Search for your favorite player or team
© The Hockey News. All rights reserved. Any and all material on this website cannot be used, reproduced, or distributed without prior written permission from Roustan Media Ltd. For more information, please see our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.

September 30, 2013
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.


NEW YORK RANGERS
BOOM The Rangers offense will be unchained with new coach Alain Vigneault’s more up-tempo style on Broadway. Unfortunately, it comes too late to take advantage of a Rick Nash-Marian Gaborik combo. But the more wide-open, freewheeling style will work to the advantage of playmakers Derek Stepan and Brad Richards – who has a chip on his shoulder – playing alongside goal scorers Nash and Ryan Callahan. The defense is tough with Ryan McDonagh and Dan Girardi leading the way and should have a healthy Marc Staal back in tow. And it’s not as though departed coach John Tortorella’s stifling, effective system will completely wash away. In the night sky, the brightest, most consistent star is Polaris, the North Star, but on the Rangers it’s Henrik Lundqvist, who could have as many as…


PITTSBURGH PENGUINS
BOOM Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin could win the Art Ross and/or Hart Trophies in any given year. Kris Letang emerged as a Norris finalist last season and could take another run at the top defenseman award and James Neal could even evolve into a Rocket Richard candidate over a full season. The Penguins lineup is loaded with award-capable superstars and nicely complemented by role players and ones good enough to keep up with the elite guys. The Pittsburgh power play, unsurprisingly, ranked No. 2 in the league last season and has been a top-five unit two years in a row now. The defense isn’t bad, either, with Paul Martin bouncing back from two poor seasons with the Pens to log a trusted 25:19 of ice per game. Brooks Orpik became a…


BOSTON BRUINS
BOOM There’s a lot to like about the defending Eastern Conference champion Bruins, beginning with their impressive top two forward lines that got better with the off-season acquisitions of right wingers Loui Eriksson and Jarome Iginla. The former is a consistent 25-35 goal-scorer who will play first-line minutes and is hungry to reassert himself after a mediocre 2012-13 campaign in Dallas. The latter, although nearing the end of an incredible career, can still be dangerous in stretches and could be rejuvenated by easier Eastern Conference travel and by being given a less central role than he played with the Flames. That said, smart defensive play will remain the hallmark of any team coached by Claude Julien and with Zdeno Chara, Tuukka Rask and Patrice Bergeron in tow, stymying the opposition’s offense…


ANAHEIM DUCKS
BOOM Teemu’s back! And his preferred method of delivery was a hilarious YouTube video. With Selanne back in the fold, the Ducks once again have an excellent secondary scoring option behind the Ryan Getzlaf-Corey Perry tandem, not to mention one of the most respected players in history still tootling around the dressing room. Elsewhere in the lineup, the Ducks have a lot of youth waiting to build on early returns or prove themselves as full-time NHLers. There’s great competition for roster spots, so complacency will not be an issue – especially up front, where a couple of top-six roles are available. Will it be Jakob Silfverberg or Emerson Etem, Kyle Palmieri or Rickard Rakell? The jobs are there for the taking. In net, Anaheim can still depend on Jonas Hiller, while 2012-13…