darcy Hordichuk, Rick Rypien and Ryan Johnson give the Canucks grit on the fourth line. Rypien inked a two-year deal this summer.

ON DEFENSE
Vancouver's defense fell apart in the Western semifinals against the Blackhawks, so this will be an important year for the blueliners from British Columbia.

The Canucks hope their signing of free agent defenseman Mathieu Schneider pays off after giving him just under $2 million this year. Schneider, 40, scored nine goals and dished out 23 assists in 67 games with the Atlanta Thrashers and Montreal Canadiens last season. His 19 years of experience and 221 career goals is something this back line needs.

The Canucks lost defenseman Mattias Ohlund to free agency, as the blueliner headed south for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ohlund fell out of favor with the coaches after spending his entire 12-year career with Vancouver, which took the Swedish backliner in the first round (13th overall) in the 1994 draft. He played in all 82 games last season, compiling six goals and 19 assists. Filling the gap will be Kevin Bieksa, Alexander Edler and Sami Salo. Bieksa led the group with 11 goals and 32 assists in 72 games.

Defenseman Shane O'Brien was re-signed and completed his first season with the Canucks after being acquired from the Lightning last October.

IN THE CREASE
Luongo missed a significant amount of time with a groin injury last year, but that shouldn't stop him from proving that he is worth every penny of his mega deal. Luongo, who posted a .920 save percentage and a 2.34 goals against average in 2008-09, must get this team past the second round of the playoffs. He was rocked in Game 6 of the semifinals by Chicago, which moved on with a 7-5 victory.

Luongo has eclipsed the 30-win mark for four straight years, setting a Canucks franchise record with 47 victories in 2006-07. Last season he established a franchise mark with nine shutouts, in addition to setting a new team record for the longest shutout sequence, playing 242:36 without a goal against over four games. The two-time Vezina Trophy candidate and four-time All-Star has accumulated a 230-232-31 record with 33 ties, and owns a career 2.57 GAA and 47 shutouts.

Andrew Raycroft seems to be in the driver's seat as Luongo's backup and signed with Vancouver this offseason. Raycroft spent last season with the Colorado Avalanche, posting a 12-16-0 record with a 3.14 goals-against average, and captured the Calder Trophy in 2003-04. Cory Schneider, a first-round pick in 2004, will push for that backup spot after winning the Baz Bastien trophy as the AHL's top goaltender for the 2008-09 campaign with Manitoba.

WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE
The Canucks will once again be the favorite to win the Northwest Division for the fourth time in six years with all of their core players returning, including stud netminder Luongo. Vancouver has registered two 100-point seasons over the previous three years, and there's no reason why a third shouldn't be on the way in 2009-10. With both Sedin bothers locked up to identical five-year deals and prospects such as Hodgson and Grabner prepared to take on more responsibility, Vigneault has a strong chance to have the organization battling for Lord Stanley's Cup for the first time since 1994. Kesler, Burrows and an aging Demitra will also contribute to the cause after each player topped the 20-goal mark last season.

 

[Lumi]

The Anaheim Ducks flew under the radar for most of the 2008-09 campaign, but they were able to peak at the right time en route to a surprising postseason run.

This time around, head coach Randy Carlyle and the Ducks will be missing a big part of their defense after Chris Pronger was traded to Philadelphia in the offseason, splitting up the NHL's most feared blueline pairing. Pronger skated alongside Scott Niedermayer for the better part of three seasons and the dynamic tandem was the main reason Anaheim won its first Stanley Cup title in 2007.

At 36 years old, Niedermayer will now be the lone superstar on the Ducks blueline, but Anaheim still has plenty of talent spread out over its roster.

Most of that talent is back this year, as the club tries to build on the 2009 postseason, when the eighth-seeded Ducks upset Presidents' Trophy winners San Jose in the opening round and then pushed Detroit to seven games before losing out to the eventual Western Conference champions.

Ryan Getzlaf is one of the best young centers in the league and Anaheim added some much-needed depth at that position by signing veteran pivot Saku Koivu over the summer.

The Ducks also boast a pair of No. 1-caliber goaltenders in Jonas Hiller and Jean-Sebastien Giguere. Although, Giguere, a former Conn Smythe winner as playoffs MVP, needs to bounce back from a poor season to regain his standing as a bankable goaltending option.

The departure of Pronger is a sign that this club is in transition, but that doesn't mean they can't compete for the top spot in the Pacific Division.

ON THE ATTACK
Getzlaf is the cornerstone of the Ducks franchise and, at 24 years old he is still finding ways to improve.

The 6-4, 220-pound Saskatchewan native has increased his point total in each of his four seasons in the NHL, beginning with 39 points in 57 games as a rookie in 2005-06 and culminating last year with a 91-point performance (25 goals, 66 assists) in 81 games. He also showed no signs of giving up the physical side of his game, as he accumulated 121 penalty minutes last year.

Getzlaf's power game has also paid dividends in the postseason. He recorded 21 points in 17 games in helping Anaheim win it all in 2007 and Getzlaf notched 18 points in 13 games during the 2009 playoffs.

Getzlaf did undergo surgery to repair a hernia in late July, but is expected to be ready to go at the start of the season.

Playing to the right of Getzlaf most nights is sniper Corey Perry, who led the Ducks with a career-high 32 goals last season. The 24-year-old winger also set a personal best with 72 points -- the second-highest total for Anaheim in 2008-09.

Perry also continued to produce in the playoffs, recording eight goals and 14 points in the postseason.

Bobby Ryan turned heads as a rookie last season, finishing second on the team with 31 goals in just 64 games. Ryan was best known as the player taken second overall behind Sidney Crosby in the 2005 draft, but his 57-point performance in 2008-09 helped the 22-year-old winger step out of Sid the Kid's shadow.

Koivu will likely center the second unit and could be paired with future Hall of Famer and fellow Finland native, Teemu Selanne.

Koivu spent his entire NHL career with Montreal and was the team's captain in nine of his 13 seasons with the storied franchise. The 34-year-old will be under decidedly less pressure in Anaheim and that could help Koivu improve on the 50-point season (16g, 34a) he had with the Canadiens last year.

Selanne, meanwhile, will lace up his skates for what he says will be his final NHL season in 2009-10. The 39-year-old has recorded 579 goals and 1,212 points over 16 NHL seasons and was productive once again last year, notching 27 goals and 27 assists while playing in 65 games.

Also expected to produce on the offensive end is winger Joffrey Lupul, who returned to the Ducks as part of the trade that sent Pronger to Philly. Oddly enough, it was the second time Lupul was dealt for Pronger, having previously been shipped from Anaheim to Edmonton in the summer of 2006. Lupul, who was a first-round pick by Anaheim in 2002, registered 50 points (25g, 25a) in 79 games with the Flyers last year.

George Parros will return in his role as Anaheim's primary enforcer. Last season, the 6-5, 230-pound bruiser led the Ducks with 135 penalty minutes and also managed to post five goals and five assists in 74 games.

ON DEFENSE
With Pronger gone, the Ducks no longer have the luxury of having two of the NHL's best blueliners at the top of their defensive rotation. In Niedermayer, however, Anaheim still possesses a big-time talent at the back end.

Niedermayer was the Ducks leading scorer from the blueline in 2008-09, posting 14 goals and 45 assists in 62 games. Not counting Pronger's output, that's 35 more points than the next highest-scoring defenseman for the Ducks last season, James Wisniewski.

In addition to the Pronger trade, Anaheim also lost stalwart defenseman Francois Beauchemin to free agency over the summer. However, the Ducks did get highly-touted defensive prospect Luca Sbisa in the Pronger deal and the 19- year-old could find himself in the rotation for Anaheim. Sbisa played in 39 games as a rookie with Philadelphia last year and rarely seemed out of place at the NHL level despite his lack of experience.

Wisniewski or Ryan Whitney, who had 23 points in 48 games with Pittsburgh and Anaheim last season, will likely be paired with Niedermayer on the top unit.

Nick Boynton will join the club this year after signing with the Ducks over the summer. The 30-year-old veteran had 21 points in 68 games with Florida in 2008-09.

The Ducks will certainly struggle to replace Pronger's toughness at the back end, but will also miss the former Hart Trophy winner's big shot from the point. Niedermayer is capable of running a power play by himself, but Anaheim will be hard-pressed to find a replacement for Pronger's accurate cannon.

IN THE CREASE
Giguere was Anaheim's undisputed No. 1 goaltender heading into last year, but little by little that title was taken away by Hiller, who had claimed the starting job for himself over the course of the season.

Hiller went 23-15-1 with a 2.39 goals against average and a .919 save percentage in 46 games last year. Giguere, meanwhile, was 19-18-6 with a 3.10 GAA and .900 save percentage in the same number of games. The GAA and save percentage marked the worst numbers for Giguere in eight years with Anaheim.

As a result of his success in the regular season, Hiller was named the club's starting goaltender for the playoffs and the 27-year-old backstop did not disappoint. Hiller went 7-6 with a pair of shutouts in 13 postseason games and finished the playoffs with a 2.23 GAA and .943 save percentage.

Despite all that went wrong for him in 2008-09 there is still a chance for the 32-year-old Giguere to regain his starting job this season. However, if he continues to be outplayed by Hiller than it wouldn't be shocking to see Anaheim attempt to trade Giguere during the season.

WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE
The Ducks will likely be the team chasing San Jose for the Pacific Division title this season and it would be surprising if Anaheim didn't join the Sharks as a playoff team. The departure of Pronger changes the dynamic of Anaheim quite a bit, but the Ducks have more than enough talent to qualify for the postseason in 2009-10. Still, don't expect this year's Anaheim squad to be as dangerous as it was in last spring's playoffs.

 

[Lumi]

The Dallas Stars were very optimistic at the start of the 2008-09 campaign, and they had good reason to be after reaching the Western Conference finals a few months prior.

But, the Stars and their fans were instead treated to a frustrating season that was more notable for injuries than anything that happened on the ice. The team jelled for a brief stretch from late January to early March, but in the end the Stars finished 12th in the West and eight points out of a playoff berth.

Injuries or not, the Stars front office decided to make some changes after the season, replacing co-general managers Les Jackson and Brett Hull with Joe Nieuwendyk.

Nieuwendyk, who claimed the Conn Smythe Trophy when Dallas won the Stanley Cup in 1999, then opted to fire head coach Dave Tippett and bring in Marc Crawford to assume bench duties. The new management is planning to turn the Stars into more of an offense-minded team, an experiment that should at least make Dallas a much more exciting club to watch.

ON THE ATTACK
Gone are the days when Mike Modano was the go-to guy in the Stars offensive attack, but that doesn't mean the future Hall-of-Famer can't still contribute.

Modano, who was once one of the league's most dangerous centerman, has been pushed down to the third line by the likes of Mike Ribeiro and Brad Richards. The most prolific American-born scorer in league history had a down year with just 15 goals and 46 points in 2008-09, but did manage to skate in 80 games.

Modano is 39 years old and it's possible that this could be his last season in the NHL.

Ribeiro has proven himself to be an excellent playmaker and a solid top-line centerman. He led Dallas with 78 points (22 goals, 56 assists) and was one of just two players to skate in every single game for the Stars last year.

Richards, on the other hand, was bit by the injury bug and was only able to play in 56 contests. Still, he managed to finish third on the team with 48 points (16g, 32a), giving hope that he can produce at a high level if he manages to stay healthy.

Another injury that plagued Dallas' playoff chances last year came very early in the campaign when captain Brenden Morrow saw his season end in early November due to a torn ACL.

Morrow is the team's emotional leader as well as the biggest hitter on the Stars roster. In 2007-08, the 30-year-old winger recorded 74 points while leading Dallas with 32 goals. He was also the best player in the team's run to the conference finals that year, notching nine goals and 15 points in 18 postseason contests.

Veteran forward Jere Lehtinen also missed significant time due to injury last year and managed just 24 points (8g, 16a) in 48 games. The steady Finn is known more for his defensive play and will help Dallas tremendously if he can stay on the ice.

One of the few pleasant surprises for Dallas last year was the breakout season turned in by young winger Loui Eriksson, who paced Dallas with 36 goals and finished second on the team with 63 points. If the 24-year-old is able to repeat that level of production and Dallas stays healthy, the club should be vastly improved on offense.

The Stars are hoping another young Swedish winger can break out this season, as Fabian Brunnstrom enters his second year in the NHL. Dallas won a bidding war to sign the Swedish prospect after the 2007-08 regular season, but he struggled to remain consistent in his rookie season and wound up disappointing with 17 goals and just 29 points. However, Dallas is still high on the youngster as it hopes for a step forward by Brunnstrom in 2009-10.

Considering the amount of injuries Dallas had to deal with on offense last year, the club did well to finish 20th in the NHL with 224 goals. A healthy 2009-10 season should result in the Stars rocketing up that list.

ON DEFENSE
The Stars have a great deal of youth on the blueline as the majority of the team's defensemen are in the early-to-mid 20s.

With Sergei Zubov gone for the KHL, the lone veterans at the back end figure to be Stephane Robidas and Karlis Skrastins, who was signed as a free agent this summer.

Robidas is a solid defensemen who led Dallas in ice time last year with an average of 24 minutes, 32 seconds in 72 games. He is very reliable in the defensive zone, but isn't exactly explosive on offense. Last year, the 32- year-old was second amongst Stars defensemen with 26 points.

Skrastins is another defensive-minded blueliner and had a plus-nine rating in 80 games for Florida last season. The 35-year-old Latvian also chipped in 18 points as a Panther in 2008-09.

Matt Niskanen, 23, has the most offensive upside of Dallas' young blueliners and led the team's defensemen with 35 points (6g, 29a) in 80 games last year. However, he needs to improve in his own team's zone after finishing with a minus-11 rating last year.

Trevor Daley turned in a solid campaign for the Stars last year with 25 points (7g, 18a) over 75 games. Daley has already played in 339 NHL games, but won't turn 26 years old until early October.

A couple of first-round draft picks could also see time on the Stars blue line this year. Mark Fistric, the 28th overall pick in 2004, played in 36 games for Dallas last year and contributed just four assists in that span. Meanwhile, Ivan Vishnevskiy, who was picked 27th overall in 2006, had two assists in three games with the big club.

IN THE CREASE
While injuries played a huge role in Dallas' poor showing last year, so did the erratic play of Marty Turco, the club's typically-steady goaltender.

Turco played in a career-high 74 games in 2008-09, but saw his numbers suffer in just about every other category. The 34-year-old backstop went 33-31-10 with a 2.81 GAA and .898 save percentage. Prior to last season, Turco had a career GAA of 2.11 in his seven years as a NHL goaltender.

The Stars figure a healthy 2009-10 campaign will make things easier for Turco this season, but the club also went out and signed Alex Auld to serve as a backup and he should help lessen the load for the club's No. 1 netminder.

Auld saw action in 48 games for Ottawa last year and went 18-18-7 with a 2.47 GAA and .911 save percentage.

WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE
Staying healthy is obviously a priority for the Stars this season and it's highly unlikely that Dallas will suffer through another injury-plagued campaign like the one in 2008-09. San Jose will likely be the team to beat in the Pacific once again, but a case could be made for the Stars as division champs in 2009-10. Most likely, Dallas will sneak into the postseason tournament and that would be a pleasant outcome after the nightmare campaign of a year ago.

 

[Lumi]

The second-largest market in the NHL is in danger of becoming a second-division franchise if this current cycle of perpetual rebuilding efforts isn't broken soon.

The days of treading water in the regular season with some recognizable talent, usually ignored by the East coast bias, before coming up with a few playoff shockers now and then are gone. Los Angeles in a 30-team NHL will not be fooling anybody if they put something less than a winning product on the ice year after year.


Helped along by a pair of former Philadelphia Flyers employees, first-year head coach Terry Murray did as well as could be expected with a mish-mash roster sentenced to play in a competitive division where the club only had room to duel with Phoenix for the bottom two spots.

Working with talent he needed to mold in Washington, Philadelphia and Florida during previous stints behind the bench, Murray is the best man available to usher in a new era for a club which badly needs to distance itself from a failed recent past. Since 1993, the Kings have only made the playoffs on four occasions, and has not skated past mid-April since 2002.

ON THE ATTACK
As it was more than 20 years ago when the Kings' resurgence was counting on Luc Robitaille, Jimmy Carson and Bernie Nicholls to lead the way, this year's edition features a trio of talents in Anze Kopitar, Alex Frolov and Dustin Brown.

With Frolov's team-high 32 goals and Kopitar's 66 points and 27 tallies, it's not a stretch to think all three are capable of reaching the 30-goal plateau, and if they do they'll have some reputable company.

Since the disappointing Kyle Calder departed for Anaheim and Michal Handzus is nearing the end of a contract, the Kings went out and traded for Justin Williams late last season and for Ryan Smyth in the offseason for that necessary veteran presence.

Along with Jarret Stoll (18 goals, 41 points), their impact over a full, healthy season will be sorely needed, because LA's current crop of kids -- Oscar Moller, Teddy Purcell, Wayne Simmonds and John Zeiler -- are going to have to mature quickly in order to contribute properly.

One player guaranteed to make an impact is Raitis Ivanans, the Latvian puncher (419 penalty minutes from 2006-09) who will once again ensure that the speedy top two lines will have their space in all three zones.

ON DEFENSE
One unexpected windfall of successful clubs dealing with salary-cap troubles is that valuable talent is forced elsewhere. Such was the case with the Kings' newest addition, Rob Scuderi, late of the Cup champion Penguins who was inked to a four-year deal.

He, along with 37-year-old Sean O'Donnell and 32-year-old Denis Gauthier will oversee an evolving defense which paradoxically allowed the second-fewest goals in the Pacific Division despite a last-place finish.

At its best, the Kings defense used its size advantage to clear space in front of the net while maintaining puck possession to jump-start a dynamic transition game. Keeping the road-block O'Donnell on course and having the hit-happy Gauthier patrolling the blue line is a solid foundation. Failing that, the size and determination is there, but Murray will have to coax more production from a backline which notched just 27 total goals.

Having Jack Johnson for a full campaign will do much to address those concerns since he's shown the most potential for scoring of all defensemen on the roster. Johnson will be expected to shuck off his last two injury-interrupted seasons and inspire his fellow young bucks Drew Doughty, Matt Greene and Peter Harrold to improve their respective games.

IN THE CREASE
While always a nagging concern, goaltending for the Kings has never been a true key to success as the franchise previously existed in the high-octane wild West where the ability to outscore your opponent was at a premium.

In the post-Gretzky era, LA has seen several name goaltenders acquired through free-agency or trade enjoy quick spikes of success followed by quick fizzles, so it's not a shock to see three youngsters have to battle in the crease.

Leading the charge is Jon Quick, who emerged from his rookie campaign with a winning record (21-18-2), four shutouts and a 2.48 goals-against average. On his heels is 27-year-old Swedish free agent Erik Ersberg, who posted eight wins and a 2.64 GAA over 28 games in his second NHL turn.

Jason LaBarbera (5-8-4, 2.83, two shutouts) was released to make way for Jonathan Bernier, the enigmatic 2006 first-round pick who has made a name for himself at Manchester of the American Hockey League for his play as well as his questionable attitude.

Bernier went 1-3 two years ago in his first taste of the big time, and if he is able to channel his petulance into a productive training camp he will get the chance to push both Quick and Ersberg for a roster spot. If not, he's going back to the AHL but will get the chance come the first injury or inconsistent play from either man.

As with all unproven guardians of the crease, any of the three can alternately steal as many games as they can give away.

WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE
Given the franchise's recent sub-par run, Los Angeles hockey fans now have some kinship with the faithful of the Chicago Cubs, forever waiting until next year for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

That "next year" may be closer than ever, after the Kings increased their win total over the last three years from 27 to 32 to 34. That's no small feat considering the competition once again will be the punishing Sharks and Ducks along with the quietly dangerous Stars in the division along with the Wings, Flames and Canucks in the conference.

If anything, Murray and his charges are going to need more than one year to turn things around, and there's no reason to think that further improvement will boost LA's chances this year.

There are very few weaknesses in a stocked Western Conference, and the only thing guaranteed is a finish above the mess of a Phoenix Coyotes squad. A shocking late run to the playoffs like the Blues had a year ago is most likely not in the cards, but there's still plenty to believe in for now.

 

[Lumi]

There are few certainties concerning the 2009-10 edition of the Phoenix Coyotes. In fact, we can't even be sure how much longer the club will be called by that name.

It's been a long and complicated summer for the Coyotes, who have been facing severe financial difficulties and the sale of the team is currently being administered by a U.S. Bankruptcy Court.

Currently, there are three possibilities. First, U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Redfield Baum could decide that the NHL should be allowed to buy the team and keep it in Glendale, or he could rule in favor of the club's purchase by Jim Balsillie, who is intent on moving the struggling franchise to Hamilton, Ontario.

A third prospect is that the judge will reject both sale bids.

To add to the drama, Wayne Gretzky officially announced he was resigning his position as head coach and director of hockey operations a week before the regular season was set to begin. The news didn't come as a shock, however, as Gretzky had not been with the team at all during training camp, leaving assitant Ulf Samuelsson to run the club in his absence.

Shortly after Gretzky's announcement, the Coyotes hired Dave Tippett as the team's new head coach. Tippett had been head coach of the Dallas Stars for six seasons before being fired from that post following the 2008-09 campaign. He led the Stars to two Pacific Division titles and a trip to the Western Conference finals in 2008.

With so many things up in the air the only things that are clear is that the club will continue to lose money and that the on-ice product will offer little in compensation.

ON THE ATTACK
The Coyotes have averaged 77.5 points per season in four years since Gretzky added head coach to his titles of part owner and director of hockey operations. All told, Phoenix has missed out on the playoffs in each of the last six seasons and that's unlikely to change, no matter who winds up coaching this team.

Outside of captain and leading scorer Shane Doan there is very little proven talent on the Coyotes roster. The veteran winger led the team in goals (31), assists (42) and points (73) in 2008-09 and the club's next two leading scorers, Olli Jokinen (42 points) and Steve Reinprecht (41 pts.) aren't on the club anymore.

Doan's linemates for this season will likely consist of centerman Matthew Lombardi and Scottie Upshall, a pair of players picked up at last year's trade deadline.

Lombardi recorded 46 points (14 goals, 32 assists) in 69 games with Calgary and Phoenix last year and had five goals and 11 helpers in 19 games after the trade. Upshall, meanwhile, had just 21 points (7g, 14a) in 55 games with Philadelphia before notching eight goals and 13 points in 19 contests with the Coyotes.

The Coyotes will likely rely on a pair of youngsters to center the team's second and third lines.

Martin Hanzal, a first-round pick in 2005, had 11 goals and 20 assists in 74 games as a sophomore. However, Peter Mueller, the eighth overall selection in the 2006 draft, suffered through a sophomore slump in 2008-09. After scoring 54 points (22g, 32a) in 81 games as a rookie, the Bloomington, Minnesota native had just 13 goals and 23 helpers in 74 games last year.

Another of Phoenix's highly drafted centermen, Kyle Turris, was cut from the NHL club in training camp and sent to the Coyotes' AHL affiliate in San Antonio. Turris, the third overall pick in 2007, had eight goals and 20 points in 63 games for Phoenix last year.

Despite the club's financial problems, Phoenix was able to bring in a few new faces this summer. Among the moves Don Maloney made, the most notable was the reacquisition of winger Radim Vrbata, who returns to Phoenix after setting career bests of 27 goals and 56 points with the Coyotes in 2007-08. Vrbata only played 18 games in the NHL last year before leaving the Tampa Bay Lightning to play in his native Czech Republic. However, the Lightning still held his rights and he was traded back to the Coyotes over the summer in exchange for forward Todd Fedoruk and defenseman David Hale.

ON DEFENSE
If the Coyotes have a strength it appears to be on the blueline.

The club is led at the back end by No. 1 defenseman Ed Jovanovski, who paced all Phoenix blueliners with 36 points (9g, 27a). However, the 33-year-old Jovo was also tied with Turris for the worst plus-minus on the team with a minus-15 rating.

Jovanovski is usually paired with Kurt Sauer, a steady stay-at-home defenseman. Sauer missed 14 games due to injury last year and had a goal and six assists to go with a minus-one rating.

Maloney's two biggest summer acquisitions came from the Calgary Flames and were designed to add size and stability to the back end. Adrian Aucoin was signed as a free agent, while Jim Vandermeer came over in a trade for winger Brandon Prust.

Aucoin is 6-2, 212 pounds and adds 13 years of NHL experience to the Phoenix blueline. Last year, he played in 81 games with the Flames and notched 10 goals and 24 assists. Vandermeer, meanwhile, is 6-1, 208 pounds, but has far less offensive skill than Aucoin. The 29-year-old had one goal and six assists in 45 games with the Flames in 2008-09.

Keith Yandle and Zbynek Michalek are also back for Phoenix after impressing in 2008-09 with 30 and 27 points, respectively.

IN THE CREASE
The Coyotes will head into their second full season with Ilya Bryzgalov as the starting netminder and they're hoping the Russian backstop can rebound from a poor showing in 2008-09.

Bryzgalov was acquired in a trade with Anaheim during the 2007-08 campaign and shined in 55 games with the Coyotes, posting a 2.43 goals against average and a .921 save percentage in those outings. He also had a 26-22-5 record on a bad team.

However, the 29-year-old stumbled last year, going 26-31-6 with 2.98 GAA and .906 save percentage.

This year, the Coyotes brought in Jason LaBarbera as a backup and the team hopes a competitive atmosphere could help Bryzgalov get his groove back. LaBarbera, who was signed to a two-year, $2 million contract, saw action in 28 games with Los Angeles and Vancouver in 2008-09 and combined to go 8-10-6 with a 2.78 GAA and .901 save percentage.

WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE
With all the off-ice distractions the Coyotes should be happy to simply get the season started. Still, the club is operating under extremely difficult circumstances and that will take its toll on a team that isn't exactly loaded with talent. Finishing anywhere other than last in the Pacific Division would be considered a triumph.

 

[Lumi]

The mere sight of Donald Trump's financial presence on the strip in Las Vegas makes S

The mere sight of Donald Trump's financial presence on the strip in Las Vegas makes S

The mere sight of Donald Trump's financial presence on the strip in Las Vegas makes Steve Wynn cringe. Joe Paterno and Bobby Bowden are publicly friends, but the all-time coaching wins record is certainly the elephant in the room when the two legends are together at speaking engagements and coaching clinics. Was it a coincidence that the movies "Deep Impact" and "Armageddon" were released seven weeks apart by rival motion picture studios?

Top competitors in any industry always keep a watchful eye on the closest contender. The world of sports, in which stability is only as strong as the salary cap figures attached to its fiscal bottom line, is certainly no different.

Most championship teams in pro sports endure a five-year story arc before the ultimate goal is realized. Draft picks mature, free agents provide depth, the superstar learns how to be a leader and after a tough lesson or two on losing, the team finally overcomes its own defenses and captures the title.

Often unnoticed, though, are the teams that endure the cycle, but never reach the top of the mountain.

In San Jose, the annual rite of passage every spring is unanswered questions inside a silent locker room. Support for the only professional sports team inside the city limits has never wavered since the inception of the Sharks nearly two decades ago. However, for a team with so much talent, the lack of a Stanley Cup title has been as elusive as it's been enigmatic.

Arguments claiming that the thorn in the Sharks' side during this decade's run of success has been the Detroit Red Wings -- the perennial team in the Western Conference which is always one step ahead of San Jose -- cannot be fully substantiated because the two teams have rarely met in the playoffs. At face value, it might seem that the Red Wings are that aforementioned top competitor which always holds the trump card. But despite a battle between the two for home ice advantage most seasons, the Wings and Sharks are not divisional foes and don't meet enough to make the case legitimate.

The Sharks themselves, rather, have been and continue to be their own worst enemy. There are nights in February of a given season when the Sharks are so dominant that they appear simply unbeatable. The mind-boggling puck possessive cycling ability of Joe Thornton and Co. is sometimes so amazing that it borders on comical.

So what happens in the playoffs? Why does this team find so much success from Columbus Day through Easter, then fizzle when the games really count?

Bobby Cox knows a little something about this issue. As the manager of those great Atlanta Braves teams that won 14 straight division titles but only produced one World Series, this precise query is often posed to him. Was the problem those outside-corner called strikes given to Tom Glavine and John Smoltz during the regular season suddenly disappearing in the smaller October strike zone? Why did the bats always go cold along with the weather?

For Sharks head coach Todd McLellan, the answers can't come soon enough. The upcoming 2009-2010 campaign will only be his second behind the bench, but fans are tired of waiting, the core nucleus of forwards is aging and the star goaltender is set to become a free agent after the season.

The most recent example of playoff failure occurred in devastating fashion. Last season, the Sharks produced 117 points and captured the Presidents' Trophy as the top team in the league. But after their conference quarterfinal series against Anaheim, the Shark Tank was closed for business early once again.

That was one too many early playoff exists for the Sharks' top brass and it was decided that a leadership overhaul on the ice was in order. Subsequently, the "C" was removed from stalwart captain Patrick Marleau's sweater, and Thornton's assistant captaincy was also removed.

ON THE ATTACK
Most general managers across the NHL would salivate at the prospect of possessing the embarrassment of goal-scoring riches that Doug Wilson enjoys. This team will light the lamp simply getting off the bus at visiting arenas. The balanced scoring depth along the top two lines has been the key to San Jose's success and last season was no different. The Sharks finished third overall in goals in the Western Conference with 257.

While Thornton is the engine that drives the offense, this discussion must begin with the acquisition of Dany Heatley, the much-maligned but ultra- talented goal scorer. The 28-year-old Heatley was forced to leave Atlanta after his involvement in the vehicular death of a former teammate and he never found playoff success in Ottawa despite skating on the most talented line on the planet.

The Sharks sent Jonathan Cheechoo and his declining production along with forward Milan Michalek to the Senators for Heatley, who is one of the most dynamic offensive players in the game. Early preseason action has seen Heatley skate with Thornton and Devin Setoguchi, but the lines will surely be fined tuned as the campaign gets underway.

Heatley joins a core that in 2008-09 included five skaters who scored at least 20 goals. Thornton is the most important cog, but his 25 goals and 86 points don't describe his importance. It is the work that Thornton does in the corners and behind the net that make him so difficult to defend against, but his lackluster performance in the postseason is what makes him even more difficult to ultimately praise. Perhaps without the official leadership role Thornton will be a different player come April.

Alberta-born and 22-year-old Setoguchi was a pleasant surprise last season with 31 goals in 81 games. Although not exactly a force in the corners, Setoguchi is most dangerous in open space and firing from the shooting lanes after a curl atop the circles. This season will be Setoguchi's third season in the league, and he basically replaced Cheechoo, who was the rising star in the Sharks organization five years ago that Setoguchi is now.

It's hard to believe that former captain Marleau just turned 30 years of age. The stalwart fan favorite of the franchise, Marleau is fresh off the best offensive season of his career with a team-high 38 goals. Marleau is polished in every facet of the game, and his faceoff wins, quick skating, accurate shooting and passing vision combine to make him a player that San Jose absolutely cannot succeed without. His six-year captaincy demotion was a move made more out of public relations necessity than a negative denotation of his leadership skills.

While Marleau is the fan favorite staple, big Ryan Clowe represents the heart and soul of the offensive attack. Much like Scott Hartnell of Philadelphia, Clowe is a scrappy pest with scoring touch on the wing and is at his best in tight, physical postseason-type games. With 22 goals in 71 contests last season, Clowe provided very strong puck support in the corners while maintaining solid two-way play, and will never shy away from a heavyweight bout if the need arises. Look for Clowe's goal production to reach the 30-mark in 2009-10, and he may also be counted on to take on one of the assistant captain positions when that issue is finalized by McLellan. In July, he inked a new four-year contract.

Rounding out the top six forwards is Joe Pavelski, who has seen his goal total increase in each of his first three NHL seasons. His most recent effort saw Pavelski punch home 25 markers and in the process he cemented his spot as a key forward on the club, especially on the power-play unit. Pavelski has also emerged as one of the premier American-born forwards in the league and will compete for the USA in the Olympics in February.

Veterans Scott Nichol and Jody Shelley along with Jamie McGinn, Brad Staubitz, Jed Ortmeyer and Torrey Mitchell will combine to fill out the bottom two lines. Dan Hinote and Manny Malhotra will add depth as well.

ON DEFENSE
Along the blue line, Rob Blake will again anchor the defense corps. The 39-year-old Blake, who is in his second season with the Sharks, tallied 45 points (10 goals) and provided the veteran leadership that any Cup contender needs. The one-year deal Blake inked to re-ante with San Jose this past summer could be his last in professional hockey.

While Blake is essentially the quarterback of the group, 33-year-old Dan Boyle is its best pure defenseman. With 16 goals and 41 assists in 77 games, the 2008-09 campaign was possibly Boyle's career best. Not only does he provide offense from the back line, Boyle also uses his speed, low center-of-gravity (5-foot-11) and an angular defensive style to keep opposing forwards along the perimeter.

Longtime San Jose rearguard Christian Ehrhoff (along with Brad Lukowich) were traded to Vancouver, and moving up the ranks is Marc-Edouard Vlasic. Entering the second of a four-year contract signed last August, Vlasic is a young star on the rise who was named to the All-Rookie team several years ago and has consistently improved every season. The durable Vlasic played in all 82 regular-season games in 2008-09 and along with Blake led the club's defensemen with a plus-15 rating.

Veteran Kent Huskins and Douglas Murray will provide solid support, while Joe Callahan, Derek Joslin and Mike Moore should also get chances to contribute.

IN THE CREASE
Evgeni Nabokov is a very talented goaltender who has carried this franchise between the pipes for the better part of a decade. He started 62 games last season and accumulated 41 wins and a 2.44 goals-against average to go along with seven shutouts. Nabokov's future contract uncertainty is an issue at the age of 34, but the smart money says that Wilson will re-sign the netminder -- who has a history of recurring groin injuries -- to a two-year extension.

Nabokov still has another several strong seasons in him, and that's a perfect match for a team in the prime of its Cup contending years. Although he has enjoyed a very fine career, one that has included a Calder Trophy, several All-Star appearances and a selection as a Vezina Trophy finalist, the postseason is when goaltenders earn their money, and thus far, Nabokov has come up short.

2008-09 backup Brian Boucher is gone in favor of Thomas Greiss, a German-born youngster who has started all of three games in the NHL. Greiss has experience in international play at high levels, but is about as untested as they come in terms of providing depth when Nabokov needs a rest or if an injury occurs. Don't be shocked if the Sharks sign a veteran goaltender to a two-way contract as insurance in case Greiss struggles.

WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE
Cue the broken record. Taxes will be paid, the sun will set over the Pacific Ocean and the Sharks will be one of the best four teams in hockey this season. But when the Stanley Cup title round begins, will they be the Western Conference representative?

On the surface, this situation appears to possess the textbook veneer of not being able to predict anything other than another spring disappointment until this group ignites its highest gear at the onset of critical mass. All the pieces are still in place for a legitimate run at the franchise's first championship, but each season (as the Sharks are well aware) has its own trials, tribulations and injuries that shape the last series.

However, McLellan will in fact push the right buttons and propel the Sharks to the conference final round, where a squad led by Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk and Nick Lidstrom certainly won't go quietly. The fatigued Red Wings, though, will feel the affects of playing into June for two consecutive seasons and the natural changing of the guard will occur after a grueling battle for the Campbell Trophy.

The only problem for the Sharks thereafter will be a team from western Pennsylvania whose story arc already includes a title and has yet to hit its peak.

 

[pfj]

super stats. so my buddy is trying to talk me into taking calgary to win the stanley cup. hmmm