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.

Yearbook 1993-94

The Hockey News Yearbook 1993-94

<div class="byline">BY STEVE DRYDEN</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0011-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0011-012017/10249144-1-eng-US/f0011-012.jpg"></div>Friends call me a pacifist. Foes call me a coward. Brian Burke calls me a card-carrying member of the burgeoning NHL Greenpeace movement. He is right. I&rsquo;m in favor of saving the Whalers.But what I&rsquo;m opposed to is fighting in hockey.That viewpoint has brought me to blows (figuratively) with everyone from John Ziegler to Don Cherry to Burke, the Hartford Whalers&rsquo; GM. Burke and I have waged our battle over the phone, overseas (in Sweden, naturally) and over refreshments.So, it was natural that I turn to the former minor-league tough guy for an expert&rsquo;s opinion on a new statistic developed by The Hockey News-the Intimidation Quotient.It represents a comparative measure of players who supply physical play and finesse. Guts and goals.&ldquo;These guys are the bread-and-butter of your lineup,&rdquo; Burke says. &ldquo;Hockey is a man&rsquo;s game and the team with the most men wins.&rdquo;There is no quantitative means of establishing the worth of a player who is both tough and talented. You can look at goals and assists to see who is the NHL&rsquo;s most dangerous forward, you can check plus-minus totals to get a reading on defensemen&rsquo;s competence and you can peruse save percentages to evaluate goalies.But how do you identify the NHL&rsquo;s most dangerous forwards, guys who can beat you into submission with a bodycheck, a backhander or a blatant disregard for personal safety?We submit, humbly, there is now a means to do so.And the first winner of the coveted High IQ Award is&hellip;Rick Tocchet of the Pittsburgh Penguins (pictured at right). The right winger blended a career-high 48 goals with 252 penalty minutes in 1992-93 to crush the opposition-beating out teammate Kevin Stevens for what promises to be a highly sought-after annual honor.&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t get many bragging rights on him because he scores more goals and gets more points,&rdquo; Tocchet says of Stevens, a three-time league all-star. &ldquo;But maybe 1&rsquo;11 get the bragging rights on him now.&rdquo;Tocchet receives a one-year subscription to THN. It will be sent to the Civic Arena penalty box.&ldquo;With a guy like Tocchet,&rdquo; Burke says, &ldquo;if you want to skate, shoot and score, he can do that. And it you want to rumble, he can do that.&rdquo;Here&rsquo;s how our IQ is calculated: It is derived by multiplying a player&rsquo;s goal total by three and adding amended penalty minutes (total minutes minus game and 10-minute misconducts).All forwards who scored at least 30 goals and earned a minimum of 100 amended penalty minutes register on the IQ scale. Why the minimum levels of mayhem and production? Because this is a measure of skill players who intimidate and cannot be intimidated, not intimidating players who have no skill.Here&rsquo;s how we determined the formula:&#9633; Goal totals are multiplied by three to give more weight to scoring. Wins, losses and ties, after all, are reflections of goals, not penalty minutes.&#9633; Game and 10-minute misconducts-both of which count as 10 in individual totals-are subtracted from penalty totals because they generally reflect excessive talk more than toughness.We acknowledge it can be argued penalty minutes are a measure of lawlessness as much as bravado, but it is the only available objective indication of abrasiveness.Undeniably, it takes courage to earn penalties. First, because penalties are evidence players are going into the game&rsquo;s combat zones-the corners and slot-where aggressiveness spills over into rule-breaking. And second, because players who commit dastardly deeds risk facing retribution.Included in penalty minutes are fighting majors, which are considered &ldquo;hard-rock&rdquo; minutes by Burke. Tocchet had eight fights last season, but opted out of many others and wasn&rsquo;t pushed by opponents in potentially pugilistic situations.&ldquo;I think guys around the league I know you&rsquo;re having a good year and that you want to stay on the ice,&rdquo; Tocchet says. &ldquo;They give you that respect.&rdquo; Teammate Mario Lemieux also insisted Tocchet avoid altercations, telling him to back off or not get into a fight sticking up for him.Tocchet&rsquo;s prize-winning calculation is: 48 (goals) x 3=144, plus 192 (252 minus 60 in misconducts)=336.It isn&rsquo;t trigonometry, but we believe the IQ statistic has value for three reasons: 1) A good mix of tough and resilient players head our IQ list; 2) It is imperfect as are all statistics; and 3) Burke says so.&ldquo;The North American game is a combination of physical play and ability and this is a useful analysis,&rdquo; Burke says.Okay, he could have been more effusive in his praise of this breakthrough statis-tic-but we&rsquo;ll settle for a lukewarm endorsement. People probably didn&rsquo;t get excited the first time Pythagoras said the square of the length of the hypotenuse of a right triangle equals the sum of the squares of the lengths of the other two sides.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-012366/10249137-1-eng-US/f0012-012.jpg" title="f0012-01" width="2371" height="1618"><figcaption class="caption-body">Kevin Dineen provides toughness and tallies for the Philadelphia Flyers; he goes where angels fear to tread in the NHL (Bruce Benet/BBS)</figcaption></div>Completing our top 10 are: 2) Stevens; 3) right winger Tony Granato, Los Angeles Kings; 4) left winger Brendan Shanahan, St. Louis Blues; 5) center Eric Lindros, Philadelphia Flyers; 6) right winger Kevin Dineen, Flyers; 7) right winger Pat Verbeek, Whalers; 8) right winger Owen Nolan, Quebec Nordiques; 9) left winger Adam Graves, New York Rangers; and 10) center Dave Gagner, Dallas Stars.Just missing the list are Vancouver Canucks&rsquo; left winger Geoff Courtnail and New Jersey Devils&rsquo; right winger Claude Lemieux.Several players would have rated higher had they played the entire season. But our IQ test, like the NHL scoring race, is not prorated. You only get points for what you actually do.With 38 goals and 92 amended penalty minutes in just 58 games, Calgary Flames&rsquo; left winger Roberts was on pace to be a top finisher-as high as second overall.Lindros, who missed 23 games through injury, should have ranked higher as well. Tocchet labels Lindros the NHL&rsquo;s &ldquo;ultimate intimidator&rdquo; because of his speed, strength and skill. He is one of only two centers-Gagner is the other-among the top 10.Rugged customers come in all shapes and sizes, including Granato and, for that matter, Kings&rsquo; teammate Luc Robitaille. Robitaille collected 100 penalty minutes, but was not included because 20 of them were the result of misconducts.Granato and Robitaille may not fit the definition of a classic power forward (big and physically intimidating), but they are not easily discouraged.&ldquo;The thing about those two guys,&rdquo; Tocchet says, &ldquo;is that there are some guys in our league who you can beat on physically and you won&rsquo;t see them for a couple of weeks. These guys just pop right back up. You might be able to hammer on them for a period or so, but they&rsquo;ll be there in the third period to score that game-winning goal.&rdquo;The most notable absentee on the IQ honor roll is right winger Cam Neely of the Boston Bruins.Neely, who has been troubled for two years by a knee injury, scored 11 goals and collected 25 penalty minutes in 13 games last season.I would see a guy like Gary Roberts higher next year and Cam Neely,&rdquo; Tocchet says. &ldquo;They would be on my all-Tocchet team and so would a guy like Shanahan, who is starting to come into his own.&rdquo;Newcomers with IQs likely to increase this season include left winger Keith Tkachuk of the Winnipeg Jets, right winger Rob Pearson of the Toronto Maple Leafs and rookie center Chris Gratton of the Tampa Bay Lightning.<h2>IQ RATINGS</h2>It&rsquo;s smart to play tough, at least with our revolutionary new statistic. Listed below are the games played, goals, amended penalty minutes (total minutes minus misconducts) and IQ ratings of the top 10 intimidators in 1992-93.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-021854/10249130-1-eng-US/f0012-022.jpg" title="f0012-02" width="762" height="1661"></div> &#9632;

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FEATURES

HIGH IQ Meet the NHL’s tough & talented

<div class="byline">ROB ZETTLER</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0147-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0147-0159/10250938-1-eng-US/f0147-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">(Tim Parker)</figcaption></div>The San Jose Sharks were the worst second-year team in league history last season. It was truly a season of turmoil on and off the ice.The three-headed management team of George Kingston, Dean Lombardi and Chuck Grillo was a disaster that resulted in Kingston&rsquo;s firing at season&rsquo;s end.Kevin Constantine takes over as coach and Lombardi and Grillo have more defined roles.The Sharks slipped from 17 wins and 39 points in 1991-92 to just 11 victories and 24 points. In their defense, they were bitten by the injury bug, losing young guns Pat Fal-loon and Sandis Ozolinsh.1992-93 record: 11-71-2, last in Smythe, 23rd overall, missed playoffs.Three pivotal factors: 1. Offensive production. Only the expansion Ottawa Senators scored fewer goals than the Sharks&rsquo; total of 218. Falloon was being counted on for more than 14 goals, but nobody counted on him being injured and missing the second half of the season. He should bounce back this year. The Sharks hoped free agent Craig Simpson could score 30 goals, but he&rsquo;s back in Edmonton after NHL commissioner Gary Bettman ruled his signing in San Jose null and void.2. Continued development of young defensemen. This is where the team has the most promise. Ozolinsh, before he was injured, and Doug Zmolek, both 23, were the Sharks&rsquo; top two defensemen. San Jose hopes that pair will improve at a similar pace with newcomers Michal Sykora and Mike Rathje making a successful transition to the NHL.3. Signing top draft pick. The Sharks were making every attempt to sign first-round draft choice Viktor Kozlov, with the intention of having him in their lineup this season, but hit a road block when Kozlov&rsquo;s agent, Paul Theofanous broke away from his former employers, the International Management Group. It left San Jose unsure of with whom they were negotiating with for the big Russian winger&rsquo;s services.New players: Gaetan Duchesne, D; Igor Larionov, C; Sergei Makarov, RW; Jeff Norton, D; Rathje, D; Sykora, D; Waite, G.Breakthrough player: There was talk the Sharks would draft small forward Paul Kariya, signalling the end for fellow mighty mite Ray Whitney. Since they didn&rsquo;t, it means Whitney gets anomer snoi at maKing it in me oig leagues. He had 53 points in 46 International League games with the Kansas City Blades, but just 10 in 26 games with San Jose.Diminishing returns: Veteran Kelly Kisio, 34, is the perfect role model for the young Sharks and was a fine representative for the team in last season&rsquo;s NHL All-Star Game. His 78 points last season tied a career high from 1987-88 with the New York Rangers. Kisio will be hard-pressed to match that total this season but there&rsquo;s little doubt he&rsquo;ll continue to serve as the team&rsquo;s inspirational leader.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0148-0167/10250931-1-eng-US/f0148-012.jpg" title="f0148-01" width="1923" height="2488"><figcaption class="caption-body">Jimmy Waite was blown out of Chicago and must prove he can swim in San Jose.</figcaption></div>State of goaltending: The Sharks are happy with Irbe and Waite and even more pleased with the fact Wade Flaherty is close to making it a three-goalie race. He backed up Irbe two seasons ago when Kansas City won the I HL title and was the No. 1 man there last season recording a league-high 34 victories.Most pressing need: The Sharks are hungry for a high-scoring forward. They entertained the idea of trading Waite in the hopes of acquiring one, but couldn&rsquo;t come up with the right package. Russian forwards Tarionov and Makarov should help.Underachiever: Mark Pederson had seasons of 81 and 95 points in the American League. It&rsquo;s understandable he couldn&rsquo;t crack the Montreal Canadiens&rsquo; lineup, maybe even the Philadelphia Flyers, who traded for him to the Sharks midway through last season. But surely he must be expected to score more than 10 points in 27 games, as he did in San Jose.Overachiever: Although he cooled off late in the season, right winger Rob Gaudreau came out of nowhere in December and scored 14 goals in 15 games. The Providence College graduate finished the season with 23 goals, second highest on the team.Coach/GM: What was once a cloudy I picture is now more clear. Constantine is the young new coach on the block, full of energy and inspiration. Lombardi is in charge of day-to-day dealings with the team and Grillo runs the scouting department and is in charge of the draft.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0149-0158/10250924-1-eng-US/f0149-012.jpg" title="f0149-01" width="2400" height="3324"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0150-0164/10250917-1-eng-US/f0150-012.jpg" title="f0150-01" width="2283" height="2328"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0150-02_ad2/10250910-1-eng-US/f0150-02_ad2.jpg" title="f0150-02_Ad" width="2334" height="895"></div> &#9632;

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NHL TEAMS & STATISTICS

SAN JOSE SHARKS

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0178-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0178-0135/10251371-1-eng-US/f0178-012.jpg"></div> &#9632;

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EAST COAST HOCKEY LEAGUE

<div class="byline">BY KEN CAMPBELL</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0034-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-011568/10249338-1-eng-US/f0034-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Scott Niedermayer and tire Lindros led Canada to gold in the 1991 woria junior Championships. They&rsquo;ll have a chance to do the same at the 1998 Winter Olympics. (Scot Levy/BBS)</figcaption></div>Just who started this ridiculous I rumor, anyway? You know the one. It&rsquo;s the one that suggests Canada has lost its own game.Skeptics will have you believe it, but don&rsquo;t listen to them. They&rsquo;ll point to the 1992 entry draft, they&rsquo;ll tell you that in the last 10 years participation has gone down by about 80,000 in Canadian amateur hockey. They&rsquo;ll sit you in front of a TV and show you hundreds of unbelievable goals by guys with names such as Selanne, Mogilny and Bure.Then they&rsquo;ll go on a tirade about how Canadian kids are poorly coached, that they play three games for every practice and that the total commitment that hockey requires is causing 14-and 15-year-olds to leave the game in alarming numbers.None of that means a thing. What matters is that Canada has the best young professionals, the best young amateurs and the best prospects for dominating the game for the next decade.&ldquo;There&rsquo;s nothing wrong with Canada, says Chuck Grillo, the San Jose Sharks&rsquo; director of player personnel. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think Canada has lost a thing.&rdquo;Mike Smith doesn&rsquo;t share that sentiment. The Winnipeg Jets general manager, who has been on the leading edge of the European movement, has drafted only seven Canadians in the last two years.&ldquo;People have a tough time dealing with it,&rdquo; Smith says. &ldquo;But the fact is, it hasn&rsquo;t been Canada&rsquo;s game since 1972.&rdquo;But hockey is very much Canada&rsquo;s game, thanks in large part to Eric Lindros and Co. Russia is a close second, but the breakup of the former Soviet Union has left it vulnerable. Sweden is on the rise, but has a long way to go. The United States has made gains, but not enough of them and the Czech Republic is on the fringe. Finland has Teemu Selanne, but little else.Forget about the World Championships and Olympics because they&rsquo;re not a true indication. Canada has won four of the five Canada Cups and three of the last four World Junior Championships. The last time there was a world under-17 tournament, a team from Ontario-never mind the rest of Canada-won the title. Canada also won the Pacific Cup last year, the world&rsquo;s premier under-18 tournament.Need more proof? Sixteen of the 25 best players in the league right now are Canadian-born. (For more on the top 25, see page 6)In fact, if you look at the best players from each major hockey-playing country from the age of 20-25 and the best from 18-20, you&rsquo;ll see that Canada has more talent and depth at forward, stacks up favorably on defense and has a huge edge in goaltending.All of which augers well for 1998 in Japan, when NHLers will represent their countries. Most of the players in that age group will be entering the primes of their careers.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-011435/10249331-1-eng-US/f0035-012.jpg" title="f0035-01" width="2427" height="3434"><figcaption class="caption-body">Joe Sakic Quebec Nordiques (Dan Hamilton)</figcaption></div><h2>CANADA</h2><h3>FORWARDS</h3>Rod Brind&rsquo;Amour, C, Philadelphia FlyersV. Damphousse, LW, Montreal CanadiensTheo Fleury, C, Calgary FlamesAdam Graves, LW, New York RangersJoe Juneau, LW, Boston BruinsTrevor Linden, RW, Vancouver CanucksEric Lindros, C, Philadelphia FlyersOwen Nolan, RW, Quebec NordiquesJoe Sakic, C, Quebec NordiquesGeoff Sanderson, LW, Hartford WhalersBrendan Shanahan, LW, St. Louis BluesPierre Turgeon, C, New York Islanders<h3>DEFENSEMEN</h3>Rob Blake, Los Angeles KingsEric Desjardins, Montreal CanadiensCurtis Leschyshyn, Quebec NordiquesScott Niedermayer, New Jersey DevilsDarryl Sydor, Los Angeles KingsZarley Zalapski, Hartford Whalers<h3>GOALIES</h3>Stephane Fiset, Quebec NordiquesFelix Potvin, Toronto Maple Leafs<h3>UNDER-20 TEAM</h3>Alexandre Daigle, C, Ottawa Senators&rsquo;Jeff Friesen, C, Regina Pats (WHL)Chris Gratton, C, Tampa Bay LightningTodd Harvey, C, Dallas StarsPaul Kariya, LW, Mighty Ducks of AnaheimRob Niedermayer, C, Florida Panthers&rsquo;Jeff O&rsquo;Neill, C, Guelph Storm (OHL)Chris Pronger, D, Hartford WhalersMike Rathje, D, San Jose SharksJason Smith, D, New Jersey Devils<h2>UNITED STATES</h2><h3>FORWARDS</h3>Tony Amonte, RW, New York RangersJimmy Carson, C, Los Angeles KingsBill Guerin, RW, New Jersey DevilsJohn LeClair, LW, Montreal CanadiensS. McEachern, LW, Pittsburgh PenguinsMike Modano, C, Dallas StarsPat Peake, C, Washington CapitalsJeremy Roenick, C, Chicago BlackhawksBrian Rolston, C, New Jersey DevilsKeith Tkachuk, LW, Winnipeg JetsDarren Turcotte, C, New York RangersDoug Weight, C, Edmonton Oilers<h3>DEFENSEMEN</h3>Derian Hatcher, Dallas StarsBret Hedican, St. Louis BluesScott Lachance, New York IslandersBrian Leetch, New York RangersMathieu Schneider, Montreal CanadiensDennis Vaske, New York Islanders<h3>GOALIES</h3>Mike Dunham, New Jersey DevilsRobb Stauber, Los Angeles Kings<h3>UNDER-20 TEAM</h3>Kevyn Adams, C, Boston Bruins&rsquo;J. Bonsignore, C, Newmarket Royals (OHL)Jim Carey, G, Washington CapitalsAdam Deadmarsh, C, Quebec NordiquesChris Ferraro, RW, New York RangersPeter Ferraro, C, New York RangersJay Pandolfo, LW, New Jersey Devils&rsquo;Deron Quint, D, Tabor AcademyRyan Sittier, LW, Philadelphia FlyersLandon Wilson, RW, Toronto Maple Leafs<h2>YOUNG GUNS</h2>Canada is well-stocked with young hockey stars, better-stocked than any country in the world. Here are the best players aged 20-25 (as of Oct. 1, 1993) each of the top five hockey countries has to offer. Included are 12 forwards, six defensemen and two goalies. Also listed are the best teenage prospects. Asterisks indicate players are eligible for the 1994 NHL entry draft. The Russian team includes players from all former Soviet republics and Czech squad includes those from Slovakia. Also listed is the player&rsquo;s current team or NHL team that holds his rights.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-011472/10249324-1-eng-US/f0036-012.jpg" title="f0036-01" width="787" height="685"><figcaption class="caption-body">Russian ace Alexei Zhamnov</figcaption></div><h2>CZECH-plus</h2><h3>FORWARDS</h3>Josef Beranek, LW, Philadelphia FlyersJan Caloun, RW, San Jose SharksZdeno Ciger, LW, Edmonton OilersBobby Holik, C, New Jersey DevilsJaromir Jagr, RW, Pittsburgh PenguinsPetr Nedved, C, Vancouver CanucksJaroslav Otevrel, C, San Jose SharksZigmund Palffy, LW, New York IslandersRobert Reichel, C, Calgary FlamesMartin Rucinsky, LW, Quebec NordiquesMartin Straka, C, Pittsburgh PenguinsJozef Stumpel, RW, Boston Bruins<h3>DEFENSEMEN</h3>Ivan Droppa, Chicago BlackhawksFrank Kucera, Chicago BlackhawksJaroslav Modry, San Jose SharksJiri Slegr, Vancouver CanucksRichard Smehlik, Buffalo SabresMilan Tichy, Florida Panthers<h3>GOALIES</h3>Milan Hnlicka, New York IslandersRoman Turek, Dallas Stars<h3>UNDER-20 TEAM</h3>Radim Bicanek, D, Ottawa Senators&rsquo;Radek Bonk, C, ZlinJozef Cierny, LW, Buffalo SabresRoman Hamrlik, D, Tampa Bay Lightning&rsquo;Jan Nemecek, C, BudejoviceRobert Petrovicky, C, Hartford WhalersLibor Polasek, C, Vancouver CanucksMichal Sykora, D, San Jose SharksJan Vopat, D, Hartford WhalersDavid Vyborny, C, Edmonton Oilers<h2>RUSSIA-plus</h2><h3>FORWARD</h3>Pavel Bure, RW, Vancouver CanucksAlex Cherbeyev, LW, San Jose SharksSergei Fedorov, C, Detroit Red WingsVictor Gordiouk, RW, Buffalo SabresYan Kaminsky, LW, Winnipeg JetsDimitri Khristich, LW, Washington CapitalsAndrei Kovalenko, RW, Quebec NordiquesAlexei Kovalev, RW, New York RangersViacheslav Kozlov, RW, Detroit Red WingsAlexander Mogilny, RW, Buffalo SabresValeri Zelepukin, LW, New Jersey DevilsAlexei Zhamnov, C, Winnipeg Jets<h3>DEFENSEMEN</h3>Darius Kasparaitis, New York IslandersVladimir Malakhov, New York IslandersSandis Ozolinsh, San Jose SharksDmitri Yushkevich, Philadelphia FlyersAlexei Zhitnik, Los Angeles KingsSergei Zubov, New York Rangers<h3>GOALIES</h3>Nikolai Khabibulin, Winnipeg JetsAndrei Trefilov, Calgary Flames<h3>UNDER-20 TEAM</h3>Maxim Bets, LW, St. Louis BluesSergei Brylin, C, New Jersey DevilsValeri Bure, RW, Montreal CanadiensSergei Gonchar, D, Washington Capitals&rsquo;Alexander Kharlamov, RW, Red ArmyVictor Kozlov, RW. San Jose SharksS. Krivokrasov, RW, Chicago BlackhawksAndrei Nazarov, RW, San Jose Sharks&rsquo;Vadim Sharifianov, RW, UfaAlexei Yashin, C, Ottawa Senators<h2>SWEDEN</h2><h3>FORWARDS</h3>Niclas Andersson, LW, Quebec NordiquesPeter Forsberg, C, Quebec NordiquesJohan Garpenlov, LW, San Jose SharksAndreas Johansson, C, New York IslandersFredrik Lindqvist, C, New Jersey DevilsOve Mohiin, C, BrynasMarkus Naslund, RW, Pittsburgh PenguinsFredrik Nilsson, C, San Jose SharksMikael Nylander, C, Hartford WhalersMikael Renberg, LW, Philadelphia FlyersDaniel Rydmark, C, Los Angeles KingsMats Sundin, C, Quebec Nordiques<h3>DEFENSEMEN</h3>Roger Akerstrom, Vancouver CanucksNicklas Lidstrom, Detroit Red WingsMattias Norstrom, New York RangersRickard Persson, New Jersey DevilsPeter Popovic, Montreal CanadiensMarcus Ragnarsson, San Jose Sharks<h3>GOALIES</h3>Tommy Salo, New York IslandersTommy Soderstrom, Philadelphia Flyers<h3>UNDER-20 TEAM</h3>Stefan Bergqvist, D, Pittsburgh Penguins&rsquo;Johan Davidson, C, HV-71&rsquo;Reeky Carlsson, D, HV-71Anders Eriksson, D, Detroit Red WingsEdvin Frylen, D, VasterasKenny Jonsson, D, Toronto Maple LeafsMats Lindgren, C, Winnipeg JetsJesper Mattsson, RW, Calgary Flames&rsquo;Peter Nylander, LW, HuddingeNiklas Sundstrom, C, New York RangersThe rosters on page 36 list the 12 top forwards, six best defensemen and two best goalies from each country ranging in age from 20-25 as of Oct. 1, 1993.What becomes apparent is that Canada has more depth at every position than any other nation. All five nations have a handful of superbly talented players, but no other country can compete with Canada&rsquo;s depth at forward. In fact, we left three forwards off of Canada&rsquo;s list-Pat Falloon, Andrew Cassels and Joe Murphy-who would be good enough to play for any other country.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-011425/10249317-1-eng-US/f0038-012.jpg" title="f0038-01" width="767" height="1502"><figcaption class="caption-body">Jaromir Jagr is the most talented offensive player from the Czech Republic.</figcaption></div>On defense, Russia has the edge until you take into account the fact that Darius Kas-paraitis is actually Lithuanian and Sandis Ozolinsh is from Latvia. In goal, Canada has such a huge advantage that its best young goalies, Felix Potvin and Stephane Fiset, have played more NHL games than the eight others combined.It also debunks the theory that NHL teams look to Europeans for skill and Canadians for guts and guile. Of the forwards who played at least 42 NHL games last season, Canada&rsquo;s best averaged 91 points, with the Russians next best at 79.When it comes to players in the 18-20 category, it&rsquo;s Canada in a walk. Canada&rsquo;s under-20 prospects include the first five selections from the 1993 entry draft and two of the three who are the early favorites to go No. 1 overall in 1994.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-02990/10249310-1-eng-US/f0038-022.jpg" title="f0038-02" width="1552" height="2578"><figcaption class="caption-body">Jeremy Roenick of the Chicago Blackhawks is a young American who will be a star in stripes when he suits up for the United States in the 1998 Olympics. (Bruce Bennett/BBS)</figcaption></div>Most of those are coming from Canada&rsquo;s major junior ranks, which compete with U.S. colleges for the best North American players.&ldquo;Major junior hockey in Canada is in great shape,&rdquo; says David McNab, director of player personnel for the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. &ldquo;Even the best young Americans are going there to play now.&rdquo;All of this is good news to Don Cherry, Hockey Night in Canada personality and bombastic supporter of all things Canadian.&ldquo;All you have to do is look at the Montreal Canadiens, who won the Stanley Cup,&rdquo; Cherry says. &ldquo;Of the 20 guys who played regularly, 18 of them were Canadian and two were American.&ldquo;The thing that makes us special is our heart. You can drive over our players with a bulldozer and they&rsquo;ll never quit.&rdquo;Canadians needn&rsquo;t worry about that. With their depth and talent, nobody will be rolling over them for quite some time. &#9632;

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HOCKEY’S YOUNG & RESTLESS

<div class="byline">BY KEVIN ALLEN</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0006-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-012566/10249099-1-eng-US/f0006-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Doug Gilmour Toronto Maple Leafs (Dan Hamilto)</figcaption></div>Only one question had to be asked about each player listed on The Hockey News&rsquo; top 25 list: How well does he play?This is a celebration of what is, not what has been or what someday might be. This is a list for those who believe &ldquo;potential&rdquo; is the Latin word for &ldquo;He hasn&rsquo;t done a darn thing.&rdquo; This is a salute to what happens on ice, not what occurs away from it.When we consulted a panel of NHL general managers about the top 25 players in the NHL, we didn&rsquo;t ask or care what their salaries are, how many years are left on their contracts, or how old they are. We didn&rsquo;t need to know whether they are active in the community or a good influence in the dressing room.We didn&rsquo;t concern ourselves about whether their style would put fans in the seats, or what they meant to the game in the past, or whether they will someday be inducted into the Hall of Fame.Don&rsquo;t tell us about players who will be great next season or the year after. Don&rsquo;t try to sell us on players who will be good after they grow into their bodies or when they become accustomed to the North American style of play.Just tell us about those who can play now. This is about today, not tomorrow and certainly not yesterday. If we had to play one game for a winner-take-all $1-billion cash jackpot, peace in the Middle East and a lifetime subscription to THN, this would be our prioritized draft list:1. Mario Lemieux: Forget for a moment the Hodgkin&rsquo;s disease, back troubles and $42-million contract and consider only that the Pittsburgh Penguin center dominates opponents like no other athlete in professional sports except Michael Jordan.2. Eric Lindros: The Philadelphia Flyer center is the anti-Wayne Gretzky, a cocky, arrogant player who will be hated everywhere but at the Spectrum, where he will be worshipped because he plays the game with such skill and snarl.3. Doug Gilmour: Gilmour is both the beauty and the beast, a player who prefers a game to be naughty rather than nice. The Toronto Maple Leafs&rsquo; center is just as proud of six stitches as he is of six points.4. Chris Chelios: No other defenseman comes close to matching Chelios&rsquo; blend of durability, tenacity, savvy and pure skill. The Chicago Blackhawk rearguard is the guy you want on the ice for 35 to 40 minutes in the most important games.5. Pat LaFontaine: In a sport that still has its share of jalopies, the Buffalo Sabres&rsquo; center is a Porsche. He is fast, sleek and stylish&mdash;an offensive player with panache.6. Teemu Selanne: Mike Bossy was among the most consistent goal scorers in NHL history and the Finnish Flash destroyed his rookie record for goals. Tell you anything? It is difficult to remember that some questioned the Winnipeg Jet right winger&rsquo;s ability to handle NHL roughness.7. Patrick Roy: Though goaltending will always be a position of ebbs and flows, everyone agrees the Montreal Canadiens&rsquo; stopper is the most skilled at stopping the puck.8. Wayne Gretzky: In the sports world, Father Time is the only unbeaten. Father Time has played one-on-one against the greatest sports figures of all time and defeated them all. He&rsquo;s coming after the Los Angeles Kings&rsquo; center next, but Gretzky still may take him to overtime. Though he is no longer king of the hill, he&rsquo;s still the league&rsquo;s best set-up man.9. Kevin Stevens: He&rsquo;s the NHL&rsquo;s prototype power forward. Possessing the rare mixture of high-octane speed, power and toughness, the Pittsburgh left winger is the symbol of all GMs&rsquo; misery at the trade deadline. Everyone wants a player like Stevens and none are available.10. Jeremy Roenick: You have to love to watch him skate. But the real secret of the Chicago center is the way he buzzes around the opposition. Watch the way he punishes opposing defensemen along the boards. He has to be among the NHL leaders in forcing defensive turnovers.11. Brett Hull: No player has a quicker shot release in the NHL. His 54-goal total-low by his standard-is more impressive when you consider the assortment of linemates the right winger had with the St. Louis Blues in 1992-93.12. Steve Yzerman: Aside from Lemieux, there is no player more dangerous on a breakaway than Stevie Wonder. He has done it all for the Detroit Red Wings except lead them to the Stanley Cup.13. Alexander Mogilny: Some may argue the Buffalo Sabres&rsquo; right winger is the fastest top-line NHL player. If you don&rsquo;t believe that, ask the many defensemen he roared past on route to his 76 goals.14. Ray Bourque: In the NHL jungle, the Boston Bruin defenseman is the aging lion. Still a wonder to behold. Still a predator. Still to be feared.15. Brian Leetch: A point-per-game defenseman, the New York Ranger complements the skills of any of the NHL&rsquo;s elite forwards.16. Rob Blake: Though Blake has only played in the NHL three seasons, he has asserted himself as one of the best young rearguards in the game. His performance for the Kings in the playoffs was outstanding.17. Ed Belfour: Every year skeptics say this will be the season the Blackhawk goalie falters. But he always proves them wrong. Hot-tempered and ultra-competitive, Belfour hates losing more than most.18. Joe Sakic: Why would the Quebec Nordiques ever want to trade this guy? He&rsquo;s 100 points in the bank.19. Pierre Turgeon: Play a series of All-Star Games with the NHL&rsquo;s best players, and you will come away marveling at the puck skills of the New York Islanders&rsquo; center.20. Mark Messier: Before you start writing off the Ranger center, consider he had 91 points in 75 games during a turmoil-filled 1992-93 season and still possesses the most menacing stare in the NHL.21. Pavel Bure: You want speed? You want breakaways? You want goals? You want Bure, the Vancouver Canucks&rsquo; star right winger.22. Adam Oates: As a pure passer, only Gretzky is better than the Boston Bruins&rsquo; center.23. Luc Robitaille: Mighty Ducks of Anaheim GM Jack Ferreira calls him one of the NHL&rsquo;s most underrated players. Though his speed is light years behind Bure or Mogilny, the Los Angeles King is the NHL&rsquo;s most consistent goal-scoring left winger.24. Kevin Hatcher: He&rsquo;s 6-foot-4, 225 pounds and can net 30 goals from defense. Of course, the Washington Capital defenseman is on our list.25. Gary Roberts: Grit. Guile. Goals. The Calgary Flames&rsquo; left winger is the G-Man of our top 25.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-012244/10249092-1-eng-US/f0007-012.jpg" title="f0007-01" width="1680" height="3564"><figcaption class="caption-body">Wayne Gretzky Los Angeles Kings (Gerry Thomas)</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-012449/10249085-1-eng-US/f0008-012.jpg" title="f0008-01" width="1582" height="2261"><figcaption class="caption-body">Forget about the Hodgkin&rsquo;s disease, back problems and S42-million contract: Mario Lemieux is one of the most dominating athletes in the world of sports.</figcaption></div><h2>THN&rsquo;S 25 BEST NHL PLAYERS</h2>1. Mario LemieuxPittsburgh Penguins2. Eric LindrosPhiladelphia Flyers3. Doug GilmourToronto Maple Leafs4. Chris CheliosChicago Blackhawks5. Pat LaFontaineBuffalo Sabres6. Teemu SelanneWinnipeg Jets7. Patrick RoyMontreal Canadians8. Wayne GretzkyLos Angeles Kings9. Kevin StevensPittsburgh Penguins10. J. RoenickChicago Blackhawks11. Brett HullSt. Louis Blues12. Steve YzermanDetroit Red Wings13. A. MogilnyBuffalo Sabres14. Ray BourqueBoston Bruins15. Brian LeetchNew York Rangers16. Rob BlakeLos Angeles Kings17. Ed BelfourChicago Blackhawks18. Joe SakicQuebec Nordiques19. Pierre TurgeonN.Y. Islanders20. Mark MessierN.Y. Rangers21. Pavel BureVancouver Canucks22. Adam OatesBoston Bruins23. Luc RobitailleLos Angeles Kings24. Kevin HatcherWashington Capitals25. Gary RobertsCalgary Flames &#9632;

f0006-01

THERE ARE 500 PLAYERS IN THE NHL: HERE ARE THE BEST 25

<div class="byline">BY DAVE LUECKING</div>On a hot summer day in July, Brett Hull stops by a construction site in St. Louis to check out his handiwork.Wearing a hard hat and protective glasses, Hull tours the Kiel Center, the 18,500-seat home of the St. Louis Blues that is rising on the site of the old Kiel Auditorium in downtown St. Louis. The Blues plan to move into their lavish new home midway through the 1994-95 season.&ldquo;In a year or so, we&rsquo;re going to have a beautiful new building,&rdquo; Hull says, surveying the scene. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s really nice to see how it all fits together. It&rsquo;s going to be a great, great building.&rdquo;Hull ceremoniously kicked off the project last December, when he fired a puck from a platform through a painting of a net, just before the first wrecking ball fell on the old Auditorium.Clearly, goaltenders aren&rsquo;t the only things Hull knocks over with his shot. This guy can take out entire buildings.The Kiel Center could be dubbed &ldquo;The House That Brett Built&rdquo; because without Hull, it may never have been possible. Without Hull, hockey likely would never have risen to the prominence it now enjoys in St. Louis.The Blues have averaged more than 17,000 fans per game in each of the last three seasons. That is 3,000 more than they did in the season before Hull&rsquo;s arrival in a lopsided trade with the Calgary Flames on March 7, 1988.The interest in hockey, not to the mention the money fans have gladly spent to support the annual ticket-price increases, convinced civic leaders to buy controlling interest in the team and build the new arena to house the Blues.Hull, like Wayne Gretzky in Los Angeles, has also helped make the Blues a more valuable commodity. The current owners bought the team from Harry Omest for $12 million in 1986, two years before Hull joined the team. The magazine Financial World recently placed the Blues&rsquo; value at $52 million dollars in 1991-92, up from $39 million the previous season. In fact, the Blues&rsquo; value rose 34.6 per cent during Hull&rsquo;s 86-goal season, the second highest value increase in professional sports.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-011990/10249196-1-eng-US/f0018-012.jpg" title="f0018-01" width="996" height="2915"><figcaption class="caption-body">(Dan Hamilton)</figcaption></div>I would say Brett Hull is a major part of it,&rdquo; says Blues&rsquo; president Jack Quinn, the man who signs Hull&rsquo;s pay-check. &ldquo;A lot of things have helped build the house, and he would be one of the ingredients.&rdquo;Probably the main ingredient, otherwise the Blues wouldn&rsquo;t pay him twice as much as any of his teammates. Hull signed a five-year, $20.6 million contract March 6, one day short of his fifth anniversary with the team.The signing made for a happy anniversary, soothing the strained relationship between Hull and the team. At one point, Blues&rsquo; general manager Ron Caron said Hull was a &ldquo;floater&rdquo; and there was even talk of the team trading him.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-011733/10249189-1-eng-US/f0019-012.jpg" title="f0019-01" width="2519" height="3532"></div>Hull&rsquo;s incessant whining about the trade of his good buddy and linemate Adam Oates the previous season, his moping about the Blues&rsquo; boring style and lack of gifted linemates and his decreased production wore thin on Blues&rsquo; management.Management and players privately questioned Hull&rsquo;s commitment and work ethic late in the season, but he answered his critics with a strong finish and a solid performance in the playoffs. Hull led the Blues with eight goals and 13 points in 11 playoff games, including two game-winning goals in the Blues&rsquo; shocking sweep of the Chicago Blackhawks in the first round.But the Blues&rsquo; success in the playoffs was attributable as much to the I spectacular goaltending of Curtis I Joseph as Hull&rsquo;s scoring.&ldquo;(Hull) was our leader,&rdquo; coach-Bob Berry says.Although Hull survived and thrived in the playoffs, he still says, the 1992-93 season was &ldquo;a really weird year, really weird.&rdquo;The seeds of the 1992-93 spiral &rsquo; were probably sown the season be-(r) fore. Coming off his spectacular 86-goal campaign, Hull feuded with Team USA coach Tim Taylor during the Canada Cup and spent a lot of time brooding on the bench. Then Oates-his best friend and set-up man-was traded after a salary dispute with the team.Hull scored 70 goals, his lowest total in three seasons. The Blues and Hull got off to a terrible start in 1992-93 and that set the tone for a sub-par season for both. Bob Plager, who was in over his head as coach, quit 11 games into the season with the Blues at 4-6-1. Hull didn&rsquo;t score his 10th goal of the season until the Blues&rsquo; 21st game.In 1991-92, Hull led the league with eight hat tricks. Last season he had none.For the first time since he emerged as a star, the Golden Brett had lost some of his golden touch. He spent much of the season locked in personal turmoil.&ldquo;He&rsquo;s a very confident guy, but for the first time, he was doubting himself at times,&rdquo; teammate Brendan Shanahan says. &ldquo;Whether you&rsquo;re a superstar or not, you have to feel well to play well.&rdquo;There were a lot of things that came into play,&rdquo; Quinn said. &ldquo;He wore the &lsquo;C,&rsquo; as captain for the first time. He had some injuries. There was the Oates&rsquo; saga. Add them all up together and they had an effect.&rdquo;The effect was that his point production slipped to a four-season low. After scoring at least 70 goals for three straight seasons, he slipped to 54. For the first time since the 1988-89 season, Hull didn&rsquo;t lead the league in goals. His three-season reign as the right winger on the post-season all-star team ended and he wasn&rsquo;t a candidate for any post-season award after being a finalist for MVP for three years. He won it in 1991.&ldquo;He had some tough luck, but tough luck for Brett means 54 goals,&rdquo; Shanahan says. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s not too bad.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-011746/10249182-1-eng-US/f0020-012.jpg" title="f0020-01" width="1058" height="1887"><figcaption class="caption-body">Blues&rsquo; defenseman Jeff Brown dubbed Hull The Dishin&rsquo; Magician (Brian Winkler/BBS)</figcaption></div>&ldquo;Fifty goals is not a bad stat for someone who isn&rsquo;t having a good year,&rdquo; Berry says.Hull&rsquo;s offensive stats were not that bad considering the linemates he had. Nothing against Ron Wilson and Ron Sutter, but they&rsquo;re not exactly on anyone&rsquo;s top-10 list of offensive stars. Hull played with every forward on the team except Rich Sutter and Russian Vitali Karamnov.The Blues never found a regular center for him. Craig Janney, the Blues&rsquo; top playmaking center, developed good on-ice chemistry with 51-goal-scorer Shanahan and Nelson Emerson, creating a formidable No. 1 line.Finding a center to play with Hull was among the Blues&rsquo; top priorities in the offseason. In fact, there were rumbles at the draft the Blues were very close to a deal with the Calgary Flames for Joe Nieuwen-dyk.&ldquo;We&rsquo;re still looking for the one guy to slay with Hull,&rdquo; Quinn said in July. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ll continue that search.&rdquo;Hull hopes the search is successful.&ldquo;I can&rsquo;t do anything without the puck,&rdquo; Hull says. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m no playmaker. I can make passes, but I&rsquo;m a scorer. I try to get open.Hull&rsquo;s playmaking skills have I improved. He had a career-high 47 assists last season, prompting defenseman Jeff Brown to call him I The Dishin&rsquo; Magician.Hull finished the season with 54 I goals and 101 points, topping the I 100-point mark for the fourth season.Any enthusiasm over Hull&rsquo;s offensive numbers were tempered by a another number, his plus-minus rating of minus-27. It was by far the worst on the team, prompting Berry at one point to answer Hull&rsquo;s demands for more ice time by saying &ldquo;there were some nights he played too much.&rdquo;Hull was clearly stung by the criticism.I could say it didn&rsquo;t bother me, but no one&rsquo;s that unfeeling,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It did bother me, but you can&rsquo;t do anything about it.&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think I played any differently. Some nights, it looks better than others. Some nights, it looks worse. Some nights, you don&rsquo;t do anything and get all the credit.&rdquo;Hull showed resilience, playing through adversity and injuries. An injury to his left wrist, diagnosed as tendinitis, forced him to miss four games late in the season. A pulled abdominal muscle nagged him all year.But it never sidelined him, although it probably should have. Hull wrote off the aches and pains as the price of playing in the NHL, but the abdominal injury made it look as if Hull was skating with concrete blocks tied to his skates.&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not going to make excuses, but yeah, I can guarantee (the injury) had something to do with it,&rdquo; he said.Hull&rsquo;s mood swings also slowed him down. At times, he was an angry young man and he let that upset him on the ice.I get upset because I have a philosophy about the game, and sometimes, when I want to do something, I can&rsquo;t do it,&rdquo; he said.&ldquo;Then, I just get so upset at myself and the situation. I think, &rsquo;What the hell are you doing out there?&rsquo; Then, I just absolutely lose it.&ldquo;If I&rsquo;m playing a lot, it doesn&rsquo;t affect me. If there are a lot of penalties in a game, or I&rsquo;m not playing a lot, I get in that mind set, and I&rsquo;m not really useful. I seem to get totally out of focus.&ldquo;I sit there dwelling on it. It doesn&rsquo;t leave me and I start brooding and brooding. There&rsquo;s nothing I can do about it, and that makes me madder. Then, I sit there thinking, &rsquo;What are you so mad about?&rsquo; It&rsquo;s a very helpless feeling.&rdquo;But Hull says his anger was misunderstood.&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t get upset at anyone or anything but myself and my situation,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;People misinterpret that. Big time.&rdquo;The anger motivated Hull, even though it looked at times like he was brooding and unproductive.&ldquo;If I wasn&rsquo;t mad, I&rsquo;d be a 30-goal scorer, &rsquo; he says. &ldquo;If you don&rsquo;t get down, what good are you? No one&rsquo;s that good that he can just sit there and be happy. If you&rsquo;re happy with the way you&rsquo;re playing, then you&rsquo;re stupid and shouldn&rsquo;t even be in the game.&ldquo;You can never be satisfied with how you&rsquo;re playing. We&rsquo;re in the NHL. If you&rsquo;re content with being a mediocre player, that&rsquo;s not good.&rdquo;Most players would be thrilled with numbers that even came close to 54 goals and 104 points. But for Hull, that was a major disappointment. As early as two seasons ago, there was talk that Hull could become the NHL&rsquo;s first 100-goal man. Gretzky&rsquo;s single season record of 92 goals seemed destined to fall.&ldquo;I&rsquo;m upset about my year,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I know I could have been better, but I know that not every year is going to be easy. It&rsquo;s a year where I learned a great deal about a lot of things.&rdquo;How he applies the things he learned during his season of discontent will go a long way to determining what he does the rest of his career. Almost every player has bad years and Hull is no different.&ldquo;He has grown up quite a bit,&rdquo; Quinn said. He has a lot of demands on his time off the ice and he&rsquo;s managing them better now. He carries his responsibilities with much more maturity.He&rsquo;s great for the game and he&rsquo;s great for this franchise. He&rsquo;s the kind of star you&rsquo;d like to see in the final race for the Stanley Cup. It&rsquo;s the only prize he hasn&rsquo;t won.&ldquo;He has won an MVP. He has led the league in goals. He has done it all. That&rsquo;s the thing we&rsquo;re still trying to get and I think we can. He&rsquo;s at the right age (29). He&rsquo;s surrounded by some quality, young talent. He has to be a leader to take us to the final prize.&rdquo;Hull once said his goal is &ldquo;to bring the Stanley Cup to St. Louis.&rdquo;Whether or not Hull will be able to accomplish that goal is uncertain. Two years ago, the Blues were a 105-point team that looked like a serious Stanley Cup contender. Last season they finished a game above .500 and rode Joseph&rsquo;s spectacular goaltending to the second round of the playoffs, where they lost to the Toronto Maple Leafs in seven games.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-011626/10249175-1-eng-US/f0022-012.jpg" title="f0022-01" width="1547" height="2692"><figcaption class="caption-body">Hull admits his mood swings affected him, but he makes no apologies for his brooding. &ldquo;If you&rsquo;re happy with the way you&rsquo;re playing, you&rsquo;re stupid&rdquo; he says. (Dan Hamilton)</figcaption></div>The Blues haven&rsquo;t been out of their division since 1985-86 and the signing of Scott stevens left them without a first-round draft choice for five years. The trading of Oates to the Boston Bruins and the loss of Stevens to the New Jersey Devils in the free agent signing of Brendan Shanahan have certainly taken their toll.One thing is certain: If the Blues&rsquo; rebound and become a contender, Hull will be central in the revival. &#9632;

f0018-01

THE COLOR OF MONEY IS GOAL-DEN

<div class="byline">BY JEFF WlLLIAMS</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0025-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-011362/10249234-1-eng-US/f0025-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Darius Kasparaitis must be a great guy to have around at Christmas time: He thinks it&rsquo;s better to give than to receive. (Bruce Benet/BBS)</figcaption></div>With a grand total of four goals last season, Darius Kasparaitis was never a serious contender for the Calder Trophy. But he was the overwhelming choice for MVP-Most Villainous Player.Seldom in NHL history has a rookie caused such a ruckus as Kasparaitis. The New Jersey Devils can&rsquo;t stand him. The Pittsburgh Penguins loathe him. The Philadelphia Flyers despise him.How you look at Kasparaitis depends on which sweater you&rsquo;re wearing. If you&rsquo;re wearing the white, blue and orange of the New York Islanders, Kasparaitis is great. If you&rsquo;re wearing any other, he grates on you.In his first season in the NHL, Kasparaitis made enough enemies to last a career. The Lethal Lithuanian isn&rsquo;t big on hero worship either. Mario Lemieux, Mark Messier, Eric Lindros and Brett Hull were among his targets last season.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s no baby game,&rdquo; Kasparaitis says in a voice that is almost as booming as his checks. &ldquo;This is only way I know how to play. I&rsquo;m in there to play tough, to hit people. I don&rsquo;t care who they are. Because you wear No. 66 you can&rsquo;t get hit? I don&rsquo;t believe that.&rdquo;Kasparaitis is half of a former East Bloc defense pairing that has the Islanders excited about the future. Vladimir Malakhov is a potential Norris Trophy winner, Kasparaitis is a potential Chuck Norris.Kasparaitis plays much bigger and meaner than his 5-foot-l 1 and 195-pound vital statistics would suggest. Just ask any one of these guys:? Early in the season, Kasparaitis knocked Messier into the Islander net, then held him there as the play headed toward the Rangers&rsquo; end. Later in the season, he checked Messier into the boards and Messier responded by taking a swing at him and receiving a roughing minor.? In a game against the St. Louis Blues, Hull was chasing down a puck in the comer when Kasparaitis nailed him from behind, crunching the air out of him and putting him out for the next three shifts.? Lindros felt the wrath of Kasparaitis one game when he was nailed from behind while fighting for a loose puck. Later that same game, Lindros was carrying the puck out of his own end when Kasparaitis came full steam across the ice with evil on his mind. Lindros flinched and dropped the puck. Kasparaitis got it and set up a scoring chance.? Devils&rsquo; tough guy Randy McKay was nailed by Kasparaitis on two occasions. The second hit put him out of the game. The Devils, particularly Claude Lemieux, spent much of the season trying to get to Kasparaitis rather than get to the Islander goal.&ldquo;He hurts people,&rdquo; McKay said. &ldquo;He got me good. He saw his opportunity and he gave me a big hit. The first time was a cheap shot. I definitely don&rsquo;t like the way he plays, but that&rsquo;s why he&rsquo;s effective.&rdquo;? In the decisive seventh game of the Islanders&rsquo; playoff triumph over the Penguins, Kasparaitis and Lemieux were tied up in the circle to the left of goalie Glenn Healy. As the puck headed toward the Penguins&rsquo; end, Kasparaitis shoved Lemieux to the ice. The two continued to joust until Kasparaitis punched Lemieux in the side of the head. No penalties.Former Philadelphia Flyers&rsquo; assistant coach Ken Hitchcock remembers one game when Kasparaitis took complete control.&ldquo;It was late in the season and it was an important game for both teams,&rdquo; Hitchcock recalls. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re pretty well controlling things and then Kasparaitis takes this unbelievable run at Kevin Dineen. Their team picks up, we don&rsquo;t and they go on to beat us by three goals.&rdquo;Kasparaitis has given the term butt-ending new meaning. His trademark hit is an open-ice hip check. Actually, it&rsquo;s a double hip check where he flies into opponents derriere-first. These big hits serve three purposes: They break up plays, show opponents they must be aware of him and distract teams that try to retaliate against him.Kasparaitis&rsquo; own teammates marvel at his style of play.&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve never seen anyone hit the way Kaspar does,&rdquo; Steve Thomas says. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s almost an art form the way he hits. I wouldn&rsquo;t want to be playing against him.&rdquo;But there is more to his game than bodywork. Kasparaitis is a capable two-way defenseman who handles the puck well. He was second on the team in plus-minus at plus-15.&ldquo;I know it&rsquo;s not my job to score a lot of goals,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I know it&rsquo;s to hit people. But when I have a chance, they want me to step up. It&rsquo;s fun.&rdquo;After going through the 1991 draft without being selected, Kasparaitis went fifth overall in 1992. The [slanders struck a deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs to trade up to get the htth pick. It was Bill lorreys final big deal as general manager of the Islanders and it was a doozie. Torrey was deposed later that summer and replaced with Don Maloney, who was left to bring Kasparaitis to America. There were more than two months of tough negotiating, with Kasparaitis holding out. He finally arrived on Long Island four days before the start of the season, and was put into the lineup for the first same.&ldquo;We knew he would be an impact player for us,&rdquo; Maloney said. The rest of the league has felt the impact of Kasparaitis for one full season. They are not pleased.In this year&rsquo;s playoff series against Pittsburgh, several of the Penguin players accused him of ugly stickwork. But his pattern of play doesn&rsquo;t suggest frequent fencing, even though he did draw a one-game suspension this season for getting two stick-related majors. Both of those were accidents. He also drew a match penalty and $500 fine for kicking Dineen in the behind during a scrum. Of his 166 penalty minutes, he had two fighting majors.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-011580/10249227-1-eng-US/f0026-012.jpg" title="f0026-01" width="973" height="2377"><figcaption class="caption-body">For young Kasparaitis, the bigger they are the harder they fall. (Michael DiGirolamo/BBS)</figcaption></div>Islander coach Al Arbour loved Kasparaitis the minute he saw him. And his teammates took an immediate liking to him. Not all of his teammates have felt that way, however. He once punched his own goalie at the end of a junior game because he felt the goalie caused the team to lose.Kasparaitis is gregarious and confident and has enough of a command of the English language to get his point across. Before his first practice with the Islanders, he skated to each player, shook hands and personally introduced himself.&ldquo;The kid has got a real zest for life and he loves to play,&rdquo; Arbour says. &ldquo;He has a lot to learn, needs to get more experience, but you&rsquo;ll never tone him down and you wouldn&rsquo;t want to.&rdquo;On the ice, that is. There&rsquo;s no doubt the Islanders would like to see Kasparaitis show better judgement away from the rink. On one occasion, he had his black BMW towed away twice on the same day for being illegally parked. After one playoff game, he knocked over a light standard in the Nassau County Coliseum parking lot when he backed into it at top speed. He has spent almost all of his first-year salary of $425,000.Earlier this season, when he was in quest of his driver&rsquo;s license, Kasparaitis talked about how driving in Russia without a license wasn&rsquo;t such a big deal.&ldquo;License here is big problem,&rdquo; Kasparaitis said. &ldquo;In Russia, they stop you without license, give them 50 rubbles, okay.&rdquo;Kasparaitis was also arrested for drunk driving June 30 after allegedly leading police on a 100 mph chase an Long Island. He pleaded not guilty to that charge and four other arriving violations and was released his own recognizance pending a sept. 7 court hearing. Neither Kasaaraitis nor the Islanders would comnent on the incident.The long arm of the law may be able to tame Kasparaitis away from he rink, but will he ever receive his Just desserts on the ice? Probably tot. There&rsquo;s a good reason why agitators such as Kasparaitis rarely find themselves on the short end of a one-sided fight or face-down on the ice.&ldquo;Guys like that, Kasparaitis, Dale Hunter, Ulf Samuelsson, they have that sixth sense,&rdquo; Hitchcock says. &rsquo;They never put themselves in a position of vulnerability. They can see trouble coming and they&rsquo;re so tough, it&rsquo;s scary.&rdquo;Kaspar the unfriendly ghost would have it no other way. &#9632;

f0025-01

WHEN PUSH COMETO SHOVE

<div class="byline">BY BREHT HURST AND MARK BBEHDER</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0028-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-011556/10249279-1-eng-US/f0028-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Derian Hatcher Dallas Stars (Dan Hamilton)</figcaption></div>Not since the Civil War has there been such an organized invasion of the Deep South of the United States.The NHL&rsquo;s addition of expansion franchises in Miami and Anaheim and the relocation of the Stars from Minnesota to Dallas completes the ushering in of a new era.If the NHL&rsquo;s 1967 bulge from six to 12 teams was known as the Great Expansion, the league&rsquo;s current era may best be deemed the Sun Belt Expansion.Before the latest round of expansion that has witnessed four cities-San Jose. Tanina Bay, Miami and Anaheim-south of the 40th parallel get NHL teams, the league had little southern exposure.It had one team located south of Washington, D.C., and only three teams west of Chicago in the U.S.The league has been burned before by moving into warm-weather areas. Fans didn&rsquo;t exactly tie up the phone lines trying to buy tickets to see NHL teams in California/Oakland, Atlanta ana Kansas City before they closed the doors. And the St. Louis Blues were perilously close to becoming the Saskatoon Blues.The NHL is confident that won&rsquo;t happen this time. Here&rsquo;s a look at the league&rsquo;s three newest cities and their teams.Wayne Gretzky, who once belittled the Nev lersey Devils as a Mickey Mouse organization, helped lay the groundwork for Mickey&rsquo;s entrance into the NHL.Before Gretzky&rsquo;s arrival in Los Angeles five seasons ago, granting Southerr California a second NHL team was unthinkable.The Los Angeles Kings, perennial also Ans, never averaged more than 12,500 fans a season during their first 21 years, California&rsquo;s other team, the California/Oakland Golden Seals, left for Cleveland-likely the first time anything or anyone has left California for Cleveland-after drawing fewer than 7,000 fans per game.The Kings&rsquo; acquisition of Gretzky on Aug. 9, 1988 transcended hockey&rsquo;s borders. The Kings now draw an average of 15,635 per game.&ldquo;That was the biggest move,&rdquo; said Fred Nelson, the director of a growing hockey house-league program in Orange County. &ldquo;That created the initial interest where people tried to understand the game.&rdquo;One spinoff of Gretzky&rsquo;s popularity is the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, owned by the powerful Disney Corporation. Disney chairman Michael Eisner, liked the Mighty Ducks movie so much he bought the team.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-011567/10249272-1-eng-US/f0030-012.jpg" title="f0030-01" width="1366" height="757"><figcaption class="caption-body">The Miami Arena will be the temporary home of the Florida Panthers.</figcaption></div>Anaheim, an upscale city 28 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles, is part of Orange County, which consists of 2.4 million people. The city is home to two other sports franchises, Major League Baseball&rsquo;s California Angels and the National Football League&rsquo;s Los Angeles Rams.Seiling Anaheim on a third sport is proving to be almost as easy as shuffling tourists into Disneyland. The Mighty Ducks sold 11,500 season ticket packages through midult. The Pond at Anaheim seats 17,250.&ldquo;People were signing up on the speculation there was going to be a basketball or a hockey team,&rdquo; says Bill Holford, the Ducks&rsquo; director of sales and marketing.Before the Ducks had a player, there were 9,000 names on a season ticket subscription list. Once the Ducks began taking shape with players such as flashy, handsome draft pick Paul Kariya and expansion enforcers such as Stu Grimson, Disney had a Beauty and the Beast to promote.&ldquo;The Walt Disney company and the success we have carries a lot of horsepower,&rdquo; Holford says. &ldquo;(Fans) know they&rsquo;re going to have a quality product.&rdquo;The Ducks&rsquo; marketing department is concentrating on making each game an event.&ldquo;We want to make sure win or lose fans have a great time,&rdquo; said vice-president of marketing and sales Ken Wilson.Fans won&rsquo;t see traditional Disney characters such as Mickey, Goofy or Donald Duck at the arena, instead Disney is working on a new cast of characters for the Mighty Ducks.Holford said the Ducks want to build a facility that will not only be used for team practices, but will also be accessible to young would-be hockey players.The Ducks also hope they can win over youth from staple sports such as baseball and football by scheduling Sunday matinee games.The novelty of having an expansion team will eventually wear off in Anaheim; the key to success will be the novel ideas Disney produces to keep fans coming back.The first frost will have an extra bite this winter in Minneapolis-St. Paul, former home of Neal Broten and the most colorful arena seats in the NHL.Norm Green, the Minnesota franchise savior when he bought the team in 1990, left for the south, taking Neal and the boys with him.No more Minnesota North Stars. The green, white and gold seats in the Met Centre have all been painted red, and now they&rsquo;ll be empty. Not much of a change, Green would say-if he ever visited.Sorrow enjoys company, but no sympathy cards will be sent from Dallas. Dallasites are on top of the world with their new team.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-011545/10249265-1-eng-US/f0032-012.jpg" title="f0032-01" width="1178" height="2267"><figcaption class="caption-body">Disney chairman Michael Eisner liked The Mighty Ducks so much he bought the team. No doubt he&rsquo;ll be a major player on the NHL&rsquo;s board of governors. (Bruce Bennett/BBS)</figcaption></div>The city grew and prospered until that fateful November day in 1963. Populist president John F. Kennedy was assassinated on a downtown street, casting a pall over all of Dallas.When the veil lifted, a television show arrived to restore civic pride. But it has been four years since J.R. Ewing and Sue Ellen stormed out of Southfork Ranch for good, sending millions of prime-time soap opera junkies into withdrawal spasms.Yet today the 747 widebodies at Dallas-Fort Worth are bringing in modern-day cowfolk faster than any airport in the country.Dallas is the eighth-largest city in the U.S., a convention capital and an international center for business and finance.On-ice performance is uncertain. In recent years, the North Stars were inconsistent enough to make any prediction foolhardy. In 1991 they were in the Stanley Cup finals. In 1993 they missed the playoffs.&ldquo;The team really tumbled after (the move) was announced,&rdquo; says Stars&rsquo; president Jim Lites, &ldquo;until they brought the wives down here.&rdquo;Formerly an executive vice-president with the Detroit Red Wings, Lites has been in Dallas less than four months. Like the wives, he has been won over.&rsquo;There&rsquo;s this concept that it&rsquo;s all hats and cowboy boots, but it&rsquo;s not like that,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s kind of like a southern Chicago.&rdquo;But in Chicago they don&rsquo;t just watch hockey; they play it. An amateur hockey program run out of the Stars&rsquo; practice rink is expected to have between 500 and 700 players in its inaugural year. That&rsquo;s less than one out of two-thousand of the city&rsquo;s residents. The area has five ice rinks and two of them don&rsquo;t have boards.In fact Dallas does have a hockey tradition far richer than one would expect. The Dallas Blackhawks were a Chicago farm team from 1967-68 to 1977-78. The team folded for good in 1982, but not before players such as Kelly Kisio and Dirk Graham and coach John Muckier passed through town.Professional hockey made its return last year with the Dallas Freeze of the Central League, averaging 4,500 people per game.According to Lites, tradition hasn&rsquo;t made the job of selling the Stars much easier. Seven thousand Stars&rsquo; season tickets had been sold as of mid-summer and almost all are in the high-priced seating sections.&ldquo;We have to sell tickets to Joe Fan.&rdquo; Lites says. &ldquo;Well, actually we have to create Joe Fan.&rdquo;Dean Jordan admits he knows nothing about hockey. No problem.The Florida Panthers&rsquo; vice-president, business and marketing brings considerable salesmanship savvy to North America&rsquo;s most southerly hockey franchise.&ldquo;We can&rsquo;t control what goes on on the ice,&rdquo; Jordan says, &ldquo;but we can control everything else. We do things differently. The way we look at it, the hockey team is the software for the bigger picture.&rdquo;The bigger picture, of course, is the multimillion dollar entertainment empire of Panthers&rsquo; owner Wayne Huizenga, built around his flagship venture, movie rental giant Blockbuster Video. In the entertainment world promotion is king, so it only makes sense that Huizenga, Jordan and Co., are hawks when it comes to promoting the Panther-both on and off the ice.Helping an endangered species always gets good publicity, especially when it is the official state animal. Naturalists estimate there are between 30 and 50 Florida panthers left in the marshy grasslands of Everglades National Park west of Miami. In June, Blockbuster Entertainment donated $36,000 to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to be used for panther preservation.Not all Miami fans will need introductory hockey lessons. The Panthers are hoping to attract transplanted American northerners as well as many of the 472,000 Canadian residents who visited Miami in 1992. Several thousand make Miami their full-time winter home.This means the Panthers have to walk a fine line between promoting for new fanzine engaging in antics that hockey purists nay see as polluting the game.Around the game, we want people to rave fun, Jordan says. &ldquo;Nothing that we Vill do in hockey will ever infringe on the radition of the playing of the game. That we told in high regard.&rdquo;<h2>ANAHEIM</h2>Orange County Population: 2,410,556Arena Information: The Pond (Anaheim Arena), 17,250; Tickets $16 to $125.Largest Employer: DisneylandAverage Household Income: $43,817Average Temperature: 70 degrees F. 1992 Homicides (city): 35Hometown Hero: John BlueDistance to Flin Flon, Man.: 2,120 miles.Distance to Equator: 2,400 miles.Season to Avoid: 1962 Los AngelesRams: 1-12-1 (.107).<h2>DALLAS</h2>Metro Population: 2,607,105Arena Information: Reunion Arena, 16,814; Tickets $9.50 to $100.Largest Employer: American AirlinesAverage Household Income: $33,572Average Temperature: 66 degrees F. 1992 Homicides (city): 386Hometown Hero: Ross PerotDistance to Flin Flon, Man.: 1,840 miles.Distance to Equator: 2,360 miles.Season to Avoid: 1989 Dallas Cowboys-1-15 (.067).<h2>MIAMI</h2>Dade County Population: 2,000,000Arena Information: Miami Arena, 14,500&rsquo; Tickets $8 to $55.Largest Employer: Publix SupermarketsAverage Household Income: $37,903Average Temperature: 75 degrees F. 1992 Homicides (city): 128Hometown Hero: Dwight GoodenDistance to Flin Flon, Man.: 2,680 miles.Distance to Equator: 1,800 miles.Season to Avoid: 1988-89 Miami Heat: 15-67 (.182) &#9632;

f0028-01

SOUTHERN EXPOSURE

<div class="byline">BY SZYMON SZEMBERG</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0041-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-01886/10249397-1-eng-US/f0041-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">(Scott Levy/BBS)</figcaption></div>It&rsquo;s a good thing for Peter Forsberg that his father is his coach and not his agent. Kent Forsberg has watched Peter dominate every league he has played in since the age of five, but isn&rsquo;t as convinced as many in the hockey world that he&rsquo;ll do the same in the NHL.&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know if he will ever become a superstar in the NHL,&rdquo; says Kent, who is also Peter&rsquo;s coach with the Swedish Elite League team MoDo. &ldquo;I am sure he will do a decent job, but nobody can tell about the superstar thing.&rdquo;Whichever team Forsberg ends up with is hoping this is one of the few times when father doesn&rsquo;t know best. Many are predicting superstardom for this super Swede. In fact, Forsberg is acknowledged as the best player in the world outside the NHL and observers in his native country believe he could be the best Swede ever.&ldquo;He&rsquo;s the best player I&rsquo;ve ever seen come out of Sweden,&rdquo; says former NHLer Ulf Nilsson. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s the intensity that makes him special. He&rsquo;s like a Bobby Clarke with a lot of talent.&rdquo;Forsberg, a Group IV defected free agent whose rights are owned by the Quebec Nordiques, could be a rich man if he plays in the NHL this season. Last season, Forsberg&rsquo;s agent Don Baizley negotiated a three-year, $2.7-million contract for Teemu Selanne of the Winnipeg Jets and Forsberg&rsquo;s contract would easily surpass that.Forsberg was drafted sixth overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in 1991, but became property of the Nordiques last summer when he was included in the blockbuster trade that made Eric Lindros a Philadelphia Flyer. After watching him perform at the World Junior Championships in Sweden, Hartford Whalers&rsquo; general manager Brian Burke wondered if the Flyers hadn&rsquo;t given up too much to get Lindros.But Forsberg has indicated he will likely stay another year in his country to further develop his abundant skills and represent Sweden in the Olympics. The most Forsberg could hope to make in Sweden next season would be in the neighbourhood of $200,000.Sweden has never won a gold medal in Olympic competition, but would have proximity and ability on their side in 1994. The Games are being held in nearby Lille-hammer, Norway and with Forsberg in the lineup, the Swedes would have the most offensively talented player in the tournament.Last season, Forsberg finished second to Hakan Loob in the scoring race with 25 goals and 51 points in 40 games, but upstaged his boyhood hero in player voting for the MVP award. Two-thirds of the league&rsquo;s 300 players voted for Forsberg.It marked the first time a junioraged player has even come close to being named MVP, including Mats Sundin who is one of the best players to ever come out of Sweden.&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think I really deserved it,&rdquo; Forsberg said.One of the 20 Fajestad players to vote for Forsberg was Loob, who finished second to his protege.&ldquo;He is in a class by himself,&rdquo; the former Calgary Flame said. &ldquo;Peter is as good as you could ever get.&rdquo;But it was the WJC that propelled Forsberg&rsquo;s rise to prominence. He finished the tournament with a record 31 points, including 24 as-sists-which equalled the total number of points earned by MoDo teammate Markus Naslund, the second-place finisher. He finished the tournament as the all-time leading scorer in WJC history and his 10 points against Japan was also a record. His one-goal, three-assist effort in a 5-4 loss to Canada was truly spectacular.Forsberg is already considered one of the greatest players in the history of Swedish hockey. In a poll by the Swedish magazine Hockey, the phenom finished seventh. Former Toronto Maple Leafs&rsquo; defenseman Borje Salming was ranked No. 1 and Loob was second, while Sundin was No. 5 and Kent Nilsson No. 6.The big question is whether Forsberg will ever reach the same level as Sundin-and not everyone is convinced he will. The two are often compared, but are drastically different players.Sundin is a natural goalscorer, a player who can thrill a crowd with his deft moves and magical scoring touch.Forsberg, on the other hand, is a gifted playmaker who prefers to set up teammates. He has excellent peripheral vision and almost always finds the open man.One player who has benefitted from playing with Forsberg the past three seasons is MoDo right winger Naslund. The 20-year-old was taken 16th averall in the 1991 entry draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins and has blossomed into a star. He is expected to make the Penguins&rsquo; lineup this season. It&rsquo;s unlikely Naslund would have been a first rounder had he not had the opportunity to play with Forsberg.&ldquo;One big difference is Peter is a better defensive player than Mats Sundin,&rdquo; Kent Forsberg says.Vancouver Canucks&rsquo; Sweden-based scout Mats Dahlberg says comparisons to Sundin are not accurate; Forsberg is more like Tomas Sandstrom of the Los Angeles Kings.&ldquo;Sundin is probably a better player,&rdquo; Dahlberg says. &ldquo;Sundin is glimmering all the time, but Forsberg is more of a thinking player and always gives the right passes. He is very strong and is more of a disciplined, two-way player.&rdquo;There are those who are convinced Forsberg will be a premier NHL talent, but there are others who insist it is far too early to tell. After all, he had only one goal and one assist in eight World Championship games against NHL-level competition last season.Like all superior talents, Forsberg has a high level of patience on the ice. He can penetrate a defense and when it&rsquo;s obvious he has to get rid of the puck, he finds more open ice and then passes it off to his winger who has an open net.But he isn&rsquo;t without his weaknesses. Shooting is often a problem. He wastes many scoring opportunities by shooting from too far out.He also has a penchant for taking bad penalties and has aggravated many of his opponents in Sweden with his careless stickwork.Forsberg finished second in scoring, but also displayed a mean streak by finishing second in penalty minutes. His 92 PIM were only five behind Rogle&rsquo;s Heinz Elders.&ldquo;Peter can never accept that anyone is better than he is,&rdquo; his father Kent says. &ldquo;He always has the desire to prove himself to be No. 1.&rdquo;Dahlberg remembers watching Forsberg against the United States in the WJC. During one stoppage in play, there were several delays at the faceoff and Forsberg circled around several times with his stick up and butt end sticking out, just missing the face of the opposing winger.<blockquote class="pullQuote">Forsberg isn&rsquo;t perfect: Shot selection is a problem</blockquote>&ldquo;It was like he was pointing out, &rsquo;Look I&rsquo;m the guy in charge here,&rdquo; Dahlberg recalls.Forsberg was bom in the northern town of Ornskoldsvik, where the MoDo team is based. The good book and good hockey are the two staples of the town of 60,000. Those who make jokes about Ovik-even Swedes find the name too long to pronounce and prefer this short version-say that to survive there you either have to be a devoted Christian or a hockey player.There are a large number of Pentecostals in the town, followers of a religion that requires a heavy commitment. Members are not allowed to drink or smoke.MoDo teams dominate Swedish hockey at all amateur levels: peewee, bantam, midget and Jr. B and A. However, their Elite League team had a .500 record this season and was eliminated in the playoffs.Former NHLers Anders Hedberg, Thomas Gradin, Anders Kallur, Bo Berglund, Tomas Jonsson and Lars Lindgren are all MoDo products.The team had two first-rounders in Forsberg and Naslund in 1991 and repeated the feat with two first picks in 1993: Niklas Sundstrom eighth overall by the New York Rangers and Anders Eriksson 22nd overall by the Detroit Red Wings. In all, MoDo had five players drafted this year.Is Forsberg destined to be the best MoDo product ever? Or even the best Swede?&ldquo;He has all the tools,&rdquo; says Philadelphia Flyer scout Inge Hammarstrom, &ldquo;and he has the determination, too. He has a great opportunity to have a great career in North America.&rdquo;<h2>Calder race wide open</h2>Predicting the winner of the 1993-94 Calder Cup is about as easy as stopping Mario Lemieux on a breakaway.While last year&rsquo;s crop had some obvious frontrunners-Philadelphia Flyer Eric Lindros, Winnipeg Jet Teemu Selanne, Boston Bruin Joe Juneau, Toronto Maple Leaf Felix Potvin and New York Islander Darius Kas-paraitis-this year&rsquo;s crop is less clear cut.Many players who could make an impact are leaning towards representing their countries at the Olympics in February.And perhaps the top candidate, Swedish center Peter Forsberg, is a free agent and has indicated he will likely play in Sweden. The Quebec Nordiques own his rights and have the right to match any offer.All this leads to one of the most wide-open Calder Trophy races ever in another strong crop of first-year players.These are the top rookies-minus Forsberg-expected to start the year in the NHL. Players are listed alphabetically.Alexandre Daigle, C, Ottawa. The top pick in the 1993 draft is under immense pressure to perform, but if confidence counts for anything, the 18-year-old will make good on his $12.5-million contract.Denny Felsner, LW, St. Louis. The 6-foot, 185-pounder has been a proven goalscorer at every level. He was fifth among Blues&rsquo; forwards in the playoffs a year ago with five points in nine games.Yan Kaminsky, LW, Winnipeg. The 99th pick in the 1991 entry draft led Moscow Dynamo a year ago with 29 points in 39 games. He joins countryman Alexei Zhamnov with the Jets.Martin Lapointe, RW, Detroit. The Wings had high hopes for their top pick in the 1991 draft a year ago, but he came to camp out of shape and was sent back to junior. He&rsquo;s ready to make an impact.Markus Naslund, LW, Pittsburgh. The 5-foot-ll, 174-pound Swede will produce big numbers if he gets ice time. He honed his skills with MoDo of the Swedish Elite League playing on a line with Forsberg.Rob Niedermayer, C, Florida. The 6-foot-2, 200 pound Panther will get a chance to prowl in the NHL just months after being selected fifth overall in the 1993 draft. He has Mike Gartner-type skating speed.Pat Peake. C, Washington. With Dale Hunter out 21 games with a suspension, the 20-year-old gets a chance. He was named THN&rsquo;s junior player of year and Canadian Hockey League player of year.Chris Pronger, D, Hartford. GM Brian Burke says you can pencil his name in the starting lineup with ink, but the Whalers have to come to terms with the No. 2 overall pick first.Mikael Renberg, LW, Philadelphia. The Flyers can use scoring up front and the 6-foot-2, 185 pounder will help. Philadelphia is thin on the left side so the slick Swede will get a chance.Alexei Yashin, C, Ottawa. The Senators had the worst offense a year ago and the second pick overall in 1992 will add scoring punch. He had 10 goals and 22 points in 27 games with Moscow Dynamo last season.Here are some others who may crack NHL lineups this season: Alexander Cherbayev. LW, San Jose; Ted Drury, C, Calgary; Paul Kariya, LW, Anaheim; Chris Gratton. C, Tampa Bay; Viktor Kozlov, LW, San Jose; Sergei Krivokrasov. RW, Chicago; Roman Oksiuta, RW, Edmonton; Brian Rolston, C, New Jersey; Bryan Smolinski, C, Boston; Vesa Viitakoski, LW, Calgary. -Matt Nicholls<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-01_ad2/10249390-1-eng-US/f0042-01_ad2.jpg" title="f0042-01_Ad" width="2407" height="1458"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-01_ad2/10249383-1-eng-US/f0043-01_ad2.jpg" title="f0043-01_Ad" width="2423" height="1621"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-01_ad/10249376-1-eng-US/f0044-01_ad2.jpg" title="f0044-01_Ad" width="2296" height="1540"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-02_ad/10249369-1-eng-US/f0044-02_ad2.jpg" title="f0044-02_Ad" width="2287" height="1531"></div> &#9632;

f0041-01

PETER THE GREAT

<div class="byline">BY KEN CAMPBELL</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0046-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0046-01745/10249428-1-eng-US/f0046-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Steve Larmer is due to become the NHL&rsquo;s new Ironman this season when he plays Game No. 865, but will he do it as a member of the Chicago Blackhawks? (Dan Hamilton)</figcaption></div>Whatever happened to the New Kids on the Block? Maybe they&rsquo;re hanging out with Gil Stein.Not long ago, they were both pretty hot property. O.K., maybe the Kids were more popular than Stein, but you get the idea.With apologies to People magazine, here is what&rsquo;s hot and what&rsquo;s not in the hockey world as we embark on the 1993-94 season.HOT: Atlantic, Central, Northeast and Pacific. Divisions based on geography make sense.NOT: Adams, Norris, Patrick and Smythe. Does anyone even remember who these people were?HOT: Pre-game meals consisting of pasta and fresh fruit.NOT: Pre-game meals consisting of steak and potatoes.HOT: Players who skate like the wind-Teemu Selanne, Alexander Mogilny, Pat LaFontaine.NOT: Players who skate like they&rsquo;re stuck in a Marsh. So long Brad, we&rsquo;ll miss you.HOT: Steve Larmer. Assuming the Chicago Blackhawks don&rsquo;t trade him and he doesn&rsquo;t miss any games, Larmer will break the NHL&rsquo;s ironman record by playing in his 865th consecutive game. March 20 against the St. Louis Blues at Chicago Stadium.NOT: Larmer&rsquo;s play. His 70 points last season were the fewest of his career.HOT: Cliff Fletcher. The Toronto Maple Leafs&rsquo; savior is on a roll.NOT: Glen Sather. The Edmonton Oilers&rsquo; general manager has run out of miracles.HOT: The United Center and Shawmut Center. New rinks in Chicago and Boston are named after big-money sponsors.NOT: Tradition. Is there a rink in the world that doesn&rsquo;t have advertising on it?HOT: Ties with cartoon characters.NOT: Regular-season ties. It&rsquo;s time the NHL looked at a way of solving deadlocks.NOT: Psychological gurus. Anthony Robbins was as important to the Los Angeles Kings as Wayne Gretzky during the playoffs.NOT: Psychos. Dale Hunter will miss the first 21 games for his senseless cheapshot on Pierre Turgeon.HOT: Hugo Boss as the clothing of choice among NHLers.NOT: Suits and cowboy boots.HOT: Parity. There is little separating the top teams in the league.NOT: Dynasties. Four straight Cup winners such as the Montreal Canadiens and New York Islanders are a thing of the past.HOT: Gary Bettman. The honeymoon continues with the league&rsquo;s new commissioner.NOT: Gil Stein. Hall of Fame, optional helmets and non-game day suspensions. Enough said. &#9632;

f0046-01

HOT? NOT!

<div class="byline">BY JAY GREENBERG</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0048-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0048-01531/10249480-1-eng-US/f0048-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Can Detroit expect to win the Stanley Cup with Tim Cheveldae in goal? (Claus Anderson)</figcaption></div>Each fall, I gaze into the heavens for celestial signs of hockey&rsquo;s future. Alas, the North Star has blinked out and I can no longer get my bearings.I searched the constellations, but The Hunter was missing, although there was a sign promising his return in 21 games. No matter which sign of the zodiac I tried, it told me only that this is the year Pluto will intersect with Stu Grimson.Next I attempted to read Marcel Aubut&rsquo;s palm, but it kept closing involuntarily. With my crystal ball packed away on a moving truck headed for Dallas, I tried to substitute the chromed dome of Jack Gordon. However, there was nothing inside.Thus, armed with no greater sense of anticipation than Shawn Cronin, I am stuck with making 50 predictions for 1993-94.Here goes&hellip;1. Stephane Beauregard will be traded from the Winnipeg Jets back to the Philadelphia Flyers.2. Beauregard will be traded from Philadelphia back to Winnipeg.3. The trade sending Beauregard from Philadelphia back to Winnipeg will be voided, moving him back to Philadelphia.4. The Pittsburgh Penguins will condescend to allow their coach, Ed Johnston, unlike Scotty Bowman, to come on the ice for practice. But he has to promise not to make them do anything.5. The New York Rangers will not find Mike Keenan a barrel of laughs while they resume being one of the best teams in the league.6. As Chris Chelios and Ray Bourque take a step down in their games, Kevin Hatcher will take one up and win the Norris.7. Hellfires will bum from these intriguing player-coach relationships in 1993-94: Keenan and Ed Olczyk. Bowman and Paul Coffey.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0049-01519/10249473-1-eng-US/f0049-012.jpg" title="f0049-01" width="2703" height="3584"><figcaption class="caption-body">Kevin Hatcher Washington Capitals (Dan Hamilton)</figcaption></div>8. The Detroit Red Wings will not pin their Stanley Cup hopes on Tim Cheveldae.9. When the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim get off to a 1-16-2 start, Michael Eisner will fire coach Ron Wilson and replace him with Dean Jones.10. In South Florida, the first visiting coach to send a post-game runner to the home dressing room for a copy of the game tape will be told he&rsquo;ll have to have it back by 5 p.m. the next day, or there will be a $2 charge for a second night. The first two goals against the Florida Panthers, however, will be free with each video club membership.11. The Tampa Bay Lightning, who were amazingly competitive in their first year, will become this year&rsquo;s San Jose Sharks.12. Last year&rsquo;s Ottawa Senators will be this year&rsquo;s Panthers.13. This year&rsquo;s Ducks will be last year&rsquo;s Senators.14. This year&rsquo;s Sharks will be last year&rsquo;s Sharks.15. Next year&rsquo;s Panthers will be this year&rsquo;s Senators.16. It will be a minimum of six years before you can tell any of those teams apart.17. Toronto Maple Leafs&rsquo; coach Pat Burns will finally submit to hemorrhoid surgery, completely changing his behind-the-bench personality.18. The playoff success of the longmaned Barry Melrose will inspire a hair revolution among NHL coaches. Brian Sutter will show tor the season-opener in a bout-fant. Scotty Bowman will go with an afro. Pat Quinn will adopt the Moe Howard look. Dallas Stars&rsquo; coach Bob Gainey will decide to honor the heroes of the Alamo by wearing a coonskin cap.19. When his Hall of Fame election is overturned because of a conflict of interest, former NHL president Gil Stein will settle for a waxed statue a Ripley&rsquo;s Believe It Or Not Museum.<blockquote class="pullQuote">Big surprise: Washington will flop in playoffs.</blockquote>20. Teams whose success were driven by superior performances by rookie players last season-the New York Islanders and Jets-will slip backwards. That second year is a killer.21. Good players who will bounce back this season: Brian Leetch, John MacLean, Nicklas Lidstrom, Pat Falloon, Gary Roberts.22. Good players who will mature into stars this season: Robert Reichel, Geoff Sanderson, Petr Nedved, Rob Blake and Mike Modano.23. If Wayne Gretzky stays a Los Angeles King, some people in the club&rsquo;s hierarchy whom he does not like will have to go.24. If the changes Doug Risebrough must make do not work, he will be gone whether anybody with the Calgary Flames likes him or not.25. Solid defensemen will continue to be in short supply in the NHL, leaving the teams with young, good ories-the Islanders, Los Angeles, Dallas, and Montreal Canadi-ens-in good shape for the long haul.26. The Quebec Nordiques will win the Northeast Division.27. Pittsburgh will finish first in the Atlantic Division.26. Detroit will triumph in the Central Division.29. The Vancouver Canucks will win the Pacific Division.30. Even Gord Hynes is good enough to anchor the Philadelphia blueline to a playoff spot if Eric Lindros picks up his game on the road.31. The Leafs, who went a long way on defensive savvy and a lot of sweat in 199293, will have a hard time doing it again in 1993-94. And a hard time living with Bums if they don&rsquo;t.32. Are you sitting down? We&rsquo;re going off the deep end with this one: Those wildly unpredictable New Jersey Devils will finish within a few games of .500 and lose in the first round.33. Have you recovered from that one? Then try this: the St. Louis Blues will trade a lot of guys for a lot of of guys and finish fourth.34. Get the strait-jacket ready for me after this one: The Washington Capitals will finish second in the Atlantic and flop in the playoffs.35. Another wild hunch: Alexander Daigle and Alexei Yashin will provide a little bit more offensive contribution than Jamie Baker and Mark Lamb could. Ottawa will easily be the most improved team in the league.36. The effects of adding five teams in three seasons will drag down the level of regular-season play to levels not loathed since the late 1970s. The intense regular-season game will become a rare and wondrous phenomenon.37. This will be the final year the NHL will not punish fighting with a game misconduct. All right, maybe it won&rsquo;t happen next summer, but the dinosaurs are on borrowed time.38. If he&rsquo;s healthy, Mario Lemieux will break Gretzky&rsquo;s single-season point mark (215). If Lemieux can play 75 games, the record goes.39. The first two rounds of the playoffs will lose passion because of inter-divisional matchups.40. Chicago Stadium will close forever with one final, full-blast playing of Star Spangled Banner. Not only will the organ blow the roof off the 65-year-old building, it will lift Bobby Hull&rsquo;s weave right off his head.41. Pittsburgh will unseat Montreal in the Eastern Conference final. Detroit will have too much for the Chicago Blackhawks in the Western Conference final.42. Pittsburgh will defeat Detroit in six games to win a third Stanley Cup in four years.<blockquote class="pullQuote">Hamilton will finally get a team: But will they take it?</blockquote>43. A player strike will be averted when the team owners open up the books to the players and show them that Herb Raglan makes $250,000 a year. &ldquo;I had no idea, it had gotten that far out of hand,&rdquo; NHL Players&rsquo; Association president Doug Wilson will apologize.44. Hartford will realize it can&rsquo;t afford to lose the Whalers and will do what&rsquo;s necessary to save them.45. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman will announce the league will continue to add two teams per year until somebody finally takes Reggie Savage in an expansion draft.46. The league will commission an audit of Winnipeg&rsquo;s statistics to determine whether any improprieties exist in Phil Housley&rsquo;s numbers. Indeed, they conclude that the 97-point, minus-14 season he recorded in 199293 is a mathematical impossibility. Housley, caught up ice, will be unable to attend the hearing.47. Vancouver will be forced to go into the playoffs without the services of superstar Pavel Bure, who will vanish into thin air in the middle of breakaway during an April 5 game at San Jose. Scientific readings will indicate that Bure may have reached the speed of light.48. The general manager of the Sharks will be fired as soon as owners George and Gordon Gund figure out who he is.49. Thomas Steen will turn down an offer to complete his career with Ambri-Piotta of Switzerland to stay with the Jets. &ldquo;This way I still get to complete my career in Europe,&rdquo; Steen will explain.50. Unable to reach a long-term agreement with Edmonton Northlands, Oilers&rsquo; owner Peter Pocklington will announce he is leaving Edmonton and moving his team to Hamilton. &ldquo;I guess we&rsquo;ll take them,&rdquo; Hamilton mayor Bob Morrow will say, &ldquo;but we really had our hearts set on an NHL team.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0050-01_ad/10249466-1-eng-US/f0050-01_ad2.jpg" title="f0050-01_Ad" width="2389" height="1626"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0051-01_ad/10249459-1-eng-US/f0051-01_ad2.jpg" title="f0051-01_Ad" width="2345" height="1656"></div> &#9632;

f0048-01

FUTURE 50

<div class="byline">BY STEVE DRYDEN</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0052-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0052-01401/10249546-1-eng-US/f0052-012.jpg"></div>The biggest winners of realignmen this season are destined to be the New Jersey Devils, eastern sea board travel agents and the NHL&rsquo;! paying customers.New Jersey is sure to profit from the Pitts burgh Penguins&rsquo; move from the Atlantic (nee Patrick) to Northeast Division (net Adams).The Devils played Pittsburgh nine times ir 1992-93. No team played the powerhouse Penguins more often; no team lost as often-six times-to the former two-time Stanley Cup champions.If not for its monthly encounter with Mario Lemieux, New Jersey would not have been on the horns of a playoff dilemma as the regular season wound down. Lemieux earned 21 points in eight games against the Devils and New Jersey finished just four points ahead of the late-charging Philadelphia Flyers.Realignment and a rational schedule-il took a degree in higher mathematics to figure out the logic in last year&rsquo;s NHL datebook-means New Jersey and Pittsburgh will play just four times as conference rivals this season.It&rsquo;s unlikely two teams will ever meet as many as nine times again during the regular season. The 1993-94 maximum is seven in the Western Conference and six in the Eastern Conference. That&rsquo;s just one result of the NHL&rsquo;s new schedule that places more emphasis on balanced play in conferences than divisions.Another is expected to be a meaningful regular season.At least that&rsquo;s the theory behind a new conference playoff format. Eight teams per conference still qualify, but it&rsquo;s not a matter of finishing in the top four of your division any longer. Instead, division winners are automatically seeded first and second and the remaining six teams qualify-all on the basis of overall points. If all works out as planned, fans throughout the league should be rewarded for their interest during a regular season that now lasts 1,092 games.Divisional games have traditionally been the most hotly contested because they have a direct impact on the playoff race. Now every conference game has potential impact. East teams play intra-division rivals five times, intra-conference rivals four times and interconference rivals twice. The West ratio is six-four-two. Additionally, each team plays two joint-venture games with the emphasis on intra-di vision play.&ldquo;You&rsquo;ll have more big games during the regular season,&rdquo; said Washington Capitals&rsquo; general manager David Poile. &ldquo;Our games against the Quebec Nordiques are going to be every bit as important as our games against the Philadelphia Flyers.&rdquo;Quebec and Philadelphia are in different divisions, but share membership with Washington in the 14-team Eastern Conference. There are only 12 teams in the Western Conference, a matter of some consternation for Poile.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0054-01388/10249539-1-eng-US/f0054-012.jpg" title="f0054-01" width="1605" height="2700"><figcaption class="caption-body">Brian Bradley and the Tampa Bay Lightning replace Mario Lemieux and the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Atlantic Division. The Penguins move to the Northeast. (Dan Hamilton)</figcaption></div>&ldquo;What really hasn&rsquo;t been talked about is that we do not have equal conferences,&rdquo; Poile said. Sixty-six per cent (eight) of Western teams make the playoffs this season while 57 per cent of Eastern clubs will qualify.This is supposed to be a temporary circumstance. The NHL is scheduled to add two teams before the turn of the century-one reason Hartford Whalers&rsquo; GM Brian Burke is not alarmed by the difference in numbers.&ldquo;This is great for hockey,&rdquo; Burke said. &ldquo;As for the imbalance, I think that will be addressed as we expand further.&rdquo;Even in this era of unprecedented parity, though, not all teams are legitimate contenders. The reality is 14 teams won&rsquo;t be competing for eight places in the east playoffs. You can count out the expansion Florida Panthers and woeful Ottawa Senators in the east.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0056-01319/10249532-1-eng-US/f0056-012.jpg" title="f0056-01" width="2377" height="1590"><figcaption class="caption-body">Central to the Winnipeg Jets&rsquo; Central Division hopes will be Teemu Selanne, who scored 76 goals in his rookie season. (Brian Winkler/BBS)</figcaption></div>The second-year Tampa Bay Lightning and rebuilding Hartford Whalers are also prodigious underdogs. Ten teams, then, will probably battle for eight places. The brand new Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and improving San Jose Sharks can be ignored in the west and the Edmonton Oilers are longshot candidates for the annual spring fling. That means nine teams will be fighting for eight berths.It&rsquo;s assured, however, they will be the right eight teams-or close to it. Last year was something of a fluke when the top 16 teams in the overall standings-and first eight in each conference-reached the playoffs. The previous two seasons, three non-playoff teams had more points than conference rivals who made the playoffs.The new system will prevent that from happening in the same conference, but not the entire league. A non-playoff Eastern Conference team could still finish with more points than a Western Conference playoff club and vice-versa.Inequities, either in or out of the conferences, don&rsquo;t bother Burke. &ldquo;The toughest division last season, night in and night out, was the Patrick,&rdquo; Burke said. &ldquo;Bringing that level of play in is not good for us (the Whalers) in terms of our playoff aspirations. But I hope as a general manager; I think longer term than that. You&rsquo;ve got to think what&rsquo;s good for the league and what&rsquo;s good for your franchise over a five-or 10-year period. Not what&rsquo;s good over the next 12 months. Obviously, you hope that your owner sees it that way.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0057-01297/10249525-1-eng-US/f0057-012.jpg" title="f0057-01" width="1503" height="697"></div>The ultimate winner is supposed to be the fan, particularly in the Eastern Conference where there is a decidedly higher concentration of star players. There are about 20 big-name players in the Northeast and Atlantic Divisions, compared to about a dozen in the Central and Pacific Divisions.More to the point, with the stakes increased by the one-through-eight conference playoff format, there will be fewer soft spots in the schedule, fewer places to hide and fewer places to make up lost efforts. &ldquo;I think it will be more competitive game in and game out,&rdquo; said Buffalo Sabres&rsquo; GM Gerry Meehan. &ldquo;The issues of injuries and travel fatigue may play a bigger part in determining playoff qualifiers.&rdquo;Expansion drafts have been held three straight years to stock five new teams, so most teams don&rsquo;t have considerable depth. Injuries could become be a large factor. So might travel, especially in the Atlantic Division, where teams are not accustomed to long road trips.With the addition of Tampa Bay and Florida, a round-trip has gone from 815 miles in the Patrick Division to 2,400 in theAtlantic. Meanwhile, the Winnipeg Jets departure and Mighty Ducks&rsquo; arrival in the Pacific has lopped off nearly 1,000 miles in that division.Long disadvantaged by the NHL&rsquo;s eastern tilt, Western teams will find themselves with an easier road this season. For the rest of the league, realignment means a more thrilling ride.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0056-02_ad2/10249518-1-eng-US/f0056-02_ad2.jpg" title="f0056-02_Ad" width="2375" height="1540"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0057-02_ad/10249511-1-eng-US/f0057-02_ad2.jpg" title="f0057-02_Ad" width="2457" height="1632"></div> &#9632;

f0052-01

SUDDEN IMPACT

<div class="byline">BY MURRAY TOWNSEND</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0059-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0059-01253/10249619-1-eng-US/f0059-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Steve Yzerman Detroit Red Wings (Bruce Bennett/BBS)</figcaption></div>Forget about raking leaves the afternoon of Sunday, Oct. 3. It will be the busiest, most important day of the season for thousands of hockey fans.That is the last Sunday before the NHL&rsquo;s opening night and a familiar scene will be played out that day around kitchen tables, rec rooms and bars all over North America-the hockey pool draft.The decisions you make on that day will determine whether you&rsquo;re counting your money or licking your wounds at the end of the season. The key to any successful draft is preparation. Following these steps-and consulting our list of the top 250 picks-will give you a huge advantage over your fellow pool-sters:&#9633; Pick your pool.Hockey pools come in all shapes and sizes and some are more sophisticated than others.The standard pool works much like the NHL entry draft. A draft of players is held and results are based strictly on the points accumulated by players that each participant has drafted.If you can&rsquo;t get everyone together at the same time for a draft, you might want to consider the office pool format. Each participant picks a number of players and forms his or her team. Results are also based on point totals.There are variations, such as grouping players of similar offensive potential and having participants choose one player from each group.You can also have a hockey twist on the popular baseball rotisserie league and bid on players. There are also fantasy leagues that hold a draft each year and games are played between participants each week. Results are based the performance of each participant&rsquo;s players that week.&#9633; Plan and Prepare.If you arrive at your draft armed only with last season&rsquo;s statistics, it&rsquo;s like going into battle with a water pistol.Most drafts take place just prior to the opening of the season. That&rsquo;s not the time to start working. Keep a close eye on player movement over the summer and make a point following training camp and the preseason. If you do that you can find out things such as who will be playing the power play, who the coach is counting on for increased production, who will play on the top line and who is playing well in the early going.Before the draft, make up a list of the players you want to select.&#9633; Use our top-250 ranking.The rankings we have provided should be used only as a guideline in selecting your players.Beside each player is the projected number of noints he would have earned had he played all 84 games last season. Next is the number of points he has scored per 84 games over his career. The final column lists the number of points we predict he will score this season. Asterisks indicate a player did not play in at least 25 games, either last season or in his career.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0060-01271/10249612-1-eng-US/f0060-012.jpg" title="f0060-01" width="1075" height="2470"><figcaption class="caption-body">Hard-rock left winger Kevin Stevens of the Pittsburgh Penguins should be good for 118 points this season. (Dan Hamilton)</figcaption></div>The primary factor taken into account for the predictions is, of course, past performance. Next is each team&rsquo;s depth chart. It doesn&rsquo;t matter how talented a player is if he doesn&rsquo;t get the opportunity to play an integral part in the team&rsquo;s offense.Other factors taken into account for the rankings were age, powerplay probability, first and second-half points last season, career history, potential and other general principles learned from years of trying to get it right.&#9633; Don&rsquo;t make your selections on blind faith.Just because a player had a monster season in 1992-93, it doesn&rsquo;t necessarily mean he&rsquo;ll duplicate the effort in &rsquo;93-94. By the same token, if a player struggled, he may bounce back.Everyone knows that if Wayne Gretzky returns to the Los Angeles Kings and is healthy, he&rsquo;ll be good for a lot more than the 65 points he recorded last season.But did you know that of Robert Reichel&rsquo;s 88 points last season, 53 of them were recorded in the second half?Another player to watch out for would be Mikael Nylander of the Hartford Whalers. The slick Swede had 20 points in his last 24 games. Sandis Ozolinsh of the San Jose Sharks spent much of last season hurt, but the Russian defenseman recorded 23 points in 37 games.Other players to watch for in the mid-to-late rounds are: Stu Barnes (Winnipeg), Valeri Kamensky (Quebec), Doug Weight (Edmonton), Patrick Poulin (Hartford) and Pat Falloon (San Jose).There are also some players who remain great choices, but you may not see them put up the numbers they did last season.One of them is Brian Bradley. He had a career year with 86 points, but 53 of them were scored in the first half of the season. Another is Kelly Kisio of the Sharks. He was counted on for lots of offense and delivered, but he&rsquo;ll be 34 this season and the Sharks will have a healthy Falloon, along with Sergei Makarov, Igor Larionov and Craig Simpson.Dale Hunter will miss the first 21 eames of the season with his suspension and Teemu Selanne, who scored 76 goals as a rookie with the Winnipeg Jets, is moving to the much tougher and tighter-checking Central Division.Others who may falter: Dmitri Kvartalnov (Boston), Dino Ciccarelli (Detroit), Doug Gilmour (Toronto) and Alexander Mogilny (Buffalo).<h2>1993-94 PROJECTED TOP 250</h2>Picking Mario Lemieux to finish first in the scoring race is a no-brainer, but we tell you more than that; we tell you how many points he&rsquo;s going to score this regular season-201. Below is our list of the projected top 250 scorers in 1993-94. Listed are rank, 1992-93 point total, NHL career average per 84 games and 1993-94 projected point total. Asterisks beside veterans (i.e. Cam Neely) indicate he did not play 25 games last season; asterisks beside newcomers (i.e. Denny Felsner) indicate he has never played 25 games in a season.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0061-01240/10249605-1-eng-US/f0061-012.jpg" title="f0061-01" width="726" height="792"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0061-02165/10249598-1-eng-US/f0061-022.jpg" title="f0061-02" width="814" height="1425"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0061-03115/10249591-1-eng-US/f0061-032.jpg" title="f0061-03" width="635" height="1434"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0064-01219/10249584-1-eng-US/f0064-012.jpg" title="f0064-01" width="2483" height="3332"><figcaption class="caption-body">Phil Housley provides offense from defense: A great pool combination.</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0061-04_ad/10249577-1-eng-US/f0061-04_ad2.jpg" title="f0061-04_Ad" width="2214" height="1646"></div> &#9632;

f0059-01

POOL CLUES

<div class="byline">ADAM GRAVES</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0065-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0065-01223/10249671-1-eng-US/f0065-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">(Jim Leary/BBS)</figcaption></div>Leave it to the New York Rangers to win the Stanley Cup when they aren&rsquo;t supposed to.But that&rsquo;s exactly what will happen this season. The Rangers will end their 53-year Stanley Cup drought in 1993-94, one year after missing the playoffs.Think about it, the Rangers finished first overall in the regular season in 1991-92 and lost out in the playoffs to the eventual Cup winners, the Pittsburgh Penguins. And no team sustained injuries to more key players than the Rangers last season.The fact the Rangers slipped to last in the Patrick Division and out of the playoffs doesn&rsquo;t mean they&rsquo;re a bad team. They simply had a bad season.Doing what the Rangers will do is not without precedent. The Penguins, who are generally regarded as championship favorites this season, finished out of the playoffs before they won their first Stanley Cup in 1991.There isn&rsquo;t a team in the NHL that has more players with personal agendas to succeed-proving last season was a fluke-than the Rangers. And on the off-chance they need reminding you can count on new coach Mike Keenan to make sure they don&rsquo;t forget.Keenan, who signed a five-year contract with New York after stops in Philadelphia and Chicago, is not universally loved by his players, but he gets positive results. He, too, is looking for his first Stanley Cup.The Rangers have several areas of concern, such as the health of former MVP Mark Messier and Norris Trophy winner Brian Leetch. Can goalie Mike Richter and left winger Esa Tikkanen bounce back from seasons they&rsquo;d rather forget? But they also have enormous potential, so we&rsquo;re sticking with the Rangers to win their first Stanley Cup since 1940-even over the highly touted Penguins and Detroit Red Wings.Reports on the Rangers and the NHL&rsquo;s 25 other teams in our yearbook have been written by senior writer Mike Brophy.Included in each four-page team preview for the 24 teams from last season are the team&rsquo;s roster, 1993 entry draft picks, a player to watch this season, the organization&rsquo;s top 10 prospects (listed alphabetically) and various 1993-94 statistical rankings-including goals by defensemen, forwards and rookies, average penalty minutes per game, average attendance, power-play and penalty-killing efficiency.Features on the two expansion teams-the Florida Panthers and Mighty Ducks of Anaheim-include a position-by-position analysis. Report cards on the Ducks and Panthers are not provided because of roster uncertainty during the off-season.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0066-01225/10249664-1-eng-US/f0066-012.jpg" title="f0066-01" width="571" height="579"></div><h2>1993-94 TEAM REPORT CARD</h2><h3>A Teams A</h3>Detroit Red Wings AMontreal Canadiens APittsburgh Penguins A<h3>Better Than.500 B</h3>New York Islanders B+New York Rangers B+Chicago Blackhawks B+Vancouver Canucks B+Washington Capitals B+Buffalo Sabres BNew JerseyDevils BQuebec Nordiques BToronto Maple Leafs BWinnipeg Jets BBoston Bruins BCalgaryFlames BLosAngeles Kings BSt. Louis Blues B<h3>Could Be Better C</h3>Dallas Stars C+Philadelphia Flyers C+Hartford Whalers C<h3>Done Like Dinner D</h3>Edmonton Oilers D+Ottawa Senators DSan Jose Sharks DTampa Bay Lightning D<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0066-02140/10249657-1-eng-US/f0066-022.jpg" title="f0066-02" width="739" height="1094"><figcaption class="caption-body">Kirk Muller&rsquo;s Montreal Canadiens are one of the NHL&rsquo;s top three teams.</figcaption></div><h2>YOUR GUIDE TO ABBREVIATIONS</h2>Record: W-wins; L-losses; T-ties; Pts-points, Pct.-winning percentage. Entry draft: No.-overall pick; Pos.-position. Roster: No.-sweater number; Ht.-height; Wt-weight. 1992-93 Statistics: &rsquo;-rookie; GP-games played, G-goals, A-assists, P-points; PIM-Penalty minutes; +/-, plus-minus.<h3>LEAGUES</h3>Alberta Jr. Hockey League (AJHL); American Hockey League (AHL); British Columbia Jr. Hockey League (BCJHL); Canada West Universities Athletic Association (CWUAA); Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA); East Coast Hockey League (ECHL); Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC); Hockey East (HE); International Hockey League (IHL); Manitoba Jr. Hockey League (MJHL); Metro Toronto Jr. B Hockey League (MTJHL); Midwestern Ontario Jr. Hockey League (MOJHL); New England Jr. Hockey League (NEJHL); North American Jr. Hockey League (NAJHL); Ontario Hockey League (OHL); Ontario Universities Athletic Association (OUAA); Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL); Saskatchewan Jr. Hockey League (SJHL); United States Jr. Hockey League (USJHL); Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA); Western Hockey League (WHL).<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0066-03_ad/10249650-1-eng-US/f0066-03_ad2.jpg" title="f0066-03_Ad" width="2383" height="896"></div> &#9632;

f0065-01

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE TEAMS

<div class="byline">PAUL KARIYA</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0067-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0067-01162/10249744-1-eng-US/f0067-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">(Brian Winkler/BBS)</figcaption></div>Coming to an NHL arena near you soon: Disney on ice.With the roster that the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim have, they won&rsquo;t be near as entertaining as the movies made by their owner, the Disney Co. But that&rsquo;s to be expected with an expansion outfit.Aside from having solid ownership, the Ducks have a reputable hockey department led by general manager Jack Ferreira, who steered the San Jose Sharks through a very successful expansion season.Assistant GM Pierre Gauthier helped build the Quebec Nordiques into the team they are and Ron Wilson is one of the league&rsquo;s bright young coaches.Goaltending: The Mighty Ducks don&rsquo; have a clear-cut favorite to be their No. I goalie and that&rsquo;s just fine with them. A lit tie healthy competition between Rot Tugnutt, formerly of the Edmonton Oilers and former St. Louis Blue Guy Hebert should keep both on their toes.Tugnutt, 26, has predominantly been backup goalie in his five-year NHL career although he carried the bulk of the load ire 1990-91 with the Quebec Nordiques. Hi; 45-96-21 record is more a reflection of the poor teams he has played for than his alibi ty to stop pucks.With little chance of unseating Curtii Joseph as the No. 1 stopper with the Blues Hebert should get his share of action wilt the Ducks. He was 8-8-2 with a 3.67 goals-against average and .883 save percentage with one shutout last season. The Troy N.Y., native won 20 of 29 games with the Peoria Rivermen of the Internationa League the previous season.Defense: The Mighty Ducks find themselves with an abundance of left defensemen, but are shallow on the right side.So either Alexei Kasatonov, Bill Houldei or Randy Ladouceur may have to switch sides to join Sean Hill.Kasatonov, the 34-year-old Russian, is expected to anchor the Anaheim defense. A superbly conditioned athlete, he scored 31 goals and 119 points in 256 games with the New Jersey Devils.Houlder was selected the IHL&rsquo;s top defenseman last season after scoring 24 goals and 72 points in 62 games. He finished the campaign with the Buffalo Sabres, scoring three goals and eight points in 15 regular season games.Ladouceur&rsquo;s best days are behind him but the 6-foot-2, 220-pounder can still be trusted in his own zone with limited playing time. He&rsquo;s a former captain with the Hartford Whalers.Anaheim took a flyer on minor-leaguei Bobby Dollas, who has played 170 careei NHL games with the Winnipeg Jets, Quebec and Detroit Red Wings. They also signed free agent Myles O&rsquo;Connor, who has played 38 games in three seasons with New Jersey.Forwards: The cry through the NHL will be, &ldquo;Stop Terry Yake and you stop the Mighty Ducks.&rdquo; The 25-year-old Yake. enjoyed a productive campaign with Hartford last season, scoring 22 goals in 66 games and had the highest shooting percentage on his team at 22.4. Former New York Rangers&rsquo; left winger Steven King and ex-Vancouver Canuck center Anatoli Semenov will also be counted on for goals.King managed seven goals (five on the power play) and 12 points in 24 games last season as well as 35 goals and 68 points in 53 games with the Binghamton Rangers of the American League.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0068-01175/10249737-1-eng-US/f0068-012.jpg" title="f0068-01" width="1526" height="2261"><figcaption class="caption-body">Former St. Louis Blues&rsquo; backup Guy Hebert will battle it out with formel Edmonton Oiler Ron Tugnutt for the No. 1 goaltending job in Anaheim. (Tim Parker)</figcaption></div>Semenov had 12 goals and 49 points in 75 games, but managed just a goal and three assists in 12 playoff games.The Ducks&rsquo; top draft choice in the 1993 entry draft, Paul Kariya, will likely join the team after he returns from the Olympics, where he&rsquo;ll represent Canada.The Ducks took a chance on a few players who have NHL experience, but have yet to live up to their potential.Jarrod Skalde, the 26th pick in the 1989 entry draft, was unable to make it in New Jersey. In 27 big-league games he produced just two goals and seven points.The Ducks dipped into the free-agent market and got what they hope is a diamond in the rough in center Shaun Van Allen. He managed just a goal and four assists in a 21-game audition with Edmonson, but did produce 76 points in 43 games with the Cape Breton Oilers of the AHL. he season before, he led the AHL in scoring with 113 points.The first opposing player who makes a joke about the Mighty Ducks&rsquo; goofy nicklame will have to deal with the likes of leavyweights Stu (The Grim Reaper) Srimson and Jim Thomson. A pair of fourth-liners last season, Grimson had 198 penalty minutes in 78 games with the Chicago Blackhawks and Thomson 99 minutes. in 24 games with the Los Angeles Kings.In reality, both players will be as hairdresser for ice-time with Anaheim as they were with their previous teams.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0069-01149/10249730-1-eng-US/f0069-012.jpg" title="f0069-01" width="2404" height="2415"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0069-02_ad2/10249723-1-eng-US/f0069-02_ad2.jpg" title="f0069-02_Ad" width="2289" height="852"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0070-01_ad/10249716-1-eng-US/f0070-01_ad2.jpg" title="f0070-01_Ad" width="2342" height="1544"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0070-02_ad3/10249709-1-eng-US/f0070-02_ad2.jpg" title="f0070-02_Ad" width="1172" height="1712"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0070-03_ad/10249702-1-eng-US/f0070-03_ad2.jpg" title="f0070-03_Ad" width="1178" height="1702"></div> &#9632;

f0067-01

ANAHEIM MIGHTY DUCKS

<div class="byline">ADAM OATES</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0071-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0071-01148/10249803-1-eng-US/f0071-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">(Tim Parker)</figcaption></div>The trail to the Stanley Cup came to an unexpected and abrupt end for the Boston Bruins last season.The Wales Conference finalists the last three seasons were beached in an embarrassing first-round sweep by the Buffalo Sabres. It was the Sabres&rsquo; first playoff series victory in 10 years.The Bruins are the NHL&rsquo;s model of consistency, with 26 consecutive seasons in the playoffs and a plus-.500 record. But they have shown the same consistency in losing Stanley Cups. They haven&rsquo;t won since 1972.Time is running out for Ray Bourque to win the big prize. If the veteran is to help Boston win the Cup, it will have to be soon.1992-93 record: 51-26-7, first in Adams, second overall, lost division semifinal 4-0 to Buffalo Sabres.Three pivotal factors: 1. Cam Neely&rsquo;s health. Neely has played only 22 games the last two seasons and in the 17 regular-season and playoff games he played last year, he had 15 goals. The Bruins were 9-3-1 when he wasn&rsquo;t out with his knee injury. They missed his leadership and competitiveness when he was out.2. Goaltending. Andy Moog had the worst save percentage of any starting goalies in last year&rsquo;s playoffs (.791), so he was dealt to the Dallas Stars for Jon Casey. Casey, who has been plagued by inconsistency the last two seasons, must find his game or the deal will be a steal for the Stars.3. Bourque&rsquo;s contribution. After 13 years of consistent excellence, a few cracks in Bourque&rsquo;s armor surfaced last season. He started slowly, but finished with 19 goals and 82 points. Bourque is key for the Bruins to succeed.New players: Casey, G; Jon Rohloff, D; Bryan Smolinski, C; Jozef Stumpel, LW; Sergei Zholtok, LW.Breakthrough player: Right winger Glen Murray, the Bruins&rsquo; first draft pick in 1991, begins his second full season as a pro. He produced 30 goals and 56 points in 48 games for Providence of the American League last season, but had only seven points in 27 NHL games.Diminishing returns: Defenseman Glen Featherstone was supposed to bring to the Bruins what Marty McSorley did to the Los Angeles Kings and Steve Smith to the Chicago Black-hawks-a little toughness and respect on the blueline-when he was signed as a free agent two years ago. But he has played just 41 games two seasons because of injuries.State of goaltending: Can Casey return to form? The Bruins are counting on it, although they also have faith in John Blue, who they signed to a two-year contract. Casey, who was the No. 1 goalie for the Minnesota North Stars the past five seasons, had a career season in 1988-89 (3122-4) but his won-loss record has been below .500 since (66-69-21). The Bruins were happy with Blue&rsquo;s advancement to a solid No. 2 goalie and expect him to challenge Casey.Most pressing need: Scoring from the left wing. The club&rsquo;s highest scoring natural left winger was defensive specialist Dave Reid (2016-36 in 65 games). Right winger Steve Leach and center Joe Juneau were moved to the portside, but serve the team better at their natural positions.Underachiever: The Bruins have been waiting for defenseman Glen Wesley, 25, to blossom into a star since he scored 19 goals and 54 points in his sophomore season in 1988-89. Wesley argues Ray Bourque is given the prime offensive opportunities, but the Bruins want him to prove he deserves more.Overachiever: Reid&rsquo;s career was in jeopardy when the Toronto Maple Leafs dumped him after the 1990-91 season-during which he tied the team record for most shorthanded goals in a season with eight. The Bruins, who originally drafted Reid in 1982, brought him back and he has become a valuable twoway performer who is still one of the league&rsquo;s premier penalty killers.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0072-01149/10249796-1-eng-US/f0072-012.jpg" title="f0072-01" width="1919" height="2478"><figcaption class="caption-body">The Bruins would be best served if they moved Joe Juneau back to center.</figcaption></div>Coach/GM: It is Harry Sinden&rsquo;s goal as general manager is to keep the Bruins competitive year after year. In that regard he is successful, but he has his critics. &ldquo;Harry doesn&rsquo;t try to win anything; he just tries not to lose,&rdquo; said a rival GM. Head coach Brian Sutter, a no-nonsense type, was runner-up for the Jack Adams Award as NHL coach of the year last season, his first with the Bruins. But many argue a big reason why the Bruins lost was Sutter had them so tense they couldn&rsquo;t execute.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0073-01139/10249789-1-eng-US/f0073-012.jpg" title="f0073-01" width="2442" height="3278"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0074-01140/10249782-1-eng-US/f0074-012.jpg" title="f0074-01" width="2352" height="2345"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0074-02_ad3/10249775-1-eng-US/f0074-02_ad2.jpg" title="f0074-02_Ad" width="2356" height="889"></div> &#9632;

f0071-01

BOSTON BRUINS

<div class="byline">PAT LaFONTAINE</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0075-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0075-01121/10249862-1-eng-US/f0075-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">(Jim Leary/BBS)</figcaption></div>It was tough getting an accurate reau on me Buffalo Sabres last season. They looked terrible down the stretch, then won their first playoff series in 10 years with a four-game sweep, then lost in four straight games to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Montreal Canadiens.Where does that leave them? Are the Sabres ready to enter the league&rsquo;s upper echelon or are they doomed to another season of mediocrity?There is reason to suggest the Sabres are indeed inching closer to being a serious contender with both size and speed up front. The downside is they are terribly shallow on defense and there are nagging doubts about goalie Grant Fuhr&rsquo;s ability and durability.1992-93 record: 38-36-10, fourth in Adams, 15th overall, lost division final 4-0 to Montreal Canadiens.Three pivotal factors: 1. Alexander Mogilny&rsquo;s return from injury. Mogilny&rsquo;s breakthrough season came to an abrupt end when he broke his right leg and sustained ligament damage in the second round of the playoffs. Mogilny must bounce back and score at or near the same pace as last season when he tied with Teemu Selanne of the Winnipeg Jets for the league lead in goals with 76.2. Grant Fuhr&rsquo;s goaltending. Fuhr&rsquo;s playoff mirrored the latter part of his career: He was brilliant in the first round against the Bruins, brutal in the second against the Canadiens. Observers say he must work harder on conditioning (golfing doesn&rsquo;t count), something he has not been known to take very seriously in the past, to get back to the top of his game.3. Depth at forward. The Sabres rely heavily on Mogilny and Pat LaFontaine but after that deadly duo, there&rsquo;s a big drop off in scoring potential. Perhaps if Dale Haw-erchuk can parlay a strong playoff-five goals and 14 points in eight games-into a good regular season, the Sabres won&rsquo;t have to make a trade for a forward and can concentrate on defense.New players: Matthew Barnaby, LW; Jason Dawe, RW; Markus Ketterer, G; Dean Melanson, D; Denis Tsygurov, D.Breakthrough player: Having established himself as a physical force, Brad May can now concentrate on helping out more on offense. The Sabres envision him as a consistent 20-30 goal scorer, but so far he hasn&rsquo;t come close to that total. He had only 26 points (13 goals) in 82 games last season.Diminishing returns: The Sabres paid a steep price to acquire Fuhr-two frontline players and a first round draft choice from the Toronto Maple Leafs-and are committed to starting the season with him as their No. 1 goalie. His unpredictable play, though, is enough to drive a coach crazy.State of goaltending: The Sabres expect Fuhr to play 50-60 games in 199394, so the real battle will be among Dominik Hasek, Tom Draper and Finnish import Ketterer for the backup role. The Sabres are high on Ketterer because of his significant international experience. Ketterer has spent the past two seasons with Jokerit, champions of the Finnish Elite League.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0076-01135/10249855-1-eng-US/f0076-012.jpg" title="f0076-01" width="1937" height="2488"><figcaption class="caption-body">The Sabres are hoping Grant Fuhr can bounce back after a so-so playoff. (Tim Parker)</figcaption></div>Most pressing need: The Sabres could use a big, stay-athome defenseman, someone like former captain Mike Ramsay whom they dealt to the Pittsburgh Penguins last season. Complicating matters is the fact that offensive-defenseman Petr Svoboda had reconstructive right knee surgery and it isn&rsquo;t known how effective he&rsquo;ll be upon returning.Underachiever: A spectacular playoff can&rsquo;t erase the fact Hawerchuk scored just 16 goals in 81 regular season games-the first time in his 12-year career he failed to hit the 20-goal plateau and just the third time he failed to hit 30. He remains a splendid set-up man, but the Sabres need him to score more often. Hawerchuk has scored just 70 times in 238 games over the past three seasons.Overachiever: The Sabres weren&rsquo;t sure what to expect from Czech rookie defenseman Richard Smehlik, but they were pleasantly surprised when he stepped in and played a regular shift. He displayed quiet confidence working the point on die power play and he played a solid game in his own end.Coach/GM: Longtime hockey man John Muckier has shared in the decisionmaking process since his arrival from Edmonton and was officially named coach-GM during the off-season. Ex-GM Gerry Meehan is the new executive vice-president for sports operations.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0077-01132/10249848-1-eng-US/f0077-012.jpg" title="f0077-01" width="2473" height="3280"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0078-01129/10249841-1-eng-US/f0078-012.jpg" title="f0078-01" width="2322" height="2312"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0078-02_ad2/10249834-1-eng-US/f0078-02_ad2.jpg" title="f0078-02_Ad" width="2364" height="891"></div> &#9632;

f0075-01

BUFFALO SABRES

<div class="byline">THEOREM FLEURY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0079-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0079-01115/10249921-1-eng-US/f0079-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">(Tim Parker)</figcaption></div>The Calgary Flames are rebuilding one step at a time.After missing the playoffs in 1992 and dropping 26 points in the standings-just three years after winning the Stanley Cup-they participated in the 1993 spring tournament, but were bounced in the first round by the Los Angeles Kings in six games.The Flames have a decent talent base and there&rsquo;s no reason to believe they cannot once again be a contender.But if that is to happen, a few veterans are going to have to pick up their games or risk being moved. And the entire team must buy into coach Dave King&rsquo;s defensive system.1992-93 record: 43-30-11, second in Smythe, lost division semifinal 4-2 to Los Angeles Kings.Three pivotal factors: 1. A healthy Gary Roberts. The Flames need their talented left winger healthy for the entire season to contend in the offensive-minded Pacific Division. His goal and five assists in six playoff games after missing two months with a serious thigh injury offers some real hope.2. Team defense. Not too long ago, the Flames believed they could turn on the offense and score at will with a bewitching tweak of the nose. Defense really didn&rsquo;t matter. But that theory faded last season under King and more concentration on keeping the opposition in check is required in 1993-94.3. Leadership. It became an area of concern when the Flames lost veteran center Brian Skrudland in the expansion draft. They had hoped to have him back, but gambled by leaving him unprotected and he was taken by the Florida Panthers for-you guessed it-his leadership abilities. Roberts is the logical candidate to pick up the slack, but he can&rsquo;t do it alone.New players: Ted Drury, C; Cory Stillman, C; German Titov, C; Vesa Viitakoski, LW.Breakthrough player: Drury is just a rookie, but he was drafted in 1989 and the Flames have waited patiently while he competed for Harvard and the U. S. Olympic team. The Flames were aggressive in convincing him to forego the 1994 Olympics to join them for the upcoming season.Diminishing returns: Michel Petit has played for five coaches in 10 professional seasons and none have been able to teach him the finer points of the game. He remains an aggressive player, but his defensive lapses often prove costly to the team.State of goaltending: Mike Vernon remains the No. 1 goalie, but how long can the Flames deny Andrei Trefilov and Trevor Kidd the opportunity to challenge for the position? Kidd is still young at 22, but Trefilov, at 24, needs to make the move soon. One of those two will be expected to step in and take over the backup role from Jeff Reese. The Flames tried to unload Reese in the expansion draft, but were not successful.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0080-01115/10249914-1-eng-US/f0080-012.jpg" title="f0080-01" width="1896" height="2494"><figcaption class="caption-body">Mike Vernon is still the top goalie but a pair of kids are nipping at his heels.</figcaption></div>Most pressing need: Scoring up front. After Theoren Fleury, Robert Reichel, Roberts and Joe Nieuwendyk, there&rsquo;s a big drop. Paul Ranheim could be the team&rsquo;s next big scorer, but he was pigeonholed into a defensive role last season.Underachiever: Nieuwendyk failed to hit the 40-goal plateau for the second straight season after turning the trick the first four years of his career. Still considered a valuable member of the Flames by his teammates, Nieuwendyk was almost dealt at the entry draft. The large center needs a big-number season to re-establish himself as an untouchable in the organization.Overachiever: Defensive blueliner Chris Dahlquist did a splendid job for the Flames, offering instruction and inspiration in the art of shot blocking. He may not be well-known around the league, but the Flames appreciate him.Coach/GM: Doug Risebrough, entering his third season as general manager, is still reluctant to make a big deal after the dreadful 10-player trade that saw Doug Gilmour go to the Toronto Maple Leafs for Gary Leeman. The team was receptive to King&rsquo;s innovations, such as using two forwards and three defensemen periodically. King&rsquo;s immediate goal was to improve the team&rsquo;s level of discipline and he made modest inroads: Calgary went from being the most penalized team in the NHL to 18th last season.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0081-01125/10249907-1-eng-US/f0081-012.jpg" title="f0081-01" width="2433" height="3308"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0082-01116/10249900-1-eng-US/f0082-012.jpg" title="f0082-01" width="2292" height="2317"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0082-02_ad3/10249893-1-eng-US/f0082-02_ad2.jpg" title="f0082-02_Ad" width="2330" height="900"></div> &#9632;

f0079-01

CALGARY FLAMES

<div class="byline">JOE MURPHY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0083-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0083-01104/10249980-1-eng-US/f0083-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">(Jim Leary/BBS)</figcaption></div>The Chicago Blackhawks recorded the third best regular season of any NHL team a year ago, but they entered the post-season as the lowest-scoring team in the playoffs.It killed them. They were swept by the St. Louis Blues in the first round. They scored six goals and were shut out twice. Blues&rsquo; goalie Curtis Joseph was spectacular, but the sweep further illustrated the Blackhawks&rsquo; desperate need for more scoring punch.With Vezina Trophy winner Ed Belfour in goal and Norris Trophy winner Chris Che-lios on defense, the Blackhawks are set behind the blueline. And center Jeremy Roenick is among the best at his position. It&rsquo;s the supporting cast that needs help.1992-93 record: 47-25-12, first in Norris, third overall, lost division semifinal 4-0 to St. Louis Blues.Three pivotal factors: 1. Offensive depth. The Blackhawks&rsquo; 279 goals represented the sixth-lowest offensive output in the league last season. And of the team&rsquo;s top four scorers, two were defensemen-Chris Chelios (73 points) and Steve Smith (57 points). The team&rsquo;s third-leading scorer, ironman Steve Larmer, demanded to be traded in the off-season and may not be back.2. Team discipline. A team that doesn&rsquo;t score often shouldn&rsquo;t spend so much time playing shorthanded. The Blackhawks were die NHL&rsquo;s most penalized team last season, averaging 28.5 penalty minutes per game.3. Special teams. The Blackhawks ranked second in the league killing penalties, but in four playoff games, allowed seven power-play goals. They were 16th on die power play during the regular season.New players: Adam Bennett, D; Ivan Droppa, D; Jeff Hackett, G; Sergei Kri-v&rsquo;okrasov, LW; Jeff Shantz, C.Breakthrough player: This is a make ir break season for left winger Stephane Vlatteau. The Hawks think he has 25-goal potential, but last season he managed just 15, matching his rookie total-and career high-from two seasons ago. They would also like the 6-foot-3, 195-pounder to play more aggressively.Diminishing returns: Take your pick. The best days of Michel Goulet, Dirk Graham, Greg Gilbert, Troy Murray and Keith Brown have all passed, although a few in that group can still contribute on a lesser level.State of goal-tending: Belfour is to NHL goaltending what Roger Maris was to baseball homerun hitters. He does the job but doesn&rsquo;t get the respect he deserves. The Fab Flopper led the NHL in shutouts (seven), was second in goals-against average (2.59) and wins (41) and was third in save percentage (.906). Jeff Hackett, obtained from the San Jose Sharks in a trade, is a competent backup despite his scary numbers-2-30-1 record and 5.28 GAA with the woeful Sharks last season. Hackett should be able to share more of the load during the season so Belfour isn&rsquo;t burned out by the time the playoffs roll around.Most pressing need: High-scoring offensive talent. The Hawks desperately need a scoring winger to take the pressure off Larmer, should he choose to return, and a second line center to complement Jeremy Roenick. That would allow Brent Sutter to drop back where he belongs-on third-line duty.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0084-01107/10249973-1-eng-US/f0084-012.jpg" title="f0084-01" width="1957" height="2490"><figcaption class="caption-body">Veteran Chris Chelios anchors one of the NHL&rsquo;s most dependable defense corps.</figcaption></div>Underachiever: Right winger Brian Noonan has been given every opportunity to make it as an offensive contributor. It looked as though he was beginning to come through when he scored 19 goals in 65 games in 1991-92, but dipped to 16 in 63 last season.Overachiever: After a few seasons of being considered little more than a thug and cheap-shot artist, defenseman Bryan Marchment has developed into a capable backliner. He still gets involved physically, but is less likely to go off the deep end at the drop of a glove. What the Blackhawks liked best about him last season was his improved decision making with the puck in his own zone.Coach/GM: While he preached the same defensive strategies as previous coach Mike Keenan, Darryl Sutter used more tact in getting his message across. The Blackhawks responded with 106 points, 19 more than the season before. General manager Bob Pulford, who took over his old job when Keenan was fired early last season, remains one of the league&rsquo;s more cautious traders-too often worried about what he&rsquo;s giving away instead of what he gets in return.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0085-01102/10249966-1-eng-US/f0085-012.jpg" title="f0085-01" width="2461" height="3308"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0086-01111/10249959-1-eng-US/f0086-012.jpg" title="f0086-01" width="2339" height="2312"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0086-02_ad3/10249952-1-eng-US/f0086-02_ad2.jpg" title="f0086-02_Ad" width="2394" height="905"></div> &#9632;

f0083-01

CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS

<div class="byline">RUSS COURTNALL</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0087-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0087-01100/10250039-1-eng-US/f0087-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">(Marco Campaneli/BBS)</figcaption></div>The Stars moved out of Minnesota and into Dallas. Too bad they couldn&rsquo;t have left their troubles behind.Dallas inherits a team with a young forward who has yet to live up to expectations, a defense long on potential but short on depth and an aging goalie who needs to rebound from a bad playoff.The Stars reached the Stanley Cup finals in 1991, but since then reality has set in. They lost out in the first round of the 1992 playoffs and failed to make it into post-season play last spring.Selling hockey in a non-traditional hockey market and getting back on track on the ice are two mighty hurdles for the Stars to leap.1992-93 record: 36-38-10, fifth in Norris, 18th overall, missed playoffs.Three pivotal factors: 1. The new surroundings. We saw how poorly the Stars performed when it was announced they were moving from Minnesota to Dallas. They basically came apart at the seams. Now, how much will the actual move effect them? The uncertainly has now been eliminated and so have the excuses.2. Mike Modano&rsquo;s contribution. He&rsquo;s paid like a superstar ($1.95 million last season) but the 23-year-old center hasn&rsquo;t achieved that status on the ice. The problem is he doesn&rsquo;t get involved in the action on a nightly basis. Modano has the size (6-foot-3, 190 pounds) and ability to dominate games, but lacks consistency.3. Andy Moog&rsquo;s goaltending. The former Boston Bruin and Edmonton Oiler brings to Dallas a reputation for being a winner-despite the fact Boston bombed out in last season&rsquo;s playoffs. He had a career-high 37 wins in 1992-93, third best in the league. At 33, however, there&rsquo;s some question as to whether he can carry the team for an entire season.New players: Paul Cavallini, D; Dean Evason, C; Moog, G.Breakthrough player: Defenseman Derian Hatcher was supposed to emerge after one season in the NHL as an underage pro. But it didn&rsquo;t happen. Hatcher&rsquo;s play was so inconsistent, there was talk in the off-season he could use some time in the minors to get his game back on track. He is considered a potential star and Dallas needs him to reach that level soon.Diminishing returns: Once the team&rsquo;s most dangerous offensive threat, the 33-year-old Neal Broten scored just 12 goals and 33 points last season. Sadly, that&rsquo;s four more goals than he scored the season before.State of goaltending: Moog enters the scene as the obvious No. 1 goalie and dependable Darcy Wakaluk is in tight as No. 2. After that, the organization is thin in goal. Mike Torchia played well at Kalamazoo of the International League last season, but he has problems keeping his weight in check. The Stars are banking on Torchia getting his act together-soon.Most pressing need: Aging Mike McPhee-who has never really been considered much of an offensive threat-was the Stars&rsquo; top scoring left winger last season with 18 goals and 40 points. That&rsquo;s not good enough. The Stars have enough grinders on the portside. They need a finisher.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0088-01116/10250032-1-eng-US/f0088-012.jpg" title="f0088-01" width="1934" height="2490"><figcaption class="caption-body">The Stars are looking for another strong year from reliable Mark Tinordi.</figcaption></div>Underachiever: When the Stars were fighting desperately for a playoff spot, Modano responded with no goals in the last nine games of the season. Coach-general manager Bob Gainey said the team made changes to help Modano become a better player. Once again, it&rsquo;s up to him to prove he&rsquo;s worth it.Overachiever: Some laughed when the Stars only got right winger Russ Courtnail for Brian Bellows in a trade. That is until Courtnall blossomed into a consistent scoring threat. Courtnall led the Stars with 36 goals and was second in points with 79. He was their best offensive threat on many nights.Coach/GM: Gainey&rsquo;s approach to running the Stars is much the same as when he played-work hard and keep things simple. The former defensive specialist begins his third season as coach and second as GM. Gainey is big on the team concept, encouraging his players to express themselves as individuals, but only after considering what consequences the team might pay. In other words, defensemen can jump into the play as long as they aren&rsquo;t constantly causing two-on-ones. Gainey is also recognized as a patient man, but another season from his team like the last one will put that quality to the test.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0089-01104/10250025-1-eng-US/f0089-012.jpg" title="f0089-01" width="2442" height="3235"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0090-01111/10250018-1-eng-US/f0090-012.jpg" title="f0090-01" width="2334" height="2377"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0090-02_ad3/10250011-1-eng-US/f0090-02_ad2.jpg" title="f0090-02_Ad" width="2368" height="917"></div> &#9632;

f0087-01

DALLAS STARS

<div class="byline">DINO CICCARELLI</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0091-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0091-0193/10250098-1-eng-US/f0091-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">(Tim Parker)</figcaption></div>What happened?That&rsquo;s the question Detroit Red Wings&rsquo; fans were asking themselves after their team bowed out in the first round of the playofft to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Unfortunately, it&rsquo;s an all too familiar story for the Red Wings, who simply have far too much talent to continually be post-season disappointments.Former coach Bryan Murray is the fall guy and now it&rsquo;s up to new coach Scotty Bowman to lead this pack of underachievers to playoff success.With the coaching change, the pressure is squarely on the players to perform as expected. If they don&rsquo;t, expect drastic changes.1992-93 record: 47-28-9, second in Norris, fifth overall, lost division semifinal 4-3 to Toronto Maple Leafs.Three pivotal factors: 1. Adjusting to Bowman. The Red Wings couldn&rsquo;t get over the hump with the personable Murray behind the bench. Now Bowman, who brings a no-nonsense approach, will give it a go. The Red Wings, often pampered under Murray, must adjust to Bowman&rsquo;s terse manner.2. Goaltending. Tim Cheveldae must prove he can win when it counts the most. He was fourth in victories last season with 34, which is a fine individual accomplishment, but the Red Wings need him to play like that in the playoffs.3. The defense corps. Can Mark Howe and Paul Coffey give the Red Wings another good season? Will Steve Chiasson and Yves Racine continue to improve as they did last season? Is Nicklas Lidstrom a one-year wonder? If the answers to these questions are yes, yes and no, the Red Wings will be fine.New players: Martin Lapointe, RW; Steve Maltais, LW.Breakthrough player: Keith Primeau played his first full NHL season in 1992-93 and doubled his previous season&rsquo;s point total. But 52. points isn&rsquo;t much to brag about. The Red Wings have displayed remarkable patience with the third overall pick from the 1990 draft. It&rsquo;s time he repaid them for their kindness.Diminishing returns: Defenseman Mark Howe continues to supply the Red Wings with capable two-way play and leadership when he dresses. He scored 34 points in 60 games last season. But because of his age (38) and his bad back, he is unable to play on consecutive nights.State of goaltending: The Red Wings exposed backup goalie Vincent Riendeau in the expansion draft and were pleased he wasn&rsquo;t selected. That means he&rsquo;ll be back to support Cheveldae. It&rsquo;s a solid one-two combination, but a duo that has been unable to carry the Red Wings very far in the playoffs.Most pressing need: This is not a pick-on-Cheveldae story, but clearly, the sooner his teammates believe in him the better off the Red Wings will be. Either that or the Red Wings have to make a trade for a frontline stopper. All the other pieces of th puzzle seem to be in place, if you believe Bowman will make a difference.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0092-01113/10250091-1-eng-US/f0092-012.jpg" title="f0092-01" width="1947" height="2486"><figcaption class="caption-body">Russian Sergei Fedorov is set to join Steve Yzerman in the 100-point club.</figcaption></div>Underachiever: After a splendid rookie season when he scored 11 goals and 60 points, the Red Wings expected more-or at least as much-from defenseman Lidstrom last season. He scored four fewer goals, 19 fewer points and performed at the level he did as a rookie 30 per cent of the time.Overachiever: Considering he was penciled in for Adirondack of the American League for his rookie year, center Dallas Drake surprised everyone-except Mur-ray-by not only making the Red Wings, but scoring 18 goals and 44 points. Murray identified Drake as a player to watch prior to the season and the Northern Michigan graduate came through for him with gritty play.Coach/GM: Murray reluctantly steps aside as coach, making way for Bowman, but retains the title of general manager. Murray&rsquo;s inability to take his team further in the playoffs caught up to him again, as it did in Washington. Bowman, who doesn&rsquo;t go out of his way to make friends with the players and lacks Murray&rsquo;s charm with the media, has a proven playoff record with six Stanley Cup championships in Pittsburgh and Montreal. He relies heavily on veteran players and is masterful at preparing his team for the opposition. Bowman didn&rsquo;t run practices in Pittsburgh the past two seasons but for his $800,000-a-year salary, will likely do so in Detroit.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0093-0195/10250084-1-eng-US/f0093-012.jpg" title="f0093-01" width="2469" height="3306"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0094-01103/10250077-1-eng-US/f0094-012.jpg" title="f0094-01" width="2365" height="2404"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0094-02_ad3/10250070-1-eng-US/f0094-02_ad2.jpg" title="f0094-02_Ad" width="2243" height="827"></div> &#9632;

f0091-01

DETROIT RED WINGS

<div class="byline">BILL RANFORD</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0095-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0095-0199/10250157-1-eng-US/f0095-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">(Jim Leary/BBS)</figcaption></div>How the mighty have fallen.The Edmonton Oilers, who won five Stanley Cups in seven seasons beginning in 1984, are about as close to winning the championship as the Florida Panthers and Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. The only difference is, those teams have realistic budgets.The Oilers slipped from consecutive third-place finishes in the Smythe Division and conference final defeats in the playoffs to fifth place and out of the playoffs last season.Because of financial difficulties, Edmonton didn&rsquo;t offer contracts to Craig Simpson or Brian Benning. Simpson is back, but he&rsquo;s coming off two sub-par seasons.It&rsquo;s not a pretty picture in Edmonton.1992-93 record: 26-50-8, fifth in Smythe, 20th overall, missed playoffs.Three pivotal factors: 1. Cash flow. The cash-strapped Oilers simply cannot expect to compete and continue to lose their top players through trades or free agency just because they refuse to sign them. If owner Peter Pocklington can&rsquo;t come up with additional revenues or spend the ones he has, the Oilers will be little more than a farm team for other NHL clubs.2. Balance. The Oilers were the league&rsquo;s fifth-worst defensive team and the third-worst offensive outfit, allowing 95 more goals than they scored last season. The Oilers are hoping to score about 100 more goals than their 242 last season and cut between 70 and 80 off the 337 they allowed.3. Specialty teams. Only the expansion Ottawa Senators had worse penalty killing than the Oilers and their power play ranked 19th in the league. Having lost Benning and Petr Klima, the prospects for improvement are not bright with the man advantage or killing penalties.New players: Roman Oksiuta, RW; Juha Riihijarva, RW.Breakthrough player: When the Oilers obtained defenseman Igor Kravchuk from the Chicago Blackhawks for disgruntled right winger Joe Murphy, they hoped they were getting a player who would make an immediate impact. Instead, Kravchuk struggled. Edmonton considers the Russian to be a world-class player and he must demonstrate that for them to even begin to pull out of their tailspin.Diminishing returns: The Oilers are determined, by design more than by choice, to go with a youthful squad this season, meaning captain Craig MacTavish will likely have a diminished on-ice role. But he will be counted on more than ever for leadership.State of goaltending: Bill Ranford is the undisputed No. 1 man in Edmonton. Because the team in front of him is so pitiful, he no longer puts up impressive numbers. Last season, he plummeted to 17-38-6 with a career-high 3.84 goals-against average. Wayne Crowley, who backed the Cape Breton Oilers to the American League championship last season, is slotted in as Ranford&rsquo;s backup with Andrew Verner taking over as No. 1 in Cape Breton.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0096-01114/10250150-1-eng-US/f0096-012.jpg" title="f0096-01" width="1935" height="2519"><figcaption class="caption-body">The punchless Oilers desperately need Shayne Corson to bounce back.</figcaption></div>Most pressing need: Besides money? Edmonton needs a big center who can score. Doug Weight is the team&rsquo;s top pivot, but his 17 goals and 48 points are second or third line stats on most teams.Underachiever: The Oilers need nothing short of 80 points from left winger Shayne Corson. He had a career-high 75 points in 1989-90 with Montreal, but has slumped since, right down to 16 goals and 47 points last season. People keep waiting for Corson to emerge as a dominant power forward, it is time for him to deliver on his promise.Overachiever: The closest thing the Oilers had to an overachiever last season was tough-guy Louie DeBrusk. Although he came in with both fists flailing, he soon discovered he could play the game and score the occasional goal as well.Coach/GM: Both general manager Glen Sather and coach Ted Green are operating with their hands tied behind their backs. Because of Edmonton&rsquo;s sorry financial situation, too many decisions that affect the team on the ice are made in the boardroom. Until last season, Sather appeared able to construct a good team on a severely limited budget, but even his magic has disappeared. Green played with a lot of heart and soul and he coaches the same way. What must have appeared to be a plum job when he took over from John Muckier in 1991 now must seem like a nightmare.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0097-01106/10250143-1-eng-US/f0097-012.jpg" title="f0097-01" width="2422" height="3278"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0098-01129/10250136-1-eng-US/f0098-012.jpg" title="f0098-01" width="2386" height="2381"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0098-02_ad3/10250129-1-eng-US/f0098-02_ad2.jpg" title="f0098-02_Ad" width="2375" height="901"></div> &#9632;

f0095-01

EDMONTON OILERS

<div class="byline">ROB NIEDERMAYER</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0099-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0099-0193/10250230-1-eng-US/f0099-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">(Brian Winkler/BBS)</figcaption></div>The Florida Panthers&rsquo; formula for success is to build from the top down.Starting with president Bill Torrey-the mastermind behind the New York Islanders&rsquo; four consecutive Stanley Cups in the 1980s-general manager Bob Clarke and veteran coach Roger Neilson, the Panthers have pieced together an impressive front office. They also hired Craig Ramsay-who spent 22 years with the Buffalo Sabres as a player, coach and assistant GM-as an assistant coach.There is no guaranteed formula for success on the ice, but Florida leaned toward experience in the expansion draft. The team also owns the first pick in the 1994 draft.Goaltending: The Panthers set themselves up nicely in goal when they selected John Vanbiesbrouck and Mark Fitzpatrick in the expansion draft and signed free agent Eldon (Pokey) Reddick.Vanbiesbrouck-and his 200 career victories, all with the New York Rangers-is clearly No. 1 on the Panthers&rsquo; depth chart. His .900 save percentage was fifth best in the NHL last season and he was tied in a group of three for the third-most shutouts with four. The Rangers were the NHL&rsquo;s most disappointing team last season, dropping from first place the previous season to 19th overall.Florida is pleased with the competition it has created for the backup position. Fitzpatrick, 25, has played 146 games with the Los Angeles Kings and New York Islanders, but his development was hampered by a rare blood disorder, eosinophilia myalgia syndrome. His problem was complicated when he was given the wrong medication, but that has since been corrected.Reddick, 29, is on the comeback trail and was the most valuable player in the International League playoffs. His post-season statistics in leading the Fort Wayne Komets to the championship were astounding-a 120 record, 1.49 goals-against average and .945 save percentage.Defense: Since they won&rsquo;t be scoring many goals, the Panthers must be solid on defense. Their top four blueliners should make that possible. The left side features free-agent acquisition Brian Benning along with Milan Tichy, while Joe Cirella and Gord Murphy patrol the right side.Benning, 27, has always seen himself as a top-four defenseman and had trouble accepting lesser roles with the St. Louis Blues, Los Angeles and the Edmonton Oilers. This is his golden opportunity to show those who held him back he is indeed capable of being an offensive contributor.The 6-foot-3, 200-pound Tichy, the Chicago Blackhawks&rsquo; sixth-round draft choice in 1989, was never able to transform potential into reality. He did have two successful seasons with the Indianapolis Ice of the IHL and had 39 points in 49 games a year ago.Cirella is a 6-foot-3, 210-pound stay-at-home type with 739 career games to his credit. Murphy, 26, had back-to-back seasons of 14 and 11 goals early in his career with the Philadelphia Flyers, but has since lost his touch and is now considered more of a defensive defenseman. Also competing for spots on the blueline are tough guys Dallas Eakins, Paul Laus and Greg Smyth as well as Alexander Godynyuk and Stephane Richer. Jeff Serowik, who scored 19 goals and 54 points with the St. John&rsquo;s Maple Leafs of the American League last season, will get a long look.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0100-01102/10250223-1-eng-US/f0100-012.jpg" title="f0100-01" width="1521" height="2251"><figcaption class="caption-body">The Calgary Flames thought they wouldn&rsquo;t lose Brian Skrudland in the expansion draft, but the Panthers took him for his leadership and character. (Jim Leary/BBS)</figcaption></div>Forwards: When coach Neilson was asked who would score goals for his team in its first season, he looked up at the board displaying the players the Panthers had just drafted and deadpanned, &ldquo;Nobody up there.&rdquo;Indeed, it&rsquo;s doubtful the Panthers got themselves a 42-goal-scorer the way the Tampa Bay Lightning did with Brian Bradley last season. It&rsquo;s not unreasonable, however, to expect Scott Mellanby and Andrei Lomakin to score 20 goals each.And if former Montreal Canadien center Jesse Belanger can translate his production in the AHL to NHL success, he might also be a threat in the scoring department. The team also signed free-agent left winger Daniel Gauthier, who was third in IHL scoring last season with 40 goals and 106 points.First-round draft choice Rob Niedermay-er will be the fastest skater on the team. Having completed three years of junior with the Medicine Hat Tigers of the Western League, the 6-foot-2, 200 pounder is ready to either make the immediate jump to the NHL or spend the season with Canada&rsquo;s Olympic team.The Panthers went out of their way to add character up front with Brian Skrudland, former Quebec Nordiques&rsquo; captain Mike Hough, Dave Lowry and Darin Kimble.A couple of minor-league veterans, Jeff Greenlaw and Len Barrie, were also signed by the Panthers.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0101-0193/10250216-1-eng-US/f0101-012.jpg" title="f0101-01" width="2446" height="2370"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0101-02_ad2/10250209-1-eng-US/f0101-02_ad2.jpg" title="f0101-02_Ad" width="2434" height="895"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0102-01_ad/10250202-1-eng-US/f0102-01_ad2.jpg" title="f0102-01_Ad" width="2361" height="1224"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0102-02_ad3/10250195-1-eng-US/f0102-02_ad2.jpg" title="f0102-02_Ad" width="1193" height="1936"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0102-03_ad/10250188-1-eng-US/f0102-03_ad2.jpg" title="f0102-03_Ad" width="1186" height="1917"></div> &#9632;

f0099-01

FLORIDA PANTHERS

<div class="byline">SEAN BURKE</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0103-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0103-0188/10250289-1-eng-US/f0103-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">(Jim Leary/BBS)</figcaption></div>Amid speculation his team might eventually leave Hartford, general manager Brian Burke continues in his attempt to save the Whale. A step in the right direction would be a return to the playoffs.The Whalers got some great performances out of Geoff Sanderson and Montreal Canadiens&rsquo; cast-off Andrew Cassels last season, as well as a typical strong effort from veteran Pat Verbeek. If youngster Mikael Nylander, comes through as expected, Verbeek continues to supply leadership and rookie defenseman Chris Pronger makes the grade, the Whalers could surprise a few teams.Taking things a step at a time, Burke is building a team that has good character.1992-93 record: 26-52-6, fifth in Adams, 21st overall, missed playoffs.Three pivotal factors: 1. Special teams. In an effort to display more toughness, the Whalers beefed up and became the league&rsquo;s second-most penalized team, averaging 28 penalty minutes per game. Because they played shorthanded so often, they allowed an average of eight shots more then they took.2. Sean Burke&rsquo;s goaltending. When the Whalers traded for the 26-year-old in the summer of 1992, they thought they were getting a bona fide star. Burke had a decent first year in Hartford (16-27-3 record and 4.16 goals-against average), but must play better for the Whalers to make it back to post-season action.3. Play on home ice. The Whalers&rsquo; 1225-5 record (29 points) at the Civic Centre was quite simply an embarrassment. It was easily the worst in team history. First-year GM Burke vowed to make Hartford an unfriendly place for opposing teams, but teams came out with points more often than bruises.New players: Scott Daniels, LW; Scott Morrow, LW; Chris Pronger, D.Breakthrough player: Nylander had a tendency to overhandle the puck early last season, then he sus-r tained a broken jaw. However, he was outstanding at the World Championships and later returned to score three goals and six points in three playoff games with the Springfield Indians of the American League. The smooth-skating center should make an impact in 1993-94.Diminishing returns: The Whalers re-acquired Yvon Corriveau from the San Jose Sharks midway through last season hoping the stocky left winger would duplicate his consistent play from late the previous season. He didn&rsquo;t. Corriveau managed just 10 points in 37 games with Hartford. A nagging back problem didn&rsquo;t help.State of goaltending: The Whalers tried to split the goaltending duties between Burke and Frank Pietrangelo early last season, but discovered Burke is more effective as the established No. 1 man. That&rsquo;s how it will be next season with Pietrangelo and fellow veteran Mario Gosselin competing for the backup role. The future looks bright in goal. Youngster Mike Lenarduzzi played well in three games last season and the Whalers drafted Manny Legace in the 1993 draft. Legace helped the Canadian junior team win the gold medal at the World Junior Champion ships last January.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0104-01100/10250282-1-eng-US/f0104-012.jpg" title="f0104-01" width="1929" height="2500"><figcaption class="caption-body">Zarley Zalapski will be the calming orce on the youthful Whaler blueline.</figcaption></div>Most pressing need: The Whalers answered part of their biggest problem, a lack of young defensemen, by selecting 6-foot-6, 192-pound rearguard Chris Pronger second overall in the 1993 draft. Pronger is the takecharge defenseman the Whalers have sorely lacked and he will be given every opportunity to make the team in the fall. If he can&rsquo;t come to terms, he may join the Canadian Olympic team.Underachiever: Defenseman Eric Weinrich started slowly last season, but rebounded to have a strong second half. The Whalers are still looking for him to jump into ten ottense more. He nas tne capability to be a good two-way player.Overachiever: The Whalers knew they were getting muscle and leadership from left winger Nick Kypreos when they acquired him from the Washington Capitals, but never expected him to score 17 goals-just one fewer than his career total prior to last season in 175 games.Coach/GM: Burke was one of a number of executives currently employed by NHL teams to turn down the position of commissioner Gary Bettman&rsquo;s right hand man. Burke won&rsquo;t consider leaving Hartford until his work is completed. His coach, Paul Holmgren, rules with an iron fist but, thankfully for his own sake, is patient with young players.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0105-0192/10250275-1-eng-US/f0105-012.jpg" title="f0105-01" width="2429" height="3260"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0106-0196/10250268-1-eng-US/f0106-012.jpg" title="f0106-01" width="2352" height="2503"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0106-02_ad3/10250261-1-eng-US/f0106-02_ad2.jpg" title="f0106-02_Ad" width="2346" height="946"></div> &#9632;

f0103-01

HARTFORDWHALERS

<div class="byline">WAYNE GRETZKY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0107-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0107-0187/10250348-1-eng-US/f0107-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">(Bruce Bennett/BBS)</figcaption></div>Going into last season, the Los Angeles Kings were described as an over-the-hill-gang whose future had been mortgaged. Wayne Gretzky was on the shelf indefinitely with a bad back.Things certainly looked bleak in Lotusland.The Kings responded with a 39-35-10 record and an unexpected run to the Stanley Cup finals.Does that mean the Kings are on the verge of becoming a solid contender for the Cup in 1993-94? Probably not. The Kings are set on defense, but the picture is muddled in goal and there are very few prospects at the forward position, a place where the Kings are one of the league&rsquo;s oldest teams.1992-93 record: 39-35-10, third in Smythe, 11th overall, lost Stanley Cup final 4-1 to Montreal Canadiens.Three pivotal factors: 1. Wayne Gretzky&rsquo;s contribution. The Great One returned from a back injury that kept him out the first half of the season and took a while to get into the swing of things. By the playoffs, Gretzky was putting his usual big numbers on the board (he led all playoff scorers with 40 points in 24 games), but he played much of his game on the periphery. Gretzky still hadn&rsquo;t made a decision on his future as of mid-July, but was expected to return to the Kings.2. The goaltending issue. The Kings need either Kelly Hrudey or Robb Stauber to step forward and take over the No. 1 goaltending job. The Kings went mainly with Hrudey in playoffs, but his post-season record was 10-10 and his goals-against average of 3.52 was only marginally better than his 3.86 GAA in the regular season.3. Luc Robitaille. Robitaille became the single-season highest-scoring left winger in NHL history with 63 goals in 1992-93, but followed up the performance with nine goals in 24 playoff games. Over the course of his career Robitaille has averaged .67 goals ner game during the season, but that dips to .47 per game in the post-season.New player: Keith Redmond, LW.Breakthrough player: At one point, the Kings ranked defenseman Brent Thompson ahead of Darryl Sydor on their depth chart. Thompson, 6-foot-2 and 180 pounds, sustained an abdominal strain last season that limited him to 30 games and hampered his ability. If he can rebound and produce as the bruising force the Kings project him to be, it would give Los Angeles one of the leagues brightest young defensive corps with Sydor, Rob Blake and Alexei Zhitnik.Diminishing returns: As the Kings&rsquo; young blueliners continue to progress, veteran Charlie Huddy&rsquo;s value and contribution to the team will decrease. But in last spring&rsquo;s playoffs, the veteran demonstrated he could still be counted on in the crunch.State of goaltending: The best word to describe the Kings&rsquo; goaltending situation is disarray. The organization thought Stauber was ready to take the reins, but that was premature. Hrudey and Stauber struggled so much that the Kings wound up signing veteran minor leaguer Rick Knick-le-hockey&rsquo;s answer to Crash Davis.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0108-01104/10250341-1-eng-US/f0108-012.jpg" title="f0108-01" width="1948" height="2480"><figcaption class="caption-body">Luc Robitaille can score during the season, but what about the olavoffs?</figcaption></div>Most pressing need: If you haven&rsquo;t guessed it by now, a No. 1 goalie. The Kings are solid on defense, but the last line of defense is suspect. The Kings finished ahead of only the Hartford Whalers, Ottawa Senators and San Jose Sharks in goals against last season.Underachiever: The Kings traded allstar defenseman Paul Coffey to the Detroit Red Wings to secure a solid second-line center in Jimmy Carson. But in 34 games, Carson managed just 22 points and disappeared in the playoffs. So inconsistent was the 25-year-old seven-year veteran, the Kings sat him out six playoff games. Carson was a Group II free agent during the summer, but there was little interest in his services.Overachiever: There are nights when he plays like a rover-scooting all over the ice-instead of a defenseman, but Zhitnik showed enough speed, creativity and toughness to suggest he&rsquo;ll be a solid performer in the future.Coach/GM: Many teams prefer an established figure behind the bench but the Kings took a chance and were rewarded by hiring young, positive-thinking Barry Melrose. General manager Nick Beverly keeps a low profile and comes across as rather conservative, but has been aggressive in the trade market. He lost the Coffey-for-Carson deal and gave away Bob Kudelski to the Ottawa Senators.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0109-0193/10250334-1-eng-US/f0109-012.jpg" title="f0109-01" width="2421" height="3284"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0110-0196/10250327-1-eng-US/f0110-012.jpg" title="f0110-01" width="611" height="617"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0110-03_ad2/10250320-1-eng-US/f0110-03_ad2.jpg" title="f0110-03_Ad" width="606" height="237"></div> &#9632;

f0107-01

LOS ANGELES KINGS

<div class="byline">STEPHAN LEBEAU</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0111-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0111-0194/10250407-1-eng-US/f0111-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">(Tim Parker)</figcaption></div>They could be the worst Stanley Cup winners ever. The survivor among four third-place teams to make the 1993 conference finals.But who cares?The Montreal Canadiens won the Stanley Cup and they don&rsquo;t owe apologies to anyone.But they may have created expectations that are impossible to reach. By the end of the regular season, the Canadiens were not even close to being the best team in the NHL and did not face a team better than they were in the final three rounds.It was a season where everything fell into place at the right time. It won&rsquo;t be that easy two seasons in a row.1992-93 record: 48-30-6, third in Adams, sixth overall, defeated Los Angeles Kings 4-1 in Stanley Cup final.Three pivotal factors: 1. Patrick Roy&rsquo;s goaltending. The 27-year-old redeemed himself with a spectacular playoff performance in leading the Canadiens to the Stanley Cup. Montreal needs him to be as sharp as he was in winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as the 1993 playoff MVP next season if they hope to come close to repeating.2. Coaching. Everything is rosy when you win. The Canadiens overachieved last season under their new coach, Jacques Demers. Demers is lenient-a real players&rsquo; coach-so some might be tempted to try and take advantage of his good nature.3. Offense. Traditionally a defensive team, the Canadiens opened things up last season, scoring 326 goals, almost 50 more goals than the season before. Forwards Vincent Damphousse, Kirk Muller and Brian Bellows all responded favorably to the Canadiens&rsquo; offensive style and will need to continue to do so. If not, Stephan Lebeau, Gilbert Dionne and Gary Leeman will have pick up the pace of their games.New players: Brent Ritndean D-Olea Petrov, RW; Pierre, Sevigny, LW; Turner Stevenson, RW.Breakthrough player: The Canadiens are still waiting for Lebeau to emerge as a frontliner. He&rsquo;s inching close, but has yet to dominate offensively the way the Canadiens feel he can.Diminishing returns: The Canadiens left captain Guy Carbonneau unprotected in the expansion draft and he wasn&rsquo;t picked. Carbonneau still offers a lot of leadership and remains a fine defensive forward. But for how much longer?State of goaltending: Roy&rsquo;s numbers in the regular season were below average by his standards-31-25-5, 3.20 goals-against average-but he&rsquo;s still considered by many to be one of the best goalies in the NHL. As long as Roy maintains that standing, the Canadiens will be satisfied with Andre Raci-cot (17-5-1,3.39 GAA) as the backup.Most pressing need: The Canadiens were one of the smallest teams ever to win the Cup, and could benefit by adding some size-especially up front where they have many small-to-medium sized forwards. If 6-foot-3, 210-pound winger Stevenson, the Canadiens&rsquo; firstround pick in the 1990 draft, makes the team, that would be a start.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0112-01107/10250400-1-eng-US/f0112-012.jpg" title="f0112-01" width="1918" height="2465"><figcaption class="caption-body">Veteran Eric Desjardins provides offensive spark from the blueline.</figcaption></div>Underachiever: Right winger Dionne showed a ton of promise when he came up and scored 21 goals in 39 games in 199192. Last season he came into camp with a guaranteed spot and responded by playing himself into a stint in the minors. What&rsquo;s worse, he scored one fewer goal than his rookie season in 75 games and almost cost he Canadiens the first-round series with a foolish penalty against the Quebec Mordiques.Overachiever: His name rarely shows jp in the statistics-except for penalty minu&rsquo;s and plus-minus ratings-so he&rsquo;s not as well known as many of his teammates. But defenseman Lyle Odelein has developed into a competent defensive blueliner. He&rsquo;s still one of the league&rsquo;s tougher combatants but uses better discretion than he did previously.Coach/GM: After spending two years as a radio and television analyst, Demers returned triumphantly. He pushed all the right buttons and knew exactly when to push his players hard and when to lay off. Managing director Serge Savard has proven to be a master trader (his Denis Savard-for-Chris Chelios deal notwithstanding), scoring big in the deals he made for Damphousse, Muller and Bellows. All three outshone the players for whom they were traded.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0113-0189/10250393-1-eng-US/f0113-012.jpg" title="f0113-01" width="2408" height="3309"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0114-0199/10250386-1-eng-US/f0114-012.jpg" title="f0114-01" width="2342" height="2342"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0114-02_ad3/10250379-1-eng-US/f0114-02_ad2.jpg" title="f0114-02_Ad" width="2391" height="896"></div> &#9632;

f0111-01

MONTREAL CANADIENS

<div class="byline">CLAUDE LEMIEUX</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0115-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0115-0187/10250466-1-eng-US/f0115-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">(John Giamundo/BBS)</figcaption></div>Realignment will be a big help for the New Jersey Devils. With the playoff format now by conference, they have a fighting chance of not meeting the best team in their division in the first round.In the 1992 playoffs they drew the New York Rangers and lost in seven games. Last season, after setting a record for regular-season victories with 40, they drew the Pittsburgh Penguins first and lost in five.Shortly after, coach Herb Brooks resigned and was replaced by Jacques Lemaire.The Devils have plenty of talent. If Lemaire can bring it together, perhaps the Devils may get out of the first round, something they haven&rsquo;t done since 1988.1992-93 record: 40-37-7, fourth in Patrick, 14th overall, lost division semifinal 4-1 to Pittsburgh Penguins.Three pivotal factors: 1. Player development. Scott Niedermayer is developing well, but players such as Bobby Holik and Bill Guerin must take the next step and become impact players. If they do, the Devils suddenly become comparable with the best teams in the league.2. New coaching staff. Will Lemaire&rsquo;s zest for the game and associate Larry Robinson&rsquo;s grace and intelligence be passed on to the players? That&rsquo;s what the Devils are banking on.3. Consistency. The Devils&rsquo; longest winning streak last season was five games. For the most part they blew hot and cold, never really building any serious momentum during the season.New players: Ben Hankinson, RW; Corey Millen, C; Mike Peluso, LW; Peter Sidorkiewicz, G; Jason Smith, D.Breakthrough player: Holik has yet to emerge as the impact player he was thought to be when the Hartford Whalers drafted him 10th overall in 1989. His 39 points last season, including 20 goals, represented his lowest point-total in three seasons.Diminishing returns: Since scoring 70 goals and 150 points for the Los Angeles Kings in 1988-89, center Bernie Nicholls&rsquo; career has taken a turn for the worse as injuries, trades and personal problems have taken their toll. Nicholls scored 20 points in 23 regular-season games for the Devils after being traded to New Jersey from the Edmonton Oilers, but had no points in five playoff games.State of goaltending: The Devils lost Craig Billington, but gained Sidorkiewicz. Call it a draw. Sidorkiewicz will battle incumbent Chris Terreri for the No. 1 job. Highly touted prospect Mike Dunham could join the Devils after playing for the United States in the Winter Olympics.Most pressing need: It&rsquo;s the same old story for the Devils-they need a go-to guy in the middle. If all goes well, Alexander Semak could be the man. One of the NHL&rsquo;s best-kept secrets, the 27-year-old scored 37 goals and 79 points in his first full NHL season and was the team&rsquo;s most valuable player.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0116-01101/10250459-1-eng-US/f0116-012.jpg" title="f0116-01" width="1940" height="2487"><figcaption class="caption-body">Chris Terreri is again No. 1 In goal now that Craig Billington is gone.</figcaption></div>Underachiever: Brooks said last season that Peter Stastny&rsquo;s salary represented the biggest heist since the Brinks&rsquo; robbery. While he might have been able to put it more tactfully, Brooks might have had a point. Stastny managed just 17 goals and 40 points and was paid $1 million.Overachiever: Semak did it all for the Devils last season, taking a regular shift, killing penalties and playing on the power play. At 5-foot-10 and 185 pounds, he cannot compete physically with rival centers such as Eric Lindros, Mark Messier and Mario Lemieux, so he relies on speed and finesse. He is a strong skater with an aboveaverage shot. He was second in game-winning goals last season.Coach/GM: Coaching the Devils has been the NHL&rsquo;s most thankless job. Brooks lasted just one year before resigning to avoid being fired. Before that it was Tommy McVie for a season, McVie and John Cunniff split the season before that while Cunniff and Jim Schoenfield did likewise the season before that. Now it&rsquo;s Lemaire&rsquo;s and Robinson&rsquo;s turn. Their job is to bring a winning attitude to a team so accustomed to underachieving. For all the abuse Lou Lamoriello takes as general manager, he has put together a decent team-a nice combination of veterans, youngsters about to blossom and amateur or minor-league players with solid NHL potential. Now if he could just find someone to coach them..<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0117-0184/10250452-1-eng-US/f0117-012.jpg" title="f0117-01" width="2368" height="3288"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0118-0195/10250445-1-eng-US/f0118-012.jpg" title="f0118-01" width="2352" height="2344"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0118-02_ad3/10250438-1-eng-US/f0118-02_ad2.jpg" title="f0118-02_Ad" width="2387" height="839"></div> &#9632;

f0115-01

NEW JERSEY DEVILS

<div class="byline">VLADIMIR MALAKHOV</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0119-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0119-0184/10250525-1-eng-US/f0119-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">(Marco Campanelli/BBS)</figcaption></div>The New York Islanders left themselves a tough act to follow when they knocked off the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins in last season&rsquo;s playoffs.The Islanders are a second line away from becoming a serious contender.With the best young defensive corps in the league, a veteran goalie in Ron Hextali and one of the game&rsquo;s most talented forwards in Pierre Turgeon, there is every reason to believe they will improve on last season, when they finished in third place with 87 points.With the Penguins in the Northeast, the Atlantic Division is wide open and the Islanders might have enough talent to win it.1992-93 record: 40-37-7, third in Patrick, 13th overall, lost conference final 4-0 to Montreal Canadiens.Three pivotal factors: 1. Consistency. The Islanders clearly identified themselves as a contender, but they got off to a terrible start and didn&rsquo;t secure a playoff position until late in the season. With Pittsburgh out of the picture, that shouldn&rsquo;t be as much of a problem this season.2. Scoring balance. Turgeon, Steve Thomas and Derek King can carry the team only so far. The second and third lines must pick up the pace on offense. Benoit Hogue does his part but after him, there&rsquo;s a huge drop off. A healthy Ray Ferraro for a full season would be a big help.3. Toughness up front. When your toughest player is your goalie, you&rsquo;re in trouble. That&rsquo;s a bit of an exaggeration, but the Islanders do need a large forward who can be tough and not hurt the team. First-round draft choice Todd Bertuzzi is projected as a Clark Gillies-type winger, but he&rsquo;s a few years away.New players: Hextail, G; Chris Luon-go, D.Breakthrough player: With Jeff Norton out of the picture and Gary Nylund&rsquo;s future cloudy, defenseman Scott Lachance won&rsquo;t have to battle for playing time this season. A dependable two-way player, Lachance can fill in playing the point on the power play if Tom Kurvers or Vladimir Malakhov aren&rsquo;t available.Diminishing returns: Captain Pat Flatley is coming off his best season offensively (60) and can still be an effective grinder. But at 30 years old, it&rsquo;s hard to imagine him getting better. The Islanders would be satisfied with a year or two more of the same.State of goaltending: If Bertuzzi is the Islanders&rsquo; Gillies of the &rsquo;90s, they are hoping Hextail is their Billy Smith. The hope in New York is Hextali will provide leadership off the ice as well as solid goaltending. With the departure of Glenn Healy and Mark Fitzpatrick, Danny Lorenz moves to No. 2 on the depth chart-unless or until the Islanders make a deal for a more experienced back-up.Most pressing need: If the Islanders were comfortable with Lorenz as their back-up goalie, it&rsquo;s doubtful they would have drafted goalies Jamie McLennan and Milan Hnilicka in 1991 or Tommy Salo this past June.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0120-0196/10250518-1-eng-US/f0120-012.jpg" title="f0120-01" width="1942" height="2456"><figcaption class="caption-body">The Islanders hope Ron Hextail will pick up his game and his team. (Marco Campanelli/BBS)</figcaption></div>Underachiever: David Volek scored his team&rsquo;s most important goal of the sea-son-the overtime goal in Game 7 that knocked the Penguins out of the playoffs. But that doesn&rsquo;t change the fact the left winger had a terrible season and probably wouldn&rsquo;t even have been playing that night if a few other Islanders weren&rsquo;t hurting. Since breaking in as a rookie with 25 goals and 59 points in 1988-89, Volek has been terribly inconsistent. His 21 points last season were 39 fewer than the season before. He spent much of last season in coach Al Arbour&rsquo;s doghouse.Overachiever: It is generally accepted that if the 1992 entry draft were to be held again-knowing what we now know about the players-defenseman Darius Kasparaitis would be the first player selected. He was picked fifth. His point total (21) was modest, but not his approach to the game. The Lethal Lithuanian established himself as a trustworthy defender, decent rusher and general pain in the neck of the opposition.Coach/GM: Arbour remains one of the most respected bench bosses in the NHL and was the perfect man to lead the team through its building years. The young Islanders have to believe in a man who has done it all before. With Bill Torrey in Florida, second-year general manager Don Maloney can relax and feel comfortable in his post. The fact he made a big deal to acquire Hextali suggests he&rsquo;s right at home.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0121-0189/10250511-1-eng-US/f0121-012.jpg" title="f0121-01" width="2325" height="3260"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0122-0193/10250504-1-eng-US/f0122-012.jpg" title="f0122-01" width="2301" height="2336"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0122-02_ad3/10250497-1-eng-US/f0122-02_ad2.jpg" title="f0122-02_Ad" width="2371" height="899"></div> &#9632;

f0119-01

NEW YORK ISLANDERS

<div class="byline">MARK MESSIER</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0123-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0123-0181/10250584-1-eng-US/f0123-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">(Bruce Bennett/BBS)</figcaption></div>Is it possible to go from first to worst back to first? The New York Rangers finished last in the Patrick Division last season, but there was no way they were as bad as their record indicated.Three things led to the Rangers&rsquo; demise: inconsistent goaltending, injury troubles and division among the troops early in the season. Captain Mark Messier won out in his mutiny with coach Roger Neilson, who was fired in January, but the Rangers never pulled out of their funk. Injuries to Messier and defenseman Brian Leetch hurt their cause.Mike Keenan is now in charge of bringing the Stanley Cup to New York for the first time since 1942.1992-93 record: 34-39-11, sixth in Patrick, 19th overall, missed playoffs.Three pivotal factors: 1. Keenan&rsquo;s impact. Can Iron Mike become Manhattan Mike-a more calm and gentle being than the individual who tormented players in Philadelphia and Chicago? Keenan&rsquo;s coaching style is quite simple, really. Work hard at all times. During his previous stops, Keenan was considered a taskmaster and not a communicator. He vows that will change in New York. The underachieving Rangers will put his new attitude to the test.2. The goaltending puzzle. All the pieces appear to be there, but they don&rsquo;t connect. Mike Richter slumped last season, but with John Vanbiesbrouck gone, he has the inside track for the No. 1 job. That is, unless recently acquired Glenn Healy can steal it or minor-league prospect Corey Hirsch bumps them both.3. Messier&rsquo;s and Brian Leetch&rsquo;s health. It&rsquo;s no wonder the Rangers took a tumble. Messier was the NHL&rsquo;s most valuable player the season before, but played hurt most of last season. The Rangers&rsquo; captain still managed to lead the team in scoring with 91 points in 75 games, but was no longer an imposing physical force. Leetch, the NHL&rsquo;s top defenseman in 1991-92, first sustained a shoulder injury, from which he returned, but then broke an ankle. If both players return healthy, the Rangers should rebound from last season&rsquo;s disaster.New players: Healy, G; Doug Lid-ster, D.Breakthrough player: If right winger Alexei Koval-eve-who had 20 goals and 38 points as a rookie-learns to use his linemates more effectively, his production could increase dramatically. His work ethic was questionable last season, but it will improve under Keenan or he&rsquo;ll discover the joys of life in Binghamton.Diminishing returns: Aging Kevin Lowe failed to make an impact with the Rangers when forced to play the role of the No. 2 or 3 defenseman. The Rangers are hoping with Leetch and James Patrick healthy, Lowe will be more at home with a reduced workload.State of goaltending: The Rangers have an abundance of stoppers and will have some tough decisions to make in training camp. Richter was once thought to be a rising star in the league, but his play tailed off last season. The Rangers are hoping he&rsquo;ll rebound. Healy had respectable numbers with the New York Islanders last season and Hirsch desperately wants to make the jump to the NHL rather than spend a second season in the American League.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0124-0197/10250577-1-eng-US/f0124-012.jpg" title="f0124-01" width="1941" height="2472"><figcaption class="caption-body">MiKe Richter is now the No. 1 goalie, but can he handle the pressure?</figcaption></div>Most pressing need: What the Rangers need most is for their players to remain healthy. If they do, a playmaking center to run the power play would be in order. The Rangers ranked 17th on the power play last season with a 18.3 scoring percentage.Underachiever: Richter&rsquo;s confidence began fading in the 1992 playoffs and disappeared altogether during the 1992-93 season. He allowed 134 goals in 38 games last sea-son, 15 more than he did in three more appearances in 1991-92.Overachiever: The plan was to bring defenseman Sergei Zubov along slowly, but injuries necessitated his rapid rise through the system. He wound up playing 90 games, splitting his time between New York and Binghamton.Coach/GM: Keenan comes to town as coach on a mission. He was shoved out of the coaching picture in Chicago and ultimately fired altogether. He insists he isn&rsquo;t aspiring for general manager Neil Smith&rsquo;s job and will be content just coaching. Smith&rsquo;s is not afraid to make changes, as evidenced by his pursuit of free agent Peter Forsberg-the best player outside the NHL-in the off-season.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0125-0185/10250570-1-eng-US/f0125-012.jpg" title="f0125-01" width="2417" height="3288"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0126-0190/10250563-1-eng-US/f0126-012.jpg" title="f0126-01" width="2287" height="2319"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0126-02_ad3/10250556-1-eng-US/f0126-02_ad2.jpg" title="f0126-02_Ad" width="2319" height="885"></div> &#9632;

f0123-01

NEW YORK RANGERS

<div class="byline">BRAD SHAW</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0127-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0127-0186/10250643-1-eng-US/f0127-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">(Jim Mclsaac/BBS)</figcaption></div>Ottawa senators&rsquo; chairman Bruce Firestone is fond of telling people that the only two teams who met their goals last season were the Senators and Montreal Canadiens.Montreal won the Stanley Cup and Ottawa avoided being the worst team of all-time. Barely.But with centers Alexandre Daigle and Alexei Yashin, there is reason for optimism.If Daigle and Yashin come through as expected, the dynamic duo will give the team some much-needed personality. But Ottawa will still be awful. Another last-overall finish-even with the addition of the Florida Panthers and Mighty Ducks of Anaheim-isn&rsquo;t out of the realm of possibility.1992-93 record: 10-70-4, sixth in Adams, 24th overall, missed playoffs.Three pivotal factors: 1. Patience. The Senators are proceeding with their plan of drafting and signing young players and must resist the temptation to change course midway through this season when their record hasn&rsquo;t improved much over a year ago.2. The impact of Daigle and Yashin. It&rsquo;s unrealistic to expect the youngsters to turn the Senators around by themselves, but both rising stars must make enough of an impact to at least live up to their advanced billing as top-notch players.3. Offensive production. Perhaps nothing more could have been expected from a team stocked with third-and fourth-liners, but the Senators&rsquo; 202 goals last season were the fewest scored by an NHL team since the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals tied with 195 each in the 80-game 1978-79 season. Coach Rick Bowness instituted a solid defensive system that enabled the Senators to stay close in many games, but ultimately they faltered because they couldn&rsquo;t score.New players: Craig Billington, G; Robert Burakowsky, RW; Daigle, C; Dmitri Filimonov, D; Jeff Finley, D; Radek Hamr, D; Darrin Madeley, G; Troy Mallette, LW; Yashin, C.Breakthrough player: The Senators have high hopes for Madeley, a second year pro and second-team American League all-star with the New Haven Senators last season. His .905 save percentage tied for second best in the league. One concern Ottawa has about the 5-foot-l 1, 165 pounder is his fragility. Because he&rsquo;s thin, he tends to sustain deep bruises that knock him out of the lineun.Diminishing returns: It&rsquo;s hard to believe Andrew McBain scored 37 goals four seasons ago. Last season he had seven and he&rsquo;ll be hard-pressed to repeat the total in 1993-94.State of goaltending: Billington takes over as No. 1 target from shell-shocked Peter Sidorkiewicz, who takes comfort with the New Jersey Devils. Madeley, 25, is the new backup. The Senators have decent goaltending, but does it really matter?Most pressing need: The Senators can improve in many areas, but the need for an improved offense simply cannot be overstated.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0128-0197/10250636-1-eng-US/f0128-012.jpg" title="f0128-01" width="1896" height="2452"><figcaption class="caption-body">The Senators are looking to Craig Billington for consistency in goal.</figcaption></div>Underachiever: Getting picked up by the Senators was supposed revive Neil Brady&rsquo;s career and prove the New Jersey Devils wrong for not keeping him. It didn&rsquo;t and he didn&rsquo;t. Brady scored two goals in the Senators&rsquo; first game, and five the rest of the season.Overachiever: The Senators were hoping for some offense from Bob Kudelski when he was acquired from the Los Angeles Kings Dec. 19, but even they were surprised when he came through with 21 goals in 48 games after scoring just three in 15 with the Kings.Coach/GM: There&rsquo;s a common notion that an expansion team&rsquo;s first coach is someone to guide the team through the first few bumpy years before his replacement moves in to take the team to the next level. That won&rsquo;t likely be the case with Bowness. He&rsquo;s young enough, 38, and respected enough to suggest that when the Senators finally turn the comer, he&rsquo;ll be along for the ride. General manager Randy Sexton takes over from much-maligned Mel Bridgman and in his first few months, made several impressive moves. He signed Yashin and Chad Penney, traded for Billington (who is two years younger than Sidorkiewicz), and resisted offers for the top pick in the 1993 draft to select Daigle. He was knocked in some circles for signing Daigle to a huge contract (about $12.5 million over five years), but the Senators can recover some of that money by promoting their star.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0129-0187/10250629-1-eng-US/f0129-012.jpg" title="f0129-01" width="2408" height="3247"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0130-0189/10250622-1-eng-US/f0130-012.jpg" title="f0130-01" width="2340" height="2357"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0130-02_ad3/10250615-1-eng-US/f0130-02_ad2.jpg" title="f0130-02_Ad" width="2384" height="909"></div> &#9632;

f0127-01

OTTAWA SENATORS

<div class="byline">DIMITRI YUSHKEVICH</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0131-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0131-0183/10250702-1-eng-US/f0131-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">(Tim Parker)</figcaption></div>Down the stretch, the Philadelphia Flyers were one of the NHL&rsquo;s hottest teams-winning their final eight games and nearly sneaking into the playoffs.Eric Lindros clearly established himself as force in the league. And with Mario Lemieux and the Pittsburgh Penguins transferring from the Atlantic Division to the Northeast, Lindros is poised to become the dominant player in what used to be the Patrick Division.With Lindros, Mark Recchi, Rod Brind&rsquo; moor and Kevin Dineen in tow, the Flyers shouldn&rsquo;t be at a loss for goals.Keeping the puck out of the net could be mother story.1992-93 record: 36-37-11, fifth in Patrick, 17th overall, missed playoffs.Three pivotal factors: 1. Terry Simpson&rsquo;s coaching. The Flyers&rsquo; new coach takes his second stab at NHL head coaching. The Flyers are a team on the verge of becoming a contender. Much of Simpson&rsquo;s success or failure will depend on his relationship with Lindros.2. Lindros in Year 2. No rookie in NHL history had as much pressure on him to succeed immediately than Lindros. His statistics were outstanding^ 1 goals and 75 points in 61 games. The numbers will be even better with a full season, but Lindros must play with more consistency. The Flyers will also be looking to the 20-year-old for leadership.3. Goaltending. As the team improves, so should the individual numbers of goalies Tommy Soderstrom and Dominic Roussel. The Flyers remain solid up front, but are suspect defensively so the goaltenders will be called upon to steal the occasional game.New players: Jason Bowen, D; Andre Faust, C; Mikael Renberg, LW.Breakthrough player: Right winger Josef Beranek was a throw-in in the Brian Benning-for-Greg Hawgood deal with the Edmonton Oilers, but could turn out to be a steal. The 6-foot-2, 185-pound right winger scored 13 goals and 25 points in 40 games with the Flyers and then performed superbly at the World Championships for the Czech Republic. The Flyers expect him to be an impact player this season.Diminishing returns: The Flyers got a career season out of offensive defenseman Greg Hawgood after his acquisition from the Edmonton Oilers. But with the accelerated development of Dimitri Yushkevich and Garry Galley as the other point man on the power play, the one-dimensional Hawgood may not receive as much ice time.State of goaltending: In a season in which he underwent four operations to correct an abnormal heartbeat, Soderstrom established himself as one of the game&rsquo;s best young goalies. When Soderstrom is healthy and Roussel is on his game, the Flyers have a solid tandem in goal. Yanick Degrace and Scott LaGrand will likely return to the American League with the Hershey Bears for more experience.Most pressing need: The Flyers are in the market for a defenseman with experience. They&rsquo;re happy with their current coros of voune blue liners, but fear they are a year or two away from being impact players.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0132-0190/10250695-1-eng-US/f0132-012.jpg" title="f0132-01" width="1939" height="2488"><figcaption class="caption-body">Eric Lindros will be the most dominating center in the Atlantic Division.</figcaption></div>Underachiever: It wasn&rsquo;t Ric Nattress&rsquo; fault that the Flyers signed him to a four-year contract worth almost $2 million before last season. Nor is it his fault that he was plagued with injury from training camp to the end of the season. But the Flyers were disappointed in the way Nattress played in the 44 games in which he did appear.Overachiever: Not only did defenseman Garry Galley play 83 games while suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome, he had his best season as a pro with career highs in goals (13), assists (49) and points (62). He was also the Flyers&rsquo; nominee for the Masterton Trophy and is a vocal leader in the dressing room.Coach/GM: Bill Dineen did a good job as coach of the Flyers, but at the age of 61, he was strictly temporary. Management feels this team is on the verge of becoming a contender, so it turned to 50-year-old Simpson to do the job. His biggest challenge will be getting his many talented offensive players to realize the value of defensive play. In his three years as general manager, Russ Farwell has yet to take his team to the playoffs, but he is a proven winner. As a junior operator, he led the Western League&rsquo;s Medicine Hat Tigers to back-to-back Memorial Cups.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0133-0188/10250688-1-eng-US/f0133-012.jpg" title="f0133-01" width="2360" height="3255"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0134-0192/10250681-1-eng-US/f0134-012.jpg" title="f0134-01" width="2327" height="2331"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0134-02_ad3/10250674-1-eng-US/f0134-02_ad2.jpg" title="f0134-02_Ad" width="2378" height="899"></div> &#9632;

f0131-01

PHILADELPHIA FLYERS

<div class="byline">IAROMIR JAGR</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0135-0184/10250761-1-eng-US/f0135-012.jpg" title="f0135-01" width="593" height="809"><figcaption class="caption-body">(Jim Leary/BBS)</figcaption></div>Will the Pittsburgh Penguins be to the 1990s what the Edmonton Oilers were to the 1980s? The Oilers had a four-Cup run interrupted after two years and there&rsquo;s nothing to suggest the Penguins can&rsquo;t repeat that pattern.They do, after all, have the best player in the game in center Mario Lemieux and a cast of forwards that is without peer as a group.The defense, led by mobile Larry Murphy, is solid and Tom Barrasso is one of the league&rsquo;s elite stoppers.Eddie Johnston replaced Scotty Bowman behind the bench, but he hasn&rsquo;t coached in 11 years. That may be the only place the Penguins are lacking as they seek to prove last season was just a fluke.1992-93 record: 56-21-7, first in Patrick, first overall, lost division final 4-3 to New York Islanders.Three pivotal factors: 1. Lemieux&rsquo;s health. Few players in the NHL mean more to their team than Lemieux does to the Penguins. Last season, he battled Hodgkin&rsquo;s disease and was affected by a continuing back disorder, yet breezed to the scoring title. With Lemieux out of the lineup, the Penguins struggled to play .500 hockey (11-11-2).2. Adjustment to a new coach. This shouldn&rsquo;t be too much of a problem for the Penguins, since they won back-to-back Cups with two different coaches and are accustomed to turmoil behind the bench. Johnston must repair a rift with popular center Ron Francis, a player he alienated when both were with the Hartford Whalers.3. Kevin Stevens&rsquo; return. The rambunctious left winger sustained serious facial injuries in the Patrick Division final against the Islanders when he was knocked unconscious trying to beat out an icing call. It was the type of devastating injury that could cause some players to shy away in the rough going.New players: Markus Naslund, RW; Bryan Trottier, C.Breakthrough player: There is a clear division of talent on the Penguins and while right winger Jaromir Jagr fits comfortably in the upper echelon, he still isn&rsquo;t established as a consistent goalscorer. Despite his tremendous stickhandling ability, he has only averaged 31 goals per season in his three-year career and has not developed the way the Penguins thought he would. He&rsquo;s great on the slam dunk, but misses too many easy lay-ups.Diminishing returns: Surely center Bryan Trottier, if he in fact does make it back after a one-year layoff, cannot be expected to contribute much at age 37. A former scoring champion, he managed just 20 goals in two seasons before his one-year retirement.State of goaltending: Everything will be fine as long as Barrasso remains healthy. Last season, he was out of the lineup for a short period of time when he contracted chicken pox and back-up Ken Wregget filled in admirably. But the Penguins will be in serious trouble if Barrasso goes down for a substantial period. Bruce Racine is No. 3 on the depth chart, but has not played in the NHL in five pro seasons.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0136-0195/10250754-1-eng-US/f0136-012.jpg" title="f0136-01" width="1943" height="2496"><figcaption class="caption-body">Can Ron Francis work out his differences with new coach Ed Johnston?</figcaption></div>Most pressing need: Since Murphy is the team&rsquo;s only defenseman with legitimate offensive skills&mdash;and he&rsquo;s 32-the Penguins could use a young blueliner with similar inclinations. Bryan Fogarty is not the answer.Underachiever: It&rsquo;s a toss-up and a bit of a stretch considering the Penguins finished first overall and 26 points ahead of their nearest Patrick Division rival. Jagr hasn&rsquo;t blossomed into a superstar, although plenty of other teams would love to have him.Overachiever: The Penguins waited four years for center Shawn MacEachern after picking him 110th in 1987 and he repaid them with 28 goals and 61 points as a rookie. His point total was sixth-best among freshmen.Coach/GM: Johnston returns to the coaching profession after an 11-year absence and is in charge of returning the Penguins to power. His job, replacing Bowman, who bolted for a huge contract with the Detroit Red Wings, will be easy if Lemieux is healthy. If not, it&rsquo;s anybody&rsquo;s guess in which direction the Penguins will waddle. One thing is certain, general manager Craig Patrick&rsquo;s intuitions should be trusted. He was right in selecting Bob Johnson and then Bowman. He has also made several excellent trades.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0137-0185/10250747-1-eng-US/f0137-012.jpg" title="f0137-01" width="2340" height="3256"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0138-0187/10250740-1-eng-US/f0138-012.jpg" title="f0138-01" width="2265" height="2312"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0138-02_ad3/10250733-1-eng-US/f0138-02_ad2.jpg" title="f0138-02_Ad" width="2312" height="882"></div> &#9632;

f0135-01

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS

<div class="byline">STEVE DUCHESNE</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0139-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0139-0170/10250820-1-eng-US/f0139-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">(Tim Parker)</figcaption></div>No team in NHL history made greater strides in one season than the 1992-93 Quebec Nordiques. But their first playoff in six years was a disaster.Despite improving by an NHL-record 52 points over the previous season and going from second-last to fourth-best overall, they were beaten in the first round of the playoffs by the Montreal Canadiens. That was after taking a commanding 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.The Nordiques hope they can sign free agent Swede Peter Forsberg, obtained in the Eric Lindros trade. If he signs with another team, the Nordiques would be entitled to compensation.1992-93 record: 47-27-10, second in Adams, fourth overall, lost division semifinal 4-2 to Montreal Canadiens.Three pivotal factors: 1. Learning from last season&rsquo;s playoff failure. In the series against Montreal, the Nordiques tried to open things up and took too many chances on offense while ignoring defensive assignments. They wound up selfdestructing and must prevent themselves from doing that in this year&rsquo;s playoffs.2. The emergence of Stephane Fiset. The Nordiques are obviously confident the 23-year-old goaltender is prepared to be the team&rsquo;s No. 1 man after trading away veteran Ron Hextail. Fiset, entering his third pro season, has been considered the team&rsquo;s goalie of the future since they picked him 24th overall in 1988.3. Personnel. The Nordiques are in the same boat as many of the top teams, they need a big, tough, authoritative defenseman. That is the missing link between success and failure.New players: Martin Gelinas, LW; Janne Laukkanen, D; Paul MacDermid, RW; Reggie Savage, C.Breakthrough player: Constant injuries have kept Russian Valeri Kamensky from becoming one of the elite left wingers in the league. He managed 15 goals and 37 points in 32 games last season after scoring 21 points in 23 games as a rookie. The Nordiques are hoping for better health and more production this season.Diminishing returns: If Jacques Cloutier sticks around as the backup to Fiset, the 33-year-old can expect to start 10-15 games. Cloutier played just three games last season and is on the last year of his contract. He would gladly accept the backup role knowing it could increase if Fiset flops.State of goaltending: Fiset inherits the No. 1 job from Hextail, leaving Cloutier and enigmatic minor-leaguer John Tanner to fight it out for the backup job. The Canadiens proved last season a team only needs one established goaltender to be successful, but it&rsquo;s not a formula the majority of teams would willingly adopt. The Nordiques are definitely in the market for goaltending help.Most pressing need: General manager-coach Pierre Page is on a mission to change the complexion of his defense corps. He would like to add a Kevin Hatcher-or Dave Manson-type blueliner who would add size to the blue line and help out in the offensive zone.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0140-0182/10250813-1-eng-US/f0140-012.jpg" title="f0140-01" width="1968" height="2503"><figcaption class="caption-body">Super Swede Mats Sundin must help the Nordiques shake playoff jitters.</figcaption></div>Underachiever: When a team improves as much as the Nordiques did, it&rsquo;s difficult to identify a clear-cut underachiever. But the Nordiques expected Mikhail Tatarinov to be one of their top four defensemen when they acquired him from the Washington Capitals. He responded with eight points in 28 games; the Nordiques responded by letting him sign with the Boston Bruins.Overachiever: Once considered an underachiever in both Hartford and Pittsburgh, Scott Young found a home on the third line and on the point on the power play. One season after splitting time between playing professionally in Italy and with the United States&rsquo; Olympic team, he scored 30 goals, registered 30 assists and was third on the team with five game-winning goals.Coach/GM: Page prides himself on analyzing the opposition and having his team prepared for games. An intense individual, he likes his players to feel comfortable taking chances on offense as long as they don&rsquo;t completely forget about defense. Having former successful junior operator Sherry Bassin as his assistant GM will allow Page to concentrate more on his coaching duties and less on player personnel matters.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0141-0170/10250806-1-eng-US/f0141-012.jpg" title="f0141-01" width="2352" height="3245"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0142-0176/10250799-1-eng-US/f0142-012.jpg" title="f0142-01" width="2304" height="2323"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0142-02_ad3/10250792-1-eng-US/f0142-02_ad2.jpg" title="f0142-02_Ad" width="2357" height="904"></div> &#9632;

f0139-01

QUEBEC NORDIQUES

<div class="byline">CURTIS JOSEPH</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0143-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0143-0174/10250879-1-eng-US/f0143-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">(Tim Parker)</figcaption></div>Give them a power play or put them in a shorthanded situation and the St. Louis Blues are among the best teams in the NHL.But for the Blues, even strength is a contradiction of terms.The Blues were the league&rsquo;s top penaltykilling team last season with an 83.7 per-cent success rate and ranked third on the power play at 21.9 per cent. All that added up to a season one game over .500 and an exit from the playoffs in the Norris Division final.The Blues have been spinning their wheels for the past two seasons, and unless fresh blood flows into the system, there&rsquo;s little reason to believe this season will be any different.1992-93 record: 37-36-11, fourth in Norris, 16th overall, lost in division final 43 to Toronto Maple Leafs.Three pivotal factors: 1. Brett Hull. The Blues must provide better linemates for The Golden Brett than Rich Sutter and Ron Wilson. Hull is a renowned finisher, but needs somebody to set him up the way his old buddy Adam Oates used to.2. Transition game. The Blues&rsquo; idea of a breakout from their own zone is banging the puck off the boards. Even high-scoring rearguard Jeff Brown gets most of his goals and assists firing rockets from the point. They either need a better breakout system or new players willing and capable of attempting the odd end-to-end rush.3. Curtis Joseph. Cujo faced 2,202 shots last season-83 more than his nearest competitor, Winnipeg Jet Bob Essensa. In two seasons he has been pelted with 4,155 shots-the most in the league. Joseph has proven he can handle the heat, but obviously far too much time is being spent in the defensive zone.New players: Nathan LaFayette, RW; Ian Lapenriere, C; Jim Montgomery, C.Breakthrough player: Denny Felsner has good wheels, goes to the net with gusto and has a soft touch around the goal. The 6-foot, 185-pound left winger scored 14 goals and 35 points in 29 games with the International League&rsquo;s Peoria Rivermen and three assists in six games with St. Louis last season. The Blues hope this is the year he establishes himself as an impact player in the league.Diminishing return: He&rsquo;s small (5-foot-9, 180-pounds) and old (37) but like the Energizer bunny, Wilson keeps going and going. He remains one of the NHL&rsquo;s best penalty killers and is an inspiration to teammates who might consider coasting the odd shift. However, the Blues must be wondering how much more they can get out of him.State of goaltending: As long as Joseph remains healthy, the Blues are all right in goal. But with Guy Hebert gone-he was selected by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in the expansion draft-the Blues must choose between Geoff Sarjeant and Parris Duffus (they split time evenly in Peoria last season) for the backup spot. Unless, of course, they deal for a more experienced stopper, which is a distinct possibility.Most pressing need: Hull needs a playmaking center. Craig Janney couldn&rsquo;t do it and Wilson didn&rsquo;t come close. The Blues wasted Hull&rsquo;s talents last season and he let them know it.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0144-0179/10250872-1-eng-US/f0144-012.jpg" title="f0144-01" width="2336" height="3303"><figcaption class="caption-body">Brett Hull had the most disappointing 50-goal season in league history.</figcaption></div>Underachiever: Linemates or not, Hull had a lousy season by his own lofty standards dropping from 72, 86 and 70 goals the past three seasons to 54. And he was minus-27, worst on the team. Too many nights he seemed to be just going through the motions. Hull insists he loves St. Louis and wants to remain a Blue, but some nights it didn&rsquo;t look that way.Overachiever: The Blues expected a lot from Brendan Shanahan when they signed him as a free agent and he delivered with a 51-goal season. That&rsquo;s 18 better than his previous career high the season before. The rugged right winger has developed into one of the NHL&rsquo;s dominant power forwards.Coach/GM: Unlike his predecessor, Bob Plager, Bob Berry takes a straightshooting, right-to-the-point approach to coaching. An open-minded taskmaster-meaning he&rsquo;ll listen to the players, but still gets his way-Berry took over the Blues 11 games into the season and guided them to a 16th overall finish. He obviously made a good impression-the Blues rewarded him with a three-year extension on his contract. Excitable general manager Ron Caron also signed on for two more years-a deal that will keep him terrorizing press boxes until he&rsquo;s at least 65.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0145-0163/10250865-1-eng-US/f0145-012.jpg" title="f0145-01" width="2404" height="3299"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0146-0170/10250858-1-eng-US/f0146-012.jpg" title="f0146-01" width="2299" height="2448"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0146-02_ad3/10250851-1-eng-US/f0146-02_ad2.jpg" title="f0146-02_Ad" width="2331" height="924"></div> &#9632;

f0143-01

ST. LOUIS BLUES

<div class="byline">BRIAN BRADLEY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0151-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0151-0154/10250997-1-eng-US/f0151-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">(Tim Parker)</figcaption></div>The San Jose Sharks proved in 1992-93 that a promising debut season doesn&rsquo;t always guarantee success in the second year. That is exactly what the Tampa Bay Lightning are up against this season.The expansion Lightning recorded 23 victo-ries-11 on the road-and 53 points a year ago.But like other expansion teams, reality may set in this time around. Of the 14 expansion teams that recorded at least 35 points in their first seasons, 10 of them experienced dropoffs in the second.Lightning general manager Phil Esposito has made some positive off-season moves, so now all he has to do is find his team a permanent place to play.1992-93 record: 23-54-7, sixth in Norris, 22nd overall, missed playoffs.Three pivotal factors: 1. Special teams. Because it lacked offensive talent, the expansion Lightning was 20th on the power play and dead last killing penalties. Denis Savard and Petr Klima should help the power play, but who will lend a hand to the penalty killers is a mystery.2. Goaltending. A trio of Tampa Bay goalies tried their best, but failed to provide the team with key saves. They were also rarely successful in keeping the team in a close game or turning a game around in the team&rsquo;s favor. The Lightning is counting on Daren Puppa, selected in Phase 11 of the expansion draft, to reverse that trend.3. Development of key youngsters. Defenseman Roman Hamrlik, the first. overall pick in the 1992 entry draft, and Rob Zamuner, signed as a free agent in the summer of 1992, must continue to progress. The Lightning expects Zamuner to become a more integral part of the offense while Hamrlik, just 19, should take the next step to becoming a steadier, all-around defender.New players: Peter Ahola, D; Donald Dufresne, D; Gerard Gallant, LW; Randy Gilhen, C; Klima, RW; Brent Pederson, D; Puppa, G; Savard, C.Breakthrough player: Tampa was pleased with Zamuner&rsquo;s production last season, but feel he is capable of doubling his output. Because he&rsquo;s entering his fifth pro season, the team expects him to do so soon.Diminishing returns: The Lightning accepts the fact John Tucker will never be the goalscorer he once was-they probably accepted it before they took him in the expansion draft-and will be satisfied if he is able to continue playing set-up man for leading scorer Brian Bradley. Tucker has good hands, especially when he&rsquo;s dumping the puck off to a linemate, but often has difficulty finding the net.State of goaltending: If Puppa can recover some of the magic he displayed early in his career with the Buffalo Sab-res-he also looked quite solid late last season with the Toronto Maple Leafs-starting goaltending will no longer be a problem. It would also certainly unseat one of incumbents J.C. Bergeron, Wendell Young and Pat Jablonski. Jablonski and Young knew they were safe last season and sometimes played that way.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0152-0157/10250990-1-eng-US/f0152-012.jpg" title="f0152-01" width="1888" height="2489"><figcaption class="caption-body">The Lightning is hoping John Tucket can step up offensively in 1993-94.</figcaption></div>Most pressing need: The Lightning could use more firepower. Too many nights the team&rsquo;s fate was in the hands of little center Bradley. Depending on how badly he wants to succeed, Klima should be a big boost to the offense. Savard, 32, is no longer a superstar, but he should help, too.Underachiever: With the exception of 1989-90 with the Chicago Blackhawks, center Adam Creighton&rsquo;s career has been a series of underachieving seasons. There are games he dominates, but they occur too infrequently.Overachiever: Bradley&rsquo;s 42 goals last season was more than his combined output in the previous three with Toronto and the Vancouver Canucks. There was a day when people envisioned him as an NHL goalscorer, but after seven seasons of not living up to those expectations, last season&rsquo;s outburst caught everybody in the hockey world off guard.Coach/GM: There were those who questioned Esposito&rsquo;s ability to manage a team, but after the job he did in Tampa last season, putting a decent product on the ice and selling the game in a non-traditional hockey market, they are in a minority. Esposito failed in New York with the Rangers, but who hasn&rsquo;t? Coach Terry Crisp, who guided the Calgary Flames to the 1989 Stanley Cup, remains the same coach now as he was then. He believes pride and a solid work ethic can make up for a lack of talent.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0153-0150/10250983-1-eng-US/f0153-012.jpg" title="f0153-01" width="2411" height="3287"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0154-0154/10250976-1-eng-US/f0154-012.jpg" title="f0154-01" width="2347" height="2320"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0154-02_ad2/10250969-1-eng-US/f0154-02_ad2.jpg" title="f0154-02_Ad" width="2375" height="900"></div> &#9632;

f0151-01

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING

<div class="byline">FELIX POTVIN</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0155-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0155-0149/10251056-1-eng-US/f0155-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">(Tim Parker)</figcaption></div>Of the four third-place finishers that made it to the semifinals last season, the Toronto Maple Leafs were the least-likely participants. Not even the most optimistic Leaf followers expected the team to make it that far.New coach Pat Bums preached team defense, veteran center Doug Gilmour came through with a career season and rookie goalie Felix Potvin established himself as one of the best stoppers in the NHL.The problem is, the Leafs left themselves with a very tough act to follow. Will those same fans who were delighted with Toronto&rsquo;s breakthrough season accept anything less? It&rsquo;s difficult to substitute for the taste of winning.1992-93 record: 44-29-H, third in Norris, eighth overall, lost conference final 4-3 to Los Angeles Kings.Three pivotal factors: 1. Gilmour. It&rsquo;s hard to imagine the team&rsquo;s offensive leader improving on last year&rsquo;s sensational effort, when Gilmour set a club record with 127 points in 83 games. The Leafs would settle for him matching it. There are those who rated him the most valuable player in 1992-93.2. Pat Bums. The former Montreal Canadiens&rsquo; coach impressed everyone by guiding the Leafs to the Campbell Conference final. Bums can be a charming individual when things are going his way. But the true test of his ability and patience will come if the Leafs falter.3. Potvin&rsquo;s goaltending. Felix the Cat pulled ahead of schedule, taking over as the No. 1 goalie in Toronto midway through last season. But his agent, Gilles Lupien, demanded in the off-season the Leafs pay his client $2 million a season (up from $145,000) and that created some bad vibes. There were even suggestions Potvin might be traded.New players: Alexei Kudashov, C; Eric Lacroix, LW; Damian Rhodes, G.Breakthrough player: Right winger Rob Pearson proved he belongs in the NHL, but when the playoffs rolled around, he couldn&rsquo;t be counted on for a consistent effort and watched some games from the pressbox. When he plays his best, Pearson can be an agitator with the ability to score 25-30 goals. At his worst, he loafs and looks uninterested.Diminishing returns: This team is loaded with them. Centers Mike Krush-elnyski and John Cullen and right wingers Mike Foligno and Glenn Anderson are definitely on the downsides of their careers. Krushelnyski and Foligno proved to be valuable at times and could do the same next season. Anderson showed signs of life in the playoffs, but failed to have an impact for most regular-season games. Cullen is a consistent minus performer who has a career-threatening neck injury to deal with.State of goaltending: The Leafs had only one goalie under contract at the midway point of the summer-Potvin-and he was in the process of renegotiating. Rhodes, who played out his option, was expected to re-sign and will back up Potvin, since the Leafs lost Daren Puppa in the expansion draft.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0156-0154/10251049-1-eng-US/f0156-012.jpg" title="f0156-01" width="1899" height="2496"><figcaption class="caption-body">The Leafs need a healthy Wendel Clark to succeed in the rugged Central Division.</figcaption></div>Most pressing need: A second line center to play behind Gilmour. The Leafs are hoping Cullen returns to form and can do the job, but that&rsquo;s stretching things. Peter Zezel is a capable faceoff man, but is not second-line material.Underachiever: Russian defenseman Dmitri Mironov was penciled in as the point man on the power play at the beginning of last season, but he was a bust. He scored seven goals and 31 points in 59 games, but too often he lacked confidence. He got off on the wrong foot by showing up at training camp some 10 pounds overweight and unprepared to earn his $309,000 salary.Overachiever: Potvin. The plan was to start him slowly, but the Leafs eventually realized he was ready for the big time so they traded Grant Fuhr to the Buffalo Sabres to give him playing time. Potvin wound up with the best goals-against average in the league (2.50) and second best save percentage (.906).Coach/GM: The Hockey News selected Cliff Fletcher executive of the year and named Bums top coach for their efforts last season. Fletcher is credited with bringing the Leafs back from oblivion and is a willing and masterful trader with a reputation for treating his players fairly in contract negotiations. Bums sold his players on the merits of a solid work ethic and will settle for nothing less in the future.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0157-0148/10251042-1-eng-US/f0157-012.jpg" title="f0157-01" width="2373" height="3248"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0158-0152/10251035-1-eng-US/f0158-012.jpg" title="f0158-01" width="2312" height="2439"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0158-02_ad2/10251028-1-eng-US/f0158-02_ad2.jpg" title="f0158-02_Ad" width="2349" height="924"></div> &#9632;

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TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS

<div class="byline">TREVOR LINDEN</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0159-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0159-0148/10251115-1-eng-US/f0159-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">(Bruce Bennett/BBS)</figcaption></div>High expectations can lead to big disappointment.The Vancouver Canucks were eliminated by the Los Angeles Kings in the Smythe Division final after a second straight regular season division title.Some are now questioning Pat Quinn&rsquo;s ability to handle the dual role of coach and general manager. Others wonder when the Canucks are going to get decent linemates for star right winger Pavel Bure. They thought Anatoli Semenov was the answer, but he had one goal in the final 38 games playing with Bure.One thing is certain: the team that was so confident a year ago is doing a lot of second-guessing.1992-93 record: 46-29-9, first in Smythe, seventh overall, lost division final 4-2 to Los Angeles Kings. &rsquo;Three pivotal factors: 1. Bure&rsquo;s contribution. Can the Russian Rocket continue to soar? The Canucks hope so. The fran-I chise&rsquo;s first legitimate superstar and former NHL rookie of the year improved from 34 I goals as a freshman to 60 last season and from 60 points to 110. For Vancouver to emerge victorious in the Pacific Division, &rsquo; he&rsquo;ll have to maintain or improve his sophomore pace.2. Mobility on defense. The Canucks have a fine blend of speed and toughness up front and while their defense is competent, it is also slow. If slick rearguards Jiri Slegr and Adrien Plavsic can step up their contributions, that problem will be alleviat-I ed.3. The front-office situation. As the off-season progressed, there was still some question as to whether or not Quinn, who also holds the title of team president, would return as coach. Some felt he was wearing too many hats to be an effective bench boss. If he doesn&rsquo;t return, there will be a natural transition period adjusting to his replacement.New players: Dan Ratushny, D; Alek Stojanov, RW.Breakthrough player: For a guy not even expected to make the team, Dixon Ward had a terrific rookie season, scoring 22 goals and 52 points. And that was without regular linemates. Ward will be a larger part of the picture this season and the Canucks have suggested he will break out in 1993-94.Diminishing returns: After 13 years in the NHL, you might expect defenseman David Babych to be winding down. And there were nights during the 1992-93 regular season when he looked as though he was running low on fuel. But Babych was as solid as ever in the post-season, especially in the first-round against the Winnipeg Jets. The Canucks will settle for a similar scenario this season.State of goaltending: If there&rsquo;s one area in which the Canucks are secure, it&rsquo;s goal. No. 1 goalie Kirk McLean slipped from the previous season when he led the NHL in victories with 38-he had 28 in 1992-93-but backup Kay Whitmore played superbly. So much so in fact that the Canucks traded to get John Vanbiesbrouck from the New York Rangers so it would lessen the possibility of them losing Whitmore in the expansion draft.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0160-0157/10251108-1-eng-US/f0160-012.jpg" title="f0160-01" width="1879" height="2484"><figcaption class="caption-body">Getting skilled players to play with flashy Pavel Bure remains a priority.</figcaption></div>Most pressing need: A big, strong defensive center in the Joel Otto mold would be nice. The Canucks don&rsquo;t have anyone who can check the opposing team&rsquo;s best center.Underachiever: Defenseman Jyrki Lumme is supposed to quarterback the power play and provide the Canucks with between 60 and 75 points. Last season, he lost his confidence early and struggled to get 44 points. He rebounded late in the season and showed signs of living up to his potential.Overachiever: When the Canucks picked up Whitmore from the Hartford Whalers for a prospect and a draft choice, they had him slotted in as the backup, someone who could spell McLean occasionally. Little did they know he would push McLean for the starter&rsquo;s job, recording an 18-8-4 record with the league&rsquo;s fifth best goals-against average (3.10). The Canucks may have the best goalie tandem in the NHL.Coach/GM: If the Canucks had won another round in the playoffs, nobody would be questioning Quinn&rsquo;s ability to juggle the coaching and GM duties. As a coach he&rsquo;s a respected taskmaster, but there are some players on the Canucks who require a constant reminder of what&rsquo;s expected from them.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0161-0146/10251101-1-eng-US/f0161-012.jpg" title="f0161-01" width="2399" height="3268"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0162-0151/10251094-1-eng-US/f0162-012.jpg" title="f0162-01" width="2372" height="2369"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0162-02_ad2/10251087-1-eng-US/f0162-02_ad2.jpg" title="f0162-02_Ad" width="2364" height="904"></div> &#9632;

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VANCOUVER CANUCKS

<div class="byline">KEVIN HATCHER</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0163-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0163-0144/10251174-1-eng-US/f0163-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">(Jim Leary/BBS)</figcaption></div>They aren&rsquo;t quite the Buffalo Sabres when it comes to playoff failure, but the Washington Capitals are close.What makes it so painful for the Capitals is the fact they&rsquo;re considered potential challengers for the Stanley Cup each season. High expectations can lead to heightened disappointment.Once again, there is every reason to believe the Capitals will be a good team. They have scoring depth, enough size to compete with any team in the league and goaltending shouldn&rsquo;t be a problem.So what will stand in the way of the Capitals? Maybe nothing or maybe the first round of the playoffs.1992-93 record: 43-34-7, second in Patrick, 10th overall, lost 4-2 in division semifinal to New York Islanders.Three pivotal factors: 1. Offensive production. Washington is consistently among the NHL&rsquo;s top scoring teams. Last season, a good portion of scoring was supplied by defensemen-the Capitals became the first team in NHL history to have three rearguards with 20 or more goals in a season. Nobody expects that to happen again automatically so it would be helpful if Randy Burridge can bounce back from surgery on both knees.2. Toughness. The Capitals have many skilled, offense-oriented forwards and defensemen but lack imposing players. They traded for Craig Berube, Kevin Kaminski and Enrico Ciccone in the offseason in an effort to address the situation.3. Playoff performance. With the exception of 1989-90 when they advanced to the Wales Conference final, the Capitals never made it out of their division. Promising regular-seasons followed up by playoff failures have been far too common in the capital city.New players: Keith Acton, C; Berube, LW; Ciccone, D; Pat Peake, C/RW.Breakthrough player: The Capitals traaea tor Kick tab-aracci with the intention of making him the No. 1 man. He&rsquo;ll get that opportunity this season and must seize it.Diminishing returns: When a scorer falls on hard times, as Bobby Carpenter has, he&rsquo;s usually labeled a two-way player. The only problem is, Carpenter was a teamworst minus-16, one of only five minus players among Capital regulars. Carpenter&rsquo;s 11 goals and 28 points in 68 games last season were a farcry from early in his career when he consistently scored in the 60-point range or 198485 when he had a career-high 95.State of goaltending: Tabaracci appears to have the inside track on the No. 1 spot with veteran Don Beaupre settling in as the back-up. Beyond them are Byron Dafoe and Olaf Kolzig, who both enjoyed successful seasons in the American League last season. The Capitals see oth as more than back-up material and feel it would be best for their development if they stayed in the minor leagues and got plenty of action rather than sit on the bench in the NHL waiting for their turn to see action.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0164-0146/10251167-1-eng-US/f0164-012.jpg" title="f0164-01" width="1931" height="2472"><figcaption class="caption-body">Like his team, Michal Pivonka has not responded to the playoff challenge.</figcaption></div>Most pressing need: Dale Hunter&rsquo;s senseless cheap shots notwithstanding, the Capitals are not prone to strike loads of fear into the hearts of their opponents. If Berube, Ciccone or Kaminski come through with the toughness the team needs, it will be a big help.Underachiever: Despite the fact he scored 74 points in 69 games, the Capitals expect more from Michal Pivonka. They have been patient with him to date, but feel he has the ability to step forward and ride with the elite. Especially discouraging was his lame playoff performance-two assists in six games.Overachiever: Although the Capitals suspected defenseman Sylvain Cote was capable of scoring goals-he had 11 in 1991-92&mdash;his 21 last season was a pleasant surprise. It matched his scoring output from the previous three seasons combined.Coach/GM: If the Capitals don&rsquo;t do better in the playoffs this season, it could be curtains for both general manager David Poile and coach Terry Murray. Capitals&rsquo; fans are growing restless. In a year when the Pittsburgh Penguins were ripe for defeat, the Capitals weren&rsquo;t up to the task. Poile has been an aggressive trader and has the best interests of the game at heart. He was one of the people seriously considered for the job of executive vice-president and right-hand man for NHL commissioner Gary Bettman. However, playoff success still eludes him.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0165-0141/10251160-1-eng-US/f0165-012.jpg" title="f0165-01" width="2391" height="3264"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0166-0142/10251153-1-eng-US/f0166-012.jpg" title="f0166-01" width="2285" height="2308"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0166-02_ad2/10251146-1-eng-US/f0166-02_ad2.jpg" title="f0166-02_Ad" width="2345" height="889"></div> &#9632;

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WASHINGTON CAPITALS

<div class="byline">ALEXEI ZHAMNOV</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0167-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0167-0141/10251233-1-eng-US/f0167-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">(Jim Leary/BBS)</figcaption></div>Good riddance, Smythe Division.That&rsquo;s what the Winnipeg Jets must have been saying when the NHL announced its plans for realignment. The Jets will play next season in the Central Division (formerly Norris). Their farewell to the Smythe was not a tearful one.With the exception of the San Jose Sharks, the Jets were the only team never to advance out of the division in the playoffs.Things are looking up for the Jets, who have a base of promising young talent and arguably the best scorer in the league in Teemu Selanne. But the best thing is the western teams don&rsquo;t have the Jets to kick around anymore.1992-93 record: 40-37-7, fourth in Smythe, 12th overall, lost division semifinal 4-2 to Vancouver Canucks.Three pivotal factors: 1. Team toughness. The Jets took step in the nasty direction when they acquired enforcers Kris King and Tie Domi from the New York Rangers last December. Both can serve as protectors, but the Jets hope some of their toughness will rub off on the team&rsquo;s many skilled Europeans.2. Development of young talent. The Jets are pleased with the progress of youngsters Selanne, Alexei Zhamnov and Keith Tkachuk, along with Sergei Bautin. If they take a step forward this season, the team will certainly improve. If they stall, or slip, the Jets are in trouble.3. Defensive play. The Jets became more offensive last season, but it cost them. They gave up 76 more goals than last year. If a big, tough stay-at-home defenseman doesn&rsquo;t soon emerge, they will have to make a move to get one.New players: Yan Kaminsky, LW; Darryl Shannon, D; Sergei Sorokin, D.Breakthrough player: Stu Barnes, the Jets&rsquo; first pick in 1989, was supposed to supply the team with offense. And he may yet. To date, however, the 5-foot-10, 180-pound center has struggled to stay in the lineup. He had 17 points as a rookie and 22 last season.Diminishing returns: Defenseman Dean Kennedy was never much of an offensive threat and he held true to form last season with a goal and eight points. He moves a little slower these days at age 30, but is a valued leader on the Jets. Now that Randy Carlyle has retired, Kennedy becomes as important to the team in the dressing room as on the ice. Perhaps more so.State of goaltending: No. 1 goalie Bob Essensa failed to win a game in the playoffs when the Jets needed a stellar performance against Vancouver. Perhaps it&rsquo;s unfair to place too much pressure on his shoulders, but if he is to ever be considered an elite goalie, he must carry the team to the next level. Assuming he sticks around for more than five minutes this time, Stephane Beauregard figures to be Essen-sa&rsquo;s backup.Most pressing need: The Jets are looking for a big, durable defenseman who can log 25-30 minutes a game. So who isn&rsquo;t? To get one, they will probably have to part with one of their young forwards.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0168-0144/10251226-1-eng-US/f0168-012.jpg" title="f0168-01" width="1887" height="2516"><figcaption class="caption-body">The Jets must add some muscle to orotect suoerstar Teemu Selanne.</figcaption></div>Underachiever: Two seasons ago detenseman Igor Ulanov surprised the Jets by sticking with the team after an emergency recall. He made quite an impression, scoring two goals and nine points with 67 penalty minutes in 27 games. But the 6-foot-2, 205-pound Russian had a terrible training camp a year ago and never really earned a full-time spot in the lineup.Overachiever: Selanne established himself as one of the game&rsquo;s most exciting players, tying Buffalo Sabre Alexander Mogilny for the league lead in goals and setting a record for most goals by a freshman with 76. The Jets knew he was good, but this good? Selanne turned out to be the best rookie in NHL history.Coach/GM: Mike Smith continues to put his reputation as general manager on the line by leaning towards Europe in the draft. Eight of his 13 picks in the 1993 entry draft were European. Some traditionalists want more homegrown North Americans on this team. Others feel Smith is providing them with the most exciting hockey since the World Hockey Association days when Anders Hedberg and Ulf Nilsson were the main attractions. The Jets will have to win a playoff round for the experiment to continue. Coach John Paddock is charged with the task of meshing this talent while maintaining the respect of his players.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0169-0137/10251219-1-eng-US/f0169-012.jpg" title="f0169-01" width="2403" height="3272"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0170-0142/10251212-1-eng-US/f0170-012.jpg" title="f0170-01" width="2327" height="2312"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0170-02_ad2/10251205-1-eng-US/f0170-02_ad2.jpg" title="f0170-02_Ad" width="2379" height="896"></div> &#9632;

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WINNIPEG JETS

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0171-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0171-0139/10251271-1-eng-US/f0171-012.jpg"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0172-0139/10251264-1-eng-US/f0172-012.jpg" title="f0172-01" width="5135" height="3388"></div> &#9632;

f0171-01

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0174-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0174-0135/10251309-1-eng-US/f0174-012.jpg"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0176-0137/10251302-1-eng-US/f0176-012.jpg" title="f0176-01" width="589" height="3296"></div> &#9632;

f0174-01

AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0177-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0177-0126/10251340-1-eng-US/f0177-012.jpg"></div> &#9632;

f0177-01

INTERNATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0180-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0180-0131/10251402-1-eng-US/f0180-012.jpg"></div> &#9632;

f0180-01

WESTERN HOCKEY LEAGUE

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0182-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0182-0128/10251433-1-eng-US/f0182-012.jpg"></div> &#9632;

f0182-01

ONTARIO HOCKEY LEAGUE

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0184-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0184-0129/10251464-1-eng-US/f0184-012.jpg"></div> &#9632;

f0184-01

QUEBEC HOCKEY LEAGUE

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0188-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0188-0116/10251509-1-eng-US/f0188-012.jpg"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0190-0117/10251502-1-eng-US/f0190-012.jpg" title="f0190-01" width="2363" height="3364"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0192-0116/10251495-1-eng-US/f0192-012.jpg" title="f0192-01" width="2423" height="3360"></div> &#9632;

Search for your favorite player or team

Yearbook 1993-94

HIGH IQ Meet the NHL’s tough & talented

SAN JOSE SHARKS

EAST COAST HOCKEY LEAGUE

HOCKEY’S YOUNG & RESTLESS