Divisional Shoulder
Overview of the Eastern Conference
Training camps opened across North America last week and hope abound. Tampa Bay, New York Rangers will be leaving shortly for the Czech Republic and the Pittsburgh Penguins and Ottawa Senators be the position of Sweden to open their season. All teams are in contention in September, but by their courage, after February has been tested, some resign themselves to not making the playoffs. Here's how the standings look at the Eastern Conference heading of the season.
Champions Division:
1. Montreal Canadiens – The Canadiens will celebrate its 100th season by winning the North East division and finishing top of the Eastern Conference for the second consecutive year. Montreal has suffered a long reconstruction, but with an arrogant swagger, Montreal is near the top of the league again. Montreal will try his cup 25 and the end of his longest drought ever on the back of second-year goaltender Carey Price. The price is a sure bet to fill his cloak with Vezina trophies in his career. Newcomer Alex Tanguay will score extra punch to the Habs top 6. The only loss of significance was the power point-Play man Mark Streit.
2. Washington Capitals – The Capitals re-emerge from above in the southeast of the increasingly competitive division. The goalie combination of Huet and Kolzig, who finished the season has been replaced by former Most Valuable Player Jose Theodore, who has rebounded with the Avalanche after a few years. Rookie defenders Karl Alzner is a safe bet to the team this season as a 19 year old. Look for the stay at home regular blue liners to be paired with future Norris Trophy Mike Green and Green have the green light to go into the offensive rush more frequently. Oh, and this kid named Capitals Ovechkin, who is more effective as General Electric to light the lamp.
3. Philadelphia Flyers – The Broad Street Bullies era has been revived in Philadelphia. The Flyers are led by courageous captain Mike Richards. The guts the team wins and are supported by competent authorities of goalies Martin Biron. The team is 4 lines deep with players who can score, hit, and defend. Braydon Coburn appears as a two excellent defenders way similar to Dion Phaneuf. Two years ago with the Flyers last in the NHL but after clever moves by GM Paul Holmgren made a remarkable turnaround. The Heaviest important off-season was the captain Jason Smith, clearly on the downside of his career. There are many young people to compensate for his departure.
The teams in the playoffs:
4. Pittsburgh Penguins – It was a tumultuous off season for the finalists Stanley Cup. The team lost several key free agents, including playoffs rental Marian Hossa, Ryan Malone local child grizzled veteran Gary Roberts, Jarkko Ruutu Pest, Enforcer Georges Laraque and backup goaltender Ty Conklin. Fortunately for GM Ray Shero, he was able to hire permanent establishment in the home defenders Brooks Orpik to prevent the summer to be a complete loss. less adequately replaced those players with the aging Miroslav Satan coming off a down year with the Islanders and solid 3rd line Ruslan Fedotenko, who will receive a shot of Crosby in Pittsburgh. Crosby, Staal, Malkin and the Pens lead to the front, while veteran Sergei Gonchar, the improvement Always Ryan Whitney and Kris Letang Blue Chip prospect will consolidate the blue line.
5. Ottawa Senators – The Year Last, the Senators out of the door and had the best start to a season NHL wheels never fell. Troubled goalie Ray Emery came in fighting training when it came time. Injuries hurt the Sens coach John Paddock was fired for trying to shake the team of his funk. Ottawa was too dependent on Dany Heatley, Daniel Alfredsson and Jason Spezza goals last season and has not much changed. Young players like Antoine Vermette, Chris Kelly and Mike Fisher will be joined by Nick Foligno attackers are counted to mark the secondary. The biggest change Ottawa will be on the blue line where the long-time Senator Wade Redden left via free agency after 2 disastrous seasons. Ottawa traded Andrej Meszaros also According to his contract demands were too high for GM Bryan Murray. New to the blue line is the Senators Filip Kuba and Alexandre Picard, acquired a promising young deal with Tampa Bay and former Oilers and Flyers captain Jason Smith. Alex Auld replaces Ray Emery Martin Gerber as back to the indisputable (for the number better or worst) 1 goalie this year. Expectations are so low in Ottawa as they have been since 1995.
6. Rangers New York – The Rangers have been very active in their list again this summer, and their big move is probably still to come. Estimated that some time before the Rangers in November will add the former Maple Leafs captain Mats Sundin. If / when Sundin watch if inked for Scott Gomez deal for a defender to consolidate the blue line. The Rangers also welcome Nikolai Zherdev, Markus Naslund and Dan Fritsche to the front and Wade Redden and Dmitri Kalinin to their blue line. Gone are former New York captain Jaromir Jagr, Brendan Shanahan veteran leader, super pest Sean Avery and Fedor Tyutin. Despite numerous reorganizations, the blue shirts will go as far as goaltender Henrik Lundquist will carry them.
7. Carolina Hurricanes – The Injuries have prevented the Hurricanes to the playoffs the past two seasons and the Hurricanes already have health issues. Winger Justin Williams was injured at work the first team to fail and 4-6 months. Most of the file is intact from last season with Joni Pitkanen being the only novelty of the suite. Pitkanen was acquired in a trade for Erik Cole. The defenders Bret Hedican and Glen Wesley retired in the off season. Hurricanes will again be led by Eric Staal and goalie Cam Ward. Carolina will have to win their division games to have a chance of the playoffs, and Tampa Florida be breathing on their necks.
8. Boston Bruins – The Bean Towners back to the playoffs last season by playing a defensive game under new coach Claude Julien. The team was without its best player, Patrice Bergeron for the majority of the season after a coup by led behind a terrible shock. Michael Ryder is the only consequence of long acquisition time Bruin Glen Murray has been redeemed. Improvement will inside with Bergeron back and young like Milan Lucic, Phil Kessel and Chuck Kobasew to rely on a greater contribution. Goaltender Manny Fernandez return from injury to challenge Tim Thomas for the role # 1, both to watch over their shoulder, Tuukka Rask should be fighting for a spot file.
On outside looking in:
9. New Jersey Devils – Lou Lamoriello has kept the Devils in contention for the 15 recent years, despite losing players to free agency and attrition. This can last year when Lou magic dissipates. Team lost no players of consequence and repatriated former Devils Brian Rolston and Bobby Holik, but hard to follow the powers of the Atlantic Division. Having to play young upstarts of Pennsylvania (Flyers and Penguins) 12 times, and 6 games against the Rangers may be enough to keep the Devils from the action of post-season. It also works against the Devils Martin Brodeur is aging and does not seem as capable of playing 75 games a season over. He looked ordinary against Rangers Sean Avery and let them rattle his cage. If Brodeur shows no signs of not shooting a dark spot in the playoffs dissipates.
10. Tampa Bay – No team made more changes than the Lightning this summer. The team has new owners, new GM, new coach, and almost a completely different file than the one that opened the 2007-08 season. Program sales should reach a record level St. Pete. Only a star player has been struck off the list that finished last overall in 2007-08 and Dan Boyle. He was traded in a package Young defenders that landed Matt Carle. The team also traded Alex Picard and Filip Kuba Andrej Meszaros to Lightning giving the two elements constituent of the blue line to go with young talent up front. Superstar Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis will be joined by the 1st overall selection Steven Stamkos. The Lightning has participated actively in the agency without the addition of Ryan Malone, Gary Roberts, Mark Recchi, Radim Vrbata, Vaclav Prospal and. Despite all these acquisitions, Lightning's fortunes hinge on the play of goaltender Mike Smith. Smith was acquired at the trade deadline in Dallas and still needs to prove that he is capable manage the No. 1 duties. It will be supported by an aging veteran Olaf Kolzig, acquired via free agency after a long career in Washington.
11. Buffalo Sabres – The good news for Sabres fans is that the team locked up Ryan Miller, who could have been a free agent at the end of the coming season and almost certainly would have left the Sabres. The bad news is that the team is still reeling from the departure Chris Drury and Daniel Briere in summer 2007 and will again miss the playoffs. The depth of the minor league system kept the competition Sabres last year and again this season. Derek Roy and Jason Pominville strengthened, but a thin blue line has proved to be too much for the Sabres to overcome. No losses or acquisitions of consequence were made by Darcy Regier, whose future with the Sabres was bolstered this week when he signed a contract extension. No major changes will lead to the same result as last year.
12. Florida Panthers-Two major changes this season with the Panthers. The first is the leader Olli Jokinen was traded to the Coyotes on draft day for defenders Keith Ballard Nick Boynton. The second is the new coach Peter DeBoer replaces Jacques Martin, who served last season as coach and GM and was informed by the property take a job. Veteran Cory Stillman was also signed and Bryan McCabe was acquired in a trade from the Toronto Maple Leafs for Mike Van Ryn. Any improvement in the Panthers will result in the game between the divisions strong and continuous development of their young players: Jay Bouwmeester, Steve Weiss and Nathan Horton. If Florida is far from a playoff spot in February expect Bouwmeester, who is increasingly tired of losing, be moved in a trade because he will qualify for next summer and autonomy would be lost for nothing.
Contest Tavares:
13. New York Islanders – It was another interesting off season for the Islanders. Ted Nolan has lost his power struggle with GM and Garth Snow was abruptly replaced as coach. The bone of contention was the team's management. Nolan wanted to continue to use veteran players and try to make the playoffs while the snow decided it was time for a true full-motion youth. The team was in the hunt until All-Star Game injury sidelined starting goalie Rick DiPietro and without excess player of the team for their playoff aspirations were dashed. Ruslan Fedotenko and Miroslav Satan, two veterans who were released, while the team signed Mark Streit to play candle Montreal and added Doug Weight of Anaheim via free agency in a pair of strange movements. Blake Comeau, Kyle Okposo, Jeff Tambellini and Sean Bergenheim are young people who will see their increased role with the team. A nice mix of veterans and young players on the blue line will combine with Dipietro to help keep the Islanders in some games, but lacks firepower will prove to be the heel Achilles.
14. Toronto Maple Leafs – The Leafs have a solid race 1998-2004 vie for playoff spot and making noise. They not made the playoffs since the lockout and enter 2008-09 in the complete rebuilding mode. Gone are the long-time Leafs, Mats Sundin, the top scorer the franchise history, Bryan McCabe and Darcy Tucker. Joining them in March outside the city were chronic underachiever Kyle Wellwood and Andrew Raycroft wildfire. The Leafs brought in veteran Jeff Finger and Nicklas Hagman to ensure the stability of rates of pay to a veteran extremely high. They also coaxed Curtis Joseph retired with a job playing with the team. The Leafs were an easy target last season said Ryan Hollweg and Jamal Mayers trades provide grain and toughness. Hope for fans of the Leafs is years away, but the first measures are taken to Nikolai Kulemin joins the team from Russia and "The Human Eraser" Luke Schenn was drafted 5th overall. The team will be younger, tougher, and solid defensively, but will struggle to score in the first season under Ron Wilson as coach. The team expects to arrive in Anaheim GM Brian Burke to take over as president and GM in 2009. The greatest hope is that the head of the team moves the basement of the league and the chance to draft John Tavares Local Phenom.
15. Atlanta Thrashers – New coach John Anderson inherits a team with superstar Ilya Kovlachuk and nothing else. Some depth was acquired when Marian Hossa was traded, but the team lacks talent top 6 forward and a very thin line blue. Ron Hainsey and Jason Williams is the 3rd part of free agents has been added to the while the aging players Bobby Holik and Alexei Zhitnik had been sacked. Often injured Kari Lehtonen and still inconsistent between years as the starting goalie, but will be challenged by Ondrej Pavelec. Bryan Little and 3rd overall pick Zach Bogosian this year will be challenging for roles on this talented team deficient. It will be a long year for the rookie coach in his first opportunity late in the NHL
About the Author
Marcus Robbins feeds sports fans with the latest musings at RootZoo.com, where this article was originally published. He’s always on top of the nhl standings and loves to discuss it. He’s also a bigtime Cincy Reds fan and always discussing the latest reds news.
