The Hockey News has been providing the most comprehensive coverage of the world of hockey since 1947. In each issue, you'll find news, features and opinions about the NHL and leagues across North America and the world.

September 27, 2010

The Hockey News - Sep-27-10

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0058-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0058-02144/9432250-1-eng-US/f0058-022.jpg"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0058-01216/9432257-1-eng-US/f0058-012.jpg" title="f0058-01" width="101" height="99"></div><p>Can't get enough numbers? Visit our online 'Stats' section every day at <a href="http://TheHockeyNews.com">thehockeynews.com</a></p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0060-01175/9432243-1-eng-US/f0060-012.jpg" title="f0060-01" width="4612" height="2257"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0062-01173/9432236-1-eng-US/f0062-012.jpg" title="f0062-01" width="2238" height="2227"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0064-01144/9432229-1-eng-US/f0064-012.jpg" title="f0064-01" width="2280" height="1518"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

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IN EVERY ISSUE

NHL Schedule 2010-11

<div class="byline">&#x2013; MICHAEL RUSSO</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0047-03270/9431638-1-eng-US/f0047-032.jpg" title="f0047-03" width="320" height="125"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>S</span>HOULD THE WILD RETURN TO DEFENSIVE HOCKEY?</b> Todd Richards isn&rsquo;t some hockey alien who landed on Earth in an attempt to invent a brand new way of playing the sport. The Wild coach wants to attack the puck, not unlike many of the great teams in the NHL.</p><p>The problem last season was that deprogramming nearly a decade of Jacques Lemaire hockey proved a lot more difficult than anybody imagined. Lemaire taught the game a specific way and it was ingrained with a hammer. The growing pains that first month, handicapped by a training camp full of injuries and eight of 11 contests on the road to start the season, were acute.</p><p>Defensemen played recklessly. Forwards forechecked with little success. And goalie Niklas Backstrom could have sued for lack of support. In the end, the system looked more exciting, but the final tally offered the exact amount of goals scored (214) and 42 more goals allowed than 2008-09.</p><p>Even though the Wild lack true game-breakers, Richards believes the team has the talent to play this up-tempo style and he has no plans of pulling back on the reins.</p><p>It&rsquo;s about execution, Richards says, and the fact the returning cast now understands how the coach wants the game to be played will pay dividends this season.</p><p><b>THE VERDICT</b> The new system&rsquo;s not the problem; it can work if the players are on the same page and execute it properly.</p><h2><b>2.48</b></h2><p><b>There&rsquo;s not much firepower in The Battle of Alberta these days; last year, the Flames and Oilers combined to score 2.48 goals-per-game with Calgary ranking 29th in the league and Edmonton 27th</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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MINNESOTA

<div class="byline">BY RYAN KENNEDY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0028-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-011390/9430743-1-eng-US/f0028-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>JACOB MARKSTROM</b> <span class="photo-credit">(ALEX GRIMM/BONGARTS/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-02979/9430736-1-eng-US/f0028-022.jpg" title="f0028-02" width="108" height="113"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>JACOB MARKSTROM</b></h2><p><b>HT:</b> 6-3 <b>WT:</b> 180 <b>AGE:</b> 20</p><p><b>DRAFTED:</b> 31st overall, 2008</p><p><b>IF HE DOES NOTHING ELSE</b> in his career, goaltender Jacob Markstrom can at least accurately claim he saved the Brynas hockey team in Sweden. Back in 2007-08, Markstrom stood on his head down the stretch, pulling Brynas with him and keeping the team in the Swedish Elite League.</p><p>&ldquo;I thought he was a winner from the start,&rdquo; said one European scout. &ldquo;He came in and saved his team from relegation. It would have been like an NHL team getting sent to the American League. Can you imagine the consequences?&rdquo;</p><p>The fact a teenager took on all that pressure &ndash; literally, the franchise&rsquo;s future was at stake &ndash; and succeeded made him tantalizing to the Florida Panthers, who drafted the strapping young lad with their first pick that summer. And with the Cats in youth mode right now, Markstrom is coming to North America with a purpose: making the big squad.</p><p>With Tomas Vokoun and Scott Clemmensen already in the crease, Markstrom has always been ticketed for a year in the AHL, but the kid won&rsquo;t go quietly.</p><p>&ldquo;I know it&rsquo;s a good league and they play the North American style of hockey,&rdquo; Markstrom said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a good thing to get used to it, but you always want to play in the NHL, of course.&rdquo;</p><p>That Markstrom has been facing slapshots from men in Sweden for several years also has him in a confident mood.</p><p>&ldquo;I think it will help me a lot,&rdquo; he said of his experience. &ldquo;I was thinking of coming over here after the draft, but I had a two-year contract in the Swedish Elite League. I think that really helped me playing with the big guys &ndash; the Swedish League, it&rsquo;s a good league. After last year, I felt ready to come over, so that&rsquo;s what I&rsquo;m doing.&rdquo;</p><p>Scouts love his size and mobility and Markstrom has been eliminating his weaknesses &ndash; rebound control and a competitive spirit that can get the better of him. At the 2009 World Junior Championship in Ottawa, Team Canada waltzed to the gold by getting up close and personal with Markstrom, who flopped and fumed his way to a 5-1 loss in the final. But he has turned over a new leaf according to those who have seen him play lately.</p><p>&ldquo;In the past you could do that, you could get him off his game,&rdquo; said the scout.</p><p>Markstrom is clearly excited to unleash his stonewall game on NHL audiences and has talked to good friend and fellow Brynas alum Nicklas Backstrom about what to expect once he gets to the big show.</p><p>Of course, Backstrom is an offensive machine for the Panthers&rsquo; division rival, the Washington Capitals, so the two young Swedes will soon see each other a lot.</p><p>And what does Markstrom think about facing the 101-point scorer six times a year in the Southeast?</p><p>&ldquo;I will love that,&rdquo; he said.</p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-03736/9430729-1-eng-US/f0028-032.jpg" title="f0028-03" width="108" height="112"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>KEVIN SHATTENKIRK</b></h2><p><b>HT:</b> 5-11 <b>WT:</b> 195 <b>AGE:</b> 21</p><p><b>DRAFTED:</b> 14th overall, 2007</p><p><b>IT</b>&nbsp;<b>WAS A PRETTY ROUGH</b> summer for the NCAA, as the Canadian major junior leagues won a lot of the recruiting battles. But if the college game needs a spokesman, Colorado Avalanche prospect Kevin Shattenkirk would be a good person to start with.</p><p>The puckmoving defenseman played three years at Boston University, winning a national championship in 2009 with the Terriers.</p><p>&ldquo;That whole season was special,&rdquo; Shattenkirk said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ll be able to get together 30 years from now and talk about it.&rdquo;</p><p>Don&rsquo;t be surprised if NHL folk are talking about Shattenkirk sooner rather than later. Even though Colorado is already youth-heavy, there&rsquo;s nothing that says a rookie can&rsquo;t crack the squad.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-04536/9430722-1-eng-US/f0028-042.jpg" title="f0028-04" width="222" height="336"></div><p>&ldquo;Regardless of your age,&rdquo; noted Avs&rsquo; VP of player development Craig Billington, &ldquo;if you come in and earn a spot, you&rsquo;re going to play for the Avalanche.&rdquo;</p><p>That sentiment is music to the ears of Shattenkirk, who, like all NHL hopefuls, can&rsquo;t wait for his shot to impress the Colorado brass.</p><p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s pretty refreshing to know they&rsquo;ve stuck with their game plan,&rdquo; Shattenkirk said. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re going to give you an opportunity.&rdquo;</p><p>So far, Shattenkirk has made the most of his chances. Coming out of the U.S. national team development program, he was excellent at the 2009 world juniors, even though the Americans didn&rsquo;t medal. With eight assists and nine points in six games, only forwards James van Riemsdyk and Jordan Schroeder had better totals for Team USA. His plus-five rating was also tied for tops on the squad.</p><p>But it was at Boston University where Shattenkirk truly shined. In his freshman campaign, he tied future New York Ranger Matt Gilroy &ndash; five years older than Shattenkirk &ndash; for the team lead in points by a defenseman with 21 in 40 games. After winning the national title as a sophomore, Shattenkirk wore the &lsquo;C&rsquo; last year.</p><p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s been a leader at all different levels,&rdquo; Billington noted. &ldquo;And regardless of the level, it helps being part of a winning environment.&rdquo;</p><p>While Colorado can boast a wealth of 25-and-under forwards right now, the blueline isn&rsquo;t nearly as solid, creating an opportunity for Shattenkirk to slide in.</p><p>&ldquo;Kevin&rsquo;s a very headsy player,&rdquo; Billington said. &ldquo;He sees the ice well and makes that good first pass.&rdquo;</p><p>And he knows how to push the play.</p><p>&ldquo;I see myself as another offensive threat,&rdquo; Shattenkirk said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m definitely one to jump into the rush and join the forwards.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-011400/9430715-1-eng-US/f0030-012.jpg" title="f0030-01" width="1371" height="884"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>KYLE BEACH</b> <span class="photo-credit">(ANDRE RINGUETTE/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>Given Colorado often killed with speed last season, it will be reassuring to Avs fans that they already have a player locked and loaded who is more than capable of fuelling the fleet forwards with great passes.</p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-02961/9430708-1-eng-US/f0030-022.jpg" title="f0030-02" width="108" height="112"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>TOMAS TATAR</b></h2><p><b>HT:</b> 5-10 <b>WT:</b> 179 <b>AGE:</b> 19</p><p><b>DRAFTED:</b> 60th overall, 2009</p><p><b>TOMAS TATAR DOESN&rsquo;T</b> walk; he ambles. The stout Slovakian center is all shoulders and hips, something he no doubt refined in the past season as a member of the AHL&rsquo;s Grand Rapids Griffins. One of the few teenagers on the circuit, the Detroit Red Wings draft pick came over from Slovakia and got a crash course on life in the minors.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-03705/9430701-1-eng-US/f0030-032.jpg" title="f0030-03" width="222" height="336"></div><p>&ldquo;It was so tough,&rdquo; Tatar said. &ldquo;Six, 10 hours on the bus &ndash; I felt so sore after. But it&rsquo;s hockey and everyone feels the same, so it&rsquo;s no excuse for me.&rdquo;</p><p>Nor does he need one. In his first North American season, Tatar contributed 16 goals and 32 points in 58 games for the Griffins, including a plus-8 rating that was good for third on the team.</p><p>&ldquo;The American League is so different,&rdquo; Tatar said. &ldquo;If you watch the Slovak League and this league it&rsquo;s so different. Everybody here plays hard and fast. In Slovakia, the defensemen and forwards play clever, so it was a real good step for me.&rdquo;</p><p>It also impressed his future employers in Detroit. Assistant GM Jim Nill revealed that the Red Wings offered to set the 19-year-old Tatar up with a billet family last summer to ease his transition, but the young man told them not to worry.</p><p>&ldquo;We kept a close eye on him and he didn&rsquo;t falter,&rdquo; Nill said. &ldquo;A lot of things can go wrong at that age, but he ate well, he got enough rest, he looked after himself.&rdquo;</p><p>Tatar first rose to prominence at the 2009 WJC, where he and goaltender Jaroslav Janus led the Slovaks to an unexpected fourth-place finish. Tatar was a top-five scorer in the tourney with 11 points in seven games.</p><p>&ldquo;He was a young player in that tournament,&rdquo; Nill said. &ldquo;He got to play more towards the end and that&rsquo;s when he really lit it up.&rdquo;</p><p>The Wings are famous for developing their prospects slowly and, more often than not, effectively. So when Tatar excelled at last summer&rsquo;s rookie tournament, he was given a chance to shine at NHL training camp.</p><p>&ldquo;We wanted to see if his game would drop off,&rdquo; Nill noted, &ldquo;but he got stronger and stronger.&rdquo;</p><p>That made the decision to send him to Grand Rapids all the more easy. Now, Tatar is set for his second NHL camp.</p><p>&ldquo;I hope I&rsquo;m a little more ready to make the team than last year,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I worked out hard and I hope I&rsquo;ll be ready.</p><p>&ldquo;Last year when I finished the camp I was a kid, not like now &ndash; I&rsquo;m a bit stronger. I&rsquo;m better on the physical game now.&rdquo;</p><p>Ultimately, Nill sees Tatar as a top-six forward on a squad that currently boasts plenty of talent in those slots, meaning the young Slovakian may have to play the waiting game a little longer. He has already proven, however, that he can handle a jump in competition.</p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-04523/9430694-1-eng-US/f0030-042.jpg" title="f0030-04" width="108" height="112"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>KYLE BEACH</b></h2><p><b>HT:</b> 6-3 <b>WT:</b> 202 <b>AGE:</b> 20</p><p><b>DRAFTED:</b> 11th overall, 2008</p><p><b>DESPITE THE FACT</b> many of his 2008 draft mates have already skated in the NHL, it&rsquo;s impossible to forget about Kyle Beach. The big center consistently made headlines in junior &ndash; often for igniting fury.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-011372/9430687-1-eng-US/f0032-012.jpg" title="f0032-01" width="2130" height="925"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>MATS ZUCCARELLO AASEN</b> <span class="photo-credit">(BRUCE BENNETT/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>Along with 773 penalty minutes in 251 Western League games with Everett, Spokane and Lethbridge, Beach incited a brawl by slow-playing a breakaway empty-net goal against Medicine Hat; got cold-cocked by Spokane&rsquo;s Chris Bruton; and (accidentally) fired a puck into the stands in Red Deer.</p><p>Not only that, but at Chicago&rsquo;s prospect camp this summer, he twice fought the smaller Mathis Olimb, knocking the 5-foot-9 Norwegian out of action for months with a shoulder injury after the second scrap.</p><p>With the Blackhawks in need of some new roster players, Beach knows he has a chance to make an impact in Chicago right now.</p><p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s an exciting time for me and for the team and the city as well,&rdquo; Beach said. &ldquo;The city is Hawks crazy right now. For a guy like me going in knowing there are spots and there is a chance to crack the roster is unbelievable.&rdquo;</p><p>Along with his agitating side, Beach also has a pretty good knack for offense. He was a point-a-game player until last season when he stepped up with 86 in 68 games for Spokane.</p><p>&ldquo;The biggest thing you don&rsquo;t want him to do is shoot the puck,&rdquo; said Columbus first-rounder and Portland Winterhawk Ryan Johansen. &ldquo;I remember playing him in the first round of the playoffs and every time he got a scoring opportunity he seemed to put it in the back of the net.</p><p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s got great deception with his shot and he&rsquo;s a tough guy to play against.&rdquo;</p><p>And while Beach already has the benefit of being a big dude, he&rsquo;ll also go into Hawks camp with pro experience, courtesy two short stints with the AHL Rockford IceHogs (including five playoff games).</p><p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a time where you really have to absorb everything, take it in, get used to the pro game,&rdquo; Beach said. &ldquo;In junior I was one of the biggest guys out there, (in the AHL) I&rsquo;m like everyone else.&rdquo;</p><p>The challenge at the NHL level will naturally  be to take that bruising-yet-offensively dangerous skill set up to the highest rung. With Dustin Byfuglien and Ben Eager having left Chicago, there is a dearth of nastiness up front. Beach&rsquo;s junior career was pockmarked by suspensions, but he has a clear vision of what he must do with his aggression.</p><p>&ldquo;Not so much controlling it,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;but knowing the time and the place. There&rsquo;s a time to fight, there&rsquo;s a time to take a punch in the face and turn away and worry about it later.&rdquo;</p><p>Certainly dropping the gloves will continue to be a part of his game.</p><p>&ldquo;Obviously any suspension hurts the team and you have to avoid that,&rdquo; Beach noted. &ldquo;But if you&rsquo;re playing hard and within the rules, then if something happens it happens.&rdquo;</p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-02922/9430680-1-eng-US/f0032-022.jpg" title="f0032-02" width="108" height="113"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>M. ZUCCARELLO AASEN</b></h2><p><b>HT:</b> 5-7 <b>WT:</b> 161 <b>AGE:</b> 23</p><p><b>FREE AGENT</b>: 5/26/2010</p><p><b>IT&rsquo;S PROBABLY NOT</b> high on his list of priorities, but upon arriving in North America, Mats Zuccarello Aasen needed a new nickname.</p><p>In Europe, the shifty Norwegian was dubbed &lsquo;The Hobbit,&rsquo; thanks to his slight stature and vague resemblance to actor Elijah Wood. Not exactly an intimidating moniker. But in a recent post on the New York Rangers twitter page, the crafty new Blueshirt was referred to by his initials, MZA. With its Wu-Tang Clan etymology, &lsquo;The MZA&rsquo; may be the winner. It&rsquo;s flashy, which is a perfect fit for Zuccarello Aasen.</p><p>The diminutive left winger first made waves in North America at the Vancouver Olympics, where he was a standout for an otherwise outgunned Team Norway.</p><p>&ldquo;It was an amazing feeling to be going out there on the ice in Vancouver and meeting Canada in the first game,&rdquo; Zuccarello Aasen said.</p><p>His offensive prowess continued during his year with Modo in the Swedish Elite League, a circuit he led in scoring with 23 goals and 64 points in 55 games for a weak team.</p><p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s a very skilled guy with great hands,&rdquo; said Markstrom, the Panthers prospect goalie who played against Zuccarello Aasen as a member Brynas last year. &ldquo;You&rsquo;ll watch (video of) one game and see his moves, then when you face him he&rsquo;s got another move.&rdquo;</p><p>Markstrom admitted being victimized by Zuccarello Aasen in the past, including a hat trick in one game, but the NHL &ndash; with its smaller ice surfaces and bigger, faster players &ndash; presents a new challenge.</p><p>&ldquo;Everything has to happen a little faster,&rdquo; Zuccarello Aasen said, &ldquo;and you have to do everything faster.&rdquo;</p><p>And life will only get quicker for the Norwegian from here on out. Taking his show to Broadway, Zuccarello Aasen won&rsquo;t be able to hide from the spotlight, especially on a Rangers team that missed the playoffs last year and didn&rsquo;t have much punch outside of Marian Gaborik. With the additions of Zuccarello Aasen and ex-L.A. King Alexander Frolov, the wings are now a little more dangerous now in New York.</p><p>Like Fabian Brunnstrom before him, Zuccarello Aasen had his pick of teams in the NHL as the top European free agent available and ultimately leaned on some Modo teammates for advice.</p><p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve talked to Niklas Sundstrom and Markus Naslund, who played there, and they told me it was a great organization,&rdquo; he said of the Rangers. &ldquo;I felt that they were really interested and wanted to give me a good chance to make the team.&rdquo;</p><p>Of course, Brunnstrom has struggled since coming over from Sweden to join Dallas, so for the player known as &lsquo;The Hobbit,&rsquo; it will be important to maintain a level head and keep his journey on the right path.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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IN THIS ISSUE

THE OTHER (YOUNG) GUYS

<div class="byline">Jim Kelley</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0037-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-02800/9430774-1-eng-US/f0037-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>The search for Cup No. 1 continues in Buffalo and Vancouver.</b> <span class="photo-credit">(JEFF VINNICK/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-011149/9430781-1-eng-US/f0037-012.jpg" title="f0037-01" width="187" height="222"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>Q</span>UICK QUESTION:</b> what do the Buffalo Sabres, Moses and the Vancouver Canucks have in common? Quick answer: all three wandered 40 years without ever making it to the Promised Land.</p><p>Unfair? A little. One can certainly defend Moses in that he got his people out of Egypt and that was no small miracle. If the scriptures are correct, it was also the all-powerful hand of God that kept him from crossing over.</p><p>In Buffalo and Vancouver, history &ndash; or maybe even God &ndash; has been a little less kind.</p><p>There are franchises that have longer Stanley Cup droughts, but no franchise and no fan base, not even the lackluster Toronto Maple Leafs (last Stanley Cup in 1967), have suffered more with no sense of being any closer to their goal.</p><p>The Buffalo Sabres and the Vancouver Canucks, both of which are approaching their 40th season in the NHL, have no Cups for their efforts.</p><p>For me, that&rsquo;s personal.</p><p>I was a young man and living in Buffalo when NHL president Clarence Campbell spun the famous wheel, the one that allowed the Sabres to draft the now-legendary Gilbert Perreault and the Canucks to &ldquo;settle&rdquo; for Dale Tallon. And while there was a decided difference in overall talent between the two men, it has long been negated by almost mirror-like runs through decades of disappointment.</p><p>Through 39 seasons of play, each franchise has made only two appearances in the Cup final. The Sabres lost their first (1975) to the Philadelphia Flyers, 4-2, while the Canucks, considered a Cinderella team, lost their first (1982) to the New York Islanders, 4-0.</p><p>Hardly a memorable effort for either.</p><p>The Canucks wouldn&rsquo;t get another crack until 1994, when they lost a seven-game series to the New York Rangers. The Sabres didn&rsquo;t return until 1999, when they lost to the Dallas Stars on a controversial Cup-winning goal by Brett Hull (the infamous foot-in-the-crease tally).</p><p>But as history goes, that&rsquo;s it. And you can&rsquo;t help but wonder why.</p><p>It&rsquo;s not like the franchises, at various times, didn&rsquo;t have great players, legendary GMs and exceptional coaches. At one time in his career, Perreault was considered among the greatest, if not <i>the</i> greatest, player in the game and that 1975 team was one for the ages.</p><p>The Canucks 1994 squad had Trevor Linden and Pavel Bure up front and Kirk McLean in goal. Buffalo&rsquo;s 1999 edition featured Dominik Hasek, one of hockey&rsquo;s all-time great goaltenders, shutdown specialist Michael Peca and 40-goal man Miro Satan.</p><p>In 1975, the Sabres had legendary GM Punch Imlach. In 1994, the Canucks lived off the guidance of coach and GM Pat Quinn.</p><p>Yet neither team was good enough, even in its best years.</p><p>Ownership played a part in that. There were good ones (members of the Griffiths family stand out for the Canucks), but from mismanagement to criminal activity, most other times it was forgettable.</p><p>Bumbling owners are not uncommon in the long history of NHL ownership, but when you look at some of the more successful franchises in recent seasons, particularly the Detroit Red Wings and the suddenly reinvigorated Chicago Blackhawks, a pattern emerges.</p><p>Money matters, but so does committed ownership. The Hawks pulled out all the stops to get a Stanley Cup last season and have been a model franchise since Rocky Wirtz took control from his deceased father two season ago.</p><p>The Red Wings, for years regarded as the &ldquo;Dead Things,&rdquo; reinvented themselves via the devotion of owner Mike Ilitch and his family, and their blueprint for long-term success.</p><p>Similar turns have been taken in Pittsburgh, Washington, San Jose and New Jersey. In short, ownership matters.</p><p>Wirtz believes a commitment to winning has to be visible and real. Having a dedicated owner is one way to make that happen.</p><p>&ldquo;We needed fans back and that&rsquo;s what we needed to do,&rdquo; Wirtz said just before the Hawks realized his dream. &ldquo;Our No. 1 goal is to win the Stanley Cup. It had to be said. It&rsquo;s like telling your wife you love her, you can never say it enough.&rdquo;</p><p>If you grew up following the Vancouver Canucks or Buffalo Sabres, you simply can&rsquo;t hear it enough.</p><p>Forty years is a long time and for some of us, like Moses, we may not have enough.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0037-02

SUCCESS STARTS AT TOP

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0004-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-012148/9430092-1-eng-US/f0004-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Jonathan Toews and Ryan Kesler play for teams that don&rsquo;t like each other much.</b> <span class="photo-credit">(JONATHAN DANIEL/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>TEAM PREVIEWS</b></h2><p><b>40</b> ATLANTIC DIVISION</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-021823/9430085-1-eng-US/f0004-022.jpg" title="f0004-02" width="674" height="109"></div><p><b>42</b> CENTRAL DIVISION</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-031466/9430078-1-eng-US/f0004-032.jpg" title="f0004-03" width="699" height="110"></div><p><b>44</b> NORTHEAST DIVISION</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-041117/9430071-1-eng-US/f0004-042.jpg" title="f0004-04" width="672" height="116"></div><p><b>46</b> NORTHWEST DIVISION</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-05890/9430064-1-eng-US/f0004-052.jpg" title="f0004-05" width="665" height="104"></div><p><b>48</b> PACIFIC DIVISION</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-06537/9430057-1-eng-US/f0004-062.jpg" title="f0004-06" width="726" height="115"></div><p><b>50</b> SOUTHEAST DIVISION</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-07338/9430050-1-eng-US/f0004-072.jpg" title="f0004-07" width="652" height="109"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0004-01

NHL PREVIEW

<div class="byline">with Jason Kay</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-012130/9430161-1-eng-US/f0005-012.jpg" title="f0005-01" width="709" height="601"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(MARK WILSON)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>CONFESSION TIME</b>. Our trophy predictions suck.</p><p>We did a three-year scan of the six major awards for which we annually project a winner and discovered we got it right three times in 18 tries, for a whopping 17 percent success rate (and that&rsquo;s if you round upwards). The trio we nailed were Alex Ovechkin&rsquo;s Hart Trophies in 2007-08 and &rsquo;08-09, and Nick Lidstrom&rsquo;s sixth Norris in seven years in &rsquo;07-08. Not exactly Nostradamus material.</p><p>This is no reflection on the group of experts on whom we rely to forecast the future; nobody knows the players on the 30 NHL teams better than the people who follow them, for a living, on a daily basis.</p><p>Rather, it speaks to the fascinating unknown that is every NHL season, the compelling storylines that, along with the beauty and brutality of big league hockey, keep us coming back. There are unforeseen injuries to be incurred, surprising slumps to be overcome, unexpected breakthroughs to be experienced.</p><p>Did anyone divine Ovechkin getting hurt and suspended last season, thus ending his MVP reign? More to the point, who would have guessed Henrik Sedin would emerge to beat the favorites in the field? Ditto for Duncan Keith and the Norris, Tyler Myers and the Calder, Steven Stamkos and the Richard.</p><p>With that in mind, here are six alternate trophy choices to our majority picks that appear on pg. 8. They&rsquo;re our Plan Bs when the inevitable happens and the obvious selection suffers that freak knee ligament tear when he slips on a patch of ice while getting out of a cab.</p><p><b>Hart dark horse:</b> Jonathan Toews. He should be able to squeeze it in on his mantle between the 2010 Olympic gold medal and his Conn Smythe.</p><p><b>Art Ross dark horse:</b> Evgeni Malkin. Pittsburgh&rsquo;s somewhat forgotten star is due to rebound, especially if he plays wing alongside Staal or Crosby.</p><p><b>Richard dark horse:</b> Daniel Sedin. Now that Henrik has silverware, it&rsquo;s only fair.</p><p><b>Norris dark horse:</b> Shea Weber. &lsquo;C&rsquo; is for captain. And catapult.</p><p><b>Vezina dark horse:</b> Jaroslav Halak. Finally, the crease is his and his alone.</p><p><b>Calder dark horse:</b> Tyler Ennis. He proved he can produce at the NHL level in a 16-game audition last spring.</p><p>We&rsquo;ll be sure to check back next year to review how we fared and determine whether we require a Plan C.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-021550/9430154-1-eng-US/f0005-022.jpg" title="f0005-02" width="476" height="254"></div><p><b>NEXT ISSUE OCTOBER 11, 2010</b></p><p>CUSTOMER SERVICE AND TO SUBSCRIBE: <b><a href="http://THN.com">thn.com</a></b> CONTACT US: <b><a href="mailto:editorial@thehockeynews.com">editorial@thehockeynews.com</a></b></p><p><b>LISTEN UP!</b></p><p><b>THE HOCKEY NEWS RADIO SHOW</b></p><p><b>FRIDAYS</b></p><p><b>XM 204</b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-031006/9430147-1-eng-US/f0005-032.jpg" title="f0005-03" width="199" height="75"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0005-01

THE AMAZING UNEXPECTED

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-012375/9430216-1-eng-US/f0006-012.jpg" title="f0006-01" width="247" height="204"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-021608/9430223-1-eng-US/f0006-022.jpg" title="f0006-02" width="207" height="213"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>D</span>uring the 2010 Olympics, I admit I watched more men&rsquo;s hockey than women&rsquo;s, but only because I knew the all men&rsquo;s players. I only know of the likes of Hayley Wickenheiser and Jennifer Botterill on the women&rsquo;s team.</p><p>With the women&rsquo;s game in the Olympics being threatened, it would make sense if the NHL affiliated itself with a women&rsquo;s league (like the NBA and WNBA).</p><p>The newly realigned Canadian Women&rsquo;s League is a good start, but they need to speed up the process. Aligning the CWHL with the NHL would be good for the game.</p><p><b>Gary Preteau, Winnipeg</b></p><h2><b>FREE SWAG!</b></h2><p>Each issue, we&rsquo;ll give a cool THN hat to the top letter.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0006-01

A HELPING GLOVE

<blockquote class="pullQuote"><b>There is no way this team will be a doormat</b></blockquote><h2><b>STUD OR OUT TO STUD?</b></h2><p class="dropcap"><span>T</span>HN correspondent Jim Cressman may be a knowledgeable hockey man, but if he thinks the Colts will finish 20th in the Ontario League (Major Jr. Preview, Sept. 6) he doesn&rsquo;t know the Barrie franchise.</p><p>They have never missed the playoffs since their inception in 1994 and they have Dale Hawerchuk, one of the top Jr. B coaches, coming in this year.</p><p>Many of the returning players have no profile because they had little ice time last year, but they&rsquo;ll carry the load when they need to.</p><p>Barrie has one of the best management teams in the league and there is no way this team will be a doormat. They will easily be in the top 10.</p><p><b>Al Wrigley, Barrie, Ont.</b></p><h2><b>PADDING THE STATS</b></h2><p>According to your 2010 Yearbook, goals per game are going down since the great foul crackdown. Why then is the NHL unwilling to get rid of oversized goalie equipment?</p><p>Surely something can be done to eliminate goalies who look like the Michelin Man and still maintain their safety.</p><p><b>Dwayne Janke, Calgary</b></p><h2><b>CLEAR VISION</b></h2><p>The NHL should put Plexiglass on top of the net. This change wouldn&rsquo;t affect play or the way referees call the game. It would simply make replays clearer for the fans and officials.</p><p><b>Thomas Vidal-Lessard, Cookshire-Eaton, Que.</b></p><h2><b>THE WALL&rsquo;S LEGACY</b></h2><p>Nikolai Khabibulin&rsquo;s run-in with the law was a surprising one because it&rsquo;s not common for NHLers to run afoul.</p><p>It doesn&rsquo;t change the fact it&rsquo;s very disappointing to see Khabibulin get arrested, charged, and sentenced to 30 days in jail.</p><p>This just adds to the Edmonton Oilers woes, because, when healthy, Khabibulin can be a force and once again become the &lsquo;Bulin Wall.&rsquo;</p><p>He was brought into Oil Country to stop the bleeding, revitalize a franchise and be a mentor to the young goalies. I just hope this incident is not the lasting memory fans will have of him.</p><p>I hope Khabibulin comes back and shows he is the hard-working goalie who won the Cup in 2004. This is what he should be known for, not a DUI arrest towards the end of his career.</p><p>Though he has a long road ahead, I still believe Khabibulin can do it.</p><p><b>Jordan Philbert, Sherbrooke, Que.</b></p><h2><b>DON&rsquo;T HELP LOSERS</b></h2><p>The NHL has to change its way of drafting players.</p><p>Young superstars like Taylor Hall get drafted to teams that won&rsquo;t even make the playoffs. Yes, those last-place teams are in need of help to win games, but I believe the teams that finish on top of the league should be rewarded.</p><p><b>Otis Geddes, Squamish, B.C.</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

Crowd Shots

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-012123/9430261-1-eng-US/f0007-012.jpg" title="f0007-01" width="546" height="442"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>ANGELA JAMES</b> <span class="photo-credit">(JAMES: TREVOR MAHONEY/CWHL.CA)</span></figcaption></div><p>Adam,</p><p>I&rsquo;ve heard about the possibility of a women&rsquo;s professional league, but is it likely it would ever really happen?</p><p><b><i>Jeff Ronson, Los Angeles</i></b></p><p>Jeff,</p><p>There are no shortage of cynics when it comes to the women&rsquo;s game. However many thought a female player would never be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame &ndash; and that will come to pass this November when Angela James and Cammi Granato are honored. Real change takes time!</p><p>Hello Adam,</p><p>I miss the days when your team would play every team at least twice a year: one road game and one home game. Today all you get is one game against the other conference&rsquo;s teams. I get that the NHL wants more in-division games, but is there a chance that the NHL could revert to playing each team at least twice and lessen the amount of in-division games?</p><p><b><i>John Mason, Newark, Del.</i></b></p><p>Hello John,</p><p>Teams only play intra-divisional rivals six times each season now, fewer than the past, but I agree with your larger point. If it were up to me, I think fans in each city deserve one chance to see all 29 teams in the league on home ice. That said, the NHL has not embraced such a system and the rising costs of travel &ndash; which have been a significant factor in that reticence &ndash; leads me to believe we won&rsquo;t see changes to the schedule in the near future.</p><p><b>SUBMIT YOUR BURNING QUESTIONS AT <a href="http://THN.COM/ASKADAM">THN.com/askadam</a></b></p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-021439/9430254-1-eng-US/f0007-022.jpg" title="f0007-02" width="77" height="78"></div><p>Need more of your questions answered? Read Proteau&rsquo;s <b>&lsquo;Ask Adam&rsquo;</b> column every Friday at <b><a href="http://TheHockeyNews.com">thehockeynews.com</a></b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p></div>

f0007-01

ASK Adam

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-03898/9430292-1-eng-US/f0007-032.jpg" title="f0007-03" width="489" height="379"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(CROSBY: DAVE SANDFORD/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-04579/9430299-1-eng-US/f0007-042.jpg" title="f0007-04" width="157" height="158"></div><p>Who&rsquo;s the NHL&rsquo;s best center?</p><p><b>Sidney Crosby 46%</b></p><p>Pavel Datsyuk 15%</p><p>Jonathan Toews 11%</p><p>Henrik Sedin 10%</p><p>Nicklas Backstrom 5%</p><p>Mike Richards 4%</p><p>Joe Thornton 3%</p><p>Anze Kopitar 2%</p><p>Steven Stamkos 2%</p><p>Evgeni Malkin 1%<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0007-03

POLL RESULTS

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RYAN KENNEDY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0008-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-012266/9430344-1-eng-US/f0008-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>DREW DOUGHTY</b> <span class="photo-credit">(JOHN RUSSELL/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-021725/9430351-1-eng-US/f0008-022.jpg" title="f0008-02" width="108" height="108"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>HERE&rsquo;S</b>&nbsp;<b>A SEA CHANGE</b> going on in the NHL right now and you only have to look at the past year&rsquo;s heroes and trophy winners to realize these kids aren&rsquo;t going away any time soon.</p><p>With the 2010-11 season achingly close to opening, we wanted to get a consensus on just who will lead the pack in the NHL in the upcoming campaign and many of the names are new.</p><p>Sure, you&rsquo;ll find your Alex Ovechkins, Sidney Crosbys and Martin Brodeurs in the mix, but what about Drew Doughty and Steven Stamkos? Get your radars up if you haven&rsquo;t already because the top two picks from 2008 are on fire.</p><p>As per usual, we polled our 30 NHL correspondents for their choices to win the major awards and the Stanley Cup. But we also asked you, dear readers, via &lsquo;Puck Polls&rsquo; at <a href="http://THN.com">THN.com</a> and tens-of-thousands of you voted. Funny how fans and pundits can see some things so differently &ndash; and the same.</p><p>One category in which there was no question was for the next Norris Trophy. A nominee the last time around, Los Angeles&rsquo; Doughty was pegged by both fans and media as the man to pick up the hardware in 2011. The smooth-skating Doughty was a revelation on the Left Coast last season, putting up 59 points and a plus-20 rating in 82 games for an upstart Kings squad expected to be even better this year.</p><p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re a young team,&rdquo; Doughty acknowledged. &ldquo;But we&rsquo;re gaining experience.&rdquo;</p><p>The danger in facing Doughty is how the blueliner can rush the puck up the ice, yet still be responsible in his own end. Those cavalier rushes are aided by Doughty&rsquo;s battery partner, veteran Rob Scuderi, who complements the kid by being a rock-solid stay-at-home defender, something Doughty believes is key to his own success. That the young King also spent two weeks learning from vets such as Scott Niedermayer and Dan Boyle on Canada&rsquo;s Olympic team didn&rsquo;t hurt his rapid development either, especially with that satisfying gold-medal victory serving as an early unforgettable career moment.</p><p>&ldquo;It was the best time ever,&rdquo; Doughty recalled. &ldquo;So many emotions going through your body. One of the best times I&rsquo;ve spent in a dressing room.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-012038/9430337-1-eng-US/f0009-012.jpg" title="f0009-01" width="1372" height="842"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>STEVEN STAMKOS</b> <span class="photo-credit">(STAMKOS: JIM MCISAAC/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>Next mission? Getting the Kings their first-ever Stanley Cup. And while Doughty tasted the playoffs last year, Stamkos is still waiting on his first NHL post-season in Tampa.</p><p>Stamkos, who shared the Rocket Richard Trophy with Crosby last season, is expected to do big things again, according to our polls.</p><p>Only Ovechkin received more votes than &lsquo;Stammer the Hammer&rsquo; in our Rocket Richard poll, while he also got love in the Art Ross and Hart races.</p><p>So where did that huge sophomore campaign come from? Stamkos has some ideas.</p><p>&ldquo;When you look at my game I&rsquo;m all about speed and quickness and agility,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Coming off my first year the confidence level was a lot higher. I had my first summer of training with Gary Roberts and physically felt a lot more confident as well. I got an opportunity to play and play big minutes right away with (coach) Rick Tocchet there.</p><p>&ldquo;To be put in a position to succeed it definitely helped me and I obviously played with some pretty good players throughout the season so it was a fun year for me personally. Now the goal is to help the team win as well.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-012237/9430330-1-eng-US/f0010-012.jpg" title="f0010-01" width="651" height="799"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>TAYLOR HALL</b> <span class="photo-credit">(NOAH GRAHAM/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>Another player expected to help lift his team out of the depths is 2010 top pick Taylor Hall, No. 4 in your Edmonton Oilers programme. Hall noted that coming in with fellow freshmen Jordan Eberle and Magnus Paajarvi will take some of the pressure off his shoulders, but he still knows the score.</p><p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a city with a lot of expectations for us,&rdquo; Hall said. &ldquo;The past couple years haven&rsquo;t been too great, but there&rsquo;s a group in place that is going to try to turn that around.</p><p>&ldquo;I just want to make sure I go there humble, make sure I go there prepared.&rdquo;</p><p>Odds of the incoming top pick winning the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year aren&rsquo;t as great as you&rsquo;d think &ndash; Patrick Kane was the last to do it in 2008 and neither Stamkos nor John Tavares could pull the trick &ndash; but our reporters like Hall to take the prize this season. If he falters, Montreal blueliner P.K. Subban, who became a fan favorite during last season&rsquo;s big playoff run and is the No. 1 freshmen in our readers&rsquo; opinion, is another popular choice.</p><p>But the only true chalice for the players is the Stanley Cup and while you agreed with us (Vancouver), the writers see Pittsburgh again.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0008-01

GREEN MACHINES

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0009-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-021420/9430382-1-eng-US/f0009-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>ALEX OVECHKIN</b> <span class="photo-credit">(OVECHKIN: GREG FIUME/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>+ GAME ON!</b></h2><p>We had to sweat out the summer months, but it&rsquo;s officially time to get amped up and watch some puck.</p><h2><b>- FORTY</b>&nbsp;<b>WHIFFS?</b></h2><p>Vancouver and Buffalo franchises both turn 40 this season still in search of that inaugural Stanley Cup parade.</p><h2><b>+ GREEK</b>&nbsp;<b>GOD GONE</b></h2><p>For the first time since 1983-84, a season of NHL hockey will happen without Chris Chelios, who finally retired at age 48.</p><h2><b>- CAPITAL</b>&nbsp;<b>PAINS</b></h2><p>Great regular seasons don&rsquo;t matter in Washington anymore; it&rsquo;s Cup final or bust for Ovie and Co. this time out.</p><h2><b>+ SUNNY</b>&nbsp;<b>DAYS AHEAD</b></h2><p>The Bolts are far from bulletproof and pain still awaits the Panthers, but both Florida clubs finally look like they&rsquo;re on the right path.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0009-02

Plus/Minus

<p class="dropcap"><span>L</span>ong before the envelope is opened at the NHL Awards, fans and media alike prognosticate the winners. Here&rsquo;s who we (and you) like to claim some heavy hardware this year.</p><h2><b>STANLEY CUP</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-021631/9430462-1-eng-US/f0010-022.jpg" title="f0010-02" width="221" height="394"></div><h3><b>MEDIA PICKS:</b></h3><p>- Pittsburgh</p><p>- San Jose and Washington (tie)</p><h3><b>FAN PICKS:</b></h3><p>- Vancouver</p><p>- Washington</p><p>- Pittsburgh</p><h2><b>HART TROPHY</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-031039/9430455-1-eng-US/f0010-032.jpg" title="f0010-03" width="221" height="389"></div><h3><b>MEDIA PICKS:</b></h3><p>- Sidney Crosby</p><p>- Alex Ovechkin</p><p>- Steven Stamkos</p><h3><b>FAN PICKS:</b></h3><p>- Alex Ovechkin</p><p>- Sidney Crosby</p><p>- Steven Stamkos</p><h2><b>ROCKET RICHARD TROPHY</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-04720/9430448-1-eng-US/f0010-042.jpg" title="f0010-04" width="221" height="339"></div><h3><b>MEDIA PICKS:</b></h3><p>- Alex Ovechkin</p><p>- Steven Stamkos</p><p>- S. Crosby/Z. Parise/I. Kovalchuk</p><h3><b>FAN PICKS:</b></h3><p>- Alex Ovechkin</p><p>- Steven Stamkos</p><p>- Sidney Crosby</p><h2><b>VEZINA TROPHY</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-05525/9430441-1-eng-US/f0010-052.jpg" title="f0010-05" width="221" height="390"></div><h3><b>MEDIA PICKS:</b></h3><p>- Ryan Miller</p><p>- Roberto Luongo</p><p>- Ilya Bryzgalov</p><h3><b>FAN PICKS:</b></h3><p>- Ryan Miller</p><p>- Roberto Luongo</p><p>- Tuukka Rask</p><h2><b>ART ROSS TROPHY</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-06393/9430434-1-eng-US/f0010-062.jpg" title="f0010-06" width="222" height="392"></div><h3><b>MEDIA PICKS:</b></h3><p>- Alex Ovechkin</p><p>- Sidney Crosby</p><p>- Evgeni Malkin</p><h3><b>FAN PICKS:</b></h3><p>- Alex Ovechkin</p><p>- Sidney Crosby</p><p>- Steven Stamkos</p><h2><b>NORRIS TROPHY</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-07276/9430427-1-eng-US/f0010-072.jpg" title="f0010-07" width="222" height="386"></div><h3><b>MEDIA PICKS:</b></h3><p>- Drew Doughty</p><p>- Duncan Keith and Zdeno Chara</p><h3><b>FAN PICKS:</b></h3><p>- Drew Doughty</p><p>- Duncan Keith</p><p>- Shea Weber</p><h2><b>JACK ADAMS TROPHY</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-08205/9430420-1-eng-US/f0010-082.jpg" title="f0010-08" width="222" height="339"></div><h3><b>MEDIA PICKS:</b></h3><p>- Guy Boucher</p><p>- Joel Quenneville and Terry Murray</p><h3><b>FAN PICKS:</b></h3><p>- Guy Boucher</p><p>- Alain Vigneault</p><p>- Terry Murray</p><h2><b>CALDER TROPHY</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-09157/9430413-1-eng-US/f0010-092.jpg" title="f0010-09" width="222" height="390"></div><h3><b>MEDIA PICKS:</b></h3><p>- Taylor Hall</p><p>- P.K. Subban and Tyler Seguin</p><h3><b>FAN PICKS:</b></h3><p>- P.K. Subban</p><p>- Taylor Hall</p><p>- Tyler Seguin<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0010-02

2010-11 NHL PREDICTIONS

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RYAN DIXON</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0012-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-012184/9430493-1-eng-US/f0012-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>After 15 seasons, Aaron Ward has thrown his last bone-crushing NHL bodycheck.</b> <span class="photo-credit">(SCOTT LEVY/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>AARON WARD MIGHT NOT</b> be playing the game he loves anymore, but his fan experience has gone through the roof &ndash; for NCAA football, anyway.</p><p>&ldquo;I can list the benefits as the 30-10 Michigan Wolverines victory over the University of Connecticut&hellip;I got to go to the game, I got to be like a normal fan,&rdquo; said Ward when asked how the initial stages of retirement were treating him. &ldquo;I wasn&rsquo;t worried about what kind of food I ate at the tailgating or how many adult beverages I consumed because I&rsquo;ve got body fat tests in two weeks. There was none of that. It was nice to be normal, blend in with the crowd and thoroughly enjoy myself.&rdquo;</p><p>The rigors of pro sports no longer demand Rod Brind&rsquo;Amour and Chris Chelios stay away from hot dogs, but it&rsquo;s still hard to imagine either fitness freak hitting the Krispy Kreme drive-through too often, even though both hung up their skates this summer. Other prominent off-season retirees include surefire Hall of Famer Scott Niedermayer, power forward Keith Tkachuk, standout blueliner Rob Blake and sturdy defenseman Darryl Sydor.</p><p>Rearguard Mike Van Ryn and tough guy Riley Cote are two relatively young players who decided to throw in the playing towel in favor of a move behind the bench. The oft-injured Van Ryn, 31, joined the Ontario League&rsquo;s Niagara IceDogs as an assistant, while the 28-year-old Cote will hold the same post with the Adirondack Phantoms, the American League affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers team he just stepped away from.</p><p>A number of factors receive heavy consideration when a player decides to stop playing a game that&rsquo;s colored his life for so long. Ward, a three-time Cup winner who split last season between Carolina and Anaheim, acknowledged some anguish when charting his future, but ultimately made peace with walking away while it could still be done relatively pain-free.</p><p>In April, the 37-year-old finally treated a knee injury he had been playing through and received the kind of sobering news that hits home with a father of three.</p><p>&ldquo;When I came out they told me the next knee surgery was going to be a knee replacement,&rdquo; he said.</p><p>A number of other players who toiled on the world&rsquo;s top hockey circuit last year won&rsquo;t be NHLers this year, but they&rsquo;re by no means headed for the leather recliner.</p><p>Longtime Sharks goalie Evgeni Nabokov, finicky sniper Maxim Afinogenov and point-producer Pavol Demitra all signed to play in Russia&rsquo;s Kontinental League, while crafty center Glen Metropolit is taking his moves back to Switzerland.</p><p>Also out of NHL rinks for the next year is three-time first-team all-star Paul Kariya, who announced he&rsquo;ll sit out the season due to the lingering affects of post-concussion syndrome.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0012-01

GOODBYE GUYS

<div class="byline">with Adam Proteau</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0014-03" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-031100/9430531-1-eng-US/f0014-032.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Anze Kopitar and his Kings are ready to take the next step.</b> <span class="photo-credit">(NOAH GRAHAM/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-012158/9430538-1-eng-US/f0014-012.jpg" title="f0014-01" width="187" height="222"></div><p><b>IN THEIR 40-PLUS YEARS</b> of existence, the Los Angeles Kings rarely have been one of the NHL&rsquo;s marquee teams.</p><p>Of course, L.A.&rsquo;s &lsquo;Triple Crown Line&rsquo; era (led by stars and linemates Marcel Dionne, Dave Taylor and Charlie Simmer) deservedly garnered the organization a large amount of attention in the late 1970s and early 1980s. And when Wayne Gretzky arrived in town in 1988 (and took the team to its first and only Stanley Cup final appearance in 1993) it&rsquo;s fair to say the hockey spotlight centered on the Kings.</p><p>But other than that&hellip;well, in Hollywood-speak, it&rsquo;s been nothing but re-takes and rolling tumbleweed for the Kings and their fans. Whether it was sub-par management, abysmal luck with injuries or bad on-ice bounces at the worst times, the franchise has been far less successful than, say, their expansion cousins from Philadelphia.</p><p>Which more or less stinks when you consider what a perennial contender might do for the game&rsquo;s profile in Tinseltown. Gretzky brought the stars to the stands when he was there by sheer force of personality alone, but as Kings owner Philip Anschutz has discovered, in a city where you have to compete for consumers&rsquo; disposable sports-going income with the regularly mighty Lakers, occasionally solid Dodgers and always popular USC and UCLA teams, missing the playoffs 18 times (as the Kings have done) does not make for a bulletproof brand.</p><blockquote class="pullQuote"><b>THE KINGS LOOK LIKE THE WEST&rsquo;S VERSION OF THE CAPITALS</b></blockquote><p>So how refreshing, then, to see the Kings slowly but surely emerge as one of the real threats to do some damage this season.</p><p>They began to make a name for themselves last year by climbing out of the Pacific Division basement and finishing third in that grouping with a 46-27-9 record &ndash; 12 more wins than the previous season. Then they pushed a first round playoff series (L.A.&rsquo;s first post-season appearance since 2002) against the Canucks to six games before bowing out.</p><p>And now? The Kings are being looked to for big things. Call them a sleeper team if you want, but the fact of the matter is they should be expected to contend &ndash; if not as a clear frontrunner for the Cup, then certainly for top spot in the Pacific. (In The Hockey News Yearbook, we slotted them in as the fifth seed in the West.)</p><p>More importantly, the Kings are at a point in their development where there is no need to rush out and grab a superstar to push them over the top.</p><p>That much was clear this off-season, when GM Dean Lombardi refused to shovel more money than any other team in the direction of top unrestricted free agent Ilya Kovalchuk.</p><p>In the past, the temptation to add a world-class talent such as Kovalchuk likely would have been too much for Kings management to avoid. However, thanks to his patient and savvy collecting of prospects, Lombardi was able to look at the talent in his system and conclude he needn&rsquo;t sacrifice one bit of it for a costly, long-term investment like the former Thrashers captain.</p><p>Thanks to that patience, the Kings will ice a team fully deserving of the hype that is about to come its way.</p><p>In addition to the massive talents of star center Anze Kopitar, coach Terry Murray will be able to lean on veteran forwards Dustin Brown, Ryan Smyth, Justin Williams and free agent acquisition Alexei Ponikarovsky, as well as up-and-comers Wayne Simmonds, Brayden Schenn and Oscar Moller.</p><p>On the blueline, Norris Trophy-nominated defenseman Drew Doughty will be the focus for much of the time, yet the Kings&rsquo; depth beyond him also is impressive: Jack Johnson, Thomas Hickey, Colten Teubert and Davis Drewiske still have their best seasons ahead, while veterans Rob Scuderi and former Canucks/Wild D-man Willie Mitchell can offer toughness and experience.</p><p>Perhaps the most intriguing battle the Kings will face is in their net, where incumbent starter Jonathan Quick will be pushed hard by American League goalie-of the-year Jonathan Bernier.</p><p>Together, they have the potential to either (a) give L.A. one of the West&rsquo;s strongest netminding duos, or (b) create a situation in which Lombardi can deal one of them to plug any holes that arise during the year.</p><p>In any case, the Kings are a team that shouldn&rsquo;t be missed wherever they&rsquo;re playing. They are the West&rsquo;s version of the Washington Capitals &ndash; young, dangerous and on the precipice of achieving something big.</p><p>They might still have a season or two of growing pains &ndash; like the Chicago Blackhawks and Pittsburgh Penguins had to deal with before they made their quantum, championship leaps &ndash; but there may be no more thrilling team in hockey to watch this year.</p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-021621/9430524-1-eng-US/f0014-022.jpg" title="f0014-02" width="74" height="74"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p>For Adam&rsquo;s web-exclusive <b>Screen Shots</b> column, visit <a href="http://THN.com">thn.com</a><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0014-03

SILVER AND BACK

<div class="byline">with Ken Campbell</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0016-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-021483/9430583-1-eng-US/f0016-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Ilya Kovalchuk&rsquo;s big contract was a departure from the traditional Devs philosophy.</b> <span class="photo-credit">(ANDY MARLIN/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-011929/9430590-1-eng-US/f0016-012.jpg" title="f0016-01" width="187" height="222"></div><p><b>YOU&rsquo;RE</b>&nbsp;<b>PUSHING 50</b> if you can actually remember the last time the Toronto Maple Leafs won the Stanley Cup.</p><p>Chances are if you&rsquo;re a college freshman, you have no tangible memories of the Montreal Canadiens as reigning NHL champions.</p><p>And you&rsquo;d have more luck meeting up with Godot than waiting for the Los Angeles Kings or St. Louis Blues to win a championship.</p><p>But even if you&rsquo;re still in high school, there&rsquo;s a good chance the New Jersey Devils&rsquo; last Stanley Cup is etched somewhere in your memory. It has been a while, though, hasn&rsquo;t it?</p><p>Seven years and counting without a Stanley Cup isn&rsquo;t a huge setback in many markets, but it is a significant drought for one that holds itself up as a beacon of the league.</p><blockquote class="pullQuote"><b>IT&rsquo;S NOTHING A LEGITIMATE RUN TO A CHAMPIONSHIP WOULDN&rsquo;T CURE</b></blockquote><p>Remember back when the Devils had the best money goalie on the planet? Can you harken back to a time when they had an embarrassment of riches when it came to their endless conga line of young, affordable and talented prospects? Do you recall when they refused to overspend on players and were the most fiscally responsible organization in the league?</p><p>Funny, but those days seem a long time ago, too. The truth is, over the past half decade &ndash; and post-lockout in particular &ndash; the Devils have gone from perennial contender and model franchise to big spender and playoff roadkill. It&rsquo;s almost as though playing only a few miles from the New York Rangers has finally infected them.</p><p>Of course, that&rsquo;s nothing that a legitimate run to a championship wouldn&rsquo;t cure and, looking at their roster, it certainly wouldn&rsquo;t be a shock to see them do just that. Even though the Devils&rsquo; omnipresent reputation as a defensive juggernaut is not quite accurate, the fact they now have a coach who scored more than 400 goals over 19 seasons in the NHL points toward the offensive impetus they need to get back into contention.</p><p>And there should be significant pressure in New Jersey on everyone from the new bench boss, John MacLean, down to the rookie crop because this is a team that could be a long way from contending if they don&rsquo;t do it in the next year or two.</p><p>The two goalies the Devils use this season (Martin Brodeur and Johan Hedberg) will boast a combined age of 77 when the campaign ends.</p><p>Brian Rolston turns 38 this season, Jason Arnott 36, Jamie Langenbrunner and Patrik Elias 35, and Colin White 34.</p><p>To be sure, there is some real pressure on GM Lou Lamoriello, or at least on his legacy.</p><p>He retooled a sub-par defense corps and replaced his coach (again) at considerable expense in an effort to improve his roster.</p><p>There was a time when Lamoriello was considered one of the shrewdest executives and best judges of talent in the NHL. There was simply nobody out there who could accurately value the worth of a player better than Lamoriello could.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-011691/9430576-1-eng-US/f0017-012.jpg" title="f0017-01" width="1363" height="1008"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Martin Brodeur&rsquo;s legacy is solid, but the playoffs have been tough for him lately.</b> <span class="photo-credit">(JIM MCISAAC/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>But you could also argue that no GM has done a worse job of handling the salary cap than Lamoriello has.</p><p>The Devils have bumped up against the upper limit of the cap since the beginning of the CBA era and Lamoriello has had to find some creative ways to cover his mistakes.</p><p>The big-ticket signings of Alexander Mogilny, Vladimir Malakhov and Richard Matvichuk were disasters, ones from which the Devils were saved largely because of injuries and their ability to bury players in the minors.</p><p>Even now they&rsquo;re paying out $1 million in buyout money to Jay Pandolfo and enforcer Andrew Peters.</p><p>Who knows whether or not the Devils will have the cap room to re-sign pending restricted free agent Zach Parise long-term. And even if they do, how will that affect a roster that was already over the cap just weeks before this season started?</p><p>After having a chance to get out of the Ilya Kovalchuk deal when the NHL rejected it, the Devils took another run at it and will have nearly $6.7 million in cap space tied up in him for at least the next decade.</p><p>He&rsquo;d better be good. Really, really good.</p><p>Brodeur is under similar pressure. His overall body of work suggests he ranks with the best goaltenders in the history of the game, but for a goalie who was counted upon to make saves when it has counted most, Brodeur has stumbled in the playoffs the past few seasons.</p><p>If the Devils have any hopes of making it out of the second round for the first time since the lockout, Brodeur will simply have to be better during the spring.</p><p>Having Johan Hedberg as a backup will help, but only if MacLean and Lamoriello actually use Hedberg to cut back Brodeur&rsquo;s workload during the regular season.</p><p>And there&rsquo;s also pressure on some of the young players such as Mattias Tedenby and Jacob Josefson, if they make the team. With neither of the Devils top two prospects having played a single game in the minors, it might be asking a bit much for them to make a legitimate contribution, but one or both of them doing so would restore the magic the Devils and scouting director David Conte once had and take them back to the halcyon days when they produced a mind-boggling number of impact NHLers with later picks.</p><p>Mark Fraser and Niclas Bergfors, who were selected in 2005, both played full seasons last year, but the Devils haven&rsquo;t struck gold in the draft since they took Travis Zajac 20th overall in 2004. That 20-goal man Bergfors was dealt to Atlanta to get Kovalchuk at the trade deadline increases the pressure for Kovalchuk to produce this season.</p><p>And produce he must. Kovalchuk actually played quite well for the Devils at both ends of the ice last season and under the right team structure, there&rsquo;s no reason to believe he won&rsquo;t be a very productive player for a very long time.</p><p>Perhaps there&rsquo;s no other person in the Devils system under more pressure than Kovalchuk, given his term and salary, but he&rsquo;s not alone in an organization that rarely turns a profit and simply can&rsquo;t afford the luxury of long-term mediocrity.</p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-021297/9430569-1-eng-US/f0017-022.jpg" title="f0017-02" width="74" height="74"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p>For Ken&rsquo;s web-exclusive <b>Campbell&rsquo;s Cuts</b> column, visit <a href="http://THN.com">thn.com</a><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0016-02

CLOCK TICKING IN NEW JERSEY

<div class="byline">By Ken Campbell</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0020-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-011563/9430649-1-eng-US/f0020-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(AL BELLO/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>E</span></b><b>NTERING</b>&nbsp;<b>THIS SEASON,</b> Sidney Crosby is expected to anchor the Pittsburgh Penguins&rsquo; No. 1 line flanked by Chris Kunitz and Pascal Dupuis. Seriously.</p><p>That could change if Evgeni Malkin moves to the right wing, but chances are he&rsquo;ll be with Crosby only on the power play, since it&rsquo;s expected Malkin will play on the second line with Jordan Staal.</p><p>That Crosby scored 20 more goals last season than Kunitz and Dupuis combined speaks to the kind of player &lsquo;The Kid&rsquo; has become. In his fifth season in the league last year, Crosby emerged as a true total threat, adding goal-scoring and faceoff-winning to his copious set-up abilities and terrific two-way play.</p><p>Not to disparage the goal-scoring abilities of Kunitz and Dupuis, but suffice it to say the Penguins will be counting on something resembling another 51-goal campaign from Crosby this season. And if his career trajectory is any indication, Crosby is eminently qualified to provide it.</p><p>You get the sense that if the Penguins told Crosby they needed him to be a shutdown guy, he&rsquo;d go out and win the Selke Trophy. And playing with lesser lights as wingers might actually bring out more of a scorer in Crosby. If he had more of a gunner on one of his wings, Crosby might be increasingly inclined to dish the puck. But if he knows he has to drive to the net and shoot more, chances are he will do just that.</p><p>A week before training camp, Crosby displayed his athletic prowess by knocking one 360 feet and out of the park during batting practice with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Crosby apparently played baseball until he was 13, but had to quit so he could concentrate exclusively on hockey. Good decision.</p><p>The Penguins figure to seriously contend for a Stanley Cup in their first season in the new Consol Energy Center. And with so much invested down the middle and on defense and so little down the wings, they&rsquo;ll be counting on Crosby to be at the front and center of that effort.</p><h2><b>Top 20 Centers</b></h2><p><b>1. SIDNEY CROSBY,</b> Pit</p><p><b>2. PAVEL DATSYUK,</b> Det</p><p><b>3. JONATHAN TOEWS,</b> Chi</p><p><b>4. HENRIK SEDIN,</b> Van</p><p><b>5. EVGENI MALKIN,</b> Pit</p><p><b>6. NICKLAS BACKSTROM,</b> Wsh</p><p><b>7. STEVEN STAMKOS,</b> TB</p><p><b>8. ANZE KOPITAR,</b> LA</p><p><b>9. MIKE RICHARDS,</b> Phi</p><p><b>10. JOE THORNTON,</b> SJ</p><p><b>11. BRAD RICHARDS,</b> Dal</p><p><b>12. RYAN GETZLAF,</b> Ana</p><p><b>13. RYAN KESLER,</b> Van</p><p><b>14. ERIC STAAL,</b> Car</p><p><b>15. VINCENT LECAVALIER,</b> TB</p><p><b>16. JEFF CARTER,</b> Phi</p><p><b>17. PATRICK SHARP,</b> Chi</p><p><b>18. MARC SAVARD,</b> Bos</p><p><b>19. MIKKO KOIVU,</b> Min</p><p><b>20. PAUL STASTNY,</b> Col</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-011450/9430642-1-eng-US/f0022-012.jpg" title="f0022-01" width="1349" height="939"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(PHILLIP MACCALLUM/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>ON</b>&nbsp;<b>THE STATS PAGE,</b> there were four games and two points separating the Sedin twins entering last season. That, of course, all changed when Henrik Sedin played 19 more games and scored 27 more points than Daniel did, but in some ways the players were once again neck-and-neck.</p><p>In winning the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL&rsquo;s scoring champion, Henrik finished second in points per game with 1.37, while Daniel was right behind at 1.35, just slightly ahead of Sidney Crosby in that department.</p><p>The Canucks figure to seriously contend for the Stanley Cup this season &ndash; they are THN&rsquo;s pre-season pick to win it all, no pressure there &ndash; and a healthy and productive Daniel will go a long way to making that come to fruition. Always a better goal-scorer than his brother, Daniel scored at a career-high 38-goal pace last season.</p><p>There&rsquo;s little doubt that even though he missed almost a quarter of the season that he had much to do with his twin brother&rsquo;s outstanding offensive season. One of the few criticisms of him, in fact, is that sometimes he looks out a little too much for the twin with whom he has such an uncanny chemistry. It would be interesting to see what Daniel could accomplish without Henrik for an extended period of time the way Henrik did without Daniel last season.</p><p>Just over a third of Daniel&rsquo;s career goals (75 of 208) have come on the power play. His shot is more accurate than it is lethal, but much of his success is due to his ability to find the open spots in the offensive zone, which makes him even more dangerous with the man advantage.</p><p>And even though Henrik is rightly regarded as one of the NHL&rsquo;s premier defensive players, Daniel is no slouch, either. He has not been a minus player since his rookie season.</p><p>For the first time in his career, Daniel enters a season with his brother casting a larger shadow than his. And perhaps that will give Daniel more of a chance to shine.</p><h2><b>Top 20 Left Wingers</b></h2><p><b>1. ALEX OVECHKIN,</b> Wsh</p><p><b>2. DANIEL SEDIN,</b> Van</p><p><b>3. ZACH PARISE,</b> NJ</p><p><b>4. ILYA KOVALCHUK,</b> NJ</p><p><b>5. HENRIK ZETTERBERG,</b> Det</p><p><b>6. RICK NASH,</b> Clb</p><p><b>7. PATRICK MARLEAU,</b> SJ</p><p><b>8. MIKE CAMMALLERI,</b> Mtl</p><p><b>9. BOBBY RYAN,</b> Ana</p><p><b>10. JAMES NEAL,</b> Dal</p><p><b>11. RYAN SMYTH,</b> LA</p><p><b>12. DAVID BOOTH,</b> Fla</p><p><b>13. BRENDEN MORROW,</b> Dal</p><p><b>14. THOMAS VANEK,</b> Buf</p><p><b>15. WOJTEK WOLSKI,</b> Col</p><p><b>16. MILAN LUCIC,</b> Bos</p><p><b>17. MASON RAYMOND,</b> Van</p><p><b>18. NICLAS BERGFORS,</b> Atl</p><p><b>19. SIMON GAGNE,</b> TB</p><p><b>20. TOMAS HOLMSTROM,</b> Det</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-011397/9430635-1-eng-US/f0024-012.jpg" title="f0024-01" width="740" height="540"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(KANE: BRUCE BENNETT/GETTY IMAGES;)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>WHEN</b>&nbsp;<b>YOU SIT BACK</b> and think about it, the careers of Patrick Kane and Sidney Crosby have taken remarkably similar paths. Both were first overall picks, are elite offensive producers, won a Stanley Cup within the first five years of their careers and signed contracts that will pay them enough to provide for their grandchildren&rsquo;s grandchildren.</p><p>And like Crosby, Kane figured out early in his career how to record assists. But for Kane to vault himself from the top 10 in NHL scoring to the top two or three, he&rsquo;ll have to find a way to get the puck into the back of the net more often.</p><p>Does Kane have it in him to produce a 50-goal, 100-point season at the NHL level the way Crosby did last season? An abundance of goals and a consistent two-way game are the only things missing from Kane&rsquo;s resume, but it&rsquo;s still early. And he already has a Stanley Cup checked off his to-do list.</p><h2><b>Top 20 Right Wingers</b></h2><p><b>1. PATRICK KANE,</b> Chi</p><p><b>2. MARTIN ST-LOUIS,</b> TB</p><p><b>3. MARIAN GABORIK,</b> NYR</p><p><b>4. MARIAN HOSSA,</b> Chi</p><p><b>5. ALEXANDER SEMIN,</b> Wsh</p><p><b>6. DANY HEATLEY,</b> SJ</p><p><b>7. JAROME IGINLA,</b> Cgy</p><p><b>8. DANIEL ALFREDSSON,</b> Ott</p><p><b>9. COREY PERRY,</b> Ana</p><p><b>10. ALEX BURROWS,</b> Van</p><p><b>11. CHRIS STEWART,</b> Col</p><p><b>12. JOHAN FRANZEN,</b> Det</p><p><b>13. ALES HEMSKY,</b> Edm</p><p><b>14. DANIEL BRIERE,</b> Phi</p><p><b>15. PATRIC HORNQVIST,</b> Nsh</p><p><b>16. DUSTIN BROWN,</b> LA</p><p><b>17. LOUI ERIKSSON,</b> Dal</p><p><b>18. TEEMU SELANNE,</b> Ana</p><p><b>19. PHIL KESSEL,</b> Tor</p><p><b>20. SHANE DOAN,</b> Phx</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-021003/9430628-1-eng-US/f0024-022.jpg" title="f0024-02" width="740" height="540"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(HALAK: FRANCOIS LACASSE/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>AS DIFFICULT AS IT IS</b> to believe, Jaroslav Halak enters this season as an undisputed No. 1 goalie for the first time in his career. We know this for a couple of reasons: First, Halak has earned it. Secondly, nobody employs Ty Conklin with the intention of having him be the starting goalie. It&rsquo;s just one of those things.</p><p>Now with the Blues, Halak has the keys to the kingdom and the salary of a workhorse goalie, but has never played more than 45 games a season. If his performance in last year&rsquo;s playoffs was any indication, however, Halak thrives when he is busy.</p><p>The ex-Montreal netminder is extremely focused and competitive, and has obviously risen to the occasion in high-pressure situations. Now it will be up to him to help lead a young and emerging St. Louis team to the playoffs. And then, of course, perform his post-season magic once again.</p><h2><b>Top 20 Goalies</b></h2><p><b>1. RYAN MILLER,</b> Buf</p><p><b>2. ILYA BRYZGALOV,</b> Phx</p><p><b>3. MARTIN BRODEUR,</b> NJ</p><p><b>4. ROBERTO LUONGO,</b> Van</p><p><b>5. MIIKKA KIPRUSOFF,</b> Cgy</p><p><b>6. HENRIK LUNDQVIST,</b> NYR</p><p><b>7. JAROSLAV HALAK,</b> Stl</p><p><b>8. TUUKKA RASK,</b> Bos</p><p><b>9. TOMAS VOKOUN,</b> Fla</p><p><b>10. CAM WARD,</b> Car</p><p><b>11. MARC-ANDRE FLEURY,</b> Pit</p><p><b>12. PEKKA RINNE,</b> Nsh</p><p><b>13. NIKLAS BACKSTROM,</b> Min</p><p><b>14. JIMMY HOWARD,</b> Det</p><p><b>15. ANTTI NIEMI,</b> SJ</p><p><b>16. JONAS HILLER,</b> Ana</p><p><b>17. CRAIG ANDERSON,</b> Col</p><p><b>18. TIM THOMAS,</b> Bos</p><p><b>19. CAREY PRICE,</b> Mtl</p><p><b>20. STEVE MASON,</b> Clb</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-011411/9430621-1-eng-US/f0026-012.jpg" title="f0026-01" width="1390" height="914"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(BRIAN BABINEAU/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>ONCE ZDENO CHARA</b> pried the Norris Trophy from the clutches of Nicklas Lidstrom in 2009, the thinking was that the NHL&rsquo;s tallest player was going to hold it high over his head and hang onto for the foreseeable future.</p><p>The reality turned out to be much, much different. Not only did Chara not win the Norris, he finished eighth in 2010 voting for the trophy and failed to receive a single first-place vote. There were a number of factors in that, the most prominent of which was the Bruins offense dried up in a big way. Despite a career high in shots (242), Chara found the net just seven times. He played much of the season with a badly injured hand and young defensemen such as Duncan Keith, Drew Doughty and Mike Green asserted themselves at the top. Will Chara be a one-and-done?</p><p>The Bruins and Chara need a bounce-back season, but even with their improvements up front, it&rsquo;s not like coach Claude Julien is going to turn them into an offensive juggernaut.</p><p>So, Chara&rsquo;s value and Norris-worthiness must be viewed through the prism that he is an elite defenseman in a rather narrow confine of the game. He remains one of the league&rsquo;s best shutdown D-men, particularly when he goes against some of the bigger power forwards in the NHL. Where Chara has trouble, though, is in stopping less bulky forwards who move the puck and their feet quickly.</p><p>It is clearly a crucial time for Chara, who is entering the final season of his five-year, $37.5-million deal with the Bruins.</p><p>Chara will be 34 when his contract ends, which means he won&rsquo;t be subject to the restrictive over-35 rules and could become the first player after Ilya Kovalchuk to sign a longterm deal under the new rules.</p><p>&ldquo;Both sides have some clarity on this, which is a good thing,&rdquo; said Chara&rsquo;s agent, Matt Keator. &ldquo;If there&rsquo;s any player who could play well into his 40s, it&rsquo;s &lsquo;Z.&rsquo; I don&rsquo;t think either side wants this to take this into the (regular) season.&rdquo;</p><h2><b>Top 20 Defensemen</b></h2><p><b>1. DUNCAN KEITH,</b> Chi</p><p><b>2. DREW DOUGHTY,</b> LA</p><p><b>3. CHRIS PRONGER,</b> Phi</p><p><b>4. NICKLAS LIDSTROM,</b> Det</p><p><b>5. MIKE GREEN,</b> Wsh</p><p><b>6. DAN BOYLE,</b> SJ</p><p>&nbsp;<b>7. SHEA WEBER,</b> Nsh</p><p><b>8. ZDENO CHARA,</b> Bos</p><p><b>9. TYLER MYERS,</b> Buf</p><p><b>10. BRENT SEABROOK,</b> Chi</p><p><b>11. ANDREI MARKOV,</b> Mtl</p><p><b>12. RYAN SUTER,</b> Nas</p><p><b>13. KIMMO TIMONEN,</b> Phi</p><p><b>14. BRIAN RAFALSKI,</b> Det</p><p><b>15. SERGEI GONCHAR,</b> Ott</p><p><b>16. JAY BOUWMEESTER,</b> Cgy</p><p><b>17. TOMAS KABERLE,</b> Tor</p><p><b>18. NIKLAS KRONWALL,</b> Det</p><p><b>19. TOBIAS ENSTROM,</b> Atl</p><p><b>20. MARK STREIT,</b> NYI<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0020-01

Top 20 BY POSITION

<div class="byline">&#x2013; JOHN GRIGG</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0038-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-011248/9430812-1-eng-US/f0038-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Nicklas Lidstrom is excited for the season and he&rsquo;ll tell you Detroit is a Cup contender.</b> <span class="photo-credit">(GREGORY SHAMUS/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-03685/9430819-1-eng-US/f0038-032.jpg" title="f0038-03" width="108" height="108"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p><b>IS IT NOW</b> or never for Detroit?</p><p>That&rsquo;s one of 30 questions we pose in the following pages as we identify the most important unknowns, and our render our verdicts on them, for each NHL team entering 2010-11.</p><p>The Red Wings have long been an elite outfit, a perennial contender and model franchise. But with legendary defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom in the twilight of his career, it begs questions about Detroit&rsquo;s staying power at the top of the heap. Lidstrom, 40, isn&rsquo;t tipping his hand about what he&rsquo;ll do following the campaign, but he&rsquo;s confident the Wings are improved.</p><p>&ldquo;I think we&rsquo;re going to be stronger this year than last year,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I think we added some veteran leadership that will be strong both offensively in Mike Modano and defensively in Ruslan Salei.&rdquo;</p><p>The surefire first-ballot Hall of Famer, who has never missed the playoffs during his 18-year career, likes Detroit&rsquo;s chances with the netminding duo of Jimmy Howard and Chris Osgood, as well.</p><p>&ldquo;I thought Howie played real well when he got a chance to play last season; he really took that No. 1 spot,&rdquo; Lidstrom said. &ldquo;But I really think Ozzie is going to have a lot of hunger again and come back with a strong season.&rdquo;</p><p>Naturally, in an NHL where parity is king, 29 other teams are confident about their chances, too. Some have more reason to feel that way than others.</p><p>In the eyes of The Hockey News, the Vancouver Canucks are favorites to win it all and bring Lord Stanley&rsquo;s mug to Vancity&rsquo;s Stanley Park next June (a fitting scenario, considering the Cup and the park are named for the same guy). The team&rsquo;s combination of deep forwards, a re-vamped blueline and a top-end goalie make Vancouver the class of the league.</p><p>They were hardly a consensus pick amongst the THN staff, however. The debate to choose our future champion was a contentious one, with no fewer than eight teams considered.</p><p>And the arguments didn&rsquo;t stop at the top. Heated words were exchanged &ndash; hey, we take this stuff seriously &ndash; over which clubs would sneak into the playoffs and which would take division crowns, giving them a top-three seed.</p><p>But, really, predictions like these are a mug&rsquo;s game. Last year we had Colorado and Phoenix finishing 14th and 15th in the West and Boston on top of the East. On the bright side, we did have Philly getting to the Cup final (never mind we also said they&rsquo;d win it).<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0038-01

ASKED & ANSWERED

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-02852/9430850-1-eng-US/f0038-022.jpg" title="f0038-02" width="223" height="293"></div><h2><b>STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS</b></h2><p><b>Vancouver Canucks</b></p><h3><b>EASTERN CONFERENCE</b></h3><p><b>1. Washington</b></p><p><b>2. Pittsburgh</b></p><p><b>3. Boston</b></p><p><b>4. Philadelphia</b></p><p><b>5. New Jersey</b></p><p><b>6. Buffalo</b></p><p><b>7. Tampa Bay</b></p><p><b>8. Montreal</b></p><p><b>9. Carolina</b></p><p><b>10. Ottawa</b></p><p><b>11. Atlanta</b></p><p><b>12. Toronto</b></p><p><b>13. NY Rangers</b></p><p><b>14. NY Islanders</b></p><p><b>15. Florida</b></p><h3><b>WESTERN CONFERENCE</b></h3><p><b>1. Vancouver</b></p><p><b>2. San Jose</b></p><p><b>3. Detroit</b></p><p><b>4. Chicago</b></p><p><b>5. Los Angeles</b></p><p><b>6. St. Louis</b></p><p><b>7. Phoenix</b></p><p><b>8. Calgary</b></p><p><b>9. Colorado</b></p><p><b>10. Nashville</b></p><p><b>11. Anaheim</b></p><p><b>12. Dallas</b></p><p><b>13. Minnesota</b></p><p><b>14. Columbus</b></p><p><b>15. Edmonton</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0038-02

PROJECTED STANDINGS

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RYAN DIXON</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-01843/9430888-1-eng-US/f0040-012.jpg" title="f0040-01" width="286" height="125"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-03403/9430895-1-eng-US/f0040-032.jpg" title="f0040-03" width="201" height="145"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span>AS ILYA KOVALCHUK WORTH IT?</b> Nobody, including the NHL, really believed Ilya Kovalchuk was interested in playing hockey until he was 44, but that doesn&rsquo;t mean that at age 27, the left winger isn&rsquo;t primed to tear things up for the New Jersey Devils right now.</p><p>To quickly sum up the driest soap opera of the summer, Kovalchuk originally signed a 17-year deal worth $102 million that was rejected by the NHL for alleged circumvention of the salary cap.</p><p>An arbitrator upheld the decision and more than a month later, after shaving off two years and $2 million, the Devils and Kovalchuk struck a league-approved deal.</p><p>The Russian sniper is now making an average salary of $6.66 (get it?) million over the course of the 15-year, $100-million pact.</p><p>Devils owner Jeff Vanderbeek may need to be concerned with the overall dollar figure of this still-monster deal, but all Jersey aficionados need to focus on is that one of the world&rsquo;s elite talents is signed on to play the prime years of his NHL career for their club at a very reasonable cap hit.</p><p>Since the lockout ended, nine players have hit the 50-goal barrier, Kovalchuk being one of them. Another, Jaromir Jagr, plays in the KHL. Jonathan Cheechoo is fighting for his NHL life and Steven Stamkos&rsquo; earning power is restricted by his entry level contract. The average cap hit for the remaining five guys not named Kovalchuk is about $8 million, making the former&rsquo;s figure highly palatable.</p><p>Kovalchuk is the first true home run hitter this extremely successful franchise has ever employed. Best of all, he&rsquo;s not being exclusively asked to be &ldquo;The Man&rdquo; for this team, something captain-in-waiting Zach Parise most definitely is turning into. Kovalchuk&rsquo;s job is to go out and put pucks in the net, a task that got a boost when John MacLean was hired to replace rigid outgoing coach Jacques Lemaire. Kovalchuk just needs to make sure he doesn&rsquo;t fall back into a do-it-all-myself approach in crunch time, something that doesn&rsquo;t fly with the Devils, no matter who&rsquo;s behind the bench.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-02524/9430881-1-eng-US/f0040-022.jpg" title="f0040-02" width="791" height="717"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>ILYA KOVALCHUK</b> <span class="photo-credit">(KOVALCHUK: JIM MCISAAC/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>THE VERDICT</b> Sometime in the next five years, Kovalchuk will become the first 50-goal scorer in Devils history &ndash; or he&rsquo;ll create the space for Parise to do it. New Jersey ultimately got Kovalchuk under contract for about $1.5 million per year less than most anticipated, so when all the i&rsquo;s were finally dotted and the t&rsquo;s were crossed, the deal was most definitely worth it.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0040-01

NEW JERSEY

<div class="byline">&#x2013; JOHN GRIGG</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-04326/9430933-1-eng-US/f0040-042.jpg" title="f0040-04" width="279" height="124"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span>HAT WILL SET JOHN TORTORELLA OFF FIRST?</b>&nbsp;To be fair to Tortorella, the guy is passionate and wears his emotions on his sleeve; he&rsquo;s led a team to the Cup and is a personality, something the NHL could use more of. But he&rsquo;s combustible and, in that regard, often entertaining.</p><p>Much of Tortorella&rsquo;s frustrations in Manhattan are understood. There is, of course, the pressure of working under Broadway&rsquo;s bright lights with a roster that doesn&rsquo;t match the NHL&rsquo;s elite on paper. Last season, the team rode a rollercoaster before missing out on a playoff spot on the final day of the season in a shootout.</p><p>This year, Tortorella&rsquo;s dissatisfactions will come as a combo or <i>a la carte</i>. There&rsquo;s: Sean Avery; the relatively diminutive skaters GM Glen Sather acquired this summer &ndash; Tim Kennedy, Todd White and Mats Zuccarello Aasen (actually known as &lsquo;The Norwegian Hobbit&rsquo;); and/or the injury-prone and sometimes-enigmatic Marian Gaborik. Or there&rsquo;s Wade Redden and Chris Drury, serviceable, but overpriced. Maybe Derek Boogaard, a $1.625-million goon? The coach will be in matchup hell down the middle when the Rangers play divisional foes Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and New Jersey. And the New York <i>Post&rsquo;s</i> Larry Brooks will be there daily, asking about it all.</p><p>But what will send Tortorella over the edge first? Let&rsquo;s go with Gaborik. The star right winger had a terrific first season with the Blueshirts, tying a career high with 42 goals, setting one with 86 points and playing 76 games, more than he&rsquo;s managed in all but three of his nine seasons. But he kept everyone on tenterhooks with a string of nagging and worrisome leg injuries. He&rsquo;s also previously been labeled a &ldquo;me-guy&rdquo; who was quoted as saying he hadn&rsquo;t been watching his teammates play in Minnesota while working his way back from an injury in 2008-09, but rather he was just following the scores. The Wild were pushing for a playoff spot at the time.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-05279/9430926-1-eng-US/f0040-052.jpg" title="f0040-05" width="792" height="716"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>JOHN TORTORELLA</b> <span class="photo-credit">(TORTORELLA: BILL WIPPERT/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>THE VERDICT</b> That kind of attitude is just what rankles Tortorella most. And if there are any problems in Ranger Land with &lsquo;Gabbo&rsquo; this season, the two will undoubtedly butt heads. When a coach takes a $37.5-million player to task, it&rsquo;s usually the coach who comes out on the wrong end of things. Whether that means &lsquo;Torts&rsquo; is told to cool it by the MSG executive or something else, you can be sure he won&rsquo;t be happy about it &ndash; which is just about when Brooks begins asking the hard questions.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0040-04

NY RANGERS

<div class="byline">&#x2013; PETER BOTTE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-01729/9430971-1-eng-US/f0041-012.jpg" title="f0041-01" width="296" height="125"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-06258/9430978-1-eng-US/f0041-062.jpg" title="f0041-06" width="201" height="145"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span>ILL JOHN TAVARES HAVE A STAMKOS-LIKE BREAKOUT?</b> The Islanders never will publicly put such heavy pressure on their expected franchise player, but naturally they&rsquo;d love if he approached Lightning center Steven Stamkos&rsquo; 51-goal sophomore explosion.</p><p>Tavares&rsquo; rookie year &ndash; 24 goals and 54 points while dressing in all 82 games &ndash; ended statistically similar to the 23-goal season Stamkos posted with Tampa Bay in 2008-09.</p><p>But the paths taken to achieving those numbers weren&rsquo;t the same for the prized teens. Stamkos was criticized early in his freshman year, earning limited minutes in the first half before closing well with 19 points in 20 games.</p><p>Conversely, Tavares started strong last season, with 15 goals in 31 games, before enduring a mid-season disappearing act with just two goals in his next 31.</p><p>A late-season rebound enabled him to lead the Isles in points, but Tavares focused his off-season training on further improving his skating and core strength to avoid future slumps.</p><p>After suffering a brief setback with a stress fracture in his foot sustained while playing for Canada at the World Championship, Tavares worked with trainer Dawn Braid, a former skating instructor for the Leafs who now is the director of skating development at the Athlete Training Centre in Mississauga, Ont.</p><p><b>THE VERDICT</b> A Stamkos surge? Not quite, but the Isles gladly will settle for splitting the difference.</p><h2><b>PROJECTED TOP SCORERS BY TEAM</b></h2><p><b>THN&rsquo;s Ultimate Fantasy Guide predicts these players to be their team&rsquo;s top scorers</b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-04328/9430964-1-eng-US/f0041-042.jpg" title="f0041-04" width="660" height="468"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0041-01

NY ISLANDERS

<div class="byline">&#x2013; WAYNE FISH</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-02464/9431016-1-eng-US/f0041-022.jpg" title="f0041-02" width="294" height="125"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>I</span>S VILLE LEINO THE REAL DEAL?</b> There was a time when some believed Leino should consider himself lucky to have reached the Stanley Cup final two straight seasons with two different teams. Perhaps now those nay-sayers will realize the Flyers and Detroit Red Wings were the fortunate ones just to have had him on their rosters.</p><p>Leino answered the doubters this past spring when he became the surprise player of the post-season. He registered 21 points in 19 games, a big reason why the dark horse Flyers played June hockey. The rookie&rsquo;s total obliterated the franchise record of 15 points set by Brian Propp in 1980.</p><p>Leino&rsquo;s play on a line with Daniel Briere and Scott Hartnell was inspirational. He scored one clutch goal after another, saving some of his best all-around work for the Flyers&rsquo; epic four-win comeback against Boston.</p><p>Coach Peter Laviolette, who didn&rsquo;t even dress Leino for a couple games when he arrived in February, increasingly relied on the Finn as the playoffs unfolded.</p><p>After Leino scored another big tying goal late in Game 3 of the final, Ian Laperriere shouted in the dressing room what a lot of Flyers must have been thinking: &ldquo;Hey Ville, I think Detroit should have traded (Pavel) Datsyuk instead of you.&rdquo;</p><p><b>THE VERDICT</b> Leino adds a needed finesse element to a team which often relies on physical play, so there&rsquo;s no doubt Leino has earned himself a top-six assignment for 2010-11.</p><h2><b>JUST WINS, BABY</b></h2><p><b>Teams are judged by wins, but not all wins are equal. Here&rsquo;s how the division stacks up since the lockout</b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-05296/9431009-1-eng-US/f0041-052.jpg" title="f0041-05" width="659" height="467"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0041-02

PHILADELPHIA

<div class="byline">&#x2013; ROB ROSSI</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-03378/9431047-1-eng-US/f0041-032.jpg" title="f0041-03" width="329" height="127"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>I</span>S IT TIME TO MOVE EVGENI MALKIN TO THE WING?</b> The Penguins have committed almost $24 million in cap space to five defensemen and two goalies, and another $21.4 million to their top three centers, which leaves precious little for the wingers.</p><p>In fact, the only winger to have scored 30 goals in an NHL season on their roster is Mike Comrie, who signed for the league minimum in early September.</p><p>Moving Malkin to wing was a concept floated by GM Ray Shero on July 1, the day he inked free agent blueliners Zbynek Michalek and Paul Martin. The idea was proposed to Malkin several times by coach Dan Bylsma, including during a late-July visit to Moscow.</p><p>Malkin told Bylsma he would welcome being reunited on a line with Staal, even if that meant moving to wing. Malkin and Staal combined for 62 goals as rookies four years ago.</p><p>Bylsma has said Malkin was essentially a winger during the 2009 playoffs, when he scored 14 goals and recorded 36 points and was won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. Malkin did not handle traditional center duties &ndash; backchecking and non-offensive-zone faceoffs, which fell to Max Talbot. The Penguins believe Malkin is their star center who is best-suited to play wing.</p><p><b>THE VERDICT</b> Staal&rsquo;s slowed recovery from right foot surgery might force Malkin to open the season as a center, but when Staal returns he should find Malkin to his right.</p><h2><b>3</b></h2><p><b>The last three Eastern Conference winners have come from the Atlantic &ndash; Pennsylvania, to be specific &ndash; with Pittsburgh making the &rsquo;08 and &rsquo;09 finals before Philadelphia represented the East last spring</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0041-03

PITTSBURGH

<div class="byline">&#x2013; BOB DUFF</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-06238/9431092-1-eng-US/f0042-062.jpg" title="f0042-06" width="328" height="176"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-01768/9431085-1-eng-US/f0042-012.jpg" title="f0042-01" width="320" height="125"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>I</span>S</b>&nbsp;<b>IT NOW OR NEVER FOR DETROIT?</b> Every year, critics wonder if this will be the year the Red Wings fall from contender status. What about 2010-11?</p><p>Playoff participants every season since 1990-91, Detroit has survived, even thrived, through the departures of such superstars as Steve Yzerman, Sergei Fedorov and Brendan Shanahan. The Wings captured four Stanley Cups since 1997 utilizing three different goaltenders.</p><p>The more things changed, the more Detroit stayed the same.</p><p>Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg took over for Yzerman and Fedorov. Johan Franzen replaced Shanahan&rsquo;s timely scoring. But no defenseman has come along and offered any indication he&rsquo;ll be capable of filling Nicklas Lidstrom&rsquo;s vast role within Detroit&rsquo;s scheme.</p><p>That&rsquo;s why it&rsquo;s now or never for the Wings.</p><p>The best defenseman of this generation turned 40 in April. A six-time Norris Trophy winner, Lidstrom signed a one-year contract to play the 2010-11 campaign, but there&rsquo;s talk the Wings&rsquo; Swedish captain has quietly put his house on the market, offering at least a subtle indication that this might be it for him.</p><p>Lidstrom has deflected any questions about the status of the family home and teammates are equally in denial when it comes to his future.</p><p>&ldquo;He can play for two years more,&rdquo; Datsyuk said. &ldquo;For how he played (last season), he&rsquo;s a top-five defenseman in the league.&rdquo;</p><p>Is he, though? Left out of the Norris Trophy finalists last spring, hockey people are beginning to notice holes in Lidstrom&rsquo;s once-impeccable armor.</p><p>&ldquo;You could see last year he&rsquo;s lost a step,&rdquo; said one NHL scout. &ldquo;Especially in the playoffs. He&rsquo;d make mistakes that the old Lidstrom would never make and you&rsquo;d wonder, &lsquo;Who is that guy?&rsquo;&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-02490/9431078-1-eng-US/f0042-022.jpg" title="f0042-02" width="791" height="717"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>NICKLAS LIDSTROM</b> <span class="photo-credit">(LIDSTROM: JEFF VINNICK/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>There are other question marks as Detroit enters the season off an injury-plagued fifth-overall finish in the Western Conference. Will the sophomore jinx bite goaltender Jimmy Howard? Will Jiri Hudler&rsquo;s return boost Detroit&rsquo;s offence? Does free-agent addition Mike Modano have anything left to offer at age 40?</p><p>Ultimately, Detroit&rsquo;s season will live or die based on the performance of the captain.</p><p><b>THE VERDICT</b> When Lidstrom&rsquo;s time comes, Detroit will retire his number and you can retire the Wings as a contender as well, making this season one in which the Wings have to win.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0042-06

DETROIT

<div class="byline">&#x2013; ERIC DUHATSCHEK</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-03384/9431130-1-eng-US/f0042-032.jpg" title="f0042-03" width="287" height="125"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span>ILL ERIK JOHNSON JOIN NORRIS TALK?</b> Watching Johnson patrol the blueline for the Blues last year, it was hard not to draw comparisons to a young Chris Pronger. Like Pronger, Johnson is a giant on the blueline &ndash; 6-foot-4 and 236 pounds &ndash; and a high, blue-chip draft pick.</p><p>Defensemen of Johnson&rsquo;s tantalizing upside come along only once or twice per generation. When Pronger arrived in 1993 as the second selection in his draft class, his GM, Hartford&rsquo;s Brian Burke, had a good idea of what he was getting &ndash; he just didn&rsquo;t know how soon.</p><p>That&rsquo;s the difficulty in playing a position that requires a lengthy period of adjustment. The giants on the blueline sometimes need a little extra time to meet their potential. Zdeno Chara wasn&rsquo;t an overnight sensation either.</p><p>The good news is Johnson spent last year living with Al MacInnis, now a Blues VP and Pronger&rsquo;s contemporary when they played. No one knows more about the art of self-improvement than MacInnis, who shored up the defensive weaknesses in his game through hard work.</p><p>Johnson shares the same sort of commitment; he studies game tape after every outing and is dedicated to being more than just an NHL regular. He wants to join the elite and has the tools to do so. He is explosive from a standing start, strides exceptionally well and can gobble up the space from the hash marks to the neutral zone with astonishing quickness. His shot doesn&rsquo;t overpower the way MacInnis&rsquo; did, but he gets it off quickly and it usually finds the holes.</p><p>What Johnson showed last year was that he was starting to get it all together.</p><p>Remember, Johnson lost a full year (2008-09) recovering from major knee surgery. It wasn&rsquo;t just a setback physically, it cost him a full developmental year as well. Johnson was 25th last season in defensemen scoring &ndash; 39 points in 79 games, with six of his 10 goals coming on the power play.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-04310/9431123-1-eng-US/f0042-042.jpg" title="f0042-04" width="791" height="716"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>ERIK JOHNSON</b> <span class="photo-credit">(JOHNSON: JIM MCISAAC/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>More interesting was the fact he averaged just more than 21 minutes of playing time, low by the standards of Pronger or MacInnis, or the other elite-level defensemen in the league, most of whom play in the 25-minute-per-night range.</p><p>Still, after the year Johnson had, he is heading in that direction and his tantalizing combination of skill and size makes you believe this is the year it will all come together.</p><p><b>THE VERDICT</b> Johnson&rsquo;s size, skill and desire to get better mean he is on the verge of greatness.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0042-03

ST. LOUIS

<div class="byline">&#x2013; TIM SASSONE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-05289/9431175-1-eng-US/f0043-052.jpg" title="f0043-05" width="328" height="176"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-01755/9431168-1-eng-US/f0043-012.jpg" title="f0043-01" width="314" height="125"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>I</span>S MARTY TURCO THE ANSWER?</b>&nbsp;For Turco, Chicago was always Plan A as his landing place in free agency. He thought might have to move onto Plan B when the Hawks won the Stanley Cup. But Antti Niemi&rsquo;s contract demands and subsequent arbitration decision were too much for GM Stan Bowman to fit into his budget.</p><p>Turco was more than willing to wait while the Hawks goalie situation came into focus and ultimately he took less money to sign with them for the opportunity to win his first Cup.</p><p>&ldquo;Just the thought of these guys having that parade and coming back hungry and ready to do it again was all I could think about,&rdquo; said Turco, who signed a one-year, $1.3 million pact. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve never won a Stanley Cup and that&rsquo;s why I play the game and all I think about.&rdquo;</p><p>The Hawks see Turco as a perfect fit on a balanced, puck-possession team that doesn&rsquo;t rely on its goaltender to steal games on a regular basis.</p><p>&ldquo;The way he handles the puck will alleviate forechecking pressure (with) direct passes up to our defense,&rdquo; said coach Joel Quenneville. &ldquo;I think he&rsquo;s going to make life a little bit more enjoyable on our defense as far as going back to get some dangerous pucks. He kind of complements our team and how we play, a fast game, a puck-possession game.&rdquo;</p><p><b>THE VERDICT</b> Yes. Turco is the answer in Chicago. He&rsquo;s motivated for possibly his last run at a Stanley Cup and has the team in front of him to make that goal possible.</p><h2><b>PROJECTED TOP SCORERS BY TEAM</b></h2><p><b>THN&rsquo;s Ultimate Fantasy Guide predicts these players to be their team&rsquo;s top scorers</b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-04334/9431161-1-eng-US/f0043-042.jpg" title="f0043-04" width="661" height="471"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0043-05

CHICAGO

<div class="byline">&#x2013; AARON PORTZLINE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-02519/9431213-1-eng-US/f0043-022.jpg" title="f0043-02" width="321" height="125"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span>ILL STEVE MASON RETURN TO HIS ROOKIE FORM?</b> A little-known fact regarding Mason&rsquo;s rookie season in 2008-09 when he won the Calder Trophy and finished second in the Vezina Trophy voting: he spent the previous summer rehabbing a knee injury, not in an intense conditioning program.</p><p>But what worked once for Mason, didn&rsquo;t work a second time. It was humbling lesson, one that went down like castor oil.</p><p>&ldquo;I figured I could kind of take the same approach,&rdquo; Mason said. &ldquo;But you learn that you have to be at the highest level in the NHL.&rdquo;</p><p>Mason&rsquo;s sophomore season mirrored that of the Blue Jackets, who had expectations of repeating their first trip to the playoffs. But after a 12-6-2 start, the Jackets and their wunderkind unraveled. Mason&rsquo;s goals-against average swelled to 3.06 (from 2.29) and his save percentage dipped to .901 (from .916), while the Blue Jackets tumbled to the fourth-worst mark in the NHL. So what&rsquo;s changed?</p><p>Mason took fitness more seriously this summer than ever before, he said, working out five days a week and getting back on the ice in June, about six weeks earlier than usual. He&rsquo;s lost 12-to-15 pounds from his 6-foot-4 frame.</p><p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve come back in the best shape of my career,&rdquo; Mason said. &ldquo;I feel really good and I can already feel a difference on the ice.&rdquo;</p><p><b>THE VERDICT</b> Expecting Mason to return to his rookie form is a reach, but his wake-up call should put him closer to that end of the spectrum than his disastrous sophomore slump.</p><h2><b>JUST WINS, BABY</b></h2><p><b>Teams are judged by wins, but not all wins are equal. Here&rsquo;s how the division stacks up since the lockout</b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-06238/9431206-1-eng-US/f0043-062.jpg" title="f0043-06" width="659" height="468"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0043-02

COLUMBUS

<div class="byline">&#x2013; DAVID BOCLAIR</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-03434/9431244-1-eng-US/f0043-032.jpg" title="f0043-03" width="320" height="125"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>I</span>S MATTHEW LOMBARDI AN UP-GRADE ON JASON ARNOTT?</b> In Lombardi, the Predators got a player nearly eight years younger and $1 million cheaper than Arnott. They also got an elite skater to replace someone who lacked top-end speed &ndash; and who often looked as if he was going at half speed.</p><p>Yet, where the Predators consistently come up short is on the power play. Only five teams had fewer goals with the man advantage in 2009-10 than Nashville&rsquo;s 47 and, at 16.4 percent, the Predators ranked 24th.</p><p>Arnott scored 40 power play goals the past four seasons, the franchise record for forwards. Lombardi has a total of 16 in his career, never more than five in a season.</p><p>Additionally, Arnott is the only player ever to score 25 goals or more three times for the Predators. In fact, only he and Martin Erat can boast at least 20 more than twice. Lombardi maxed-out at 20 &ndash; and that was in 2006-07.</p><p>Arnott&rsquo;s presence and performance led to an overall philosophical shift. Inspired by the 6-foot-5, 220-pounder, the Predators set out to get bigger up front. That&rsquo;s why players like Colin Wilson, Zach Budish and Austin Watson were drafted in recent years.</p><p>Lombardi is listed at 5-foot-11, 195 pounds.</p><p><b>THE VERDICT</b> Arnott&rsquo;s best days might be in the past, but Nashville&rsquo;s past is filled with undersized, hard-working, fast-skating forwards who &ndash; when given the opportunity &ndash; did not suddenly transform into 30-goal scorers; Lombardi is no upgrade over Arnott.</p><h2><b>9</b></h2><p><b>They&rsquo;re no spring chicken Wings; Detroit has found Stanley Cup success in the past with veteran lineups and will be gunning to regain glory this year with nine players who are 35 or older at season&rsquo;s start</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0043-03

NASHVILLE

<div class="byline">&#x2013; HERB ZURKOWSKY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-01658/9431282-1-eng-US/f0044-012.jpg" title="f0044-01" width="497" height="126"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-06186/9431289-1-eng-US/f0044-062.jpg" title="f0044-06" width="201" height="145"></div><p><b>IS CAREY PRICE MATURE ENOUGH TO BE A NO. 1?</b>&nbsp;Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.</p><p>That phrase, first spoken by philosopher George Santayana, comes to mind when examining the star-struck career of Price, who once again has become the team&rsquo;s designated &ndash; and uncontested &ndash; starting netminder following this summer&rsquo;s trade of the popular Jaroslav Halak to St. Louis.</p><p>Canadiens fans have seen this movie before and weren&rsquo;t satisfied with its ending the first time. After Price led Hamilton to the American League&rsquo;s Calder Cup and went 24-12-3 as a rookie for Montreal, the Canadiens traded Cristobal Huet and handed the starting job to Price &ndash; just like now, albeit under different circumstances.</p><p>It didn&rsquo;t work out then. Price has been largely unsuccessful since that trade and was supplanted by Halak. But it had better work out now. The Canadiens re-signed Price this summer to a two-year, $5.5-million contract and only have journeyman veteran Alex Auld, signed as a free agent, backing him up.</p><p>Let&rsquo;s be careful not to bury Price. Drafted fifth overall in 2005, he&rsquo;s younger than Halak, having just turned 23, and he&rsquo;s bigger and arguably possesses more natural talent. And Price sounds like his head is screwed on right. He wants to prove the Canadiens&rsquo; money was well spent and is looking to atone for a spotty 2009-10 season.</p><p>&ldquo;Last year was a long year,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It wasn&rsquo;t like I planned. This year is a brand new start and a good start would be for the best. It&rsquo;s never easy not playing, but you have to learn lessons like that at a young age. I learned that ice time isn&rsquo;t given to you. It&rsquo;s earned.&rdquo;</p><p>There have been bumps along the road for Price, although it can be argued management failed to properly groom him to exist in Montreal.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-02412/9431275-1-eng-US/f0044-022.jpg" title="f0044-02" width="791" height="716"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>CAREY PRICE</b> <span class="photo-credit">(PRICE: SCOTT AUDETTE/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>That could explain the unseemly photos that have appeared on the Internet, the mock salute of the Bell Centre crowd during the 2009 playoffs or the apparent post-game feud last season with Andrei Markov, who questioned the goalie&rsquo;s heart.</p><p>Price is now being handed the starter&rsquo;s job a second time knowing there&rsquo;s hardly unanimous support behind him. Perhaps the removal of Halak from the equation will allow Price to relax and flourish.</p><p><b>THE VERDICT</b> Given the space to move forward and grow, a more mature Price should succeed without the ghost of Halak haunting him.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0044-01

MONTREAL

<div class="byline">&#x2013; BRUCE GARRIOCH</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-03310/9431327-1-eng-US/f0044-032.jpg" title="f0044-03" width="273" height="124"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>C</span>AN JASON SPEZZA THRIVE AGAIN IN OTTAWA?</b> Despite a summer of rumors, Spezza is staying put, but can he help lead the Ottawa Senators back to the promised land?</p><p>It has been three years since the Sens made a trip to the 2007 Stanley Cup final (losing to the Anaheim Ducks), but so much has changed. Gone are the likes of Dany Heatley, Wade Redden and Anton Volchenkov.</p><p>Through all the changes and the shuffling of the deck, the Senators have pinned their hopes on Spezza as the No. 1 center. That hasn&rsquo;t changed. It won&rsquo;t this year and it won&rsquo;t anytime soon.</p><p>His no-movement clause has kicked in: Spezza&rsquo;s future is with the Senators. He has been up, he has been down, he has been troubled by inconsistency.</p><p>But hope springs eternal in the fall. For Spezza, he has to show he can take his play to another level after a tumultuous summer &ndash; which included talk he wouldn&rsquo;t mind being dealt in June.</p><p>After being booed by the Scotia-bank faithful during the team&rsquo;s first round series against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Spezza suggested he wouldn&rsquo;t stand in the way of a move if the Senators decided to trade him.</p><p>They didn&rsquo;t. Now, both sides have to officially move on.</p><p>&ldquo;I understand his frustration; I do,&rdquo; said GM Bryan Murray. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a player that has really good talent and he wants to be on a winning hockey team.</p><p>&ldquo;He was frustrated at the end of the year because the finger was pointed a little too much at him and maybe also the fact we didn&rsquo;t beat Pittsburgh in the first round.&rdquo;</p><p>Ottawa&rsquo;s top pick in 2001, the Senators are hoping the addition of unrestricted free agent defenseman Sergei Gonchar and a healthy Alex Kovalev firing on all cylinders will take some heat off Spezza.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-04249/9431320-1-eng-US/f0044-042.jpg" title="f0044-04" width="791" height="717"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>JASON SPEZZA</b> <span class="photo-credit">(SPEZZA: JEFF VINNICK/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>The Senators &ndash; and their fans &ndash; aren&rsquo;t expecting the world from Spezza. The pressure on him isn&rsquo;t any different than it is for the No. 1 pivot in any other Canadian NHL city. Expectations are high.</p><p>There won&rsquo;t be any hard feelings towards Spezza for the uncertainty in the summer. This never got close to the bad blood built up when Dany Heatley made the completely different move of asking out.</p><p>Spezza&rsquo;s decision was made out of frustration. He&rsquo;ll return refreshed and ready after a long summer to prepare for this year.</p><p><b>THE VERDICT</b> There is no question Spezza can once again thrive with the Senators.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0044-03

OTTAWA

<div class="byline">&#x2013; MIKE LOFTUS</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0045-01561/9431365-1-eng-US/f0045-012.jpg" title="f0045-01" width="296" height="123"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0045-05242/9431372-1-eng-US/f0045-052.jpg" title="f0045-05" width="201" height="145"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span>ILL MARC SAVARD RECOVER FROM A TUMULTUOUS 2009-10?</b> Three injuries (foot, knee, concussion) cut Savard to 41 regular season games, stopped his better-than-point-per-game streak after five seasons and cost him a round of playoffs. His return from the concussion was marked by a storybook overtime goal in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinal against Philadelphia, but later, he took much of the blame for a too-many-men penalty that led to the Flyers&rsquo; Game 7 winner.</p><p>Meanwhile, Savard&rsquo;s seven-year contract extension (cap figure: $4 million) was investigated by the NHL and he spent the summer hearing he could be traded. Savard, 33, told an Ottawa reporter the trade speculation &ndash; fueled partially by salary cap woes &ndash; &ldquo;hurt me a little bit&rdquo; and &ldquo;bothered me inside.&rdquo;</p><p>Strength at center (David Krejci, Patrice Bergeron, No. 2 overall draftee Tyler Seguin) notwithstanding, Savard&rsquo;s the best of the Bruins&rsquo; bunch when it comes to production &ndash; a point proved last year, when his absence led to Boston&rsquo;s 30th-place finish in offense. With Nathan Horton&rsquo;s 30-goal potential imported from Florida, Savard seems positioned to return to form. He&rsquo;s healthy, but is he happy enough to do it?</p><p><b>THE VERDICT</b> Savard has worked too hard to reinvent himself as a complete player in Boston, where he&rsquo;s a core member of a contender. He won&rsquo;t let a disappointing off-season damage his pursuit of a Stanley Cup.</p><h2><b>PROJECTED TOP SCORERS BY TEAM</b></h2><p><b>THN&rsquo;s Ultimate Fantasy Guide predicts these players to be their team&rsquo;s top scorers</b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0045-03306/9431358-1-eng-US/f0045-032.jpg" title="f0045-03" width="660" height="468"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0045-01

BOSTON

<div class="byline">&#x2013; JOHN VOGL</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0045-02363/9431410-1-eng-US/f0045-022.jpg" title="f0045-02" width="295" height="125"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>A</span>RE THE SABRES TOO SMALL FOR PLAYOFF SUCCESS?</b> The stereotypical portrait of a playoff hero features black eyes, missing teeth and huge muscles; the kind of player who can put a team on his back. That&rsquo;s not the image that pops into mind when picturing the Sabres. Their go-to guys are 5-foot-9, slender and often found on the perimeter.</p><p>It doesn&rsquo;t seem like a Stanley Cup recipe. Playoff goals come from in close &ndash; and the majority of the Sabres haven&rsquo;t had either the size or desire to play big. Leading scorers Derek Roy (5-foot-9) and Tim Connolly (190 pounds) have 12 goals in 70 playoff games.</p><p>&ldquo;I would much prefer the highest-skill guys to be big,&rdquo; said GM Darcy Regier. &ldquo;But&hellip; you don&rsquo;t just go out and get these big guys and win. It&rsquo;s about blending people together, bringing it through the chemistry. But we did recognize that we were getting smallish as an organization and we started last year to draft some bigger guys.&rdquo;</p><p>The Sabres&rsquo; biggest deficiency is the size of their compete level. Guys such as Daniel Briere have always been determined to overcome their stature with heart and effort. The smaller Sabres (and some of the bigger ones) have yet to show that fire.</p><p><b>THE VERDICT</b> The lack of determination has been the Sabres&rsquo; real problem and growth spurts can&rsquo;t solve that. Teams can win in the playoffs with small players, but it takes the right ones. The Sabres haven&rsquo;t proved they have them.</p><h2><b>JUST WINS, BABY</b></h2><p><b>Teams are judged by wins, but not all wins are equal. Here&rsquo;s how the division stacks up since the lockout</b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0045-04271/9431403-1-eng-US/f0045-042.jpg" title="f0045-04" width="659" height="468"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0045-02

BUFFALO

<div class="byline">&#x2013; MICHAEL TRAIKOS</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0045-06210/9431441-1-eng-US/f0045-062.jpg" title="f0045-06" width="349" height="126"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>I</span>S TYLER BOZAK REALLY A TOP-LINE</b>&nbsp;<b>CENTER?</b> For years, the Maple Leafs&rsquo; biggest problem was finding a winger to complement center Mats Sundin. With the big Swede long gone, the team has a new problem: finding a center to play with winger Phil Kessel.</p><p>Matt Stajan, Mikhail Grabovski and John Mitchell tried to fill that void last season. But it was not until January, when Bozak was recalled from the minors, that Kessel found someone with whom he had any chemistry.</p><p>The question is whether Bozak, who scored 27 points in 37 games &ndash; the highest point per game average of any rookie last season &ndash; can reprise that role for an entire season?</p><p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s my goal coming in,&rdquo; he said of becoming the go-to center. &ldquo;I like the pressure.&rdquo;</p><p>In anticipation of his role, Bozak spent the summer adding muscle. That did not come easily for a 24-year-old who used to take diet tips from Jared the Subway guy. But Bozak should have no problem packing on the pounds now with Luca Caputi moving into the condo Bozak used to share with Viktor Stalberg, who was dealt to the Blackhawks.</p><p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s Italian, so I think he said his family are pretty good cooks,&rdquo; Bozak said. &ldquo;Maybe he&rsquo;ll be bringing some big things of pasta.&rdquo;</p><p><b>THE VERDICT</b> Based on last season&rsquo;s snapshot, the answer is yes. Bozak, who had a 55.2 percent success rate on faceoffs, appears to possess the high hockey I.Q. and playmaking ability to be dangerous. Plus, it is not as though the Leafs have many other options.</p><h2><b>112</b></h2><p><b>Northeast Division teams claimed the East&rsquo;s No. 1 seed the first four years after the lockout, with Ottawa, Buffalo, Montreal and Boston averaging 112 points over those four seasons</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0045-06

TORONTO

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RANDY SPORTAK</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0046-07122/9431486-1-eng-US/f0046-072.jpg" title="f0046-07" width="328" height="176"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0046-01561/9431479-1-eng-US/f0046-012.jpg" title="f0046-01" width="324" height="125"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span>HAT IS DARRYL SUTTER THINKING? IS HE RIGHT?</b>&nbsp;For years, Flames fans could look at moves their team made and say, &ldquo;In Sutter we trust.&rdquo; Those days are as gone as the $150 barrels of oil that spoiled the city of Calgary.</p><p>When the Flames missed the playoffs in 2010, it was obvious changes were needed. They needed more scoring, more speed, more energy and youth.</p><p>Instead, Sutter hopped into the Hot Tub Time Machine and turned to free agents whose best days appear behind them and, worse yet, failed to reach expectations during their first tours of duty in Calgary. Welcome back Olli Jokinen and Alex Tanguay.</p><p>There are some obvious reasons Sutter signed Jokinen to a two-year, $6-million contract the same day he inked Tanguay to a one-year, $1.7-million deal. For starters, the Flames have no wiggle room against the cap thanks to all the big-ticket contracts Sutter has doled out to 30-something players.</p><p>Secondly, the Flames don&rsquo;t have any high-end prospects ready to make the jump into key roles this season. Some may eventually get there. Some will become NHLers this season in smaller roles, but no Taylor Hall or Tyler Seguin is waiting in the wings.</p><p>In short, Calgary had to shop in the bargain bins.</p><p>Still, turning to those former players, especially Jokinen, were jaw-dropping decisions.</p><p>Tanguay&rsquo;s passing skills could help and he comes with a lower price tag than he had while compiling 81 points for Calgary in 2006-07, but we&rsquo;re talking about a left winger who asked to be traded in 2008 and who struggled horribly last season with Tampa Bay.</p><p>Then there&rsquo;s Jokinen, who is almost as polarizing a figure in Calgary as the now departed Dion Phaneuf. During his nearly one-year stint with the Flames, Jokinen had 19 goals and 50 points in 75 games. That doesn&rsquo;t make him the bust fans have lamented, but Jokinen never meshed on a line with Jarome Iginla and he appears poised to be given that same job.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0046-02353/9431472-1-eng-US/f0046-022.jpg" title="f0046-02" width="792" height="717"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>ALEX TANGUAY</b> <span class="photo-credit">(TANGUAY: DALE MACMILLAN/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>Maybe everyone else is wrong and Sutter is right. Maybe Tanguay&rsquo;s passes will make Jokinen and Iginla regain their touches. Or maybe a true genius, Albert Einstein, was correct when he said the definition of insanity was doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.</p><p><b>THE VERDICT</b> So, what is Sutter thinking and is he right? We&rsquo;re not really sure on the first. As for the second, it&rsquo;s hard to believe.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0046-07

CALGARY

<div class="byline">&#x2013; KEVIN WOODLEY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0046-03258/9431524-1-eng-US/f0046-032.jpg" title="f0046-03" width="314" height="125"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span>ILL ROBERTO LUONGO FIND HIS MAGIC?</b> Following a disappointing end to last season, Luongo&rsquo;s summer wasn&rsquo;t as placid as he may have desired.</p><p>While he escaped the media glare of Vancouver by spending time in Florida, his name remained in the headlines. Both his captaincy and his lifetime contract were questioned, his long-time goalie coach was replaced without consultation and his defense was overhauled.</p><p>The revamped blueline is the most critical factor. While he posted his worst save percentage last season (.913) since he was an Islanders rookie, Luongo really only needs to rebound from a poor finish, one that coincided directly with losing top shutdown defender Willie Mitchell to a concussion in mid-January. Before then, Luongo was cruising along well above his impressive career average stats and starting to garner Vezina Trophy talk. That was forgotten after a late stumble that included an .892 save percentage and an admitted emotional letdown after backstopping Canada to Olympic gold. Despite what the numbers say, Luongo was mostly recovered by the playoffs, but Mitchell was not, and Chicago again badly exposed Vancouver&rsquo;s defense in the second round.</p><p>How much that back end really improved this summer is the biggest key to a bounce back year for Luongo. Much more than the &lsquo;C.&rsquo; Even more than adjusting to new goalie coach Roland Melanson&rsquo;s request to play deeper in his net &ndash; a change that should shorten lateral movements and help with chances off the rush, but not one he&rsquo;s been overly comfortable with before.</p><p>The celebration that followed the impressive additions of defensemen Keith Ballard and Dan Hamhuis was dulled a bit by an Achilles tear that could keep Sami Salo out all season. With the free agent departure of Mitchell, Ballard and Hamhuis must now essentially replace last year&rsquo;s steadiest defenders, a big ask for two guys not yet established as top-pairing players. But with only 20 games missed between them over five seasons, at least Luongo can count on them being there all year. After an unsettled summer, that &ndash; along with a real third-line center in Manny Malhotra, who will also help a pathetic penalty kill &ndash; should be enough.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0046-04212/9431517-1-eng-US/f0046-042.jpg" title="f0046-04" width="792" height="717"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>ROBERTO LUONGO</b> <span class="photo-credit">(LUONGO: JEFF VINNICK/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>THE VERDICT</b> Ultra-proud and competitive, Luongo will adjust by November and finish among the league leaders in wins, even if his other stats suffer behind a style that will play away from his strengths for a third straight season.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0046-03

VANCOUVER

<div class="byline">&#x2013; ADRIAN DATER</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0047-04206/9431569-1-eng-US/f0047-042.jpg" title="f0047-04" width="328" height="176"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0047-01517/9431562-1-eng-US/f0047-012.jpg" title="f0047-01" width="307" height="125"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span>ILL THE AVS TAKE A STEP BACK OR FORWARD?</b> For the affirmative: Colorado is a young team that already learned how to make the playoffs one year after an older cast finished last in the West.</p><p>They have three good young centers (Paul Stastny, Matt Duchene and Ryan O&rsquo;Reilly), some other good young forwards and a defense that&rsquo;s got quality help on the way, with prospects such as Kevin Shattenkirk and Colby Cohen. Plus, goaltender Craig Anderson finished in the top 10 in Hart and Vezina Trophy voting, and Joe Sacco was a Jack Adams finalist his first year. The Avs also have tons of cap room in case they want to go shopping at the trade deadline.</p><p>Duchene led the league in rookie scoring, and is still only 19. The future is paved with gold (or silver, for Stanley Cup).</p><p>In the negative: The Avs barely squeaked into the playoffs and had to get a career year out of their goalie to do it. They gave up an average of 32.1 shots a game (tied for 25th in the league) and could have the same top six on defense again. In other words, it was a fluke and Anderson and Co. will fall back to earth this season.</p><p>Besides, the forwards are too small and injury-prone. Milan Hejduk is getting long in the tooth and there&rsquo;s no quality depth in the minors when the injuries inevitably hit.</p><p><b>THE VERDICT</b> Colorado will be marginally better and sneak into the playoffs again &ndash; that can only be considered a step forward.</p><h2><b>PROJECTED TOP SCORERS BY TEAM</b></h2><p><b>THN&rsquo;s Ultimate Fantasy Guide predicts these players to be their team&rsquo;s top scorers</b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0047-05156/9431555-1-eng-US/f0047-052.jpg" title="f0047-05" width="660" height="468"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0047-04

COLORADO

<div class="byline">&#x2013; ROB TYCHKOWSKI</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0047-02337/9431607-1-eng-US/f0047-022.jpg" title="f0047-02" width="320" height="125"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span>HO WILL BE EDMONTON&rsquo;S NO. 1</b>&nbsp;<b>CENTER?</b> This year&rsquo;s burning question just happens to be the same burning question from last year &ndash; and the year before.</p><p>Ask Ales Hemsky. The slick winger has been searching for an elite center to complement his game for longer than he cares to remember and Oilers management still hasn&rsquo;t been able to come up with a suitable answer.</p><p>Last year veteran Shawn Horcoff and now-21-year-old Sam Gagner took turns trying and met with little success. Gagner is supposed to be pressing hard for the job, but isn&rsquo;t yet. He hasn&rsquo;t been able to generate first-line numbers (15 goals, 41 points in 68 games last year) and his faceoff work remains a concern.</p><p>Horcoff, when he&rsquo;s at his best, is a very valuable asset &ndash; he was a point-per game player and an All-Star Game participant three seasons ago, but went down with a shoulder injury and hasn&rsquo;t been able to rediscover the magic. He had the worst campaign of his career last season: 13 goals, 36 points in 77 games and a minus-29 rating.</p><p>It remains to be seen if either player can elevate his game to the level that will transform Hemsky &ndash; and whoever the left winger is (likely Dustin Penner or Taylor Hall) &ndash; into an elite-level first line.</p><p><b>THE VERDICT</b> Horcoff&rsquo;s all-around game and leadership abilities give him the early edge, but the position won&rsquo;t be cast in stone. With Edmonton building for the future, the job is Gagner&rsquo;s if he wants it badly enough.</p><h2><b>JUST WINS, BABY</b></h2><p><b>Teams are judged by wins, but not all wins are equal. Here&rsquo;s how the division stacks up since the lockout</b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0047-06127/9431600-1-eng-US/f0047-062.jpg" title="f0047-06" width="659" height="468"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0047-02

EDMONTON

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RORY BOYLEN</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0048-05104/9431683-1-eng-US/f0048-052.jpg" title="f0048-05" width="328" height="176"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0048-01394/9431676-1-eng-US/f0048-012.jpg" title="f0048-01" width="268" height="125"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>S</span>HOULD</b>&nbsp;<b>THE YOTES GO YOUNG OR OLD?</b> Just look at the successes enjoyed by the Chicago Blackhawks and Pittsburgh Penguins recently and you&rsquo;ll see it takes patience with prospects and building from within to emerge as a contender and stay that way.</p><p>This isn&rsquo;t to suggest the Coyotes, who will be in the running for the playoffs again, should get rid of veterans Ed Jovanovski or Adrian Aucoin, or that they shouldn&rsquo;t have signed Ray Whitney to add to last year&rsquo;s meager offense. To the contrary, the Coyotes surprised everyone by jumping in the post-season mix last year and should be aiming to improve on that showing. These veterans are key to the success; without them Phoenix would be going back to square one and would lose a bunch of new fans.</p><p>However, also key to the success this year and down the road is the impressive collection of kids Phoenix has in its system. The Coyotes have to be careful not to get ahead of themselves and go all-in for a Stanley Cup run too soon, because not only is cash at a premium, but so is ice time. With promising youngsters Kyle Turris, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Keith Yandle, Mikkel Boedker and more still to hit their stride, the best has yet to come. And besides, as the team grows, sees more playoff action and learns from its shortfalls, this young group will take the most away from the experience and be better for it down the road. How much will they improve if they&rsquo;re bumped to the American League to make room for a veteran?</p><p>Acquiring Lee Stempniak and Derek Morris at the deadline last season were two subtle moves the upstart Coyotes needed to give them a little extra push towards the finish line to avoid a late-season sputter. The team wasn&rsquo;t recognized as one that would be in the playoffs, so naturally the roster had its holes. But with them plugged last year and reinforced in the summer, more veterans are not necessary. There&rsquo;s a nice balance in Phoenix right now, where the vets lead without taking away any ice time.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0048-02248/9431669-1-eng-US/f0048-022.jpg" title="f0048-02" width="792" height="716"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>KYLE TURRIS</b> <span class="photo-credit">(TURRIS: MIKE STOBE/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>The Coyotes simply need to play on and build from prior experiences. If they happen to exceed all expectations in the process, that&rsquo;s just gravy for the kids who will define this tumultuous franchise for years to come.</p><p><b>THE VERDICT</b> With an impressive young core coming through the system and ready to sprout at any time, the Coyotes should stay young and build up without sacrificing their current veteran leaders in the process.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0048-05

PHOENIX

<div class="byline">&#x2013; JONATHAN DAVIS</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0048-03172/9431721-1-eng-US/f0048-032.jpg" title="f0048-03" width="307" height="125"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span>HICH JOE IS MORE</b>&nbsp;<b>IMPORTANT?</b> Is it Thornton or Pavelski? When the question was posed to Sharks coach Todd McLellan, he responded with: &ldquo;If both these guys don&rsquo;t have big seasons, we&rsquo;re in trouble.&rdquo;</p><p>Thornton and Pavelski are at far different stages of their careers. Thornton has been dogged for years by critics who say he can&rsquo;t raise his game in the post-season. His three goals and 12 points in last year&rsquo;s playoffs helped his cause some, but a conference final sweep at the hands of Chicago left a bad taste in many mouths.</p><p>Pavelski, however, took his game to a new level during the team&rsquo;s playoff run, leading the Sharks in goals (nine) and points (17). Included in that stretch was a playoff feat, last achieved by Mario Lemieux in 1992: three consecutive multi-goal games versus Detroit in Round 2, all resulting in wins.</p><p>But any comparisons with Super Mario have to stop right there. Pavelski&rsquo;s playoff exploits illustrated his ability to be a big time player and the ability to carry a team in spurts, but he is not quite ready to do it for an entire season. Still, his post-season numbers paid dividends in the off-season when the team rewarded him with a new four-year, $16-million contract.</p><p>Conversely, Thornton is in the final year of his deal that will see him earn $7.2 million. At 31, this is likely his last big money deal. While many feel a contract extension will be worked out between the Sharks and Thornton, &lsquo;Jumbo&rsquo; Joe wouldn&rsquo;t be the first athlete to have a stellar season with a new contract on the line.</p><p>According to McLellan, however, playing for a new contract won&rsquo;t be the driving force behind Thornton having a strong season.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0048-04140/9431714-1-eng-US/f0048-042.jpg" title="f0048-04" width="793" height="717"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>JOE PAVELSKI</b> <span class="photo-credit">(PAVELSKI: DON SMITH/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>&ldquo;Wanting to win motivates this guy,&rdquo; McLellan said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s in better shape now I think than he has ever been. Not only does he want to win, but he wants to win in San Jose.&rdquo;</p><p>The Sharks remain one of the deepest teams not only in the Western Conference, but in the entire league. The off-season re-signings of Pavelski and Patrick Marleau, along with the existing contracts of Dan Boyle and Dany Heatley, have the team&rsquo;s core locked up till 2014.</p><p><b>THE VERDICT</b> So who is the more important Joe? That would have to be Thornton, who has the ability to carry this team by himself and needs to be a difference-maker in the Sharks getting over the postseason hump. Another solid season and Thornton will continue to call San Jose home.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0048-03

SAN JOSE

<div class="byline">&#x2013; ERIC STEPHENS</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0049-0679/9431766-1-eng-US/f0049-062.jpg" title="f0049-06" width="328" height="176"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0049-01360/9431759-1-eng-US/f0049-012.jpg" title="f0049-01" width="287" height="125"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span>ILL THE DUCKS RECOVER FROM LOSING SCOTT NIEDERMAYER?</b>&nbsp;Niedermayer&rsquo;s five-season run with the Ducks might pale in comparison to his lengthy history in New Jersey, but his impact was arguably greater on one of the franchises born out of the NHL&rsquo;s expansion boom in the 1990s.</p><p>The steely Niedermayer spent four of those seasons as captain and lifted the Ducks into heights unseen in their 16-year history as his dominating play at both ends of the ice and cool leadership in the dressing room served as the backbone for four consecutive playoff teams. He lifted the Stanley Cup on an electric June night in 2007, but the Ducks haven&rsquo;t come close to that moment since and they must find a new leader after the all-star defenseman announced his retirement this summer.</p><p>The club is going to name its new captain in camp with Ryan Getzlaf, Saku Koivu and Todd Marchant among those to receive strong consideration. But can anyone fill the void that now exists with the loss of Niedermayer?</p><p>Koivu is a logical choice, but he also enjoyed not having that role after years leading the Montreal Canadiens. Getzlaf is viewed as an eventual captain and the Ducks could use that to motivate the big center to take ownership of this team. Marchant&rsquo;s professionalism and tenacity are widely respected in the room.</p><p><b>THE VERDICT</b> While someone will emerge to help forge a new identity for the talented but flawed Ducks, Niedermayer&rsquo;s impact is too profound to completely fill in one season.</p><h2><b>PROJECTED TOP SCORERS BY TEAM</b></h2><p><b>THN&rsquo;s Ultimate Fantasy Guide predicts these players to be their team&rsquo;s top scorers</b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0049-04186/9431752-1-eng-US/f0049-042.jpg" title="f0049-04" width="660" height="468"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0049-06

ANAHEIM

<div class="byline">&#x2013; MIKE HEIKA</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0049-02265/9431804-1-eng-US/f0049-022.jpg" title="f0049-02" width="317" height="124"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>I</span>S KARI LEHTONEN THE ANSWER IN GOAL?</b> It was clear Marty Turco needed a new challenge and had been worn down by Marc Crawford&rsquo;s more offensive system, so the Stars had to find a new No. 1 stopper.</p><p>Enter Lehtonen. The 6-foot-4 netminder, who will turn 27 in November, has worked all summer to get himself in shape and said the two back surgeries he had last season have made a huge difference in his ability to work out. Lehtonen appears motivated and plugged into his new team &ndash; he spent much of August in Dallas. The Stars committed to him with a three-year contract extension and he is determined to earn that contract.</p><p>&ldquo;We love what we see from him so far,&rdquo; said GM Joe Nieuwendyk, &ldquo;and we&rsquo;re confident he is going to be one of the elite goalies.&rsquo;&rsquo;</p><p>After missing much of last season and knocking off some rust, Lehtonen went 6-3-0 in nine starts with a 2.45 goals-against average and .931 save percentage. The Stars believe he can operate well within Crawford&rsquo;s system. Still, it will be interesting to see how the defense reacts to the difference in puck-handling skills between Turco and Lehtonen.</p><p><b>THE VERDICT</b> The Stars have cushioned themselves with a veteran backup in Andrew Raycroft and also have a project No. 3 in Brent Krahn, who went 17-4-0 in the American League last season with a .945 save percentage, so they seem to be set for a new era in net. If Lehtonen can stay healthy (and that is a big if), he will give the Stars solid goaltending.</p><h2><b>JUST WINS, BABY</b></h2><p><b>Teams are judged by wins, but not all wins are equal. Here&rsquo;s how the division stacks up since the lockout</b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0049-05146/9431797-1-eng-US/f0049-052.jpg" title="f0049-05" width="659" height="467"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0049-02

DALLAS

<div class="byline">&#x2013; JONATHAN DAVIS</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0049-03204/9431835-1-eng-US/f0049-032.jpg" title="f0049-03" width="268" height="124"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span>HO WILL BE L.A.&rsquo;S NO. 1 GOALIE COME PLAYOFF TIME?</b> Is it possible? Could it be true? The L.A. Kings will be in the midst of a goaltending controversy come playoff time because they have <i>two</i> good goalies. It wasn&rsquo;t that long ago the only controversy between the pipes in Kings Land was who was the bigger sieve, Roman Cechmanek or Dan Cloutier. How times have changed.</p><p>Jonathan Quick enters training camp as the No. 1. He carried the Kings to their first playoff appearance in eight years. But don&rsquo;t look for Quick to start 72 games again, not with Jonathan Bernier ready for NHL duty and likely to play 20-to-25 games. That number could increase if he continues where he left off last season in &ldquo;relief&rdquo; with the Kings, going 3-0-0 with a shutout and a microscopic 1.30 goals-against average.</p><p>&ldquo;Going into the season, Quick is our guy,&rdquo; said Kings goalie coach Bill Ranford. &ldquo;He earned that right with his great season last year. I like our tandem, but I don&rsquo;t want to jump too far ahead.&rdquo;</p><p>While Quick has a knack for making the unbelievable save, he also had the propensity last season to give up too many soft goals. Bernier, on the other hand, has the ability to make the game look easy. Either way, both styles have been effective.</p><p><b>THE VERDICT</b> With less wear and tear both physically and mentally, look for Quick to be poised and ready to lead the Kings to a deeper playoff run come April.</p><h2><b>10</b></h2><p><b>Anaheim and San Jose have each participated in 10 playoff series since the end of the lockout. The only two teams that have played in more are the Detroit Red Wings (14) and Pittsburgh Penguins (11)</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0049-03

LOS ANGELES

<div class="byline">&#x2013; JOHN GRIGG</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0050-01342/9431873-1-eng-US/f0050-012.jpg" title="f0050-01" width="308" height="125"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0050-0661/9431880-1-eng-US/f0050-062.jpg" title="f0050-06" width="201" height="145"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span>HO&rsquo;S</b>&nbsp;<b>MORE KEY, ERIC STAAL OR CAM WARD?</b> The easy answer is to say Ward; he&rsquo;s the undisputed No. 1 goalie in Raleigh and a past Conn Smythe Trophy winner.</p><p>But the 25-year-old Staal is a four-time 30 goal-scorer (it would have been five if not for an injury-limited season of 29 goals in 2009-10) and a two-time Canadian Olympian who has led his team in points three of the past five seasons. The second overall pick in 2003, Staal led the 2006 playoffs in scoring as the Canes hoisted the Cup and is the leader of a young up-and-coming squad full of NHL neophytes.</p><p>Until last season, Staal had been nothing if not durable. Having missed just one game his first five years in the league, the $6-million man was stalled by injuries in &rsquo;09-10. On Nov. 1, Staal went down with an upper body injury. Already in the midst of a nine-game losing streak, the Canes lost seven of the next 10 games without the 6-foot-4, 210-pound center.</p><p>Ward, too, missed significant time during that slide, but it was while he was out 19 games with a back injury in February and March that the Staal-Ward debate was decided. The Canes went 12-5-2 with Ward on the shelf and turned around a disaster into a flirtation with the playoffs and an 18-point cushion on the 30th-place Oilers.</p><p>After 24 points in his first 21 games as the new team captain to begin 2010, Staal wasn&rsquo;t exactly on fire during those 19 Ward-less games &ndash; nine goals, 13 points &ndash; but he was an important cog playing 20-plus minutes on 12 occasions (in between he impressed at the Olympics, steadily climbing the Team Canada depth chart). His respectable 29 goals and 70 points in 70 games &ndash; albeit padded by four goals and nine points in contests Nos. 80 and 81 &ndash; salvaged a season of injury and family tragedy (his sister-in-law died of cancer).</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0050-02244/9431866-1-eng-US/f0050-022.jpg" title="f0050-02" width="792" height="712"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>ERIC STAAL</b> <span class="photo-credit">(STAAL: GREGG FORWERCK/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>Assuming Staal&rsquo;s health returns to norm this year, no one on Carolina&rsquo;s roster can boast his physical skills; indeed, few in the league can.</p><p><b>THE VERDICT</b> With all due respect to Ward &ndash; just 26 and with his best years in front of him &ndash; if he goes go down there are other netminders who can be had. What won&rsquo;t be available are big-bodied, swift-skating snipers with 40-goal, 100-point potential.</p><p>In this age of Stanley Cup-winning goalies being cast off, coupled with gargantuan contracts locking up young skaters to teams for decades, it&rsquo;s Staal who means more to the Hurricanes.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0050-01

CAROLINA

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RYAN DIXON</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0050-03140/9431918-1-eng-US/f0050-032.jpg" title="f0050-03" width="251" height="121"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span>ILL VINCENT LECAVALIER RETURN TO FORM?</b> If Lecavalier is seeking advice on how to resurrect his offensive totals, one of his best buddies might have a tip or two.</p><p>Lecavalier and Brad Richards first played together with the Quebec League&rsquo;s Rimouski Oceanic and were tight in Tampa.</p><p>Last year, after four seasons of declining numbers, Richards matched a career high with 91 points for the Dallas Stars. Lecavalier, who has seen his goal totals dip drastically since leading the league with 52 in 2006-07, would love a turnaround similar to that of his old friend.</p><p>But before diving into a discussion about whether Lecavalier can return to form, let&rsquo;s establish exactly what form is for him. Anybody blinded from the glare of that &rsquo;07 Rocket Richard Trophy should know that, if you throw out that year and give Lecavalier a pass on his 13-goal rookie campaign, the first overall pick from 1998 has averaged 29 goals per season.</p><p>Forgive Brett Hull if he&rsquo;s not shaking in his golf shoes.</p><p>Lecavalier followed his highwater mark in 2007 with the only other 40-goal season of his career. The next two campaigns his totals dropped to 29 and 24 as the big pivot was hampered by shoulder and wrist injuries. This summer, he turned 30 and underwent minor knee surgery, but should be fully recovered by training camp.</p><p>Working in his favor is the fact Tampa picked up another proven goal-scorer when it traded for Simon Gagne this summer. Don&rsquo;t forget, Lecavalier watched Richards get traded to Dallas before losing running mate Martin St-Louis to fellow center Steven Stamkos during the 2008-09 season. Now, with St-Louis, Gagne, Ryan Malone and the ever-improving Steve Downie playing wing on the top two units, Lecavalier is assured quality linemates.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0050-04111/9431911-1-eng-US/f0050-042.jpg" title="f0050-04" width="792" height="716"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>VINCENT LECAVALIER</b> <span class="photo-credit">(LECAVALIER: ELIOT J. SCHECHTER/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>It will also be interesting to see how new coach Guy Boucher doles out ice time. Lecavalier averaged almost 23 minutes per game in his most productive years under John Tortorella, but barely 20 with Rick Tocchet and Barry Melrose (briefly) behind the bench the past two years.</p><p><b>THE VERDICT</b> Lecavalier&rsquo;s 52-goal season was an anomaly. Even getting back to 40 feels like a reach, but he&rsquo;s still too talented and relatively young to write off. With better wingers and an overall feeling of renewal from top to bottom in Tampa, Lecavalier will become an offensive leader once again.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0050-03

TAMPA BAY

<div class="byline">&#x2013; GUY CURTRIGHT</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0051-01294/9431956-1-eng-US/f0051-012.jpg" title="f0051-01" width="305" height="125"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0051-0671/9431963-1-eng-US/f0051-062.jpg" title="f0051-06" width="201" height="145"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span>HO&rsquo;S THE REAL BRYAN LITTLE, YEAR 2 OR 3?</b> Little didn&rsquo;t just take a step back last season. He slipped off the cliff. After scoring 31 goals in his first full campaign, he fell to 13 last year. So which is the real one?</p><p>Little, a first round pick (12th overall) in 2006, got off to a slow start a year ago and never recovered, struggling with his confidence along the way. But the Thrashers showed their faith in him with a new three-year contract worth $7.15 million and the 22-year-old seems ready to rebound.</p><p>&ldquo;I expect Little to have a real bounce-back year,&rdquo; said GM Rick Dudley.</p><p>Little ended his summer vacation early to begin working out in Atlanta. He&rsquo;s getting a new start and so is the team, which features many different faces.</p><p>Working out line combinations will be an important part of camp. The young right winger didn&rsquo;t mesh on the top unit early last season and his 5-on-5 and power play time declined. He had just three extra-man goals last season after 12 the year before and converted only 7.9 percent of his shots after being successful on 18 percent the season previously. Those figures will even out this season and a potential line of Rich Peverley between Little and Evander Kane looks dangerous.</p><p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s probably the most excited I&rsquo;ve been for a new season,&rdquo; said Little, who admitted he put too much pressure on himself a year ago.</p><p><b>THE VERDICT</b> Year 2, but 25-to-30 goals may be more Little&rsquo;s norm.</p><h2><b>PROJECTED TOP SCORERS BY TEAM</b></h2><p><b>THN&rsquo;s Ultimate Fantasy Guide predicts these players to be their team&rsquo;s top scorers</b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0051-04120/9431949-1-eng-US/f0051-042.jpg" title="f0051-04" width="660" height="468"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0051-01

ATLANTA

<div class="byline">&#x2013; GEORGE RICHARDS</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0051-02212/9432001-1-eng-US/f0051-022.jpg" title="f0051-02" width="302" height="126"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span>HO WILL BE NEXT TO GO?</b> In radio spots airing on sports radio in South Florida, new GM Dale Tallon talks about the Panthers main goal for this season: Make the playoffs. While that seems like a stretch considering the team finished 14th in the Eastern Conference last season and traded away veterans Nathan Horton and Keith Ballard, stranger things have happened. Just look at how Colorado and Phoenix rose up last season.</p><p>Realistically, however, the Panthers are rebuilding. And, in an improved Southeast Division, that likely means an NHL record 10th straight season out of the playoffs. The Panthers have a number of big-money expiring contracts coming up, so if/when Florida is out of it, who is the next to go?</p><p>Goalie Tomas Vokoun didn&rsquo;t garner much attention during the off-season thanks in part to his hefty cap hit ($5.7 million), but that could change at the trade deadline. Like defenseman Bryan McCabe ($5.75 million), Vokoun has a no-movement clause, but it wouldn&rsquo;t be surprising to see him waive it. McCabe could sign an extension, but the same is unlikely for veteran wingers Cory Stillman and Radek Dvorak. Both have playoff experience &ndash; Stillman won Cups with Tampa Bay and Carolina &ndash; and are good character players, so there will be a market for them.</p><p><b>THE VERDICT</b> With an expiring contract, and a highly touted youngster, Jacob Markstrom, pushing for playing time, Vokoun will be the next Panther to say goodbye to Sunrise.</p><h2><b>JUST WINS, BABY</b></h2><p><b>Teams are judged by wins, but not all wins are equal. Here&rsquo;s how the division stacks up since the lockout</b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0051-0585/9431994-1-eng-US/f0051-052.jpg" title="f0051-05" width="659" height="468"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0051-02

FLORIDA

<div class="byline">&#x2013; PETER KERZEL</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0051-03150/9432032-1-eng-US/f0051-032.jpg" title="f0051-03" width="321" height="126"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>C</span>AN THE CURRENT CAPS WIN IN THE PLAYOFFS?</b> Think of the upcoming regular season as the test drive to determine whether coach Bruce Boudreau can devise a way to thwart shot-blocking defenses and to see how far youth and mobility will carry the Capitals&rsquo; blueline. Observers are also going to get a dose of toughness and the result should be at least a trip to the second playoff round.</p><p>Tough winger D.J. King, obtained in an off-season trade with St. Louis, is a physical presence that wasn&rsquo;t around last spring.</p><p>It&rsquo;s dicey to bet against any Alex Ovechkinled squad, but then came a stunning first round ouster at the hands of the Canadiens, who effectively shutdown the firepower. However, the same core that racked up 121 points and the Presidents&rsquo; Trophy returns.</p><p>Last spring, the Capitals offense couldn&rsquo;t penetrate a shot-blocking defensive structure, their defense looked lost and they were undone by spotty goaltending. The latter can be chalked up to growing pains, but that will continue as long as they employ 22-year-olds Semyon Varlamov and Michal Neuvirth.</p><p>Ovechkin elevates those around him; he just has to find a way to do so in April. Everyone else &ndash; including Boudreau and GM George McPhee &ndash; is on the proverbial hot seat. An early playoff loss will bring big changes.</p><p><b>THE VERDICT</b> The Caps can win in the post-season with the current cast, but Boudreau&rsquo;s coaching mettle and McPhee&rsquo;s ability to improve his club in-season will be tested.</p><h2><b>38</b></h2><p><b>The Washington Capitals completely ran away with the Southeast Division last year, besting second-place Atlanta by 38 points (and even the East Conference with an 18-point spread over New Jersey)</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0051-03

WASHINGTON

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RYAN KENNEDY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0052-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0052-01289/9432063-1-eng-US/f0052-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Shea Weber gets the &lsquo;C&rsquo; in Nashville, but can he get them to the playoffs?</b> <span class="photo-credit">(NOAH GRAHAM/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>A</span>NOTHER NEW SEASON</b> is fast approaching, but like a snowflake or a grinder&rsquo;s nose, each campaign is different and special in its own way. Here&rsquo;s a quick rundown of some of the fresh storylines and happenings to follow for 2010-11.</p><p><b>No. 1 <i>NEW CAPTAINS:</i></b> Shea Weber dons the &lsquo;C&rsquo; in Nashville, while Dion Phaneuf gets ready for the pressure cooker in Toronto.</p><p><b>No. 2 <i>NEW SAVIORS:</i></b> After becoming the pride of Montreal, goaltender Jaroslav Halak takes his talents down to St. Louis and the burgeoning Blues. Stanley Cup-winner Antti Niemi returns to the Shark Tank, but he&rsquo;ll be helping &ndash; not tormenting &ndash; the Sharks this time around. Marty Turco takes over in Chicago&rsquo;s net and with Jose Theodore out in Washington, Semyon Varlamov gets his first true crack at No. 1.</p><p><b>No. 3 <i>NEW CONTRACT YEARS:</i></b> It&rsquo;s a big season for restricted free agents, with a class led by Steven Stamkos, Drew Doughty and Zach Parise. The UFAs don&rsquo;t take a backseat, however, with Zdeno Chara, Joe Thornton  and Alexander Semin potentially hitting the free market in the summer of 2011.</p><p><b>No. 4 <i>NEW COACHES:</i></b> Guy Boucher steps behind the bench in Tampa, Craig Ramsay heads to Atlanta, Scott Arniel is in Columbus, John MacLean steps up in New Jersey, plus Tom Renney takes over Edmonton from the &ldquo;promoted&rdquo; Pat Quinn.</p><p><b>No. 5 <i>NEW GMS:</i></b> Further up the ladder, Dale Tallon takes over the perpetually rebuilding Florida Panthers, while fellow Blackhawks alum Rick Dudley saddles up in Atlanta. But the Southeast team with the biggest buzz is Tampa, which enlisted the services of prized hockey mind Steve Yzerman.</p><p><b>No. 6 <i>NEW JERSEYS:</i></b> Toronto and the New York Islanders revealed new duds this summer, while Anaheim is closely guarding its new third sweater, to be revealed in late November. Vancouver and Buffalo celebrate their 40th anniversaries with new gear, while Columbus and the New York Rangers also have new third jerseys coming down the pipeline. Also, look out for a purple and gold throwback from the L.A. Kings and a change in Nashville.</p><p><b>No. 7 <i>NEW ARENA:</i></b> Pittsburgh moves into the swanky Consol Energy Center, while the Islanders gaze upon it longingly.</p><p><b>No. 8 <i>NEW ALL-STAR GAME:</i></b>&nbsp;After an Olympic layoff year, the mid-season show is back, with the Carolina Hurricanes playing host on Jan. 30. No word yet on whether the corporate boxes will feature pulled pork.</p><p><b>No. 9 <i>NEW CLASSICS:</i></b> Outdoor games have been an unqualified success for the NHL, so why not play two this year? The Heritage Classic brings the open concept back to Canada as Calgary hosts Montreal Feb. 20 at McMahon Stadium, while Pittsburgh takes on their archrivals from Washington New Year&rsquo;s Day at Heinz Field. Needless to say, there will be special jerseys there, too.</p><p><b>No. 10</b>&nbsp;<b><i>NEW CAP:</i></b> The ceiling is now $59.4 million, while the floor rises to $43.4 million as the salary cap continues its five-season ascent.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0052-01

DAYS OF THE NEW

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0054-01278/9432115-1-eng-US/f0054-012.jpg" title="f0054-01" width="328" height="176"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0054-03107/9432122-1-eng-US/f0054-032.jpg" title="f0054-03" width="108" height="108"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>WESTERN CONFERENCE</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0054-02162/9432108-1-eng-US/f0054-022.jpg" title="f0054-02" width="2132" height="2668"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0055-01247/9432101-1-eng-US/f0055-012.jpg" title="f0055-01" width="320" height="176"></div><h2><b>EASTERN CONFERENCE</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0055-02162/9432094-1-eng-US/f0055-022.jpg" title="f0055-02" width="2140" height="2668"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0054-01

NHL Depth Charts

<div class="byline">By Larry Humber</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0056-02143/9432153-1-eng-US/f0056-022.jpg" title="f0056-02" width="913" height="913"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0056-01217/9432160-1-eng-US/f0056-012.jpg" title="f0056-01" width="140" height="139"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>ACROSS</b></h2><p>1 Jason ___ was taken second overall in 2001</p><p>4 Don Cherry&rsquo;s nickname</p><p>9 ___ Crowe played hockey in Mystery, Alaska</p><p>10 Division</p><p>11 Olympic prize</p><p>12 A San Jose goal-getter, pictured</p><p>13 Hall of Famer ___ Larionov</p><p>15 One of the Brotens</p><p>18 There was no ___-___ Game in 2010</p><p>21 &lsquo;Rocky&rsquo; Wirtz is Chicago&rsquo;s</p><p>23 Unskilled</p><p>24 Corner men</p><p>25 Scored</p><p>26 Zdeno Chara captains this team</p><h2><b>DOWN</b></h2><p>1 Undersized player</p><p>2 Went less than all out, ___ up</p><p>3 He was NHL president from 1977-92</p><p>5 Hall of Famer ___ Neilson</p><p>6 Adam ___ is a writer with THN</p><p>7 Where the Wild play</p><p>8 Hit hard</p><p>14 Ranger great Rod ___</p><p>15 He&rsquo;s on defense in Philly</p><p>16 ___ Hossa finally got to hoist the Cup</p><p>17 Hockey players need strong ones</p><p>19 Championship</p><p>20 Soviets</p><p>22 One of San Jose&rsquo;s new goalies</p><p><b>ANSWERS AVAILABLE IN THE NEXT ISSUE AND AT <a href="http://THN.com/XWORD">THN.com/xword</a></b></p><p><b>LAST WEEK&rsquo;S CROSSWORD SOLUTION</b></p><p><b>ACROSS</b> 1. DUSTIN, 4. PLACID, 9. TRAINER, 10. GRIER, 11. OREST, 12. CALGARY, 13. APPS, 15. BLOW, 18. AMATEUR, 21. OMAHA, 23. NIEMI, 24. COWBELL, 25. DUFFEL, 26. WRITER <b>DOWN</b> 1. DUTTON, 2. SHANE, 3. IGNITES, 5. LEGAL, 6. CHICAGO, 7. DARRYL, 8. ERIC, 14. PHANEUF, 15. BROUWER, 16. FANNED, 17. TAYLOR, 19. EMILE, 20. ROCK, 22. AGENT<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0056-02

CROSSWORD

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RYAN KENNEDY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0056-0468/9432191-1-eng-US/f0056-042.jpg" title="f0056-04" width="682" height="671"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>ALBANY DEVILS</b></p><p>2010-11</p> <span class="photo-credit">(COURTESY OF ALBANY DEVILS)</span></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0056-0385/9432198-1-eng-US/f0056-032.jpg" title="f0056-03" width="140" height="140"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>W</span>hen New Jersey&rsquo;s American League affiliate was in Lowell, the baby Devils&rsquo; &lsquo;L&rsquo; logo, which aped New Jersey&rsquo;s &lsquo;N,&rsquo; never quite looked right.</p><p>Now that the team has moved to New York&rsquo;s capital, the logo &ndash; and by extension the jersey &ndash; is back to looking sharp. Much like the days of the Utica Devils, Albany takes the NHL team&rsquo;s logo and twists it. This has also worked in Providence, where Boston&rsquo;s spoked-B is tweaked to a spoked-P. In both cases, it&rsquo;s a tribute to the NHL parent squad.</p></div><div style="clear: both;"><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></div>

f0056-04

JERSEY Hound

<div class="byline">with Eric Duhatschek</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0066-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0066-0288/9432288-1-eng-US/f0066-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>DREW DOUGHTY</b> <span class="photo-credit">(NOAH GRAHAM/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0066-01141/9432295-1-eng-US/f0066-012.jpg" title="f0066-01" width="187" height="222"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>F</span>IRST, A SMALL</b> personal aside: Brian Costello is my editor at The Hockey News and we have been friends for a long time. He is a native Calgarian, who lives in Toronto; I am a native Torontonian, who has spent all of his professional life working in Calgary.</p><p>For the Season Preview issue, he sent me a note, wondering what after all these years, gets me excited about the start of a new hockey season.</p><p>I had to ponder that on a couple of levels. First, how long has it been? Thirty-one years covering the NHL, 33 covering hockey if you count two years doing junior and Canada&rsquo;s 1979-80 Olympic team. It basically means that my life has been governed by the same September-to-June schedule that you start in kindergarten at the age of five.</p><p>In school, every year was different &ndash; new friends, new experiences &ndash; with some better than others. You might bump into an inspiring teacher one time and be forced to deal with a cynical, jaded one the next.</p><blockquote class="pullQuote"><b>I FEEL LIKE ANDY ROONEY AT THE END OF AN EPISODE OF 60 MINUTES</b></blockquote><p>But it is that uncertainty that lurks around the corner that catches and holds my interest every year &ndash; looking at the 30 teams and wondering, 82 games from now, which one will have made the sort of quantum leap that the Blackhawks made a couple of years back, when they morphed from laughingstock to serious contender overnight.</p><p>Of course, Chicago&rsquo;s rise was more complicated than that. They needed a lot of hard years at the bottom and then a little luck in terms of drafting Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane to have it all come together the way it did last June in a Stanley Cup championship.</p><p>But there were other teams that had breakthroughs as well. The Los Angeles Kings finally made the playoffs after an eternity as an after-thought. Are they on the same dizzying fast track up the standings as the Blackhawks? Or will they stumble back, the way the Blue Jackets and Blues did the year before after showing some promise? Not sure.</p><p>I like the fact the Kings continue to think big-picture thoughts when it comes to player development and steadfastly refuse to give up their core kids, no matter what the pressure to win.</p><p>For that matter, what more can Drew Doughty do as a player? Almost from the moment he was drafted, GM Dean Lombardi cautiously drew comparisons to Ray Bourque, in terms of their body types, their early conditioning issues and that wonderful sixth sense that only the real greats ever have &ndash; a fearlessness to try any play at any point in the game, knowing deep in their hearts that it will work out OK. And even when it isn&rsquo;t, or doesn&rsquo;t, it doesn&rsquo;t stop them from doing it again 30 seconds later. And if your skill set is high enough, you can do that &ndash; and more often than not, have a positive outcome on the result.</p><p>Tampa intrigues me. How good are they really? Virtually every move GM Steve Yzerman made in the off-season was sound and defensible. He was doing things that are usually limited to a really good fantasy league GM. Real life isn&rsquo;t supposed to be that easy.</p><p>Is he the best of the new generation of former star players, trying their hands at the management game? I wonder how his peer, Joe Nieuwendyk, is going to do in Dallas. At what point can you realistically start to evaluate his work? Right now, Nieuwendyk is constrained by the same sorts of budget issues that David Poile deals with annually in Nashville. Poile was the assistant GM in Calgary when the Flames first arrived. In a variety of positions, in a variety of homes, nobody has done more with less over the past 30 years; can the Poile magic continue?</p><p>I want to know: Can Teemu Selanne still play at a high level? Will Paul Kariya ever play again? How much will Scott Niedermayer miss the NHL? How much will the NHL miss Niedermayer? What is Wayne Gretzky up to these days? Is he going to get back in any time soon or just fade from the scene? Will his exteam, the Phoenix Coyotes, catch lightning in a bottle twice or will reality finally set in? I want to see what Taylor Hall can do in Edmonton, where they need a little magic of their own. That kooky experiment in Calgary, with Olli Jokinen and Alex Tanguay coming back? Expectations are so low for both players there is a part of me that thinks even if they play only moderately well, it will be hailed as an unexpected triumph.</p><p>At this time of year, I always feel like Andy Rooney at the end of an episode of <i>60 Minutes</i>, asking all kinds of questions and knowing that in time, over the next 10 months, the answers will come. Some will be wholly predictable and some will seem outlandishly preposterous.</p><p>That &ndash; the wanting to know what comes next &ndash; is what brings me back year after year. And presumably it&rsquo;s the same for you.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0066-02

THE DRAW OF A FRESH SEASON

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0068-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0068-01108/9432326-1-eng-US/f0068-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Chicago&rsquo;s party was great while it lasted, but now it&rsquo;s time to defend the Cup.</b> <span class="photo-credit">(JONATHAN DANIEL/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

Search for your favorite player or team

September 27, 2010

NHL Schedule 2010-11

MINNESOTA

THE OTHER (YOUNG) GUYS

SUCCESS STARTS AT TOP