Jason Chen

I wouldn't count out the Kings but the Wings, Hawks, and Sharks are in a different tier. They've got some great players there but I wouldn't be as optimistic about Bernier since he has to unseat Quick first. It'd be more difficult than taking away Tim Thomas' job whose contract I'm sure Chiarelli would love to re-do. And you are right, SJ did reach the WCF in 2004 but haven't since the lockout.

"It's the repetition of affirmation that leads to belief. And once that belief becomes a deep conviction, things begin to happen." - Muhammad Ali. For the Vancouver Canucks, in their 40th year in the league, there are only four words: "We. Want. The. Cup." <img src="http://vancouverite.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/kesler.jpg"class="imageFloatLeftFramed">Some wins will come easier than others, but make no mistake, the Canucks are the team to beat in the West. For Cup contenders facing the Canucks, it is a chance to familiarize themselves with a potential enemy in June. For teams looking to re-build, it provides a golden opportunity for young players to play against the league's best. Unlike Colorado or Phoenix last year, the Canucks aren't going to surprise anyone. Henrik Sedin is the reigning league MVP and twin brother Daniel is just as good. Ryan Kesler will see plenty of Selke Trophies on his shelf before his career is over and Roberto Luongo can always show off his Olympic gold when people question his ability to win big games. But let's not get carried away - there are 82 grueling regular season games to be played and three Western Conference teams that the Canucks must show they can beat before they become the last team standing. The San Jose Sharks have been the West's best team for the past two years but like the Canucks during the West Coast Express' heyday, they still can't win the big game. In the five years since the lockout, all the Sharks have done is win the Pacific Division three times, eclipsed the 100-point mark four times, and claimed the President's Trophy once. But the Sharks always seem to lose their bite when the games start to really count, bowing out from the semis in three straight years and an even more abysmal showing two years ago after being ousted in the opening round by the Ducks. It was only last year did the Sharks manage to parlay their regular season success into the playoffs and reached the Conference Finals, even if only to be swept by the eventual Cup-winning Blackhawks. While becoming one of the four teams remaining is certainly quite the accomplishment, to say the Sharks were satisfied would be an understatement. The Sharks' first ever Conference Final appearance may be short, but now this team knows how to get there. Even with losing captain Rob Blake to retirement and swapping Evgeni Nabokov for a cheaper tandem in Antero Niittymaki and Antti Niemi, this is a team that has finally learned how to win and that's a dangerous thought. What's more dangerous than a team that knows it can win is a team that has already won and for the Detroit Red Wings they have something that no other Cup contender has: a wealth of experience. Since the lockout, the Wings have averaged 113 points a year, dipped below 50 wins just once (last year with a depleted roster), and been to the Finals twice. Nicklas Lidstrom has 247 games of playoff experience under his belt, over 100 more than Daniel and Henrik combined. Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg are no strangers either, Datsyuk having two Cup rings and Zetterberg a former Conn Smythe winner. Even the Red Wings' newest addition, Mike Modano, brings plenty of experience with a Cup ring of his own and over 150 games of playoff experience. Detroit is my pick to win the Cup (but I'd love to be proven wrong) and any road to the Finals will have to go through them. And the last time the Canucks met the Wings in the playoffs? 2002, when the Canucks were eliminated in the opening round after blowing a 2-0 lead in a series that is now only remembered by this goal. As the saying goes, "three time's the charm," but as the Canucks strive for their third straight division title you can bet that a third consecutive 4-2 semi-finals loss to Chicago won't be happening again. The Canucks simply won't allow it and a weaker Blackhawks squad would be hard-pressed to deal out the same punishment a third time. Make no mistake, the Canucks would love to see the Blackhawks in the semis again, if only just to show that the two previous playoff meetings were merely flukes. Still, the Blackhawks do have the Canucks' number and are the defending Cup champions. Even with less depth don't be surprised if Jonathan Toews wills this team deep into the playoffs. No other team in the West can deal as much psychological damage to the Canucks as the Blackhawks and as any NHL player will tell you, the playoffs are mentally taxing as they are physically. <img src="http://www.showtimetickets.com/hockey-tickets/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Roberto-Luongo-photos.jpg"class="imageFloatRightFramed">All three teams are tough opponents but nothing the Canucks cannot handle. The truth is, the Canucks' toughest opponent is themselves. Since the 2000-2001 season, the Canucks have made the playoffs seven times but have lost in the semis four times and the quarters three times. During that same span the Canucks have been division champions four times but were upset in opening round by Calgary in 2004 and lost 4-1 to the Ducks in 2007 in the semis after escaping Anaheim with a 1-1 record. Then it was losses to Chicago in consecutive years in the semis in which the Canucks allowed an uncharacteristic 12 goals combined in elimination games. Despite his 112-point regular season performance Henrik Sedin was not a major force in the playoffs and neither was twin brother Daniel and both disappeared for stretches. Kesler had just one goal while Mason Raymond capped off what would've been a great season with just 4 points in 12 playoff games. Roberto Luongo had the worst playoff run of his career and his save percentage dropped from .913 to .895 which led to a subsequent ballooning of his GAA from 2.57 to 3.22. Cup-winning teams should not and do not self-destruct. If the Canucks want to win they just simply have to stop shooting themselves in the foot.

Foreign movie are all so overpriced, especially Kurosawa films.

No, unfortunately I'm not the one to see for groundbreaking techie news. I still can't figure out HTML sometimes. Sorry.

I actually think Bogosian is going to be better than Erik or Jack Johnson in the long run. Given your team there's no point in keeping Bogosian unless you wish/have to keep a defenseman. I would take Bogosian over Subban, however. I would keep Crosby, Getzlaf, Perry, and Hall. Those four guys are top flight players who will all average at least a point per game. I also love your profile pic - Seven Samurai - great film.

Al Strachan, Boychuk is definitely a player to watch - he was a monster in the AHL last season. Also watch Seguin (if he makes the team), Blake Wheeler in his contract year, Milan Lucic's bounceback year, and the competition between the pipes with Thomas and Rask. jeffrey dahmer, I certainly didn't have this many defensemen in mind when I began to write this but it sure turned out that way.

I have a hard time believing that losing Versteeg, Ladd, Eager, and Burish won't hurt. As much talent as Chicago is pumping through the pipeline their new blood lack experience. I didn't think Chicago's goaltending was suspect although I have to say I didn't see Antti Niemi coming. Bowman knows that given the quality of players up front and on the blueline they don't need an all-star netminder which is why Turco makes sense even though he's nowhere near what he used to be. Turco's stickhandling abilities will definitely help, that's a great point.

It won't be long before Ducks fans forget that there was another number 9 before Bobby Ryan. Ryan ranked third among Ducks forwards in hits and had almost half the giveaways Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry had while posting more takeaways. Ryan, a natural right winger, has had to shift to the left to play on a line with Perry and Getzlaf but it hasn't diminished his production at all, posting a team-high 35 goals last year while also putting up 81 PIMs. Ryan's not a sniper but he's got great hands for a big kid (6'2", 208) and 40 goals is possible. <img src=" "class="imageFloatLeftFramed">Zach Bogosian is not the Thrashers' best player yet but he certainly will be by a significant margin. Bogosian had a team worst -18 among all Atlanta defenseman but he also potted a team-high 10 goals while playing over 21 minutes a game. With the departure of Pavel Kubina to Tampa Bay, Bogosian will have an even bigger workload ahead of him. 40 points from Bogosian isn't unrealistic, given he will undoubtedly be Craig Ramsay's top powerplay quarterback. He is the future Thrashers captain. After posting 31 goals in his third season in the NHL, the Panthers thought they finally had a marquee player but injuries and inconsistency have plagued Nathan Horton since. With more quality players surrounding him and a chance to compete in the playoffs, Horton may finally blossom into consistent goal-scorer worthy of a third overall pick title. If Horton can stay healthy, he could potentially pot 35 goals for the Bruins after putting up 20 in 65 games last year with little help. At age 25 he's just entering his prime and may be the answer Boston needs to correct their scoring woes. There's not much to get excited over in Buffalo other than Tyler Myers, the league's top rookie last year. The Big Easy played in all 82 games last year and was just as valuable to coach Lindy Ruff as Ryan Miller and both will have to continue their strong play from last year after a humdrum offseason in which the Sabres didn't make any major moves. It remains to be seen whether or not Myers will escape the sophomore jinx but the Sabres are certainly hoping he does given their depth on the blueline. If there's any Flame right now that's confident in his ability it's Mark Giordano. After posting 15 points in 48 games in his rookie season Giordano spent a year in the KHL after he could not come to terms with the Flames. Giordano came back and appeared in 58 games the following season and notched 19 points but slowly became one of the Flames' most dependable defenders. Last season he led all Flames defenseman in goals (11), points (30), +/- (+17), PIM (81), but still had less ice-time than Robyn Regehr and Jay Bouwmeester, who looks more and more like the next Wade Redden. This season he will be the Flames' best defenseman and he earns about $6 million less than Bouwmeester. <img src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/326345/mcbain1.jpg"class="imageFloatRightFramed">The one to watch in Carolina is obviously Jamie McBain. An early Calder favourite, the former 2nd round pick in 2006 may turn out to be the second-best defenseman taken in that draft after Erik Johnson. A late season call-up, the offensive-minded McBain posted 40 points in 68 games for Albany in the AHL and continued his strong play at the NHL level with 10 points in 14 games and averaged over 25 minutes a game. A former Hobey Baker candidate, the NCAA's award for the top collegiate player, McBain comes from a winning program at Wisconsin which has already produced Gary Suter, Chris Chelios, and Brian Rafalski. While the world's eyes are on Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, Niklas Hjalmarsson is the Hawks' most intriguing player. San Jose GM Doug Wilson made an offer sheet to Hjalmarsson over the summer which the Hawks quickly matched and promptly lost Antti Niemi. That Stan Bowman was willing to let their Cup-winning goaltender walk for a second pairing defenseman should tell you how highly everyone thinks of Hjalmarsson. A quick glance at Hjalmarsson won't wow anyone, but watch him closely and you'll notice that while he doesn't excel at any one particular area (yet) he's a very dependable, all-rounded defenseman in the Mattias Ohlund mould but with better mobility. As much as Craig Anderson was vital to the Avs' success, so was Kyle Quincey. While Chris Stewart and Matt Duchene no doubt helped on the offensive end, no one was more vital to his position than Quincey. The major piece going the other way in the Ryan Smyth deal that sent Captain Canada to Hollywood, Quincey has become the Avs' best defenseman and a favourite of Joe Sacco's, leading the Avs' defensemen in ice-time with 23:36 per game. Quincey led all Avs defensemen in hits (115), shots (139), and becomes the team's best shot blocker after Brett Clark signed with Tampa Bay. When Kris Russell first broke into the league, he was 5'10" and 160 lbs. soaking wet. Since then, Russell now has 3 full seasons under his belt and bulked up to 185 lbs. While most defenders spent their first few years as a pro in the AHL, Russell stepped into the Blue Jackets' lineup right away and while he wasn't impressive, he certainly wasn't overwhelmed either. It's been baby steps for the puck-moving defenseman and this season may be his breakout year. Russell led Columbus defenseman in goals (7) last year and finished tied for 2nd best on the team in plus-minus. While Russell's NHL career has been slow and steady, Matt Niskanen's has been the opposite. The former 28th overall pick notched 26 points and an impressive +22 in his rookie campaign and followed that up with a 35-point sophomore effort under Dave Tippett. But Niskanen took a giant leap backwards after notching only just 15 points and posting and even uglier -15 under Mrac Crawford while Stephane Robidas posted the highest total of his career. For now Niskanen seems to be buried in Crawford's depth chart but it won't be long before he emerges again. <img src="http://www.nightmareonhelmstreet.com/images/stories/filppula6.jpg"class="imageFloatLeftFramed">Last year was supposed to be Valteri Filppula's breakout year but he was sidelined by injuries and appeared in just 55 games although he did post a respectable 35 points in that span. With the return of Jiri Hudler and Johan Franzen healthy again, Filppula may finally blossom into a 25-goal scorer everyone knows he can be. This is the player, after all, who had 9 points in 12 playoff games last year and 16 in 23 games the year before that. If Filppula can find his game and stay healthy the Wings are going to be one of the West's toughest teams. Everyone knows to watch Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle, and Magnus Paajarvi, but the Oilers' best player is still Ales Hemsky. After scoring 22 points in 22 games, Hemsky's season ended following a shoulder injury as a result of a check from Michal Handzus. Over the past five years Hemsky has actually been one of the league's more consistent players, posting 289 points in 313 games. Given the goal scoring talents of Eberle and Hall, Oiler fans should be excited about what sort of numbers Hemsky can post this year. It'll be another trying season in Florida as Dale Tallon tries to right the ship. Up front the Panthers feature a mish-mash of has been's, never were's, and never-will-be's, but the blueline has a diamond in Dmitry Kulikov. The sophomore defenseman enters the season as the team's number two quarterback behind Bryan McCabe after a solid rookie season with 16 points. With 3 of the Panthers' top 4 defenseman from last year not returning, the former Voltigeur standout will be counted on to fill the void. <img src="http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/juniors/2009/10/02/schenn_brayden_kings_381.jpg"class="imageFloatRightFramed">He hasn't quite made the team yet but he's not going back to Brandon, that's for sure. With 99 points in 59 games for the Wheat Kings Brayden Schenn has already proven that he's head and shoulders above everyone else in the CHL. Schenn is ineligible to play in the AHL because he's 19 and has less than 4 years of junior hockey experience under his belt. It remains to be seen what GM Dean Lombardi wants to do with Schenn but sending him back to junior hockey might stall his development. At this point Schenn needs to play against better competition to get better and for now the only option is the NHL. The Wild are the cautionary tale of a team rushing its prospects with former first round picks Colton Gillies (16th overall, 2007) and James Sheppard (9th overall, 2006) yet to make a significant impact at the NHL level. While GM Chuck Fletcher has a nice pair of young defensemen in Tyler Cuma and Marco Scandella, both are better off in the AHL for the moment. The key player to watch is Brent Burns, whose injuries have derailed a promising career after posting 43 points and +12 in 82 games in 2008. Since then, Burns has amassed just 57 points and -22 in 106 games over two seasons. Asides from Jaroslav Halak, the only player to excite Habs fans is Pernell Karl Subban. The OHL All-Star didn't miss a beat in his first full season in the AHL, collecting 53 points in 77 games with Hamilton and made a slick transition to the NHL with 8 points in 14 spectacular playoff games. Oozing just the right amount of confidence and poise, the playoffs were as much as a coming out party for Subban as it was for Halak. With Andrei Markov sidelined for at least the beginning of the season, Subban is the Habs' powerplay quarterback and he won't disappoint. It would be silly to suggest that Subban's NHL career would be without hiccups but he is a special player. The Preds are top-notch at bringing in prospects at the right time and with Colin Wilson becoming the team's potential number one center, the time was ripe to trade Jason Arnott and usher in Shea Weber as the team's new captain. The former Boston University standout had 34 points in 40 games with Milwaukee before David Poile decided Wilson was ready for the prime time. Wilson certainly has the talent and work ethic (father Carey owns a hockey school and grandfather Jerry was a NHLer-turned-doctor) to be the marquee forward Nashville has been looking for since the franchise's inception. If you're wondering about how the Devils are going to move the puck up the ice without Paul Martin, look no further than Andy Greene. After four years with Miami-Ohio University, the Devils signed Greene as an undrafted free agent and he has done nothing but get better every year. Lost in all the hype around Ilya Kovalchuk was Greene's production last year: 37 points in 78 games, more than the likes of Jack Johnson, Ed Jovanovski, and Rob Blake, and for less than $800,000 a season. In midst of the talks of John Tavares, Kyle Okposo, Matt Moulson, and even Rob Schremp, Josh Bailey is often forgotten. While many on Long Island have moaned and groaned about Bailey's slow development, the truth is he's gotten better with every game and is poised to break out in his third full NHL season. A ten point improvement from last year was a good sign, especially going from 7 goals to 16 and Bailey will be only 22 years old when the season starts. <img src="http://cdn.nhl.com/rangers/images/upload/2010/05/ZuccarelloAasen_0526_Ins3.jpg"class="imageFloatRightFramed">Blink and you'll miss #36, the diminutive 5'7" Norwegian winger Mats Zuccarello-Aasen. In just his second season with Modo of the Swedish Elite League, Zuccarello-Aasen notched 64 points (41 assists) in 55 games and won the Guldhjälmen, the Elitserien's MVP award. He turned heads during the Olympics and emerged as one of the tournament's best players against stiff competition and sparked a bidding war in which the deep-pocketed Rangers won. However, Zuccarello-Aasen still has to win a roster spot and only 2 of the past 10 Guldhjälmen winners (Henrik Lundqvist, Kristian Huselius) have gone on to have NHL careers. Forget about Brian Lee, the future of Ottawa's blueline rests on the shoulders of Erik Karlsson. After making the roster with a great training camp, Karlsson was sent down after just nine games, only to be called right back up after posting 11 assists in 12 games with Binghamton. Since then, Karlsson has not looked back and the hard-shooting right-hander notched 26 points in 60 games, including 6 in as many playoff games. While the acquisition of Sergei Gonchar somewhat diminishes Karlsson's impact on the Ottawa powerplay, it'd be hard for coach Cory Clouston to not play him. With the Flyers, what you see is what you get. They're tough, mean, and nasty to play against. But lost in all the fists and bruises is Claude Giroux, the winger turned centre who received rave reviews for his play last year despite putting up just 47 points. It was in the playoffs where Giroux shined, putting up 10 goals in 23 games to lead the Flyers into the finals. GM Paul Holmgren expects Giroux to continue what he started and may become the Flyers' best playmaking center, which could allow Peter Laviolette to move Jeff Carter to the wing alongside Mike Richards. The Coyotes realized they rushed Kyle Turris when struggled in his rookie season. But after one full season with San Antonio, Turris is poised to make the jump yet again. The third overall pick in a star-studded 2007 draft, Turris is perhaps the best goalscorer of the top three picks (Patrick Kane, James van Riemsdyk) and the Coyotes may need plenty of that if there collection of mid-level scorers can't produce. With Dave Tippett Turris is certainly in the right hands. There is no winger to speak of this year in Pittsburgh because Sidney Crosby has proven he doesn't really need one. Replacing Gonchar, however, was a different story and in his place steps Paul Martin. The former Devil had a frustrating year, limited to just 22 games with a broken arm that also cost him a spot on the US Olympic team. Martin has never posted more than 5 goals or 37 points in any given season but with Pittsburgh's star power that might change. There's Jamie McBain, Dmitry Kulikov, Zach Bogosian, PK Subban, and Erik Karlsson. Then there's Jason Demers. The least heralded of the six, Demers is expected to fill the void left by Rob Blake on the San Jose powerplay along with Marc-Edouard Vlasic. The 186th overall pick in 2008, Demers made a successful transition from the QMJHL to Worcester where he put up 48 points in 103 games. GM Doug Wilson has already signed him to a two-year extension worth $2.5 million that kicks in the 2011-2012 season. Not only is Wilson that eager to retain Demers' rights, he's willing to bet he's worth that money too and given Demers' production he might be one of the best bargains. Patrik Berglund's sophomore production fell 21 points amidst a season of friction between him and former coach Andy Murray. With Davis Payne behind the bench, more emphasis on an attacking style may better suit the Swedish playmaker. The entire team, other than TJ Oshie and Erik Johnson, took a step backwards last year and Berglund, who is a RFA at the end of the season, will be motivated to perform. Brian Lawton left some usable pieces for Steve Yzerman, the most significant being Victor Hedman. A much-hyped rookie season fell flat on its face as Hedman was never in the running for the Calder. However, 20 points is a decent total for a rookie blueliner but much more will be expected from him. Bringing back Pavel Kubina lessens the load on Hedman's shoulders but he is still the Lightning's defenseman of the future. Tyler Seguin is forever going to be linked to Phil Kessel, for better or for worse, but the player to watch in Toronto is Dion Phaneuf. Brian Burke's big acquisition last year was a good one but now the Leafs captain will have the world's biggest microscope on him. Phaneuf was on his way to superstardom after a 60-point, 182-PIM campaign but has since failed to re-capture that magic and notched only 2 goals in 26 games for the Leafs despite firing more shots than he ever has. <img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3416/3276791653_6041358afd.jpg"class="imageFloatLeftFramed">When Mason Raymond first broke into the league, the blistering speedster didn't quite have the hands or smarts to catch up to his feet. But everything came together last year and Raymond made a 30-point improvement and more than doubled his previous goal total to 25. With an established chemistry with Ryan Kesler, the duo is arguably the fastest in the league and 30-goals each isn't out of the question. The race for the Calder is the race to watch this season and add John Carlson to that list. The hero in the US' win over Canada at the World Junior Championships, Carlson finished with 39 points in 48 games with Hershey and 4 points in 7 playoff games with the Capitals. Of all the young defensemen mentioned here, Carlson and Bogosian have the most upside by far and with him the Caps may not only boast the league's most dangerous forwards but also the league's most dangerous defensemen with Mike Green.

September is always the toughest to swallow when you're a hockey fan because it's the only month where Opening Night feels so close yet so far away as well. At least the NFL has kicked off. But September may very well be the most important month as well because this is really where teams start to take shape. A great camp from a rookie may change the entire depth chart for certain teams like Florida and Atlanta, who are desperately hoping for a gem to emerge from their ranks to being their re-build. Even Cup contenders like Vancouver, are waiting to see if Cody Hodgson or Jordan Schroeder can make the big club and make an impact. Pittsburgh is waiting to see which of Eric Tangradi, Ryan Craig, Dustin Jeffrey, or whoever they may unearth can step into a top six role. To help you bide the time while waiting for the puck to drop, here are some grumblings... <img src="http://tomferda.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/dustin-byfuglien.jpg"class="imageFloatRightFramed">Craig Ramsay has announced that he will start Dustin Byfuglien on defense. I guess if you're going to spend the majority of the season treading water and trying to keep pucks out of the night it's more logical to use your biggest player to clear the crease rather than cause havoc in the offensive zone. People think because Byfuglien can play defense he's versatile, but he really isn't. Anyone who watched him play this year knows that he's an atrocious skater and given the emergence of young defensemen with extraordinary skating ability, like Drew Doughty, Erik Johnson, and John Carlson, you'd have to think if this is a good move. Byfuglien won't help with the transition game - instead, he's more like an Andy Sutton-type with better hands. If you look at the players who can play both defense and offense, they're mostly guys who really don't do either very well. Ian White aside, the list includes the likes of Christoph Schubert, Matt Carkner, and Wade Belak - a pretty mediocre group. Given the right environment, like lining up besides two potential Hall of Famers like Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, Byfuglien will succeed, but not in Atlanta. So long as Ron Wilson is behind the bench at the Air Canada Centre, Tomas Kaberle won't play... according to his father. It was a non-headline at the beginning and I'm going to sound like a broken record, but the Leafs desperately need him on the blueline. I don't think Brian Burke was ever really dangling him but I do believe at least 10 teams have called and if they have a good offer, you listen. He's a great puck-moving defenseman with a very affordable salary, which in the CBA world pretty much counts as a first round pick. Without him the Leafs won't have anyone to spring Phil Kessel on a breakaway. Kaberle is still the Leafs' best player. Jersey numbers have a way of sticking in hockey fans' heads. 99 is synonymous with Wayne Gretzky, 66 with Mario Lemieux, and 4 with Bobby Orr. In Edmonton, 4 evokes memories of Kevin Lowe, the Oilers' great blueliner during their 'City of Champions' years. When I heard that Taylor Hall was going to wear that number, my stomach did a little flip. Lowe's number is not retired by the Oilers so it's fair game, but it's a number that hasn't been used since 1992, Lowe's final season in Edmonton in which he was also captain. I'm obviously making too big of a deal out of it but I wish Hall picked a different number and blazed a path of his own. But then again, it's Lowe's number to give and no one is really going to watch the Oilers this year anyway (which makes them dangerous, actually, like Colorado and Phoenix last year). The Blues weren't very involved during free agency (they didn't have to) but did get an upgrade in goal with Jaroslav Halak. Habs fans still are still swooning over their playoff hero during a recent visit to Montreal. But let's put things into perspective: Ville Leino will not be a force in the regular season, at best a second line player, and Dustin Byfuglien won't score 41 goals in the regular season. Playoff heroics has a funny way of driving up a player's stock and more often than not those players become way overrated. The Blues should be excited because they've finally found a legitimate no. 1 goalie but Habs fans shouldn't forget that Carey Price also managed to post a respectable .912 SV%. If you're expecting Halak to be all-star material I wouldn't bank on it. Count me as a skeptic. Speaking of skepticism, Mike Modano evokes none from me. Wearing the unfamiliar number 90 and even more unfamiliar red and white, Modano has an opportunity to finish his career a winner, at home, no less. The Michigan native signed a one-year contract for one last kick at the can and the stars have lined up for him. Chicago lost quality players and the Wings have Johan Franzen, Jiri Hudler, and Niklas Lidstrom back. The Wings are poised to re-take the Central Division title and a little bit of luck and staying healthy could mean the Wings could be back in the finals for a third time in four years. Modano won't have the pressure of having to score and his defensive game has improved by leaps and bounds the past 5 years. The Wings' puck-possession game suits him well with his deft hands and great skating. One of the more intriguing training camp stories this year (there's always a few - who's going to be our Sergei Shirokov this year?) has been the Stars' invite to Jonathan Cheechoo. Cheechoo's fall from grace has been well documented but if anyone can find your offensive mojo it's Marc Crawford. The Stars can score goals in bunches if they can keep the puck out of their own zone long enough with Brad Richards dishing out passes while James Neal, Jamie Benn, and Loui Eriksson finish them off. My prediction is that Cheechoo does land himself a contract from GM Joe Nieuwendyk but there's no returning to form here. I think it's case-closed that Cheechoo's 56-goal season was a major fluke and more Joe Thornton than him. I also would've rather kept Modano rather than invite Cheechoo. There's been reports (sorry, no link) that Bobby Ryan is close to inking an extension with the Ducks but it'll be on the Ducks' terms, not his. Reportedly the main holdup between the two sides is length, with Ryan wishing to become a UFA as early as possible while the Ducks hope to have him signed beyond that, ensuring that Ryan, Corey Perry, and Ryan Getzlaf won't all bolt at the same time. Thanks for the paranoia, Miami Heat. LeBron James' summer fiasco has changed free agency forever. That's his legacy. Forget about the championships, he's all smoke and dollar signs. <img src="http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/multimedia/photo_gallery/0810/nhl.rookies.to.watch/images/cody-hodgson.jpg"class="imageFloatLeftFramed">If you're banking on either Schroeder or Hodgson to make this squad, the safe bet is Schroeder. It wouldn't hurt for both to return to the AHL for more seasoning and the Canucks have zero need to rush them but at this point Schroeder has at least proven he's capable of producing at the AHL level. The Canucks recently announced that Hodgson won't be attending the rookie tournament in Penticton after doctors couldn't declare him fit to play. Alain Vigneault, never one to shy away from challenging a player's mental toughness publicly, has refused to elaborate but it doesn't take a genius to know that he's not particularly happy with this whole fiasco. But neither is Hodgson - I'm sure he's frustrated too. It's been two years since his misdiagnosed back but it's been disappointment after disappointment, some of them undeserved. He got cut because he wasn't 100%. He lost out the MVP award at the World Juniors to John Tavares even though he was more deserving. Tavares will now have at least 2 NHL seasons under his belt before Hodgson. Underclassman Schroeder is leapfrogging him on the depth charts. However, let's not panic - Hodgson still has a bright future and to give up on him now would be a mistake. Hodgson is once again a big fixture in the training camp news wire and he'll really need to impress if he wants to make it. For now, the odds are stacked against him and it'll be another long test of his character. Oh, and Sidney Crosby hits home runs.

abnk2, if Vinny Lecavalier can be as effective as Steve Stamkos, watch out. That duo could be better than the Pens' Crosby-Malkin duo. Malkin takes too many nights off, even though he was injured for parts of last season and did play hurt too, to be a consistent threat. bahz, the Rangers' success will fall on Lundqvist's shoulders. Despite the great numbers he puts it he's prone to streaks and the odd 6-goal game but if the Rangers catch fire at the right time they are a playoff team. Chris Drury is still one of my favourite players and I wouldn't trust him to lead a team that will finish any lower than 10th. The Leafs are an interesting team. On paper, they look great but they can't seem to do anything right under Ron Wilson. I don't particularly think Wilson is a good coach and has been really a benefactor of great teams. He's had talented players for so long in SJ sometimes I think he's forgotten how to work with some of the no-talent hacks on the Leafs roster. He clearly had no idea what to do with Jeff Finger. I've never been a fan of Phaneuf and I don't intend to start anytime soon either. I think he's a very talented player who plays with real emotion but also lacks any resemblance of poise or hockey smarts. He's the logical choice for captain of the Leafs because no one else is as qualified as he is. Like Luongo, he was merely the logical choice because he is the team's best player, but not necessarily the right choice.

LA definitely has a good chance to overtake SJ. It'll be an interesting battle all season long. Anaheim could sneak in if they shore up that blueline, or if Festling and Mikkelson and Fowler all make positive impacts. Calgary will be bounced in the first round even if they do make it but for Sutter and co. that's a positive good-faith sign to the fans who were up in arms after missing the playoffs last year.

kirk mcleans baby, yes, the Flames' goaltending would be rated higher if Kiprusoff didn't have two very, very inexperienced back-ups behind him. If I was Darryl Sutter, even if Kiprusoff can play 75+ games I'd be looking for a more experienced back-up, either at the NHL or AHL level. Gretzky's Mullet, I only used A+ to C- because I don't think any team deserves a D (there's enough parity to reasonably deduce that even a team like Edmonton could make the playoffs... however low those odds may be). Anaheim could finish as high as 10th but I can't see it happening because they don't have a well-rounded team. That defense just isn't good enough to be a playoff team. Don't forget that the difference between 8th and 13th in the West is about 5-8 points every year. The Flames' rank may be high but if all goes according to plan the Sutters do have a playoff team. LA's goaltending gets an A- because Quick, Bernier, and Ersberg are all trending up in varying degrees. Quick was one of the few goalies who came close to 40 wins last year even with an average SV%. Chicago still has a good team even without the depth. The Blues were a hard team to figure out and I had them rated that low because I personally don't think Davis Payne can do the job.

No team gets an F. They would if they somehow signed me. And I've never seen E as a letter grade. Yes, the Panthers' offense was horrendous last year but did score 234 goals the year before that. Their best offensive player is not Horton, although he may be the most talented, he was never the best player on the ice. Their best offensive player was David Booth and he played just 28 games last year after playing 70+ in the previous two years. Their second-best player was Weiss and he's still there. I think the Panthers' offense this year is better than last year's even without Horton. They added Grabner, Bernier, and Higgins, and they're certainly upgrades over the likes of Greg Campbell. Michal Frolik looks better every year (albeit marginally but he's on the cusp of a breakout) and they also added Dennis Wideman who isn't a bad second unit powerplay QB. Dmitry Kulikov and Dadonov can both be electrifying. The Isles' defense won't scare anyone, except on the PP, but they do have six legitimate NHL defenseman, something that can't be said about other teams' defense, like the Ducks.

I should've mentioned the grading scale goes only from A+ to C-. I don't think any team deserves a D because no team is THAT bad. A D grade is something you give to a franchise team in year one. As for the Islanders, Panthers, and Habs it's just a matter of opinion. I don't think the Islanders defense is terrible because Streit, Wisniewski, and Eaton isn't a bad. The Panthers have Booth, Weiss, and Stillman. I gave the Habs a B in goaltending under the assumption that Carey Price will sign. Alex Auld is a good backup and Price posted some decent numbers but was overshadowed by Halak. All the grades are relative.

With Ryan Getzlaf healthy and Corey Perry's emergence as the West's best power forward, the Ducks boast one of the league's best duos. What should be concerning is their defense. The Ducks are expecting Brett Festerling, Brendan Mikkelson, Stu Bickell, Luca Sbisa, and perhaps Cam Fowler, if he makes the team, to log consistent NHL-calibre minutes, but if they can't then the Ducks' atrocious 251 GA (fourth-worst in West) could look even uglier. Offense: B, Defense: C+, Goaltending: B- Other than Jarome Iginla, the Flames are chock-full of underachievers (Matt Stajan, Olli Jokinen, Alex Tanguay, Jay Bouwmeester) and good depth players (Rene Bourque, Nik Hagman, Ian White). Given the strength of the Western Conference and the lack of consistent weapons the Flames boast making the playoffs will be a challenge. Miikka Kiprusoff is once again expected to play at least 75 games given the relative inexperience of his potential backups (Henrik Karlsson, Leland Irving). Offense: B-, Defense: B, Goaltending: B Oh, how the mighty have shot themselves in the foot. Dale Tallon's mismanagement of the cap has given Stan Bowman headaches with no outs. It's a good thing Tallon has a good eye for talent with a whole new slew of youngsters ready to make their mark for the defending champs having lost a bunch of good depth. The Hawks are finally under the cap but have a questionable duo of Marty Turco and Corey Crawford manning the pipes. If the goaltending can't hold then forget about a second consecutive Cup title. Offense: A-, Defense: A, Goaltending: C+ <img src="http://nimg.sulekha.com/sports/thumbnailfull/craig-anderson-2009-10-15-23-10-58.jpg"class="imageFloatLeftFramed">Like Phoenix and Buffalo, a big reason for the Avs' success was the play of Craig Anderson. Unfortunately for him, he doesn't come with either Ryan Miller or Ilya Bryzgalov's pedigree. The Avs won't catch anyone off-guard this year because there most likely won't be any breakout performances (Chris Stewart) or surprising rookies (Ryan O'Reilly). Kyle Quincey has become the Avs' best blueliner but he's going to have a big workload in front of him and Anderson needs bailing out. Offense: B, Defense: B, Goaltending: B- Columbus was just on the cusp of breaking out before Steve Mason hit the sophomore wall and the whole team imploded. The team has the pieces in place, although they may be one top pair defenseman away, to be a playoff team. All that has to happen is for everybody, especially Derick Brassard, to perform. Rick Nash is slowly growing into his leadership role and Antoine Vermette still has untapped potential. The Jackets are a young team led by rookie coach in Scott Arniel but GM Scott Howson's acquisition of seasoned veteran Chris Clark will help smooth the bumpy ride. Offense: B+, Defense: B, Goaltending: B- One thing about Marc Crawford's squads is that they can really score. That's all great but it's worth nothing if you can't defend and win some games. The six highest paid players on the Stars' payroll have no-trade clauses and none of them, save Loui Eriksson, are entering their prime. With the uncertainty behind the ownership of the Stars, the club has been forced to cut costs. The team has a good group of talented individuals but it's a club that's in limbo. They're not exactly contending for the playoffs and not exactly re-building (which they should) either. Joe Nieuwendyk has provided more stability than the failed Les Jackson-Brett Hull experiment but it hasn't gotten off to a good start. Offense: B, Defense: B-, Goaltending: C+ <img src="http://nbcsportsmedia.msnbc.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photo_StoryLevel/080515/080515-Nicklas%20Lidstrom-vmed-234p.widec.jpg"class="imageFloatRightFramed">Never count out the Red Wings, especially when Nicklas Lidstrom is back to give one last kick at the can. Given the cap troubles of the Hawks and their cost-cutting measures, the Red Wings are in a position to re-take the Central Division crown. It's a golden opportunity for the Wings this season with Jiri Hudler back and GM Ken Holland added some great depth in Mike Modano and Ruslan Salei. Johan Franzen is healthy. If Valtteri Filppula can play like we all know he can, watch out. Offense: A-, Defense: A, Goaltending: A- It's hard to get excited about the Oilers' upcoming season but they will feature a bevy of potential superstars: Taylor Hall, Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson, Jordan Eberle, and Linus Omark. If you're going to watch the Oilers don't expect a win but do expect some razzle-dazzle from its youngsters. The franchise is clearly in re-building mode but I'm not sure if they've found the right coach in Tom Renney. With Sheldon Souray most likely gone 27-year old Ales Hemsky is considered a veteran and will have to help these players grow.. Offense: B-, Defense: C+, Goaltending: C The Kings have been inching towards the top ever so slightly since drafting Anze Kopitar. There's a good collection of young talent, veterans (Ryan Smyth, Michal Handzus, Rob Scuderi), and prospects (Brayden Schenn, Thomas Hickey, Colten Teubert, Jonathan Bernier) for the Kings to forge ahead. They will be big players at the deadline, looking for that extra piece. While they have no game-breaking winger yet, which was why GM Dean Lombardi went after Ilya Kovalchuk, the Kings still have a very solid group that can compete. Willie Mitchell stabilizes the blueline and Drew Doughty has become of the true elite blueliners in this league. Offense: A-, Defense: A, Goaltending: A- After committing some big dollars to Martin Havlat (with a few parting shots at Chicago) and a promise from rookie coach Todd Richards to implement a more attacking system, the Wild responded by finishing 13th in the conference. The Wild were relatively quiet this summer save for Mikko Koivu's overpriced extension and the signing of Matt Cullen, but the general belief in Minnesota is that this team can play much better. There's toughness up front with this group but a little short on skill. Brent Burns is still the major X factor and if he plays well he's a great spark for the Wild attack. Offense: B-, Defense: B-, Goaltending: B+ Anyone who appreciates hockey has to appreciate the Predators. Led by GM David Poile and Barry Trotz, one of the league's best coaches, the Preds play a blue-collar game and win on a consistent basis. Never mind that they've never won a single playoff series – that they've managed to even make the playoffs consistently with such a strict payroll budget is astounding. Expect more of the same this year. Some things just don't change. Offense: B, Defense: B+, Goaltending: B+ If the Phoenix Coyotes can win 50 games again this year Dave Tippett may be the best coach in the league. The roster isn't anything to smirk at but it's not exactly intimidating either. The Desert Dogs' fate will be solely based on the play of Ilya Bryzgalov. Picking up Ray Whitney was a shrewd move for a young team and if they can get Kyle Turris and Oliver Ekman-Larsson to make significant contributions they are a dangerous team. But count me in as one of those doubters, especially after losing shot-blocking machine Zbynek Michalek. Offense: B+, Defense: B, Goaltending: A- Some people don't think the Sharks can win without Evgeni Nabokov, but with an offense that features at least two 40-goal scorers (Dany Heatley, Patrick Marleau) and one of the league's best playmakers in Joe Thornton, there's no shortage of weapons up front for Todd McLellan although the bottom six isn't great. Dan Boyle is best powerplay quarterback in the West and Marc-Edouard Vlasic's production can't dip any further. Whether or not this team can succeed in the post-season is yet another question. Offense: A, Defense: B+, Goaltending: B+ Things were looking so good in St. Louis when they took a giant step back. There's enough talent up front even but David Backes and Brad Boyes need to regain their scoring touches. Jaroslav Halak is more than an adequate replacement for Chris Mason. Erik Johnson is a stud defenseman but they still need Eric Brewer and Barrett Jackman to stay healthy. Easier said than done, of course. Offense: B, Defense: B-, Goaltending: B+ <img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3416/3276791653_6041358afd.jpg"class="imageFloatLeftFramed">Bar none, the Canucks are the best team in the West. This isn't just some hometown bias working here, it's the truth. No other team can match the Canucks' depth, up front or on the blueline, and there shouldn't be any questions in net... unless Keith Ballard knocks out Roberto Luongo. We may see Mason Raymond score 30 this year and while many didn't like the Raffi Torres signing, I definitely did. After losing out on Arron Asham you can't go wrong with a former 27-goal scorer with some sandpaper for only $1 million bucks. Offense: A+, Defense: A, Goaltending: A STANDINGS 1. Vancouver2. San Jose3. Detroit4. Chicago5. Los Angeles6. Phoenix7. Nashville8. Calgary9. St. Louis10. Colorado11. Columbus12. Minnesota13. Anaheim14. Dallas15. Edmonton

Questionable and debatable, definitely, but certainly not dumb.

When Ilya Kovalchuk scores, Atlanta was six games over .500. When he doesn't, they were five games under. Even Nicklas Bergfors, who averaged a point per game with more quality in ice-time since his departure from New Jersey, is re-signed, expecting 40 goals out of him is like hoping Sami Salo's body can stay intact for an entire season. The rest of the roster is filled with former Chicago depth players and a bunch of inconsistent youngsters like Bryan Little and Angelo Esposito. Nik Antropov can't carry a team. Rick Dudley has a long road ahead of him to turn this franchise around but he already has a great building block with Zach Bogosian, who I think will end up being better than either Erik or Jack Johnson. Offense: C+, Defense: B, Goaltending: B- <img src="http://www.boston.com/sports/hockey/bruins/extras/bruins_blog/2010/06/29/Bruins.jpg"class="imageFloatCenterFramed"> The Bruins won't have any scoring problems this year with Nathan Horton, who I think just needed a change of scenery. There's been talk that the Bruins offense could be potent enough that they can afford to send Tyler Seguin back to Plymouth, given their cap troubles. David Krejci is poised to have a bounce back season and Milan Lucic is healthy. I think Dennis Seidenberg is an upgrade over Dennis Wideman and Tuukka Rask could give Henrik Lundqvist and Martin Brodeur a good run for their money as the best goalie in the East. Offense: B+, Defense: B+, Goaltending: A If you expect Ryan Miller to repeat what he did last season, history is working against him. Miller's .929 SV% last year is 15 points higher than his career SV%. Even when Martin Brodeur posted his best SV% in 1997 with a .927 mark, he regressed 10 points the following season to .917, which is closer to his career average of .914. The same goes for Roberto Luongo, with a .931 mark in 2004 then .914 the following season. Brodeur has only managed to post back-to-pack seasons of .920 SV% or greater only once. Looking at that defense, and given the trends that work against Miller, I have a hard time believing the Sabres' defense will hold. Offense: B+, Defense: B-, Goaltending: A Heading into his first full NHL season as team captain, Staal doesn't have a heck of a lot to work with. Only Tuomo Ruutu and Jussi Jokinen could be considered scoring threats but neither are top line players. Erik Cole is a lost cause and Sergei Samsonov lives in his own little world. Joni Pitkanen is great offensively but can only count on Tim Gleason to save his butt. Cam Ward has yet to replicate his Conn Smythe performance. However, GM Jim Rutherford has collected a good group of young talent that should make a significant impact this season, including Drayson Bowman, Zach Boychuk, and early Calder candidate Jamie McBain. Offense: B, Defense: B-, Goaltending: B This is a transitional year for the Panthers who are preparing to give their entire organization an overhaul. Over half the roster are impending free agents and unless they impress Dale Tallon the majority of them will be gone, possibly by the trade deadline. David Booth is a potential franchise cornerstone but has yet to play a full season. There isn't much in the pipeline to speak of although there are three players (Dmitri Kulikov, Jacob Markstrom, and Evgeni Dadonov) that look to be keepers. The only constant for this team will be Tomas Vokoun's play and Bryan McCabe's giveaways. Offense: B-, Defense: C+, Goaltending: B+ <img src="http://committedindians.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/sharks_canadiens22b.jpg"class="imageFloatRightFramed">I'm probably one of the few people out there that believe the Habs' decision to go with Carey Price is the right one. Out of all their young players I think him and PK Subban have the most upside. If anyone thinks the Habs can repeat what they did last year is delusional. What this team lacks in size they make up for in feistiness and toughness but the season is an 82-game grind and the little guys will wear down. Mike Cammalleri and Andrei Markov are probably the only two players on this roster that are paid what they're actually worth. Offense: B, Defense: B+, Goaltending: B Ilya Kovalchuk or not, the Devils always manage to make the playoffs when everyone writes them off. No one's making that mistake this time after GM Lou Lamoriello made a big splash signing Anton Volchenkov, who combined with Colin White may give the Devils the biggest intimidation factor since Scott Stevens. For once they are also to afford to give Martin Brodeur some rest with the more-than-capable Johan Hedberg. The only problem I see with this squad is the transition game from their blueline which features mediocre puck-moving ability when Paul Martin wasn't adequately replaced. Offense: B+, Defense: A-, Goaltending: A+ Like the Panthers, the Islanders have a slew of players set to become free agents in 2011, which means many of them are going to be motivated. Matt Moulson has to prove he's no one-hit wonder, Kyle Okposo really wants to be the East's premier power forward, and Josh Bailey and Rob Schremp both have something to prove. But this team is still too green to make the playoffs. And you can forget about Rick DiPietro – it's about time Snow looks in a different direction. Offense: B, Defense: C+, Goaltending: C+ Asides from that ridiculous contract to Derek Boogaard, I like what GM Glen Sather has done. Adding Alex Frolov takes some pressure off Marian Gaborik's shoulders and Todd White adds some defensive presence. There isn't anything too spectacular about the Rangers' offense other than Gaborik but if Mats Zuccarello-Aasen, the 5'7" Swedish Elite League MVP can deliver the Rangers might have a legitimate second scoring threat. Wade Redden will dress on Opening Night and Marc Staal is still un-signed but Michael Del Zotto, Dan Girardi, and Matt Gilroy could improve by leaps and bounds this year. Offense: B+, Defense: B-, Goaltending: A+ For a guy who loves playing in Ottawa, the media sure want to run Jason Spezza out of town. A lot of the blame rests on his shoulders, sometimes rightfully so, but he's a talent that can't be easily replaced. If Alex Kovalev can learn to play hockey again things would go much smoother for Spezza and Daniel Alfredsson. The blueline has plenty of talent, highlighted by the emerging Erik Karlsson, but asides from Chris Phillips, whether or not this group can defend their own zone consistently enough to help out Pascal Leclaire and Brian Elliott is questionable. Offense: B+, Defense: B, Goaltending: B- If I had to put money on either Chicago or Philadelphia to make the finals again, it'd be the Flyers. They didn't lose much over the summer, save Chris Pronger's injury and the oft-injured Simon Gagne, and realized they have a potential superstar in Claude Giroux and salvaged a talent in Ville Leino. The blueline could use some work and we'll have to see if coach Peter Laviolette can work some magic on Andrej Meszaros. I expected the Flyers to go with a Michael Leighton-Brian Boucher tandem and they did, so there's no way I'm giving them a thumbs down for not going after Jaroslav Halak or whoever. Offense: A-, Defense: A-, Goaltending: B+ The Penguins didn't have any trouble scoring goals after Sidney Crosby decided to do it all himself rather than wait for Ray Shero to find the right wingers. Defense, however, was another story as the Pens allowed 237 goals, second-most out of the eight playoff teams. That was quickly fixed by signing Paul Martin and Zbynek Michalek, two of the best signings this summer. Coupled with Brooks Orpik, Kris Letang, and Alex Goligoski, the Pens have the most well-rounded and capable six-man group in the East. Marc-Andre Fleury, never a fantastic regular season goalie, will get all the help he needs to notch a 40-win season, his first since his sophomore year. Offense: A-, Defense: A, Goaltending: A- <img src="http://view.picapp.com/pictures.photo/image/8912889/tampa-bay-lightning-vice/tampa-bay-lightning-vice.jpg?size=380&imageId=8912889"class="imageFloatLeftFramed">A testament to how much Steve Yzerman is respected in Tampa Bay shows in the names he's managed to haul in: Pavel Kubina, Simon Gagne, and the underrated Brett Clark. Guy Boucher is a big step up over former head coach Rick Tocchet and he'll most certainly build his offense around Steve Stamkos, arguably the East's second-best centre. But let's be realistic here – the Bolts aren't making the playoffs with that roster. They are, however, going in the right direction. Offense: A, Defense: B+, Goaltending: B- The Leafs severely underperformed last year and this team isn't as bad as many people think. J-S Giguere is no Vesa Toskala so at least there's some solace in that. The blueline isn't bad either if you exclude Jeff Finger. (I met a guy once who tried to rationalize that signing when it was announced – I'd love to see him do it now). There are some question marks up front but you have to give Phil Kessel some credit – he did score 30 goals with zero help. If the Leafs make the playoffs they'll sneak in as the eighth seed. It's plausible because after the top six spots the field is wide open. Offense: B-, Defense: B+, Goaltending: B+ Whatever question marks the Capitals had heading into last season were erased when Semyon Varlamov emerged as a capable number one goalie. Now with Michal Neuvirth pushing him he'll have to stay focused. Alex Ovechkin must be motivated as ever, losing both the Art Ross to Henrik Sedin and Rocket Richard to arch rival Sidney Crosby so watch out, he's shooting for 60 goals. The team's ability to play defense will determine how far they will get in the playoffs but for now pencil them in as the President's Trophy winner. Offense: A+, Defense: B+, Goaltending: B+ EAST STANDINGS 1. Washington 2. Pittsburgh 3. Boston 4. New Jersey 5. Philadelphia 6. Ottawa 7. Buffalo 8. Montréal 9. NY Rangers 10. Carolina 11. Toronto 12. Tampa Bay 13. NY Islanders 14. Florida 15. Atlanta

Tucked away on the second page of NHL.com's 'Summit Speak' videos is a short clip of Pierre McGuire questioning Gary Bettman's stance on the NHL's participation in the Sochi Olympics. Unsurprisingly, Bettman remained reluctant to clarify his position and refused to take a stance for either side. This isn't news but there are some things that we can take from Bettman's comments. <img src="http://www.chriscreamer.com/images/logos/64/1784/full/7059.gif"class="imageFloatLeftFramed">Bettman doesn't think the fact that the NHL hasn't made a decision isn't that big of a deal. It really isn't but it just shows you that the NHL is a reactionary league. Their decision-making speed is akin to that of an Ent. The NHL will wait until the International Olympic Committee announces the broadcasting rights and the NHLPA to officially name a new president. I'm all for doing the necessary research before making an informed decision but the NHL needs to make a decision. It does not need to take a hard-line but it needs to make its intentions known. The NHL is the world's premier hockey league and it needs to act as such. I don't see a negative if the NHL declared right now that they intend to send their players to Sochi. With the enormous success of the Vancouver Games it gives hockey a boost and the NHL wouldn't have to worry about Alexander Ovechkin skipping out on the Capitals' games just to play for his country. For politicians like Bettman and Bill Daly, I'm surprised they haven't thought of this yet. If the NHL has to reverse its position it would be because the owners and GMs are unwilling to risk their players in a high-pressure, high-intensity tournament that could result in injury or fatigue and lost games. As Ken Holland notes these NHL players are paid to play in the NHL, not in the Olympics. If Bettman says he wants the NHL to go but gets vetoed by the owners and the Board of Governors, well, for once the crowd may be a little nicer to Bettman. But what Bettman really cares about is money. He is, after all, waiting to see what sort of broadcasting package the IOC can give him. To Bettman, the Olympics are a "mixed-bag," both negative and positive for the NHL, but even as Bettman admits, mostly positive... provided that the Games are played on North American soil. This again ties back to broadcasting rights in which time zones will be a topic of discussing. Should the gold medal game be played at 7:00 PM Sochi time, that's 11:00 AM eastern time, a relatively manageable time since it will most likely be played on a Sunday. If, like the Vancouver Games, Sochi wants their gold-medal game to be played at noon local time and have the closing ceremonies that night, the game would be played at 3 AM eastern time. Neither scenario puts the game in a position to draw big numbers. Another reason Bettman may be reluctant to send NHLers overseas is the poor showing North American players have had abroad. North American viewership numbers depend directly on the on-ice performance of Canada and USA and both fell flat on their faces at the Nagano and Turin Games. The other two times, both played on North American soil, drew in record numbers and surprise, surprise, both Canada and USA played in the two gold medal games. Bettman has a very small sample size, but from the previous four games he has concluded that Canada and US seem to fare poorly when on home ice. There are various reasons why both North American squads flopped in 1998 and 2006 but Bettman, and he does have a case, seems to think that the travel and lack of home crowd support (especially for the US when compared to Canadians abroad) may lead to poor performances and ultimately poor TV numbers. What was most confusing to me, however, was that Bettman seems to think that whether or not someone has been to Sochi is a factor that determines the participation of NHLers. I say it doesn't really matter. I bet you more than three-quarters of Canadians have never been to Salt Lake City prior to the Games. Who cares if anyone knows where Nagano or Sochi are? Do you think the average European knows where Salt Lake City is right off the top of his head? It's a clever trick to divert the crowd's attention and cast doubt over their heads. The NHL needs to stop being a reactionary league and take a stand. Bettman has often said that the goal of creating the southern belt teams was to generate hockey interest in the US. I feel that one of the best ways to promote the game is through the Olympics. Look what Vancouver did for USA Hockey. None of the other three major sports, baseball, basketball, and American football, share as much popularity as hockey at the Olympic level. Baseball is no longer an Olympic sport (a shame, really) and American football was never one. Most Canadians aren't too interested in international basketball unless Steve Nash is playing and the NBA features just one Canadian team anyway. The Olympics are a golden opportunity for the NHL to showcase the world's talent. The World Juniors is dominated by Canada and the US, the World Championships don't feature as much talent, and the Canadian Spengler Cup squad is made up of mostly NHL cast-offs playing for European clubs. Angela Ruggiero commented that Wayne Gretzky gave hockey a major boost in California. Since Atlanta, Florida, and a host of other American teams seem to be mired in mediocrity and don't feature any Gretzkys or Sidney Crosbys, the Olympics could be Bettman's greatest promotional tool. It's ironic how Bruce McNall, the former Kings president who engineered the Gretzky trade and convicted felon ended up having more of an impact on USA Hockey than Gary Bettman.

Would you care to elaborate? A Brian Burke discussion is always worthwhile.

More often than not, I agree with Brian Burke - the World Hockey Summit in Toronto that is coming to its conclusion was a fantastic idea... if you could fork over the $450 ticket price and believe that the NHL is willing to implement changes. To me, the Summit is a re-hash of ideas, some great, some not so much, but certainly by no means having a direct impact on hockey in general because of its lack of execution. Increased scoring, financial viability of certain teams, expansion, and the CBA were again the major topics of conversation, some of which are worth discussing. <img src="http://www.tsr.ch/xobix_media/images/tsr/2008/swisstxt20080512_9077705_0.jpg"class="imageFloatRightFramed">Even though the NHL is struggling to keep some of its franchises afloat, there has always been talk of expansion, but not necessarily the kind that adds more teams, but rather the geographical kind. In my mind, there's no doubt the Coyotes are going to move, but the question remains when and where. Winnipeg and Quebec City are the oft-discussed destinations in Canada while south of the border the usual culprit, Kansas City, remains the most intriguing option. But what of overseas expansion? It's no secret that hockey is big in Europe and if the NHL is interested in generating revenue, Europe already has an established fan base, unlike the majority of the southern teams in the US. However, International Ice Hockey Federation President Rene Fasel is steadfastly against the idea. The underlying motivation behind Fasel's position isn't holding a grudge against Gary Bettman for refusing to commit NHL players to the 2014 Sochi Games, but more for protecting the interests of the European hockey leagues and indirectly, the NHL. The NHL boasts the world's best hockey players in the world but also the biggest revenue streams. As much as Alexander Medvedev thinks the KHL is more lucrative and more talented, that's just not the case. Ray Emery, who spent a season with Atlant Mytishchi, says the competition isn't even close and I'm inclined to agree. If the KHL, who often boasts about its player salaries exemplified by its offer to Ilya Kovalchuk (reportedly close to US $20 million a season, tax free), can't compete against the NHL, then neither can any of the European leagues. By establishing an European division, the NHL can essentially wipe out those leagues. Obviously there will be some fan loyalty to consider, but if the best players play in the NHL's European division, that's where the fans will go. Fan support is clearly dictated by the success of a team's on-ice product. Earlier this summer, Russia's most storied hockey franchise, Moscow Dynamo, whose alumni include Pavel Datsyuk and Alexander Ovechkin, folded. If a team of that stature can fold, and while the KHL's financial instability isn't mirrored in the Swedish Elite League or the Finnish National League, it's not inconceivable that other storied franchises like MoDo or Jokerit Helsinki could fold as well. Even if the NHL is willing to pump millions of money into an European division, the logistics would be a major headache. Flight costs, scheduling, and game times are just some of the major problems it will encounter. If the Canucks were to play in Stockholm, they'd have to travel over 7500 km (airplane fuel is slightly more expensive than the already ridiculous prices they charge you at your local gas station) and a 7:00 PM game time in Stockholm translates to 10:00 AM Vancouver time. This severely decreases TV viewership and even if the games are played on weekends some die-hard Canucks fans would find it hard to get up that early. If the Canucks play at home at 7:00 PM, it's 4:00 AM in Stockholm and at that hour there's almost no point in broadcasting the games, especially if the NHL wishes to charge Swedish TV networks a premium for showcasing NHL talent. It's an idea that just won't work on any level and should be laid to rest. The second issue worth discussing is again, the salary cap. Even though Kovalchuk's original deal with the Devils was voided by Richard Bloch, it looks like he's going to be a Devil anyway. While other teams have knocked Kovalchuk's door, I think it's his intention to remain a Devil. You have to wonder if the Kings would've made a second pitch to Kovalchuk had they not signed Alexei Ponikarovsky upon hearing Kovalchuk's 17-year pact with New Jersey. The Kings still have ample cap room but having an extra $3.2 million in the bank could've changed things. If the NHL was so intent on preventing these "cheat" contracts from happening, why not dole out a real punishment, like preventing the Devils from re-negotiating with Kovalchuk? At the end of the day, when Kovalchuk is once again in the red and black, the Devils and Kovalchuk will merely shrug their shoulders. The Devils still got the player they wanted with (most likely) another ~$10 million per season salary contract, albeit shorter. Preventing re-negotiations between the two sides may be crossing the line for the NHL but it's a league that clearly doesn't believe in reason or logic. <img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_S-6RkogBLCs/SZQTkclNhaI/AAAAAAAAArk/rmYHVhfx7hk/s400/DSC_0497.JPG"class="imageFloatLeftFramed">The Hawks have also been whining about how inflexible the cap is and may have to loan Cristobal Huet to the Swiss National League A. The victim here is clearly Huet, not the Hawks, and frankly I'm a little disappointed the Frenchman hasn't sounded off. Since day one the Hawks have little confidence in their $5.625 million goalie and have come up with oh-so-original idea to either banish him to the AHL or loan him to European teams. Whether or not you agree Huet is starting material is debatable, but he is a NHL-calibre goalie. Teams that have clearly made mistakes, like Washington with Michael Nylander and the Rangers with Wade Redden, should be punished by having those salaries count against the cap regardless of where they're banished to. The Rangers, and more recently the Caps, now have deep pockets and aren't afraid of paying players to just simply go away. Unlike Phoenix, those organizations don't have problems paying their players but do have problems understanding how the cap works. By this time, entering the sixth year of the current CBA, there should be no excuse. The CBA is far too flexible and makes it far too easy for teams to make their mistakes go away.

I believe the original idea to use the average salary as the cap hit was to prevent fluctuations of the cap hit/total every year. Obviously a lot of GMs have made a joke of that so there is a case to use the actual salary as the cap number but it probably won't fly for the same reason above, but it seems guys like Lamoriello and Gillis may force Bettman to do so.

This summer wasn't supposed to feature big name free agents. Marian Hossa. Marc Savard. Chris Pronger. Roberto Luongo. Most people aren't shocked this deal was struck down. I wasn't either. When it was announced Kovalchuk's contract was going to be investigated you knew this wasn't headed anywhere good. I was, and still am, surprised an investigation was conducted in the first place. <img src="http://assets.nydailynews.com/img/2010/07/20/alg_resize_ilya-kovalchuk.jpg"class="imageFloatLeftFramed">Now that arbiter Richard Bloch has nixed Ilya Kovalchuk's deal with New Jersey, it has set off a chain of events that the NHL may never recover from. It's a PR disaster - a league that identified its mistakes too late and now is set to potentially undo a number of transactions that would affect all 30 teams, directly or indirectly. I said in my previous blog post that the NHL's decision to investigate Kovalchuk's contract was a poor one because precedent had been set and it was no secret that all the very, very long-term contracts signed before Kovalchuk's were designed to circumvent the cap. The NHLPA agrees with me - from TSN: "The NHL Players' Association argued that those four deals were approved and that Kovalchuk's deal should be approved as well." It's a simple and logical argument. Remember when Luongo's contract (among others) was signed the NHL had already investigated and deemed it acceptable? Now they're saying it might not. Which is it? This entire fiasco stinks of a small, small man determined to make some sort of history and make everyone play by his rules, not the CBA's or NHLPA's. The issue that should strike a little fear in Canucks fans' hearts is that if Bloch rules Luongo's contract in violation of the CBA he immediately becomes an unrestricted free agent. Scary thought, huh? Rest assured that even if Luongo's contract is voided he will re-sign in Vancouver because this is where he has the biggest chance to win but since these "cheat" contracts aren't allowed it means Mike Gillis will have to retain him at a higher cap hit. A higher cap hit means more cap casualties and the Canucks are still around $2.5 million over the cap. Most players whose contracts may be voided will choose to remain with their respective teams for both monetary and non-monetary reasons. But there are teams who stand to gain from having such long-term contracts voided, like the Bruins, who have been trying to get rid of Marc Savard's contract for awhile (more on that later). <img src="http://tenderslounge.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/roberto-luongo-c-on-mask.jpg"class="imageFloatRightFramed">I get why the NHL doesn't like the deal and I agree it's preposterous, but it's not just Kovalchuk's. What's done is done. The CBA wasn't perfect and it seems like Bettman is taking these "cheat" contracts as a personal slap to the face. Lou Lamoriello is a bold GM who isn't afraid to make some controversial moves but this one was just too bold for Bettman's taste. (There are conspiracy theorists out there that claim this Kovalchuk contract was a sham in the first place and was designed to give Bettman impetus to investigate other "cheat" contracts further but I say that's a pile of poo - Lamoriello wouldn't stoop that low.) The more interesting contract is actually Hossa's. Since Luongo's $64 million, 12-year extension doesn't kick in until this year, there's relatively little penalty. It will require Gillis to get creative once more but no harm, no foul because technically speaking Luongo's contract hasn't kicked in yet. But not Hossa's. Signed in 2009, Hossa's already played out one year of his 12-year, $63.3 million contract. Voiding Luongo's contract also means Bloch has to void Hossa's. In a side-by-side comparison, the two extensions are similar in term, dollars, and structure. So what happens then? If Hossa's contract is to be deemed void then it is void retroactive to July 1, 2009, before Dale Tallon/Stan Bowman built a Cup-winning team. It would mean that the Blackhawks won the Cup with an illegal player and given the impact Hossa had on that team, you could argue that perhaps that Cup shouldn't belong in Chicago. Here's my guess: Luongo, Hossa, Henrik Zetterberg, Johan Franzen (funny how Gillis, Chiarelli, and Tallon/Bowman have been mentioned but not the NHL's golden boy GM, Ken Holland), Vinny Lecavalier, and Duncan Keith's contracts won't be voided because their salaries in the final years of their contract won't dip below $1 million, which seems to have been the cut-off point Bloch has arbitrarily decided on. Savard's will because he is 1) set to earn just $525,000 per year for the last two years of his contract, and 2) be 40 when it expires, and as Bloch is quick to point out there aren't too many NHLers who play past their 40th birthday. But it's a contract that doesn't kick in until this upcoming season so it's no harm, no foul. Savard will sign with the Leafs and Peter Chiarelli saves himself from a headache even though he loses Savard for nothing. Voiding not one, but two, might even make the NHL look better. The strange one will be Chris Pronger's, whose contract, like Savard's, sees him earn $525,000 over the last two years of his contract. But the Flyers are on the hook for the entire length of that contract so it may be possible that Bloch decides that's enough punishment for Paul Holmgren. If Pronger's contract is deemed not in violation of circumventing the cap then it'll have to be on different grounds than Kovalchuk's. There's no way Bloch can declare Kovalchuk's contract void and Pronger's valid if the criteria is 1) "playable" length and 2) the sub-$1 million pay in the final years of the contract. There's been a lot of talk about signing contracts in good faith. Gary Bettman breeds none. <img src="http://www.vancouversun.com/business/3084395.bin?size=620x400"class="imageFloatMiddleFramed">

Whether Kovalchuk can play until he's 44 is not our call to make nor is it Bettman's. Who's to say he won't play as long as Chelios or Howe? It's a judgment call that Bettman is not qualified to make. This is entirely a legal issue because it is directly affected by the CBA and there's been precedent set by previous contracts. Lamoriello, a key author of the CBA, operated within the confines of the agreement. Nothing he did was strictly against the rules. Bettman should've seen this coming. Why didn't he stop them when it was already rumoured for weeks that Kovalchuk was looking at $100 million? That should've sent off warning flags already. You can't possibly compare this to WWII. There ate historians out there that argue the Allied should never have adopted a policy of appeasement in the first place. War could've been avoided. Same thing applies here. Bettman should've stopped the bleeding long before this. It's too late now and he's grasping at straws. He shouldn't and he won't win this one.

Good point TheCammer. I imagine Raymond's salary will fall in the $3 million range considering what Clarke MacArthur got.