Ottawa
Senators | | Goaltending | Patrick Lalime and Martin Prusek should
lead the Senators to the Presidents Trophy for a second straight campaign.
Could this be the season that Lalime commands consideration for the Vezina?
Blue chip prospect, Ray Emery, has shined in pre-season play but it’s
been reported that Sens management would rather see him play a lot in
the AHL games rather than ride the pine in the show. | | | Defense | The Sens are stacked with 8 defensemen—all
capable of playing in the NHL. Wade Redden, Zdeno Chara, Chris Phillips,
and Karel Rachunek make up the top four. Young Russian tank, Anton Volchenkov
has quickly developed into a reliable 5th defender. A battle
will ensue for the remaining spot between Shane Hnidy, Curtis Leschyshyn,
and Brian Pothier. Pothier, who G.M. John Muckler has taken a fancy to,
looks to have the inside track on the position. | | | Left Wing | Nothing flashy for now (although the idea
to transplant offense from other positions has been thrown around), however,
the slots on the left side will most likely be secured by VaclavVarada,
Peter Schastlivy (injury-prone), & Peter Schaefer. All three could
stand to put up better numbers than were produced last season. The final
spot will come down to a dogfight between Jody Hull, Antoine Vermette
(AHL 35 goal scorer), Denis Hamel, and Serge Payer. | ? | | Center | While it’s been confirmed that young Jason
Spezza will finally get his shot in Ottawa this season, the Sens will
be flooded with 6 NHL centermen. It’s been suggested that Mike Fisher
and Todd White move to the left side while Radek Bonk, Bryan Smolinski,
and Shawn Van Allen occupy the remaining positions down the middle. It’s
difficult to predict just how Jacques Martin will shuffle his assets but
one thing is for sure: the Senators will be very strong at center ice. | | | Right Wing | Arguably the best group of right wingers
in the Eastern conference. Marian Hossa, Daniel Alfredsson, and Martin
Havlat (assuming they can get him signed) provide the Sens with a legitimate
scoring threat on three out of four lines. Hossa has shown up to camp
in formidable shape and appears poised to take another run at the Rocket
Richard trophy. Chris Neil adds muscle and a nasty disposition to the
fourth line; he’s also a decent hockey player. | | | Summary | Look for another first place finish from
Ottawa. They could quite feasibly ice six quality NHL lines and four
sets of capable defensemen. With a management team and owner obsessed
with winning the Stanley Cup, don’t be surprised to see the Senators package
up a few players in order to bring in a new horse. | 1 |
New
Jersey Devils | | Goaltending | World-class. Expect Martin Brodeur to quietly
deliver another MVP type performance. Corey Schwab has performed like
a starter for the past two seasons. | | | Defense | After the top four of Scott Niedermayer,
Scott Stevens, Brian Rafalski, and Colin White, the Devils run thin.
The good news: with a foursome like this, depth problems should not be
as noticeable. Sean Brown will be a welcomed addition. Look for the
Devils to give some of their youngsters (Giroux and Hale) a chance to
develop before bringing in some help if things aren’t working out. | ? | | Left Wing | Excellent. A valuable combination of skill,
speed, experience, grit, and defensive awareness. Patrik Elias, Jeff
Friesen, Jay Pandolfo, and Sergei Brylin. Elias will be looking to increase
his offensive production, as will Jeff Friesen who is coming off a terrific
playoff season. Erik Rasmussen will try to make his case for some ice-time. | | | Center | Aside from Mike Rupp, the Devils lack size.
Does it matter when you’ve got the creativity, speed, and experience of
John Madden, Scott Gomez, and the ageless veteran, Igor Larionov? John
Madden, in particular, is establishing himself as one of the top defensive
forwards in the league—a title that used to be owned by Long Island’s
Michael Peca. | | | Right Wing | Very strong. Not quite as skilled as the
left side but much more difficult to play against. Jamie Langenbrunner,
Grant Marshall, Turner Stevenson (out with injured groin), and Brian Gionta.
Each player can do it all. If given some slack, look for Langenbrunner
to turn it up offensively. Do any two players epitomize the Canadian
style of hockey more than Grant Marshall and Turner Stevenson? New Jersey
will continue to control the boards, as well as own the corners on both
sides of the rink. | | | Summary | The Devils are the proud owners of, arguably,
the most balanced group of forwards in the game. The only finger that
can be pointed is directed towards their 5th and 6th
defensive slots. Lou Lamoriello will not allow this apparent shortcoming
to develop into an issue. Look for New Jersey to battle it out with Ottawa
at the very top of the conference. | 2 |
Washington
Capitals | | Goaltending | Olaf Kolzig is coming off a season where
he posted an excellent record and a remarkable save percentage (.919).
He is in the prime of his career and should produce another excellent
campaign. Young Sebastien Charpentier will be pressured for the back-up
role by AHL standout, Maxime Ouellet (22-16-7, .929%) | | | Defense | Yes, Sergei Gonchar is world-class. Brendan
Witt is experienced and reliable. If the two of them could play all 60
minutes every game, the Caps would be golden. Unfortunately this is simply
not possible and herein lies the problem: the Caps are void of proven
NHL defensemen beyond these two players. Jason Doig is developing into
a fine working-class player. The 5th and 6th spots
should be locked-up by Joseph Boumedienne and, former World Junior standout,
Steve Eminger. Joel Kwiatkowski is capable of stepping in when called
upon. | U | | Left Wing | With a consistent effort from Dainius Zubrus,
who, at times, can play like either the best or the worst players in the
league, the Caps are well equipped on the left side. Heart and soul veteran,
Steve Konawalchuk, is always good for 15 to 20 goals and he’s also a major
pain to play against. Kip Miller, who posted 38 assists last season,
will be counted on the repeat his play-making feats. The fourth line
slot looks to have been secured by Russian rookie, Alex Semin, who has
impressed in training. | | | Center | The Caps are covered down the middle, primarily
supported by skilled Swede, Michael Nylander (out with a fractured leg
until mid-November) and Czech, Robert Lang. Jeff Halpern is everything
you could ask for in a 3rd line center. He’s gritty, can lead
others with his die-hard effort, and will chip in with a point every couple
of games. The fourth line slot will be battled for my former Canadian
World Junior stars, Trent Whitfield and Brian Sutherby. Everyone will
shift up a line until Nylander returns. | | | Right Wing | Even better than the left wing. Of course,
Jaromir Jagr is a good reason for that. But there are others. Peter
Bondra is capable of more than his 30 goals of last season; look for him
to redeem himself (not that 30 goal is something to sneeze at). With
more ice time, monstrous winger Mike Grier, is also capable of scoring
at a higher frequency. Grier brings other intangibles with his relentless
skating and checking. The fourth line opening will go to either Steven
Peat or Brian Willsie. The former Avs winger was picked up in the waiver
draft. | | | Summary | With a substantial upgrade to their defensive
corps, the Capitals could, potentially, compete with the elite level teams
in the conference. From there, you never know what could happen. Especially
when you’ve got players as talented as Jagr, Bondra, Gonchar, and Lang–not
to mention character guys like Halpern and Konowalchuk. The absence of
Nylander will deter the club from getting off to a good start. If I were
Ted Leonsis, this would be a team that I would roll the dice on. Time
to open up the wallet againTed. | 3 |
The
Philadelphia Flyers | | Goaltending | Things didn’t work out for Jeff Hackett
in Boston. But it rarely works out for any goaltender in Boston. Look
for Hackett to reestablish himself behind a Hitchcock coached Flyers team.
There’s nothing wrong with the numbers Robert Esche put up last season.
He will provide reliable support when called upon. | ? | | Defense | A solid group of five from last season:
Eric Desjardins, Kim Johnsson, Eric Weinrich, Marcus Ragnarsson, and Chris
Therrien. Joni Pitkanen could make things interesting in terms of challenging
for some veteran minutes. Jim Vandameer will push for a spot with his
fearless style of play. This guy can give a punch as well as he can take
one. Therrien could be the odd man out if he’s anything but rock-solid.
Denis Seidenberg and Jeff Woywitka give the Flyers some additional depth. | | | Left Wing | Simon Gagne and John Leclair will be expected
to reassert their scoring prowess following injury plagued seasons. Leclair,
in particular, could use a productive season to rejuvenate his career.
Can he pull it off? Donald Brashear plays his role well, however, on
a club with a stronger left side, he would be relegated to the 4th
line. Rough and tumble Todd Fedoruk will compete with Radovan Somik for
the final slot. With a name like Radovan you’d expect more than 8 goals
in 60 games. | ? | | Center | The Flyers are very strong down the middle.
Jeremy Roenick leads the way with his up-tempo, in-your-face style. He
also led the team in scoring last season. Keith Primeau rarely takes
a shift off. His size, tenacity, and skill make him very tough to deal
with. If Primeau was blessed with a decent set of hands, he’d be a 40-goal
scorer. Michal Handzus will provide additional offense while veteran
Claude Lapointe will bring hustle and leadership to the fourth line. | | | Right Wing | Philly has every reason to believe that
2003-04 will be a tremendous season for their group of right wingers.
Tony Amonte wasted little time in blending into the Flyer’s attack following
his late-season trade from Phoenix. That said, Amonte may have to rely
on good old fashioned veteran wits because it looks as though he’s lost
a step or two. Mark Recchi can always be counted to register decent offensive
production provided he is healthy. Sami Kapanen finally kicked it into
gear at the end of last season. Prior to then, he looked more like an
ice-capade dancer. Justin Williams will be hungry to improve on his
shortened season of 41 games. | | | Summary | The Flyers will be icing a well-balanced
hockey club. With Ken Hitchcock at the helm, they will, no doubt, be
prepared to compete. A great deal will depend on the health of some
of their aging veterans as well as the performance of Jeff Hackett. Look
for the Flyers to start quickly. | 4 |
Toronto
Maple Leafs | | Goaltending | No issues. The Leafs are strong in net
and there is no reason for Ed Belfour not to shine in 2003-04. Trevor
Kidd (currently injured) will be a suitable backup with Tellqvist pushing
for promotion. | | | Defense | Before the arrival of veteran Ken Klee,
it was heavily publicized (and for good reason) that the Leafs lack depth
and proven experience on their blue line. Even with Klee rounding out
the top four with Kaberle, McCabe (out for 3-6 weeks), Berg, and Marchment,
the Leafs will need overachievement from steadily improving, Ric Jackman.
For now, Wade Belak looks to have locked up the 6th spot.
Russian rookie, Maxim Kondratiev has managed to stick with the big club
to open the season as the 7th man. All in all, the club’s
issues on defense are not as pronounced as people have made them out to
be. Of course, the situation could definitely be better. Avoiding injuries
to the top four will be key. | U | | Left Wing | Injuries not permitting, Toronto’s left
side looks decent on paper. Gary Roberts and Darcy Tucker will lead the
way with Alexei Ponikarovsky providing additional offensive support.
Tom Fitzgerald is a decent checking winger by NHL standards. Roberts’
apparent lack of durability, coupled with scoring inconsistency by the
rest of the group could be cause for concern. | ? | | Center | Toronto is accomplished down the middle
with Mats Sundin headlining. Big Nic Antropov should continue to develop
into a legitimate force. Joe Nieuwendyk will give the Leafs a viable
second-line presence. With any luck, his knee will hold up allowing the
veteran to strut the abilities that have helped him win Stanley Cups with
three different clubs. Robert Reichel will give Pat Quinn some additional
flexibility. In case of injury, he is capable of filling on all four
lines. Rookie, Matt Stajan, is making a strong case to stick with the
big club. | | | Right Wing | Above average. Alex Mogilny and Owen Nolan
give the Leafs world-class talent on the right side. They also represent
a bona fide scoring threat every time Toronto’s top two lines takes to
the ice. Mikael Renberg was solid-when healthy-last season. He should
produce a steady campaign. Tie Domi has proven that he is capable of
contributing offense as well as tight checking when called upon. | | | Summary | What do Mogilny, Nolan, Roberts, Renberg,
Niewendyk and Antropov all have in common? None seem physically capable
of playing at the top of their game for an entire season. Take the issues
of age (which didn’t seem to bother Detroit two seasons ago), defense,
and whatever other garbage that has been spewed forth about the buds and
throw them all out the window. DURABILITY is the root of Toronto’s problems.
When it comes down to it, however, Toronto is in possession of some tremendously
talented players and will find a way to pull off a decent campaign. | 5 |
Boston
Bruins | | Goaltending | If Potvin falls back into his nightmare
of a few seasons ago (or gets injured), Andrew Raycroft will be counted
on to keep the club competitive. This, unfortunately, raises some major
concerns. Expect Potvin to seize the opportunity just as he did in Los
Angeles. If not, the Bruins will be singing a familiar tune. | ? | | Defense | Nothing spectacular but the Bruins will
ice 6 solid defenders (which is more than several other teams can say).
Nick Boynton should continue to evolve into an elite defensive defenseman.
The Bruins are blessed with towering size in Hal Gill and Dan McGillis.
Sean O’Donnell and Ian Moran will both provide stability, grit, and veteran
leadership. Jeff Jilson appears to have cracked the opening day lineup.
The Bruins will in even better shape with the return of injured mainstay,
Jonathan Girard. A lack of offensive power could hurt this group. | | | Left Wing | The Bruins are in good shape on the left
side. Injury-prone Sergei Samsonov and Mike Knuble (30 goals) form a
potent one-two scoring threat that is tough to match. P.J. Axelsson is
expected to break out offensively. Rob Zamuner, who made waves by being
selected to the 1998 Canadian Olympic team, could provide the Bruins with
an additional edge if he is able to regain his scoring touch (and health).
Ivan Huml rounds out the group. | | | Center | Equipped with, arguably, the most talented
young center in the NHL, as well as one of the top penalty killer around,
the Bruins are looking very good at the center ice position. Joe Thornton
should challenge for a scoring title this season while Brian Rolston will
be looking to carry over his 27-goal performance of 2002-03. Fearless
slugger and fan favorite, PJ Stock will see limited action with the arrival
of newly acquired veteran, Travis Green. Green is an excellent pick-up
for the Bruins considering his ability to fit in on any line. He is also
a proven playoff performer. | | | Right Wing | Boston’s only area in need of major improvements.
Beyond Glen Murray (92 points), depth becomes a serious issue–especially
with the departure of Josef Stumpel and the injury to Martin Lapointe.
For now, Michal Grosek and Sandy McCarthy will shore up the second and
third lines, while rookie Martin Samuelsson will assume responsibilities
for the fourth. Scoring will be hard to come by. | U | | Summary | The Bruins will be involved in a great number
of games. Winning or losing should, essentially, come down to a few key
factors: Felix Potvin’s ability to stand tough when things aren’t going
so well, and secondly, avoiding injuries. A scoring presence on the backend
would also help out a great deal. Expect the Bruins to make the playoffs;
however, they do not possess the overall quality throughout their lineup
to compete with some of the premiere teams in the Eastern conference. | 6 |
New
York Rangers | | Goaltending | Mike Dunham should get the job done; however,
he cannot be classified as an elite NHL goaltender. Only time will tell
how Dunham deals with the pressure. The backup role should be well looked
after by either Jussi Markkannen or Dan Blackburn. | ? | | Defense | This is a difficult group to get a read
on. Greg Devries adds some much-needed stability. Dale Purinton is developing
into a solid defensive defenseman. Brian Leetch is a premiere power play
specialist but he’s also a bona fide “band-aid”. Malakhov and Mironov
are skilled but inconsistent. Kasparaitis and Poti were relatively solid
last season, with the latter breaking out offensively. Waiver draft selection,
Joel Bouchard, will add depth. That said, it is still difficult to predict
how this group will perform throughout the course of an entire season.
The term “stability” still does not come to the forefront of one’s mind. | ? | | Left Wing | Martin Rucinsky, who may have found a home
on the Lindros line, will be counted on to spark some offense. Jan Hlavac
will be required to improve upon his miserable 26-point season. Chris
Simon and Matthew Barnaby will make the Rangers difficult to play against,
while at the same time, chipping in with valuable points here and there.
One would expect this group to perform well for New York but it remains
to be seen how Rucinsky and Hlavac will perform in the scoring department. | | | Center | On paper, New York looks superb down the
middle. But here’s the problem: at times last season, Eric Lindros and
Bobby Holik looked as though they were competing to see who could score
the least amount of points. Mark Messier is a year older but, at times,
was one of the best players on the ice last season. Peter Nedved can
do better than his 58 points of 2002-03. Lindros appears well-conditioned
and focused but injury concerns still loom with respect to his fragile
noggin. Will Glen Sather be able to count on this group to lead the way?
At the end of the day, there is just too much talent here to bet against.
| ? | | Right Wing | Not bad at all. Alexie Kovalev and Anson
Carter form a potent one-two punch down the right side. Both possess
speed and creativity and can open up a game at the drop of a hat. Jamie
Lundmark should continue to improve his overall game as he develops into
the type of player that can eventually make an impact. 19 points shouldn’t
be terribly difficult to top. Recent waiver draft section, Sheldon Keefe
(Tampa Bay), will compete against former Leaf, Paul Healey, for the fourth
line position. | |
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