NHL Futures
August 24, 2010
By Bodog
It was a little more than two months ago that the Chicago Blackhawks defeated the Philadelphia Flyers to win the Stanley Cup, but NHL training camps are set to begin in a few weeks.
Preseason games get underway on September 21 with an eight-game slate, as teams work out the kinks, finalize rosters and line combinations, and get in game shape for the start of the regular season on October 7.
Fresh off their trip to the Cup final in June, the Flyers kick off the preseason against the New Jersey Devils on the opening night of action. Philadelphia is priced at 15/1 to get back to the final and hoist Lord Stanley, but it can?t do it without Chris Pronger.
Pronger is recovering from offseason right knee surgery, and is questionable to be in the lineup for the first game of the regular season. Sean O?Donnell and Andrej Meszaros were brought in to bring depth to the blueline, but they won?t make up for what Pronger brings to the ice.
The Devils are also listed at 15/1 to win the Stanley Cup this season, and they hope to have Ilya Kovalchuk on their top line for opening night. New Jersey is still working to sign Kovalchuk after an independent arbitrator ruled the 17-year, $102-million contract he signed was in violation of the NHL?s collective bargaining agreement.
In addition to dealing for Jason Arnott, like the Flyers, the Devils bolstered their defense in the offseason by acquiring Henrik Tallinder and Anton Volchenkov.
Looking at futures odds, the defending Cup champion Blackhawks are set as 6/1 favorites to repeat, but they?ll have their work cut out for them after they were forced to trade away many of their players to get under the salary cap.
The biggest names let go were Dustin Byfuglien, Andrew Ladd, Adam Burish, and goaltender Antti Niemi, who took over as the starting netminder midway through last season. Marty Turco was signed as a cheaper replacement, while high-priced backup Cristobal Huet is on loan to the Swiss league.
Chicago is followed on the Stanley Cup outright odds list by the Pittsburgh Penguins (7/1), Washington Capitals (13/2), and Vancouver Canucks (9/1).
Sidney Crosby and the Penguins are regrouping after their disappointing loss to the Montreal Canadiens in the Eastern Conference semifinal. Power play quarterback Sergei Gonchar was allowed to sign with the Ottawa Senators in the offseason, but Pittsburgh replaced him with Zbynek Michalek and Paul Martin in addition to the re-signing of Kris Letang.
While the trade that saw Byfuglien go to the Atlanta Thrashers was one of the worst of the offseason, the best (for one side, anyway) was the St. Louis Blues? acquisition of former Canadiens goaltender Jaroslav Halak.
Up against the cap and needing to bring back Tomas Plekanec, Montreal dealt Halak to St. Louis for a pair of prospects ? Lars Eller and Ian Schultz ? in what was the first trade of the offseason.
Halak went 26-13-5 with a 2.40 GAA and .924 SVP and five shutouts last season, but he showed his true worth in the playoffs when he led the surprising Habs to within three wins of the Cup final.
If Halak plays anything like he did last season, the Blues have a true No. 1 netminder between the pipes. Montreal, on the other hand, is set to start the season with the still-unsigned Carey Price or Alex Auld in goal.
Price, a former highly-touted first-round draft choice, went 13-20-5 with a 2.77 GAA and .912 SVP last season, and got only one start in the Canadiens? postseason run. If Price remains unsigned, Montreal would be forced to go with Auld in the crease.
The Arnott deal was also one of the best of the offseason, as was the Tampa Bay Lightning?s decision to trade for Simon Gagne. The Lightning gave up Matt Walker for Gagne, who should be leaned on heavily on Tampa Bay?s second line now that Vincent Lecavalier is headed for arthroscopic knee surgery.
August 24, 2010
By Bodog
It was a little more than two months ago that the Chicago Blackhawks defeated the Philadelphia Flyers to win the Stanley Cup, but NHL training camps are set to begin in a few weeks.
Preseason games get underway on September 21 with an eight-game slate, as teams work out the kinks, finalize rosters and line combinations, and get in game shape for the start of the regular season on October 7.
Fresh off their trip to the Cup final in June, the Flyers kick off the preseason against the New Jersey Devils on the opening night of action. Philadelphia is priced at 15/1 to get back to the final and hoist Lord Stanley, but it can?t do it without Chris Pronger.
Pronger is recovering from offseason right knee surgery, and is questionable to be in the lineup for the first game of the regular season. Sean O?Donnell and Andrej Meszaros were brought in to bring depth to the blueline, but they won?t make up for what Pronger brings to the ice.
The Devils are also listed at 15/1 to win the Stanley Cup this season, and they hope to have Ilya Kovalchuk on their top line for opening night. New Jersey is still working to sign Kovalchuk after an independent arbitrator ruled the 17-year, $102-million contract he signed was in violation of the NHL?s collective bargaining agreement.
In addition to dealing for Jason Arnott, like the Flyers, the Devils bolstered their defense in the offseason by acquiring Henrik Tallinder and Anton Volchenkov.
Looking at futures odds, the defending Cup champion Blackhawks are set as 6/1 favorites to repeat, but they?ll have their work cut out for them after they were forced to trade away many of their players to get under the salary cap.
The biggest names let go were Dustin Byfuglien, Andrew Ladd, Adam Burish, and goaltender Antti Niemi, who took over as the starting netminder midway through last season. Marty Turco was signed as a cheaper replacement, while high-priced backup Cristobal Huet is on loan to the Swiss league.
Chicago is followed on the Stanley Cup outright odds list by the Pittsburgh Penguins (7/1), Washington Capitals (13/2), and Vancouver Canucks (9/1).
Sidney Crosby and the Penguins are regrouping after their disappointing loss to the Montreal Canadiens in the Eastern Conference semifinal. Power play quarterback Sergei Gonchar was allowed to sign with the Ottawa Senators in the offseason, but Pittsburgh replaced him with Zbynek Michalek and Paul Martin in addition to the re-signing of Kris Letang.
While the trade that saw Byfuglien go to the Atlanta Thrashers was one of the worst of the offseason, the best (for one side, anyway) was the St. Louis Blues? acquisition of former Canadiens goaltender Jaroslav Halak.
Up against the cap and needing to bring back Tomas Plekanec, Montreal dealt Halak to St. Louis for a pair of prospects ? Lars Eller and Ian Schultz ? in what was the first trade of the offseason.
Halak went 26-13-5 with a 2.40 GAA and .924 SVP and five shutouts last season, but he showed his true worth in the playoffs when he led the surprising Habs to within three wins of the Cup final.
If Halak plays anything like he did last season, the Blues have a true No. 1 netminder between the pipes. Montreal, on the other hand, is set to start the season with the still-unsigned Carey Price or Alex Auld in goal.
Price, a former highly-touted first-round draft choice, went 13-20-5 with a 2.77 GAA and .912 SVP last season, and got only one start in the Canadiens? postseason run. If Price remains unsigned, Montreal would be forced to go with Auld in the crease.
The Arnott deal was also one of the best of the offseason, as was the Tampa Bay Lightning?s decision to trade for Simon Gagne. The Lightning gave up Matt Walker for Gagne, who should be leaned on heavily on Tampa Bay?s second line now that Vincent Lecavalier is headed for arthroscopic knee surgery.
