Southeast Division Preview
The Southeast Division has long been known as the weakest of the NHL circuits and that fact will not be changing this year. However, the teams are stronger and each looks to make strides as they lace ’em up for the upcoming season.
We begin with last year’s favorite, the Washington Capitals, who put on a far less than stellar performance last season. Look for the Caps to rebound and reclaim their spot at the top of this division. Star winger Jaromir Jagr is still looking to prove to people that he can win in Washington, and do so without former linemate and boyhood idol Mario Lemieux. Last season was one filled with disappointments for the Czech native. Jagr didn’t get out of the gate as fast as he would have liked and was severely slowed by injuries most of the year. A scoring spurt late in the year was too little too late for the Caps as they missed out on the playoffs by six points.
Aside from Jagr, there were other injuries, most notably defenseman Calle Johansson and netminder Olaf Kolzig. If Kolzig can return to the form that took Washington to the Stanley Cup finals in 1998 and Johansson can stay injury free, the Caps are going to be that much more difficult to contend with. These, coupled with the off-season free-agent acquisition of centerman Robert Lang, may prove to be a winning formula. Lang may very well have been brought to Washington just to give Jagr the spark he once had in Pittsburgh; nonetheless, the often underrated center is a lock to score 20 goals and immediately bolster the Washington offense.
One other major factor in the success of the Caps is centerman Peter Bondra. This guy has a great shot, lightening speed, and the uncanny ability to score at will on the advantage. Given Jagr and Lang click for big years, a hot Bondra is sure to catapult this team back to the top of the Southeast Division.
Last year’s surprise, the Carolina Hurricanes, will once again compete for the division crown, but will not repeat as division champs. The off-season was a good one for Carolina, as they held onto the key players that led them all the way to the Stanley Cup finals a year ago. Once rumored to test the free-agent market, Captain Ron Francis resigned and will be back for yet another campaign with the franchise. Speedy winger Sami Kapanen also resigned and will likely rejoin Francis and Jeff O’Neill on the team’s top line. Last year’s productive BBC line will also be back in tact. This gives the Canes two formidable lines for opponents to compete with. The only problem is that the three and four lines leave a lot to be desired. Gone is Martin Gelinas to the Vancouver Canucks and he may be hard to replace, as he was a solid third-liner. Defenseman Bret Hedican resigned and will provide the blue line with experience and leadership. With production from their top two lines and more great goaltending by Arturs Irbe, the Canes will be a force, yet not enough to repeat at the top.
Call me crazy, but the Atlanta Thrashers will give the Caps and Canes the push necessary to up their games for the coming season. After finishing last in the league a year ago, the Thrashers made some key moves in the off-season to assure that the nightmare never happens again. Winger Shawn McEachern will add some offensive punch to this woeful line-up of a year ago. Also in the mix is former Buffalo Sabre Slava Kozlov. A disappointing campaign in Buffalo last season should leave Kozlov a lot to prove this year in Thrasherville. Richard Smehlik, signed as a free agent, should give the blue-line a huge boost. Production from last year’s rookie sensations Dany Heatley and Ilya Kovalchuk is almost a certainty while it is still a game of wait and see with 1999 first-rounder Patrik Stefan. Goaltending is in the air once again, with several guys fighting for the starting role. As long as the farm stays strong and the Thrash continue to draft well, Atlanta will be a playoff contender within the next three years.
It is time for an overhaul in Tampa. The Lightening do not look to be much better as the new campaign nears. Trading for Ruslan Fedotenko is a start, but the Bolts have an eternity to go. When is Vincent Lecavalier going to live up to expectations? The return of a healthy Martin St. Louis and Fredrik Modin will be a plus, but it will not be enough to catapult this team any further than fourth place. An aging Dave Andreychuk, while giving the club much needed experience and a club house presence, is good for 15 goals but not nearly enough to raise the standard in Tampa Bay. Recently acquired Brad Lukowich, along with Ben Clymer, must contribute on defense. Shane Willis will be heavily counted on to reclaim the form that netted him 20 goals as a rookie two seasons ago. The goaltending situation is firmly in hand; no need to comment on that.
The Florida Panthers have one of the more exciting teams to watch, unfortunately, the talent level pales in comparison to their “fistic” prowess. Getting rid of arrogant winger Pavel Bure is the best move that this organization has ever made. Getting someone to fill the net with pucks with the regularity of Bure will be another story all together. Many young promising players grace this roster, however, it may take a few years for them to fully discover their talents. Dimitry Yushkevich will be a welcome face on the blueline and second year man Kristian Huselius will be counted on to continue the success he achieved during his rookie campaign. Big things are expected from Stephen Weiss as well as Jay Bouwmeester, last year’s number three pick overall, however it is uncertain how much time the franchise will take to nurture along these budding superstars. Netminding is solid and will be for a long time as long as the Panthers front office can keep Roberto Luongo in a Florida sweater. Assuming the team utilizes the three draft picks acquired from New York in the Bure deal in a positive way, you may see this franchise reclaim some of the pride they once had during their 1996 Cup run. Just don’t bet on it.
