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Yearbook 2003-04

The Hockey News Yearbook 2003-04

<div class="byline">By Mike Brophy</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0054-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0054-01378/10211377-1-eng-US/f0054-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">(BRUCE BENETT/BBS)</figcaption></div>All he could do was sit. And watch. And hope. And - as difficult as it was - understand begrudgingly that his day would eventually come.For a lot of kids in their first semi-final Game 7, the safest place in the world would be on the bench. You might not score, but then again, there&rsquo;s no way you&rsquo;d make a mistake and screw up your team&rsquo;s chances of getting to the Stanley Cup final, either.That was the furthest from thing Jason Spezza&rsquo;s mind as the clock ticked down with his Ottawa Senators tied 2-2 with the New Jersey Devils, the winner earning a berth in the final against Anaheim. When you&rsquo;re a &ldquo;special&rdquo; player, a highly publicized phenom who has been in the public eye since you were 14 years old, your thought is different. processLet me play.Give me the puck.&ldquo;I was sitting there thinking to myself, &lsquo;If I get one shift, just one shift, I want to score the winner,&rsquo; &rdquo; said Spezza, who turned20 four days after the Devils beat the Mighty Ducks in Game 7 of the final. &ldquo;That was all I was thinking. When you aren&rsquo;t playing, you have to focus and I keep your was hoping that if I got one shift I would be the difference in the game.&rdquo;Spezza will one day make the difference in many games. And when that day comes, he may finally be able to look back and put his past in focus.His offensive skill and &ldquo;hockey sense&rdquo; - that precious gift of flow and savvy that all the great ones especially possess - have been on display for a long time. He was one of those players to be dubbed a &ldquo;next one&rdquo; while barely into his teens, but Spezza&rsquo;s rise to prominence has not been as smooth as anticipated. He played for four junior teams; faced all kinds of scrutiny for not being able to help those teams achieve playoff success; was not the top pick in his draft year (2001) after years of speculation he would go No.1; and then, upon at turning pro 19, had his opportunity to win the NHL&rsquo;s rookie of-the-year award out yanked from under him - by his own employer.A skeptic might suggest the financially troubled Senators pushed Spezza past the limit for Calder Trophy eligibility (25 games) to save on potential bonuses. Spezza finished with seven goals and 21 points in 33 games - and played sparingly in many of them, with an average ice time of 12:40. The Sens, though, insist what they did was for the long term good of the player and the team.<h2>&lsquo;STANLEY CUP OPPORTUNITY'</h2>&ldquo;We care about what is best for the individual,&rdquo; said GM John Muckier, &ldquo;and I think Jason would say the same thing. He&rsquo;d love to win the Calder, no question. But he also felt he should do whatever he could to become a better player. Everybody wants to win the Stanley Cup and Jason has his eye on that prize. He knows he has an opportunity to do it with our club and he wants to be a big part of it.&rdquo;Spezza won&rsquo;t argue with that. But he also won&rsquo;t say losing his rookie status doesn&rsquo;t bug him; after all, he would&rsquo;ve been the leading Calder contender. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s something I can&rsquo;t worry about at this point,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I try to be optimistic about everything and I think that&rsquo;s a big reason why I have been successful.&ldquo;Being rookie of the year is something I&rsquo;ll never have a chance at and that&rsquo;s too bad. But the way I look at it is some guys on other teams who get to play a lot at the same as me age might not be playing for the Stanley Cup for a little while, whereas I have a chance to be part of something special and to contribute to it. If I can win five Stanley Cups instead of one Calder Trophy, that&rsquo;s fine by me.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0056-01310/10211370-1-eng-US/f0056-012.jpg" title="f0056-01" width="2603" height="1396"><figcaption class="caption-body">Good Hands&nbsp;Spezza&rsquo;s offensive instincts and willingness to go to the net didn&rsquo;t go unnoticed by the Devils in the Eastern Conference final. (BRUCE BENETT/BBS)</figcaption></div>Expectations for Spezza will be high this season, which is really nothing new. Probably the last time he wasn&rsquo;t expected to carry the world on his shoulders was when he made his hometown Brampton Battalion, an expansion Ontario League entry, as an undrafted 15-year-old in 1998-99. That year heman aged 22 goals and 71 points in67 games, numbers that bring smile a to his face. The young hotshot was a constant target for older players who resented his celebrity and success.&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know how I survived that year,&rdquo; Spezza said. &ldquo;I was a pretty skinny kid and I took a lot of abuse, but I&rsquo;ve of been targeted so I guess I got used to it.&rdquo;<blockquote class="pullQuote">&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve never had any reservations about Jason. His skills are just so good. - BOBBY ORR</blockquote>Spezza wishes he could&rsquo;ve spent hi: entire junior career with Brampton, but he was too hot a ticket for the awful Mississauga IceDogs to pass on. The IceDogs made him the top pick in the 1999 OHL draft. Despite 24 Spezza&rsquo;s goals and 61 efforts - points in52 games - the Don Cherry-owned IceDogs were the laughing-stock of the league, winning just nine times and tying once in 68 games. Do the math and it adds up to 58 losses.&ldquo;Those were very trying times, Spezza said. &ldquo;It was a lot of losses and a lot of losses in a row. You think to yourself, &lsquo;We really can&rsquo;t be this bad, can we?&rsquo; I guess we were.&rdquo;Partway through the 2000-01 season he left the IceDogs, demanding a trade, and was shipped to Windsor. In his final year of junior he was traded to Belleville. In the end, there was little team glory but Spezza did amass 108 goals and293 points in 218 OHL games. And because he played four years of junior, he was able to play in the American League as a 19-year-old.Along the way, Spezza has always had the spotlight on him. After a while he said, you get used to it. &ldquo;I think I was 14 when people started writing about me,&rdquo; Spezza recalled &ldquo;Obviously it&rsquo;s kind of cool at first. After a while, when you are used to it, tend you not to notice it as much. It just becomes part of your lifestyle and there&rsquo;s really not much to significance it.&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t put too much substance into what people write and say about me. I don&rsquo;t worry about stuff like that. I have to out and do the go things that I do best and keep trying to improve. I know how competitive I am and how much I want to get better. All I try to do is get better.&rdquo;Spezza lets most criticism roll of his back, but when people question his desire, which happened a lot during his junior days, well, that rankles him.&ldquo;That was the hardest thing for me to read about myself, people questioning my competitiveness,&rdquo; he said.&ldquo;That&rsquo;s probably one of my greatest traits. My entire family is competitive and my parents always taught us to be winners. Obviously when I played for those Mississauga teams and other teams that weren&rsquo;t winning, it was easy to get that knock. I don&rsquo;t care what people say about me, but don&rsquo;t say I&rsquo;m not competitive. That&rsquo;s just not right.&rdquo; notWhen you are a child prodigy, you are automatically left to open constant analysis and criticism. Spezza has felt the sting of critics, but luckily, has an adviser who has been there and done that. That adviser is Bobby Orr.<blockquote class="pullQuote">Don&rsquo;t say I&rsquo;m not competitive. That&rsquo;s just not right. - JASON SPEZZA</blockquote>Orr, Spezza&rsquo;s agent, was in the spotlight from the time he was 14 and had some friendly advice for his client. &ldquo;We talk to all our kids about it,&rdquo; Orr said. &ldquo;There is a price to pay when you make it to the NHL. Some may think it&rsquo;s unfair, but to get there is wonderful. With the coverage today, you are kind of in a fish bowl.&rdquo;Orr has complete faith that Spezza will emerge as a star in the NHL, even if others have doubts.&ldquo;I go back to&hellip;everybody&rsquo;s not going to like you,&rdquo; Orr said. &ldquo;Jason Spezza is a wonderful young man who is going to be a hell of a player for a long, long time. Does everybody like his style? Probably not. I&rsquo;ve never had any reservations about Jason. His skills are just so good.&rdquo;Spezza had his heart set or making the Senators last season. But Ottawa, which won the Presidents&rsquo; Trophy in 2002-03 for finishing first overall, had other ideas. For starters, they didn&rsquo;t need him. They had a wealth of talent front up and decided it would be in Spezza&rsquo;s best interests to hone his game in the AHL. A natural scorer all his life, the Sens wanted him to concentrate on learning to play away from the puck.&ldquo;Jason had to learn the team game,&rdquo; said Sens coach Jacques Martin. &ldquo;He never really played on a top team in junior and I think he got used to doing everything on his own. Before we sent Jason down I told him how impressed I was with the progress he showed compared to a year ago. The problem he was faced was the fact we had so much depth. We didn&rsquo;t want him playing eight minutes a night&hellip; we wanted him playing in all situations.&rdquo;Said Spezza: &ldquo;Obviously I would have preferred to be in Ottawa all year. But you know, I learned a lot in the AHL and I learned to play through adversity. In the games I played in Ottawa late in the season, I really felt myself starting to play my game. I was confident and starting to do the things that I had done at every level coming And then up. playing in the playoffs was a great experience.&rdquo;Spezza&rsquo;s shining moment came in Game 5 when he had a goal and an assist in Ottawa&rsquo;s 3-1 win over New Jersey in the East final. The Sens entered the game on the verge of elimination and needed a spark. Spezza provided it. In the three games he played in that series, Spezza showed much of the creativity and offensive flair that he demonstrated in junior.&ldquo;He amazes me sometimes how he can find people open on the ice when he is in traffic,&rdquo; Muckier said. &ldquo;He knows exactly where he is, who is checking him and where the open spots are.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0058-01312/10211363-1-eng-US/f0058-012.jpg" title="f0058-01" width="867" height="1214"><figcaption class="caption-body">Heads Up&nbsp;Spezza his says AHL lessons will help him be a better player in the bigs. (BRUCE BENETT/BBS)</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0055-01334/10211356-1-eng-US/f0055-012.jpg" title="f0055-01" width="2449" height="934"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0056-02203/10211349-1-eng-US/f0056-022.jpg" title="f0056-02" width="2395" height="920"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0057-01287/10211342-1-eng-US/f0057-012.jpg" title="f0057-01" width="2479" height="924"></div> &#9632;

f0054-01

Features

‘I want to score the winner’

<div class="byline">By Peter Botte</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0152-0152/10213566-1-eng-US/f0152-012.jpg" title="f0152-01" width="892" height="364"></div>Could anyone ever have imagined the New York Islanders canning their coaching staff after two consecutive post-season berths? OK, let&rsquo;s back up a bit could anyone ever have imagined two consecutive post-season berths?Expectations certainly have changed on Long Island, although the off-season firing of Peter Laviolette - and the naming of his replacement, longtime company man Steve Stirling - signals that nothing will fully change as long as the ever-impulsive Mike Milbury remains in the GM&rsquo;s chair.The Islanders believed they stepped backwards last season after barely qualifying for the playoffs as the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference, then being thrashed in five games in the first round by Ottawa. Milbury also was disturbed by reports of widening problems in the dressing room, mostly aimed at Laviolette&rsquo;s coaching style and communication skills, which led the GM to make the seventh bench change since he became the team&rsquo;s GM in 1995.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0152-0323/10213559-1-eng-US/f0152-032.jpg" title="f0152-03" width="1389" height="1829"><figcaption class="caption-body">JASON BLAKE (JIM MCISAAC/BBS)</figcaption></div>While the financial issues the hampered the team in the late 1990s haven&rsquo;t resurfaced, deep-pocketed owner Charles Wang claimed losses of up to $23 million last season. He doesn&rsquo;t appear inclined to duplicate that with the CBA war looming, so the Islanders remained on the sidelines once again during the summer free agency period.Saddled with eight more seasons of Alexei Yashin ($8.4 million this season) - a contract of his own making, remember - Milbury also entertained offers this summer for some of his other high - priced talent, including captain Michael Peca, defenseman Roman Hamrlik and scoring winger Mark Parrish. But Milbury hadn&rsquo;t effected many changes in personnel other than some minor roster pruning. He still needs to sign at least one more goalie, either to back up Rick DiPietro on the big club or to be the main man in Bridgeport of the American League. Veteran Garth Snow figures to be the Isles backup, but he could step into the No. 1 role if DiPietro falters.The existing roster and the corresponding middle-of-the-road payroll figures to be enough to keep the Isles in the hunt for a play off spot. Their stated goal of vaulting into Stanley Cup contention appears unrealistic, but they at least can point to surprise teams such as Carolina and Anaheim making runs to the final in recent seasons.STRENGTHS Despite an off year by Yashin and an injury-riddled one by Peca, the Isles remain formidable down the middle, with third-liner Dave Scatchard chipping in a career-best 27 goals last season. They also possess four blue-chip players on the blueline - Hamrlik, Adrian Aucoin, Kenny Jonsson and Janne Niinimaa - who are all used to logging heavy minutes One of them, most likely Hamrlik, could be dealt for another scoring winger.WEAKNESSES Stirling&rsquo;s biggest challenge in his first NHL coaching job will be to establish a true identity for this team, which deviated too often from an aggressive puck-pursuit system to a sit-back and-wait style under Laviolette. Also, the issues in the dressing room last season were not limited to problems with the coach. Milbury expects Peca to unify the team now that he is fully recovered from knee and shoulder surgeries.And, of course, there&rsquo;s the issue of getting Yashin to play at a higher level and with more intensity than he showed for much of last season.OFFENSE Part of the reason Laviolette and assistant coach Kelly Miller were axed following the season was an inept power play, which often took too long to set up.Great should make those around players them better, but how much better could Yashin truly be expected to make the likes of plugger Arron Asham and enigma Oleg Kvasha, Yashin&rsquo;s line mates for much of last season? The $90-million man at least rebounded from a dreadful season to finish with a flourish, including four points in five games against Ottawa in the playoffs. Barring a trade fora proven sniper, the Isles are hoping youngsters such as Matti as Weinhandl or Trent Hunter can make regular NHL contributions.Peca&rsquo;s lost season translated into fall-back years for regular line mates Parrish and Shawn Bates. The Isles did receive tremendous from Scatchard production and pesky right winger Jason Blake (25 goals, 55 points), but it&rsquo;s hard to imagine them duplicating that success.DEFENSE The top-four on the blue line is the NHL&rsquo;s among best, but Laviolette never expressed much faith in those rounding out the defense corps, players such as Eric Cairns, Radek Martinek and Mattias Timander. That came back to haunt the Isles in the playoffs. Aucoin led the Eastern Conference in ice time last season (29:00), with Hamrlik (26:34) and Niinimaa (26:09) also finishing in the top 10.Also, some players implored Laviolette to religiously employ a stringent defensive system, but their requests went unfulfilled. Stirling has vowed to install one system and stick with it.BEHIND THE BENCH Stirling, 53, has constructed a respected career coaching mostly in college and the minor leagues. He was named The Hockey News minor pro coach of the year in 2001-02 for guiding Bridgeport to the Calder Cup final. Prior to joining the Islanders organization six years ago, he worked under New Jersey GM Lou Lamoriello in Providence. His ties with Milbury stretch back to their days coming up together system. in the Boston BruinsStirling, who played pro in the AHL and in Europe, lists his strengths as some of the things that became Laviolette&rsquo;s undoing - including inviting interaction from his players and rolling his full lineup rather than cutting his bench short. Isles players who have played for Stirling at Bridgeport have lauded his ability torelate to players of different skills levels.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0153-0147/10213552-1-eng-US/f0153-012.jpg" title="f0153-01" width="1163" height="1798"><figcaption class="caption-body">Alexei Yashin&rsquo;s huge contract-not to mention his spotty play was a source of dressing room discussion. (JIM MCISAC/BBS)</figcaption></div>CHEMISTRY 101 Far too many students here are going to have to repeat the course. From complaints about the coach and playing time to petty jealousies over contracts, New York&rsquo;s dysfunctional dressing room was a major factor in Laviolette&rsquo;s ouster and the team&rsquo;s horrible late-season swoon. Peca was unable to keep the room from tattering because he spent so much time trying to physically prepare himself to play.Yashin&rsquo;s contract - and the perception he was not working nearly hard enough to justify it-also was a source of friction. Stirling, Peca and other team leaders such as Aucoin and possibly Snow must unify this group for the Isles to have any chance of improvement.ROOKIES After a taste of NHL life getting in each of the past two seasons, it is time for DiPietro to grab hold of the No. 1 goalie job and keep it for the next decade. If DiPietro doesn&rsquo;t step up this season, it will look bad on Milbury, who staked so much on the ultra-confident goal tender&rsquo;s potential when drafting him first overall in 2000.Hunter has led Bridgeport in scoring each of the last two seasons, but has done little in a handful of abridged stints with the Isles.<h2>THEBOTTOMLINE</h2>Isles could be a playoff team - if DiPietro shows up and the players learn to get along with each other - but not much more.PREDICTION9th in East<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0152-0234/10213545-1-eng-US/f0152-022.jpg" title="f0152-02" width="262" height="613"></div><h2>MIKE BROPHY&rsquo;S spotlight</h2>&nbsp;MARK PARRISH, RWParrish took astep back in 2002-03, slipping to 23 goals and minus-11 from 30 goals and plus-10 the season before. Parrish must approach 30 goals and 60 points if the Isles are to make it back<h2>ARRIVALS &&nbsp;DEPARTURES</h2>Off-season player movement affecting the Islanders' roster includes:<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0153-0238/10213538-1-eng-US/f0153-022.jpg" title="f0153-02" width="263" height="142"></div>Trent Hunter, RWJustin Mapletoft, C<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0153-0327/10213531-1-eng-US/f0153-032.jpg" title="f0153-03" width="253" height="141"></div>Kevin Haller, DRandy Robitaille, CSteve Webb, RW<h2>DEOTH CHART extra</h2><h3>TEAM GRADE C+</h3>Dysfunctional family needs guiding handGM Mike Milbury 9th NHL year, 1st team (220-333-75)COACH Steve Stirling1st NHL year, 1st team (0-0-0)*OT losses counted as losses<h3>GOALIES</h3>1. Rick DiPietro2. Garth Snow3. Wade Dubielewicz<h3>GRADE C+</h3>DiPietro must earn his believers in NHL<h3>DEFENSEMEN</h3>1. Adrian Aucoin2. Roman Hamrlik3. Janne Niinimaa4. Kenny Jonsson5. Radek Martinek6. Mattias Timander7. Eric Cairns8. Sven Butenschon9. Brandon Smith10. Tomi Pettinen<h3>GRADE B+</h3>Depth at top end could mean trade<h3>LEFT WINGERS</h3>1. Oleg Kvasha2. Shawn Bates3. Jason Wiemer4. Arron Asham5. Martin Chabada6. Sean Bergenheim<h3>CENTERS</h3>1. Alexei Yashin2. Michael Peca3. Dave Scatchard4. Justin Mapletoft5. Justin Papineau6. Eric Manlow<h3>RIGHT WINGERS</h3>1. Mark Parrish2. Jason Blake3. Mattias Weinhandl4. Eric Godard5. Trent Hunter6. Jeff Hamilton<h3>GRADE B</h3>On most-wanted list: Effort from Alexei<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0154-0149/10213524-1-eng-US/f0154-012.jpg" title="f0154-01" width="2558" height="2548"></div><h2>The Hockey News GOALIE ZONE</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0155-0146/10213517-1-eng-US/f0155-012.jpg" title="f0155-01" width="1495" height="1816"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0155-0233/10213510-1-eng-US/f0155-022.jpg" title="f0155-02" width="1498" height="703"><figcaption class="caption-body">(NHL RANK)</figcaption></div><h2>FUTURE WATCH</h2><h3>2003 TOP PICK</h3>Here are Islanders' first draft pick in 2003 and top 10 prospects, with age, position and 2002-03 team.ROBERT NILSSONPOSITION Right wingerSELECTED 15th overallCLUB Leksand (Swe.)SCOUTING REPORT The son of Kent Nilsson is a slick play maker with excellent vision and creativity. He&rsquo;s an exceptional stick handler and passer, but is weak defensively. Time horizon: two years away. Key stat: 21 points in 41 games.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0155-0325/10213503-1-eng-US/f0155-032.jpg" title="f0155-03" width="242" height="246"><figcaption class="caption-body">(JASON PULVER/BBS)</figcaption></div><h3>TOP 10 PROSPECTS</h3>Blue squares indicate projected sure-fire NHLers. Not included are 2003 draft picks. Age as of Oct. 1.1. Rick DiPietro, G, 21, Bridgeport (AHL)2. Sean Bergenheim, C, 19, Jokerit (Fin.)3. Trent Hunter, RW, 23, Bridgeport (AHL)4. Justin Mapletoft, C, 22, Bridgeport (AHL)5. Justin Papineau, C, 23, Bridgeport (AHL)6. Eric Godard, RW, 23, Bridgeport (AHL)7. Kristofer Ottosson, RW, 27, Djurgarden (Swe.)8. Roman Kukhtinov, D, 27, Ufa (Rus.)9. Jan Holub, D, 20, Liberec (Cze.)10. Ryan Caldwell, D, 22, Denver (WCHA)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0155-0413/10213496-1-eng-US/f0155-042.jpg" title="f0155-04" width="943" height="3484"></div> &#9632;

f0152-01

Team Reports

Internal bickering divides the Island

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0203-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0203-018/10214715-1-eng-US/f0203-012.jpg"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0203-024/10214722-1-eng-US/f0203-022.jpg" title="f0203-02" width="87" height="98"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0203-034/10214708-1-eng-US/f0203-032.jpg" title="f0203-03" width="2480" height="1555"><figcaption class="caption-body">Unrestricted free agent Joe Nieuwendyk is coming off a Stanley Cup championship with New Jersey, but could have a new home in 2003-04. (JIM MCISAAC/BBS)</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0203-01

IN THIS ISSUE

Plenty of players looking for work

<div class="byline">By Chuck Carlton</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0114-0192/10212657-1-eng-US/f0114-012.jpg" title="f0114-01" width="860" height="377"></div>The plan to win the Stanley Cup twice in the two seasons before 2004-05 only lasted nine months.When the Dallas Stars were stunned in the second round by Anaheim, a philosophy changed, one that became apparent early this summer.Though owner Tom Hicks first voiced the change the day after playoff elimination, that of developing from within, he may have had a of heart after slight change watching Detroit and Anaheim add to their arsenals.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0114-0328/10212650-1-eng-US/f0114-032.jpg" title="f0114-03" width="1412" height="2091"><figcaption class="caption-body">JERE LEHTINEN</figcaption></div>The Stars lost defenseman and captain Derian Hatcher to the Wings, but signed veteran blueliner Don Sweeney from Boston. They then a deal to swung acquire Phoenix defenseman and 15-year veteran Teppo Numminen who will earn $4.5 million this season. Numminen cost them defenseman Darryl Sydor.&ldquo;I think if you look around the league, the teams that seem to have the momentum have a mixture of quality veteran leadership younger players with and speed desire,&rdquo; Hicks said. &ldquo;In hockey, desire can make for a lot up of the gap in skill. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got our nucleus, we&rsquo;ve got great veterans. We have to continue to fresh blood like process Brenden Morrow and Niko Kapanen into our ineup.&rdquo;The Stars say they want to contend for a Stanley Cup. With Mike Modano - newly named as captain and entering a contract year - anchoring the forwards and record-setting goalie Marty Turco as the acrobatic last line of defense, the line-up remains formidable.But by refusing to add another year to Derian Hatcher&rsquo;s contract, Dallas watched its captain, a Norris Trophy finalist, depart to Detroit as a free agent.The Stars were active in the 2002 free agent market signing Bill Guerin, Scott Young, Philippe Boucher and Ulf Dahlen. This summer was about to hold trying course rather than making the ship stronger.STRENGTHS The Stars remain deep at forward, with three potent scoring lines. Modano shows no signs of slowing down at 33 and is motivated because it is a contract year. Jere Lehtinen picked up his third Seike Trophy and chipped in a career-high 31 goals.Bill Guerin scored 25 goals and the team expects him to be fully recovered from last season&rsquo;s problematic thigh surgery that made him a non-factor in the playoffs. The third line is solid with Kapanen, back after a stellar rookie season, and Morrow, an emerging power forward.Any defense boasting Sergei Zubov, Philippe Boucher and Numminen can&rsquo;t be too bad. Turco should prove that last season was no fluke and he just a product of a top-notch defensive system. The Stars finished with 111 points last season and had Turco not missed five weeks with an ankle sprain, they might have been closer to 120.WEAKNESSES With the loss of Hatcher, the Stars will have to replace 30 minutes a game of crease-clearing nastiness. Richard Matvichuk will be looked off the worst season of his career and upon to help replace his buddy, but is coming will have to regain his confidence and reclaim his role on a shutdown pairing. Somehow, the Stars have to find a way to get No. 2 center production from Jason Arnott and underachieving Pierre Turgeon, whose refusal to accept a negotiated buyout contributed to Hatcher&rsquo;s departure.All the trade talk done with an eye toward reducing payroll may have lasting impact; how will players like Turgeon and even Guerin react to an uncertain summer?OFFENSE The Stars played a more open, creative style under coach Dave Tippett and produced 245 goals, a 30-goal increase from the previous season.But balance is still a problem. Modano produced his usual85 points, but no other forward topped 50 last season. Even with the high-priced talent around him, Modano remains the straw that stirs the drink. More contributions from others would ease Modano&rsquo;s heavy burden.Tippett&rsquo;s system also worked well with defenseman Zubov. Given more freedom, Zubov produced 44 assists and 55 points, his best offensive output since 1997-98.The power play finished fifth and with another season under should be Tippett even more potent this year.DEFENSE Maybe no team, outside of perhaps New Jersey, was as deep on the blueline last season. The Stars are hoping the addition of Numminen and Sweeney can offset the loss of Hatcher and Sydor.Zubov is one of the top offensive defensemen in the whose skills are league, underrated despite his production. Philippe Boucher was solid at both ends in his first season in Dallas, especially in the first half of the season. Waiver-draft pickup Stephane Robidas was a find.Numminen&rsquo;s 30 last season was his points lowest total in six years. However, he was coming off foot and still surgery averaged nearly 24 minutes a night. No one knows how much Sweeney has left at 36. The age key to it all is Matvichuk, who is capable of handling Hatcher&rsquo;s physical role and demanding minutes, but was plagued by mistakes and self-doubt. John Erskine, bumped by Robidas last season, will finally get a chance for a full regular season.BEHIND THE BENCH Tippett had a reputation as a rising star in the coaching ranks when he came to Dallas and did nothing to disprove that in his first scouting report season. He balanced a need for making plays on offense while not ignoring the defensive end. Tippett also made hard decisions, like scratching Turgeon in the playoffs.If there was a criticism of Tippett, it that was his whatever-it-takes approach failed to provide the team identity that Ken Hitchcock&rsquo;s defense-at-all-costs mindset once created in Dallas. That said, Tippett will earn his money this season. A year ago the Stars were a 100-point team, no assembly required. This season&rsquo;s bunch will require more blending and prodding.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0115-0180/10212643-1-eng-US/f0115-012.jpg" title="f0115-01" width="1167" height="1762"><figcaption class="caption-body">Don&rsquo;t expect major changes he&rsquo;s from Mike Modano&rsquo;s superstar game just because getting the &lsquo;C&rsquo;. (BRUCE BENETT/BBS)</figcaption></div>CHEMISTRY 101 As Armstrong and each Tippett noted, the Stars were a remarkably coachable group last season. The team had missed the playoffs, veterans were stinging from the indignity and a blue-chip free agent crop wanted to impress new fans. Expect more resistance this time around stemming from trade talk and possibly diminished roles for veterans. Modano, while a leader in the dressing room, will be wearing the &lsquo;C&rsquo; for the first time and may have to choose his public statements a little more carefully.ROOKIES The Stars got unexpected performance from Kapanen last season and for the same this season from a are hoping couple of sources. Super-pest left winger Steve Ott had an extended cameo a year ago and is back in everyone&rsquo;s face for more. The Stars like his feisty nature and hope he can demonstrate some offensive upside to go with his spunk. Erskine will finally get a chance to be a regular on the third defense pair and fulfill the longstanding scouting report of a &ldquo;poor man&rsquo;s Hatcher.&rdquo;<h2>THEBOTTOMLINE</h2>On paper, losing Hatcher is a big blow. Then again, &ldquo;paper&rdquo; lineups mattered little in the playoffs against Anaheim.PREDICTION4th in West<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0114-0242/10212636-1-eng-US/f0114-022.jpg" title="f0114-02" width="252" height="636"><figcaption class="caption-body">(ACTION JAMES/SPORTS GLENN)</figcaption></div><h2>MIKE BROPHY&rsquo;S spotlight</h2>JASON ARNOTT, CWith Pierre Turgeon continuing to disappoint in Dallas, Arnott has a chance to establish himself as the team&rsquo;s top center behind Mike Modano. Six of Arnott&rsquo;s 23 goals last season were game-winners.<h2>ARRIVALS & DEPARTURES</h2>Off-season player movement affecting Dallas&rsquo;s roster includes:<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0115-0245/10212629-1-eng-US/f0115-022.jpg" title="f0115-02" width="255" height="143"></div>John Erskine, D Antti Miettinen, LWTeppo Numminen, DSteve Ott, LW Don Sweeney, DM. Tjarnqvist, RW<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0115-0332/10212622-1-eng-US/f0115-032.jpg" title="f0115-03" width="255" height="134"></div>Ulf Dahlen, LWDerian Hatcher, D Kirk Muller, C Darryl Sydor, DLyle Odelein, D<h2>DEPTH CHART extra</h2><h3>TEAM GRADE B+</h3>Left themselves with tough act to followGM Doug Armstrong3rd NHL year, 1st team (59-33-22)COACH Dave Tippett2nd NHL year, 1st team (46-21-15)*OT losses counted as losses<h3>GOALIES</h3>1. Marty Turco2. Ron Tugnutt3. Jason Bacashihua<h3>GRADE A</h3>Playoffs aside, Turco enjoyed superb year<h3>DEFENSEMEN</h3>1. Sergei Zubov2. Teppo Numminen&nbsp;3. Philippe Boucher&nbsp;4. Richard Matvichuk&nbsp;5. Don Sweeney6. Stephane Robidas&nbsp;7. John Erskine&nbsp;8. Jeff MacMillan9. Trevor Daley&nbsp;10. Bubba Berenzweig<h3>GRADE B</h3>Loss Hatcher of hurts, but there&rsquo;s still depth<h3>LEFT WINGERS</h3>1. Jere Lehtinen2. Brenden Morrow3. Pierre Turgeon4. Steve Ott5. Barrett Heisten6. Steve Gainey<h3>CENTERS</h3>1. Mike Modano2. Jason Arnott3. Niko Kapanen4. Stu Barnes5. Manny Malhotra6. David Bararuk<h3>RIGHT WINGERS</h3>1. Bill Guerin2. Scott Young3. Rob DiMaio4. Claude Lemieux5. Aaron Downey&nbsp;6. David Oliver<h3>GRADE</h3>Solid three lines, first then drops off<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0116-0193/10212615-1-eng-US/f0116-012.jpg" title="f0116-01" width="2658" height="2532"></div><h2>The Hockey News GOALIE ZONE</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0117-0178/10212608-1-eng-US/f0117-012.jpg" title="f0117-01" width="1551" height="1824"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0117-0250/10212601-1-eng-US/f0117-022.jpg" title="f0117-02" width="1550" height="701"></div><h2>FUTURE WATCH</h2>&nbsp;Here are Dallas&rsquo;s first draft pick in 2003 and top 10 prospects, with age, position and 2002-03 team.<h3>2003 TOP PICK</h3>LOUI ERIKSSONPOSITION Left wingerSELECTED 33rd overallCLUB Frolunda Jr. (Swe.)SCOUTING REPORT A great skater with good finishing ability, Eriksson competes in traffic areas and is tough along the boards. He needs to bulk up and become more defensively aware. Time horizon: two years away. Key stat: 16 goals in 30 games.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0117-0334/10212594-1-eng-US/f0117-032.jpg" title="f0117-03" width="242" height="253"><figcaption class="caption-body">(JOHN RUSSELL/BBS)</figcaption></div><h3>TOP 10 PROSPECTS</h3>Blue squares indicate projected sure-fire NHLers. Not included 2003 are draft picks. Age as of Oct. 1.1. Jason Bacashihua, G, 21, Utah (AHL)2. Steve Ott, LW, 21, Utah (AHL)3. Antti Miettinin, LW, 23, HPK (Fin.)4. John Erskine, D, 23, Utah (AHL)&nbsp;5. Trevor Daley, D, 19, S. S. Marie (OHL)&nbsp;6. Martin Vagner, 0, 19, Hull (QMJHL)7. Jussi Jokinen, LW, 20, Karpat Oulu (Fin.)&nbsp;8. Joel Lundqvist, C, 21, Vastra Frolunda (Swe.)&nbsp;9. Mathias Tjarnqvist, RW, 24, Djurgarden (Swe.)&nbsp;10. Dan Ellis, G, 23, Nebraska-Omaha (CCHA)<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0117-0422/10212587-1-eng-US/f0117-042.jpg" title="f0117-04" width="1054" height="3450"></div> &#9632;

f0114-01

Kids can join core in post-Hatcher era

<div class="byline">Jason Kay </div><div class="byline">Editor</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-012322/10210635-1-eng-US/f0004-012.jpg" title="f0004-01" width="339" height="597"></div>EDITOR&rsquo;S NOTEBOOKAn Internet search of the phrase &ldquo;end of world predicted&rdquo; turned up &ldquo;about 1,090,000&rdquo; results&hellip;give or take 10,000.According to one website, in the Year 90, Saint Clement I said it would happen at any moment. The Old Believers of Russia, some 20,000 strong, started burning themselves to death in 1669 for protection against the imminent arrival of the antichrist. Mormon founder Joseph Smith targeted 1890, or thereabouts, as lights-out time. Nostradamus was partial to 1999. And, try as we might, who can forget the Y2K disaster forecasts?Yet, as we sit here and lookout our window in the middle of summer, 2003, the sun is doing its best to shine through the Toronto haze, the impatiens are in full bloom across the street, a line of commuters dutifully waits for the arrival of the bus and staffers of The Hockey News show up (some even early!) to help publish a yearbook.In other words, it&rsquo;s business as usual.And that&rsquo;s what we&rsquo;re recommending for puck-followers in 2003-04. Go about your hockey-watching as if it were any other season. By all means, stay informed about what&rsquo;s transpiring with the CBA talks, but don&rsquo;t sweat the already snowballing Armageddon projections for Sept. 15, 2004.At this point, everything is just a guess. Some among the legion of Doomsdayers may appear more educated than others, but they&rsquo;re still just dart-tossers. Nobody, not even Gary Bettman or Bob Goodenow, can guarantee a deal will or won&rsquo;t get done.What we do know is 2003-04 starts on Oct. 8 and 1,230 regular season games will be played before the next Stanley Cup quest begins. So take it one game at a time, keep head your up, your stick down and give 110 per cent as a fan. And whatever you do, don&rsquo;t think too much out there.The following 228 pages are designed to help enhance your viewing pleasure of the upcoming campaign. Here are some highlights:&bull; Senior writer Mike Brophy names the top 50 players in the NHL entering the season; analyzes the play of two-way Devils&rsquo; threat, John Madden; and tells the tale of Ottawa&rsquo;s &ldquo;can&rsquo;t wait&rdquo; phenom, Jason Spezza.&bull; Senior writer Mark Brender files burgeoning superstar Joe Thornton, the small-town kid who&rsquo;s maturing into a big-time player, and exposes zany Marc Bergevin as, perhaps, the funniest man in hockey.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-021966/10210628-1-eng-US/f0004-022.jpg" title="f0004-02" width="650" height="1048"><figcaption class="caption-body">&bull; NOSTRADAMUS &bull;</figcaption></div>&bull; Jay Greenberg gets up close and personal with suddenly mighty Anaheim goalie J-S Giguere.&bull; Former NHL star Bobby Smith puts forth a compelling and intriguing argument to extend the width of the bluelines and center ice red line.&bull; We provide in-depth reports on all 30 NHL teams, give you all the statistics you can handle, predict how each club will fare and project the 2004 Stanley Cup winner.&bull; And, yes, we prime you for a season full of labor days with an alphabetized guide to CBA negotiations.Just remember when you&rsquo;re reading it, there are about 1,090,000 reasons to believe the end might as near as it seems.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-031541/10210621-1-eng-US/f0004-032.jpg" title="f0004-03" width="476" height="267"></div> &#9632;

f0004-01

Departments

End of the world as we know it?

<div class="byline">By Mark Brender</div>When players head out on a road trip, the team services guy hands them an envelope before they get on the plane. Inside the envelope is a pile of cold, hard cash. Star or slug, super-stopper or sieve, they all get the same. In 2003-04 the daily meal money allotment will be $85 per player, per day, for time spent on the road. That&rsquo;s a 55-percent increase from $55 per day in &rsquo;94-95. Don&rsquo;t know if the New York sirloin at Morton&rsquo;s has gone up that much, but it sure as heck beats inflation.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-012559/10210739-1-eng-US/f0006-012.jpg" title="f0006-01" width="605" height="520"></div>You&rsquo;re a hotel and hospitality company that dabbled in prosports, but now wants to get out and focus on the core business. The other partners that make up this particular pro sports team have no real reason to make it easy for you to get out because they have no easy way to pay you. The bank owning part of the team&rsquo;s debt doesn&rsquo;t particularly want you out, either. So what do you do? You withhold money on your naming rights deal with the team you no longer want to be a part of. That&rsquo;s the essence of what&rsquo;s up in Nashville, where the Predators filed suit against Gaylord Entertainment Ltd., a roughly 16 per cent owner in the team, for not coming through on installments of its 20-year, $80-million naming rights agreement.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-021749/10210732-1-eng-US/f0006-022.jpg" title="f0006-02" width="1408" height="964"><figcaption class="caption-body">GAYLORD ENTERTAINMENT CENTER (BRUCE BENET/BBS)</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-031046/10210725-1-eng-US/f0006-032.jpg" title="f0006-03" width="1332" height="786"><figcaption class="caption-body">HASEK&rsquo;S CAR (BBS)</figcaption></div>Maybe the answer is a three-way trade. First, the Predators pay Gaylord its go-away price. Then Gaylord turns the money over to Montreal Canadiens owner George Gillet Jr., who happens to be a major ski resort owner and could surely use an investment partner in another hotel or two, no? Finally, the Preds land troubled Hab goalie Jose Theodore. Word is he plays a mean down-home guitar and looks great in a Cowboy hat.The last time Dominik Hasek was seen wearing for goal pads, he was sitting in the Detroit Red Wings dressing room dousing himself with champagne. According to his agent, Rich Winter, he hasn&rsquo;t strapped them on since. Hasek has, however, been strapped into cars. Race cars. Fast cars. A friend of Formula 1 star Michael Schumacher, Hasek loves driving fast, though he apparently has no plans to ultimately trade in his pads - once he puts them on and takes them off again for good - for gas pedal full time. As for that particular set of pads Hasek wore two years ago, he&rsquo;ll never put those on again; two new full sets of equipment ordered this summer from Louiville are waiting for him in Detroit. He won&rsquo;t be affected by the NHL&rsquo;s new ruling on pad lengths, either. His old pads were 37.5 inches, a half-inch less than the new limit.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-012239/10210718-1-eng-US/f0007-012.jpg" title="f0007-01" width="826" height="1231"><figcaption class="caption-body">LAMORIELLO&rsquo;S WALL (JOHN O'BOYLE: THE STAR-LEDGER)</figcaption></div>Christian Laflamme did it once. Before he knew it, he had done it again. But that was three teams and five years ago. Even for a guy like Laflamme, who isn&rsquo;t exactly quick to make his offensive moves, it has been quite dry spell since then.But at least Laflamme isn&rsquo;t Steven Halko. Halko hasn&rsquo;t had a first time. On the bright side, Halko never knows where or when that special something will and his world happen will erupt in cheers and red lights will spin. Imagine the thrill.A depth defenseman for St. Louis, Laflamme hasn&rsquo;t scored a goal in 171 games dating back to his sophomore season with Chicago in 1998-99. Halko, an unrestricted free agent who has played most of the past seven years in Carolina&rsquo;s organization, hasn&rsquo;t scored a goal in 155 career NHL games. Maybe this year they&rsquo;ll get lucky.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-021531/10210711-1-eng-US/f0007-022.jpg" title="f0007-02" width="960" height="942"><figcaption class="caption-body">CHRISTIAN LAFLAMME (JOHN RUSSEL/BBS)</figcaption></div>Lou Lamoriello doesn&rsquo;t give anything away easily, least of all his secrets. There aren&rsquo;t many slip-ups in Lou&rsquo;s micro-managed world, but the Newark Star-Ledger took advantage of one of them. When the paper snapped a picture in Lamoriello&rsquo;s office with a league-wide depth chart in the background, they caught the boss with his guard down and the curtain up.&ldquo;That was a mistake,&rdquo; the Devils GM said. &ldquo;The curtain that goes down (over the depth chart) wasn&rsquo;t down when that happened.&rdquo;But now that the chart&rsquo;s out of the bag, so to speak, he has to share a little, right? &ldquo;I&rsquo;m a visual person and I just think you do a lot of looking, see things at one glance and that&rsquo;s basically what that is,&rdquo; Lamoriello said.How many years has he had it up there? &ldquo;A few.&rdquo; Who changes the names? &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t personally do every one of them because I have, well&hellip;I don&rsquo;t really want to get into this.&rdquo;Ah, now that&rsquo;s more like the Lou we know and&hellip; know. this much for Say him: He might not say much himself, but he always, always returns calls.Not sure if good players make good coaches, but 7 we do know good pluggers make good coaches. Of the 15 coaches who once in played the NHL, only Jacques Lemaire, Darryl Sutter and Ed Olczyk were above-average offensive players. There are far more of the Marc Crawford-Lindy Ruff types, players who got by on grit and and hard guts work. Maybe it&rsquo;s true you can&rsquo;t teach scoring, but it seems the scorers don&rsquo;t even try. Or maybe I the scorers are just smarter than the pluggers. Wayne Gretzky is an owner. Bobby Clarke and Dave Taylor are GMs with a combined 23 years the job. Plugging coaches only dream of that kind of job security.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-03953/10210704-1-eng-US/f0007-032.jpg" title="f0007-03" width="212" height="342"><figcaption class="caption-body">ED OLCZYK</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-05416/10210697-1-eng-US/f0007-052.jpg" title="f0007-05" width="1174" height="807"></div>It&rsquo;s a good thing United Airlines and Air Canada both offer direct flights from Winnipeg, where Don Baizley&rsquo;s business is based, to Denver, where Don Baizley&rsquo;s business should be based. Baizley&rsquo;s Avalanche clients are Peter Forsberg, Joe Sakic, and now Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne. If he books his flight in advance, he can get the round trip for less than $400 (Cdn). Still, if Baizley manages to swing Saku Koivu, Patrick Marleau, Teppo Numminen and Janne Niinimaa toward the Rockies, he want to might consider buying his own plane.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-04606/10210690-1-eng-US/f0007-042.jpg" title="f0007-04" width="772" height="506"></div>Projections are that between 55,000 and 60,000 fans could attend the Nov. 22 Heritage Classic outdoor game between Montreal and Edmonton at Edmonton&rsquo;s Commonwealth Stadium. While impressive, it would still be well short of the all-time record for an outdoor set on Oct. game, 6, 2001 when 74,554 crammed into Spartan Stadium for a Michigan-Michigan State battle. The record that will certainly be set in Edmonton will be for most fans viewing an alumni game, Wayne Gretzky will don an Oiler sweater for the first time in 15 years. The Great One can&rsquo;t wait. "My wife and kids will finally get to see me play in an Oilers uniform in Edmonton.&rdquo; &#9632;

f0006-01

Puck Primer

<div class="byline">By Mark Brender</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0008-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-012438/10210833-1-eng-US/f0008-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">BG and GB&nbsp;Initial conversations are fine, but hockey fans everywhere hope Bob Goodenow and Gary Bettman get serious in a hurry. (BRUCE BENNETT/BBS)</figcaption></div>For those of you who have been stuck the past decade in Bob Clarke&rsquo;s perpetual-motion goalie carousel, the NHL&rsquo;s collective bargaining agreement expires in the fall of 2004. Many people are predicting a long work stoppage similar to the one that forced a shortened 48-game season in 1994-95. Many other people are predicting there will be no season at all. We&rsquo;d like to help you make sense of it all. Unfortunately, we can&rsquo;t. Instead, we&rsquo;ve come up with an A-to-Z primer on the one topic that will dominate hockey discussions for the next 12 months - and, if there is any common sense out there, not a moment longer, hint, hint.A&nbsp;is for Arbitration: Players generally like it and management generally doesn&rsquo;t, which makes this the perfect place to start for two reasons: 1) A is at the beginning of the alphabet; and, 2) It pretty much sums up the two sides&rsquo; feelings on the current CBA. Only players (generally in their mid-20s and older) can initiate salary arbitration. If they want to guarantee themselves a contract, they can do it by filing for arbitration. If they&rsquo;d rather use the leverage of not signing by the start of the season to jack up their salary, they can do that, too. GMs are forced to react On the bright side, as Mike Milbury proved with Tommy Salo a few years back, every now and then management at least gets the satisfaction of making its players cry by arguing how lousy they are.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-012419/10210826-1-eng-US/f0010-012.jpg" title="f0010-01" width="785" height="1246"><figcaption class="caption-body">(SPORTS ACTION)</figcaption></div>B&nbsp;is for Bob: That&rsquo;s Goodenow, not Boughner. The NHL average salary was $271,000 when the 50-year-old Harvard-educated lawyer and former player agent took over as executive director of the NHL Players&rsquo; Association in January of 1991. It is now $1.79 million. For those of you in a different tax bracket, that&rsquo;s an increase of 660 per cent. Or, to put it another way, if you were earning, say, $50,000 a year in 1991, you&rsquo;d be taking home $330,000 today if Bob Goodenow was in charge of your union. So you can see why the players handed Bob a new six-year contract last year. The worry is that Bob is so self-confident and brazen that, in trying to scrape every last concession he can for the players, he&rsquo;ll turn negotiations into a personal showdown with G is for Gary.C&nbsp;is for contracts: Guaranteed contracts. The kind the NHL would love to force players to give up. The kind the players would take a puck to the head to protect. Suffice to say if the NHL puts revocable NFL-style contracts on the table, there won&rsquo;t be hockey until 2014, let alone 2004. Which brings up the question: if there is no hockey in 2004-05, what would happen to the contracts for that year? Would they be wiped out or slide until 2005-06? Nobody knows the answer to that one.D&nbsp;is for Deadline: The CBA expires Sept. 15, 2004, but the first date that really matters is May 18, 2004. That&rsquo;s the day by which the NHL must send the NHL Players&rsquo; Association official written notice of CBA termination. If the NHL misses that date, the CBA continues on a year-to-year basis! So if one fax machine can mess up a Jonas Hoglund-for-Kyle Wanvig trade, maybe another can put off Armageddon for another year. Two other deadlines are the start of the season in early October, which matters a little; and a drop-dead point somewhere around Jan. 10, 2005, which matters a lot. If the deal is settled then, it&rsquo;ll be time to watch 30 GMs fight to sign 500free agents in less than a week. Now that, folks, is pro sports in the 21st century.E&nbsp;is for Entry Level: The current entry level system is like that old Philis have commercial a few years back: when the players got it they thought it was meant for the owners, but at a time like this, they realize they really got if for themselves. Then agent, now-Phoenix GM Mike Barnett set the ground-breaking entry level bonus structure in Joe Thornton&rsquo;s 1997 rookie contract and six years later we have Ilya Kovalchuk making roughly $8 million over his first two years in the league. Not bad for a player who is also minus-43.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-021769/10210819-1-eng-US/f0010-022.jpg" title="f0010-02" width="939" height="953"><figcaption class="caption-body">(DAVID KAYE/BBS)</figcaption></div>F&nbsp;is for Free Agency: However the league ultimately achieves its drag on salaries, younger unrestricted free agency is a likely tradeoff. The age is currently 31; players would be happy campers if it gets down to 28.G&nbsp;is for Gary That&rsquo;s Bettman, not Dornhoefer. The 51-year-old Cornell-educated lawyer has staked his reputation on attaining &ldquo;cost certainty&rdquo; in the next CBA. Give him credit for being smart enough not to paint himself into a corner by insisting on S is for Salary Cap, which B is for Bob insists is a non-starter. By far the more accessible and media-friendly of the two, Gary insists he and B is for Bob get along quitenicely on a personal level, but have you ever noticed that they are mirror images of each other - BG and GB? This could mean a prolonged and futile standoff as they try to intimidate the fella in the mirror.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-031140/10210812-1-eng-US/f0010-032.jpg" title="f0010-03" width="777" height="1243"><figcaption class="caption-body">(LISA MEYER/BBS)</figcaption></div>H&nbsp;is for Holik: That&rsquo;s not Bobby, Jaroslav. Although the NHL approved the contract Holik signed with the Rangers last summer, there&rsquo;s still a difference of opinion over what the contract says. The league has sent notice to the NHLPA and maintains that Holik and Darius Kasparaitis, who signed a similar deal, will not get paid if there&rsquo;s no season in 2004-05. The NHLPA believes they should be paid. The two sides have &ldquo;agreed&rdquo; to put this one aside for now. With any luck it will end up a moot point.I&nbsp;is for Irony: If the Rangers and Stars and Blues and other traditional big spenders had shown summer-of-2003-style restraint a few years ago, we wouldn&rsquo;t be in all this mess. Now, with their newfound frugality at exactly the wrong time, they&rsquo;re in danger of messing up all the arguments the league has worked so hard to build over the past decade. (You mean, they really are capable of making quasi-responsible decisions?) If the Rangers don&rsquo;t start spending some big-time money fast-quick, G is for Gary is going to be some kind of grrrr-umpy.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-012359/10210805-1-eng-US/f0012-012.jpg" title="f0012-01" width="773" height="1243"><figcaption class="caption-body">(BBS)</figcaption></div>J&nbsp;is for June June should be for tank tops and tulips and 10-footbirdie putts, no matter what the NHL schedule says. Everyone agrees the Stanley Cup final ends too late. The new CBA is the chance to do something about it. Players would love a 72-game schedule. Owners probably wouldn&rsquo;t care as long as the revenue they miss from having five fewer home games is reflected in proportionately lower payrolls. Arena managers might grumble, though they&rsquo;d - have two more weeks in the summer schedule to fill in with Monster Truck shows and Fleetwood Mac reunion concerts.K&nbsp;is for Knucklehead: An apt word, we believe, to prepare for use in describing participants on both sides who will inevitably act as if their lives are at stake in the battle to divide hockey&rsquo;s billions. Recall Chris Chelios&rsquo;s veiled 1994 threat on Gary Bettman&rsquo;s family. Recall the loyal solidarity of former Devils owner Dr. John McMullen: &ldquo;To hell with the small markets.&rdquo; There are some fast talking mouths out there just waiting for feet.L&nbsp;is for Luxury Tax: Get used to this one now because you&rsquo;ll be hearing a lot about it when the CBA is finally settled. Given the hard-line owners&rsquo; push for S is for Salary Cap and the players&rsquo; New Hampshire-style &ldquo;Live Capless or Die&rdquo; rhetoric, a luxury tax on the big spenders - say, a dollar into the kitty for every dollar spent over $40 million - is a likely result.M&nbsp;is for Milwaukee: As home of the American League Admirals, Milwaukee is one of many North American cities that will continue to see high-level hockey during an NHL shutdown. The question is how NHL many players will be assigned to play in the AHL during a work stoppage. There won&rsquo;t be any on a one-way contract, you can be sure of that. Teams are likely to send their key rookies and young prospects to play in the minors because they won&rsquo;t want them to miss a year of development. Minor league journeymen may find themselves in the NHL as teams try to save on minor league salaries. The Bruins did something like that last time around. Shocking, ain&rsquo;t it? The Bruins scrimping money? No, we can&rsquo;t believe it, either.N&nbsp;is for Negotiation: They say urgency drives decisions. The question is, how urgent will either side be to start the season on time? Not urgent enough, we suspect. Two other principles of negotiation to remember: one, it&rsquo;s usually the little issues that get settled first, so with any luck they&rsquo;ll have agreed on a new per diem worked out in no time. Hurray for small victories. Two, there&rsquo;s a theory that says once you have made an offer, you never make another without receiving a counter-offer first; otherwise you end up bargaining yourself down to nothing. In this light, that silly question of whether or not G is for Gary ever really made an offer to B is for Bob takes on new significance. If he did, he&rsquo;s waiting for a counter offer. Don&rsquo;t hold your breath.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-021851/10210798-1-eng-US/f0012-022.jpg" title="f0012-02" width="791" height="1249"><figcaption class="caption-body">(ROSS DETMAN)</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-031203/10210791-1-eng-US/f0012-032.jpg" title="f0012-03" width="815" height="1151"><figcaption class="caption-body">(IHA)</figcaption></div>O&nbsp;is for Ornskoldsvik: The famed Swedish town of 28,000 on the coast of the Baltic Sea may be the best place of all to see good hockey in 2004, if Peter Forsberg & Co. make good on their promises to return home. Forsberg has said he might go back and play for his hometown MoDo team anyway. Boyhood pal Markus Naslund and fellow Ornskoldsvik-ians Daniel and Henrik Sedin may join him during a lockout.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-012338/10210784-1-eng-US/f0014-012.jpg" title="f0014-01" width="767" height="1224"><figcaption class="caption-body">(NEVIN REID/BBS)</figcaption></div>P&nbsp;is for Pubic Opinion: It matters, whether B is for Bob admits it or not. The wrath of baseball fans vowing eternal damnation on both sides mattered a great deal when players and owners settled their dispute in 2002. What hockey fans - and sponsors and advertisers and potential TV rights-holders - say and do leading up to 2004 will have an effect in how this plays out. Oh, and one more thing about N is for Negotiation from a fan&rsquo;s perspective: don&rsquo;t talk like a tiger and walk like a duck. If you vow not to attend or watch another NHL game for as long as you live if the rinks are empty next October, you have to follow through Just so the suits get to know you mean business. For the next time.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-021753/10210777-1-eng-US/f0014-022.jpg" title="f0014-02" width="888" height="816"><figcaption class="caption-body">(SPORTS ACTION)</figcaption></div>Q&nbsp;is for Qualifying offer: It&rsquo;s amazing how those annual 10-percent raises add up for players under the league average salary - and what all those raises do to the league average. It&rsquo;s also amazing how one ill advised contract early in a player&rsquo;s career can hamstring a club down the line. Paul Kariya signed his first $9-million-a-year deal in 1998. Because of the structure of his contract and the fact he has to be qualified at his previous year&rsquo;s salary, he was guaranteed at least $10 million each year in Anaheim until he turned 31, even if he started performing triple-toe loops at the blueline. And when Anaheim GM Bryan Murray finally pulls a Roberto Duran and says no mas, the Ducks get kicked in the teeth. Kariya was entirely within his rights to walk, but is the system right for the sport?R&nbsp;is for Revenue: We all know G is for Gary says the relationship between expenses and revenues has to be fixed. The question, then, is how to define revenues. Players want a broad definition to include things such as parking, concessions, advertising, sponsorships, luxury suites and licensing fees. Owners will fight to say many of these things aren&rsquo;t technically hockey-related revenue because they go to other companies or are controlled by others. The other major issue is revenue sharing. NHL teams will have to do a lot more of it to win any payroll concessions from the players.S&nbsp;is for Salary Cap: Memo to G is for Gary: there is no certainty in life, least of all cost certainty. A hard salary cap - that is, one without significant loopholes built in to help the big spenders feed their habits - just isn&rsquo;t in the cards, not unless you want that prized 18-35 demographic to be collecting old-age paychecks by the time you&rsquo;re done fighting for it.T&nbsp;is for Television: The league&rsquo;s five-year ABC/ESPN deal expires at the end of 2003-04. How convenient. The league is confident that whatever happens with the CBA, hockey&rsquo;s strong demographics will hold strong and come through just fine on the other side.U&nbsp;is for Ullman: And now for a trivia break: Former Leaf and Wing great Norm Ullman is one of just four retired NHL players whose last name starts with &lsquo;U.&rsquo; Can you name the others? (Answer on pg. 218.)V&nbsp;is for Vault: Needed to store the lockout war chests. Team owners have ponied up $10 million each. The NHLPA has a ton of licensing money sitting around. Here&rsquo;s a proposal: Each side picks one stock on the Dow Jones and invests the entire bundle. Whoever has more money at the end of a year gets to write the CBA.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-031184/10210770-1-eng-US/f0014-032.jpg" title="f0014-03" width="770" height="1227"><figcaption class="caption-body">(BBS)</figcaption></div>W&nbsp;is for World Cup: Running from Aug. 30 through Sept. 14, 2004, the eight-country tournament is unaffected by the CBA and will go on regardless of how talks are progressing.X&nbsp;is for Xylophone: X is always for Xylophone. Or X-Ray. Or X-Games, or Xanadu, or Xena&hellip;Y&nbsp;is for Yesterday: Yesterday/The NHL lockout seemed so far away/Now I fear there&rsquo;s just one year to play/before we watch reruns/of Moe Lemay.Z&nbsp;is for Zilch: The amount of pity fans will have for players and owners if there&rsquo;s no hockey in 2004-05. Please remember that, gentlemen. &#9632;

f0008-01

the ABCs of the CBA

<div class="byline">By Mark Brender</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0017-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-011797/10210899-1-eng-US/f0017-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">(JIM MCISAAC/BBS)</figcaption></div>The population of the southwestern Ontario town of St. Thomas is listed on the website as &ldquo;32,000 - and growing!&rdquo; Growing it might be, but they lost a good one a few autumns back when Joe Thornton hauled his hockey hair off to Boston.At least the locals can count on Joe coming back in the summers. For the past three, he has returned to hang around with his girlfriend, Jessica. (She&rsquo;s a university student studying sociology. We know this because, when asked during a phone conversation what she was studying, Joe yelled to her, &ldquo;Hey Jess, what are you studying?&rdquo; &ldquo;Sociology,&rdquo; she answered.) She still lives in St. Thomas and grew up there, just like Joe.Imagine that. The man regularly travels to major metropolitan areas all over North America. He has his own bachelor pad in Beantown, money plentiful like wheat on the plains and a world of possibilities available for the taking and what does he do? He finds a local girl from a town that is &ldquo;32,000 - and growing!&rdquo; Kind of tells you what he thinks of his roots.Joe doesn&rsquo;t play much hockey back home; he doesn&rsquo;t usually skate until just before camp. The athletic highlight of his off-season is &ldquo;coaching&rdquo; his older brother Al and the rest of the slow-pitch gang. Truth is, he can&rsquo;t get enough of it. &ldquo;We play twice a week and I get my laughs two days a week,&rdquo; Thornton says. &ldquo;! get to keep score and I get to put guys in their positions. Some of the guys get pissed off, but it&rsquo;s all right.&rdquo;He lives nine months of the year in a glad-handing, towel-snapping, Gucci wearing world, where every new face is a best buddy. The other three months, all he wants to do is chill with the guys who used to push each other over snowbanks back in the hairless-tennis-ball, jam-your blade-on-the-curb road hockey days.Kind of tells you what he thinks of the working lads back in the &rsquo;hood.After the final out of those softball games, the boys sometimes out for go a few pops. Maybe they even went a few times to Burty Bob&rsquo;s Two Tavern, the place where Joe found himself in a spot of trouble shortly after hockey season ended. A fight broke out. Police told Joe&rsquo;s older brother John to leave. Apparently when John refused and the cops tried to put the cuffs on him, Joe stepped in.Coming to his brother&rsquo;s defense, Joe may or may not have pushed someone and that someone may or may not have been wearing a police uniform. What&rsquo;s undeniable is Joe Thornton was pepper-sprayed and charged with assaulting and obstructing police.<h2>PEARSON AWARD NOMINEE</h2>So there he was a month later at the Pearson Awards, having been nominated with Peter Forsberg and Markus Naslund as one of three finalists for the best player in the NHL as selected by his peers. You&rsquo;d be hard-pressed to tell the stars apart, with their pressed suits, great hair, confident stride. You certainly couldn&rsquo;t tell which one had a court date in his future.Not that it mattered. The one with the court date couldn&rsquo;t tell much either. He didn&rsquo;t know when the court date was. He didn&rsquo;t know if he had to show up whenever it was. &ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s coming up here sometime,&rdquo; he smiled to the great amusement of assembled reporters, &ldquo;so I guess I should find out.&rdquo;Kind of tells you what he thinks of his problems. That&rsquo;d be not often and not much. He must be thinking about hockey, then, right? On the phone he is asked about the 2004 World Cup, where he&rsquo;ll undoubtedly be one of the major engines driving Canada&rsquo;s offense. It&rsquo;s happening in just over a year. You ever think about it, Joe?He sounds surprised by the question. &ldquo;No, I&rsquo;m in summer mode right now, I&rsquo;m not too thinking much about hockey.&rdquo;Summer mode&hellip; now there&rsquo;s a refreshing thought.It&rsquo;s out of all this that the Boston Bruins want to mold not a captain, which Joe Thornton was last season, but A Captain, A Role Model, A Leader of Men. And they want it now.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-011981/10210892-1-eng-US/f0018-012.jpg" title="f0018-01" width="1541" height="2194"><figcaption class="caption-body">Bruisin&rsquo; Bruin&nbsp;Thornton has a mean streak that he&rsquo;s not afraid to reveal to opponents when the situation demands it. (BRUCE BENETT/BBS)</figcaption></div>Just listen to Bruins GM Mike O&rsquo;Connell, who called Thornton in for a post-playoff chat to discuss his role with the team. Names such as Yzerman and Modano and Sakic entered the conversation&ldquo;We just talked about leadership and the importance of his role as captain and&hellip;understanding how important all the little things go into being a captain - how are you look, how you present yourself, what you say, how you practice,&rsquo; O&rsquo;Connell says. &ldquo;And I said there&rsquo;s a decision that all these players had to make at a certain age, where they become&hellip;their offensive game is terrific, but it becomes more important to win. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re trying to speed that process up. Not that Joe doesn&rsquo;t want to win, but I don&rsquo;t think he really understands yet the importance of his role and how important he is to the team.&rdquo;First-year Bruins coach Mike Sullivan played with the Bruins in 1997-98, Thornton&rsquo;s rookie year. He knows the player whose performance will dictate Boston&rsquo;s season more than any other is light years ahead of where he used to be.&ldquo;He&rsquo;s the best player on the team and the captain of the team and people look to him for more than just his playing ability,&rdquo; Sullivan says. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s a huge responsibility and at such a young age it makes it that much more difficult. I think that&rsquo;s what Mike is alluding to.&rdquo;Thornton is Boston&rsquo;s best player by a country mile, but let&rsquo;s get one thing straight: if he wasn&rsquo;t, there&rsquo;s no chance he&rsquo;d be captain. Not yet.Don&rsquo;t take that the wrong way. Thornton has been a hit in every dressing room he has seen. Everybody gets along with Joe.What&rsquo;s not to like? His enthusiasm and spirit are infectious. He doesn&rsquo;t have a care in the world and, even as he speaks of the pressure his line is under to score, he seems oblivious to it. His total lack of pretension allows him to get away with things like keeping his own bobblehead in his dressing room stall.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-011724/10210885-1-eng-US/f0019-012.jpg" title="f0019-01" width="2583" height="2372"><figcaption class="caption-body">(LISA MEYER/BBS)</figcaption></div>Perhaps linemate Glen Murray says it best: &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think he has had very many unhappy days in his life.&rdquo;<h2>TOP-FIVE PLAYER</h2>So maybe the Bruins will get their wish. Maybe you can take a precocious physical talent who strolls through the world like a child in a wading pool and hurry him up so that words like &ldquo;leader&rdquo; and &ldquo;presence&rdquo; more readily apply. But you have to pull off quite a balancing act to do it right.Because what the Bruins already have is one of the top-five players in the game on any one&rsquo;s list - a 6-foot-4, 220-pound 24-year-old whom O&rsquo;Connell says he wouldn&rsquo;t trade even-up for anyone. Truth is, there hasn&rsquo;t been anyone to combine such brute physical strength and nastiness with preternatural play-making ability since&hellip; well, you let us know when you think of somebody.The nastiness element has always been part of his game. It&rsquo;s what gets him more space space to weave his magic.&ldquo;I remember being on the ice (after Thornton was slashed) and I could just see he wasn&rsquo;t looking for the puck,&rdquo; says Murray, who scored a career-high 44 goals alongside Thornton last season. &ldquo;He was looking for whoever it was to go after, to let him know, &lsquo;Listen, you&rsquo;re not going to slash me on the wrists, I&rsquo;ll break your hand before you do that again.&rsquo; &rdquo;Thornton knows his hands are far too important not to be protected; they are the instruments that send passes through sticks and skate blades in traffic and at full speed, showing a heightened vision envied by all but a handful of players in the world. And of those who are Thornton&rsquo;s playmaking equal - Forsberg, Joe Sakic, Mario Lemieux, Mike Modano, Ron Francis a few years back - only Lemieux has comparable size and reach. In this respect, when Lemieux is gone, Thornton will truly be in a league of his own.He and Murray developed terrific chemistry last year working down low. Thornton uses his bullish size and balance to gain possession and to buy time below the goal line while Murray works his way into holes in front.Until the first round of the playoffs, at least, the puck would invariably find its way onto Murray&rsquo;s stick. New Jersey shut down the Thornton-Murray tandem in large part because the defense pair of Scott Stevens and Brian Rafalski and the checking of John Madden focussed on taking away that particular play. &ldquo;One thing you realize when you play against him,&rdquo; Madden says, &ldquo;is just how strong of a man he is. And when I say &lsquo;man&rsquo; it&rsquo;s because he&rsquo;s so young, but he&rsquo;s just so strong. I really felt the wrath of him when I played against him. By the fifth game I felt like 1 had played 10 against him.&rdquo;But the creativity and the confidence to use his physical gifts didn&rsquo;t come to Thornton overnight. After being the top pick in the1997 entry draft, he scored just seven points in his rookie year. The next year he jumped to 41. It was only last year, with his 36-goal, 101-point effort in his sixth NHL campaign, that he made the quantum leap into hockey&rsquo;s upper crust. And that was with Mike Knuble playing left wing; with a full season between Murray and Sergei Samsonov, his numbers should only increase.<h2>CRITICS NOT SATISFIED</h2>And yet they want more. Thornton took heavy heat after the New Jersey series. The critics said he didn&rsquo;t do enough. Some felt he wasn&rsquo;t trying hard enough to get away from the Devils&rsquo; checking, that he was too quick to give credit to his rivals instead of working harder to earn his own.Sullivan says he wants to help Thornton make better judgments about when to go on the attack. The coach talks about his captain being &ldquo;more calculated&rdquo; with his decision-making. It will be another fine line for Sullivan and the Bruins to walk.The question is how hard to push a man who already is counted on for so much, probably before his time. And if you push too hard, what does it tell him about what they think he&rsquo;s already giving?&ldquo;You&rsquo;ve got to go out and play hard each and every game and hopefully the guys will follow you,&rdquo; Thornton says. &ldquo;I want to be one of the great players in the future and hopefully my play will keep on getting better and give me that opportunity.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-011733/10210878-1-eng-US/f0020-012.jpg" title="f0020-01" width="1585" height="1437"><figcaption class="caption-body">(JIM MCISAAC/BBS)</figcaption></div><h2>LIVING CANADIAN DREAM</h2>But change his happy-go-lucky ways? &ldquo;Nobody&rsquo;s going to rain on my party,&rdquo; he says, &ldquo;because this is a Canadian kid&rsquo;s dream, playing in the NHL, and I&rsquo;m just living it.&rdquo; His hockey hair is a lot shorter than when he broke into the league. His eyes aren&rsquo;t so wide. His shoulders are broader. In the midst of his best season ever last winter, Thornton looked back on his topsy-turvy rookie campaign. He said as much as people try to help, no one can prepare you for it. &ldquo;You&rsquo;ve just got to go learn it yourself,&rdquo; Thornton says.Seems he has learned pretty well so far. Kind of tells you what to think about his future.Like, OK, which of these clowns is going to play third base?<h2>AS JOE GOES&hellip;</h2>Joe Thornton had a point on 41.2 per cent of Boston&rsquo;s goals last season, the fourth-highest mark in the NHL. Here are the top 10, listed with percentages, individual points and total team goals.<h2>2004 WORLD CUP WATCH</h2>Joe Thornton won&rsquo;t be the only newcomer to step onto the ice against the planet&rsquo;s best players at the World Cup of Hockey in September of2004. Thornton, after his smashing 2002-03 season, should be a lock to make Team Canada. Here are six others, three from Canada and three from the U.S., who should make their World Cup debut:<h3>CANADA</h3><h4>FORWARD: Dany Heatley</h4>Atlanta&rsquo;s rising starhas67 goals and 156 points in 159 NHL games. At 6-foot-3, 210 pounds, Heatley, 22, has the size and speed - not to mention creativity - to be a dominant NHLer for years to come.<h4>DEFENSE: Wade Redden</h4>The Ottawa rearguard, 26, has lagged behind the NHL&rsquo;s elite D-men for a few years, but he stepped up in the playoffs with reliable, gritty play in his own end and steady production. He&rsquo;s ready.<h4>GOALIE: Jean-Sebastien Giguere</h4>Martin Brodeur will start, but Giguere, 26, will push him. Anaheim&rsquo;s playoff her has had back-to-back solid seasons and has the proper temperament to handle the pressure of an international event.<h3>UNITED STATES</h3><h4>FORWARD: Erik Cole</h4>The U.S. lacked grit up front at the 2002 Olympics and could use a banger like Cole, 24. The 6-foot-l, 200-pound Carolina winger plays bigger than his size, and isn't afraid to go to the net.<h4>DEFENSE: Kurt Sauer</h4>Anaheim&rsquo;s big, unsung rookie is a gamer who keeps opponents honest with his hard hitting. The U.S. is getting old on the blueline; Sauer, 22, might make it as the No. 5 or 6 defenseman.<h4>GOALIE: Rick DiPietro</h4>We know, we know; he hasn't proven himself yet. But if the U.S. has one weakness, it&rsquo;s between the pipes. If DiPietro has a breakout year with the Islanders, he could easily supplant all others.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-021236/10210871-1-eng-US/f0020-022.jpg" title="f0020-02" width="2667" height="1548"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-03866/10210864-1-eng-US/f0020-032.jpg" title="f0020-03" width="2659" height="1576"></div> &#9632;

f0017-01

Joe Superstar

<div class="byline">By Jay Greenberg</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0022-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-011614/10210958-1-eng-US/f0022-012.jpg"></div>The Devils were holding the Stanley as Cup high the standards Jean-Sebastien Giguere set all spring, leaving his eyes even redder than a light behind Roman Cechmanek. This was no time for the just-named fifth MVP in Stanley Cup history to come from the team to losing be doing any cartwheels; good thing for him he wasn&rsquo;t called upon.One of the NHL&rsquo;s tightest secrets - that the Mighty Ducks had one of its best goalies - was out from Game 1 of the first round when Giguere not only could have stopped the Red Wings all night, but, in 63 shots in three overtimes, saving actually did. The dirtiest little secret of the 2003 playoffs, however, was held in the household, where it is Giguere whispered that the 26-year-old detonator of Detroit, the of destroyer Dallas, the man who made a mockery of Minnesota, has two left feet.Francois Allaire, Anaheim&rsquo;s goalie guru and Giguere&rsquo;s re-inventor, would probably find a reason to argue it&rsquo;s better that way, for rebound control or whatever. But when Giguere&rsquo;s brothers, Stephane and Alain, at the awkward athletic giggle exploits of baby brother, all disrespect is fully intended.The latest generation of goaltenders may shame its predecessors in pure athleticism, but Jean-Sebastien himself admits he may be a throwback. In fact, he was thrown back, like the beach ball he couldn&rsquo;t stop for most of the first four years of his pro career, by both the Hartford and Calgary organizations because he didn&rsquo;t have the superior reflexes to survive, having virtually no workable style. Back when it all began, Giguere had all the dexterity of your basic right post.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-011570/10210951-1-eng-US/f0026-012.jpg" title="f0026-01" width="2576" height="1504"><figcaption class="caption-body">Nothing Wild&nbsp;Giguere held Minnesota scoreless through the first three games of Anaheim&rsquo;s Western Conference final sweep. (HENRI DIROCCO/BBS)</figcaption></div>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t consider myself a natural. Giguere confesses. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m still not the best athlete, like when you go and play golf and get it right away.&ldquo;Basketball? I suck at all those sports. Hockey, I have to work pretty hard at and I&rsquo;m fine with that. I like working hard.&rdquo;He learned that from his father, Claude, who drives a school bus in Blaineville, Que., after 28 years as a prison guard. Security wasn&rsquo;t as tight at the joints he worked (mostly tax cheats and old goalies with fast hands) as money to pay the household bills was, sacrifices having to be made so J-S could buy the pads that Allaire, whose goaltender school Giguere first attended at age him to never, ever, stack. 12, told him to never, ever, stack.&ldquo;We are not a rich family,&rdquo; Giguere says. &ldquo;All five kids were into sports (Stephane made it to the International League as a defenseman; Isabelle worked the women&rsquo;s 1998 Olympic gold medal game as an official; Alain and Caroline played hockey into their teens) and my parents remortgaged the house to buy equipment. Goalie equipment is expensive. To be raised in a loving family like that, it&rsquo;s unbelievable.&rdquo;Claude and Giselle raised three cops, one electrician, one wife of an electrician and an NHL star, in no particular order of importance in their minds. &ldquo;These are not sacrifices, they are pleasures,&rdquo; Claude says. &ldquo;I loved every second of being at the rink with my kids.&rdquo;<h2>EARLY CAREER STALL</h2>So, the baby went to the finest goalie school, Allaire&rsquo;s, played junior (Quebec League) first in Verdun, then in Halifax, where he met the girl he married this summer, Krista Fawthrop, a better pick than J-S looked at No. 13 overall by the Whalers in 1995. He was sent to Calgary in the deal that brought Gary Roberts to the franchise as it relocated to Carolina, and in a couple trips to the NHL, amidst average American League trials, couldn&rsquo;t locate a puck if given 10 clues.&ldquo;I was left on my own and that&rsquo;s not good when you are a young guy,&rdquo; Giguere says. &ldquo;You don&rsquo;t know when you are making mistakes, getting into bad habits.&rdquo;Nevertheless, Anaheim GM Bryan Murray couldn&rsquo;t break his habit of bugging then-Flames GM Al Coates for Giguere&rsquo;s rights. &ldquo;In Florida, I tried to trade for him before (Roberto) Luongo, not that Luongo won&rsquo;t (perhaps) be better in the long run,&rdquo; recalls Murray. &ldquo;I called Al four or five times and he said &lsquo;Screw off, you&rsquo;re not getting him.&rsquo; Then he got fired.&rdquo;By then, Murray had, too, but he was later hired to coach Anaheim. In a turn of good fortune, GM Pierre Gauthier acquired Giguere from the Flames in June of 2000. The trust between goalie and guru was mutual from the beginning and gradually came J-S&rsquo;s rebirth with much toil and many reminders that in an NHL goal, the key to doing good work is to let the puck do most of it. Allaire&rsquo;s generation of caterpillar turned-butterfly artists are taught that feet moving forward to cut down angles cannot recover to move right and left. A goalie&rsquo;s best place is back in his crease, with his feet firing out to both sides as shots are launched, a style even somebody who can&rsquo;t play golf or basketball might possibly use to record a .960 save percentage in the first three rounds of the Stanley Cup playoffs.&ldquo;I think any amateur goalie can learn (the butterfly) in a year,&rdquo; Allaire says.Off the assembly line of Francois and brother Benoit (who works for Phoenix) they come, dropping to the ice with pads out, shoulders high, elbows squeezed tight to the hips and, against previous wisdom, steering rebounds up the slot where penalty-killers can better reach them.Of course not just anybody can be an NHL player - although looking at what got the Wild to the semifinal, one could make that argument - but technique, Allaire believes, alleviates most doubts. Pucks began to hit Giguere again with confidence-building regularity.<h2>DUCKS TAKE FLIGHT</h2>&ldquo;We lost so many games (in 2001 - 02) by not being able to score more than one goal, it was sad,&rdquo; Murray says. &ldquo;But (Giguere) had a good second half and carried it on this year.&rdquo;Disney increased the payroll, the Ducks lost only 11 games after Christmas and none against Detroit, which was stoned by Giguere 2-1 in that interminable Game 1 and then let of go the rope after not being able to solve him in Game 2, either.The bubble didn&rsquo;t burst when Dallas blew out Giguere in Game 4 and Minnesota didn&rsquo;t score until Game 4 of the conference final sweep. Turned out, Giguere was too good for his team&rsquo;s own good, the cobwebs gathered under their arms during a 10-day layoff taking Games 1 and 2 of the Stanley Cup final to clear.Despite a weird collection of pin-ball goals in Game 5, Giguere took it to the limit regardless. And while some questioned the Conn Smythe to a guy who lost 3-0 in Game 7, no person on any team was more primarily responsible for more wins through four rounds than Giguere, unless it was Giselle for being her son&rsquo;s inspiration.Mom has Alzheimer&rsquo;s, which prevented her and Claude from getting to any playoff games, but not Giselle from knowing he was winning them or from attending the June wedding in Liverpool, N.S., where Krista&rsquo;s father owns a resort. There, Giguere vowed to live happily ever after the honeymoon of last spring, when he was Best Man in a goal in many a spring.So now that Allaire has broken Giguere of the habit of keeping his stick on the ice, will his nose remain to the grindstone or will his head blow up bigger than Jay Leno&rsquo;s chin, which Giguere got an up-close and personal view of as one of the spoils of spoiling two top seeds&rsquo;s seasons?&ldquo;There are not many and ups downs with Giggy,&rdquo; Murray says. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a solid character guy who every single day works at his game.&rdquo;Of course, Ron Hextali the last losing goalie to win the Smythe (in 1987 did, too, but he suffered a series of groin pulls that changed his style and left him never the same Martin Brodeur, better than Giguere in Game 7 to win his third Cup and then his first Vezina later that week at the awards, became the clear best goalie in the game for the month between Patrick Roy&rsquo;s retirement and Dominik Hasek&rsquo;s return.Thus, it&rsquo;s too soon to call Giguere dominant, but he already has taken a team much farther than other young goalies in his wave, like Luongo, Rick DiPietro and Marty Turco.While Anaheim has replaced Paul Kariya with Sergei Fedorov, the Ducks may need Giguere to stand on his head (fine, as long as elbows are in, Allaire might say) for another run. Could he? There were times in the final when Giguere&rsquo;s slight woodenness exposed him to doubts he can take it up higher on a given night than the team protecting him. &ldquo;Positionally, technically, he&rsquo;s really good,&rdquo; Murray insists. &ldquo;He is not the most outstanding athlete that plays goal in this league.&rdquo;Then again, for three of the best rounds ever played by a goalie, Giguere didn&rsquo;t have to be. Notwithstanding any rolls of the eyes in the Giguere house hold when his brothers giggle about him playing anything not on skates, what a roll did baby brother go on.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-011556/10210944-1-eng-US/f0030-012.jpg" title="f0030-01" width="366" height="369"></div><h2>DUCK TALE</h2>Here are J-S Giguere&rsquo;s 2002-03 stats, with his rank (Rk.) among NHL starting goalies:<h3>REGULAR SEASON</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-021071/10210937-1-eng-US/f0030-022.jpg" title="f0030-02" width="359" height="277"></div><h3>PLAYOFFS (First time)</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-03771/10210930-1-eng-US/f0030-032.jpg" title="f0030-03" width="332" height="274"></div>*Personal best &#9632;

f0022-01

Peaking Duck

<div class="byline">- JAY GREENBERG</div>The takeover plot of French-Canadian goalies has thickened, like the pea soup that 12 thriving NHL netminders from La Belle Province ate as children. Obviously, it fueled their careers better than the spinach goalies were brought up with in Western Canada, Ontario, the United States and Europe.There might even be some other reasons why this year&rsquo;s Vezina winner was Martin Brodeur; why the Conn Smythe winner was Jean-Sebastien Giguere; why another Stanley Cup semifinalist, Patrick Lalime, loves vinegar on his fries; why Jose Theodore has a Vezina in his past and Roberto Luongo probably has one is his future unless Jocelyn Thibault, Martin Biron or Dan them instead. Cloutier win all of them instead.Reasons such as:1) They all believed it might someday be good to be Le Roi."Everybody looked up to Patrick Roy," Giguere says. "We had a great example playing in Montreal and everyone wanted to play like him."2) In Quebec society, the butterfly is beyond social, a way of life drilled where the elite meet to learn to compete."I don't think a (strictly) stand-up goalie can be as effective the way the game is played today," says Francois Allaire, goalie consultant for Anaheim, who along with his brother Benoit runs schools that have taught 60 NHL-drafted goalies. "It just isn't possible anymore."3) On every Quebecois bloc, there seems to be another chip off the old block, daring you to knock it off."French Canadians see guys from their towns succeeding," Brodeur says, "and believe they can, too."4) Their bond is hockey as on pond.If playing in Quebec doesn't kill a goalie, it only makes him stronger."Definitely, you learn survival&hellip;! remember games in the Quebec League I would take 64 shots," Brodeur says.5) Where they come from, it&rsquo;s forwards and defensemen who are the quiche eaters."Roy made everyone believe it was possible goalies could be impact players," Brodeur says. "He changed the idea of goalies being the guy who couldn't skate. We're good athletes now, getting bigger like the forwards are."6) Alternative viewpoints are also tolerated.The reigning Vezina Trophy winner gets it done his way. &ldquo;I butterfly only a little,&rdquo; Brodeur says. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not automatic. I don&rsquo;t wear my pads really loose like those guys so that their pads turn perfectly around their legs."My agent asked, so I went to the Allaire school. It just wasn&rsquo;t me. &lsquo;Don&rsquo;t stack the pads! Don&rsquo;t poke check! Look at yourself on tape opening up too much!&rsquo; What are you talking about? &hellip;I went to the (Vladislav) Tretiak school as a student for one year and as a teacher for four&hellip;(Tretiak) had a one-sided butterfly, like a triangle. He really helped make my center of gravity small as possible to control rebounds. Allaire teaches you to be as big ask you can so everything goes in front. I turn all the time.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-011544/10210989-1-eng-US/f0028-012.jpg" title="f0028-01" width="824" height="942"><figcaption class="caption-body">Roy&rsquo;s Way&nbsp;A generation of Quebec goalies found success by imitating Patrick Roy&rsquo;s style. (JIM MCISAAC/BBS)</figcaption></div>"I mean, I picked up some things. It&rsquo;s not like I don't have tons of respect for the guy (Allaire). There are just different ways of playing." &#9632;

f0028-01

QUEBEC’S TOP ANIMAL? BUTTERFLY, OF COURSE

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0030-04" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-04576/10211020-1-eng-US/f0030-042.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">(JIM MCISAAC/BBS)</figcaption></div><h2>The Hockey News GOALIE ZONE</h2>In baseball you don't win without good pitching. In hockey, it&rsquo;s good goaltending.And what exactly makes a good goalie? Well, there are many factors to consider.In Ottawa goalie Patrick Lalime&rsquo;s case, one of his strengths is the ability to shake off a bad goal and not have his entire world come crashing down Martin Brodeur of the New Jersey Devils handles the puck better than most defensemen. Bad puckhandling? See Dominik Hasek.The Goalie Zone in the NHL team reports focuses on the main strengths and weaknesses of each team&rsquo;s starter. Also included is a quick analysis on the backup goaltender. As examples we have featured Felix Potvin and Jamie Storr, two unrestricted free agents cut free during the off-season by Los Angeles. &#9632;

f0030-04

The inside word on each No. 1 man

<div class="byline">By Mike Brophy</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0032-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-011532/10211072-1-eng-US/f0032-012.jpg"></div>When you watched the 2002 Winter Olympics, did you dream about being on the ice with the best players in the world? Did you dream of scoring the big goal that gives your country the gold medal?John Madden watched. Watched and wondered and dreamed.Am I good enough? Is anybody taking notice of my game? Do they know I&rsquo;m more than just a checker? Will my day in the international sun finally come?&ldquo;You know, I really had it in my mind that I might be a part of the (Canadian) team,&rdquo; Madden said.&ldquo;I really felt leading up to (the selection process) that I had a good chance. I felt like I was doing all the right things to get picked for the team. But they had a great squad and they won it all, so I guess they knew what they were doing.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-011556/10211065-1-eng-US/f0034-012.jpg" title="f0034-01" width="1417" height="3254"><figcaption class="caption-body">Checking In&nbsp;New Jersey&rsquo;s depth in the late 1990s forced Madden to ignore his offensive instincts and turn on the grit. (JIM MCISAAC/BBS)</figcaption></div>Among the many great qualities Madden possesses is the confidence he has in his own game - and the fact he isn&rsquo;t afraid to share that opinion.As he watched the 2002 Olympics on TV, Madden pictured himself on the ice, playing with and against the best in the world. Sure, he was happy to get a break in the middle of a long NHL season, but when you strive to be the best you can be - to be noticed and taken seriously you watch the games a little differently than the average Joe. The 28-year-old center is firmly established as one of the NHL&rsquo;s top defensive forwards, as evidenced by his winning the Seike Trophy in 2001 and nomination as a finalist last season.In his heart, Madden felt he deserved to be in Salt Lake. Canada won the gold medal and, coupled with a victory at this year&rsquo;s World Championship, is once again firmly established as the superpower in hockey. But when the World Cup rolls around in September of 2004, Canada&rsquo;s entry will feature some fresh blood. Joe Thornton, for instance, is a lock. Dany Heatley, too. Wade Redden&rsquo;s performance in last year&rsquo;s playoffs suggests he has finally elevated his game to the elite level.And who gets the job as checking center? Mike Peca is certainly qualified. He has a pair of Seikes to his credit and helped Canada mine gold in Salt Lake.But don&rsquo;t forget about Madden. He&rsquo;ll be in the running.&ldquo;Why not?&rdquo; wondered Thornton. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s awfully good. He has a great shot and he&rsquo;s obviously great defensively. What makes him special is the fact he&rsquo;s a potential scorer even when his team is shorthanded. He has a quick stick and he&rsquo;s a very fast skater. He takes away your scoring chances and turns them into chances for his team. And you know what? He&rsquo;s still getting better.&rdquo;<h2>CRUCIAL TO CUP WIN</h2>That was never more evident than in the 2002-03 playoffs, particularly in the Stanley Cup final when the low scoring Devils lost their most productive and experienced center, Joe Nieuwendyk. The crazy thing is, Madden&rsquo;s great play in the final didn&rsquo;t show up on the scoreboard. Just one of his 16 post-season points, an assist, came against Anaheim. Still, Madden, who finished tied for fourth in playoff scoring, played a significant role in the Devils winning their third Cup in nine years. His speed forces the opposition to back off and his hard shot keeps goaltenders on their toes at all times. Damn right he was key for us,&rdquo; said New Jersey coach Pat Burns. &ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t know John Madden until I got here and I&rsquo;ll tell you what, he could play on any team I coach any day. He&rsquo;s such a hard worker. He wants to win everytime.&rdquo;Madden&rsquo;s ticket into the NHL was his ability to check. But there was more to his game than met the eye. You see, Madden was strictly an offensive player while growing up.I didn&rsquo;t even know where the defensive zone was when I played minor hockey,&rdquo; he laughed.In his final two years playing Jr. B his hometown of Barrie, Ont., Madden scored 99 goals and 228 points in 85 games. He also managed 163 points in 124 games in his final three years at the University of Michigan. Devils GM Lou Lamoriello, as the story goes, was on a scouting mission to watch another prospect, but couldn&rsquo;t take his eyes off Madden. 1 he Devils signed him as a free agent prior to the 1997-98 season. The change from being hot-shot a college scoring ace to Seike Award winner did not occur overnight. In fact, in Madden&rsquo;s first pro season, he was a healthy scratch with Albany of the American League several times early in the year, an unproven rookie who fell victim to the numbers game. There were simply too many bodies and not enough roster spots to go around. &ldquo;I thought I was going to end up in the East Coast League,&rdquo; Madden said. &ldquo;At least that&rsquo;s what some of the veterans on the team told me. It was like, &lsquo;Oh man, how did I go from being at an NHL training camp to being in the AHL box press in three weeks?&rsquo; &rdquo; Madden eventually settled in, but all a 20-goal, - 56-point rookie season in the AHL got him was a four-game audition with the Devils in his sophomore year. And even in that second pro season, when he was leading the AHL in scoring with 38 goals and 98 points until he broke his thumb late in the it year, was evident Madden&rsquo;s game still required tinkering if he was to stay up with New Jersey for good.<blockquote class="pullQuote">&ldquo;I enjoy people saying sometimes the outcome of the game rides on how I play. - JOHN MADDEN</blockquote><h2>DEVILS NEEDED CHECKING CENTER</h2>&ldquo;Our coach (in Albany), John Cunniff, put me on a checking line,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;The way he positioned it to me was like this. He said, &lsquo;Do you want to play in the NHL?&rsquo; I said, &lsquo;Of course I do.&rsquo; Then he said to me, &lsquo;Well, this is the way I see it happening: the Devils need a checking center. They are pretty stacked at center, but they need a fourth line center. If you want to fit in, then that&rsquo;s where you&rsquo;re going to have to start.&rsquo;&rdquo;Madden made the Devils the following season, 1999-2000, and helped them win the Cup. And while teammate Scott Gomez was the NHL&rsquo;s rookie of the year, scoring 19 goals and 70 points in 82 games, Madden was every bit as effective. His numbers, 16 goals and 25 points, told only a portion of the story.He was a noticeable player every time he on stepped the ice. Cast mainly as a checker, he took every opportunity he could to show the offensive skills that once ruled his game. His speed and tenacity made him something of a secret weapon for the Devils. In fact, six of his goals that season were shorthanded and three were game-winners.Right from the get go, Madden played the game with an edge - a cockiness that endeared him to team-mates and got deep under the skin of opponents.&ldquo;His nickname is &lsquo;Mad Dog&rsquo; and when reporters used to ask me about John, I would tell them he sometimes growls and barks on the ice,&rdquo; said line mate Jay Pandolfo. &ldquo;I was only joking. But the next thing I know I actually hear him growling and barking on the ice during games. He&rsquo;s nuts.&rdquo;Responded Madden: &ldquo;I get carried away a lot on the ice. I don&rsquo;t know why I do, but I do. Sometimes when I see myself on TV afterwards, I get embarrassed. I look ridiculous sometimes. I kind of to play the cameras a bit. It&rsquo;s not like I go out on the ice looking to do that, it just kind of happens.&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t mean to chirp. Some guys, when they get frustrated (and mad, they start whacking guys and taking penalties. I&rsquo;m not that big a guy so I&rsquo;d rather use my mouth. I just blurt things out and I never remember what I&rsquo;ve said.&rdquo;Well, hardly ever.There was the time when, during his rookie year in the NHL, he embarrassed the game&rsquo;s greatest player. With New Jersey nursing a one-goal lead and the game in its final minute, Madden found himself behind Mario Lemieux so he gelled for a pass. Much to Madden&rsquo;s surprise, Lemieux fell for it.&ldquo;It was the first time I ever tried it,&rdquo; Madden said. &ldquo;They were in our zone and I was way out of position. It&rsquo;s not like I planned to do it; it just happened. I had heard his teammates call him &lsquo;Ace&rsquo; so when he got the puck, that&rsquo;s what I screamed: &lsquo;Hey Ace!&rsquo; I got lucky. The pass was right on my tape.&rdquo;Suffice it to say, Lemieux was less than impressed.&ldquo;He had plenty to say and he finished me off with a cross-check,&rdquo; Madden said.&ldquo;I&rsquo;m kind of embarrassed to have done that to Mario Lemieux, but I wanted to win the game and I didn&rsquo;t want them to score. It was a tight game and you just want to do anything to win.&rdquo;That&rsquo;s what makes Madden so valuable to the Devils, the will to do anything to win. You see, most days he feels like there&rsquo;s a 40-goal scorer inside of him just busting to get out. But for that to happen, he would have to step up his offensive game and sacrifice some of his defense.And with the Devils, you know that ain&rsquo;t happenin&rsquo;.&ldquo;If I was able to concentrate all my energy on scoring goals, rather than checking, I think I could get40,&rdquo; Madden said. &ldquo;Maybe there&rsquo;s a 40-goal scorer inside me, but I don&rsquo;t think you&rsquo;ll see it coming out anytime soon. The system we play doesn&rsquo;t always allow for a 40 - goal scorer (Patrik Elias led the Devils with 28 goals last year). The system allows you to score goals; they just ask you to be defensively responsible and take care of your own end first. The truth is, I enjoy the role I play on this team and I&rsquo;ll play it for as long as they want me to.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-011412/10211058-1-eng-US/f0038-012.jpg" title="f0038-01" width="1163" height="1822"><figcaption class="caption-body">Last Word&nbsp;Madden likes to talk it up on the ice, a tricky trait that once fooled Mario Lemieux into coughing up the puck. (JIM MCISAAC/BBS)</figcaption></div><h2>DEVELOPED INTO LEADER</h2>If the entire hockey world has not noticed his evolution into a dangerous two-way threat, Madden at least can take comfort in the fact his teammates have.&ldquo;He has great offense,&rdquo; said Devils captain Scott Stevens. &ldquo;He can play any position and he&rsquo;d probably play on the power play of half the teams in the league. He&rsquo;s a smart and tenacious player who comes to the rink ready to work hard. He has developed into a leader on our team. When he came in at the start he was a little bit cocky, but now he is viewed as a leader on our club.&rdquo;Success has a way of making players settle into roles. Continued success makes them want to do whatever it takes to win.With two Stanley Cup rings after four NHL seasons, Madden has a firm grasp on what he has to offer and how important his role is with the Devils.&ldquo;If I was playing this same role on a different team, a team that didn&rsquo;t win, I don&rsquo;t think I&rsquo;d enjoy much,&rdquo; Madden said. it as&ldquo;But when you preach defense first, then it&rsquo;s pretty obvious one of the most important positions is the one I play. On some teams checkers are the forgotten players. On our team, the checkers are considered key guys. I enjoy being the center of attention. I enjoy people saying sometimes the outcome of the game rides on how I play. Anybody who is a competitor likes to be put in that position.&rdquo;You listening, Wayne Gretzky?<h2>NO DRAFT NEEDED</h2>Here are notable active NHLers who were never drafted. Players listed with points, in order of games played. Goalies listed with career winning percentage.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-02982/10211051-1-eng-US/f0038-022.jpg" title="f0038-02" width="684" height="1314"></div> &#9632;

f0032-01

Double Threat

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-011457/10211138-1-eng-US/f0036-012.jpg" title="f0036-01" width="261" height="434"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-02992/10211131-1-eng-US/f0036-022.jpg" title="f0036-02" width="464" height="568"></div><h2>JOE THORNTON, BOSTON</h2>"His size and strength make him tough to handle. He doesn't realize how strong he is. He&rsquo;s a big boy and when he leans on you, after a while it takes a toll. You won't find many big guys who are as strong as Joe and yet have good hands in tight."<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-03819/10211124-1-eng-US/f0036-032.jpg" title="f0036-03" width="338" height="601"></div><h2>PETER FORSBERG, COLORADO</h2>"I haven't checked him often, but I remember he was hard to cover for a couple reasons. He&rsquo;s gritty, he hits and takes the puck to the net a lot. He plays in the area where you score goals. It&rsquo;s tough to check a guy who pretty much does everything excellent."<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-04650/10211117-1-eng-US/f0036-042.jpg" title="f0036-04" width="357" height="576"><figcaption class="caption-body">(JIM LEARY/BBS)</figcaption></div><h2>MATS SUNDIN, TORONTO</h2>He has the size and when you watch him play on TV you don't think he&rsquo;s that quick, but when you play against him he is a lot faster than you think. He&rsquo;s also great on faceoffs, so when you're trying to get the puck back from him all night, it&rsquo;s even more difficult."<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-05550/10211110-1-eng-US/f0036-052.jpg" title="f0036-05" width="407" height="585"></div><h2>MARTIN ST-LOUIS, TAMPA BAY</h2>"He&rsquo;s very fast and elusive. You can't find him and all of a sudden he pops up out of nowhere and bangs home a goal. When he has the puck he&rsquo;s very dynamic; even when he doesn't, he&rsquo;s a threat because he&rsquo;s always in the right spot at the right time."<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-06486/10211103-1-eng-US/f0036-062.jpg" title="f0036-06" width="350" height="591"><figcaption class="caption-body">(SPORTS ACTION)</figcaption></div><h2>MIKE MODANO, DALLAS</h2>"Mike and Alexei Kovalev are the same. It doesn't matter what angle you take on them, they have the speed and ability to elude you. Mike has that extra gear to get away from you and he cuts back on you a lot. It&rsquo;s difficult to play against a player who does that." &#9632;

f0036-01

STAR STOPPER

<div class="byline">By Mark Brender</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0040-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-011010/10211197-1-eng-US/f0040-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">(R. GRABOWSKI)</figcaption></div>So you want to know what&rsquo;s on their mind as they sit on the bench? First not to blame promise Tampa forward Andre Roy for laughing. Don&rsquo;t think he doesn&rsquo;t care just because he couldn&rsquo;t keep the grin off his face. Maybe you saw him smile, just a little?It was overtime of Game 2 between Tampa Bay and New Jersey. Nothing to laugh about, really, not unless you&rsquo;d just walked where Roy and his teammates had walked, under the stands toward the Zamboni entrance, and seen what they had seen. A Ryder van was parked in the hallway. Big guy with a goofy-looking face in the driver&rsquo;s seat. He was wearing out of his mouth, and now he&rsquo;s a jumpsuit, cigar hanging leaning on the horn like it&rsquo;s rush hour and yelling &ldquo;Let&rsquo;s Go, Lightning!&rdquo; honk honkhonk, right in the bowels of the Meadowlands. That&rsquo;s what Roy was thinking about as he sat on the bench moments later, deeper into the playoffs than he&rsquo;d ever been.This kind of thing happens Marc Bergevin&rsquo;s teams. You a lot on might know him as the journeyman blueliner who threw the puck in his own net in a playoff game. If you thought that was funny, wait until you see what he&rsquo;s like when he&rsquo;s trying.<h2>THE MAN</h2>It&rsquo;s not like he&rsquo;s playing pranks on everybody, it&rsquo;s that he&rsquo;s not afraid to make an ass of himself. &mdash; ex-teammate Ian MoranMay 4, 1999. The Blues are in Phoenix to take on the Coyotes in Game7of their open in ground series. The boys are tense. Berge is on the trip even though he&rsquo;s injured and out for the season. He wakes up from his nap and bolts from his hotel room around 4 o&rsquo;clock. The team bus is outside, ready to go, idling in the sweltering heat. As the bus rounds the first corner, the players hear a noise from the sidewalk.&ldquo;GO BLUUUESS! GO BLUUUESS! SEE YOU IN DALLAAASSS!&rdquo; Berge is jumping up and down wearing a &lsquo;Fuhr&rsquo; sweater and a huge black Afro wig. The bus was 10 minutes late. Berge is roasting up in there. &ldquo;SEE YOU IN DALLLAAASS, BLUUUESSS!&rdquo;Intermission entertainment this night includes a parade of fans dressed up in head-to-toe plastic Sumo suits. Berge gets his hands on one of them. In a celebratory Blues dressing room after the 1-0 OT win, with &ldquo;Kung Fu Fighting blasting on the stereo, he waddles into the room for his post-game victory dance, Sumo-style.&ldquo;I remember falling down and I couldn&rsquo;t and the get up guys, they were all laughing so hard nobody could help me up. Finally the trainers helped me up,&rdquo; Berge says.The bus gig was pretty good too. &ldquo;I found out after the game that the guys laughed all the way from the hotel to the rink.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-01940/10211190-1-eng-US/f0042-012.jpg" title="f0042-01" width="1063" height="1514"><figcaption class="caption-body">Old Pals&nbsp;Mario Lemieux and Marc Bergevin have been close since they played peewee together in Montreal. (BBS)</figcaption></div><h2>THE PHILOSOPHY</h2>You don&rsquo;t try to hurt people&rsquo;s feelings. If guys are ruthless, you can&rsquo;t get away with that. But if it&rsquo;s all in fun&hellip;In Boston, he once put a Scott Young sweater and helmet over a medical skeleton, stuck a beer and a cigar on the thing and wheeled it into the St. Louis dressing room. He has been known to ring doorbells and run. He has opened garages and left lawn mowers on sidewalks. If you invite him to a party, check the thermostat when he leaves. If you&rsquo;re in the stall enjoying quiet time with the paper, beware of falling shaving cream.Of course, he has too many skeletons in his own closet not to be a frequent target himself. He has found his equipment in the jacuzzi, vaseline in his shoes, his shirt sleeves and pant legs sewn tight. With the entire team watching, he has put on his glove, felt something furry in one of the fingers and pulled out a dead mouse. A freaked-out, hopped-up Berge vowed holy revenge on all the usual suspects - Chase, Courtnail, Maclnnis - while Grant Fuhr was doubled over and nearly in tears, having laughed so hard that he could barely breathe.<h2>THE PLANES</h2>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t mind (turbulence).&rdquo;At 30,000 feet, Tampa&rsquo;s Dan Boyle is white-knuckled and dripping buckets. The boys are getting thrown around like chopped egg in a tossed salad. Berge is on the Monster of the Midway, dipping and dancing, hands in the air.Berge: &ldquo;Whweeeeee! Whooaaa! Whoooo!&rdquo;Boyle: &ldquo;Will you please sit down?&rdquo;Berge: &ldquo;Whweeeel Whweeee!&rdquo;Another plane, another team, similar story. The bird is way too small and the skies are way too angry. The supper formerly belonging to Penguin goalie Johan Hedberg has made a second appearance. Berge chats with a flight attendant and is the last one off after touchdown. &ldquo;Man,&rdquo; he says as he greets his teammates in the terminal building, lipstick smeared across his face, &ldquo;that was one rough flight.&rdquo;Flight attendants are also useful for their fine yellow jackets. Berge puts them on and walks down the aisle: &ldquo;Can I sell your house today? Buying a house? Need a house? I have a nice four-bedroom&hellip;&rdquo;Berge likes takeoffs, too. As the plane lifts into the air he puts on his hat with ear flaps and goggles, stands up and leans forward like a ski jumper ready to fly. It&rsquo;s amazing how close you can get to the ground if you try.<h2>THE BAG</h2>&ldquo;It came from (St. Louis equipment manager) Bert Godin, him and (athletic trainer) Ray Birile. Those are the guys that started it.&rdquo;When a player gets traded, his equipment ends up with the new team&rsquo;s equipment manager. Usually the equipment manager opens the bag, takes out the equipment, hangs it up and goes on with his day. But when Pittsburgh&rsquo;s Steve Latin opened Berge&rsquo;s bag, he found another bag inside.&ldquo;And I opened it up,&rdquo; Latin recalls, &ldquo;and I said &lsquo;What the hell is all this?&rsquo; &ldquo;He says &lsquo;These are my props.&rsquo; &rdquo;There are, among other things, five or six wigs; a pair of leopard-skin flip flops; an old-school, J.C. Tremblay-style helmet from the 1960s; some kazoo-style horns; leather pants with the butt cheeks cut out. Just one question: Which bag do the leopard skin skate guards call home - equipment or props?<h2>THE CONCERT</h2>&ldquo;That was one done on me. It was kept really good because it took two months before I found out who did it.&rdquo;Everyone knows Berge is a nut for the Bee Gees, so Berge&rsquo;s neighbor in St. Louis, with the help of Berge&rsquo;s wife Ruth and others, decide to make him one ~ of them. See the facial resemblance that Robin, Barry and Maurice all have to Berge? One November day the neighbor stuck posters up all around the Blues&rsquo; practice facility. Berge looked at one and said, &ldquo;All right, the Bee Gees are coming to town! Hey, they&rsquo;re coming August 11 that&rsquo;s my birthday! Hey, that Ticket master number - that&rsquo;s my cell phone number! (Ed. note: We&rsquo;ve removed it). Hey, that&rsquo;s&hellip; me!&rdquo; Berge got dozens of calls from people looking for tickets. Mike Keane got his wife to call. Berge, to his everlasting credit, never changed his cell phone number.&ldquo;I haven&rsquo;t got him back yet,&rdquo; Berge says of the neighbor. &ldquo;But that was too good, he did it with a computer. I don&rsquo;t have to get him back, actually. I don&rsquo;t feel like if somebody does something I have to get him back.&rdquo;<h2>THE SUPERSTAR</h2>&ldquo;Ever since I get here we sell out everywhere we go.&rdquo; - Marc Bergevin in February, 2001Berge was first traded to Pittsburgh on Dec. 28, 2000. Mario Lemieux came out of retirement the same day.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-01820/10211183-1-eng-US/f0044-012.jpg" title="f0044-01" width="1051" height="1646"><figcaption class="caption-body">The 4th Bee Gee&nbsp;Bergevin became a poster boy thanks to the computer wizardry of a neighbor in St. Louis.</figcaption></div>The joke after the playoffs last spring was that Pittsburgh&rsquo;s May 12 reacquisition of Berge from Tampa for a ninth round draft pick was the surest sign yet of Mario&rsquo;s intentions. He needs Berge to get him through another season. Not so, says Bergevin&ldquo;I know Craig (Patrick) is the GM and that&rsquo;s who I deal with on the hockey issues,&rdquo; Berge says. &ldquo;I understand that it&rsquo;s a business and we all know it&rsquo;s a business and Craig made the hockey business decision.&rdquo;Yep. And by mid-May, Berge and the boss - Mario, not Craig - were spending a couple days together in Las Vegas. How&rsquo;d the betting go? &ldquo;Even. Always even in Vegas,&rdquo; Berge says. And Mario? &ldquo;Even, always even.&rdquo;The two have been close friends since their peewee days in Montreal when Berge was Mario&rsquo;s left winger. Berge stayed at Mario&rsquo;s house for a few months until he got settled when he was first traded to the Pens. This season, Berge and Mario will resume their positions in the back of the bus, from where Mario&rsquo;s unmistakable chuckle is forever emanating. &ldquo;He says, &lsquo;You keep telling the same joke and I keep laughing.&rsquo; Berge says. &ldquo;I said, &lsquo;you&rsquo;re the one that&rsquo;s dumb, not me. You know it&rsquo;s coming and you still laugh.&rsquo; &rdquo;<h2>THE &lsquo;IMPOSTER&rsquo;</h2>&ldquo;I coach!&rdquo; Former Pittsburgh coach Ivan HlinkaPeople who don&rsquo;t know him ask how he gets away with so much. There&rsquo;s only one answer: He&rsquo;s Berge.&ldquo;It was relentless,&rdquo; says St. Louis coach Joel Quenneville. &ldquo;The coaches weren&rsquo;t even exempt.&rdquo;Quenneville had it easy. Try walking around with white hair and thick a foreign accent and see what Berge does. See what the security guys at visiting rinks do when they&rsquo;re told the Penguins are being followed by this crazy Czech guy and please make sure he doesn&rsquo;t get anywhere near our room. In Minnesota Berge pulls aside one of the Xcel Energy Center&rsquo;s finest, nice jacket by the way, and points just over there. You see that guy? He&rsquo;s not with us. He doesn&rsquo;t belong here.Security guy: &ldquo;Sir, you&rsquo;ve got to go.Ivan Hlinka: &ldquo;Whaaat?&rdquo;Security guy. &ldquo;Let&rsquo;s go, let&rsquo;s go!&rdquo;Hlinka: &ldquo;I coach!&rdquo;Security guy: &ldquo;No, you gotta go, you gotta go!&rdquo;Berge didn&rsquo;t always let Hlinka talk so much. It&rsquo;s moments before Game 6 of the opening round series against Buffalo in 2001. The Pens are facing elimination and feeling it. Hlinka clears his throat for some final words of instruction. Enter the Berge Boogie. He&rsquo;s dressed in pulled-up spandex, covered in heat packs and has rolls of tape on the bottom of his feet like elevator shoes. &ldquo;The coach wants to have a meeting and he wouldn&rsquo;t stop,&rdquo; Moran says. &ldquo;It was just perfect. It was perfect timing for what we needed.&rdquo;Pens win in 7.<h2>THE REVENGE</h2>&ldquo;Don&rsquo;t mess with me!&rdquo;The guys put out the warnings during training camp. They told Berge that Larry was a bit riled up. Larry was saying some strange things, going on about how he was hearing bad things about Berge. No, they didn&rsquo;t understand it, either. Just keep your nose clean for while, a Berge.This went on for a few days. They let it simmer. Berge was worried Then Larry Pleau calls Berge into the coach&rsquo;s office for a closed-door chat They start arguing. Larry says he had heard Berge is lazy and a bad team guy. Berge is getting upset. I&rsquo;m not like that at all, he says. That&rsquo;s not what I&rsquo;m hearing, Larry says. Listen, Berge insists, you can ask the guys, ask them what kind of teammate I am. &ldquo;And the door opened,&rdquo; Berge says, &ldquo;and there was 20 guys there laughing.&rdquo;&ldquo;They come through the door,&rdquo; Larry recalls, &ldquo;and I take off running down the hallway.&rdquo;Remember that thing about Berge not needing to get people back? Evidently it doesn&rsquo;t apply to GMs.It&rsquo;s Feb. 21, 2000, the night of Marty McSorley&rsquo;s stick attack on Donald Brashear. The Blues are having dinner after a road win over Anaheim, players on one side of the restaurant, coaches and management on another. Cuba Gooding Jr. and other Hollywood types have joined them. A fairly well-known, very well-endowed star of the seedier side of the Hollywood film industry walks in and wouldn&rsquo;t you know it, she&rsquo;s a Blues fan. The other movie types make introductions. After some small talk, the players direct her to the management table, where she stays for a few minutes before leaving. All the roving eye in Berge&rsquo;s mind sees is opportunity for revenge.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0046-02489/10211176-1-eng-US/f0046-022.jpg" title="f0046-02" width="996" height="1336"><figcaption class="caption-body">(BBS)</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0046-01733/10211169-1-eng-US/f0046-012.jpg" title="f0046-01" width="1156" height="1264"><figcaption class="caption-body">Family Clown&nbsp;Bergevin has a captive audience with daughter Elie, 5, and sons Wes, 7 and Rhett, 2. (R. GRABOWSKI)</figcaption></div>Berge gets one of the travelling St. Louis media members to insert a paragraph in his story on that night&rsquo;; game. The added material suggests Pleau was unavailable for comment because he was too busy chatting with with one of Hollywood&rsquo;s full-cup finest. And wouldn&rsquo;t you know it that&rsquo;s the version of the story that turns up in the Blues&rsquo; press clippings in San Jose the next day.&ldquo;Hey, Larry, what are we going to do about this?&rdquo; say Pronger and Maclnnis, handing him the clipping the next morning. Larry reads it and believes (wrongly) the story is all over St. Louis by now.The Blues are on the ice for a morning skate when they see Larry make a beeline for the reporter sitting a few rows up in the stands. This could get messy. Now Larry is in front of the reporter, arms gesturing wildly. The players are getting edgy. Finally Berge skates over to the boards and bangs his stick on the ice to get attention. Larry turns. &ldquo;Payback is a bitch, isn&rsquo;t it Larry!!!!!&rdquo; Berge yells. &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t $#@& with me, Larry!&rdquo;Did we mention Larry is the GM?&ldquo;It was the perfect set-up,&rdquo; Larry admits. &ldquo;He got me good.&rdquo;<h2>THE LASTING IMPRESSIONS</h2>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s one of a kind. There&rsquo;s only one guy like him.&rdquo; - former teammate Kelly ChaseEverybody who has played with Berge knows he takes the game seriously. They know he&rsquo;s the kind of guy who takes five days off after his team is eliminated, then hits the gym six or seven days of the week for the entire off-season. They know about his five per-cent body fat at age 38and rippling stomach muscles. But mainly they know Berge because he cracks them up. As for guys who never played with him, he cracks them up, too.Brian Skrudland never played with Berge, but he knows him. &ldquo;Just from the guy doing a Brian Skrudland imitation,&rsquo; says Skrudland, the former NHL center. &ldquo;He used to get people in stitches. Skating around and taking a faceoff, and he&rsquo;s aligning everybody, even the guys on the bench, the arse-hole. Every time we played against him, in the skate, I knew exactly what he was doing.&rdquo;Is it true? He did a Skrudland impression and aligned guys on the bench? Berge starts to chuckle.&ldquo;I might have, I don&rsquo;t remember,&rdquo; he protests. Now it&rsquo;s Berge who can&rsquo;t stop laughing. &#9632;

f0040-01

Laugh-man standing

Geoff Courtnall is no Marc Bergevin, but he&rsquo;s a quality funny man in his own right. He was also one of Berge&rsquo;s fellow veteran gag-meisters in St. Louis and a former Berge roomie. Here is Courtnall&rsquo;s Personal Top Five Berge-Related Hijinks of All-Time<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-02616/10211228-1-eng-US/f0042-022.jpg" title="f0042-02" width="234" height="381"></div><h2>1. ROOM SERVICE</h2>The Blues were on the road in Detroit. Berge ordered room service. There was a knock on the door. Berge told Courtnail to answer it."And when I got the door," Courtnail recalls, "he hid under the covers and said, 'I told you to kiss me before you got the door.' And this guy just looked at me like I had two heads. He wouldn't come out from underneath the covers."And when the guy was leaving he said 'Hey, Courts, put the red dress on when you come back in.' " I just couldn't believe it. That&rsquo;s Bergie&rsquo;s best one ever."<h2>2. "SEE YOU IN DALLAS."</h2> Mention Berge&rsquo;s antics and the first thing everyone on that Blues team points to is the "See You in Dallas" sign. GM Larry Pleau told Berge about the impact it had in that big OT win in their season-end 1-on-1 meetings.<h2>3. BEST DANCE EVER</h2>In Courtnail&rsquo;s eyes, of all of Berge&rsquo;s post-game victory dances, The Sumo Suit, after Game 7 some seven in Phoenix in 1999 (and hours after the See You in Dallas sign) topped them all. All in all, a banner day in the life of Berge.<h2>4. OPEN DOORS</h2>One day Courtnail came home to find his wife up in a near panic. Every cup-board in the kitchen was wide open. Someone had been inside the house! They'd been robbed! Courtnail&rsquo;s wife called the police. Then Courtnail surveyed the situation and said&hellip;had to be Berge. Turns out it was his own fault; Courtnall had left the garage door unlocked. He'd have expected nothing less.<h2>5. BAD TEAM GUY</h2>It was Courtnall who started the rumor in the fall of 1999 that Berge was a bad team player (see The Revenge), and it was Courtnall who got Blues GM Larry Pleau to play along with the gag. &#9632;

f0042-02

BERGE’S SIDEKICK

<div class="byline">By Chuck Carlton</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0048-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0048-01522/10211280-1-eng-US/f0048-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Shock & Awe&nbsp;The Minnesota Wild surprised by advancing to the Western Conference final in just their third season. (DALE MACMILLAN/BBS)</figcaption></div>You can view them as the final desperate acts of dynasties refusing to fall without a struggle. Or maybe the off-season moves of Detroit and Colorado underscored why the two teams have remained at the top of the Western Conference for the length of the current collective bargaining agreement.So both went out of the playoffs early. So what? The Red Wings merely signed Norris Trophy finalist Derian Hatcher from Dallas and forked over more money to bring back Dominik Hasek. And for a bargain price, the Avalanche reunited Teemu Selanne and Paul Kariya on &lsquo;Team Baizley.&rsquo;Either the past few months marked a changing of the guard or a pair of empires striking back. But without a doubt, the landscape of the West changed dramatically in 2002-03.Since the 1995 lockout, the West was, for all intents and purposes, Detroit, Colorado and Dallas. Together, the three clubs combined to win six in Cups that span.Even more impressively, the trio represented the conference in every Cup final from 1995 to 2002.Along the way, they had the market cornered on heroics, from Brett Hull&rsquo;s disputed Cup-winning goal in 1999 to Steve Yzerman&rsquo;s gimpy, gutsy performance in 2002. Teams tried to buy their way into the group (St. Louis) and draft their way to the top (San Jose). Nothing worked until 2003, the year everything changed.The Western Conference final featured Anaheim and Minnesota, with Anaheim taking New Jersey to seven games in the final.Huh?Detroit? Colorado?" Gone in the first round?Dallas, of possessor the West&rsquo;s top regular I season record? Eliminated in the second round?D&rsquo;oh!While one of the Big Three - and sometimes two - have stumbled in any given playoff run, their combined playoff thud this time echoed around hockey. Whether it was a fluke or the start of a trend is still to be decided.All three teams have a roster of all stars and future Hall of Earners. Their successors have more question marks.Anaheim rode one of the hottest goaltending performances in NHL history and Minnesota was a system team, something that only works if the coach is Jacques Lemaire and egos are non-existent.&ldquo;Anaheim and Minnesota were still the sixth and seventh seeds, so I&rsquo;m not sure if that was a sign of a real change or just an aberration,&rdquo; said Vancouver GM Brian Burke. &ldquo;I would say it&rsquo;s an aberration.They both got great goaltending and they got hot at the right time, so you don&rsquo;t want to take anything away from them, but the teams that have been good in the West have been good for five or six or 10 years.&rdquo;How to explain what happened last season? Here are a few theories:CURRENT CBA WORKED All it took was a mere nine years after the lock out that was supposed to restore fiscal sanity.No one is to supposed be able to win forever, or continually struggle at the bottom. The draft is supposed to be the the mechanism great equalizer, that levels talent.Except free agency created a Hatcher-sized loophole in the mechanism. Detroit, Colorado and Dallas have the deepest pockets, which translated into deep rosters.&ldquo;It is frustrating,&rdquo; said Edmonton coach Craig MacTavish.&lsquo;And when you&rsquo;re on the outside looking in, waiting for the balance of power to you&rsquo;re always shift. There is supposed to be a system in place where the teams that finish poorly draft first and that will eventually even things out. But free agency allowed these teams to get around that.&ldquo;If we had a hole, we had to draft and be patient trying to fill it. If they had a hole, they filled it immediately with a free agent. That&rsquo;s a big difference right there and that&rsquo;s something that could change in the future.&rdquo;Things already changed in the summer of 2003, which turned into a nuclear winter for most free agents. Teams kept their hands on their wallets, a fiscal responsibility forced on them by a potential work stoppage. If Gary Bettman&rsquo;s long-sought cost certainty emerges out of a long layoff in 2004-05, will be maybe everything level. Then perhaps an Edmonton can hope to get beyond the first round, and a Calgary can view the playoffs as a reasonable goal.As Flames coach-GM Darryl Sutter pointed out, Anaheim last season had the money to add Adam Oates through free agency and then scoop up Rob Niedermayer and Steve Thomas at the trade deadline.And that&rsquo;s to say nothing of the Ducks&rsquo; free agent acquisition this summer of Sergei Fedorov and Vaclav Prospal. Indeed, if there&rsquo;s an argument to be made that Anaheim has joined the elite of the West, all those moves are a pointed Exhibit A.&ldquo;Was Anaheim on a tight budget (at the deadline)? I don&rsquo;t think so,&rdquo; Sutter said. &ldquo;Money still makes a difference. Do I hope it changes? Damn right. I want to see those teams not be able to fill every hole. You can&rsquo;t change it in one year because if we go to Vegas tomorrow, I know the teams you&rsquo;re betting on.&ldquo;But could it be a good sign moving forward? I hope it is. This summer is a buyer&rsquo;s market and that&rsquo;s a good thing. You (could) feel it at the draft, people are stressing patience and development and it hasn&rsquo;t always been that way.&rdquo;THE OLD GET OLDER The last time the Red Wings weren&rsquo;t considered an old team, Bevan Murrav was coach-GM. An unparalleled brain trust of GM Ken Holland, former coach Scottv Bowman and senior vice-president Jim Devellano managed to supplement Detroit&rsquo;s talent by usually guessing right on free agents and veterans with plenty left, players such as Hull and Chris Chelios. But now almost everybody is old in Detroit. Even Nicklas Lidstrom is over 30. The Wings have good young forwards in Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg, but not enough for dominance.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0050-01509/10211273-1-eng-US/f0050-012.jpg" title="f0050-01" width="1043" height="1544"><figcaption class="caption-body">Senior Wings&nbsp;At 34, Brendan Shanahan is one of the &lsquo;young&rsquo; stars on an aging Detroit roster. (HENRIDROCO/BBS)</figcaption></div>In Colorado, the birth certificates are starting to yellow, too, and Patrick Roy&rsquo;s retirement threatens the franchise&rsquo;s run of nine consecutive division titles. The prospect of facing David Aebischer in a Game 7 is less daunting than facing Roy.In Dallas, the defensive core is over 30. Mike Modano is 33. The Stars&rsquo; saving grace may be Marty Turco, a potential franchise goaltender at 27.Each team built through the draft - Yzerman, Modano, Joe Sakic - and will have to back to go their roots to achieve the same level of success.&ldquo;We have been fortunate to use free agency&hellip;but you can&rsquo;t just build a team by spending,&rdquo; said Dallas GM Doug Armstrong.THE NEW STARS Anaheim goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere went from being a fantasy league sleeper pick to the seat across from Jay Leno.Minnesota&rsquo;s Marian Gaborik had 30 goals in the season and nine more in the playoffs. At21, he&rsquo;s the proto-typical super-start for a franchise.The oldest member of Vancouver&rsquo;s high-powered first line is Markus Naslund, who just turned 30.In the past, those teams might have been hard-pressed to retain their homegrown talent. If management gets what it wants in the next CBA, teams will be able to keep the product of their drafting.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0052-01390/10211266-1-eng-US/f0052-012.jpg" title="f0052-01" width="927" height="905"></div>THE DEAD PUCK Systems trump individual talent. Look at what Anaheim did in the playoffs, The larger point is, if the first team to two goals wins, the distance between a seventh seed and a division title shrinks to the point of non-existence.Duplicating the performance may be harder for the upstart teams. If Colorado, Dallas and Detroit are slipping, no one is saying Minnesota or even Anaheim are next in the line of succession.&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not so sure there&rsquo;s a change,&rdquo; said Kings&rsquo; coach Andy Murray. &ldquo;1 think Anaheim and Minnesota will be worried about making the playoffs (this) year, just like a lot of teams.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0052-02252/10211259-1-eng-US/f0052-022.jpg" title="f0052-02" width="1544" height="1894"></div> &#9632;

f0048-01

All’s Riot on the Western Front

<div class="byline">- CHUCK CARLTON</div>New Jersey GM Lou Lamoriello isn&rsquo;t old school as much as he is one-room school.The Devils are heavy on discipline and fundamentals. Everybody reads from the same textbook, whether they&rsquo;ve been in the league 18 seasons or 18 months. Players dress for games like it&rsquo;s frat rush in 1962 - coat, shirt, tie. The only facial hair allowed is a playoff beard. Players are treated like parts, with a few shrewd exceptions.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0050-02382/10211311-1-eng-US/f0050-022.jpg" title="f0050-02" width="285" height="228"></div>Rules are rules, as Jamie Langen-brunner learned when he came over from Dallas in 2002. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s different,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;But it&rsquo;s different in a good way.&rdquo;In other words, sacrifices make sense if a Stanley Cup ring is the reward.&ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s great,&rdquo; said goalie Martin Brodeur, a Devils lifer. &ldquo;When you play with Lamoriello for a long time, I think you understand why he does a lot of things. It&rsquo;s all about discipline and it&rsquo;s all about respect.&rdquo;Which is why no matter how goofy or bizarre the Eastern Conference can get, the Devils always find a way to restore order out of chaos. Just when you expect another inter-loper like Florida, Washington or Carolina, the Devils hoist the Cup again.Their three Stanley Cups under the current collective bargaining agreement ties them with Detroit. But nobody started calling East Rutherford &ldquo;Hockey town.&rdquo;Among Jersey&rsquo;s advantages that will be hard for Eastern rivals to match are:GOALTENDING Martin Brodeur has been the difference-maker for the Devils, the one quality nobody else in the East has been able to match consistently.MANAGEMENT Lamoriello is so entrenched that he can make moves no other GM can, probably because they work. His treatment of coaches has been every bit as curious as say, Bob Clarke&rsquo;s. Each Cup-winner had a different coach.SCOUTING Maybe some day scouting director David Conte will land the GM position he deserves. Until then, he continues to find talent to restock the lineup. Case in point: rookie Mike Rupp had a goal and two assists in the Game 7 win over Anaheim. He was once taken ninth overall by the Islanders, then let go. &#9632;

f0050-02

Devils always among East contenders

<div class="byline">- BRIAN COSTELLO</div>Jiri Hudler, C, 19, DetroitHe'll be broken in slowly by the Wings, but his offensive instincts are top-notch.Lukas Krajicek, D, 20, FloridaA terrific skater, Krajicek almost made the team each of the past two years.Igor Radulov, LW, 21, ChicagoFive goals in seven NHL games at the end of last season set expectations sky-high.Phil Sauve, G, 23, ColoradoIf David Aebischer falters, understudy Sauve will be given his fair shot at the job.Peter Sejna, LW, 24, St. LouisHobey Baker Award winner scored final goal on Patrick Roy in NHL debut last season.Eero Somervuori, RW, 24, Tampa BayThe pick of pool guru Murray Towns end to be top rookie with 50 points.Jeff Taffe, C, 22, PhoenixThought he could crack the lineup in 2002-03. A year later, he&rsquo;s close to making it.Fedor Tyutin, D, 20, NY RangersShould blossom into a speedy, skilled defender with an edge.Scottie Upshall, RW, 20, NashvilleWill force his way onto the top two lines with energy, intensity and leadership skills.Nikolai Zherdev, RW, 18, ColumbusJackets need offense and Zherdev was the most explosive player in the 2003 draft. &#9632;

ROOKIES ON RISE

<div class="byline">- BRIAN COSTELLO</div>Ever since Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux burst onto the scene as dynamic teenagers, fans and scouts were quick to crown up-and-coming prospects as the next wunderkind. Here&rsquo;s a look at the hype and reality of some of them.Mike Ricci, C (4th overall, 1990) Hype: After back-to-back 50-goal seasons in junior, was dubbed &lsquo;the player of the 1990s.&rsquo; Reality: Just one 30-goal season, but became a valuable checking center.Eric Lindros, C (1st overall, 1991) Hype: Was ballyhooed as a punishing power forward with Hall of Fame in his future. Reality: He won the Hart at 22, but concussions have hamstrung his style and rendered him a second-rate star.Alexandre Daigle, C, (1st overall, 1993) Hype: Ottawa tanked the final games of the season to ensure it could draft the &lsquo;can&rsquo;t-miss&rsquo; prodigy. Reality: Flopped in five NHL cities.Jason Bonsignore, C, (4th overall, 1994) Hype: The Rochester native was 16 when scouts began comparing him to Lemieux. Reality: Bons ignore had a modicum of Lemieux&rsquo;s skill, the work ethic of a potato chip and played just 79 NHL games.Joe Thornton, C (1st overall, 1997) Hype: The &lsquo;special&rsquo; label intensified in his spectacular draft season. Reality: Too good for junior, too raw for the NHL, Thornton scored three goals as a rookie. Five seasons later, the hype came true.Vincent Lecavalier, C (1st overall, 1998) Hype: Tagged &lsquo;Michael Jordan of hockey&rsquo; by ignorant Tampa owner Art Williams. Reality: His jump shot is still wobbly, but Lecavalier is on the right path and is still only 23 years old. &#9632;

Living up to hype no easy task

<div class="byline">Bobby Smith </div><div class="byline">Guest Columnist</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0060-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0060-01261/10211470-1-eng-US/f0060-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Size Matters&nbsp;Six-foot-wide lines would enlarge the offensive zones and the neutral zone, opening up passing lanes and giving attackers more room to rush and set up without changing the dimensions of NHL rinks. (BBS)</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0061-01232/10211463-1-eng-US/f0061-012.jpg" title="f0061-01" width="338" height="586"></div>You don&rsquo;t need to do an in-depth analysis of scoring statistics to know there is a lack of goals and wide-open play in NHL. Since today&rsquo;s players have gotten so much bigger over the past few decades, perhaps it&rsquo;s time to assess the playing surface. Perhaps it&rsquo;s time to make NHL rinks bigger.Don&rsquo;t fret about construction costs and lost front-row seat revenue because there won&rsquo;t be any. All this plan calls for is a little paint - two cans of blue and one of red.NHL rinks are 200feet long. The offensive zone extends 73 feet from the end boards to the outer edge of the blueline. The neutral zone stretches 56 feet from the net-side edge of each blueline. Why do these numbers add to 202 feet? up Because the one foot sliver of ice known as the blueline is both offensive territory and neutral-zone territory, depending on where the puck is.(See graph icon pg. 64.)What if the NHL took advantage of this arithmetic of hand sleight to make each zone even bigger? The bluelines and center red line could each be six feet wide. (That&rsquo;s where the extra comes paint in.)I like six feet because six is natural number: the nets hockey are six feet wide and each team has six players on the ice. Being a hockey purist, I&rsquo;d rather play around with the width of lines than mess with these sacred numbers.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0064-01210/10211456-1-eng-US/f0064-012.jpg" title="f0064-01" width="2208" height="1096"><figcaption class="caption-body">Bluelines, New Lines&nbsp;Here are current dimensions for NHL rinks &mdash; and Bobby Smith&rsquo;s proposed changes. Can you spot the difference?</figcaption></div>Extending the width of the blueline an additional three feet toward the net and two feet toward center ice would accomplish three things. Power plays would be the first beneficiary. The offensive zone would extend 75 feet from the backboards. Two more feet may not seem like a lot, but the most dangerous power play point men use every square inch of the offensive zone, handling the puck on or inside the blueline while having their feet outside the blueline. Skill players could certainly use the extra space to draw penalty-killers further from the net, opening up more room in the slot and giving point men more time to shoot.A second benefit would come during 5-on-5 play. Forwards in the offensive zone are usually out numbered by defenders. Three attacking forwards must elude two defensemen, the defending center and one winger who collapses to the front of the net. This creates a 3-on-4 situation (3-on-5 if you include the goalie).But if the offensive zone were even slightly larger, the collapsing winger, who must also recover to check the point man on his side of the ice, would have a more difficult job. More good point shots or more chances from the slot would result. The scoring area to be covered by the defenders could be further enlarged by moving the net two feet closer to the end boards.A third benefit would come from an enlarged neutral zone. Currently, players have 4,760 square feet of neutral zone to beat the trap. They are able to make a 56-foot blueline-to-blueline pass without being offside. Six-feet-wide bluelines would produce a neutral zone of 5,270 square feet, an increase of 10.7 per cent. A player could launch a 62-foot blueline-to-blueline pass sending a team-mate in alone on the opposing goalie.It&rsquo;s worth noting the neutral zone has been shrinking since 1990, when it was 62 feet long. Surely, skilled players could use that extra six feet to spring a few breakaways. At the very least, defensemen would have to play six feet closer to their net to avoid being burned. This, too, could open up the neutral zone.The &ldquo;new&rdquo; 62-foot neutral zone and two 75-foot offensive zones render a rink that is, in effect, 212 feet long. I think the new layout would look best if the blueline consisted of two-inch wide dark-blue borders with a pale blue constituting the bulk of the six-foot wide line. I&rsquo;d do the same with the center red line to allow a longer pass from the defensive zone to center that wouldn&rsquo;t violate the two-line pass rule.What would be the downside to this new configuration? The main problem is it would look weird. We&rsquo;d get used to it, though. We&rsquo;ve accepted board and on-ice advertising to the point that when I watch games from the 1980s on ESPN Classic the white boards seem strange.The NHL would also have to slightly alter the offside rule. Currently, a player must advance the puck completely over the blueline before his teammates can enter the zone. The new rule would have to allow players to advance into the offensive zone once the puck-carrier puts the puck onto, not over, the new six-foot blueline.A renewed commitment this season to the obstruction crackdown should increase scoring. Limiting the size of goalie equipment, particularly the glove, would also help. We shouldn&rsquo;t, however, be misled into thinking that shrinking goalie equipment - or even a bigger net - will make the game more wide open. Goalies able to stop fewer shots will make teams play more conservatively, not less so.The new rink would make life tougher on defensemen, but if scoring is going to increase somebody&rsquo;s going to have to pay the price. Makes more sense than having a naked goalie guard a soccer net.BOBBY SMITH PLAYED IN THE NHL FOR 15 YEARS AND WAS GM OF THE PHOENIX COYOTES FROM 1996 TO 2000 &#9632;

f0060-01

TIME FOR A LINE CHANGE

<div class="byline">By Mike Brophy</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0066-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0066-01215/10211557-1-eng-US/f0066-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">PETER FORSBERG COLORADO AVALANCHE (SPORTS ACTION PHOTOGRAPHY)</figcaption></div>Times have certainly changed. Used to the second be a day when a 29-goal scorer played on or third line. Now he&rsquo;s the best player in the world.That&rsquo;s right, the best and highest-paid player on the planet.You think that&rsquo;s nuts? Then you have never watched Peter Forsberg play.The 30-year-old Swede is the NHL&rsquo;s greatest combination of goals and grit, flash and dash, hustle and muscle. He has the eyes of a Siamese cat and the heart of a lion. His goals, when he does score them, always turn up on the highlight reel and his deft passing catapulted linemate Milan Hejduk to the top of the class among snipers last season.&ldquo;Peter does it all,&rdquo; said Colorado coach Tony Granato.&ldquo;He scores, he sets up goals, he controls the tempo of the game and he plays physical. In fact, you sometimes wonder if Peter didn&rsquo;t play such a physical game whether he could perhaps produce even more.&ldquo;But Peter is Peter. That&rsquo;s the way he plays the game. If he tried to play a different style, maybe he wouldn&rsquo;t be as effective.&rdquo;Forsberg, who will earn a cool $11 million this season, is the skater every GM would pick to build a team around. He has the ability to do it all on his own, but more often than not he elects to dish off to his teammates, as his league-leading 77 assists last season will attest.&ldquo;You always get asked that question about &lsquo;is it more fun to score goals?,&rsquo; &rdquo; Forsberg said. &ldquo;Of course it is more fun scoring a goal, but I don&rsquo;t mind setting up goals, either. I have great linemates. Milan (Hejduk) was great last year. If 1 come in on a 2-on-0 with him or with (Alex) Tanguay, then I&rsquo;m going to give the puck to those guys.&rdquo;Could Forsberg, whose single-season high for goals is 30 in 1995-96, shoot 50 if he put his mind to it?&ldquo;I doubt it,&rdquo; Forsberg said. &ldquo;If I shot every time I got the puck, then maybe I&rsquo;d score few a more goals. Every goal I score is right around the net. I don&rsquo;t have a great shot. I&rsquo;m not a natural scorer.&rdquo;That, folks, is debatable. Just ask his opponents.&ldquo;Sure he could,&rdquo; insisted St. Louis defenseman Chris Pronger. &ldquo;He gets just 29 goals because he doesn&rsquo;t shoot. All he does is pass. But you can&rsquo;t play him for the pass all the time because if you do, you know in the back of your mind he has the capability of shooting and scoring. That&rsquo;s what makes him so dangerous. If he shot all the time you&rsquo;d play him for the shot and he not might be as effective.&rdquo;<h2>MOVE TO SWEDEN?</h2>When it comes to Peter Forsberg, there is never any shortage of interesting news - from Olympic heroics that led to his image being put on a stamp in his native Sweden to injuries that have caused him to miss long stretches of action (including the entire 2001-02 regular season); from stunning playoff success (he led the NHL in post-season scoring in 2001-02 despite not playing in the final) to rumors of a possible early retirement.Even Forsberg doesn&rsquo;t know what the future holds. He does, however, wish to play one season with his club team Modo in Sweden. It is that desire that has led some to speculate he could retire from the NHL long before his skills have eroded.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0068-01165/10211550-1-eng-US/f0068-012.jpg" title="f0068-01" width="1133" height="1198"><figcaption class="caption-body">(SPORTS ACTION PHOTOGRAPHY)</figcaption></div>&ldquo;I always said I wanted to play one year in Sweden before I retire and I don&rsquo;t want to play there when I&rsquo;m brutal,&rdquo; Forsberg said. &ldquo;I grew up in that town and I still have a lot of friends and family there. I played 16 years with that (organization) and I feel like I want to come back and play one more year. I didn&rsquo;t say I was going tore tire afterwards. I never said anything like that. We&rsquo;ll see what happens. I enjoy playing hockey so we&rsquo;ll see how it goes.&rdquo;Logic would suggest Forsberg will play this year with Colorado, then, regardless of whether or not there is a work stoppage in the NHL in 2004-05, he&rsquo;ll play next season with Modo and then return to finish his career in the NHL.Forsberg has never hidden the fact he isn&rsquo;t always happy and satisfied with his play. He sets such a high standard for himself that it would be hard to imagine him being satisfied for long stretches. Last year, though, he was pleased with how things went.&ldquo;To be honest, around Christmas and afterwards, personally I think I played better than I did the previous couple of seasons,&rdquo; Forsberg said.&ldquo;Of course when you lose out in the first round it is tough, but I have to say yes, I had fun last I year. would say the last part of the season was probably one of the best stretches I&rsquo;ve ever had.&rdquo;Forsberg could be in for a whole heap of fun this season. The addition of free agent gunners Paul I Kariya and Teemu Selanne gives the Avalanche the I NHL&rsquo;s best top-six forwards in the league. The line of Forsberg, Hejduk and Alex Tanguay was one of the best in the NHL last year and Granato has Kariya and Selanne penciled in to skate with Joe Sakic this season.&ldquo;Those two guys are proven stars that have played years in the league,&rdquo; Forsberg said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s going to be really fun to play with them.&rdquo;Here are the rest of The Hockey News&rsquo; Top 50 Players for 2003-04:2&nbsp;Nicklas Lidstrom Winning a third straight Norris Trophy after finishing second three years in a row confirms Lidstrom has elevated himself to the best defensemen in among NHL history.3&nbsp;Joe Thornton The 24-year-old center is a physical force who is learning to keep his emotions under control. His hard hitting and soft touch around the goal are a rare combination.4&nbsp;Markus Naslund The players&rsquo; choice as the best player in the NHL last season, Naslund finished second to Peter Forsberg in scoring with 48 goals and 104 points.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0070-01146/10211543-1-eng-US/f0070-012.jpg" title="f0070-01" width="705" height="1073"></div>5&nbsp;Martin Brodeur With Patrick Roy gone, the torch is officially passed to Brodeur as the top goalie in the game. He may eventually steal away a number of St. Patrick&rsquo;s records.6&nbsp;Mario Lemieux He looked like the Super Mario of old at the start of last year when obstruction was called - and when he had NHL-caliber teammates to work with.7&nbsp;Mike Modano The new captain in Dallas led the resurgence of the Stars by producing 85 points, seven more than the year before. He&rsquo;s one of the NHL&rsquo;s most consistent year-to-year performers.8&nbsp;Dominik Hasek Six Vezinas, two Harts and one Stanley Cup are all we need to put him near the top of the heap, even at38and after a year off.9&nbsp;Joe Sakic He remains one of the league&rsquo;s brightest and most creative players. Colorado&rsquo;s acquisition of Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne will benefit him immensely.10&nbsp;Sergei Fedorov Anaheim will love this wonderfully gifted center, whose 36 goals last season included 11 game-winners, second best in the league to Markus Naslund&rsquo;s 12.11&nbsp;Todd Bertuzzi The NHL&rsquo;s I answer to The Hulk continues to improve with age. He finished fifth in league scoring last year with career highs in goals (46) and points (97).12&nbsp;Rob Blake The hard-hitting Blake remains one of the NHL&rsquo;s most productive defensemen even though his points took a slight dip last year, from 56 to 45.13&nbsp;Chris Pronger He missed nearly all of last season with injuries, but averaged nearly 25 minutes per game in the playoffs, when he had a goal and four points in seven games.14&nbsp;Jaromir Jagr As disappointing as Jagr&rsquo;s effort has been the past few years, when he puts his mind to it he remains one of the NHL&rsquo;s most dominant talents.15&nbsp;Jarome Iginla After a slow start last year. Iginla returned to playing close to the level he did in 2001-02, when he led the league in scoring.&nbsp;16&nbsp;Milan Hejduk There was some concern his game was slipping, but Hejduk had the luxury of playing with Forsberg and led the league with 50 goals.17&nbsp;Dany Heatley Don&rsquo;t be surprised if Heatley soon tops this list. His 41 goals were 15 more than he scored in his rookie year and ranked him sixth overall in the league.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0070-0349/10211536-1-eng-US/f0070-032.jpg" title="f0070-03" width="886" height="1049"></div>18&nbsp;Marian Hossa The Ottawa winger&rsquo;s 45 goals were fourth-most in the NHL. Hossa has improved his production four straight seasons.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0070-0285/10211529-1-eng-US/f0070-022.jpg" title="f0070-02" width="688" height="1088"><figcaption class="caption-body">(SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY ACTION)</figcaption></div>19&nbsp;Scott Niedermayer More and more people are coming to appreciate Niedermayer&rsquo;s all-around contribution to the success of the Devils beyond just his speed.20&nbsp;Mats Sundin The big captain continues to star for the Leafs despite the fact his linemates rarely give his game a boost.21&nbsp;Marian Gaborik Just 20 years old, Gaborik has led the Wild in scoring three consecutive seasons while improving his two-way game.22&nbsp;Jason Allison Knee injuries kept Allison on the shelf most of last season, but he still managed to get 28 points in26 games.&nbsp;23&nbsp;Glen Murray The Boston sniper finished fourth and fifth in goals the past two years with 41- and 44-goal seasons.&nbsp;24&nbsp;Sergei Gonchar His 102 goals over the past five seasons is tops among defensemen and are 20 more than Rob Blake.25&nbsp;Alexei Kovalev He can be brilliant one game and invisible the next, but there&rsquo;s no doubt his skill level ranks with the very best.26&nbsp;Keith Tkachuk The St. Louis bruiser scored 31 goals in 55 games last year and continues to be one of the game&rsquo;s most effective power forwards.27&nbsp;Jere Lehtinen A career-high 31 goals didn&rsquo;t take away from his defensive game. He also won his third Seike Trophy as the NHL&rsquo;s best defensive forward.28&nbsp;Adam Foote The rock-hard blueliner gets all the credit he deserves for his splendid defensive play, but Foote&rsquo;s offense - 11 goals and 31 points in 78 games last season - is often overlooked.29&nbsp;Ed Jovanovski After scoring just six goals (down from 17 the year before) in 67 regular season games, JovoCop erupted for seven in 14 playoff games.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0072-01140/10211522-1-eng-US/f0072-012.jpg" title="f0072-01" width="664" height="1099"></div>30&nbsp;Alexander Mogilny Few players handle the puck (or the media, for that matter) with the grace and intelligence of the slick-skating Russian.31&nbsp;Marty Turco Ed Belfour&rsquo;s replacement in Dallas provided his team with solid play and breath-taking numbers. His 1.72 goals-against average and .932 save percentage led the NHL last season.32&nbsp;Daniel Alfredsson His 79 points were a career-best and were good for 16th overall in the league, but his play in the post-season left a lot to be desired.33&nbsp;Ziggy Palffy How valuable is Palffy to the Kings? His 37 goals were more than twice as many as the team&rsquo;s next-highest goal scorer, Eric Belanger. He was also a teamleading plus-22.34&nbsp;Pavel Demitra The underrated center has become a legitimate and consistent scoring threat who contributes when it counts most.35&nbsp;Bill Guerin A serious leg injury threatened the career of Guerin, one of the NHL&rsquo;s most potent power forwards, but he should return to top form.36&nbsp;Derian Hatcher The rugged defenseman bounced back from a sub-par year to be a Norris Trophy candidate and a huge free agent addition to Detroit.37&nbsp;Brett Hull The Golden Brett has made adjustments to his game defensively, but remains one of the most potent scorers in the NHL.38&nbsp;Sergei Zubov The skilled defenseman quietly piles up points while contributing solid play in his own zone.39&nbsp;Brendan Shanahan Aging gracefully, Shanahan has scored 30 or more goals in 11 of his 16 NHL seasons, including the past five straight.40&nbsp;Paul Kariya As more teams resort to trapping and playing tough defense, Kariya&rsquo;s production has taken a hit. It should rebound in Colorado.41&nbsp;Al Maclnnis The Norris Trophy finalist enjoyed are markable comeback season and looks like he could play effectively for a few more years.&nbsp;42&nbsp;Patrik Elias The speedy left winger&rsquo;s offensive talents are being choked in the Devils&rsquo; defensive scheme, yet he still gives his all.43&nbsp;Patrick Lalime The backbone of the Senators rarely allows a bad goal. When he does let a soft one in, Lalime has shown he can keep his cool.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0072-0347/10211515-1-eng-US/f0072-032.jpg" title="f0072-03" width="850" height="1184"></div>44&nbsp;Ilya Kovalchuk He&rsquo;s already an offensive wizard at age 20. He&rsquo;ll skyrocket up this list when he learns how to play away from the puck.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0072-0274/10211508-1-eng-US/f0072-022.jpg" title="f0072-02" width="675" height="1099"><figcaption class="caption-body">(SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY ACTION)</figcaption></div>45&nbsp;Rod Brind&rsquo;Amour The Hurricanes went down the tubes last year when they lost Brind&rsquo;Amour, an energetic two-way force, to a hand injury.46&nbsp;John Madden One of the league&rsquo;s premier checkers continues to chip in more offense for the Stanley Cup champions.&nbsp;47&nbsp;Doug Weight After an indifferent regular season, Weight&rsquo;s playoff performance might well have been the best of any player in the league.48&nbsp;Scott Sevens The bruising veteran remains one of the best in his own zone and can still rock &rsquo;em. Just ask Paul Kariya.&nbsp;49&nbsp;Jean-Sebastien Giguere His size (some of it artificial) and commitment to excellence are keys to his ascension up the goalie rankings.50&nbsp;Michael Peca His production took a hit last year, but his value as a defensive forward and leader remains huge.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0068-0289/10211501-1-eng-US/f0068-022.jpg" title="f0068-02" width="757" height="3342"></div> &#9632;

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The NHL’s Top 50

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0073-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0073-01131/10211588-1-eng-US/f0073-012.jpg"></div>Subscribe to The Hockey News and get inside the name with:42 ISSUES FEATURINGDetailed coverage of your favorite NHL teams, plus Minor Pro, College and Junior leaguesIn-depth player profiles and the weekly Player PollExpert opinion from NHL insiders such as Denis Potvin, Glenn Healy, Barry Melrose & Scotty BowmanSubscribe today and receive a FREE NHL team keychain!CALL 1.888.361.9768 or visit <a href="http://thehockeynews.com">thehockeynews.com</a> &#9632;

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The Hockey News

<div class="byline">Mike Brophy </div><div class="byline">Senior Writer</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0076-01127/10211647-1-eng-US/f0076-012.jpg" title="f0076-01" width="470" height="384"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0076-0269/10211640-1-eng-US/f0076-022.jpg" title="f0076-02" width="343" height="572"></div>So, people, what did we learn from last season&rsquo;s playoffs?Buzz. Sorry, time&rsquo;s up. If we learned nothing else, it is that the Stanley up goes to the best team, not necesarily the team with the best players. That is not to say a team like the Colorado Avalanche - in the NHL, thanks to a pair of incoming Ducks and the creative managing of Pierre Lacroix - can't win it all. Or that a team like the Detroit Red Wings - who have welcomed back superstar goalie Dominik Hasek and bolstered their defence with giant Derrian Hatcher - won't find success. Of course, both of these clubs are leading contenders.But a team slowly and is our choice to win it all in 2003-04: the Ottawa enators.<h2>STOP LAUGH ING</h2>Think about it. The Senators came within one game - fact-of advancing to the final last season and we boldly suggest had they made it, they would have beaten Anaheim.The key to the Senators' success fifth in goals against average la the playoffs, young defenders Wade Redden and Chri proved they have taken their games to a higher, more impactful level.And while Ottawa does top-10 scorer, they have Marian Hossa and Daniel Alfredsson, who may one day get there. Furthermore, Radek Bonk has become a consistent contributor - as has hometown surprise Todd White - while Martin Havlat, Petr Schastlivy and sophomore Jason Spezza are developing offensively. Spezza, in particular, has the potential to make a huge impact offensively, especially on The Senator finishing third in goals last season finishing first overall.The Senators have the right mixture of skill, speed, grit, youth, experience, goaltending from Patrick Lalime and good coaching.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0076-0350/10211633-1-eng-US/f0076-032.jpg" title="f0076-03" width="2627" height="1309"><figcaption class="caption-body">(JIM MCISAAC/BBS)</figcaption></div>Last year&rsquo;s loss in the Eastern Conference final was a bitter pill for Ottawa to swallow.&ldquo;I couldn&rsquo;t watch the final until the final couple of games,&rdquo; Lalime said. &ldquo;You come that close, I hope it makes you appreciate it more when you finally do get there.&rdquo;Lalime, a steady force in net who placed fifth in regular season GAA (2.16) and tied for second in shutouts with eight, feels his team is still moving in the right direction despite the ultimate disappointment of last season.&ldquo;What people need to understand about us is we&rsquo;re still a young team,&rdquo; Lalime said. &ldquo;The biggest difference in our team last year compared to the past was, we really believed in each other. I think it makes a difference when you have 25 all guys on the same page.&rdquo;And perhaps all 25 names on the Stanley Cup?<h2>MIKE BROPHY&rsquo;S spotlight</h2>CHRIS PRONGER, DAfter returning from career threatening wrist and knee injuries, Pranger had four points in five regular season goals, then averaged nearly 25 minutes of ice time per game during the post-season.Senior Writer Mike Brophy profiles 30 NHLers important to their team in 2003-04, starting on page 82.<h3>PROJECTED 2003-04 NHL STANDINGS</h3><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0077-01125/10211626-1-eng-US/f0077-012.jpg" title="f0077-01" width="1561" height="1614"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0077-02_ad/10211619-1-eng-US/f0077-02_ad2.jpg" title="f0077-02_Ad" width="2629" height="1774"></div> &#9632;

f0076-01

Insider Report And the 2003-04 Stanley Cup will be presented to…

<div class="byline">By Dan Wood</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0078-01121/10211748-1-eng-US/f0078-012.jpg" title="f0078-01" width="821" height="340"></div>With the Paul era Kariya over after nine up-and-down seasons, the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim wasted little time ushering in the Sergei Fedorov age.Along with the free agent acquisition of former Tampa Bay left winger Vinny Prospal, the signing of former star Detroit Red center Wings Fedorov gives the Ducks bounding enthusiasm for their defense of the Western Conference championship.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0078-0258/10211741-1-eng-US/f0078-022.jpg" title="f0078-02" width="1109" height="2072"><figcaption class="caption-body">SANDIS OZOLONSH</figcaption></div>&ldquo;Hopefully, we can reach some outstanding goals, like winning the Cup,&rdquo; Fedorov said after agreeing to a five year, $40-million contract that includes player options for the final three seasons.With Conn Smythe Trophy winner Jean-Sebastien Giguere in net, 2003 playoffs star Keith Carney anchoring an underrated blueline corps and Fedorov and the still-underrated Steve Rucchin forming one of the top one-two center combinations in the league, there is plenty of reason for optimism in Anaheim.&ldquo;After you&rsquo;ve had a Cup run, often there is a hangover (effect),&rdquo; said Ducks coach Mike Babcock. &ldquo;When you make the changes we&rsquo;ve made, excitement is so high again. That should help eliminate the hangover.&rdquo;There will, of course, be issues and challenges, not least of which is the fact second line left winger Mike Leclerc likely will miss at least the season&rsquo;s opening month while recovering from off-season knee surgery. Fourth line winger Dan Bylsma, meanwhile, might be sidelined beyond Christmas while rehabilitating from knee surgery.Still, with Fedorov and Prospal on board, no one is mourning the departure of Kariya, or even the lost opportunity for the much-anticipated Kariya-Teemu Selanne reunion to take place in Anaheim. Though Kariya led the Ducks with 81 points last season, he finished with a subpar 25 goals and was ineffective offensively through most of last spring&rsquo;s dramatic playoff run. Fedorov and Prospal each put up similar regular season numbers as Kariya, and with more size, provide increased opportunity for the Ducks to play more the &ldquo;greasy&rdquo; style of game favored by Babcock.STRENGTHS As it did during last season&rsquo;s playoffs, everything with Anaheim begins in goal, where Giguere solidified his stature as one of the three game&rsquo;s top young stars with a spellbinding post-season rounds. Certainly, Giguere will face increased expectations and the pressure that goes along with them, but anyone who followed him last spring is well aware of his seeming ease under the spotlight.The Fedorov-Rucchin tandem at center gives the Ducks the ability to match up with virtually and the club&rsquo;s anyone strong defensive system keeps Anaheim in virtually every game. Tremendous team chemistry and a common sense of purpose carried the Ducks last season. As long as those elements remain, things in Anaheim should be very interesting.WEAKNESSES With the addition of Fedorov, not to mention last year&rsquo;s success, the Ducks won&rsquo;t sneak up on anyone. Anaheim might have won some games last year because opponents took it lightly. Anaheim must it prove can deal with high expectations over the course of an entire season.The power play, worst in the NHL two seasons ago, became a serious issue again down the stretch and in the playoffs last season. With Kariya and veteran play making center Adam Oates gone, Fedorov and Prospal, or someone else, must prove they can make the power play go.OFFENSE After a somewhat slow start in his first season in Southern California, former New Jersey right winger Petr Sykora carried the Ducks offensively down the stretch. Though a cracked bone in his wrist limited Sykora&rsquo;s offensive output in the playoffs, he came up with two huge overtime goals and seemingly established himself as Anaheim&rsquo;s go-to scorer.The prospect of a top line featuring Sykora, Fedorov and Prospal has Ducks fans drooling. Rucchin is a tremendous complementary offensive force, especially as a second-liner, and defenseman Sandis Ozolinsh is more capable offensively than all but a precious few NHL blueliners. Leclerc, a potential star, has battled injuries throughout his career and now must over-come yet another knee surgery.Rob Niedermayer was tremendous in the playoffs, but more as a mucker and grinder than as a scorer. The biggest hope for dramatic improvement is talented second year winger Stanislav Chistov.DEFENSE In his first NHL season, Babcock struck an effective and delicate balance between aggressiveness and a sound defensive system that served Anaheim well.As long as Babcock is behind the bench and Giguere is in net, the Ducks figure to be a responsible team defensively. Carney, Ruslan Salei and Kurt Sauer, a rookie surprise last season, are solid. Ozolinsh and Niclas Havelid are prime puck-movers without being defensive liabilities, Vitaly Vishnevski maintains big-time potential and Lance Ward adds depth.Led by Rucchin and Niedermayer, the Ducks&rsquo; forwards were very committed to strong defensive play and two-time Seike Trophy winner Fedorov figures to fit nicely.BEHIND THE BENCH Babcock began his initial NHL season telling his players that each game was the most important of the season. He kept up that mantra all year and has the option of rallying this year&rsquo;s bunch around Kariya&rsquo;s departure.It will be interesting to see if the Ducks respond as well to Babcock in his second season. Like all coaches in the league, he runs the risk of having players tire of his approach, but Babcock showed a keen ability to make strategic and motivational adjustments last season.CHEMISTRY 101 Though he had been the Ducks&rsquo; captain seemingly forever, Kariya wasn&rsquo;t a vocal leader. Babcock figures to give the &lsquo;C&rsquo; to either Rucchin or Carney, each of whom wore an &lsquo;A&rsquo; last season.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0079-01106/10211734-1-eng-US/f0079-012.jpg" title="f0079-01" width="1172" height="1776"><figcaption class="caption-body">With Anaheim&rsquo;s signing of Sergei Fedorov, Petr Sykora will have one of the NHL&rsquo;s premier centers by his side. (HENRI DIROCO/BBS)</figcaption></div>Rucchin and Carney are similar in the sense they are hard workers who will do virtually anything to win and the rest of the club can&rsquo;t help but draw inspiration from them. Fedorov gained a reputation for being moody at times in Detroit, so how he fits in with his teammates will bear watching.ROOKIES If any rookies are to crack the Ducks roster, forwards Mikael Holmqvist, Joffrey Lupul and Chris Kunitz have the best opportunities.Holmqvist, the club&rsquo;s 1997 first round draft pick (18th overall), is only now beginning a career in North America. He is big, strong, can skate and has the potential to become a solid third-line player.Lupul, a2002 first-rounder (seventh overall), was a big-time goal-scorer in the Western League, but it remains to be seen whether his all-around game is good enough to fit into Babcock&rsquo;s system.Kunitz, a free agent addition, had 35 goals and 79 points for Ferris State to finish second among NCAA scorers last season. Defenseman Mark Popovic, who played with American League affiliate Cincinnati last season, is another solid prospect.<h2>THEBOTTOMLINE</h2>The Ducks upgraded their talent level with Fedorov and Prospal and will continue to be a threat in the cut-throat West.PREDICTION5* in West<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0078-0331/10211727-1-eng-US/f0078-032.jpg" title="f0078-03" width="274" height="610"><figcaption class="caption-body">(JOHN RUSSEL/BBS)</figcaption></div><h2>MIKE BROPHY&rsquo;S spotlight</h2>STANISLAV CHISTOV, LWThough his rookie numbers were not breathtaking, the speedy Chistov has a huge upside and the potential to be an electrifying offensive weapon. His emergence could help make Paul Kariya a distant memory.<h2>ARRIVALS & DEPARTURES</h2>Off-season player movement affecting Anaheim&rsquo;s roster includes:<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0079-0259/10211720-1-eng-US/f0079-022.jpg" title="f0079-02" width="255" height="141"></div>Mikael Holmqvist, CSergei Fedorov, CChris Kunitz, LWJoffrey Lupul, RW Mark Popovic, DVaclav Prospal, LW<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0079-0336/10211713-1-eng-US/f0079-032.jpg" title="f0079-03" width="258" height="142"></div>Mike Brown, LWMarc Chouinard, CPaul Kariya, LWPatric Kjellberg, RW Adam Oates, C Fredrik Olausson, D Kevin Sawyer, LWRob Valicevic, C<h2>DEPTH CHART extra</h2>TEAM GRADE B+Warning: Beware of the Cup final hangoverGM Bryan Murray13th NHL year, 3rd team (409-368-127)COACH Mike Babcock2nd NHL year, 1st team (40-33-9)*OT losses counted as losses<h3>GOALIES</h3>1. J-S Giguere2. Martin Gerber3. Ilya Bryzgalov<h3>GRADE A</h3>All eyes on Giggy to see if he&rsquo;s real deal<h3>DEFENSEMEN</h3>1. Keith Carney2. Sandis Ozolinsh&nbsp;3. Ruslan Salei4. Niclas Havelid5. Kurt Sauer&nbsp;6. Vitaly Vishnevski&nbsp;7. Lance Ward8. Mark Popovic&nbsp;9. Todd Reirden10. Mike Mottau<h3>GRADE B</h3>A solid unit is helped by forwards who care<h3>LEFT WINGERS</h3>1. Vinny Prospal2. Mike Leclerc3. Stanislav Chistov&nbsp;4. Cam Severson5. Chris Kunitz 6. Joel Perreault<h3>CENTERS</h3>1. Sergei Fedorov2. Steve Rucchin&nbsp;3. Samuel Pahlsson4. Jason Krog5. Andy McDonald6. Mikael Holmqvist<h3>RIGHT WINGERS</h3>1. Petr Sykora2. Rob Niedermayer&nbsp;3. Alexei Smirnov&nbsp;4. Dan Bylsma5. Jonathan Hedstrom&nbsp;6. Joffrey Lupul<h3>GRADE A-</h3>Fedorov and Prospal an upgrade over Kariya<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0080-01107/10211706-1-eng-US/f0080-012.jpg" title="f0080-01" width="2634" height="2460"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0081-01118/10211699-1-eng-US/f0081-012.jpg" title="f0081-01" width="1636" height="1856"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0081-0279/10211692-1-eng-US/f0081-022.jpg" title="f0081-02" width="1587" height="716"></div><h2>FUTURE WATCH</h2>&nbsp;Here are Anaheim&rsquo;s first draft pickin 2003 and top 10 prospects, with age, position and 2002-03 team.<h3>2003 TOP PICK</h3>RYAN GETZLAFPOSITION CenterSELECTED 19th overall&nbsp;CLUB Calgary (WHL)SCOUTING REPORT He&rsquo;s a skilled, defensively responsible forward who is rugged and very driven. Rated ninth by Draft Preview, he slipped because of a concern over his skating. Time horizon: two years away. Key stat: 68 points, 121 PIMs<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0081-0353/10211685-1-eng-US/f0081-032.jpg" title="f0081-03" width="260" height="245"><figcaption class="caption-body">(SPORTS ACTION)</figcaption></div><h3>TOP 10 PROSPECTS</h3>Blue squares indicate projected sure-fire NHLers. Not included are 2003 draft picks. Age as of Oct. 1.1. Joffrey Lupul, C, 20, Medicine Hat (WHL)2. Ilja Bryzgalov, G, 23, Cincinnati (AHL)3. Mark Popovic, D, 20, Cincinnati (AHL)4. Tim Brent, C, 19, St. Michael&rsquo;s (OHL)5. Joel Perreault, C, 20, Baie Comeau (QMJHL)6. Igor Pohanka, C, 20, Prince Albert (WHL)7. Mikael Holmqvist, C, 24, TPS Turku (Fin.)8. Pierre Parenteau, C, 20, Sherbrooke (QMJHL)9. Jon Hedstrom, RW, 25, Cincinnati (AHL)10. Chris Kunitz, LW, 24, Ferris State (CCHA)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0081-0425/10211678-1-eng-US/f0081-042.jpg" title="f0081-04" width="951" height="3152"></div> &#9632;

f0078-01

Fedorov signals start of new era

<div class="byline">By Jeff Schultz</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0082-01107/10211849-1-eng-US/f0082-012.jpg" title="f0082-01" width="840" height="366"></div>There are two absolutes when it comes to five-year plans: 1) The team&rsquo;s management is afforded a chance to stand behind the &ldquo;We&rsquo;re building for the future&rdquo; excuse, should the first four seasons often border on disaster; and, 2) Eventually, Year 5 arrives.Time&rsquo;s up, Atlanta.Stocked with talented youth and a modest team payroll envied by other NHL GMs as collective bargaining Armageddon looms, the Thrashers enter 2003-04 with unprecedented confidence about reaching the playoffs for the first time.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0082-0332/10211842-1-eng-US/f0082-032.jpg" title="f0082-03" width="1239" height="1864"><figcaption class="caption-body">ILYA KOVALCHUK</figcaption></div>Coach Bob Hartley cautions that how the team finished last season guarantees nothing this year. But going 19-14-5-1 after Hartley took over Jan. 14 - including 9-4-1-1 down the stretch - certainly bodes we for the team&rsquo;s chances.&ldquo;There&rsquo;s no reason we can&rsquo;t compete for the playoffs,&rdquo; said GM Don Waddell. Earlier he had all but guaranteed a playoff berth, saying, &ldquo;We won&rsquo;t be in the (draft) lottery.&rdquo;Hartley, who replaced original Thrashers coach Curt Fraser, will run his first training camp with the team and has been given some latitude in personnel decisions by Waddell.Hartley was not fond of center prospect Mark Hartigan, so Waddell bought out the final year of his contract.Hartley will preach accountability and attempt to build confidence it&rsquo;s from the start of camp, for this is still largely a fragile team. Until goaltending prospect Kari Lehtonen is ready - expected he&rsquo;ll start the year in the American - League the team should be OK with Pasi Nurminen and Byron Dafoe. But both have something to prove.Perhaps Atlanta&rsquo;s most pressing concern, though, is its lack of a proven No. 1 or No. 2 performer on the blueline.Yet, by cutting loose veterans such as Tony Hrkac and Jeff Odgers, management signaled that it&rsquo;s confident the team&rsquo;s youth will deliver.&ldquo;Our best players are still our young offensive players,&rdquo; Waddell said. &ldquo;We just need to cut down on our goals-against again.&rdquo;And win.STRENGTHS With the re-signing of Kozlov to a three-year, $1 O-million deal, the Thrashers can form two solid forward lines with Dany Heatley, Ilya Kovalchuk, Marc Savard, Shawn McEachern and Patrik Stefan. The defense, at least on paper, looks more physical than at the outset of previous seasons, led by Andy Sutton, Garnet Exelby, Chris Tamer and newly acquired Ivan Majesky.Heatley quickly has evolved into one of the game&rsquo;s best all-around players and is a dangerous pointman on the power play.In general, the strength of the organization remains its youth. With another year of development behind them, many of the growing pains may finally be in the past.WEAKNESSES The defensive depth chart is fine at Nos. 3-through-7. The problems are at the top. The closest Atlanta comes to a top-shelf talent is Frantisek Kaberle, who is prone to emotional disappearing acts. The team believes Majesky, acquired from Florida, will help, but a D-man deemed expendable by the Panthers shouldn&rsquo;t be considered the missing ingredient. Another continuing concern is the center position. Savard clicked with Heatley as the No. 1 center, but Stefan&rsquo;s inconsistencies make him better suited as a third-liner. Hrkac and Hartigan were cut loose, meaning there&rsquo;s a big drop-off after Savard.In goal, the team has confidence in Nurminen and Dafoe. But the club was equally confident in Milan Hnilicka and Nurminen at the start of last year and that blew up quickly. Nurminen must prove he can carry over last year&rsquo;s late-season success into 2003-04.OFFENSE In Year 1, Heatley proved he could click with fellow rookie Kovalchuk. In Year 2, he proved he could click without him. Savard and Kozlov formed Heatley, one of the NHL&rsquo;s top lines. Now Hartley needs to find a center and winger who similarly can click with Kovalchuk. Stefan, who&rsquo;s a terrific passer, responsible defensively and improving on the faceoff, seems the natural choice. But his passion at the offensive end needs to be more consistent. McEachern is coming off lower abdominal surgery. Another top-six forward would enable the team to drop Stefan and/or McEachern to the third line.Center Kamil Piros is one of the organization&rsquo;s most skilled players, but has yet to show the desire or resolve to make it in the NHL. Finnish Tommi Santala also prospect is a possible keeper.DEFENSE The aren&rsquo;t in biggest changes personnel but structure. The team significantly improved play in its own zone after Hartley took it still lacked over, though consistency. Hartley added former NHL rearguard Brad McCrimmon to his coaching staff, which should help. But with the lack of a proven No. 1 or No. 2 defenseman, this blueline group remains a potentially fragile bunch, capable of going south on any given night.Sutton was a surprise standout last year until a mid-season ankle From Year injury. 1 to Year 4, no Thrasher improved more than Yannick Tremblay, who has added some weight and significantly cut down on mistakes and giveaways.BEHIND THE BENCH First and foremost, Hartley is a disciplinarian. His practices are structured, with little wasted time. He is quick to point out mistakes to players during games and a few players discovered how easy it is to benched for one to get several shifts. But there&rsquo;s a big difference between coaching on the fly and being allowed to run your own training camp. From September on, Hartley will preach defensive to forwards and accountability defensemen alike.&ldquo;There&rsquo;s not a situation he hasn&rsquo;t dealt with in his coaching career, so there&rsquo;s that Waddell said. respect factor from players,&rdquo; &ldquo;Everybody will know what&rsquo;s expected from Day 1. He won&rsquo;t cut corners.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0083-0197/10211835-1-eng-US/f0083-012.jpg" title="f0083-01" width="1144" height="1766"><figcaption class="caption-body">Young star Dany Heatley enters his third season as one of the NHL&rsquo;s best all-around forwards. (JIM MCISAAC/BBS)</figcaption></div>CHEMISTRY 101 The atmosphere in the dressing room has improved, but it&rsquo;s still not a strength when things go bad. Odgers, who was this team&rsquo;s best leader the past two years, was not re-signed. That hurts, on the ice with his toughness and off the ice with his ability to keep teammates loose. But Heatley took on a big leadership role last year and is joined by McEachern, Sutton, Tamer and others. McEachern was named captain midway through last season, but is coming off injuries.ROOKIES It won&rsquo;t be a year of impact rookies in the vintage of Heatley or Kovalchuk. Lehtonen, the second overall pick in the 2002 entry draft, will be by far the highest profile rookie in training camp, but almost certainly will start the season in Chicago (AHL). He may earn a mid-season or late-season call-up, depending on the success of Nurminen and Dafoe.On defense, Exelby played physically and under control in a short stint last season and should be a solid contributor. With a hole at center, there&rsquo;s an opening for one of two European prospects - the skilled but enigmatic Piros or Santala - to grab a roster spot.<h2>THEBOTTOMLINE</h2>Shoring up defensively and avoiding another disastrous start is crucial to Atlanta&rsquo;s playoff aspirations.PREDICTION12th in East<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0082-0258/10211828-1-eng-US/f0082-022.jpg" title="f0082-02" width="266" height="601"><figcaption class="caption-body">(JIM MCISAAC/BBS)</figcaption></div><h2>MIKE BROPHY&rsquo;S spotlight</h2>MARC SAVARD. CThis highly skilled center has the potential to be a 70- or 80-pointscorer for years, especially if he plays with wingers Ilya Kovalchuk and Dany Heatley. The question is, how much does he want it?<h2>ARRIVALS & DEPARTURES</h2>Off-season player movement affecting - Atlanta&rsquo;s roster includes:<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0083-0262/10211821-1-eng-US/f0083-022.jpg" title="f0083-02" width="255" height="144"></div>Zdenek Blatny, LWGarnet Exelby, DSimon Gamache, LWIvan Majesky, DKamil Piros, C Tommi Santala, C<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0083-0343/10211814-1-eng-US/f0083-032.jpg" title="f0083-03" width="252" height="140"></div>Lubos Bartecko, RWMark Hartigan, CChris Herperger, CTony Hrkac, C Slava Kozlov, LWUwe Krupp, D Jeff Odgers, RW Per Svartvadet, RW<h2>DEPTH CHART extra</h2><h3>TEAM GRADE C</h3>Team on the rise will still turn headsGM Don Waddell5th NHL year, 1st team (87-204-37)COACH Bob Hartley6th NHL 2nd year, team (212-134-53)*OT losses counted as losses<h3>GOALIES</h3>1. Pasi Nurminen2. Byron Dafoe3. Kari Lehtonen<h3>GRADE C</h3>Talent there, but uncertainty on all fronts<h3>DEFENSEMEN</h3>1. Frantisek Kaberle2. Andy Sutton3. Yannick Tremblay&nbsp;4. Daniel fjarnqvist5. Ivan Majesky&nbsp;6. Garnet Exelby&nbsp;7. Chris Tamer8. Kirill Safronov9. Kurtis Foster10. Joe DiPenta<h3>GRADE D+</h3>Sorely lacking in top-end skill, depth<h3>LEFT WINGERS</h3>1. Ilya Kovalchuk2. Slava Kozlov&nbsp;3. Jeff Cowan4. Simon Gamache&nbsp;5. Zdenek Blatny&nbsp;6. Yuri Butsayev<h3>CENTERS</h3>1. Marc Savard2. Patrik Stefan&nbsp;3. Kamil Piros4. Dan Snyder5. Tommi Santala&nbsp;6. Derek Mackenzie<h3>RIGHT WINGERS</h3>1. Dany Heatley2. Shawn McEachern&nbsp;3. Francis Lessard4. Brad Tapper5. J-P Vigier&nbsp;6. Anthony Aquino<h3>GRADE B</h3>No shortage of excitement&hellip;at both ends<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0084-01100/10211807-1-eng-US/f0084-012.jpg" title="f0084-01" width="2650" height="2480"></div><h2>The Hockey News GOALIE ZONE</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0085-0196/10211800-1-eng-US/f0085-012.jpg" title="f0085-01" width="1564" height="1836"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0085-0259/10211793-1-eng-US/f0085-022.jpg" title="f0085-02" width="1507" height="715"></div><h2>FUTURE WATCH</h2>Here are Atlanta&rsquo;s first draft pick in 2003 and top 10 prospects, with age, position and 2002-03 team.<h3>2003 TOP PICK</h3>BRAYDON COBURNPOSITION DefensemanSELECTED 8th overallCLUB Portland (WHL)SCOUTING REPORT The most well-rounded defenseman in the draft, he&rsquo;s quick, solid defensively and agile with the puck. He also displays good leadership skills. Time horizon: one year away. Key stat: 147 PIMs in 53 games.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0085-0338/10211786-1-eng-US/f0085-032.jpg" title="f0085-03" width="246" height="272"><figcaption class="caption-body">(JIM MCISAAC/BBS)</figcaption></div><h3>TOP 10 PROSPECTS</h3>Blue squares indicate projected sure-fire NHLers. Not included are 2003 draft picks. Age as of Oct. 1.1. Kari Lehtonen, G, 19, Jokerit (Fin.)2. Jim Slater, C, 20, Michigan State (CCHA)&nbsp;3. Garnet Exelby, D, 22, Chicago (AHL)4. Kirill Safronov, D, 22, Chicago (AHL)5. Libor Ustrnul, D, 21, Chicago (AHL)&nbsp;6. Tommi Santala, C, 24, HPK (Fin.)7. Kamil Piros, C, 24, Chicago (AHL)&nbsp;8. Kurtis Foster, D, 21, Chicago (AHL)9. Simon Gamache, C, 22, Chicago (AHL)&nbsp;10. Derek MacKenzie, C, 21, Chicago (AHL)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0085-0422/10211779-1-eng-US/f0085-042.jpg" title="f0085-04" width="979" height="3449"></div> &#9632;

f0082-01

Post-season drive legit in Year 5

<div class="byline">By Mike Loftus</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0086-01104/10211950-1-eng-US/f0086-012.jpg" title="f0086-01" width="825" height="358"></div>It&rsquo;s to getting the point where a local office-supply outlet could create a preferred-customer lane, reserved for the latest Boston Bruins coach who needs pens, pencils, markers and, most of all, a new drawing board.Back in 2000-01, Boston started with Pat Burns and finished with Mike Keenan. The next year started with Robbie Ftorek, who just before Christmas last season seemed like he could put a lock on his desk drawer. His up-tempo Bruins, surprise first-place finishers in the Eastern Conference in 2001-02 before a disappointing first round loss to Montreal, rebounded to post the NHL&rsquo;s best record (19-4-3-1) through the first third of last season.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0086-0256/10211943-1-eng-US/f0086-022.jpg" title="f0086-02" width="924" height="2162"><figcaption class="caption-body">BRIAN ROLSTON</figcaption></div>But the B&rsquo;s didn&rsquo;t just take a step back from there; they completely fell through the hole created by the departures of power forward Bill Guerin, No. 1 goalie Byron Dafoe and defenseman Kyle McLaren; insufficient defense and goaltending; and finally, some questionable moves by Ftorek that led to his firing nine games before a first round loss to Burns&rsquo;s eventual Stanley Cup champs from New Jersey.Boston GM Mike O&rsquo;Connell, who couldn&rsquo;t quite trade the Bruins out of their free-fall, couldn&rsquo;t coach them out of it, either. His interim stint on the bench, however, was enough to convince him Boston had the talent to produce better results.Working beside Mike Sullivan - who was promoted from his first-year coaching assignment at Providence of the American League - was also enough to convince O&rsquo;Connell he had his latest coaching experiment right under his nose. Sullivan was hired in June to be the B&rsquo;s fifth coach in three years.Sullivan will be met with some of the same challenges Ftorek faced, starting with uncertain goaltending. He also wants to tighten up team defense, which would in theory improve the Bruins&rsquo; transition game and increase the number of offensive chances.On the bright side, left winger Sergei Samsonov, limited by wrist surgery to eight regular season games and six in the playoffs, should be back in top offensive form. The problem up front is depth down the middle after the Bruins traded No. 2 center Jozef Stumpel to Los Angeles in a salary clearing move.STRENGTHS Even with Stumpel gone, the B&rsquo;s do have two top-tier pivots in 100-point scorer Joe Thornton and two-way threat Brian Rolston. They can skate between wingers such as Samsonov, two time 40-goal scorer Glen Murray and Mike Knuble, who filled in for Samsonov last season and turned the opportunity into30 goals. Sullivan may decide to keep Rolston on the third line with longtime linemate P.J. Axelsson, who is probably Boston&rsquo;s best defensive forward and had a career-high 17 goals alongside Rolston last year. If so, a young or new No. 2 center should still have at least one solid scorer on the wing in Knuble.Boston&rsquo;s blueline is better than it was a year ago, with Dan McGillis added last March to join Hal Gill, Nick Boynton and Sean O&rsquo;Donnell among the top-four.WEAKNESSES Boston&rsquo;s goaltending situation is even more uncertain than it was a year ago, when Dafoe was replaced after four seasons as the No. 1 by a Shields-John Grahame combination. The rotation worked at the start of the year, but as Ftorek began to lean more toward Grahame, both goalies fell off. Grahame was eventually traded to Tampa Bay and the B&rsquo;s acquired Jeff Hackett to fill the gap, but Hackett left for Philadelphia as a free agent this summer.Barring a trade, the Bruins are prepared to give Shields and Andrew Raycroft, who comes off two solid AHL seasons, a chance to compete for and/or share playing time.OFFENSE Should Sullivan throw his best eggs in one basket, a Samsonov-Thornton-injury limited him to games last year. Murray combination would be among the NHL&rsquo;s most potent lines. There&rsquo;s much to be said for keeping Rolston (58 goals over the past two seasons) and Axelsson together, too, as they form a speedy checking duo that can score. The keys are finding a center who will keep Knuble at or close to last year&rsquo;s pace, plus getting more from veterar forwards such as Martin Lapointe (eight goals, minus-19 in 59 games), Rob Zamuner (10 goals, 16 points in 55 games and Marty McInnis (nine goals, 19 points in 77 games). Injuries were a factor, but that trio also fell out of favor with Ftorek. The Bruins need more from all three to take some pressure off Thornton&rsquo;s line.DEFENSE The addition of McGillis should stabilize the back end, make it a bit more physical and perhaps slightly more productive. He&rsquo;ll join Gill (plus-21 last season), O&rsquo;Donnell and Boynton (both plus-8) to form a solid core that should play well in its own zone.Bereft of offense from defensemen in 2001-02, the Bruins signed Bryan Berard and promoted Jonathan Girard last year, to mixed results. Berard scored 10 goals and 38 points, but often looked lost on defense - especially when paired with Girard, whose own-zone game still needs work. Partnered properly, Boston hopes for more consistent performances from its two most skilled defenders. (Girard injured his pelvis in a July car accident. The injury didn&rsquo;t appear serious enough to threaten his career, though he may be slow to return in 2003-04).BEHIND THE BENCH Sullivan turned limited skills and size into an 11-year NHL career as a checking forward because he knew the game and was fanatical about preparation. He brought those attributes to Providence, where he led the baby Bruins to a 41-17-9-4 record and, perhaps just as importantly, made virtually every player feel part of the process-something which by all accounts was not Ftorek&rsquo;s strong suit.Strategy-wise, Sullivan will lean toward the logical in his first season: the Bruins ranked 25th in the NHL in goals-against average (2.85) and he has promised to emphasize defensive responsibility.CHEMISTRY 101 One of O&rsquo;Connell&rsquo;s most telling post-playoff comments was his belief that the Bruins were &ldquo;almost too close&rdquo; and &ldquo;couldn&rsquo;t call a spade a spade&rdquo; - in other words, they like each other so much they&rsquo;d try to cover for each other rather than hold each other accountable It&rsquo;s believed they missed Guerin in that respect as much as in any other.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0087-0191/10211936-1-eng-US/f0087-012.jpg" title="f0087-01" width="1181" height="1750"><figcaption class="caption-body">Dynamic wingei Sergei Samsonov is raring to go after a wrist just eight (SPORTS ACTION)</figcaption></div> Thornton, entering his second year as captain, prefers to lead by example, but a sharp word here and there probably would have considerable impact. Boston has plenty of character and leadership qualities in former captains and alternates such as Lapointe and Zamuner, but their diminished roles last year may have negated their impact in the dressing room.&nbsp;ROOKIES Raycroft has played 21 NHL games over three pro seasons, but 15 came in his rookie year when he was thrown in over his head. Two strong AHL seasons later, he&rsquo;ll get a shot at regular playing time.Center Andy Hilbert, meanwhile, may get his first real shot in Boston. He has delivered two productive seasons at Providence - including at 35 goals and 70 points in 64 games last season - and with Boston in need of a scoring center, he&rsquo;s the most likely youngster to get a lengthy look.If there&rsquo;s a question about either player, it&rsquo;s how well they&rsquo;ll handle the NHL grind. Raycroft is 6-feet, but a slight 174 pounds; Hilbert stands 5-foot-ll and weighs 190.<h2>THEBOTTOMLINE</h2>With goaltending a question mark, better &lsquo;D&rsquo; and improved consistency are keys to keeping the B&rsquo;s in the playoffs.PREDICTION7th in East<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0086-0332/10211929-1-eng-US/f0086-032.jpg" title="f0086-03" width="264" height="609"><figcaption class="caption-body">(SPORTS ACTION)</figcaption></div><h2>MIKE BROPHY&rsquo;S spotlight</h2>&nbsp;MIKE KNUBLE, LWExpectations are higher than ever for Knuble after a breakout 30-goal year that doubled his previous single-season high. With Sergei Samsonov on the injured list, Knuble&rsquo;s emergence came at the right time.<h2>ARRIVALS & DEPARTURES</h2>Off-season player movement affecting Boston&rsquo;s roster includes:<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0087-0250/10211922-1-eng-US/f0087-022.jpg" title="f0087-02" width="259" height="144"></div> Ted Donato, LWAndy Hilbert, CJeff Jillson, DAndrew Raycroft, GM. Samuelsson, RW<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0087-0335/10211915-1-eng-US/f0087-032.jpg" title="f0087-03" width="255" height="144"></div>Sean Brown, LW/DLee Goren, RWJeff Hackett, G Ian Moran, DJozef Stumpel, CDon Sweeney, D<h2>DEPTH CHART extra</h2><h3>TEAM GRADE B-</h3>Over-reliance on top line could hurtGM Mike O'Connell4th NHL year, 1st team (111-99-24)COACH Mike Sullivan 1st NHL year, 1st team (0-0-0)&nbsp;*OT losses counted as losses<h3>GOALIES</h3>1. Steve Shields2. Andrew Raycroft3. Hannu Toivonen<h3>GRADE D+</h3>Paltry evidence of NHL success in past<h3>DEFENSEMEN</h3>1. Hal Gill2. Nick Boynton3. Dan McGillis4. Sean O'Donnell5. Bryan Berard6. Jonathan Girard7. Jeff Jillson8. Shaone Morrisonn9. Rich Brennan10. Zdenek Kutlak<h3>GRADE B-</h3>Jillson&rsquo;s potential remains encouraging<h3>LEFT WINGERS</h3>1. Sergei Samsonov2. P-J Axelsson3. Rob Zamuner4. Ivan Huml5. Ted Donato6. Kris Vernarsky<h3>CENTERS</h3>1. Joe Thornton2. Brian Rolston3. Andy Hilbert4. P.J. Stock5. Matt Herr6. Sergei Zinovjev<h3>RIGHT WINGERS</h3>1. Glen Murray2. Mike Knuble3. Martin Lapointe4. Marty McInnis5. Michal Grosek6. Martin Samuelsson<h3>GRADE B</h3>Depth a concern, but Thornton dominant<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0088-01109/10211908-1-eng-US/f0088-012.jpg" title="f0088-01" width="2673" height="2496"></div><h2>The Hockey News GOALIE ZONE</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0089-0196/10211901-1-eng-US/f0089-012.jpg" title="f0089-01" width="1579" height="1888"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0089-0258/10211894-1-eng-US/f0089-022.jpg" title="f0089-02" width="1528" height="716"></div><h2>FUTURE WATCH</h2>&nbsp;Here are Boston&rsquo;s first draft pick in 2003 and top 10 prospects, with age, position and 2002-03<h3>2003 TOP PICK</h3>MARK STUARTPOSITION DefensemanSELECTED 21st overallCLUB Colorado Col. (WCHA)&nbsp;SCOUTING REPORT strong, steady, He&rsquo;s has a mean streak and excels 1-on-1. Going into his second college season, Stuart is not flashy, but he clears the defensive zone well. Time horizon: two years away. Key stat: 81 PIMs in 38 games.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0089-0339/10211887-1-eng-US/f0089-032.jpg" title="f0089-03" width="263" height="263"><figcaption class="caption-body">(BRUCE BENNETT/BBS)</figcaption></div><h3>TOP 10 PROSPECTS</h3>Blue indicate squares projected sure-fire NHLers. Not included are 2003 draft picks. Age as of Oct. 1.1. Shaone Morrisonn, 0, 20, Providence (AHL)2. Ivan Huml, LW, 22, Providence (AHL)3. Andy Hilbert, C, 22, Providence (AHL)4. Andrew Raycroft, G, 23, Providence (AHL)5. Martin Samuelsson, RW, 21, Providence (AHL)&nbsp;6. Hannu Toivonen, G, 19,HPK (Fin.)7. Lars Jonsson, D, 21, Leksand (Swe.)&nbsp;8. Vladislav Evseev, LW, 19, Dynamo (Rus.)&nbsp;9. Sergei Zinovjev, RW, 23, Ak Bars (Rus.)&nbsp;10. Milan Jurcina, D, 20, Halifax (QMJHL)<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0089-0421/10211880-1-eng-US/f0089-042.jpg" title="f0089-04" width="1094" height="3426"></div> &#9632;

f0086-01

Big battle ahead just to keep pace

<div class="byline">By Bucky Gleason</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0090-01103/10212051-1-eng-US/f0090-012.jpg" title="f0090-01" width="848" height="362"></div>Sabres GM Darcy Regier knows he has two choices for the upcoming season. He can guide his team into the playoffs or start looking fora new job. Atleast that was message handed down from new owner Tom Golisano and managing partner Larry Quinn when they announced Regier&rsquo;s return.Regier embraced the orders from up top because, even with the playoffs-or-pinkslip approach, at least now he has a sense of direction. Last year, the Sabres were in survival mode after previous owner John Rigas and two of his sons were led away in handcuffs and charged in connection with the Adelphia Communications scandal.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0090-0255/10212044-1-eng-US/f0090-022.jpg" title="f0090-02" width="1275" height="1904"><figcaption class="caption-body">MIROSLAV SATAN</figcaption></div>The arrests left Regier feeling like he was handcuffed.With the Rigas money no longer available and the league overseeing operations, Regier was limited in what he could accomplish. Some believe he could have helped team finances by unloading overpaid players, but the fact is the organization remained mostly stagnant.Things will be different this year.Already, the Sabres have addressed glaring needs. The significant acquisition was center Chris Drury from Calgary in what amounted to a three-team deal. The Sabres also obtained fourth-liner Steve Begin in the trade, while sending defenseman Rhett Warrener to Calgary and 2002 first-rounder Keith Ballard (11th overall), another blueliner, to Colorado.An earlier off-season move saw the Sabres acquire hard-shooting blueliner Andy Delmore from Nashville. Delmore struggles in his own end, but tied Washington&rsquo;s Sergei Gonchar and Detroit&rsquo;s Nicklas Lidstrom for the lead in defenseman goals with 18.Drury, who is expected to be the Sabres&rsquo; best all around center since they dealt Michael Peca to the Islanders, and Delmore give them experience and leadership, and Buffalo didn&rsquo;t break the bank for either. The biggest beneficiary will be Miroslav Satan, who has led Buffalo in scoring six straight years despite never having a teammate record 40 or more assists.The 28-year-old Drury, who twice had 40-plus assist seasons in Colorado, should be effective playing between Satan and Ales Kotalik, who had a productive rookie campaign with 21 goals in 68 games.STRENGTHS For all their problems last year, the Sabres had a good, strong defense that should only get better with more experience. Only five teams in the East allowed fewer goals (219) than Buffalo last season despite mediocre goaltending. Alexei Zhitnik gets the most minutes (26:32 in 2002-03), but he and his $3.75-million salary could be on the trading block.Still, the Sabres have quality D-men in Dmitri Kalinin, who came on strong, and veteran Jay McKee, who struggled last year.Youngsters Henrik Tallinder and Brian Campbell emerged as legit NHLers and Rory Fitzpatrick was underrated. Coach Lindy Ruff will address Delmore&rsquo;s defensive deficiencies 39-year-old James Patrick is a leader and is always reliable.WEAKNESSES The Sabres skated into last season believing goaltending would be a strength, with Martin Biron entering his second full campaign as the No. 1 and rookie Ryan Miller developing in Rochester of the American League. But Biron and backup Mika Noronen struggled for half the season and were inconsistent at best. Miller played well at times before being sent back to the AHL for more seasoning.More than anything, Biron needs to improve his work ethic and practice habits, both of which he failed to pick while up playing behind the tireless Dominik Hasek.Suffice to say, the three-headed goalie system did not work.OFFENSE Only five teams in the league managed to score fewer goals than the Sabres last season (190) and there is little reason to suggest they will be much better in 2003-04. Other than Satan, they haven&rsquo;t had a 30-goal scorer since Pat LaFontaine tallied 40 in 1995-96.Kotalik and Daniel Briere are both capable, but now they have to prove they can do it consistently. Delmore should help because he has a good, accurate blast from the point that, even when it is stopped, will create rebounds for his teammates. After back-to-back 23-goal seasons, J-P Dumont slipped to 14. Buffalo had only eight players with 10 or more goals. That&rsquo;s not nearly enough.DEFENSE For years the Sabres have had a defense-first mentality, mainly because they couldn&rsquo;t afford high scorers. Ruff remains adamant that his players stick to his system and play both ends of the rink. It&rsquo;s one reason he wanted to keep Stu Barnes before his captain was traded to Dallas late last season. Curtis Brown is among the team&rsquo;s better defensive forwards is - which one reason his productivity has fallen off - and he should be better in that role as the No. 3 center.Buffalo has a sound corps of defensemen, but the club faces a big burden with so little pressure being created on the offensive side of the puck.BEHIND THE BENCH Ruff enters his seventh season with a new three-year contract. He, too, could be in trouble if the Sabres miss the playoffs for a third straight year.Ruff already owns team records for regular season (216) and playoff (32) victories, but he has also suffered the most losses of any coach in club history (205). He will be coaching better players this season, especially up the middle.The key for Ruff will be to remain patient with his line combinations. He&rsquo;s quick to make adjustments, but the last two years the constant juggling has just led to more struggling. Ruff wants more offense and better goaltending. The new-comers will need time before adjusting to their teammates.CHEMISTRY 101 Think oil and water. Last year, the Sabres&rsquo; core group had problems team dinners with so organizing many players going in different directions. It started coming together late in the season once Chris Gratton was traded for Briere. Briere&rsquo;s line, between Dumont and Jochen Hecht, was the team&rsquo;s most effective down the stretch. Still, the Sabres enter this season without clear-cut leadership. Barnes, Warrener and Rob Ray, the three loudest voices in the dressing room, are gone. Drury, an intense individual with a knack for big goals, has been considered captain material for years and he just might become one in Buffalo.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0091-0185/10212037-1-eng-US/f0091-012.jpg" title="f0091-01" width="1143" height="1736"><figcaption class="caption-body">Daniel Briere scored seven goals in 14 games after joining the Sabres at the trade deadline. (JIM MCISAAC/BBS)</figcaption></div>The Sabres are desperate for players who are committed to which often winning, solves many problems.ROOKIES The Sabres are anxious to see whether center Derek Roy can play his way onto the team in training camp. He was the most valuable player in the Ontario League playoffs and the Memorial Cup last season. The Sabres considered him with keeping the big team following training camp last year, but ultimately decided he would benefit from another season of junior in Kitchener. Roy will get a long look this year.Left winger Thomas Vanek, the fifth overall pick last June, was considering whether he should turn professional or return to the University of Minnesota, which he led to its second straight NCAA title last season.Vanek is considered by many to be the player from the 2003draft who is most prepared to make the jump directly to the NHL.<h2>THEBOTTOMLINE</h2>Four years removed from a berth in the final, Buffalo is hoping simply to make the playoffs. More scoring is big challenge.PREDICTION&nbsp;10th in East<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0090-0330/10212030-1-eng-US/f0090-032.jpg" title="f0090-03" width="260" height="629"><figcaption class="caption-body">(JIM MCISAAC/BBS)</figcaption></div><h2>MIKE BROPHYS spotlight</h2>CURTIS BROWN. CWhen he scored 22 goals and 51 points in 74 games back in 1999-2000, it looked like Brown might develop into a two-way force. That hasn't happened, but four of his 15 goals last year were game-winners.<h2>ARRIVALS & DEPARTURES</h2>Off-season player movement affecting Buffalo&rsquo;s roster includes:<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0091-0250/10212023-1-eng-US/f0091-022.jpg" title="f0091-02" width="251" height="139"></div>Steve Begin, CJoel Bouchard, DAndy Delmore, DChris Drury, CDerek Roy, C<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0091-0335/10212016-1-eng-US/f0091-032.jpg" title="f0091-03" width="251" height="129"></div>Denis Hamel, LWLadislav Heel, DRhett Warrener, D<h2>DEPTH CHART extra</h2><h3>TEAM GRADE C+</h3>Lack of size, scoring hurts chancesGM Darcy Regier7th NHL year, 1st team (216-205-71)&nbsp;COACH Lindy Ruff 7th NHL year, 1st team (216-205-71)*OT losses counted as losses<h3>GOALIES</h3>1. Martin Biron2. Mika Noronen3. Ryan Miller<h3>GRADE B</h3>Any of three could end year as No. 1 man<h3>DEFENSEMEN</h3>1. Alexei Zhitnik2. Jay McKee3. Dmitri Kalinin4. Henrik Tallinder5. Andy Delmore6. Brian Campbell7. Rory Fitzpatrick8. James Patrick9. Joel Bouchard10. Doug Janik<h3>GRADE C+</h3>Like it or not, youth will be served<h3>LEFT WINGERS</h3>1. Ales Kotalik2. Jochen Hecht&nbsp;3. Taylor Pyatt4. Eric Boulton5. Jason Botterill6. Paul Gaustad<h3>CENTERS</h3>1. Chris Drury2. Daniel Briere&nbsp;3. Curtis Brown&nbsp;4. Tim Connolly5. Derek Roy6. Steve Begin<h3>RIGHT WINGERS</h3>1. Miroslav Satan2. J-P Dumont3. Maxim Afinogenov4. Adam Mair5. Jaroslav Kristek6. Norm Milley<h3>GRADE C+</h3>Drury and Satan and not much more<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0092-01104/10212009-1-eng-US/f0092-012.jpg" title="f0092-01" width="2594" height="2496"></div><h2>The Hockey News GOALIE ZONE</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0093-0188/10212002-1-eng-US/f0093-012.jpg" title="f0093-01" width="1578" height="1904"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0093-0251/10211995-1-eng-US/f0093-022.jpg" title="f0093-02" width="1562" height="729"></div><h2>FUTURE WATCH</h2>Here are Buffalo&rsquo;s first draft pick in 2003 and top 10 prospects, with age, position and 2002-03 team.<h3>2003 TOP PICK</h3>THOMAS VANEKPOSITION Left wingerSELECTED 5th overallCLUB Minnesota (WCHA)&nbsp;SCOUTING REPORT A natural goal-scorer who loves to play in the clutch, Vanek will challenge for an NHL job this autumn. The Austrian has a heavy shot and a quick release. Time horizon: this season or 2004-05. Key stat: 31 goals in 45 games.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0093-0324/10211988-1-eng-US/f0093-032.jpg" title="f0093-03" width="257" height="257"><figcaption class="caption-body">(JIM MCISAAC/BBS)</figcaption></div><h3>TOP 10 PROSPECTS</h3>Blue squares indicate projected sure-fire NHLers. included are 2003 draft picks. Age as of Oct. 1. Not1. Ryan Miller, G, 23, Rochester (AHL)2. Derek Roy, C, 20, Kitchener (OHL)3. Dan Paille, LW, 19, Guelph (OHL)4. Jakub Klepis, C, 19, Slavia Prague (Cze.)&nbsp;5. Mike Ryan, C, 23, Northeastern (HE)6. Nathan Paetsch, D, 20, Moose Jaw (WHL)7. Jiri Novotny, C, 20, Rochester (AHL)8. Paul Gaustad, C, 21, Rochester (AHL)9. Doug Janik, D, 23, Rochester (AHL)10. Jason Pominville, RW, 20, Rochester (AHL)<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0093-049/10211981-1-eng-US/f0093-042.jpg" title="f0093-04" width="1032" height="3474"></div> &#9632;

f0090-01

New ownership means new goals

<div class="byline">By Eric Duhatschek</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0094-0195/10212152-1-eng-US/f0094-012.jpg" title="f0094-01" width="832" height="395"></div>A decade ago, they were one of the NHL&rsquo;s model franchises. They were a consistent winner, year in, year out, and a Stanley Cup champion once, in 1989.But more recently, most of the distinctions earned by the Calgary Flames fall into the dubious category. After the Tampa Bay Lightning made the playoffs last spring, the Flames took over the longest active non-playoff streak in the NHL - seven years. Every time it looks as if Calgary is moving forward, something else goes wrong.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0094-0240/10212145-1-eng-US/f0094-022.jpg" title="f0094-02" width="1124" height="2033"><figcaption class="caption-body">JAROME IGINLA</figcaption></div>One year, the problem is goaltending, the next, it&rsquo;s a lack of consistent scoring. Mostly though, the organization lacks stability. The Flames cleaned out the hockey department again between December and May last season and now the man with the plan is Darryl Sutter, a freshman GM, but a veteran coach, making the Flames one of the few NHL teams to entrust those two pivotal jobs to one man.Sutter learned a lot about the team after taking over as coach Dec. 28, or 36 games into the season, replacing Greg Gilbert spot. who&rsquo;d been fired some four weeks previous. In the final46 games of the season, the Flames were are spectable 19-18-8-1.&ldquo;When it&rsquo;s all said and done, for this to be a playoff team, you need to be in the top 10 in goals against and the top half in goals for,&rdquo; Sutter said. &ldquo;Simple really. So we have to go from 25th in goals for to the top 15.&rdquo; Is that achievable?According to Sutter, it is if they can score more goals by committee.&ldquo;It doesn&rsquo;t sound like much, but a quarter of a goal per game is 20 more goals,&rdquo; Sutter said. &ldquo;When you break it down, it means a guy who scored six goals last year needs to score 10thisyear and someone who scored 10 has to go to 15. You can&rsquo;t expect the 10-goal guy to 25 go because then if he doesn&rsquo;t, he feels like he didn&rsquo;t help you.&rdquo;This is good in theory, but it begs the question: were there players capable of scoring more who held back last season?STRENGTHS Jarome Iginla, the 2001-02 scoring champion, escaped off-season surgery to repair a sports hernia and is determined to rediscover the form that saw him produce 51 goals two years ago. Iginla was a dominant player in the second half of last season, scoring 20 goals in 20 games during one stretch.An emerging defense corps led by Robyn Regehr and Jordan Leopold took huge strides over the final third of the season. Those two blueliners in particular made great progress in the season&rsquo;s latter stages and showed glimpses of a real consistency so rare among young players.Having an improved home record would also be a huge bonus, only because it can hardly get worse. Unbelievably, the Flames won just twice at home before Christmas, but were much better after Sutter took over. The Flames were OK on the road, but 14-16-10-1 at home doesn&rsquo;t get you into the playoffs.WEAKNESSES Inconsistent goaltending hurt the Flames last season. It wasn&rsquo;t so much that Roman Turek&rsquo;s numbers were awful (his 2.57 goals-against average was a shade better than Edmonton&rsquo;s Tommy Salo and the Oilers made the playoffs), he just gave up too many goals early and at critical times in the game. After trading away defenseman Derek Morris, Calgary couldn&rsquo;t settle on a power play quarterback. Leopold will ultimately fill that role, but the changing cast on the power play left them unproductive with the man advantage (12.1 per cent, 29th in the NHL).If the Flames are to make the playoffs, they will require secondary scoring. They received virtually no offense from the third and fourth lines, but the more than goals last season. return of Dean McAmmond and the presence of Shean Donovan will provide more balance.OFFENSE The fact only Iginla, Craig Conroy, Martin Gelinas and the since-traded Chris Drury scored morethan10 goals last season illustrates the weakness of the team&rsquo;s scoring punch. Iginla is far their by best player, scoring 35 in an goals off-year.Steve Reinprecht steps into Drury&rsquo;s spot and the hope is he can provide as much offensive as consistency the player he replaces. Drury occasionally made the highlight reels with spectacular 1-on-1 plays and never got the Flames in trouble defensively, but often went games without generating any real chances. It is scoring hoped McAmmond&rsquo;s return after a one-year exile in Colorado will add depth to the top two lines.DEFENSE Even without Morris, the back end remains respectable.Regehr is the clear No. 1 defender after rebounding from a horrible year two seasons ago. Leopold, the2002 Hobey Baker winner, came on strong after a slow start.Rhett Warrener is a steady player who has made two to the final trips (with Florida and Buffalo) in his career. Toni Lydman has been bumped down on the depth chart, but that&rsquo;s OK he&rsquo;s an excellent skater and a smart player who sometimes overhandled the puck, perhaps because he was getting too much ice time.Denis Gauthier will continue to make life miserable for anyone who dares to venture near the Calgary crease and Andrew Ference provides an element of mobility.BEHIND THE BENCH In Sutter, the Flames boast a coach who is an absolutely clear communicator.Example: following last season, he spent four hours meeting with Turek, outlining what was expected of him and getting Turek&rsquo;s version of what went wrong last year.Iginla, too, had the benefit of a lengthy 1-on-1 chitchat.Sutter prefers experienced players who play with an edge and make coming into your building a miserable experience. The faint of heart need not apply - or expect to go very far or last very long.CHEMISTRY 101 Conroy, the captain, is a vocal and well-spoken leader and is always available to the media, win or lose.Conroy takes a mostly upbeat outlook on life and that positive energy travels throughout the dressing room. He is ably assisted by Iginla who, thus far, has not been beaten down by year after of losing and continues to insist he is in it for year the long haul, trying to turn the Flames help into a playoff contender, regardless of how long the seemingly impossible takes.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0095-0191/10212138-1-eng-US/f0095-012.jpg" title="f0095-01" width="1131" height="1718"><figcaption class="caption-body">Craig Conroy is one of just three returning Flames to score 10 He had 23. (DALE MACMILLAN/BBS)</figcaption></div>ROOKIES Chuck Kobasew Right winger started last year in Calgary, but was clearly not ready for the day-to-day NHL grind and finished up in the American League with Saint John where he had a respectable professional debut.The Flames are crossing their fingers the transition goes smoother the second time around and that Kobasew - who actually made the team in 2001-02 in training camp, but was unable to come to a contract agreement - can contribute consistently on offense.Kobasew scored 41 goals in 55 Western League games with Kelowna two years ago.The only other rookie with a realistic chance of on catching is Blair Betts, who will be given the opportunity to win the No. 4 center job. If he falters, then highly regarded Matthew Lombardi&rsquo;s chance increases exponentially.<h2>THEBOTTOMLINE</h2>If Jarome Iginla bounces back and Jupiter aligns with Mars, Calgary has an outside shot at a playoff spot.&nbsp;PREDICTION12th in West<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0094-0325/10212131-1-eng-US/f0094-032.jpg" title="f0094-03" width="259" height="647"><figcaption class="caption-body">(SPORTS ACTION)</figcaption></div><h2>MIKE BROPHY&rsquo;S spotlight</h2>JORDAN LEOPOLD, DThe 2002 Hobey Baker Award winner vastly improved after a mid-season stint in the American League. He has the potential to be more of an offensive force than his four goals and 14 points indicate. The power play is his time to shine.<h2>ARRIVALS & DEPARTURES</h2>Off-season player movement affecting Calgary&rsquo;s roster includes:<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0095-0247/10212124-1-eng-US/f0095-022.jpg" title="f0095-02" width="252" height="133"></div>Blair Betts, CMatt Davidson, RWRobert Dome, LWJosh Green, RW Chuck Kobasew, RWMatthew Lombardi, C Steve Reinprecht, CRhett Warrener, D<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0095-0334/10212117-1-eng-US/f0095-032.jpg" title="f0095-03" width="251" height="136"></div>Steve Begin, CCraig Berube, LW Bob Boughner, DChris Drury, CDave Lowry, LWScott Nichol, CBlake Sloan, RW<h2>DEPTH CHART extra</h2><h3>TEAM GRADE C</h3>Getting better, but still not playoff boundGM Darryl Sutter 1st NHL year, 1st team (0-0-0-0)COACH Darryl Sutter 10th NHL year, 3rd team (321-288-94)*OT losses counted as losses<h3>GOALIES</h3>1. Roman Turek2. Jamie McLennan3. Dany Sabourin<h3>GRADE C+</h3>Flames need Turek to steal games for them<h3>DEFENSEMEN</h3>1. Robyn Regehr2. Rhett Warrener3. Jordan Leopold4. Toni Lydman5. Denis Gauthier6. Andrew Ference7. Steve Montador8. Mike Commodore9. Petr Buzek10. Rick Mrozik<h3>GRADE B</h3>Getting veteran Warrener a huge boost<h3>LEFT WINGERS</h3>1. Martin Gelinas2. Dean McAmmond3. Oleg Saprykin4. Martin Sonnenberg 5. Robert Dome6. Darcy Verot<h3>CENTERS</h3>1. Craig Conroy2. Steve Reinprecht3. Stephane Yelle 4. Blair Betts5. Matthew Lombardi6. Jason Morgan<h3>RIGHT WINGERS</h3>1. Jarome Iginla2 Chris Clark3. Chuck Kobasew4. Shean Donovan5. Josh Green6. Matt Davidson<h3>GRADE C</h3>Pressure once again on Iginla to lead the way<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0096-01107/10212110-1-eng-US/f0096-012.jpg" title="f0096-01" width="2614" height="2504"></div><h2>The Hockey News GOALIE ZONE</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0097-01102/10212103-1-eng-US/f0097-012.jpg" title="f0097-01" width="1556" height="1856"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0097-0265/10212096-1-eng-US/f0097-022.jpg" title="f0097-02" width="1512" height="710"></div><h2>FUTURE WATCH</h2>&nbsp;Here are Calgary&rsquo;s first draft pick in 2003 and top 10 prospects, with age, position and 2002-03 team.<h3>2003 TOP PICK</h3>DION PHANEUFPOSITION DefensemanSELECTED 9th overall&nbsp;CLUB Red Deer (WHL)SCOUTING REPORT A rough-and-tumble defender who loves to get involved, Phaneuf also has a hard shot, moves the puck well and is ultra-competitive. Time horizon: one or two years away. Key stat: 195 PIMs in 71 games.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0097-0340/10212089-1-eng-US/f0097-032.jpg" title="f0097-03" width="254" height="256"><figcaption class="caption-body">(SPORTS ACTION PHOTOGRAPHY)</figcaption></div><h3>TOP 10 PROSPECTS</h3>Blue squares indicate projected sure-fire NHLers. Not included are 2003 draft picks. Age as of Oct. 1.1. Chuck Kobasew, RW, 21, Saint John (AHL)2. Eric Nystrom, LW, 20, Michigan (CCHA)3. Andrei Taratukhin, C, 20, Omsk (Rus.)&nbsp;4. Blair Betts, C, 23, Saint John (AHL)5. Matt Lombardi, C, 21, Saint John (AHL)6. Yuri Trubachev, C, 20, Cherepovets (Rus.)7. Mike Commodore, D, 23, Saint John (AHL)&nbsp;8. Andrei Medvedev, G, 20, Spartak (Rus.)&nbsp;9. Ruslan Zainullin, RW, 21, Kaz/Niz (Rus.)&nbsp;10. Tomi Maki, RW, 20, Jokerit (Fin.)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0097-0414/10212082-1-eng-US/f0097-042.jpg" title="f0097-04" width="980" height="3442"></div> &#9632;

f0094-01

Sutter plan simple: Score more goals

<div class="byline">By Luke DeCock</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0098-01122/10212253-1-eng-US/f0098-012.jpg" title="f0098-01" width="820" height="355"></div>The hockey fans of North Carolina learned all about winning two seasons ago when the Hurricanes made it to the Stanley Cup final. Last year they learned all about losing.The Canes&rsquo; precipitous fall to 30th place turned off as many fans as their 2002 playoff run turned on, but the surprising thing was how remarkably supportive the fans were of a team that deserved to be booed far more than it was.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0098-0260/10212246-1-eng-US/f0098-022.jpg" title="f0098-02" width="1447" height="2118"><figcaption class="caption-body">JEFF O&rsquo;NEILL</figcaption></div>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re fortunate there were only pockets (of booing),&rdquo; said GM Jim Rutherford. &ldquo;The way we played sometimes, it should have been the whole building.&rdquo;While there still are plenty of holes in Carolina&rsquo;s lineup, this year&rsquo;s edition of the Hurricanes should return to the team&rsquo;s usual residence on the playoff bubble.Much was made of the many injuries that sent the Canes in the wrong direction last season, but the fact is they never showed the hunger that made them so dangerous in the playoffs. Expect that hunger to return this year after a summer spent letting the embarrassment of their plummet sink in.Ron Francis, at40, will be back for his 23rd - and what is almost certain to be his final - NHL season. Rod Brind&rsquo;-Amour and Erik Cole should be ready to go after recovering from - season ending injuries. Jeff O&rsquo;Neill has established himself as a consistent 30-goal scorer. After that, though, there are plenty of question marks.There&rsquo;s no legitimate No. 1 defenseman; there&rsquo;s little scoring depth; an inconsistent Kevin Weekes has been handed the role of No. 1 goaltender; Paul Maurice&rsquo;s job could be on the line (again) with a bad start; and a frustrated fan base remains unhappy with the way the team squandered the momentum it gathered two years ago. Even Rutherford, The Hockey News executive of the year in 2002, ended up with egg on his face. His trade of big defenseman Marek Malik for winger Jan Hlavac was an abject failure and he traded for defenseman Danny Markov in the off-season only to have Markov threaten to play in Russia.STRENGTH&nbsp;Hunger and the quest for a redemption are Carolina&rsquo;s biggest intangible assets. There&rsquo;s no question now that the Canes arrived in training camp last season overconfident and under prepared. That won&rsquo;t happen again this year. Instead of being the hunted, they&rsquo;ll be the hunters - position to which they&rsquo;re far more accustomed. The Canes are strong down the middle with Francis, Brind&rsquo;-Amour and Kevyn Adams, although Francis may increasingly find himself on the wing. All three, along with O&rsquo;Neill, are aces in the faceoff circle - a crucial element of Carolina&rsquo;s trap-happy, grind-it-out system.With the core personnel back and healthy, the Canes should be far better at playing their game this season, that is, sound positional defense and maintaining possession of the puck in the offensive end.WEAKNESSES The team went into the off-season desperate for defensemen. And for good reason.The Malik trade last November left Carolina woefully shorthanded as the season wore on. The return of Glen Wesley and the acquisition of Bob Boughner helped, especially after the Markov deal went sour. Boughner in particular provides a much-needed physical dimension. The lack of a true No. 1 blueliner means no one can take a night off on defense.Outside of the top two lines, there&rsquo;s not much in the way of scoring threats.With Arturs Irbe unlikely to ever suit up in Carolina again, Weekes has been anointed the No. 1 goalie and picked up a50 per-cent raise in the off-season. While Weekes was dynamite for two stretches last he has year, yet to play up to his full potential for an entire season. Untested Patrick 82-game DesRochers has been installed as the backup.OFFENSE Francis and O&rsquo;Neill make up a solid top-line tandem, with Josef Vasicek and Ryan Bayda among the leading candidates to join them. A second unit of Brind&rsquo;Amour, Cole and Radim Vrbata has grit and skill to spare.It&rsquo;s pretty thin after that, though. Off-season acquisition Marty Murray adds versatility and could end up playing with the hardworking if low-scoring combo of Craig and Kevyn Adams.Carolina needs bounce-back desperately seasons from Vasicek and Jaroslav Svoboda. Pavel Brendl could figure in the team&rsquo;s plans with a solid training camp performance; otherwise, he&rsquo;ll be headed for the American League.And somewhere out of all this, a power play quarterback needs to emerge.DEFENSE The Canes thought they addressed some of their blueline deficiencies by trading for Markov, but he signed with a Russian league team and was threatening to play with them. So, they brought back Wesley and traded for Boughner, whom they tried to sign as a free agent two years ago.Hill and Hedican are workhorses and Wesley provides a steadying hand. But Aaron Ward and Niclas Wallin had off years, and at age 28 there are questions whether Wallin will ever be more than a No. 6 defenseman. Youngsters Tomas Malet and Bruno St-Jacques showed potential, but need more development. St-Jacques is expected to make the NHL roster.BEHIND THE BENCH The NHL&rsquo;s longest-tenured coach skated away nearly unscathed from last season&rsquo;s debacle, but his tenure could come to a quick end (as has been rumored many times in the past) if things don&rsquo;t change from the start.Maurice has shown an affinity for the technical, systematic aspects of the game Carolina&rsquo;s biggest strength during to the final - and the run his affability makes him a useful ambassador in a non-hockey market But his communication skills are often he tends to questioned by departing players; overwork his No. 1 goalies and overplay so-so veterans at the expense of talented young players; and his practices are unimaginative.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0099-0185/10212239-1-eng-US/f0099-012.jpg" title="f0099-01" width="1154" height="1766"><figcaption class="caption-body">Blossoming power forward Erik Cole should be fully recovered from a season-ending broken leg. (SPORTS ACTION)</figcaption></div>CHEMISTRY 101 The Canes have a strong core of leaders, led by Francis. He is ably assisted by Brind&rsquo;Amour, Hill, Wesley and Hedican. Carolina would like to see O&rsquo;Neill mature into a leadership role, but Kevyn Adams jumped ahead of him last season.The influx of young, Czech-born players combined with the departure of father-figure veteran Malik created a Euro-clique that needs to be assimilated into the dressing room. The atmosphere should improve with Irbe almost certainly out of the picture.ROOKIES Eric Staal, the second overall draft pick in June, will get a long look in camp. The Canes think his skills are ready and want to see how the lanky center&rsquo;s body holds up in the pre-season. They&rsquo;d like him to sit next to Francis for 82 games and let him soak up everything he can.Bayda, a left winger, had an extended audition with Francis and O&rsquo;Neill last season, chipping in 14 points in 25 games. He impressed with his grit and hockey sense, although a bit more scoring would help. St-Jacques is slotted as the No. 6 blueliner.<h2>THEBOTTOMLINE</h2>After the wild swings of the past two years, it should be back to usual in Carolina - a lifetime spent in the playoff hunt.PREDICTION&nbsp;11th in East<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0098-0333/10212232-1-eng-US/f0098-032.jpg" title="f0098-03" width="268" height="643"><figcaption class="caption-body">(JIM LEARY/BBS)</figcaption></div><h2>MIKE BROPHY&rsquo;S spotlight</h2>ROD GRIND AMOUR, C The Hurricanes were dead in the water when they lost Brind'Amour, their best player, to a wrist injury last season. The 33-year-old center is an exceptional two-way performer who plays with grit and leads by example.<h2>ARRIVALS & DEPARTURES</h2>Off-season player movement affecting Carolina&rsquo;s roster includes:<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0099-0243/10212225-1-eng-US/f0099-022.jpg" title="f0099-02" width="250" height="134"></div>Ryan Bayda, LWBob Boughner, DDanny Markov, DMarty Murray, C/LW Bruno St-Jacques, D Glen Wesley, D<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0099-0334/10212218-1-eng-US/f0099-032.jpg" title="f0099-03" width="253" height="136"></div>Harold Druken, CSteve Halko, DJan Hlavac, LWDavid Tanabe, DMike Watt, LW<h2>DEPTH CHART extra</h2><h3>TEAM GRADE C+</h3>Lots of middle-of-the road at all positionsGM Jim Rutherford10th NHL year, 1st team (284-323-97)COACH Paul Maurice9th NHL year, 1st team (260-293-91)*OT losses counted as losses<h3>GOALIES</h3>1. Kevin Weekes2. Patrick DesRochers&nbsp;3. Arturs Irbe<h3>GRADE C</h3>Weekes an unknown quantity over full year<h2>DEFENSEMEN</h2>1. Bret Hedican2. Sean Hill3. Danny Markov4. Glen Wesley5. Bob Boughner6. Aaron Ward&nbsp;7. Bruno St-Jacques&nbsp;8. Niclas Wallin9. Brad Fast10. Tomas Malec<h3>GRADE B</h3>Off-season upgrades should pay off<h3>LEFT WINGERS</h3>1. Erik Cole2. Marty Murray3. Jaroslav Svoboda&nbsp;4. Ryan Bayda5. Brad DeFauw&nbsp;6. Tomas Kurka<h3>CENTERS</h3>1. Ron Francis2. Rod Brind'Amour3. Kevyn Adams4. Josef Vasicek&nbsp;5. Jeff Daniels6. Mike Zigomanis<h3>RIGHT WINGERS</h3>1. Jeff O'Neill2. Radim Vrbata3. Craig Adams4. Jesse Boulerice5. Jeff Heerema6. Joey Tetarenko<h3>GRADE B-</h3>How long can Francis keep producing?<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0100-0195/10212211-1-eng-US/f0100-012.jpg" title="f0100-01" width="2534" height="2496"></div><h2>THE Hockey News GOALIE ZONE</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0101-0187/10212204-1-eng-US/f0101-012.jpg" title="f0101-01" width="1555" height="1828"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0101-0254/10212197-1-eng-US/f0101-022.jpg" title="f0101-02" width="1551" height="725"></div><h3>FUTURE WATCH</h3>&nbsp;Here are Carolina&rsquo;s first draft pick in 2003 and top 10 prospects, with age, position and 2002-03 team.<h3>2003 TOP PICK</h3>ERIC STAALPOSITION Center&nbsp;SELECTED 2nd overall&nbsp;CLUB Peterborough (OHL)&nbsp;SCOUTING REPORT This smart, creative, talented center is often compared to Ron Francis. He has the skills to play in the NHL now, but needs to mature physically. Time horizon: this season or 2004-05. Key stat: 98 points in66 games.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0101-0332/10212190-1-eng-US/f0101-032.jpg" title="f0101-03" width="264" height="252"><figcaption class="caption-body">(SPORTS ACTION PHOTOGRAPHY)</figcaption></div><h3>TOP 10 PROSPECTS</h3>Blue squares indicate projected sure-fire NHLers. included are 2003 draft picks. Age as of Oct. 1. Not1. Jeff Heerema, RW, 23, Lowell (AHL)&nbsp;2. Cam Ward, G, 19, Red Deer (WHL)3. Mike Zigomanis, C, 22, Lowell (AHL)4. Ryan Bayda, LW, 22, Lowell (AHL)5. Niklas Nordgren, LW, 24, Timra (Swe.)6. Bruno St-Jacques, D, 23, Lowell (AHL)7. Patrick DesRochers, G, 23, Lowell (AHL)&nbsp;8. Sean Curry, D, 21, Lowell (AHL)&nbsp;9. Tomas Kurka, LW, 21, Lowell (AHL)10. Brad Fast, D, 23, Michigan State (CCHA)<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0101-0414/10212183-1-eng-US/f0101-042.jpg" title="f0101-04" width="1002" height="3473"></div> &#9632;

f0098-01

Redemption quest motivates Canes

<div class="byline">By Tim Sassone</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0102-0191/10212354-1-eng-US/f0102-012.jpg" title="f0102-01" width="852" height="380"></div>After racking up 96 points in 2001-02, the Chicago Blackhawks were back on the right track as an organization.But then 2002-03 happened and the team found itself in familiar surroundings underachieving on the ice and playing in a half-empty United Center in a one-time premier hockey city that has all but forgotten about the Blackhawks.The poor on-ice performance was only half the story in 2002-03. There was just as much negativity off the ice.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0102-0331/10212347-1-eng-US/f0102-032.jpg" title="f0102-03" width="1306" height="1992"><figcaption class="caption-body">KYLE CALDER</figcaption></div>GM Mike Smith&rsquo;s gamble on free agent right winger Theoren Fleury failed miserably and played a key role in bringing down the Hawks. Fleury began the season on the league&rsquo;s suspended list for violating his substance abuse aftercare program and when he returned was a shadow of the impact player he used to be. notThen came the Jan. 19 strip club incident in Columbus, where Fleury, Phil Housley and Tyler Arnason had an altercation with club bouncers. The trio never was formally punished by management; the incident helped rip the team apart from the inside. After Columbus, the once competitive Hawks went 9-18-4-3 and were never heard from again.&ldquo;Clearly it was the defining point of our season,&rdquo; Smith said. &ldquo;It lingered and it lingered. Maybe we should have made some trades to shake things to up help the team come together again&hellip;I think it affected the closeness of our players.&rdquo;STRENGTHS If it weren&rsquo;t for Jocelyn Thibault&rsquo;s play early, the Hawks might have been in the hunt for the first pick in the draft. Thibault elevated his game to a level where it was one of the few consistencies in a season filled with distractions. At one point in January, Thibault was 21-12-6, which earned him his first trip to the All-Star Game. When the Hawks collapsed in the second half of the season, it was hardly his fault.Thibault is more confident than at any point in his career. That, coupled with an improved technique, should keep the Hawks in most games.The penalty killing was a bright spot, largely because of Thibault, and should continue to be a beacon in 2003-04.WEAKNESSES Where to start? The Hawks don&rsquo;t have enough scoring, they&rsquo;re too small up front, they&rsquo;re not physical, they can&rsquo;t win faceoffs and are thin on defense. The power play contributed greatly to a lack of offense last season, ranking 28th in the league. Left winger Eric Daze&rsquo;s injury-plagued year didn&rsquo;t help, but the power play was missing leadership at the points where Housley was not able to duplicate his strong 2001-02 before being traded in March. Center Alex Zhamnov, the Hawks captain, played a ton on the point, but had just two goals on the power play.Smith finished last season saying he needed to add two defensemen to the mix. The Hawks didn&rsquo;t have a true No. 1 or No. 2 defenseman in 2002-03, leaving Jon Klemm and Steve Poapst to log big minutes.Center Scott Nichol was signed as a free agent to help address the lack of grit and faceoff problem, but at 5-foot-9 he isn&rsquo;t going to help the Hawks get bigger.OFFENSE Even with a healthy Daze, it&rsquo;s a challenge for the Hawks to score goals. So with Daze missing 28 games with back, groin and ankle problems last season, the offense was really hurting.Fleury doesn&rsquo;t figure into Smith&rsquo;s plans. He had another relapse late last season and was suspended for six months. Fleury can apply for NHL reinstatement on Oct. 11, but he won&rsquo;t be back with the Hawks even if he gets the OK to return from the league.Zhamnov, Steve Sullivan, Arnason and Kyle Calder need to be more consistent. Arnason carried the club offensively as a rookie early, but tailed off in the second half like most of the team. Sullivan scored 26 goals, but 10 came in the final 14 games when Chicago was hopelessly out of the playoff race. Rookie left winger Igor Radulov had five goals in seven games as a late-season call-up from Norfolk of the American League. The Hawks hope he can provide a lift in 2003-04.Finding more offensive punch from the defense is critical. Only Nathan Dempsey was a consistent threat from the blueline.DEFENSE The Hawks entered the off-season with a top five of Klemm, Poapst, Alex Karpovtsev, Steve McCarthy and Dempsey. A utilitarian bunch, if not intimidating.Klemm&rsquo;s play fell off in his second season in Chicago, but he again had to log heavy minutes and play in situations more suited for a No. 1 or No. 2 guy. Klemm is a solid defenseman, but better slotted as the third or fourth guy on the depth chart.The same goes for Poapst, who was the Hawks&rsquo; most consistent blueliner from start to finish and their biggest hitter.Karpovtsev&rsquo;s days in Chicago might be numbered. He is a top shot-blocker and solid defender when he is healthy, but that&rsquo;s the catch. Karpovtsev missed 42 more games with various injuries, driving coach Brian Sutter to the breaking point. Karpovtsev has one year remaining on his contract that pays him almost $3 million.Behind the 22-year-old McCarthy, there&rsquo;s little in the system to help on defense right away. Anton Babchuk, a first round pick in 2002 (21st overall), might get a look in training camp, but he is considered a year away.At least Boris Mironov won&rsquo;t be around to muddle the picture. Mironov walked out on the club in December, unhappy with the 18 minutes a game Sutter was giving him. He eventually wound with the up Rangers in a trade and the Hawks were better off without him.BEHIND THE BENCH Sutter enters his third year as Chicago&rsquo;s coach looking to repeat his 2001-02 magic. He gave his veterans a lot of freedom last season and got burned more than once, with the Columbus incident topping the list. Sutter and Smith&rsquo;s relationship is one to watch. They claim they can work together, but there are signs of strain. The GM&rsquo;s problem is Sutter has the solid backing of owner Bill Wirtz and senior vice-president Bob Pulford.There are some who believe Sutter&rsquo;s message is beginning to wear thin with certain veterans, yet these are the same players who have accomplished virtually nothing during their stay in the Windy City.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0103-0180/10212340-1-eng-US/f0103-012.jpg" title="f0103-01" width="1161" height="1798"><figcaption class="caption-body">Steve Sullivan is one of a handful of offensive threats on a Chicago team desperate for scoring. (JOHN RUSSELL/BBS)</figcaption></div>CHEMISTRY 101 Smith admitted he was disappointed in his veteran leadership last season and showed it by trading Housley and Lyle Odelein at the deadline. Both Smith and Sutter gave Zhamnov a vote of confidence as captain. Zhamnov is about as quiet a captain as you&rsquo;ll find, which may partly explain the Hawks&rsquo; overall lack of fire. Thibault remains the true leader of the team.ROOKIES Either Michael Leighton or Craig Andersson will back up Thibault, with Leighton having the slight edge heading into training camp.Radulov&rsquo;s ability to get to the net and play in traffic would be a welcome addition to a passive lineup while right winger Pavel Vorobiev also will be an given opportunity to win a job as a scorer. Tuomo Ruutu has a spot waiting for him at either center or left wing, but contract negotiations with the ninth pick overall from 2001 were going nowhere during the summer. Ruutu has been called a can&rsquo;t-miss prospect whose hard-hitting style and office charisma could instantly make him the club&rsquo;s most popular player with the fans.<h2>THEBOTTOMLINE</h2>There is simply enough talent or leadership on Chicago&rsquo;s roster to make a playoff berth a realistic possibility.PREDICTION13th in West<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0102-0244/10212333-1-eng-US/f0102-022.jpg" title="f0102-02" width="277" height="682"><figcaption class="caption-body">(SPORTS ACTION)</figcaption></div><h2>MIKE BROPHY&rsquo;S spotlight</h2>ERIC DAZE, LW Daze put up decent numbers after returning from early-season back surgery, but he needs to stay healthy and return to the 30-plus goal level for the Hawks to stand any chance of making the playoffs.<h2>ARRIVALS & DEPARTURES</h2>Off-season player movement affecting Chicago&rsquo;s roster includes:<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0103-0242/10212326-1-eng-US/f0103-022.jpg" title="f0103-02" width="251" height="139"></div>Burke Henry, DMichael Leighton, GScott Nichol, C Igor Radulov, LWPavel Vorobiev, RWMikhail Yakubov, C<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0103-0329/10212319-1-eng-US/f0103-032.jpg" title="f0103-03" width="249" height="136"></div>Mike Eastwood, C Theoren Fleury, RW Sami Helenius, DAndrei Nikolishin, C Chris Simon, LW Garry Valk, LW<h2>DEPTH CHART extra</h2><h3>TEAM GRADE C</h3>Rudderless ship is sailing aimlesslyGM Mike Smith9th NHL year, 2nd team (276-321-93)COACH Brian Sutter13th NHL year, 4th team (431-386-129)*OT losses counted as losses<h3>GOALIES</h3>1. Jocelyn Thibault2. Michael Leighton&nbsp;3. Craig Andersson<h3>GRADE B</h3>Thibault supplies reliable, consistent effort<h3>DEFENSEMEN</h3>1. Jon Klemm2. Steve Poapst3. Alexander Karpovtsev4. Steve McCarthy5. Nathan Dempsey6. Jonathan Aitken&nbsp;7. Burke Henry8. Anton Babchuk9. Duncan Keith&nbsp;10. Olli Malmivaara<h3>GRADE C</h3>Sadly lacking a bona fide No. 1 defender<h3>LEFT WINGERS</h3>1. Eric Daze2. Kyle Calder&nbsp;3. Mark Bell4. Igor Radulov&nbsp;5. Jason Strudwick&nbsp;6. Igor Korolev<h3>CENTERS</h3>1. Alex Zhamnov2. Tyler Arnason3. Scott Nichol4. Mikhail Yakubov5. Brett McLean&nbsp;6. Ajay Baines<h3>RIGHT WINGERS</h3>1. Steve Sullivan2. Ryan VandenBussche&nbsp;3. Pavel Vorobiev&nbsp;4. Shawn Thornton&nbsp;5. Quintin Laing6. Matt Keith<h3>GRADE C</h3>Firepower, depth both require upgrade<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0104-0192/10212312-1-eng-US/f0104-012.jpg" title="f0104-01" width="2654" height="2520"></div><h2>The Hockey News GOALIE ZONE</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0105-0185/10212305-1-eng-US/f0105-012.jpg" title="f0105-01" width="1556" height="1836"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0105-0253/10212298-1-eng-US/f0105-022.jpg" title="f0105-02" width="1508" height="715"></div><h2>FUTURE WATCH</h2>&nbsp;Here are Chicagos first draft pick in 2003 and top 10 prospects, with age, position and 2002-03 team.<h3>2003 TOP PICK</h3>BRENT SEABROOKPOSITION DefensemanSELECTED 14th overallCLUB Lethbridge (WHL)SCOUTING REPORT This mature blueliner is both tough and skilled. He&rsquo;s self-confident and is a good leader, but needs work on his conditioning. Time horizon: two years away. Key stat: 42 pts and 113 PIMs in 69 games.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0105-0336/10212291-1-eng-US/f0105-032.jpg" title="f0105-03" width="255" height="246"><figcaption class="caption-body">(SPORTS ACTION PHOTOGRAPHY)</figcaption></div><h3>TOP 10 PROSPECTS</h3>Blue squares indicate projected sure-fire NHLers. Not included are 2003 draft picks. Age as of Oct. 1.1. Tuomo Ruutu, LW, 20, IFK Helsinki (Fin.)2. Mikhail Yakubov, C, 21, Norfolk (AHL)3. Pavel Vorobiev, RW, 21, Yaroslavl (Rus.)4. Igor Radulov, LW, 21, Norfolk (AHL)5. Michael Leighton, G, 22, Norfolk (AHL)&nbsp;6. Duncan Keith, 0, 20,Kelowna (WHL)&nbsp;7. Anton Babchuk, 0, 19, St. Petersburg (Rus.)&nbsp;8. Matt Ellison, C, 19, Red Deer (WHL)9. Jonas Nordqvist, C, 21, Rogle (Swe.2)10. Olli Malmivaara, D, 21, Jokerit (Fin.)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0105-0417/10212284-1-eng-US/f0105-042.jpg" title="f0105-04" width="984" height="3458"></div> &#9632;

f0102-01

Problems abound on ice and beyond

<div class="byline">By Adrian Dater</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0106-0188/10212455-1-eng-US/f0106-012.jpg" title="f0106-01" width="860" height="368"></div>As July 1 approached, Colorado Avalanche fans were in a grumbling mood. They were still smarting from their favorite hockey sons&rsquo; first round collapse to the Minnesota Wild. Not to mention the retirement of perhaps the best goalie of all-time, Patrick Roy. Plus, there was the usual dismissal of the free agent market by Avalanche GM Pierre Lacroix, who said no to any possibility that owner Stan Kroenke&rsquo;s wallet would open wide to make up for Roy&rsquo;s lost salary.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0106-0335/10212448-1-eng-US/f0106-032.jpg" title="f0106-03" width="1092" height="2151"><figcaption class="caption-body">PETER FORSBERG</figcaption></div>It seemed the decline of the Avalanche and the morale of the fans was well on its way down.Until, that is, Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne appeared like angels from above, with an out of-this-world offer for Lacroix: please take us, they said. I&rsquo;ll take an 88 per-cent pay cut if you say yes, Kariya offered, and Selanne will take a cut as well. Would that work for you, Mr. Lacroix?&ldquo;This was a hockey decision, not a money decision,&rdquo; insisted Kariya at his introductory press conference. &ldquo;Teemu and I both asked ourselves, &lsquo;Where would we want to play hockey-wise, taking everything else out?&rsquo; Boom, right away it was Colorado.&rdquo;Unbelievably, inconceivably, the Avalanche signed Kariya and Selanne to one-year free agent contracts worth a combined $7 million. Ex-Mighty Duck Kariya agreed to take only a $1.2-million salary, with no bonuses or incentives, so that he will stay under the league average and be an unrestricted free agent again after this season.Overnight, happy days were here again for spoiled Avs fans, who have since been counting the days to the start of what figures to be a very exciting season in Denver. The Avalanche&rsquo;s second line in 2003-04 should feature Kariya and Selanne on the wings, centered by Joe Sakic. The first line features the NHL&rsquo;s MVP and leading scorer last year, Peter Forsberg, along with the league&rsquo;s leading goal-scorer, Milan Hejduk, and Alex Tanguay.The Avs now have a Hall of Fame power play, which should regularly feature all of the a fore mentioned forwards, plus Rob Blake and Derek Morris on the points.With the offensive firepower the Avs have entering their ninth season in Denver, they could put a pylon in goal and still win more than half their games.STRENGTHS Offense, offense and more offense.The Avalanche&rsquo;s top two lines include two Hart Trophy winners and four 50-goal scorers. Forsberg proved he was the best player in the game with a brilliant 2002-03 and former Hart winner Sakic has two of the league&rsquo;s most skilled wingers in recent history in Kariya and Selanne riding shotgun for him.The power play might be the best of all-time on paper, with Forsberg, Sakic and either Kariya, Selanne and Hejduk down low at all times, with premier point men Blake and Morris.The Avs&rsquo; top three on - defense Blake, Morris and Adam Foote - remain among the best in the game.WEAKNESSES Did someone say goaltender? Sure, fourth-year youngster David Aebischer has shown promise, but can he adequately replace Roy? Are the Avs really going to go with a backup of Phil Sauve, who has zero NHL experience?How the Avalanche deals with the loss of Roy is the team&rsquo;s biggest unanswered question. Lacroix and coach Tony Granato have said all the right things about Aebischer, but there will be plenty of skepticism for the Swiss native to overcome before he has the confidence of teammates and fans. If either goalie falters, look for Lacroix to deal for a veteran.Colorado must improve its penalty killing, a major liability last season. Newcomer Andrei Nikolishin might help and look for pesky Dan Hinote to chip in more as well.OFFENSE The top line of Forsberg, Hejduk and was the Tanguay league&rsquo;s second-highest scoring unit last season and there&rsquo;s no reason it can&rsquo;t do the same or better.This might be the wondrous Forsberg&rsquo;s final NHL season for a while, so he&rsquo;ll be motivated to top the 106 points he posted last year. Hejduk, with one of the best releases in the league, could top 50 goals again. Sakic, entering his 16th season with the franchise, is coming off a disappointing year. But with Kariya and Selanne as probable linemates, 2003-04 could be one of his best campaigns ever.Colorado&rsquo;s defensemen also add to the offense, with Blake, Morris and Foote all posting more than 30 points last year.DEFENSE The Avalanche lost dependable defenseman de Vries to the Greg Rangers via free agency, which will hurt. But any blueline with Blake, Morris and Foote is still in pretty good shape. Plus, the Avs were able to replace de Vries with rugged Karlis Skrastins, the former Nashville Predator who has the NHL&rsquo;s third-longest ironman streak at 279 games. The ever-promising Skoula is back for his fifth season, though he could be used as trade bait for a goalie.BEHIND THE BENCH This will be Granato&rsquo;s first full season as the Avalanche&rsquo;s coach. Everything went swimmingly for the likable Illinois native in his replacement of Bob Hartley - until Games 5, 6 and 7 of the first round.Granato was 32-11-4-4 in the regular season, righting the ship that was sinking under Hartley. He helped rescue the Avs&rsquo; NHL-record ninth consecutive division title. But he also became the first Avalanche coach since Marc Crawford in 1997-98 not to get the team out of the opening round and Colorado fans still haven&rsquo;t accepted him with open arms.CHEMISTRY 101 This will be a fun, loose dressing room. Avalanche rooms have always been pleasant places, mostly because of all the winning over the years. And the addition of the always-cheerful Selanne and Kariya&rsquo;s boyish enthusiasm to play with the Avs will transcend to the rest of the team, especially to veterans Forsberg and Sakic.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0107-0181/10212441-1-eng-US/f0107-012.jpg" title="f0107-01" width="1163" height="1768"><figcaption class="caption-body">Milan Hejduk went to the heavy traffic areas last season while leading the NHL in goals with 50. (DALE MACMILLAN/BBS)</figcaption></div>The vocal leader of the room continues to be Foote, who is the team&rsquo;s guilty conscience. Foote isn&rsquo;t afraid to point out the mistakes of others, but he earns respect for not putting himself above criticism. The loss of Roy will actually loosen up the roon as well. Roy&rsquo;s presence was so strong that a lot of younger teammates were intimidated by him and afraid to say anything.ROOKIES The big rookie newcomer will be goalie Sauve, the son of former NHL netminder Bob Sauve and the team MVP of the Hershey Bears (AHL) the last three years.Avalanche brass loves his attitude and poise and thinks he&rsquo;ll develop into a solid starting goalie. He figures to get 15 to 25 starts behind Aebischer and should like the offensive support he figures to get.Swedish right winger Jonas Johansson, the 28th overall draft pick in 2002, probably isn&rsquo;t ready for the NHL yet. He&rsquo;s a lock to play with the Avs a few games this season and more in coming seasons.Tomas Slovak, acquired from Nashville for Russian prospect Sergei Soin, has a shot at making the team on defense. Centers Steve Moore and Charlie Stephens might get brief looks at some point this season.<h2>THEBOTTOMLINE</h2>Forsberg, Sakic, Kariya&hellip;oh my! If the Avs get the goaltending - granted, a big &ldquo;if&rdquo; - the Stanley Cup is a real possibility.PREDICTION&nbsp;1st in West<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0106-0244/10212434-1-eng-US/f0106-022.jpg" title="f0106-02" width="254" height="631"><figcaption class="caption-body">(GLENN JAMES/SPORTS ACTION)</figcaption></div><h2>MIKE BROPHY&rsquo;S spotlight</h2>&nbsp;PAUL KARIYA, LWKariya&rsquo;s goal output has been in decline the past few years and he was ineffective in the Stanley Cup final. But on the offense-minded Avs and with Joe Sakic as his center, he could lead the NHL in scoring.<h2>ARRIVALS & DEPARTURES</h2>Off-season player movement affecting Colorado&rsquo;s roster includes:<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0107-0246/10212427-1-eng-US/f0107-022.jpg" title="f0107-02" width="253" height="131"></div>Paul Kariya, LW Andrei Nikolishin, CPhilippe Sauve, GTeemu Selanne, RW Karlis Skrastins, DPeter Worrell, LW<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0107-0329/10212420-1-eng-US/f0107-032.jpg" title="f0107-03" width="255" height="136"></div>Greg de Vries, DMike Keane, RWBryan Marchment, D Bryan Muir, DScott Parker, RWSteve Reinprecht, CPatrick Roy, G Jeff Shantz, C<h2>DEPTH CHART extra</h2><h3>GRADE A</h3>Fasten seatbelts your and get ready to flyGM Pierre Lacroix10th NHL year, 1st team (390-222-93)COACH Tony Granato2nd NHL year, 1st team (32-15-4)*OT losses counted as losses<h3>GOALIES</h3>1. David Aebischer2. Philippe Sauve3. Peter Budaj<h3>GRADE C</h3>Grade improves if Aebischer is real deal.<h3>DEFENSEMEN</h3>1. Rob Blake2. Adam Foote3. Derek Morris4. Martin Skoula5. Karlis Skrastins6. Chris McAllister7. D.J. Smith8. Tomas Slovak9. Tom Gilbert10. Keith Ballard<h3>GRADE A</h3>Forwards get attention, but defense not shabby<h3>LEFT WINGERS</h3>1. Paul Kariya2. Alex Tanguay3. Bates Battaglia4. Peter Worrell5. Riku Hahl6. Brad Larsen<h3>CENTERS</h3>1. Peter Forsberg2. Joe Sakic3. Andrei Nikolishin4. Serge Aubin5. Steve Moore6. Charlie Stephens<h3>RIGHT WINGERS</h3>1. Milan Hejduk2. Teemu Selanne3. Dan Hinote4. Brian Willsie5. Jonas Johansson6. Steve Brule<h3>GRADE A+</h3>Could have six of NHL&rsquo;s top 10 scorers<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0108-0196/10212413-1-eng-US/f0108-012.jpg" title="f0108-01" width="2562" height="2476"></div><h2>The Hockey News GOALIE ZONE</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0109-0185/10212406-1-eng-US/f0109-012.jpg" title="f0109-01" width="1593" height="1854"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0109-0253/10212399-1-eng-US/f0109-022.jpg" title="f0109-02" width="1556" height="703"></div><h2>FUTURE WATCH</h2>Here are Colorado&rsquo;s first draft pick in 2003 and top 10 prospects, with age, position and 2002-03 team.<h3>2003 TOP PICK</h3>DAVID LIFFITONPOSITION Defenseman&nbsp;SELECTED 63rd overallCLUB Plymouth (OHL)&nbsp;SCOUTING REPORT This strong-skating defensive D-man is tough to beat 1-on-1 and excels at shot blocking. He&rsquo;s uncomfortable moving the puck and has no offensive upside. Time horizon: three years away. Key stat: 139 PIMs in 66 games.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0109-0335/10212392-1-eng-US/f0109-032.jpg" title="f0109-03" width="272" height="255"><figcaption class="caption-body">(JIM MCISAAC/BBS)</figcaption></div><h3>TOP 10 PROSPECTS</h3>Blue squares indicate projected sure-fire NHLers. Not included are 2003 draft picks. Age as of Oct. 1.1. Phil Sauve, G, 23, Hershey (AHL)2. Keith Ballard, C, 20, Minnesota (WCHA)3. Jonas Johansson, RW, 19, Kamloops (WHL)4. Tomas Slovak, D, 20, Kelowna (WHL)&nbsp;5. Peter Budaj, G, 21, Hershey (AHL)6. Tom Gilbert, D, 20, Wisconsin (WCHA)7. Johnny Boychuk, D, 19, Moose Jaw (WHL)8. Charlie Stephens, RW, 22, Hershey (AHL)&nbsp;9. Marek Svatos, RW, 21, Hershey (AHL)10. Mikko Viitanen, D, 21, KJT (Fin.2)<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0109-0416/10212385-1-eng-US/f0109-042.jpg" title="f0109-04" width="1000" height="3478"></div> &#9632;

f0106-01

Kariya, Selanne join all-star Avs

<div class="byline">By Aaron Portzline</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0110-0190/10212556-1-eng-US/f0110-012.jpg" title="f0110-01" width="828" height="420"></div>The Blue Jackets enjoyed a marked improvement last season, but after a woeful 57-point effort two years ago, progress was expected.The 12-point climb, though, failed to mask the two problems that have troubled the club their first three seasons: the Blue Jackets are virtually allergic to playing team defense and they can&rsquo;t win away from Nationwide Arena.They&rsquo;ve allowed more goals than any Western Conference team the past two seasons (3.16 per game). They&rsquo;ve 17-57-6-2 on gone the road since their inaugural year, worst in the NHL. Thus, president, GM and coach Doug MacLean, who will coach the Blue Jackets again this season, set about to make the team more responsible in its own end and more resilient away from home.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0110-0252/10212549-1-eng-US/f0110-022.jpg" title="f0110-02" width="1396" height="1738"><figcaption class="caption-body">ROSTISLAV KLESLA</figcaption></div>In a gutsy move in that direction, leading point-getter Ray was Whitney allowed to walk via free agency. Brought in two free agent forwards the Blue Jackets expect to play a were solid, two-way game - Todd Marchant and Trevor Letowski.Marchant, who scored 20 goals last season with Edmonton, will play a crucial role in the Columbus offense. He&rsquo;ll center a line next to left winger Rick Nash, an emerging power forward who was a finalist for the Calder Trophy last season.Another notable addition is goaltender Fred Brathwaite, signed both to help push the No. 1 stopper, Marc Denis, and also to give him a break.It is hoped a renewed commitment to defense - most from the forwards - notably will spur the Blue Jackets to unprecedented heights in 2003-04.MacLean is convinced Columbus can make the playoffs. When he announced his full-time coaching status during the off-season, he offered this salvo to his troops: &ldquo;I hope these guys are sick of losing.&rdquo;STRENGTHS The Blue Jackets might be one of the NHL&rsquo;s fastest-skating teams, especially with the addition of Marchant. MacLean considers Marchant and left winger Geoff Sanderson to be &ldquo;two of the five fastest skaters in the NHL.&rdquo; There are other burners, too, such as David Vyborny, Espen Knutsen (finally healthy again), Tyler Wright and Letowski.The key, of course, is using that speed. It has been wasted the past two years with horrible passing out of the defensive zone.Unlike last season, the Blue Jackets have two goalies they can count on. Denis was mostly logging a ton of playing time solid in 2002-03 while and blocking buckets of pucks. Appearing in 77 games, he set NHL records in minutes played (4,511) and shots faced (2,404) - and he clearly wore down late in the year.Still, if Denis continues to emerge - and if Brathwaite car toss in a few of his patented hot streaks - the Blue Jackets will boast a solid 1-2 punch.WEAKNESSES Everybody gets tired, but at least big players don&rsquo;t shrink. That reality has to worry the Blue Jackets, who possess one of the smallest forward corps in the NHL. Nash, who is 19, is the exception, but he certainly can&rsquo;t do it all by himself. Columbus desperately needs a big, confident - player or better yet, a few of them - who can keep the Jackets from getting pushed around on the road.Once again, defense is another huge concern, as it has been for the three years of the team&rsquo;s existence. Much of the blame to goes the forwards, but the blueline has to improve. The Blue Jackets brought in two free agents prior to last season, Luke Richardson and Scott Lachance, then gave up eight more goals than the year before. This summer they added Darryl Sydor.OFFENSE Fora fourth-year expansion team, the Blue Jackets have assembled some pretty good offensive players, especially diminutive who guys can pinball the puck on the power play.Sanderson and center Andrew Cassels have been good together since their days in Hartford, dating back to the early 1990s. Nash came of age quickly last season and it&rsquo;ll be interesting to witness his play-making next to Marchant&rsquo;s skill.Tyler Wright (19 goals, 30 points in 70 games) will be asked to play better defensively this season, even if it costs him some offense.The Blue Jackets expect Sydor to play beside defenseman Jaroslav Spacek with the man advantage. That will offset the loss of free agent Whitney. Sydor had36 points last season and has topped 40 points four times. He&rsquo;ll help the Blue Jackets maintain or improve a 12th-place NHL ranking with the man advantage.A wild card to keep in mind is Ukrainian left winger Nikolai Zherdev, the fourth overall pick in this year&rsquo;s draft. Columbus hopes he can break in right away on the third or fourth line.DEFENSE It drives MacLean crazy that the Blue Jackets have been so soft defensively, allowing 518goalsthe past two seasons. Simply put, a handful of players need to stop waiting for somebody else to do the dirty work.MacLean&rsquo;s plan (in pencil, not ink) is for Tyler Wright and Letowski to form two thirds of a &ldquo;stopper&rdquo; line, but that won&rsquo;t work without a new approach. Wright is minus-65 the past two seasons.It would also help immensely if the Blue Jackets could get settled on their blueline. Richardson and Spacek were pretty good as the top pairing, but Lachance and young Rostislav Klesla never meshed.The addition of Sydor will form a new second pairing so look for Lachance to get shuffled to the third unit, probably with Jean-Luc Grand-Pierre.BEHIND THE BENCH MacLean wants the Blue Jackets to be precocious, passionate and so full of swagger they can&rsquo;t turn it off. In other words, he wants them to take on his personality.Why not? It worked for one magical season in Florida.MacLean won&rsquo;t install any harebrained tactics and he won&rsquo;t rely on an ugly trap system. He won&rsquo;t change much, other than the overall team attitude and an appreciation for defense.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0111-0188/10212542-1-eng-US/f0111-012.jpg" title="f0111-01" width="1167" height="1740"><figcaption class="caption-body">Teenager Rick Nash made an immediate impact last season and was a finalist for rookie of the year. (CLAUS ANDERSON/BBS)</figcaption></div>CHEMISTRY 101 The Jackets haven&rsquo;t made a strong decision with their captaincy yet.Lyle Odelein was traded before his second season in Columbus was finished and Whitney wasn&rsquo;t re-signed. It can be said that neither held court with inspired speeches during intermission. Now the Blue Jackets have at least a few possibilities. Richardson, who has worn the &lsquo;C&rsquo; before, may be the headliner. Marchant was the Oilers captain before joining the Blue Jackets. Wright may get a shot, too.It goes beyond the captaincy, though. The Blue Jackets haven&rsquo;t been plagued by in-fighting, but they&rsquo;ve been unable to form a cohesive unit, like the Minnesota Wild.ROOKIES Immediately after he was drafted, Zherdev seemed a little reluctant to the NHL. But the Blue jump to Jackets are convinced he&rsquo;s ready and they&rsquo;re willing to do what it takes to get him out of his commitments in Russia. They think he&rsquo;ll develop quickly into a lethal offensive threat, but he&rsquo;ll likely start on the third line.Another name to note is right winger Kent McDonell, whom the Blue Jackets acquired from Detroit for a sixth round pick. McDonell is penciled in on the fourth line if he has a good training camp.<h2>THEBOTTOMLINE</h2>Even if the Blue Jackets follow coach-GM Doug MacLean&rsquo;s advice and play better team defense, a playoff berth is too asking much.&nbsp;PREDICTION10th in West<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0110-0333/10212535-1-eng-US/f0110-032.jpg" title="f0110-03" width="256" height="603"><figcaption class="caption-body">(SCOTT LEVY/BBS)</figcaption></div><h2>MIKE BROPHY&rsquo;S spotlight</h2>GEOFF SANDERSON, LWA capable scorer with blazing speed, Sanderson has been plagued by inconsistency at times in his career and if the Blue Jackets are to make it to the playoffs, they will need him to remain at the 30-plus goal level.<h2>ARRIVALS & DEPARTURES</h2>Off-season player movement affecting Columbus&rsquo;s roster includes:<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0111-0246/10212528-1-eng-US/f0111-022.jpg" title="f0111-02" width="255" height="136"></div>Fred Brathwaite, GAlexander Gusjkov, DMark Hartigan, CTrevor Letowski, CTodd Marchant, CKent McDonell, RW Darryl Sydor, DNikolai Zherdev, LW<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0111-0332/10212521-1-eng-US/f0111-032.jpg" title="f0111-03" width="254" height="130"></div>Jamie Allison, DMatt Davidson, RW Mike Sitlinger, CDarren Van Impe, DRay Whitney, LW<h2>DEPTHS CHART extra</h2><h3>TEAM GRADE C+</h3>Nice off-season additions should help&nbsp;GM Doug MacLean4th NHL year, 1st team (79-142-25)&nbsp;COACH Doug MacLean 5th NHL year, 2nd team (98-94-37)*OT losses counted as losses<h3>GOALIES</h3>1. Marc Denis2. Fred Brathwaite3. Pascal Leclaire<h3>GRADE C+</h3>Brathwaite can spell Denis on occasion<h3>DEFENSEMEN</h3>1. Darryl Sydor2. Jaroslav Spacek&nbsp;3. Luke Richardson4. Scott Lachance5. Rostislav Klesla6. Duvie Westcott7. Jean-Luc Grand-Pierre8. Derrick Walser9. Alexander Gusjkov10. Paul Manning<h3>GRADE C+</h3>Sydor will be valuable time muncher<h3>LEFT WINGERS</h3>1. Geoff Sanderson2. Rick Nash3. Nikolai Zherdev&nbsp;4. Jody Shelley&nbsp;5. Andrej Nedorost6. Tim Jackman<h3>CENTERS</h3>1. Andrew Cassels2. Todd Marchant3. Tyler Wright4. Sean Pronger5. Mark Hartigan6. Don MacLean<h3>RIGHT WINGERS</h3>1. David Vyborny2. Espen Knutsen3. Trevor Letowski4. Lasse Pirjeta5. David Ling6. Kent McDonell<h3>GRADE C</h3>Marchant, Letowski add much-needed grit<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0112-0198/10212514-1-eng-US/f0112-012.jpg" title="f0112-01" width="2614" height="2520"></div><h2>The Hockey News GOALIE ZONE</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0113-0183/10212507-1-eng-US/f0113-012.jpg" title="f0113-01" width="1587" height="1840"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0113-0251/10212500-1-eng-US/f0113-022.jpg" title="f0113-02" width="1528" height="712"></div><h2>FUTURE WATCH</h2>&nbsp;Here are Columbus&rsquo;s first draft pick in 2003 and top 10 prospects, with age, position and 2002-03 team.<h3>2003 TOP PICK</h3>NIKOLAI ZHERDEVPOSITION Left wingerSELECTED 4th overallCLUB Central Army (Rus.)SCOUTING REPORT His great speed, moves and shot made Zherdev the most talented player in the draft. He&rsquo;s knocked for sometimes selfish play. Time horizon: this season or 2004-05. Key stat: third in scoring on men&rsquo;s team in top Russian league.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0113-0334/10212493-1-eng-US/f0113-032.jpg" title="f0113-03" width="241" height="237"><figcaption class="caption-body">(JOHN RUSSELL/BBS)</figcaption></div><h3>TOP 10 PROSPECTS</h3>Blue indicate squares projected sure-fire NHLers. Not included are 2003 draft picks. Age as of Oct. 1.1. Pascal Leclaire, G, 20, Syracuse (AHL)2. Mark Hartigan, RW, 25, Chicago (AHL)3. Joakim Lindstrom, C, 19, MoDo (Swe.)&nbsp;4. Tim Jackman, RW, 21, Syracuse (AHL)5. Andrej Nedorost, C, 23, Syracuse (AHL)6. Aaron Johnson, D, 20, Quebec (QMJHL)7. Ole-Kristian Tollefson, D, 19, Brandon (WHL)8. Shane Bendera, G, 21, Dayton (ECHL)9. Kent McDonell, RW, 24, Syracuse (AHL)&nbsp;10. Paul Manning, D, 24, Syracuse (AHL)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0113-0419/10212486-1-eng-US/f0113-042.jpg" title="f0113-04" width="976" height="3478"></div> &#9632;

f0110-01

Maclean’s mantra: Commitment to ‘D’

<div class="byline">By Nicholas J. Cotsonika</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0118-0186/10212758-1-eng-US/f0118-012.jpg" title="f0118-01" width="831" height="373"></div>Last season ended in disaster for the Detroit Red Wings when the defending Stanley Cup champions were swept in the first round of the playoffs by Anaheim."It&rsquo;s a good lesson," said captain Steve Yzerman. "After winning the Stanley Cup, there was a lot of stuff going on - high-profile team, a bunch of stars, got brought back down to earth hard in one week. Maybe being humbled is good for us in the long run."<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0118-0324/10212751-1-eng-US/f0118-032.jpg" title="f0118-03" width="1258" height="1841"><figcaption class="caption-body">NICKLAS LIDSTROM (JIM MCISAAC/BBS)</figcaption></div>Maybe. The Wings watched the Ducks come within a game of the Cup, then watched the New Jersey Devils win it.And then things started to change.In came bruising defenseman Derian Hatcher. Back came Dominik Hasek. Out went the old philosophy built on filling nets more than the other guys. Out, too, went Sergei Fedorov, who flew to Anaheim. In came a new attitude that focused on keeping pucks out.It&rsquo;s still Cup-or-else in Detroit. The Wings are going for their fourth title in eight years."Our team has really been built on offense," said GM Ken Holland. "If you look at when we won the Cups in '97 and '98, we were really strong up the middle. Our defense played well, but maybe we didn't have the depth on defense. We were able to roll four lines."Well, there&rsquo;s more than one way to skin a cat. Maybe we've got to go in a different direction. Maybe we've got to try to have the best defense in the league." Fedorov, who la t fall turned down Detroit&rsquo;s best contract offer of $50 million and at one point insisted he would not return to the Wings, seemed to be having second tl1oughts. Without him it would be a major shocker if the Wings contend with the highest-scoring teams in the league. Fedorov led the team last year with 83 points.Detroit will also have to find someone else to lean on in the center position. Despite his complaining last season that his ice time was being limited, Fedorov was the only Wing forward to average at least 20 minutes a game (21:10). Yzerman and his creaky knees are likely to move to right wing this season with sophomore Henrik Zetterberg taking over a spot in the middle.But the immediate concern for Holland was finding a new home for Curtis Joseph - and trying to minimize how much he'll have to pay to make Joseph go away.STRENGTHS Even with a number of departures, the bottom line is the Wings still have an impressive collection of A-list players: Hasek, Hatcher, Yzerman, Brett Hull, Chris Chelios, Nicklas Lidstrom, Mathieu Schneider and Brendan Shanahan. The Red Wings' special teams are always near the top of the rankings and they should be again this season, especially the penalty-killing unit.The Wings will be more of a defensive team, harder to play against in their own zone. But there are still a lot of creative players on this roster, so when the Wings have the puck, don't expect them to just dump it in. Players such as Hull, Pavel Datsyuk and Zetterberg will continue to try to turn some magic on offense.This could be the last season for a number of Wings, so they should be plenty motivated to go out on top.Then there&rsquo;s the Hasek factor. Although it won't be a shocker if he shows some rust in the first half of the 2003-04 season, he'll still have an aura unlike any other goalie out there except Martin Brodeur.WEAKNESSES Every year, people wonder about the Wings' age. Well, there are some legitimate questions this time around. Hull is 39. That doesn't seem to be a problem because his game is about smarts, anyway, and his forearms still look like they can snap shots with the best of &rsquo;em. But Hasek is 38 and he&rsquo;s a reflex goalie who hasn&rsquo;t played in net in more than a year. And Yzerman is 38 and no one knows how well he will be able to play on his surgically repaired right knee. Oh, and Chelios is 41.The Wings always have been strong up the middle. With Fedorov and Larionov gone and the Red Wings uncertain about how much Yzerman can deliver in his 21st season, Detroit&rsquo;s status at center, especially from an offensive stand point, has weak-ened.OFFENSE Detroit still has some of the most accomplished scorers in the game in Hull, Shanahan and Yzerman. But no one knows how much Yzerman will be able to contribute in what is likely to be his final NHL season. In order for the Wings to pose their traditional match-up problems to opponents wondering what line to check, the Wings need young stars Datsyuk and Zetterberg to take the next step and produce on a more consistent basis. They also need others to chip in, players such as Kris Draper, Kirk Maltby, Darren McCarty, Boyd Devereaux and Tomas Holmstrom.DEFENSE If Hasek plays like the Hasek of old, the Wings will have the best goal-tending in the NHL. And look at who Hasek has in front of him: Lidstrom, winner of the past three Norris Trophies as the league&rsquo;s best defenseman; Hatcher, a Norris finalist last season and one of the nastiest players around; Chelios, another three-time Norris winner; and Schneider, one of the highest-scoring defensemen in the league last season. They&rsquo;re backed up by the underrated Jiri Fischer, who missed most of last while season recovering from knee surgery, Mathieu Dandenault and Jason Woolley.Hatcher, who signed a five-year, $30-million free agent contract, will make himself appreciated by clearing traffic in front of Hasek - and by discouraging forwards from going there in the first place. Outside of Fischer, the Wings didn&rsquo;t really have a big body who could punish attackers and make them pay a physical price.Up front there&rsquo;s the shutdown &lsquo;Grind Line&rsquo; of Draper, Maltby and McCarty. All told, it doesn&rsquo;t bad at all. The Wings lose Fedorov, a two-time Selke Trophy winner, but their defensive game should be better. In fact, it should be the best in the league.BEHIND THE BENCH Dave Lewis should feel even more comfortable in his second season as an NHL coach. Scotty Bowman&rsquo;s shadow is less pronounced now and after that first round sweep, Lewis can feel free to make changes instead of feeling he must stick with what worked before.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0119-0179/10212744-1-eng-US/f0119-012.jpg" title="f0119-01" width="1179" height="1773"><figcaption class="caption-body">Once a scorer, always a scorer: even at 39, right winger Brett Hull will be a vital part of Detroit&rsquo;s attack. (DALE MACMILLAN/BBS)</figcaption></div>Lewis spent 15 years in the NHL as a defenseman and he likes the emphasis on defense. One thing Lewis won&rsquo;t change is his calm, personal approach.CHEMISTRY 101 Needless to say, the Wings are a tight, veteran bunch. There are leaders all over the place. Yzerman is the captain, without question. But Chelios, Hatcher and Hull were captains on other NHL teams. Then there are Draper, Shanahan and McCarty, whose voices are heard loud and clear. This team is one big family. Kids often run around the dressing room and the players genuinely like each other.ROOKIES The Wings had high hopes for right wing prospect Igor Grigorenko, thinking he could follow in the footsteps of Datsyuk and Zetterberg. But he suffered serious injuries in a car accident in won&rsquo;t play in the NHL this season. So the Wings are turning to 19-year-old Jiri Hudler. He&rsquo;s small and is an average skater, but has great hockey sense and an eye-popping skill level. He&rsquo;ll have training camp and pre-season games to show he belongs.<h2>THEBOTTOMLINE</h2>The question is whether Detroit&rsquo;s old geezers will kick&nbsp;the bucket or get one more kick at the can. Don't count them out.PREDICTION2nd in West<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0118-0239/10212737-1-eng-US/f0118-022.jpg" title="f0118-02" width="274" height="658"></div><h2>MIKE BROPHY&rsquo;S spotlight</h2>PAVEL DATSYUK, CDatsyuk enters his third NHL campaign as a deft play-making center who went from 35 points as a rookie two years ago to 51 last season. The Wings need him to become even more of a scoring threat in 2003-04.<h2>ARRIVALS &&nbsp;DEPARTURES</h2>Off-season player movement affecting Detroit&rsquo;s roster includes:<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0119-0246/10212730-1-eng-US/f0119-022.jpg" title="f0119-02" width="255" height="145"></div>Dominik Hasek, GDerian Hatcher, DJiri Hudler, C<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0119-0332/10212723-1-eng-US/f0119-032.jpg" title="f0119-03" width="257" height="143"></div>Patrick Boileau, DDmitri Bykov, DSergei Fedorov, CCurtis Joseph, GIgor Larionov, CLuc Robitaille, LWJesse Wallin, D<h2>DEPTH CHART extra</h2><h3>TEAM GRADE A</h3>Approach may change to defensive styleGM Ken Holland7th NHL year, 1st team (283-150-61)COACH Dave Lewis2nd NHL year, 1st team (52-25-10)*OT losses counted as losses<h3>GOALIES</h3>1. Dominik Hasek2. Curtis Joseph3. Manny Legace<h3>GRADE A+</h3>No reason to doubt a well-rested Hasek<h3>DEFENSEMEN</h3>1. Nicklas Lidstrom2. Derian Hatcher3. Chris Chelios4. Mathieu Schneider5. Jiri Fischer6. Mathieu Dandenault7. Jason Woolley8. Niklas Kronwall9. Danny Groulx10. Paul Ballantyne<h3>GRADE A+</h3>Not enough Norris Trophies to go around<h3>LEFT WINGERS</h3>1. Brendan Shanahan2. Kirk Maltby3. Tomas Holmstrom4. Boyd Devereaux5. Michel Picard&nbsp;6. Ryan Barnes<h3>CENTERS</h3>1. Henrik Zetterberg2. Pavel Datsyuk3. Kris Draper4. Jiri Hudler5. Mark Mowers6. Nathan Robinson<h3>RIGHT WINGERS</h3>1. Brett Hull2. Steve Yzerman3. Darren McCarty4. Jason Williams5. Tomas Kopecky6. Darryl Bootland<h3>GRADE B+</h3>No Fedorov, but still plenty of scoring<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0120-0189/10212716-1-eng-US/f0120-012.jpg" title="f0120-01" width="2586" height="2484"></div><h2>The Hockey News GOALIE ZONE</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0122-0187/10212709-1-eng-US/f0122-012.jpg" title="f0122-01" width="1512" height="1896"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0122-0248/10212702-1-eng-US/f0122-022.jpg" title="f0122-02" width="1448" height="701"><figcaption class="caption-body">(NCL RANK)</figcaption></div><h2>FUTURE WATCH</h2>Here are Detroit&rsquo;s first draft pick in 2003 and top 10 prospects, with age, position and 2002-03 team.<h3>2003 TOP PICK</h3>JIM HOWARDPOSITION GoaltenderSELECTED 64th overallCLUB Maine(HE)SCOUTING REPORT He is a fundamentally sound goalie who is quick on his feet and capable of hot streaks. Durability will come with experience. Time horizon: three or four years away. Key stat: .916 save percentage in 21 games.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0122-0333/10212695-1-eng-US/f0122-032.jpg" title="f0122-03" width="230" height="250"><figcaption class="caption-body">(DALE MACMILLAN/BBS)</figcaption></div><h3>TOP 10 PROSPECTS</h3>Blue squares indicate projected sure-fire NHLers. Not included are 2003 draft picks. Age as of Oct. 1.1. Igor Grigorenko, RW, 20, Togliatti (Rus.)2. Jiri Hudler, C, 19, HC Vsetin (Cze.)3. Niklas Kronwall, D, 22, Djurgarden (Swe.)&nbsp;4. Stephan Liv, G, 22, HV-71 (Swe.)5. Tomas Kopecky, C, 21, Grand Rapids (AHL)6. Tomas Fleischmann, LW, 19, Moose Jaw (WHL)7. Drew MacIntyre, G, 20, Sherbrooke (QMJHL).&nbsp;8. Danny Groulx, D, 22, Grand Rapids (AHL)9. Nathan Robinson, C, 21, Grand Rapids (AHL)&nbsp;10. Joey McDonald, G, 23, Grand Rapids (AHL)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0122-0416/10212688-1-eng-US/f0122-042.jpg" title="f0122-04" width="960" height="3472"></div> &#9632;

f0118-01

New-look Wings dynamite on ‘D’

<div class="byline">By Rob Tychkowski</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0124-0192/10212859-1-eng-US/f0124-012.jpg" title="f0124-01" width="825" height="360"></div>After spinning their wheels for five straight years, never getting past the round of the opening playoffs, the Oilers promised themselves and their fans that things would be different in 2002-03.The franchise, confident it had the talent and the will to be a major player in the Western Conference, talked about winning its division, getting home-ice advantage in the first round and going two or three series deep in the playoffs.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0124-0333/10212852-1-eng-US/f0124-032.jpg" title="f0124-03" width="1264" height="2037"><figcaption class="caption-body">RYAN SMITH (DALE MACMILLAN/BS)</figcaption></div>Didn&rsquo;t happen. Instead it was the same old, same old. The points the Oilers frittered away during all those points ghastly regular season slumps netted another finish and another eighth-place first round exit courtesy of who else? - the Dallas Stars. That was bad enough for a city that expected so much more - and then watching small-market Anaheim and Minnesota score the upsets that Edmonton couldn&rsquo;t manufacture made it even worse.It became quite obvious the old guard couldn&rsquo;t get it done, so GM Kevin Lowe is giving the new one a chance. And so begins another youth movement. Anson Carter and Janne Niinimaa were moved at the trade deadline; the club didn&rsquo;t make any attempt to keep unrestricted free agent Todd Marchant; it bought out Dan Cleary&rsquo;s contract; and traded away backup goalie Jussi Markkanen. This opens the door for rookie forwards Raffi Torres, Jani Rita, Jarret Stoll and No. 2 net minder Ty Conklin, for starters. It shouldn&rsquo;t stop there, either. When a team hasn&rsquo;t won a playoff series in five years, no veteran is safe.But change doesn&rsquo;t automatically translate into success. With so many young, new faces on a team that refuses to play the trap, don&rsquo;t the Oilers to be a factor this season. They&rsquo;re building for expect the post-2004 landscape, hoping with a better CBA they can all their keep young talent together until it matures into something special.STRENGTHS The Oilers will likely once again be the team in the NHL, a youngest club that hopes to use speed, energy and emotion as its primary weapons.Stocked with youth and a commitment to what Lowe calls &ldquo;Oiler hockey,&rdquo; Edmonton is shaping up to be a quick, hungry team that forechecks relentlessly and throws four lines at its opponents all night long. There are no superstars, but there aren&rsquo;t any slugs, either. The third and fourth lines play regular shifts for 60 minutes, even late in the third period of close games, which has worn down some opponents. There will also be a season-long sense of urgency.The Oilers saw what Minnesota and Anaheim did and will use that as motivation. Being a small market is no longer a viable excuse - not for the fans and not for the players and coaches. That should light a nice little fire under the team.WEAKNESSES The Oilers weren&rsquo;t blessed with abundant scoring talent last and did year add any proven scorers in the off-season. Short of Ales don&rsquo;t have Hemsky, they much in the way of natural goal-scorers.Edmonton will have to work hard for everything it gets and that&rsquo;s hard to maintain for 82 games.The Oilers also lack experience. With so many young players, especially up front, this season could be fraught with painful lessons. They can probably be rattled, they&rsquo;ll probably blow a few third period leads and they&rsquo;ll probably take undisciplined penalties and stray from the hard line defensive system.Unlike some clubs that clamp down from the opening face off, Edmonton won&rsquo;t play the trap unless it&rsquo;s protecting a third period lead. That&rsquo;s good if you like entertaining hockey, but not so good when you look at how Anaheim, season. Minnesota and New Jersey succeeded.The Oilers&rsquo; power play was laughable, operating at a 14.5 per-cent success rate. They can to be promise better, but fans will have to see it to believe it.OFFENSE Hemsky brought people out of their seats last season and they&rsquo;re counting on him to do like wise this year. Mike Comrie started strongly, but broke his thumb at the mark and was three-quarter never the same. He has to rediscover his hands if Edmonton is to make any progress.Shawn Horcoff really emerged as an offensive leader down the stretch last year. He was the best Oiler in the playoffs, stood out on Team Canada at the World Championship and was back in the gym by mid - May. He could be a breakthrough guy.Radek Dvorak is a wild card. He&rsquo;s a talent, having scored 30 goals for the Rangers in 2000-01, but 17 and 10 in managed just the last two It remains to be seen years. how he performs in Edmonton with the additional ice time, responsibility and expectations. If he doesn&rsquo;t return to 30-goal form, the team is in trouble.DEFENSE The defense got a lot bigger last season with the addition of6-foot-6 rookie Alex Semenov and 6-foot-5 Cory Cross, who made of an enough impact that he was signed to a three-year deal. Add them to the always physical and intense captain Jason Smith, Olympian Eric Brewer who was named and veteran Steve Staios, Edmonton&rsquo;s top defenseman last season, and you&rsquo;ve got a pretty good top-five. There&rsquo;s a nice mix of youth (Semenov is 22, Brewer 24) and experience (Smithis 29, Staios 30) and plenty of muscle.Semenov has enormous upside. He joined the team in mid-season and by the end of the year was a top-four defenseman playing over 20 minutes a night. He&rsquo;s huge, physical and bright and will carry a big share of the load in his sophomore year.Edmonton is missing a highly skilled puck-moving defenseman to quarterback the power play and make the quick outlet pass. One possibility is Marc-Andre Berger on. The small, but skilled defenseman had a goal and two points in five games last season and also saw some play-off action.BEHIND THE BENCH Coach Craig MacTavish was a defensive forward through and through when he played and hasn&rsquo;t varied very far from that philosophy as a coach. Hevalues defense above everything, sometimes to a fault. His tolerance for defensive lapses is nil, which some times stifles offensive He&rsquo;s a creativity. players&rsquo; coach who is some times hesitant to take a hard line with slumping veterans.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0125-0180/10212845-1-eng-US/f0125-012.jpg" title="f0125-01" width="1146" height="1748"><figcaption class="caption-body">Tough guy Georges Laraque slipped from 13 goals two years ago to a mere six last season. (DALE MACMILLAN/BS)</figcaption></div>CHEMISTRY 101 The Oilers have maintained their reputation as one of the tightest dressing rooms in the league despite major personnel changes over the last few years. This is a very young group of players with similar interests.Team closeness is fostered through things like the post-practice lunch, a catered meal held in the dressing room after every practice. Veterans such as Smith, Staios and Ryan Smyth do a good job of passing on the Oiler traditions.ROOKIES Jarret Stoll is a smart, heads-up center who&rsquo;s adequate at both ends of the ice. Raffi Torres is an energetic, feisty left winger whom the Oilers are counting on I provide the kind of momentum-turning shifts they didn&rsquo;t get from anyone last yeaJani Rita had a chance to break through last year and didn&rsquo;t do it. He&rsquo;s a solidly built forward who takes care of his own end. His offense needs work, though.<h2>THEBOTTOMLINE</h2>Could be the real deal by 2006. Until then, expect growing pains another hard time making playoffs.PREDICTION9th in West<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0124-0249/10212838-1-eng-US/f0124-022.jpg" title="f0124-02" width="266" height="664"></div><h2>MIKE BROPHY&rsquo;S spotlight</h2>SHAWN HORCOFF, CHorcoff had a career-high in points in 2002-03, led the Oilers in playoff scoring and helped Canada win gold at the World Championship. His continued progress and secondary scoring is vital for Edmonton&rsquo;s offense.<h2>ARRIVALS & DEPARTURES</h2>Off-season player movement affecting Edmonton&rsquo;s roster includes:<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0125-0251/10212831-1-eng-US/f0125-022.jpg" title="f0125-02" width="252" height="138"></div>Ty Conklin, G Jani Rita, RWJarret Stoll, C Raffi Torres, LW<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0125-0332/10212824-1-eng-US/f0125-032.jpg" title="f0125-03" width="250" height="134"></div>Dan Cleary, RWTodd Marchant, CJussi Markkanen, G<h2>DEPTH CHART extra</h2><h3>TEAM GRADE B-</h3>Simply too many good teams ahead of themGM Kevin Lowe4th NHL year, 1st team(113-98-35)COACH Craig MacTavish4th NHL year, 1st team (113-98-35)*OT losses counted as losses<h3>GOALIES</h3>1. Tommy Salo2. Ty Conklin3. Jeff Deslauriers<h3>GRADE B-</h3>Conklin could push incumbent Salo<h3>DEFENSEMEN</h3>1. Eric Brewer2. Steve Staios3. Jason Smith4. Alex Semenov5. Cory Cross6. Scott Ferguson7. Marc-Andre Bergeron8. Bobby Allen9. Kari Haakana10. Doug Lynch<h3>GRADE B</h3>Nothing fancy, but they get the job done<h3>LEFT WINGERS</h3>1. Ryan Smyth2. Mike York3. Ethan Moreau4. Brad Isbister5. Jason Chimera6. Raffi Torres<h3>CENTERS</h3>1. Mike Comrie2. Shawn Horcoff3. Marty Reasoner4. Brian Swanson5. Jarret Stoll6. Chad Hinz<h3>RIGHT WINGERS</h3>1. Radek Dvorak2. Ales Hemsky3. Georges Laraque4. Fernando Pisani5. Jani Rita6. Tony Salmelainen<h3>GRADE B-</h3>Hard workers, but a&nbsp;little on the small side<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0126-0184/10212817-1-eng-US/f0126-012.jpg" title="f0126-01" width="2658" height="2460"></div><h2>The Hockey News GOALIE ZONE</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0127-0180/10212810-1-eng-US/f0127-012.jpg" title="f0127-01" width="1604" height="1814"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0127-0250/10212803-1-eng-US/f0127-022.jpg" title="f0127-02" width="1548" height="715"><figcaption class="caption-body">(NHL RANK)</figcaption></div><h2>FUTURE WATCH</h2>Here are Edmonton&rsquo;s first draft pick in 2003 and top 10 prospects, with age, position and 2002-03 team.<h3>2003 TOP PICK</h3>MARC-ANTOINE POULIOTPOSITION CenterSELECTED 22nd overallCLUB Rimouski (QMJHL)SCOUTING REPORT Great offensive instincts and a quick release are his trademarks. Pouliot has good on-ice vision and passes well, but is apprehensive when the game gets physical. Time horizon: three years away. Key stat: 73 points in 65 games.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0127-0338/10212796-1-eng-US/f0127-032.jpg" title="f0127-03" width="261" height="248"><figcaption class="caption-body">(GREG ABEL/BBS)</figcaption></div><h3>TOP 10 PROSPECTS</h3>Blue squares indicate projected sure-fire NHLers. Not included are 2003 draft picks. Age as of Oct. 1.1. Jani Rita, RW, 22, Hamilton (AHL)2. Jarret Stoll, C, 21, Hamilton (AHL)3. Raffi Torres, LW, 21, Hamilton (AHL)4. Jeff Deslauriers, G, 19, Chicoutimi (QMJHL)&nbsp;5. Ty Conklin, G, 27, Hamilton (AHL)6. Tony Salmelainen, LW, 22, Hamilton (AHL)7. Jesse Niinimaki, C, 20, Ilves Tampere (Fin.)8. Matt Greene, D, 20, North Dakota (WCHA)9. Brad Winchester, LW, 22, Wisconsin (WCHA)&nbsp;10. Doug Lynch, D, 20, Spokane (WHL)<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0127-0422/10212789-1-eng-US/f0127-042.jpg" title="f0127-04" width="1030" height="3469"></div> &#9632;

f0124-01

Low expectations for youthful Oilers

<div class="byline">By David J. Neal</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0128-0190/10212960-1-eng-US/f0128-012.jpg" title="f0128-01" width="822" height="392"></div>How can a fifth failure to make the playoffs in the past six seasons, getting a historically piddling eight wins at home and constant combat between the coach and GM be called a successful season? How can such a campaign be a sign of hope?When the point total exceeds each of the previous two seasons and the team is the NHL&rsquo;s youngest. After all, you&rsquo;ve got to pass the lobby on your way out of the basement.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0128-0336/10212953-1-eng-US/f0128-032.jpg" title="f0128-03" width="1150" height="2156"><figcaption class="caption-body">VIKTOR KOZLOV (SPORTS ACTION)</figcaption></div>The Florida Panthers stayed in the playoff race until late March instead of being bounced by NewYear&rsquo;s. They faded late, finishing with 70 points, but that&rsquo;s still a 10-point improvement on 2001-02. They picked up 42 points on the road, including 20 in a streak of 14 consecutive road games with a point. needsEspecially in February and March, goalie Roberto Luongo continued his steady progress toward being the Next Great Goalie. Olli Jokinen had a career year by January, spurred by converting center Viktor Kozlov into Jokinen&rsquo;s right wing spot. Rookie defenseman Jay Bouwmeester looked more rattled by the media than by anything that happened on the ice.For the first time since at least 1999, the Panthers&rsquo; future picture is coming into focus instead of looking like bad French impressionism, a mangled Monet. Now, if only they can figure out who&rsquo;s putting this picture together.GM Rick Dudley and coach Mike Keenan spent last seasons taking out their territory on the equal plane one step below majority owner Alan Cohen. Relations between Dudley and Keenan are like the temperature warmer in the summer, when Keenan has less to do, and cooler in the fall and winter, when Keenan has the day-to-day run of the team.The Dudley-run draft gave Keenan the kind of big, physical forwards he adores. Dudley also promised to add a few free agent veterans. Now, perhaps the two pseudo-rock singers can carry the same tune.STRENGTHS Whatever else goes wrong on a given night, the Panthers are secure that they always have at least one goalie who can stop the puck. Luongo is learning to spread his brilliance over 60 to 70 games. Jani Hurme is a No. 2 who wants to show he should be a No. 1. They combined for the ninth-best save percentage in the league (.913) while facing the most shots last year.Florida&rsquo;s raw talent is more impressive than the numbers indicate. There&rsquo;s a reason beyond Luongo that the last four games against Detroit have gone into overtime. With technical-minded assistant John Torchetti running practices, that skill should be better honed. In a year or two, unless players such as Niklas Hagman and Kristian Huselius get hounded back to Europe, nobody will want to get into a wild skate-and-shoot biathlon with the Panthers.WEAKNESSES Mention the Panthers&rsquo; physical presence and you might as well be talking about Led Zeppelin&rsquo;s Presence &mdash; clearly not a highlight. That 98-pound weakling quality is why Florida drafted Nathan Horton and Anthony Stewart in the first round, a pair of bulky forwards.If Horton doesn&rsquo;t make the team, the Panthers will continue to be physically overmatched down the middle against most of the East. There&rsquo;s only so much muscle second-year center Stephen Weiss can add without losing his quickness.Once Horton and Stewart get to the NHL, they should add up front what the Panthers also need on the blue line. An alarming number of goals get scored because forwards are allowed to hang around the net like it&rsquo;s a lemonade stand.And trades in March and on draft day sent their two most physical defensemen, Brad Ference and Ivan Majesky, away for second round draft picks.Aside from the World Championship and World Junior Championship, nobody on this team has won anything. So, nobody has the resume to lead by voice and few command the attention to lead by example.OFFENSE On this roll, Dudley has chips in four spots. He&rsquo;s betting that Jokinen can repeat a season that saw him fall only one point short of his previous three years combined; that Kozlov can remain relatively healthy again; that Valeri Bure can wake up; and that some of the 23-and-under Panthers can figure out how to make the red light flash. Just call Dudley &lsquo;Mr. Vegas.&rsquo; This is an awfully chancy roll.More offense should start from the back end. Besides the swift, smart Bouwmeester, rookie Lukas Krajicek could make an immediate impact offensively with his superior skating and passing abilities.The Panthers&rsquo; best pure goal-scorer is Huselius, who has opened his career with two 20-goal seasons. He&rsquo;s also Keenan&rsquo;s favorite whipping (and benching) boy. That must change to avoid another franchise low in goals per game (176,2.15 per game).DEFENSE It&rsquo;s not true the Panthers have a defensive system. It&rsquo;s just that their system is &ldquo;Clear the rebound after Roberto stops the shot.&rdquo; No team allowed more shots per game than the Panthers&rsquo; 33.2 and you can bet no team allowed more quality shots. Opposition forwards are allowed to camp out around the Panthers net. After the trade of Sandis Ozolinsh, Bouwmeester led Florida defensemen in ice time and doesn&rsquo;t yet have the strength to properly defend the slot.High in the defensive zone, the wingers too often fail to get pucks out on the first opportunity. This leads to too many icings, which lead to another problem area for the Panthers: face offs.BEHIND THE BENCH Keenan&rsquo;s emotional ways come off less as cracking the whip than cracking the whim. Sometimes, he&rsquo;d need a translator if he weren&rsquo;t so transparent. Such perspective isn&rsquo;t to easy have when you&rsquo;re a first - or second-year player being buffeted about by a post-game Iron Miking.But said tirades don&rsquo;t improve passing about as crisp as uncooked bacon, nor do they teach systems. That&rsquo;s one of the why is for Torchetti being lifted to assistant status from San Antonio&rsquo;s head coaching spot. Keenan still keeps his best players and No. 1 goalie in super heavy rotation like MTV does the latest Madonna video.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0129-0182/10212946-1-eng-US/f0129-012.jpg" title="f0129-01" width="1218" height="1798"><figcaption class="caption-body">Olli Jokinen broke through with a monster season a year ago. Florida needs more of the same. (BRUCE BENNETT/BBS)</figcaption></div>CHEMISTRY 101 Question: How can you tell when Panthers from different countries are talking to each other? Answer: That&rsquo;s the only time you&rsquo;ll hear English in The Dressing Room of Babel.Keenan griped continuously about the (translation: soft), but the real problem is there&rsquo;s no spiritual center. Jokinen&rsquo;s him into the public spokesman role, yet the frank Finn can grate on teammates. A unifying personality was a top the off-season search list.ROOKIES There&rsquo;s a thought that Horton and Stewart&rsquo;s size and quickness will allow them to compete for roster spots this year. But the most anticipated rookie is Krajicek, a 2001 first-rounder(24th overall). His skating, passing and vision should be Viagra for the offense, especially on the power play. Krajicek will have problems in the more rugged areas of the defensive zone until he puts on some weight.Desires to bulk up at center will give 6-foot-3 Petr Taticek, selected ninth overall in 2002, a look as a third- or fourth-liner.<h2>THEBOTTOMLINE</h2>What&rsquo;s here to be molded by tutoring from coaches and lessons from peers. Playoff graduation is still a year away.PREDICTION14th in East<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0128-0253/10212939-1-eng-US/f0128-022.jpg" title="f0128-02" width="272" height="627"></div><h2>MIKE BROPHY&rsquo;S spotlight</h2>STEPHEN WEISS. CIf he&rsquo;s physically stronger in his sophomore year, Weiss will see more ice time in key situations. He&rsquo;s a potential impact player who especially tantalizes with his hockey smarts and play-making abilities.<h2>ARRIVALS &&nbsp;DEPARTURES</h2>Off-season player movement affecting Florida&rsquo;s roster includes:<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0129-0258/10212932-1-eng-US/f0129-022.jpg" title="f0129-02" width="252" height="143"></div>Valeri Bure, RWLukas Krajicek, DEric Messier, LW/DVaclav Nedorost, CPetr Taticek, C<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0129-0343/10212925-1-eng-US/f0129-032.jpg" title="f0129-03" width="251" height="139"></div>Igor Kravchuk, D Ivan Majesky, DS. Matteau, LWJeff Toms, LWIgor Ulanov, DPeter Worrell, LW<h2>DEPTH CHART extra</h2><h3>TEAM GRADE C-</h3>Hard work of youth only goes so farGM Rick Dudley6th NHL year, 3rd team 131-212-49)COACH Mike Keenan16th NHL year, 7th team (579-483-145)*OT losses counted as losses<h3>GOALIES</h3>1. Roberto Luongo2. Jani Hurme3. Simon Lajeunesse<h3>GRADE B+</h3>Luongo&rsquo;s attitude, athleticism saves Cats<h3>DEFENSEMEN</h3>1. Jay Bouwmeester2. Andreas Lilja3. Branislav Mezei4. Lukas Krajicek5. Mathieu Biron6. Pavel Trnka7. Kyle Rossiter8. Mike Van Ryn9. Filip Novak10. Kristian Kudroc<h3>GRADE D+</h3>Mighty suspect crew, we suspect<h3>LEFT WINGERS</h3>1. Kristian Huselius2. Marcus Nilsson3. Niklas Hagman4. Eric Messier&nbsp;5. Darcy Hordichuk6. Eric Beaudoin<h3>CENTERS</h3>&nbsp;1. Olli Jokinen2. Matt Cullen3. Stephen Weiss&nbsp;4. Vaclav Nedorost5. Petr Taticek6. Byron Ritchie<h3>RIGHT WINGERS</h3>1. Viktor Kozlov2. Valeri Bure3. Mikael Samuelsson4. Denis Shvidki5. Jaroslav Bednar6. Ivan Novovseltsev<h3>GRADE C</h3>Grit needed to go along with skill<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0130-0183/10212918-1-eng-US/f0130-012.jpg" title="f0130-01" width="2602" height="2476"></div><h2>The Hockey News GOALIE ZONE</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0131-0180/10212911-1-eng-US/f0131-012.jpg" title="f0131-01" width="1604" height="1828"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0131-0252/10212904-1-eng-US/f0131-022.jpg" title="f0131-02" width="1541" height="692"><figcaption class="caption-body">(NHL RANK)</figcaption></div><h2>FUTURE WATCH</h2>Here are Florida&rsquo;s first draft pick in 2003 and top 10 prospects, with age, position and 2002-03 team.<h3>2003 TOP PICK</h3>NATHAN HORTONPOSITION CenterSELECTED 3rd overallCLUB Oshawa (OHL)SCOUTING REPORT He&rsquo;s a young power forward who plays with finesse and grit. Horton has excellent acceleration and a powerful, balanced stride. Time horizon: One year away. Key stat: 33 goals and 111 PIMs in 54 games.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0131-0345/10212897-1-eng-US/f0131-032.jpg" title="f0131-03" width="239" height="243"><figcaption class="caption-body">(SPORTS ACTION PHOTOGRAPHY)</figcaption></div><h3>TOP 10 PROSPECTS</h3>Blue squares indicate projected sure-fire NHLers. Not included are 2003 draft picks. Age as of Oct. 1.1. Lukas Krajicek, D, 20, Peterborough (OHL)2. Petr Taticek, C, 19, S. S. Marie (OHL)3 Denis Shvidki, RW, 22, San Antonio (AHL)4. Rob Globke, C, 20, Notre Dame (CCHA)&nbsp;5. Filip Novak, D, 21, San Antonio (AHL)6. Greg Campbell, RW, 19, Kitchener (OHL)7. Toni Koivisto, LW, 20, Lukko Rauma (Fin.)8. Eric Beaudoin, LW, 23, San Antonio (AHL)&nbsp;9. Kyle Rossiter, D, 23, San Antonio (AHL)10. Josh Olson, D, 22, Jackson (ECHL)<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0131-0426/10212890-1-eng-US/f0131-042.jpg" title="f0131-04" width="1011" height="3442"></div> &#9632;

f0128-01

Year of learning in line for kid Cats

<div class="byline">By Matt McHale</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0132-0183/10213061-1-eng-US/f0132-012.jpg" title="f0132-01" width="840" height="428"></div>The Los Angeles Kings were a year ahead of the league trend toward fiscal responsibility last year. While it surely saved them in the pocket book, it may have cost them on the ice.Injuries, which included a rash of concussions, crippled the roster and deprived the club of some of its top offensive players. While any club would have suffered with so many key players out of the lineup, it&rsquo;s arguable the lack of depth left to pick up the pieces was what led to the Kings&rsquo; first non-playoff season in four years.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0132-0326/10213054-1-eng-US/f0132-032.jpg" title="f0132-03" width="1185" height="2059"><figcaption class="caption-body">ALEXANDER FROLOV (SPORTS ACTION)</figcaption></div>Now they&rsquo;ll learn if their commitment to the young players who got so much unexpected ice time last season is paying off.But first things first: Los Angeles expects to get back cornerstones Jason Allison and Adam Deadmarsh, who were limited to just 26 and 20 games last season. They could be joined on the top line by winger Trent Klatt, a free agent signee out of Vancouver. The team also acquired Roman Cechmanek from the Flyers to take over as the No. 1 stopper, and brought back former Kings mainstay Luc Robitaille for one final run.Still, it may be the development of second-year forwards Alexander Frolov, Mike Cammalleri and Jared Aulin that determines if the club has the depth to move forward. Frolov, who scored 14 goals in his rookie year, has the skill to hit 30 this season. It helps he&rsquo;ll be paired with high-scoring Ziggy Palffy and center Jozef Stumpel, who returns after two years in Boston.Cammalleri received the most hype last summer after signing out of the University of Michigan, but wasn&rsquo;t ready for the NHL and injuries derailed several attempts to catch on with the big club. Many think Aulin, acquired two years ago in the Rob Blake deal with Colorado, has moved ahead of Cammalleri on the depth chart, but he also has been bothered by injuries. At least two of the three will be counted on to have an impact.As for Stumpel, the club believe she&rsquo;ll do well playing behind Allison in the No. 2 center slot given the talented line mates he&rsquo;ll have on either side.While Cechmanek&rsquo;s playoff record was spotty in Philadelphia, his regular seasons have been outstanding. That&rsquo;s really all the Kings care about right now. With their health restored, getting back to the post season is the immediate goal.STRENGTHS The return of Allison to center brings a proven scorer with grit to mix it up in front of the net. Allison also has emerged as a team leader. Playing along side Deadmarsh should help him re-establish his reputation as one of the NHL&rsquo;s top players. The addition of Stumpel means the Kings should have two legitimate scoring lines to balance the attack.Coach Andy Murray&rsquo;s philosophy revolves around defense and Mattias Norstrom and Aaron Miller provide toughness on the blueline. Lubomir Visnovsky returned to form after an off-year two seasons ago and should continue to improve.Cechmanek has much to prove himself. Los Angeles didn&rsquo;t give up much to get him, just a second round draft pick in 2004, but they&rsquo;ll be expecting a lot from him. And given his regular season track record, there&rsquo;s little reason to think he can&rsquo;t deliver.WEAKNESSES The biggest question is whether the Kings have enough offense. Deadmarsh&rsquo;s concussion has cleared, but if for some reason he is forced out again, far too heavy a load will fall on Allison.That will be true on the power play as well as at even strength. The departure of defenseman Mathieu Schneider at the trade deadline last year cost the club its top player the on point. Second-year man Joe Corvo will get a shot at the position, but it&rsquo;s unrealistic to expect him to carry the load alone. Jaroslav Modry also is a scorer, but he is expected to miss training after camp undergoing summer shoulder surgery.OFFENSE Deadmarsh had 13 goals in his first 20 and games was on his way to a career year when he suffered the second of two concussions Dec. 15. He never returned and neither did the Kings. Deadmarsh remained in Los Angeles all summer and began to show progress in his recovery after several months of waiting.His ice time reduced dramatically in his final year in Detroit, Robitaille, 37, returns for a third stint as a King. He&rsquo;ll get more than a fair chance to show he can still score.Allison&rsquo;s the offensive catalyst and also looks to be 100 per cent after a knee-to-knee hit by Atlanta&rsquo;s Andy Sutton Oct. 31 wrecked his season. Allison, a restricted free agent after this season, wants to prove he still is an elite player. Ziggy Palffy picked up his game after Deadmarsh and Allison went down and it appeared the club might trade him rather than pick up his $7 million option. He is unrestricted after the season.DEFENSE The Kings made a huge commitment when they signed Aaron Miller to a four-year, $16-million contract at the trade deadline. Miller was banged up early last year, but adds a strong presence to the blueline. The defense corps as a whole was a strength last season, but without much offense and erratic goal-tending by the departed Felix Potvin and Jamie Storr, it often was overtaxed.Los Angeles got a lot bigger in the Schneider trade that brought back 6-foot-5, 230-pound Maxim Kuznetsov. He showed plenty of potential in Detroit; now he&rsquo;ll be given the responsibility he never had with the Wings.BEHIND THE BENCH Murray returns for his fifth season. Although he coached Canada to gold at the World Championship in May, Murray is still steamed by the thought he was at the Worlds at all instead of in the playoffs.Preparation and motivation are Murray&rsquo;s strengths. He has been known to be over-bearing and once asked his slumping players to write an essay starting with, &ldquo;I play my best hockey when&hellip;&rdquo; The move rankled some veterans, but Murray is generally respected in the dressing room.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0133-0184/10213047-1-eng-US/f0133-012.jpg" title="f0133-01" width="1167" height="1788"><figcaption class="caption-body">Flashy right winger Ziggy Palffy led Los Angeles in virtually every often season. (SCOTT LEVY/BBS)</figcaption></div>CHEMISTRY 101 With all the injuries last season there were many unfamiliar faces in the dressing room. Allison is the key to making things work off the ice. He accepted more leadership responsibility last year, but was rarely around after the first month. Captain Mattias Norstrom is more of a quiet leader. He earns respect by leading the team in strength and conditioning tests every year and is one of the league&rsquo;s hardest hitters. Ian Laperriere lends spirit and emotion to the room and Klatt will help in this department as well.ROOKIES There is a chance defenseman Denis Grebeshkov could be signed and start the season in L.A. The past two years, he led Russia to gold medals at the World Junior Championship and helped his team in the Russian Elite to League titles.The Kings indicated 2003 first-rounder Dustin Brown (13th overall) will be given the chance to compete for the top line right wing spot. A speedy two-way forward, Brown&rsquo;s work ethic and willingness to get dirty more than make up for his average size. He spent the past three years playing for Guelph in the Ontario League.<h2>THEBOTTOMLINE</h2>Return to play-offs in cards if Kings remain reasonably healthy and Cechmanek delivers as usual inPREDICTION8th in West<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0132-0254/10213040-1-eng-US/f0132-022.jpg" title="f0132-02" width="254" height="673"></div><h2>MIKE BROPHY&rsquo;S spotlight</h2>&nbsp;JASON ALLISON, CWhen healthy, Allison is a potential top-five scorer in the NHL. He had 28 points in 26 games last year and three of his six goals won the game for the Kings. If he stays healthy, he'll guide L.A. into the playoffs.<h2>ARRIVALS & DEPARTURES</h2>Off-season player movement affecting Los Angeles&rsquo;s roster includes:<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0133-0258/10213033-1-eng-US/f0133-022.jpg" title="f0133-02" width="251" height="145"></div>Roman Cechmanek, GTrent Klatt, RWLuc Robitaille, LW Jozef Stumpel, C<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0133-0338/10213026-1-eng-US/f0133-032.jpg" title="f0133-03" width="253" height="142"></div>Ken Belanger, LWMikko Eloranta, LWCraig Johnson, RWFelix Potvin, GErik Rasmussen, FJamie Storr, G<h2>DEPTH CHART extra</h2><h3>TEAM GRADE B</h3>Could be this year&rsquo;s surprise teamGM Dave Taylor7th NHL year, 1st team (220-218-58)COACH Andy Murray5th NHL year, 1st team (150-140-42)*OT losses counted as losses<h3>GOALIES</h3>1. Roman Cechmanek2. Cristobal Huet3. Mathieu Chouinard<h3>GRADE B+</h3>Cechmanek great in regular season<h3>DEFENSEMEN</h3>1. Mattias Norstrom2. Aaron Miller3. Lubomir Visnovsky4. Jaroslav Modry5. Joe Corvo6. Tomas Zizka7. Maxim Kuznetsov8. Tim Gleason9. Denis Grebeshkov10. Jason Holland<h3>GRADE B-</h3>Solid, though not necessarily spectacular<h3>LEFT WINGERS</h3>1. Adam Deadmarsh2. Alexander Frolov3. Luc Robitaille4. Sean Avery5. Brad Chartrand&nbsp;6. Ryan Flinn<h3>CENTERS</h3>1. Jason Allison2. Jozef Stumpel3. Derek Armstrong4. Eric Belanger5. Jared Aulin6. Mike Cammalleri<h3>RIGHT WINGERS</h3>1. Ziggy Palffy2. Trent Klatt3. Ian Laperriere4. Jon Sim5. Scott Barney6. Yanick Lehoux<h3>GRADE B</h3>Getting Allison, Deadmarsh back helps<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0134-0185/10213019-1-eng-US/f0134-012.jpg" title="f0134-01" width="2618" height="2484"></div><h2>The Hockey News GOALIE ZONE</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0135-0180/10213012-1-eng-US/f0135-012.jpg" title="f0135-01" width="1576" height="1848"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0135-0249/10213005-1-eng-US/f0135-022.jpg" title="f0135-02" width="1554" height="717"><figcaption class="caption-body">(NHL RANK)</figcaption></div><h2>FUTURE WATCH</h2>Here are Los Angeles' first draft pick in 2003 and top 10 Angeles' first draft pick prospects, with age, position and 2002-03 team.<h3>2003 TOP PICK</h3>DUSTIN BROWNPOSITION Right wingerSELECTED 13th overallCLUB Guelph (OHL)SCOUTING REPORT A three-time winner of top, scholastic player in major junior, Brown is a pure scorer with a great shot and quick hands. Some scouts question his hockey sense. Time horizon: two years away. Key stat: 76 points in 58 games.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0135-0339/10212998-1-eng-US/f0135-032.jpg" title="f0135-03" width="238" height="251"><figcaption class="caption-body">(JIM MCISAAC/BBS)</figcaption></div><h3>TOP 10 PROSPECTS</h3>Blue squares indicate projected sure-fire NHLers. included are 2003 draft picks. Age as of Oct. 1. Not1. Denis Grebeshkov, D, 19, Yaroslavl (Rus.)2. Mike Cammalleri, C, 21, Manchester (AHL)3. Jared Aulin, C, 21, Manchester (AHL)4. Jens Karlsson, LW, 20, Frolunda (Swe.)5. Tim Gleason, 0, 20, Windsor (OHL)&nbsp;6. Sergei Anshakov, LW, 19, Central Army (Rus.)7. Tomas Zizka, D, 23, Manchester (AHL)8. David Steckel, RW, 21, Ohio State (CCHA)9. Petr Kanko, RW, 19, Kitchener (OHL)10. Richard Petiot, D, 21, Colorado College (WCHA)<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0135-0413/10212991-1-eng-US/f0135-042.jpg" title="f0135-04" width="1004" height="3447"></div> &#9632;

f0132-01

With hurts healed, wins should follow

<div class="byline">By Brian Murphy</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0136-0188/10213162-1-eng-US/f0136-012.jpg" title="f0136-01" width="880" height="382"></div>The Minnesota Wild&rsquo;s rapid ascension to 95 points and a berth in the Western Conference final has heightened expectations in a hockey-mad market that turned 36 days of spring on the Mississippi River into Mardi Gras North.But in this era of fiscal fickleness, the focus in Minnesota remains building a long-term contender by developing from within while gently tweaking its chemistry from outside. That means veterans will continue to be pushed to keep pace with youngsters who earned a free playoff education.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0136-0253/10213155-1-eng-US/f0136-022.jpg" title="f0136-02" width="1228" height="2048"><figcaption class="caption-body">MARIAN GABORIK (LAYNE MURDOCH/BBS)</figcaption></div>The team mostly will remain intact for 2003-04, although it will not rest on its laurels. Still, it would seem preposterous to expect the Wild to reach the same zenith as last season, when they improved 22 to points finish sixth in the ultra-competitive West.The magic sprouted during an 8-1-2-0October grew by eight overtime wins through the season and blossomed into an historic run. playoff The Wild became the first team to twice rally from 3-1 series deficits in the same post-season, defeating Colorado and Vancouver by winning two of the last three games on the road before being swept by Anaheim in the conference final.Team defense, which allowed the Wild to tread water in its first two seasons, allowed the club to walk on water in Year III. Minnesota plans to stick with the 1-2 goaltending punch of Dwayne Roloson and Manny Fernandez, although the competition for a true No. 1 should really heat up in their third season together.Despite the emergence of winger Marian Gaborik as a bona fide superstar, the Wild are constantly in need of supplemental offense. Additions through free agency or the minors will try to address that.STRENGTHS Before the playoffs, Vancouver GM Brian Burke said the Wild &ldquo;is not a hockey team, it is a cult,&rdquo; a recycled comment that was complimentary, not pejorative. No team is as wired into its coach&rsquo;s brain as the Wild are to Jacques Lemaire. His philosophy is gospel and his 23 disciples bored deep into the post-season maximizing their collective talents for the benefit of the club and their own job security. Ice time is doled out evenly to the interchangeable four forward lines and defense pairings. An opponent rarely outworks the Wild and Minnesota wears that badge knowing it is inherent to the team identity.When leaks do spring, Roloson and Fernandez thrive. They knitted themselves into the best goal-tending duo in the NHL, forging the fourth-lowest goals-against average (2.14) with consistency that pushed each other&rsquo;s game to career heights.WEAKNESSES The Wild finished 27th in scoring in 2001-02 and they improved last season&hellip; all the way to 24th. Despite their penchant for bagging momentum-turning goals and overtime winners, the Wild rely heavily on their suffocating system and goaltending to keep them within striking distance in the third period. An off-night for either can turn a scoreless game into a 5-0 laugher in minutes whether the opponent is Detroit or Columbus. Their lack of instinctual offense was exposed when they collided in the playoffs with Jean-Sebastien Giguere and their opportunistic clones, the Mighty Ducks, who out-Wilded the Wild. OFFENSE Gaborik moved from potentials waiting room to a seat at the head table of the NHL&rsquo;s A-list of talent. The 21-year-old notched his second straight 30-goal season, played in the All-Star Game for the first time and finished second in play off scoring with17 points in 18 games.Gaborik&rsquo;s clutch post-season covered up a regular season slump that included only four goals in his final 32 games. Entering his fourth season, though, his star should continue to rise.Second-year sniper Pascal Dupuis scored20 goals, becoming a secondary scoring threat on a team thirsting for offense. Dupuis, 24, was inconsistent in the playoffs, but the left winger was a team-high plus-17 during the season and possesses a cannon of a shot. Andrew Brunette and Sergei Zholtok will be again expected to carry their share of the offensive burden, made heavier when the team severed ties with free agent Cliff Ronning.DEFENSE The Wild do not have a glass-rattling defenseman or a true power play quarter back on the blueline; nor do they boast a minutes-muncher who can play 30 minutes every game against the top forwards in the league. Their six regulars skate well and communicate even better, which enables them to snuff pressure, maintain order in their own end and play confidently with two solid goalies in the crease.Willie Mitchell became a playoff warrior against the Avs and Canucks, helping to neutralize Peter Forsberg and neuter Todd Bertuzzi in a pair of brutal seven-game series. Nick Schultz, 20, improved exponentially as the season progressed, while Filip Kuba shook off a horrible start to provide an offensive boost.The unit could stiffen up more in front of Roloson and Fernandez, who were sometimes rattled by physical teams exploiting soft spots around the crease.BEHIND THE BENCH For seven months, Lemaire watched in disbelief as his stitched-together gang rolled over one trapdoor after another until it ran out of gas against the Ducks. The reigning coach of the year never stole of the credit any from his players, though, even as it was being piled a this feet by the rest of the hockey world. And that, among several reasons, is why the Hall-of-Famer commands total respect in a dressing room devoid of VIPs. Lemaire is not a screamer or manipulator, father figure orbed checker. He is an equal-opportunity teacher. He will tell a veteran how to take a better angle at a puck carrier in the same way he will show a rookie where to plant his feet on the power play. Positioning is Lemaire&rsquo;s instructional hub from which all spokes of the Wild&rsquo;s game plan the - trap the counter-attack, -and special teams originate Preparedness is his staff&rsquo;s calling card.CHEMISTRY 101 Fueled by youthful exuberance and journeymen pride, the Wild revel in its identity as a sum-of-all-parts success story. This is a team that rotates captains every month by having its new leader take an honorary practice lap wearing the &rsquo;C&rsquo; jersey. Egos and attitude are checked at the dressing room door. They are a professional, confident bunch that achieved something special last year and absorbed the moment. Quick-witted Brad Bombardir keeps the atmosphere loose. Mitchell would gladly chat about an optional skate for hours. Brunette is not afraid to vent after a woeful performance, while Zholtok and Wes Walz usually have the team&rsquo;s pulse.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0137-0181/10213148-1-eng-US/f0137-012.jpg" title="f0137-01" width="1176" height="1757"><figcaption class="caption-body">Center Sergei Zholtok is one of a handful of Wild leaders who rotate the captaincy during the season (DALE MACMILLAN/BBS)</figcaption></div>ROOKIES Fresh off their Calder Cup championship in Houston, prospects Stephane Veilleux, Rickard Wallin and Kyle Wanvig are poised to compete for jobs at training camp. Their stock rose dramatical-only playing the same line for the Aeros. Veilleux led the team with seven playoff goals, Wallin with11assists and Wanvig with four power play goals. Veilleux is an energetic darter. Wanvig has a sandpaper attitude on the ice and a swagger off it. Between them, Wall in demonstrated a deft play making touch. At least one should make the team, maybe more.<h2>THEBOTTOMLINE</h2>If the injury bug stays away and Fernandez and Roloson continue to stack bricks in net, making the dance is again attainable.PREDICTION7th in West<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0136-0332/10213141-1-eng-US/f0136-032.jpg" title="f0136-03" width="252" height="599"></div><h2>MIKE BROPHY&rsquo;S spotlight</h2>PIERRE-MARC BOUCHARD. CThe Wild was patient in allowing this teenager to develop at his own pace and wisely sent him to compete in the World Junior Championship. He should be ready to handle more responsibility this year.<h2>ARRIVALS & DEPARTURES</h2>Off-season player movement affecting Minnesota&rsquo;s roster includes:<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0137-0254/10213134-1-eng-US/f0137-022.jpg" title="f0137-02" width="259" height="144"></div>Kyle Wanvig, RW<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0137-0336/10213127-1-eng-US/f0137-032.jpg" title="f0137-03" width="262" height="146"></div>Cliff Ronning, CLubomir Sekeras, D<h2>DEPTH CHART extra</h2><h3>TEAM GRADE&nbsp;B</h3>Will continue to grind opposition into iceGM Doug Risebrough 9th NHL year, 2nd team (234-239-81)COACH Jacques Lemaire11th NHL year, 3rd team (340-283-107)*OT losses counted as losses<h3>GOALIES</h3>1. Dwayne Roloson2. Manny Fernandez3. Johan Holmqvist<h3>GRADE B+</h3>No superstar, but tan dem gets job done<h3>DEFENSEMEN</h3>1. Brad Bombardir2. Willie Mitchell3. Filip Kuba4. Nick Schultz5. Andrei Zyuzin6. Jason Marshall7. Brad Brown8. Travis Roche9. Zbynek Michalek10. Erik Reitz<h3>GRADE B-</h3>Benefits from overall commitment to D<h3>LEFT WINGERS</h3>1. Andrew Brunettene2. Pascal Dupuis3. Antti Laaksonen4. Jeremy Stevenson5. Matt Johnson6. Stepha Veilleux<h3>CENTERS</h3>1. Wes Walz2. Jim Dowd3. Darby Hendrickson4. Pierre-Marc Bouchard5. Rickard Wallin6. Mikko Koivu<h3>RIGHT WINGERS</h3>1. Marian Gaborik2. Sergei Zholtok3. Richard Park4. Bill Muckalt5. Kyle Wanvig6. Matt Foy<h3>GRADE B-</h3>Not fancy, but they&rsquo;ll never be out worked<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0138-0180/10213120-1-eng-US/f0138-012.jpg" title="f0138-01" width="2570" height="2496"></div><h2>The Hockey News GOALIE ZONE</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0139-0166/10213113-1-eng-US/f0139-012.jpg" title="f0139-01" width="1556" height="1872"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0139-0243/10213106-1-eng-US/f0139-022.jpg" title="f0139-02" width="1552" height="729"><figcaption class="caption-body">(NHL RANK)</figcaption></div><h2>FUTURE WATCH</h2>Here are Minnesota&rsquo;s first draft pick in 2003 and top 10 prospects, with age, position and 2002-03 team.<h3>2003 TOP PICK</h3>BRENT BURNS&nbsp;POSITION Right wingerSELECTED 20th overall&nbsp;CLUB Brampton (OHL)SCOUTING REPORT This strapping winger is a strong skater with a good wrist shot and is excellent on the back check. A surprise pick, he wasn't rated among the top 100 prospects. Time horizon: three years away. Key stat: 40 points in 68 games.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0139-0332/10213099-1-eng-US/f0139-032.jpg" title="f0139-03" width="244" height="251"><figcaption class="caption-body">(JIM MCISAAC/BBS)</figcaption></div><h3>TOP 10 PROSPECTS</h3>Blue squares indicate projected sure-fire NHLers. included are 2003 draft picks. Age as of Oct. 1. Not1. Mikko Koivu, C, 20, TPS Turku (Fin.)2. Rickard Wallin, C, 23, Houston (AHL)3. Kyle Wanvig, RW, 22, Houston (AHL)4. Travis Roche, D, 25, Houston (AHL)5. Erik Reitz, D, 21, Houston (AHL)6. Chris Heid, D, 20, Spokane (WHL)7. Josh Harding, G, 19, Regina (WHL)8. Matt Foy, RW, 20, Ottawa (OHL)9. Marc Cavosie, LW, 22, Houston (AHL)&nbsp;10. Barry Brust, G, 20, Spokane (WHL)<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0139-0417/10213092-1-eng-US/f0139-042.jpg" title="f0139-04" width="1014" height="3441"></div> &#9632;

f0136-01

Can success stick for Wild wonders?

<div class="byline">By Herb Zurkowsky</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0140-0175/10213263-1-eng-US/f0140-012.jpg" title="f0140-01" width="828" height="382"></div>The Montreal Canadiens have one thing working in their favor as they head into a new season. The expectations are low.That might mean the possibilities are high.A year ago at this time, the Canadiens were coming off their first playoff appearance in four seasons. Not only that, but they upset Boston in the opening round and came mighty close in Round 2 to eliminating Carolina, the eventual Stanley Cup finalist, before succumbing in six games.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0140-0331/10213256-1-eng-US/f0140-032.jpg" title="f0140-03" width="1204" height="2079"><figcaption class="caption-body">SAKU KDIVU (JIM MCISAAC/BBS)</figcaption></div>But just as the Hurricanes proved one-year wonder, so, too, did the Canadiens. Instead of taking the next - step finishing higher in the standings and advancing further into the playoffs - Montreal failed miserably to capitalize on its momentum. to being andThe Canadiens&rsquo; record of 30-35-8-9 left them 10th overall in the Eastern Conference, six points out of the playoffs, marking the fourth time in five seasons this once-storied franchise has seen its season end prematurely.Jose Theodore, after a 2001-02 campaign that saw him capture the Hart and Vezina Trophies, came nowhere close to duplicating those accomplishments in 2002-03. And he must now also deal with off-ice controversy after his father and four half-brothers were arrested for their alleged involvement in a loan sharking ring. As well, Theodore had a social relationship, at the very least, with members of the Hell Angels motorcycle gang, according to photos published by two newspapers.The Canadiens scored only 206 goals last season while allowing 234. In what&rsquo;s becoming an annual tradition they were outshot, 2,678 to 2,119. Their power play ranked 25th in the NHL; their penalty killing was 23rd. They scored only two shorthanded goals all season.There&rsquo;s little reason to be optimistic heading into anew season, although the hiring of former Canadiens captain Bob Gainey as GM should eventually lead to better days. Who knows - with expectations so low, maybe this team will overachieve as it did two seasons ago.STRENGTHS Few hirings have been as widely heralded as that of Gainey&rsquo;s, a Habs captain for the last eight seasons of his 16-year Hall of Fame career.Gainey has vowed to right a sinking ship. While his task is monumental, the feeling exists that the former GM of the Minnesota/Dallas franchise is capable of achieving his goal. His resume includes a Stanley Cup in 1999 with the Stars and a return to trip the final the following year.Gainey is an indisputable leader. He was a hockey warrior and he&rsquo;s everything the Canadiens could possibly want. There was a purpose to everything he did as a player and he won&rsquo;t make rash decisions as a GM. With his ability to speak French and the legendary status he built as a player, he&rsquo;s the only top flight candidate in the league who can straddle the linguistic divide in Montreal and render it irrelevant.&nbsp;WEAKNESSES Not much has changed in the past year, as the Canadiens continue to struggle in their quest to score. Montreal&rsquo;s paltry total of 206 goals last season was one less than the previous year. Of the 10 teams the Canadiens outscored, only two &mdash; Anaheim and Minnesota - made the playoffs, although the Mighty Ducks came within a game of winning the Stanley Cup. But the Ducks also allowed 41 fewer goals than Montreal.The Canadiens continue to do little to shore up their lack of size, a glaring weakness. And they must find a way to protect leads. Although the Habs outscored opponents in both the first and second periods, they sagged badly in the third, getting outscored 96-58.OFFENSE There are some players to build around, just not nearly enough of them. Richard Zednik scored a career-high 31 goals. Yanic Perreault added 24, but only five came in the second half of the season.Captain Saku Koivu was the team scoring leader, with 21 goals and 71 points. More important, he played all 82 games, the first time since his rookie campaign the Finnish native has played an entire season. Obviously he has overcome the abdominal cancer that threatened his health and career and sidelined him for all of nearly 2001-02. Jan Bulis&rsquo; 16 goals and 40 points were also career highs, but aren&rsquo;t enough to strike fear into opposing goaltenders.DEFENSE The Canadiens like to think of themselves as a defensive team, but the numbers don&rsquo;t bear it out. Only seven teams allowed more goals and just one of those, Boston, made the playoffs.Montreal still lacks a complete defenseman, although Russian native Andrei Markov emerged as the team&rsquo;s best last season. Craig Rivet might be the most physical and should return with more confidence, after being a member of Canada&rsquo;s gold medal-winning team at the World Championship. If Sheldon Souray can put his injury problems behind him, he&rsquo;ll improve the Canadiens&rsquo; depth while providing the team with much-needed size.BEHIND THE BENCH Obviously Michel Therrien wasn&rsquo;t the problem. Therrien was replaced by Claude Julien Jan. 17, following a listless 4-1 loss at Philadelphia. The Canadiens&rsquo; record at the time was a respectable 18-19-5-4. Julien lost his first game, in over time to Toronto, and things didn&rsquo;t improve much from there. The team went 12-16-3-5 under his helm.Julien is considered a better technician than his predecessor and there&rsquo;s no denying his success in major junior and the AHL. But does that mean he can do it at the NHL level, especially now that he has lost Andre Savard, the man who hired him?Julien will be on a short leash under Gainey and needs to produce quickly.CHEMISTRY 101 There were factions in the dressing room last season, which might have contributed to some of the Canadiens&rsquo; woes. The one man who might have united this group, veteran center Doug Gilmour, was traded to Toronto late in the season.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0141-0166/10213249-1-eng-US/f0141-012.jpg" title="f0141-01" width="1199" height="1782"><figcaption class="caption-body">Richard Zednik has emerged one of the few dependable scorers on Montreal&rsquo;s roster. (LAYNE MURDOCH/BBS)</figcaption></div>There are leaders in Koivu and veteran defensive center Joe Juneau, but both are considered players who like to lead by example on the ice. Neither is particularly boisterous in the room. That role will have to fall on Rivet, a media favorite, who has never been shy when it comes to keeping his teammates in line. Rivet is heading into his 10th season with the organization and, unlike other Montreal players, now knows what it feels like to be a champion.ROOKIES With the Canadiens seeking offense, it will be difficult to overlook Michael Ryder. The6-foot, 196-pound right winger was selected a lowly 216th overall in 1998, but scored 34 goals and67 points in 69 games with the AHL&rsquo;s Hamilton Bulldogs.The Canadiens also have openings on the right side following the releases of veterans Randy and Mariusz Czer-McKay kawski. With new management calling the shots, numerous other players - such as right winger Jason Ward and defensemen Mike Komisarek and Ron Hainsey-will get opportunities. Center Chris Higgins, selected 14th over all in 2002, has decided to leave Yale early. He&rsquo;ll likely begin the season in the minors, but could be one of the first recalls.<h2>THEBOTTOMLINE</h2>The Canadiens have done nothing to improve can only hope the Jose Theodore saga doesn&rsquo;t set them back too far.PREDICTION23th in East<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0140-0246/10213242-1-eng-US/f0140-022.jpg" title="f0140-02" width="256" height="619"></div><h2>MIKE BROPHY&rsquo;S spotlight</h2>MARCEL HOSSA, LWMontreal is desperate for offense, which just happens to be Hossa&rsquo;s specialty. He excelled in the AHL and demonstrated the potential to be a big-time scorer during an extended stint with the Canadiens.<h2>ARRIVALS & DEPARTURES</h2>Off-season player movement affecting Montreal&rsquo;s roster includes:<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0141-0246/10213235-1-eng-US/f0141-022.jpg" title="f0141-02" width="259" height="144"></div>Mike Komisarek, D Jason Ward, RWMichael Ryder, RW<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0141-0328/10213228-1-eng-US/f0141-032.jpg" title="f0141-03" width="258" height="138"></div>M. Czerkawski, RW Randy McKay, RW<h2>DEPTH CHART extra</h2><h3>TEAM GRADE C</h3>Too holes many to hope for miraclesGM Bob Gainey10th NHL year, 2nd team (383-281-100)COACH Claude Julien2nd NHL year, 1st team (12-21-3)*OT losses counted as losses<h3>GOALIES</h3>1. Jose Theodore2. Mathieu Garon3. Eric Fichaud<h3>GRADE B</h3>Oh, to be at Theodore&rsquo;s first press conference&hellip;<h3>DEFENSEMEN</h3>1. Andrei Markov2. Craig Rivet&nbsp;3. Patrice Brisebois4. Stephane Quintal5. Sheldon Souray6. Francis Bouillon7. Mike Komisarek8. Karl Dykhuis9. Patrick Traverse10. Ron Hainsey<h3>GRADE C+</h3>No-name bunch gets job some done-nights<h3>LEFT WINGERS</h3>1. Jan Bulis2. Chad Kilger3. Marcel Hossa4. Niklas Sundstrom5. Gordie Dwyer6. Tomas Plekanec<h3>CENTERS</h3>&nbsp;1. Saku Koivu2. Yanic Perreault3. Joe Juneau&nbsp;4. Mike Ribeiro5. Benoit Gratton6. Chris Higgins<h3>RIGHT WINGERS</h3>&nbsp;1. Richard Zednik2. Donald Audette3. Andreas Dackell4. Jason Ward5. Michael Ryder6. Pierre Dagenais<h3>GRADE C</h3>Sorely lacking in fire-power up front<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0142-0169/10213221-1-eng-US/f0142-012.jpg" title="f0142-01" width="2550" height="2496"></div><h2>The Hockey News GOALE ZONE</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0143-0170/10213214-1-eng-US/f0143-012.jpg" title="f0143-01" width="1545" height="1867"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0143-0243/10213207-1-eng-US/f0143-022.jpg" title="f0143-02" width="1520" height="712"><figcaption class="caption-body">(NHL RANK)</figcaption></div><h2>FUTURE WATCH</h2>Here are Montrea&rsquo;s first draft pick in 2003 and top 10 prospects, with age, position and 2002-03 team.<h3>2003 TOP PICK</h3>ANDREI KASTSITSYNPOSITION Right wingerSELECTED 10th overallCLUB Central Army (Rus.)SCOUTING REPORT Called the best player in the draft by one scouting review. He has great skill, speed and shot. Some teams were concerned with his health. Time horizon: two years away. Key stat: 15 points in six games at world under-18s.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0143-0330/10213200-1-eng-US/f0143-032.jpg" title="f0143-03" width="245" height="248"><figcaption class="caption-body">(JOHN RUSSELL/BBS)</figcaption></div><h3>TOP 10 PROSPECTS</h3>Blue squares indicate projected sure-fire NHLers. included are 2003 draft picks. Age as of Oct. 1. Not1. Alexander Perezhogin, C, 20, Omsk (Rus.)2. Ron Hainsey, 0, 22, Hamilton (AHL)3 Chris Higgins, C, 20, Yale (ECAC)4. Mike Komisarek, 0, 21, Hamilton (AHL)5. Tomas Plekanec, LW, 20, Hamilton (AHL)6. Jozef Balej, RW, 21, Hamilton (AHL)7. Duncan Milroy, RW, 20, Kootenay (WHL)8. Michael Ryder, C, 23, Hamilton (AHL)9. Konstantin Korneev, D, 19, Soviet Wings (Rus.)10. Francois Beauchemin, 0, 23, Hamilton (AHL)<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0143-0414/10213193-1-eng-US/f0143-042.jpg" title="f0143-04" width="1013" height="3478"></div> &#9632;

f0140-01

Gainey’s dilemma: Where to start?

<div class="byline">By David Boclair</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0144-0172/10213364-1-eng-US/f0144-012.jpg" title="f0144-01" width="839" height="384"></div>The Nashville Predators present the classic optimist&rsquo; pessimist debate.Critics can point to the fact in 2002-03 the Predators won a franchise-worst 27 games, capped by a team-record 15-game winless streak (0-10-3-2), and say the organization has not made any significant progress in its five of years existence.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0144-0325/10213357-1-eng-US/f0144-032.jpg" title="f0144-03" width="941" height="2254"><figcaption class="caption-body">KIMMO TIMONEN (JOHN RUSSELL/BBS)</figcaption></div>Management, however, will counter the season-ending slide occurred after leading scorers David Legwand and Andreas Johansson were injured. Similarly, the majority of the disastrous first20 games (2-10-4-4) took place while Greg Johnson, Scott Walker, Vitali Yachmenev and several others were hurt. TheYou know what? They have a point. The Predators do not boast much depth so losing key players has proven to be crippling.Internally, the belief is when healthy, Nashville can be as good as any team, as it was during a 9-2-0-0 stretch last February and had people thinking playoffs. The Predators are considered one of the hardest working teams in the league and a pain in the neck to play against, but that, too, is getting a little bit old. When all was said and done even team officials decided the lineup was not good enough and took serious to steps overhaul it as three of the franchise&rsquo;s top six in all time games played were taken out of the mix.Defenseman Karlis Skrastins was traded, left winger Vitali Yachmenev was not made a qualifying offer and defenseman Bill Houlder was allowed to become a free agent.Also, four of last season&rsquo;s top seven defensemen were cast aside, including Andy Delmore, who led the league in power play goals by a blueliner with 14. The remaining three defensemen are Kimmo Timonen, Jason York and Mark Eaton.Defense has been the one position where the Predators have not rushed - younger players into action Dan Hamhuis is the only one of the team&rsquo;s five first round draft picks who has not yet seen action in an NHL game - but it seems inevitable there now. will be growing pains at that spot.&ldquo;We&rsquo;re like a young colt that&rsquo;s just getting its legs under it,&rdquo;said GM David Poile. &ldquo;The legs wobble a little bit and sometimes you stumble a little bit, but sometimes you run good, too. Sooner or later we&rsquo;ll be running in the Kentucky Derby and we&rsquo;ll win the thing.&rdquo;At this stage, the Predators need to show before they place or win.STRENGTHS There is a young corps of forwards in place that has experience. Most (Legwand, Denis Arkhipov and Vladimir Orszagh) have at least two full NHL seasons under their belts and have been effective scorers at times. They just haven&rsquo;t produced offense all at once. If they can get it going in unison, Nashville might finally put consistent pressure on opposing defenses.Tomas Vokoun has proved he is a goalie who provides a chance to win in virtually any game and has the conditioning level to play every night. Long a strength because of depth at that position, Vokoun now makes it an asset because of stability.WEAKNESSES Up until now the Predators only have been undersized on defense. This season they are going to be undersized and inexperienced as the likes of lomas Kloucek, Dan Hamhuis, Robert Schnabel and Marek Zidlicky - among others get the chance to establish themselves with a wealth of openings. The search for six quality blue liners will put a lot of pressure on Vokoun, especially in the early while new comers going learn on the fly.Leadership has been an issue since the departure of original captain Tom Fitzgerald at the 2002 trade deadline. Without him the team has endured its three worst stretches ever, including the 0-10-3-2 run that capped 2002-03.OFFENSE David Legwand (48 points in 64 games) and Andreas Johansson (20 goals in 56 games) deliveredon potential and led the team in scoring last season. Injuries have been a consistent problem for both, however, and each missed at least 18 games last season. Denis Arkhipov became the franchise&rsquo;s first draft pick ever to score 20 goals in a season when he hit that mark in 2001-02, but produced just 11 as an encore last season. Hopes are high again for Martin Erat, who had five goals and nine points in six playoff games for Milwaukee of the American League. Erat set rookie Predator records in 2001-02 for games (80), assists (24) and points (33).The power play will miss hard-shooting point man Delmore, but will get back young winger Adam Hall, who led all rookies in power play goals (eight) last season.DEFENSE This unit is the biggest question mark since the team&rsquo;s inception. Four of the top seven from 2002-03 will not be back as Skrastins and Delmore were traded and Cale Hulse and Houlder were not resigned. That means an already defense minded team will look to its forwards to help out more often and the trap will be employed regularly.Expect Kimmo Timonen and Jason York the - only two with significant NHL experience - to log a lot of minutes. Tomas Kloucek will be expected to take care of business in front of the net. If he cannot, there is not a clear-cut second option. Hamhuis also will get his first NHL look.BEHIND THE BENCH While he has not produced a play off appearance or even a winning record, Trotz Barry is the all-time leader in longevity for an original coach of an expansion team.Trotz has an easy-going, honest approach that veteran players appreciate and allows younger players to make mistakes without fear of being humiliated. This will be his first season as a coach in either the AHL or NHL without Paul Gardner as an assistant. Gardner was fired at the end of last season and replaced by Milwaukee (AHL) coach Peter Horachek.CHEMISTRY 101 Johnson became the team&rsquo;s second captain after an exhaustive and overblown process last training camp. He is a quality pro who works hard every day, but does not have a lot to say, either to teammates or the media. The problem is few others do either. Scott Walker&rsquo;s best moments come in on-ice bursts of emotion. Timonen is a predictably stoic Fin.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0145-0160/10213350-1-eng-US/f0145-012.jpg" title="f0145-01" width="1202" height="1785"><figcaption class="caption-body">Emerging center David Legwand produced at a team-leading clip for the Predators when healthy. (JOHN RUSSELL/BBS)</figcaption></div>There remains an expansion mentality of us-against-the-world because of the front-office&rsquo;s decidedly small-market approach.ROOKIES Scottie Upshall had a brief audition at the start of 2002-03, but should stick around this time. His savvy will help him overcome his size deficiency and the fact that the puck seems to find him will make him a valuable contributor.Hamhuis&rsquo;s nasty play will be a welcome addition, provided it does not cause him to wear down Hamhuis had six too quickly. goals and 27 points with 81 penalty minutes in 687 with Milwaukee. gamesJordin Tootoo, who led Brandon of the Western league with35 goals and74 points along with216 penalty minutes in 51 games last season, will a chance to get wreak havoc at the NHL level, but because of his size there are no he will guarantees either survive or stick around.<h2>THEBOTTOMLINE</h2>The first playoff appearance in franchise history remains a long shot for a spirit team with a relatively green blue line.PREDICTION11th West<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0144-0240/10213343-1-eng-US/f0144-022.jpg" title="f0144-02" width="265" height="594"></div><h2>MIKE BROPHY&rsquo;S spotlight</h2>SCOTT HARTNELL. LWAfter two excellent seasons as a teenager in Nashville, Hartnell took a small step backwards following a slow start to his third NHL campaign. He still has the potential to be an effective, two-way power forward.<h2>ARRIVALS & DEPARTURES</h2>Off-season player movement affecting Nashville&rsquo;s roster includes:<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0145-0243/10213336-1-eng-US/f0145-022.jpg" title="f0145-02" width="263" height="141"></div>Dan Hamhuis, DTomas Kloucek, DJordin Tootoo, RWScottie Upshall, LWMarek Zidlicky, D<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0145-0328/10213329-1-eng-US/f0145-032.jpg" title="f0145-03" width="263" height="138"></div>Andy Delmore, DBrent Gilchrist, RWCale Hulse, DBill Houlder, DDenis Pederson, COleg Petrov, RWKarlis Skrastins, DTodd Warriner, CClarke Wilm, RWVitali Yachmenev, LW<h2>DEPTH CHART extra</h2><h3>TEAM GRADE C</h3>Not enough frontline talent to make playoffsGM David Poile21st NHL year, 2nd team (739-677-181)&nbsp;COACH Barry Trotz6th NHL year, 1st team (145-223-49)*OT losses counted as losses<h3>GOALIES</h3>1. Tomas Vokoun2. Jan Lasak3. Brian Finley<h3>GRADE B-</h3>Vokoun gives Predators dependable goaltending<h3>DEFENSEMEN</h3>1. Kimmo Timonen2. Jason York3. Mark Eaton4. Tomas Kloucek5. Marek Zidlicky6. Robert Schnabel7. Dan Hamhuis8. Andrei Mukhacev9. Curtis Murphy10. Andrew Hutchinson<h3>GRADE C-</h3>Timonen&rsquo;s a stud, but there&rsquo;s a lack of depth<h3>LEFT WINGERS</h3>1. Andreas Johansson2. Scott Hartnell3. Martin Erat4. Scottie Upshall5. Timofei Shishkanov6. Libor Pivko<h3>CENTERS</h3>1. David Legwand2. Denis Arkhipov&nbsp;3. Greg Johnson4. Rem Murray5. Vernon Fiddler6. Greg Classen<h3>RIGHT WINGERS</h3>1. Scott Walker2. Vladimir Orszagh3. Adam Hall4. Darren Haydar5. Jordin Tootoo6. Jonas Andersson<h3>GRADE C-</h3>Hard-working group lacks go-to gunner<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0146-0165/10213322-1-eng-US/f0146-012.jpg" title="f0146-01" width="2522" height="2500"></div><h2>The Hockey News GOALIE ZONE</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0147-0156/10213315-1-eng-US/f0147-012.jpg" title="f0147-01" width="1556" height="1874"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0147-0233/10213308-1-eng-US/f0147-022.jpg" title="f0147-02" width="1541" height="726"><figcaption class="caption-body">(NHL RANK)</figcaption></div><h2>FUTURE WATCH</h2><h3>2003 TOP PICK</h3>Here are Nashville&rsquo;s first draft pick in 2003 and top 10 prospects, with age 2003 draft picks. Age as of Oct 1.RYAN SUTERPOSITION DefensemanSELECTED 7th overallCLUB USA(under-18)SCOUTING REPORT Suter plays a mean and skilled Same, excelling at both ends. He makes good puck decisions, reads the play well and loves the rugged style. Time horizon: two years away. Key stat: 31 Points and 136 PIMs in 51 games.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0147-0325/10213301-1-eng-US/f0147-032.jpg" title="f0147-03" width="256" height="255"><figcaption class="caption-body">(JOHN RUSSELL/BBS)</figcaption></div><h3>TOP 10 PROSPECTS</h3>Blue squares indicate projected included are 2003 draft picks. Age sure-fire NHLers. Not as of Oct. 1.1. Scottie Upshall, LW, 19, Kamloops (WHL)2. Dan Hamhuis, D, 20, Milwaukee (AHL)3. Jordin Tootoo, RW, 20, Brandon (WHL)4. Sergei Soin, C, 21, Soviet Wings (Rus.)5. Brian Finley, G, 22, Milwaukee (AHL)6. Denis Platonov, RW, 21, Ak Bars (Rus.)7. Timofei Shishkanov, LW, 20, Quebec (QMJHL)8. Darren Haydar, RW, 23, Milwaukee (AHL)9. Libor Pivko, LW, 23, Zlin (Cze.)10. Brandon Segal, RW, 20, Calgary (WHL)<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0147-0413/10213294-1-eng-US/f0147-042.jpg" title="f0147-04" width="1010" height="3482"></div> &#9632;

f0144-01

Taking slow road to respectability

<div class="byline">By Rich Chere</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0148-0162/10213465-1-eng-US/f0148-012.jpg" title="f0148-01" width="832" height="373"></div>Their place in history is still being written, so the New Jersey Devils aren&rsquo;t interested in debating how they compare to the great teams. Let the fans and media discuss whether they are more than just one of the elite teams of this era or whether they rank with storied franchises of the past. The Devils will take a pass.&ldquo;Nobody talks about a dynasty until the dynasty is over,&rdquo; said goalie Martin Brodeur. &ldquo;Until we&rsquo;re finished winning, there is no use in talking about this team&rsquo;s legacy.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0148-0324/10213458-1-eng-US/f0148-032.jpg" title="f0148-03" width="1643" height="1914"><figcaption class="caption-body">SCOTT GOMEZ (JIM MCISAAC/BBS)</figcaption></div>And there is no reason to believe the Devils are finished winning. Their third Stanley Cup championship in nine years was done in a familiar manner-with an emphasis on defense and one of the game&rsquo;s all-time greatest goal-tenders. While other franchises may spend off-seasons trying to sign top-name scorers, the Devils once again looked to replenish their roster from within.Their first season under coach Pat Burns went just as planned. It took them a few months to change from a team that relied so much on size and strength up front (Bobby Holik, Randy McKay, Jason Arnott) to more speed from players such as Jeff Friesen and Jamie Langenbrunner.But even more important than the slight change in style was the change in attitude. Burns, choosing to mold a winner rather than make friends, held his players accountable and ruffled some feathers.The Devils, who finished second in the Eastern Conference and fourth overall with 108 points, will be younger this season, making room for at least one rookie defenseman and a first-year forward to step in. But it remains a team led by two veterans-Brodeur and defenseman and captain Scott Stevens. Where those two stand among the game&rsquo;s all-time stars is another stimulating debate. Having regained their passion which seemed to fade following their 2001 loss to the Colorado Avalanche in the final, the Devils will look to become the first team to win four Stanley Cups in10 years since the Edmonton Oilers won five in seven seasons (1984-90) and the Islanders won four in a row (1980-83).If they do it, they will join some of the greatest teams in history&hellip;without debate.STRENGTHS Brodeur has a strong sense of history and with Patrick Roy retired, the Devils&rsquo; goalie will begin chipping away at some of Roy&rsquo;s all-time NHL records. Now that Brodeur has his first Vezina Trophy, catching Roy will be a major motivating factor. Not that he needs it. Goaltending remains the Devils&rsquo; single biggest strength and Brodeur will look to reach the 40-win mark for an unprecedented fifth time.Checking center John Madden may have become the club&rsquo;s most important forward, but the commitment to defense has never been stronger, as seen by the willingness of a skilled scorer such as Patrik Elias to sacrifice his offensive numbers for the sake of defense.While the rest of the NHL waits for the Devils&rsquo; blue line to get old, GM Lou Lamoriello has prevented that from happening by bringing along young defensemen like David Hale and Paul Martin, both ready to challenge for a job.WEAKNESSES If the Devils dodged a bullet in last spring&rsquo;s playoffs, it was their ability to win despite being consistently pick-pocketed on face offs. Assistant coach Bobby Carpenter, an outstanding face off man in his day, will be asked to work with the team&rsquo;s centers. Lamoriello will almost certainly look for someone who can win face offs with the consistency that Holik once did for this team.They proved in the final against the Mighty Ducks they could win without Joe Nieuwendyk, but the Devils would like to see someone step forward to become a true No. 1 center. If Mike Rupp is still maturing and Scott Gomez struggles, it will be a season-long quest for management to find aveteran center in a trade.OFFENSE While it is hard to argue with success, even Burns would like to see his goal-scorers become more consistent during the regular season. That means Elias chipping in with at least35 goals (he scored 28 last season while becoming a solid two-way player) and Friesen playing the role of game-breaker he displayed throughout the post-season. If he avoids being satisfied with winning his first Stanley Cup ring, there is no reason to believe Friesen won&rsquo;t score 10-15 more goals than the 23 he had last season. Jamie Langenbrunner led the team in game-winning goals (five) and is coming off the best offensive season of his NHL career.DEFENSE If all goes as planned, they will be younger on defense. Ken Daneyko has retired and the time has come to take a serious look at two or three prospects. Lamoriello said Hale, the club&rsquo;s first pick (22nd overall in 2000) from the University of North Dakota, and Matt DeMarchi, their fourth selection (57th overall) that same year from the University of Minnesota, would get a chance to win a job along with minor-leaguer Ray Giroux, who played very well in 11 games with the Devils.Stevens, starting his 22nd NHL season, the defense&rsquo;s center piece and one-half of the top duo with Brian Rafalski. Niedermayer, coming off a plus-23 season, is a two-way threat while Colin White partner cut down on mistakes and developed into one of the game&rsquo;s top hitters. Sean Brown, signed away from Boston as a free agent, is steady and should be a useful addition.BEHIND THE BENCH Burns was a significant factor in the Devils&rsquo; success. He down-played his ability to get the match ups he wanted even on the road and insisted &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not a nice guy,&rdquo; but his bench-coaching was impressive and his gruff personality perfect for a team that had the talent, but sometimes seemed to lack the motivation.Burns held everyone accountable, benching stars like Elias, Gomez and Friesen at various points, and stuck to his successful defense-oriented style.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0149-0155/10213451-1-eng-US/f0149-012.jpg" title="f0149-01" width="1182" height="1741"><figcaption class="caption-body">The hard-working Jamie Langenbrunner tied for the playoff scoring lead with 18 points in 24 games. (BRUCE BENTT/BS)</figcaption></div>CHEMISTRY 101 Lamoriello always call the Devils a family, but there have been seasons in which they weren&rsquo;t at all close &ldquo;This is the lowest maintenance group we&rsquo;ve ever had,&rdquo; the GM said.&ldquo;One of the players told me anybody can go out to dinner with anybody elsec the team. That&rsquo;s why we won. There&rsquo;s usi ally some quirk because of a trade or somebody new coming in, but that didn&rsquo;t happen.&rdquo;Stevens is respected as a leader, but the team will miss occasional dressing fire and Nieuwendyk&rsquo;s wisdom Daneyko&rsquo;s room and nature that out regal brought the best in his teammates. A new leader emerging? Perhaps the spirited Madden.ROOKIES After scoring two goals in his NHL debut and two in Game 7 of the fin a to become a Stanley Cup hero, Rupp has convinced the organization that he can make an impact.On defense, Hale and DeMarchi will be the centers of attention in training camp. Hale is regarded as a young Stevens while DeMarchi appears to have moved ahead of fellow of Minnesota teammate Paul Martin on New Jersey&rsquo;s depth University chart.<h2>THEBOTTOMLINE</h2>Outstanding team defense, an abrasive, resolute coach and all-world goal-tender puts the Devils among favorites again.PREDICTION2 nd in East<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0148-0235/10213444-1-eng-US/f0148-022.jpg" title="f0148-02" width="242" height="621"></div><h2>MIKE BROPHY&rsquo;S spotlight</h2>&nbsp;PATRIK ELIAS, LWElias&rsquo;s declining production the past two seasons is more about circumstance than skill erosion. He&rsquo;s playing in a more restrictive system and with slightly less offensively gifted line mates than during his prolific scoring days.<h2>ARRIVALS & DEPARTURES</h2>Off-season player movement affecting New Jersey&rsquo;s roster includes:<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0149-0239/10213437-1-eng-US/f0149-022.jpg" title="f0149-02" width="258" height="145"></div>Sean Brown, 0David Hale, DMatt DeMarchi, DErik Rasmussen, LW<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0149-0327/10213430-1-eng-US/f0149-032.jpg" title="f0149-03" width="261" height="145"></div>Tommy ALbelin, DKen Daneyko, DJim McKenzie, LWJoe Nieuwendyk, CRichard Smehlik, DOleg Tverdovsky, D<h2>DEPTH CHART extra</h2><h3>TEAM GRADE A-</h3>No fall-off for these championsGM Lou Lamoriello17th NHL year, 1st team (638-472-177)COACH Pat Burns15th NHL year, 4th team (458-352-139)*OT losses counted as losses<h3>GOALIES</h3>1. Martin Brodeur2. Corey Schwab3. Ari Ahonen<h3>GRADE A+</h3>Brodeur surest bet to be consistently great<h3>DEFENSEMEN</h3>1. Scott Stevens2. Scott Niedermayer3. Brian Rafalski4. Colin White5. Sean Brown&nbsp;6. Ray Giroux7. David Hale8. Matt DeMarchi9. Paul Martin10. Anton Kadeikin<h3>GRADE A</h3>Skill, toughness and experience aplenty<h3>LEFT WINGERS</h3>1. Patrik Elias2. Jeff Friesen3. Jay Pandolfo4. Erik Rasmussen5. Christian Berglund6. Thomas Pihlman<h3>CENTERS</h3>1. Scott Gomez2. John Madden3. Sergei Brylin4. Mike Rupp5. Pascal Rheaume6. Adrian Foster<h3>RIGHT WINGERS</h3>1. Jamie Langenbrunner2. Brian Gionta3. Turner Stevenson4. Grant Marshall5. Jiri Bicek6. Aleksander Suglobov<h3>GRADE B+</h3>When working together, goals will come<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0150-0159/10213423-1-eng-US/f0150-012.jpg" title="f0150-01" width="2550" height="2536"></div><h2>The Hockey News GOALIE ZONE</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0151-0151/10213416-1-eng-US/f0151-012.jpg" title="f0151-01" width="1506" height="1837"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0151-0234/10213409-1-eng-US/f0151-022.jpg" title="f0151-02" width="1516" height="693"><figcaption class="caption-body">(NHL RANK)</figcaption></div><h2>FUTURE WATCH</h2>Here are New Jersey&rsquo;s draft pick in 2003 and top 10 prospects, with age, position and 2002-03<h3>2003 TOP PICK</h3>ZACH PARISEPOSITION CenterSELECTED&nbsp;17th overallCLUB&nbsp;North Dakota (WCHA)SCOUTING REPORT fierce, skilled He&rsquo;s a competitor who thinks and plays the game at a high speed. He leads by example and overcomes his 5-foot-10 frame. Time horizon: three years away. Key stat: 26 goals and 61 points in 39 games.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0151-0329/10213402-1-eng-US/f0151-032.jpg" title="f0151-03" width="240" height="245"><figcaption class="caption-body">(ANDY MARLIN/BBS)</figcaption></div><h3>TOP 10 PROSPECTS</h3>Blue squares indicate projected sure-fire NHLers. Not included are 2003 draft picks. Age as of Oct. 1.1. Ari Ahonen, G, 22, Albany (AHL)2. Paul Martin, D, 22, Minnesota (WCHA)3. David Hale, D, 22, North Dakota (WCHA)4. Alex Suglobov, RW, 21, Yaroslavl (Rus.)5. Tuomas Pihlman, LW, 20, Jyvaskyla (Fin.)6. Barry Tallackson, RW, 20, Minnesota (WCHA)7. Victor Uchevatov, D, 20, Albany (AHL)8. Anton Kadeikin, D, 19, Elektrostal (Rus.)9. Adrian Foster, LW, 21,Albany (AHL)10. Teemu Laine, RW, 21, Jokerit (Fin.)<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0151-0415/10213395-1-eng-US/f0151-042.jpg" title="f0151-04" width="1009" height="3434"></div> &#9632;

f0148-01

Don’t expect Devils to sutler letdown

<div class="byline">By Larry Brooks</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0156-0149/10213667-1-eng-US/f0156-012.jpg" title="f0156-01" width="850" height="356"></div>Perhaps it&rsquo;s appropriate for the New York Rangers to wear their 1976-77 and 1977-78 uniforms this year as part of the NHL&rsquo;s vintage jersey promotion. You see, the teams that wore the Ranger crest on their chests weren&rsquo;t very successful, either.So it is, in more ways than one, back to the future for the Blue shirts, after a summer of some what surprising inactivity. Even with all of the marquee names dangled their way - Billy Guerin, Keith-the Tkachuk and Jaromir Jagr, to cite just three Rangers were more browsers than shoppers following a franchise-record sixth straight playoff miss. Maybe it was economics, maybe it was the uncertainty over the new CBA.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0156-0323/10213660-1-eng-US/f0156-032.jpg" title="f0156-03" width="1349" height="1837"><figcaption class="caption-body">ALEXI KOVALEV (JIM MCISAC/BBS)</figcaption></div>But maybe it was a reflection of Glen Sather&rsquo;s oft-stated belief that the roster he had constructed last season was good enough to have qualified for the post-season and would have if it had just stayed healthy; if Pavel Bure hadn&rsquo;t been limited to just 39 games (in which he scored 19 goals) by two aching and damaged knees that required surgery; if Brian Leetch hadn&rsquo;t missed 31 games with an ankle injury; if Mike Richter hadn&rsquo;t sustained a season-ending and career-threatening early November concussion; if Bobby Holik, last summer&rsquo;s marquee free agent acquisition, hadn&rsquo;t missed 18 games with a hip ailment after losing just two games to injury his previous six seasons in New Jersey.Sather, who guided the Rangers to an 11-10-4-3 record in assuming the coach&rsquo;s position after ending the Bryan Trottier Error Jan. 29 after just 54 games, will continue behind the bench this season. It will mark his first full year as an NHL head coach since 1988-89. And though Sather, who maintains his positions as GM-president,, is acutely aware of the necessity for having a sound defensive structure in place, he is no slave to line matchups. The Rangers will again attempt to win by playing up-tempo, skill-oriented, entertaining, puck-pursuit hockey; by lining up their still-impressive array of weapons and going for it.STRENGTHS The Rangers&rsquo; primary strength lies in its star power up front, in the sheer skill and creativity of Bure, Alex Kovalev, Petr Nedved, Eric Lindros and Anson Carter, all of whom have been top scorers throughout their respective careers.The Blueshirts are strong in goal with Mike Dunham, who permitted two goals or fewer in 14 of his 20 starts down the stretch, ensconced as their No. 1, while Richter contends with post-concussion symptoms that is likely to force his retirement at age 37.The team should be strong down the middle lining up with Lindros, Nedved and Holik, assuming, of course, Lindros rebounds from the poorest season of his career - an assumption that calls for some faith. Despite not missing so much as a single game last season due to injury, Lindros lost his confidence around the net, and scored a career-low 19 goals. But No. 88 spent half the season playing out of position at right wing, an assignment under which he chafed as the year evolved.The Rangers dangled Lindros as trade bait early in the off-season after failing to restructure a contract that includes up to $6M in bonuses for essentially avoiding a concussion. Sather believes the contract mitigates against No. 88 playing aggressive - hockey a charge the player emphatically - rejects but appeared committed to him as their No. 1 pivot as camp approached.WEAKNESSES The Blue shirts have suffered for years from a paucity of grinding forwards with size who can retrieve the puck and give the team a presence along the boards and in the corners. This year is no exception. And with far too heavy a focus on marquee appeal, and too many players accustomed to being on the top rung of the ladder, the Blue shirts lack the role players necessary to succeed through the marathon regular season.The lack of a core group of Rangers who have grown together has taken its toll, as has a crazy-quilt approach to constructing a line up that always seems to contain too many square pegs that must some how be made to fit into round holes.Example: while Kovalev, Bure and Carter could all play right wing on a first line, the Blue shirts have no left wings of that caliber. Quickness on defense is a question mark, as is a power play that annually adds up to so much less than the sum of its parts.OFFENSE When healthy, Bure remains the greatest singular goal-scorer in the league, having gotten 31 goals in 51 games as a Ranger, 183 goals in 274 games the last five seasons. Kovalev can score from anywhere, as can Nedved. When on his game, Lindros is a force in front; so, too, is Holik.But the Rangers have relied too heavily on their ability to create picture-perfect goals and have suffered from an inability to score the ones dirty in front that come off rebounds from pucks thrown at the net.&nbsp;DEFENSE Though the Rangers by mid - July hadn&rsquo;t re-signed Leetch, who had spent the first 16 years of his career on Broadway, they were expected to re-up the franchise defenseman, still among the league&rsquo;s elite at both ends at age 35.Signing Greg de Vries as a free agent improved the team&rsquo;s depth, but it still lacks imposing size and in-front toughness and has questionable own-end quickness to the puck. Tom Poti and Vladimir Malakhov can make the first pass and can carry the puck, but - each is inconsistent-at best in his own end, with one or the other Leetch&rsquo;s presumptive partner.Even while reaching a comfort level the second half of last season, Darius Kasparaitis over (plus-20 the final 41 games) failed to make an impact.BEHIND THE BENCH Sather is old school, perhaps unique among NHL coaches in his desire to win 5-4 rather than 1-0. An outstanding communicator who has a feel for the bench, he holds all of the hammers.He likes to go with three lines. Last season&rsquo;s 28-game run did not answer questions as to his philosophy regarding line matching and assigning roles, particular items of interest.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0157-0145/10213653-1-eng-US/f0157-012.jpg" title="f0157-01" width="1062" height="1616"><figcaption class="caption-body">The Rangers are looking for improvement on many fronts; Bobby Holik is undoubtedly one of them. (BRUCE BENETT/BBS)</figcaption></div>CHEMISTRY 101 Give the Rangers an F in this department, perhaps not a tall surprising considering nearly every player has come to the team through trade or as a free agent late in his career after having learned how to play the game somewhere else.Mark Messier, whose future was unclear by mid-July, has long been acknowledged as the greatest leader ever in pro sports, but the Rangers did not respond to his captaincy last year. Indeed, his sheer presence seemed to stunt the leadership capacity of the players the Blue shirts have added.ROOKIES As usual, the Rangers have left few spots open for which their kids will compete in training camp, but then, there aren&rsquo;t many kids at all who would appear capable of stepping up, anyway.The Rangers&rsquo; feeder system is basically barren after years of poor drafting and development. Their singular prize is Fedor Tyutin, 20, whom management hopes can force his way onto the blue line in training camp, but don&rsquo;t be surprised if the Russian&rsquo;s game requires honing at the American League level. Left winger Garth Murray, whose first pro season was largely wiped out by an abdominal strain, is the team&rsquo;s only other legitimate rookie candidate.<h2>THEBOTTOMLINE</h2>Structurally flawed, mismatched group of marquee names has to finish in the East&rsquo;s top eight one of these years.PREDICTION6th in East<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0156-0233/10213646-1-eng-US/f0156-022.jpg" title="f0156-02" width="249" height="616"></div><h2>MIKE BROPHY&rsquo;S spotlight</h2>ERIC LINDROS, C All eyes will be on 'The Big E' this year to see if last year&rsquo;s indifferent play was an aberration or a sign of things to come. time ever Lindros For the first had fewer points (53) than games played (81).<h2>ARRIVALS &&nbsp;DEPARTURES</h2>Off-season player movement affecting the Rangers&rsquo; roster includes:<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0157-0237/10213639-1-eng-US/f0157-022.jpg" title="f0157-02" width="234" height="132"></div>Greg de Vries, DJussi Markkanen, GChris Simon, LW<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0157-0326/10213632-1-eng-US/f0157-032.jpg" title="f0157-03" width="234" height="125"></div>Sandy McCarthy, RWBoris Mironov, DTed Donato, CDave Karpa, DSylvain Lefebvre, D<h2>DEPTH CHART extra</h2><h3>TEAM GRADE B-</h3>Year after year, team less than sum of parts&nbsp;GM Glen Sather24th NHL year, 2nd team (864-754-221)COACH Glen Sather13th NHL year, 2nd team (475-281-114)*OT losses counted as losses<h3>GOALIES</h3>1. Mike Dunham2. Jussi Markannen3. Dan Blackburn<h3>GRADE B</h3>Recovering Richter remains wildcard<h3>DEFENSEMEN</h3>1. Vladimir Malakhov2. Greg de Vries3. Tom Poti4. Darius Kasparaitis5. Dale Purinton6. Ales Pisa7. Fedor Tyutin8. Bryce Lampman9. Matt Kinch10. Jeff State<h3>GRADE C+</h3>Top guys on depth chart too offensive<h3>LEFT WINGERS</h3>1. Jamie Lundmark2. Matthew Barnaby3. Chris Simon4. Dan Lacouture5. Richard Scott6. Garth Murray<h3>CENTERS</h3>1. Eric Lindros2. Petr Nedved3. Bobby Holik4. Cory Larose5. Layne Ulmer6. Bobby Andrews<h3>RIGHT WINGERS</h3>1. Alexei Kovalev2. Pavel Bure3. Anson Carter4. Ronald Petrovicky5. Nils Ekman6. Jed Ortmeyer<h3>GRADE B+</h3>Inconsistency plagues star-studded crew<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0158-0147/10213625-1-eng-US/f0158-012.jpg" title="f0158-01" width="2586" height="2552"></div><h2>The Hockey News GOALIE ZONE</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0159-0145/10213618-1-eng-US/f0159-012.jpg" title="f0159-01" width="1516" height="1858"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0159-0227/10213611-1-eng-US/f0159-022.jpg" title="f0159-02" width="1511" height="711"><figcaption class="caption-body">(NHL RANK)</figcaption></div><h2>FUTURE WATCH</h2>Here are the Rangers' first draft pick in 2003 and top 10 prospects, with age, position and 2002-03 team.<h3>2003 TOP PICK</h3>HUGH JESSIMANPOSITION Right wingerSELECTED 12th overallCLUB Dartmouth (ECAC)SCOUTING REPORT He has great hands, speed and skills for a man already6-foot-5. Jessiman has an explosive shot and plays well in traffic, but is lost in his own zone. Time horizon: three years away. Key stat: 23 goals and 47 points in 34 games.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0159-0322/10213604-1-eng-US/f0159-032.jpg" title="f0159-03" width="239" height="247"><figcaption class="caption-body">(DAVID KAYE/BBS)</figcaption></div><h3>TOP 10 PROSPECTS</h3>Blue squares indicate projected sure-fire NHLers. Not included are 2003 draft picks. Age as of Oct. 1.1. Fedor Tyutin, D, 20, Ak Bars (Rus.)2. Garth Murray, C, 21, Hartford (AHL)3. Lee Falardeau, C, 20, Michigan State (CCHA)4. Bryce Lampman, D, 21, Hartford (AHL)5. Henrik Lundqvist, G, 21, Frolunda (Swe.)6. Dominic Moore, C, 23, Harvard (ECAC)7. Nate Guenin, 0, 20, Ohio State (CCHA)8. Jake Taylor, D, 20, Green Bay (USHL)9. Marcus Jonasen, LW, 19, Hammarby Jr. (Swe.)10. Jason Labarbera, G, 23, Hartford (AHL)<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0159-0415/10213597-1-eng-US/f0159-042.jpg" title="f0159-04" width="1099" height="3448"></div> &#9632;

f0156-01

Excuses dwindling for woeful Rangers

<div class="byline">By Bruce Garrioch</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0160-0152/10213768-1-eng-US/f0160-012.jpg" title="f0160-01" width="336" height="350"></div>A&nbsp;step away from glory.The Ottawa Senators fell one stride short last season after losing in the Eastern Conference final to the Stanley Cup champion New Jersey Devils in Game 7atthe Corel Center in May, but the club hasn&rsquo;t taken its eyes off the prize.The Senators went further in the playoffs than ever before by advancing to the Eastern final. However, they weren&rsquo;t satisfied with what they accomplished because the door to win the vaunted Cup was wide open.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0160-0233/10213761-1-eng-US/f0160-022.jpg" title="f0160-02" width="1305" height="2032"><figcaption class="caption-body">ZDENO CHARA (SPORTS ACTION)</figcaption></div>Instead of making massive changes, GM John Muckier decided to tinker during the off-season. He&rsquo;s convinced, along with coach Jacques Martin, that the Senators have the right make-up to be a contender and win it all.Even with the arrival of Toronto billionaire owner Eugene Melnyk to replace Rod Bryden, the Senators aren&rsquo;t going to spend big money to get to the top of the mountain, although their payroll will rise significantly.After spending approximately $32.5 million last season, the Senators&rsquo; payroll rose when defenseman Wade Redden and center Bryan Smolinski both agreed to new deals.The Senators didn&rsquo;t raid the NHL&rsquo;s unrestricted free agent market for help. Muckier decided he was going to keep his own team together, but the club did cast aside left winger Magnus Arvedson, who had been underachieving.There could also be a shuffling of the deck among the forwards. The signing of Smolinski along with the arrival of Jason Spezza as a full-time NHLer means the club will have six centers - including Radek Bonk, Shaun Van Allen, Todd White and Mike Fisher.That means somebody will play wing or be dealt. Still, those decisions won&rsquo;t be made until training camp.The Senators believe they&rsquo;re a contender and there&rsquo;s no indications they&rsquo;re going to take a step backwards.STRENGTHS The Senators are regarded as having the best right side in hockey. Wingers Marian Hossa, Daniel Alfredsson and Martin Havlat provide a formidable threesome who can put the puck in the net and make it tough for the opposition to shut them down. Alfredsson and Hossa are solid two-way players. Havlat, meanwhile, still has some maturing to do in his own end.Should the forwards not shut down the opposition, the Senators&rsquo; defense is strong. Redden and Zdeno Chara could be the best one-two defensive punch in the league, though Chara admittedly struggled in the playoffs. Chris Phillips, on the other hand, emerged in the post-season. Karel Rachunek and Anton Volchenkov are both young players pushing for more playing time. Veteran Curtis Leschyshyn is the glue that holds everything together and minor-leaguer Brian Pothier will challenge fora spot. Shane Hnidy could be dealt.&nbsp;WEAKNESSES Finding cracks in this armor isn&rsquo;t a simple task. The organization has worked hard in building its depth. That means young players are going to be developed in the minors and that&rsquo;s the reason why Spezza didn&rsquo;t play here full time last season.Still, Muckier realizes his left side is questionable. The decision to let the soft Arvedson goas a unrestricted free agent wasn't a difficult one. The Senators tried to deal him all last season, but were unable to find any takers. To try to strengthen the left side, centers White and Fisher could be moved in training camp. Don&rsquo;t forget left winger Petr Schastlivy, who missed most of last year because of groin surgery, is coming back and is going to help.Veteran Vaclav Varada brings much-needed grit, but don&rsquo;t be surprised if the Senators decide to try to add more. This is an area where there could be a deal if White and Fisher aren&rsquo;t able to adjust to being moved around.OFFENSE The Senators are always accused of playing a defensive style, but have one of the better groups of forwards in the NHL. Hossa, Alfredsson, Bonk, Havlat, Smolinski and White should be able to score with anybody.The likes of Spezza, Varada, Schastlivy and Chris Neil will be expected to contribute. The Senators want Spezza to play on one of their top two lines, which means he&rsquo;ll push White and Bonk.The move that makes the most sense is putting White on the wing with Smolinski and Alfredsson, but don&rsquo;t be surprised if there&rsquo;s an attempt to place Bonk there as well.DEFENSE The Senators play well at both ends of the ice, but they&rsquo;re as good defensively as they are offensively. Redden and Chara anchor the blue line, but Phillips is pushing for more time and so are Rachunek and Volchenkov. That could mean an adjustment in ice time allotments.Pothier was regarded as the best blue liner in the American League last season. He&rsquo;ll vie for a spot and is viewed as a quarterback for the power play because he can move the puck from the point.The Senators aren&rsquo;t going to change the way they play under Martin. The forwards have to come back if they&rsquo;re going to get playing time because defense comes first in the Ottawa system. Contrary to popular belief, Martin doesn&rsquo;t frown on offense, but he does like his forwards to be responsible.BEHIND THE BENCH Martin, the NHL&rsquo;s second-longest serving coach behind Carolina&rsquo;s Paul Maurice, enters his eighth full season in Ottawa. Yes, there have been times fans have called for Martin&rsquo;s head, but generally speaking the Senators have shown progress every year since he took over.Well respected in hockey circles, he&rsquo;s a demanding coach who asks for a lot from his players. Fans who call the local all sports radio station don&rsquo;t like his demeanor behind the bench because he&rsquo;s not a demonstrative screamer.Still, you can&rsquo;t argue with success. He may have gotten more out of this team than others would have.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0161-0144/10213754-1-eng-US/f0161-012.jpg" title="f0161-01" width="1191" height="1786"><figcaption class="caption-body">Senators right winger and captain Daniel Alfredsson had a career-best in points last season with 79. (JIM MCISAC/BS)</figcaption></div>CHEMISTRY 101 The only real departure is Arvedson and it&rsquo;s hard to believe he&rsquo;ll be missed as he wasn&rsquo;t a big talker.Alfredsson was criticized for not contributing in the playoffs, but he&rsquo;s considered a solid leader on all accounts. He&rsquo;s a smart player and has good support from Leschyshyn, Redden and Van Allen.The team wanted badly to win a Cup for legendary assistant coach Roger Neilson last season, but came up short. This season, they&rsquo;ll try to win in Neilson&rsquo;s memory.ROOKIES Can you say Jason Spezza? OK, his &ldquo;rookie&rdquo; status is gone, but all eyes are going to be on the young center. The discussion will focus on where he will fit in, as Muckier insists he&rsquo;s going to play. That means the Senators are going to have to put up with mistakes while he&rsquo;s learning the NHL game, but he showed in the playoffs he can handle pressure. Spezza is mature and has excellent vision on the ice. He does things offensively that tell you he&rsquo;ll be a standout down the road. Martin must find a place for him on one of the top two lines. Left winger Antoine Vermette is also going to get his chance. He had a tough start in Binghamton (AHL) last year, but finished the season strongly.<h2>THEBOTTOMLINE</h2>Ottawa returns with much the same personnel, but is more mature, battle-hardened and primed to take the next step.PREDICTION1st in East<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0160-0324/10213747-1-eng-US/f0160-032.jpg" title="f0160-03" width="270" height="663"></div><h2>MIKE BROPHY&rsquo;S spotlight</h2>TODD WHITE. CThe Kanata, Ont., native remains one of the best-kept secrets in the NHL. After surprising the Senators by recording single-season highs in goals, assists and points two years ago, White improved all three again.<h2>ARRIVALS &&nbsp;DEPARTURES</h2>Off-season player movement affecting Ottawa&rsquo;s roster includes:<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0161-0237/10213740-1-eng-US/f0161-022.jpg" title="f0161-02" width="262" height="147"></div>Denis Hamel, LW<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0161-0323/10213733-1-eng-US/f0161-032.jpg" title="f0161-03" width="263" height="148"></div>M. Arvedson, LWRob Ray, LW<h2>DEPTH CHART extra</h2><h3>TEAM GRADE A-</h3>No obvious holes for regular season champsGM John Muckier6th NHL year, 2nd team (190-145-43)&nbsp;COACH Jacques Martin11th NHL year, 2nd team (365-300-109)*OT losses counted as losses<h3>GOALIES</h3>1. Patrick Lalime2. Martin Prusek3. Ray Emery<h3>GRADE A-</h3>Lalime has proven his playoff mettle*OT losses counted as losses<h3>DEFENSEMEN</h3>1. Wade Redden2. Zdeno Chara3. Chris Phillips4. Karel Rachunek5. Anton Volchenkov6. Curtis Leschyshyn&nbsp;7. Shane Hnidy8. Brian Pothier9. Petr Smrek10. Julien Vauclair<h3>GRADE A-</h3>Drastic improve men in Phillips&rsquo; play LEFT WINGERS1. Vaclav Varada2. Petr Schastlivy3. Peter Schaefer4. Denis Hamel5. Jody Hull6. Antoine Vermette<h3>CENTERS</h3>1. Radek Bonk2. Todd White3. Bryan Smolinski4. Jason Spezza5. Mike Fisher6. Shaun Van Allen<h3>RIGHT WINGERS</h3>&nbsp;1. Marian Hossa2. Daniel Alfredsson3. Martin Havlat4. Chris Neil5. Josh Langfeld6. Brooks Laich<h3>GRADE A-</h3>Forward depth among league&rsquo;s best<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0162-0147/10213726-1-eng-US/f0162-012.jpg" title="f0162-01" width="2425" height="2316"></div><h2>The Hockey News GOALIE ZONE</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0163-0142/10213719-1-eng-US/f0163-012.jpg" title="f0163-01" width="1579" height="1840"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0163-0226/10213712-1-eng-US/f0163-022.jpg" title="f0163-02" width="1503" height="708"><figcaption class="caption-body">(NHL RANK)</figcaption></div><h2>FUTURE WATCH</h2>Here are Ottawa&rsquo;s first draft pick in 2003 and top 10 prospects, with age, position and 2002-03 team.<h3>2003 TOP PICKS</h3>PATRICK EAVES&nbsp;POSITION Right wingerSELECTED 29th overallCLUB Boston College (HE)SCOUTING REPORT He missed most of the year with head and neck injuries, but he did show great speed and hockey sense. Eaves is small, but willing to play a physical style. Time horizon: three years away. Key stat: 18 points in 14 games.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0163-0323/10213705-1-eng-US/f0163-032.jpg" title="f0163-03" width="249" height="246"><figcaption class="caption-body">(BRUCE BENNE/BBS)</figcaption></div><h3>TOP 10 PROSPECTS</h3>Blue indicate squares projected sure-fire NHLers. included are 2003 draft picks. Age as of Oct. 1. Not1. Ray Emery, G, 21, Binghamton (AHL)2. Alexei Kaigorodov, C, 20, Magnitogorsk (Rus.)3. Antoine Vermette, C, 21, Binghamton (AHL)4. Brooks Laich, C, 20, Seattle (WHL)5. Brandon Bochenski, LW, 21, N. Dakota (WCHA)6. Billy Thompson, G, 21, Prince George (WHL)7. Christoph Schubert, D, 21, Binghamton (AHL)8. Jan Platil, D, 20, Ottawa (OHL)9. Greg Zanon, D, 23, Nebraska-Omaha (CCHA)10. Julien Vauclair, C, 23, Binghamton (AHL)<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0163-0410/10213698-1-eng-US/f0163-042.jpg" title="f0163-04" width="1004" height="3430"></div> &#9632;

f0160-01

Sens inch closer to realizing dream

<div class="byline">By Wayne Fish</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0164-0144/10213869-1-eng-US/f0164-012.jpg" title="f0164-01" width="279" height="340"></div>The Roaring Twenties will be heard loud and clear this year. A team of thirty-somethings led the Flyers&rsquo; way in 2002-03, but coach Ken Hitchcock promises at least a minor changing of the guard for the new campaign.Look for more of Simon Gagne, Justin Williams, Kim Johnsson, Jim Vandermeer, Robert Esche and Radovan Sotnik-their 20s - all in and possibly less of veterans on the other side of 30.The Flyers did show progress in Hitchcock&rsquo;s first season, finishing one point behind Stanley Cup champion New Jersey for the Atlantic Division title and reaching the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2000.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0164-0235/10213862-1-eng-US/f0164-022.jpg" title="f0164-02" width="1161" height="1920"><figcaption class="caption-body">MARK RECCHI (SPORTS ACTION)</figcaption></div>But Hitchcock said in order to continue to improve, younger players must have a bigger role.&ldquo;The difference between Ottawa (the team which eliminated the Flyers from the playoffs) and a lot of teams is their older players aren&rsquo;t even 30 yet,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Our catch-up will come on the improvement of seven or eight of our younger players. I&rsquo;m talking in terms of Gagne, Williams, Esche, Vandermeer, Johnsson and Somik&hellip; these are the players who can close the gap.&rdquo;The Flyers also figure to a give pair of teenaged defensemen-Joni Pitkanen and Jeff Woywitka - a chance to win positions with the Flyers at training camp.They still expect important contributions from experienced players such as Jeremy Roenick, Keith Primeau and Mark Recchi. Hitchcock, however, wants them to accept slightly lesser roles to give the youth more ice time to get better.STRENGTHS No doubt, the Flyers&rsquo; strong suit is keeping the puck out of their own net. They tied with New Jersey last season for allowing the fewest goals (166).Some of that was credited to the penalty killing unit, which was among the best in the league the second half of the season. Michal Handzus, Somik and Primeau made significant contributions. And some of it was also due to Roman Cechmanek, co-winner of the Jennings Trophy. Cechmanek&rsquo;s topsy-turvy playoff was 1 his undoing. While it&rsquo;s tough to imagine free agent signee Jeff Hackett can be any better in the regular season, the Flyers are banking he&rsquo;ll provide more stability when it really counts.Hitchcock has driven home the idea of responsibility at both ends of the rink. As the season progressed, the Flyers cutdown on odd-man rushes. They also improved their play on the road, setting a franchise record for road wins in a season (24).WEAKNESSES It&rsquo;s not only that the Flyers can&rsquo;t score on their power play; it&rsquo;s that they often look bad doing it. For all their-firepower Roenick, Recchi, Tony Amonte, Sami Kapanen, Gagne and LeClair - the Flyers show a remarkable lack of cohesion with the man advantage. There are nights when the Flyers struggle to get shots on net let alone generate scoring chances. It&rsquo;s often a case of too much passing and not enough combat in front of the net.Inconsistent offense has plagued the Flyers for several years. Sometimes the problem stems from difficulty getting the puck out of the zone and through mid-ice with speed. Then they resort to dump-and-chase, which inevitably gets Hitchcock seeing red. The solution! Passing drills, passing drills, passing drills.OFFENSE On the plus side, Roenick and Michael Handzus finished one-two in team scoring and two-one in game-winning goals. Repeat seasons would be acceptable. The Flyers need to get more from LeClair, Gagne and Williams, three players who averaged about a half-season off for each due to injuries. Amonte and Kapanen are expected to bounce back from sub-par seasons. Somik, 26, should be more comfortable in his second NHL season and should easily surpass last season&rsquo;s eight goals. Finnish prospect Pitkanen could be the wild card. If he makes the team, the swift skater would be expected to help generate more production from the point.DEFENSE Hitchcock&rsquo;s prime directive was to get his team to create turnovers in the neutral zone and convert them into offensive opportunities.Once he put center Primeau in charge of the team&rsquo;s top checking line through the season, team defense really began to click. In the final 30 games of the season, the had five shutouts and Flyers allowed more than two goals just five times. Primeau and a revolving cast of wingers (Donald Brashear, Radovan Somik, Sami Kapanen) did an of shutting exceptional job down opponents&rsquo; top lines. Meanwhile, position-conscious Michal Handzus did superb work against other top scorers.The Flyers believe they can get even better on defense by forming tighter five-man units. Often after a disappointing loss, the players talked about unwanted gaps between forwards and defensemen. By closing these up, the Flyers believe they can make travel in the neutral zone even more dangerous for opponents.BEHIND THE BENCH From the moment Hitchcock walked in the door for his second tour of duty with the Flyers-was an assistant coach in the early &rsquo;90s-he talked about patience, team building, accountability and smart hockey. Then he spent nearly an entire season practising what he preached. He got his team to play a savvy style, motivated reserve players to lift their games during long injury absences for LeClair, Gagne and Williams, and helped restore the confidence of some veterans who seemed to be fading from crucial roles with the team.Hitchcock also mended a dressing room that appeared divided after the firing of coach Bill Barber following 2001-02. He formed a leadership/veterans committee, similar to the format he used while winning a Stanley Cup in Dallas in 1999, which met on a regular basis to keep lines of communication open and strong.CHEMISTRY 101 While Primeau is the team&rsquo;s respected captain, Recchi, LeClair, Eric Desjardins and Roenick also have a big say in the dressing room. Primeau earned points with his teammates by accepting a lesser checking role midway through the season. Overall, things seemed to go more smoothly in Hitchcock&rsquo;s first season. No one is Roenick to turn down his asking loud pre-game disco CDs. No one pointed fingers, not even after last season concluded with a playoff loss to Ottawa. The departure of Cechmanek could wipe away a potentially controversial subject. By all accounts, chemistry is once again a Flyer strength instead of a sore point.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0165-0139/10213855-1-eng-US/f0165-012.jpg" title="f0165-01" width="1172" height="1779"><figcaption class="caption-body">The low-scoring Flyers will be looking for another productive year from colorful center Jeremy Roenick. (JIM MCISAC/BS)</figcaption></div>ROOKIES Vandermeer is technically still a rookie because he played in only 24 games, but by the end of the season the 23-year-old defenseman was playing like a veteran. Hitchcock loves his grit and determination. In a win at Boston, Vandermeer took on the chores of fighting P.J. Stock and Krzysztof Oliwa, freeing up enforcer Donald Brashear to score a critical goal.Pitkanen, voted best defenseman with a for Finland at the dominating performance 2003 World Junior Championship, endured on each of his operations knees, but the Flyers he should be say ready for camp. The 6-foot-3, 200-pounder signed a three-year entry-level contract in mid-July.<h2>THEBOTTOMLINE</h2>The Flyers are looking good, provided Jeff Hackett turns out to be a playoff-upgrade on Roman Cechmanek.PREDICTION3rd in East<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0164-0319/10213848-1-eng-US/f0164-032.jpg" title="f0164-03" width="232" height="621"></div><h2>MIKE BROPHY&rsquo;S spotlight</h2>TONY AMONTE. RWAmonte&rsquo;s goal production has declined four consecutive years. The 20 he scored last season was less than half of his 1999-2000 total. One goal in 13 playoff games wasn't good enough, either.<h2>ARRIVALS & DEPARTURES</h2>Off-season player movement affecting Philadelphia&rsquo;s roster includes:<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0165-0231/10213841-1-eng-US/f0165-022.jpg" title="f0165-02" width="265" height="148"></div>Jeff Hackett, GJoni Pitkanen, DJim Vandermeer, DJeff Woywitka, D<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0165-0321/10213834-1-eng-US/f0165-032.jpg" title="f0165-03" width="265" height="144"></div>R. Cechmanek, G Marty Murray, CJoe Sacco, RWD. Yushkevich, D<h2>DEPTH CHART extra</h2><h3>TEAM GRADE B+</h3>Hackett&rsquo;s performance will tell the storyGM Bob Clarke16th NHL year, 3rd team (720-521-190)&nbsp;COACH Ken Hitchcock9th NHL year, 2nd team (322-190-73)<h3>GOALIES</h3>1. Jeff Hackett2. Robert Esche3. Antero Niittymaki<h3>GRADE B</h3>Jury is out until post-season is done*OT losses counted as losses<h3>DEFENSEMEN</h3>1. Eric Desjardins2. Kim Johnsson3. Eric Weinrich4. Marcus Ragnarsson5. Chris Therien6. Jim Vandermeer7. Joni Pitkanen8. Jeff Woywitka9. Dennis Seidenberg10. Wade Skolney<h3>GRADE A-</h3>Impressive depth limits impact of injuries<h3>LEFT WINGERS</h3>&nbsp;1. Simon Gagne2. John LeClair3. Sami Kapanen4. Donald Brashear5. Todd Fedoruk6. Konstantin Baranov<h3>CENTERS</h3>&nbsp;1. Jeremy Roenick2. Keith Primeau&nbsp;3. Michael Handzus&nbsp;4. Claude Lapointe5. Andre Savage6. Patrick Sharp<h3>RIGHT WINGERS</h3>&nbsp;1. Tony Amonte&nbsp;2. Mark Recchi&nbsp;3. Justin Williams4. Radovan Somik5. Eric Chouinard&nbsp;6. Alexander Drozdetsky<h3>GRADE B</h3>Scoring proves surprisingly difficult<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0166-0140/10213827-1-eng-US/f0166-012.jpg" title="f0166-01" width="2412" height="2302"></div><h2>The Hockey News GOALIE ZONE</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0167-0139/10213820-1-eng-US/f0167-012.jpg" title="f0167-01" width="1569" height="1840"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0167-0224/10213813-1-eng-US/f0167-022.jpg" title="f0167-02" width="1548" height="720"><figcaption class="caption-body">(NHL RANK)</figcaption></div><h2>FUTURE WATCH</h2>Here are Philadelphia&rsquo;s first draft pick in 2003 and top 10 prospects, with age, position and 2002-03 team.<h3>2003 TOP PICK</h3>JEFF CARTERPOSITION CenterSELECTED 11th overallCLUB S. S. Marie (OHL)SCOUTING REPORT He&rsquo;s tall and thin right now, but Carter is expected to grow in to a solid No. 2 center. He has a long stride and good hands around the net. Time horizon: three years away. Key stat: 35 goals in61 games.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0167-0321/10213806-1-eng-US/f0167-032.jpg" title="f0167-03" width="250" height="247"></div><h3>TOP 10 PROSPECTS</h3>Blue squares indicate projected sure-fire NHLers. Not included are 2003 draft picks. Age as of Oct. 1.1. Joni Pitkanen, 0, 20, Karpat Oulu (Fin.)2. Jeff Woywitka, 0, 20, Red Deer(WHL)3. Jim Vandermeer, 0, 23, Philadelphia (AHL)4. Antero Nittymaki, G, 23, Philadelphia (AHL)5. Patrick Sharp, C, 21, Philadelphia (AHL)6. Roman Malek, G, 26, Slavia Prague (Cze.)7. Alex Drozdetsky, RW, 21, Central Army (Rus.)8. Eric Chouinard, C, 23, Philadelphia (AHL)9. Nikita Korovkin, D, 19, Kamloops (WHL)10. Mathieu Brunelle, LW, 20, Victoriaville (QMJHL)<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0167-0410/10213799-1-eng-US/f0167-042.jpg" title="f0167-04" width="1017" height="3440"></div> &#9632;

f0164-01

Hitchcock’s plan focuses on youth

<div class="byline">By Bob McManaman</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0168-0142/10213970-1-eng-US/f0168-012.jpg" title="f0168-01" width="279" height="334"></div>They say lightning doesn&rsquo;t strike twice in the same or at place - least at the same body part. The Phoenix Coyotes can only hope that rings true in 2003-04, because injuries zapped them to cinders a year ago.The Desert Dogs were humbled by a franchise-record 462 man-games lost, which robbed them of any decent shot at returning to the post-season.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0168-0221/10213963-1-eng-US/f0168-022.jpg" title="f0168-02" width="1049" height="2108"><figcaption class="caption-body">MIKE JOHNSON (JIM MCISAAC/BBS)</figcaption></div>They hope to get back into the playoffs this year with the help of some roster changes. Trades last March brought in centers Chris Gratton and Jan Hrdina and off season moves included acquiring defensemen Cale Hulse and David Tanabe and wingers Tyson Nash and Dan Cleary. The Coyotes also moved all-time games played leader and captain Teppo Numminen in a three-way deal with Columbus and Dallas that landed them veteran center Mike Sillinger.Coyotes coach Bobby Francis will need to inject more offense into his game plan to succeed in the highly competitive West. Although it doesn&rsquo;t appear Phoenix has a 40-goal scorer on its roster, there are a half-dozen who could score 20-plus.With the losses of Numminen and Danny Markov on the blue line, the defense is now questionable.There also remains a logjam in goal, with starter Sean Burke, 36, and a pair of &rsquo; 26-year-olds in Brian Boucher and Zac Bierk. One of them will have to be dealt or Phoenix runs the risk of losing a player for nothing in the waiver draft.STRENGTHS With their changes late last year, the Coyotes got younger and they definitely got bigger down the middle. Though they lose some streaky offense by having dealt away 5-foot-9 sparkplug center Danny Briere and failed free agent experiment Tom Amonte, they are anxious to find out what; full year from new additions Gratton and Hrdina will bring.Both players bulk up the middle and should improve the Coyotes&rsquo; lackluster efforts in the faceoff circle. Their presence will also allow Shane Doan to move back to his natural position at right wing. The No. 1 line of Ladislav Nagy, Daymond Langkow and Mike Johnson, which has clicked for 1-1/2 seasons now, returns with renewed chemistry and confidence.Burke has proved for the past four years that when he is healthy-though that is increasingly becoming a - larger issue he gives the Coyotes top-notch goaltending on par with the best in the league.WEAKNESSES Is there a legitimate goal-scoring threat somewhere in the mix? Probably not. The Coyotes&rsquo; leading sniper last season was Johnson, with 23 goals. Nagy had 22, Doan 21 and Langkow 20. Sillinger had 18 last season and has never had more than 20 in a year. If Gratton and Hrdina play to their full potential, then maybe six 20-goal scorers will be enough to push Phoenix up the standings. But somebody might have to enjoy a break out season to the 40-plus range if the Coyotes hope to be more than a pretender.There isn&rsquo;t much offense on the left side behind Nagy. Veteran Brian Savage has spent most of his tenure in Phoenix either on the injured list or in the doghouse because of his lack of production. Management hopes Savage&rsquo;s hot streak late last season will lead to a strong start in October. Once - again, leadership or the lack - there of may be an issue for the Coyotes. Numminen did most of his leading with his actions on the ice. Burke has the ear of the team, but it&rsquo;s difficult for a goal tender to lead when he&rsquo;s concentrating on his crease responsibilities.OFFENSE The good newsis Nagy appears to be on the verge of great He things. loves to score and every time he does, it jolts his becomes an starved confidence and ratchets up therest of his game. The bad news is he can be neutralized if teams make him the focus of their checking efforts and go out of their way to pound him physically. To protect him, Francis may have to consider breaking up the No. 1 line and adding more beef beside him, perhaps either Doan or Gratton, or both.Hrdina should help on the lackluster power play, which showed zero improvement despite the part-time coaching efforts of Hall of Fame defenseman Paul Coffey. Coffey is back for another go and he&rsquo;ll help tutor newcomer David Tanabe, a former teammate in Carolina whom Coffey took under his wing. Phoenix had to part with a power play weapon in Markov to get Tanabe - the deal netted defense prospect Igor Knyazev for Phoenix, - as well but Paul Marais showing signs of becoming a force in his own right and his booming shot from the can point be lethal. Branko Radivojevic could be a scoring darkhorse. Don&rsquo;t be surprised if he more than doubles his rookie effort of 12 goals.DEFENSE There is decent grit behind Ossi Vaananen and Paul Mara with sluggos like Todd Simpson and Brad Ference. Players such as Tanabe and Radoslav Suchy must make an impact if the Coyotes are to be successful.In order to create more offense, however, don&rsquo;t be surprised if Francis re-evaluates his defense-first system and encourages his forwards to take more chances with the puck. That could heap plenty of responsibility on the shoulders of a young defense corps and make life even more difficult for Phoenix&rsquo;s goalies, but with scoring at a premium, it may be a chance worth taking. There&rsquo;s plenty of hope for the future here, as five of the top seven blue liners are 26 or younger.BEHIND THE BENCH Francis expects one thing out of his players: accountability. He demands it, craves it and preaches it nightly. The Coyotes hear it so much, they don&rsquo;t often let him down.True, that style didn&rsquo;t often translate into wins last season. Critics contended there was a lack of pre-game preparation evident in the Coyotes and the team came out flat too many times. It&rsquo;s undeniable, though, that the staggering body count on the injured list led to losing streaks and a general malaise. If he gets the same results this season with a healthy roster, Francis will be judged far more harshly.CHEMISTRY 101 Since the departures of star forwards Keith Tkachukand Jeremy Roenick - and you might as well include ultra-competitive Claude Lemieux on that list, too - there isn&rsquo;t much in the way of in house leadership. The reserved Numminen did what he could, but the brunt of the tongue-lashing usually comes from Burke.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0169-0135/10213956-1-eng-US/f0169-012.jpg" title="f0169-01" width="1177" height="1758"><figcaption class="caption-body">This could be the year Ladislav Nagy offensive force for the goal Coyotes. (DALE MACMILAN/BBS)</figcaption></div>Doan is emerging as a leader, as is Langkow. Simpson, a prankster and the resident funny man, helps keep the dressing room loose, which is an important role on a still-developing team with so many young players.ROOKIES The table has been set for center Jeff Taffe. He has enough talent to win a spot provided he accepts the role assigned to him.Taffe bristled about a late-season demotion to the minors during his rookie year and grumbled some about Springfield coach Marty McSorley&rsquo;s dogged approach to the game.But he is the kind of skilled play maker the Coyotes desperately need; if he bites his tongue and learns some humility, he&rsquo;ll play in Phoenix this year.Swedish right winger Fredrik Sjostrom, the 11thoverall draft pick in 2001, could also make an appearance in Phoenix this season.<h2>THEBOTTOMLINE</h2>&nbsp;The Coyotes will improve just by staying healthy, they won&rsquo;t generate enough offense to compete for a playoff spot.PREDICTION15th in West<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0168-0318/10213949-1-eng-US/f0168-032.jpg" title="f0168-03" width="225" height="600"></div><h2>MIKE BROPHY&rsquo;S spotlight</h2>CHRIS GRATTON. C One assist and a minus-11 rating in 14 games with the Coyotes last season was not the way to ingratiate himself with new teammates. Gratton sometimes looks like a world-beater, but consistency remains his bane.<h2>ARRIVALS &&nbsp;DEPARTURES</h2>Off-season player movement affecting Phoenix&rsquo;s roster includes:<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0169-0222/10213942-1-eng-US/f0169-022.jpg" title="f0169-02" width="265" height="148"></div>Daniel Cleary, RWCale Hulse, DTyson Nash, LWMike Sitlinger, CDavid Tanabe, D<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0169-0317/10213935-1-eng-US/f0169-032.jpg" title="f0169-03" width="259" height="143"></div>Drake Berehowsky, DKelly Buchberger, CDanny Markov, DTeppo Numminen, DScott Pellerin, RWDeron Quint, DPaul Ranheim, RW<h2>DEPTH CHART extra</h2><h3>TEAM GRADE C</h3>It&rsquo;s going to be a long year for Sean Burke&nbsp;GM Michael Barnett3rd NHL year, 1st team (71-73-20)&nbsp;COACH Bobby Francis5th NHL year, 1st team (145-142-45)*OT losses counted as losses<h3>GOALIES</h3>1. Sean Burke2. Brian Boucher3. Zac Bierk<h3>GRADE B+</h3>Expect these guys to face lots of rubber<h3>DEFENSEMEN</h3>1. Ossi Vaananen2. Paul Mara3. Brad Ference4. Todd Simpson5. Cale Hulse6. David Tanabe7. Radoslav Suchy8. Igor Knyazev9. Goran Bezina10. Matthew Spiller<h3>GRADE C-</h3>Thins out drastically after Paul Mara<h3>LEFT WINGERS</h3>1. Ladislav Nagy2. Brian Savage3. Tyson Nash4. Andrei Nazarov5. Ben Eager6. Jakub Koreis<h3>CENTERS</h3>1. Daymond Langkow2. Chris Gratton3. Mike Sitlinger4. Jan Hrdina5. Krys Kolanos6. Jeff Taffe<h3>RIGHT WINGERS</h3>1. Shane Doan2. Mike Johnson3. Branko Radivojevic4. Landon Wilson5. Daniel Cleary6. Fredrik Sjostrom<h3>GRADE C</h3>Big year from Gratton would be a big help<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0170-0140/10213928-1-eng-US/f0170-012.jpg" title="f0170-01" width="2461" height="2296"></div><h2>The Hockey News GOALIE ZONE</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0171-0137/10213921-1-eng-US/f0171-012.jpg" title="f0171-01" width="1548" height="1843"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0171-0221/10213914-1-eng-US/f0171-022.jpg" title="f0171-02" width="1522" height="726"><figcaption class="caption-body">(NHL RANK)</figcaption></div><h2>FUTURE WATCH</h2>Here are Phoenix&rsquo;s first draft pick in 2003 and top 10 prospects, with age, position and 2002-03 team.<h3>2003 TOP PICK</h3>TYLER REDENBACHPOSITION Left wingerSELECTED 77th overallCLUB S. Current (WHL)SCOUTING REPORT He&rsquo;s a skilled play maker with quick hands and is creative on the rush. But he&rsquo;s on the small side, isn't a great skater and is easily pushed around and intimidated. Time horizon: four years away. Key stat: 51 assists in 60 games.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0171-0317/10213907-1-eng-US/f0171-032.jpg" title="f0171-03" width="251" height="252"><figcaption class="caption-body">(SPORTS ACTION PHOTOGRAPHY)</figcaption></div><h3>TOP 10 PROSPECTS</h3>Blue squares indicate projected sure-fire NHLers. included are 2003 draft picks. Age as of Oct. 1. Not1. Jeff Taffe, C, 22, Springfield (AHL)2. Igor Knyazev, D, 20, Lowell (AHL)3. Fredrik Sjostrom, RW, 20, Calgary (WHL)4. David LeNeveu, G, 20, Cornell (ECAC)5. Kiel McLeod, C, 20, Kelowna (WHL)6. Ben Eager, LW, 19, Oshawa (OHL)7. Jakub Koreis, C, 19, Plzen (Cze.)8. Martin Podlesak, LW, 21, Springfield (AHL)9. Matthew Spiller, D, 20, Seattle (WHL)10. Joe Callahan, D, 20, Yale (ECAC)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0171-0412/10213900-1-eng-US/f0171-042.jpg" title="f0171-04" width="989" height="3472"></div> &#9632;

f0168-01

Dogged Coyotes grasping for goals

<div class="byline">By Joe Starkey</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0172-0137/10214071-1-eng-US/f0172-012.jpg" title="f0172-01" width="337" height="336"></div>The Pittsburgh Penguins are living proof that rock bottom beats rampant mediocrity any day.Back in 1984, the Penguins won the right to draft Mario Lemieux by finishing last overall. Lemieux, who will return for his 16th NHL season, remains the franchise cornerstone.In June, history repeated itself. After finishing second-to-last overall, the Penguins traded up for to the right draft another celebrated French Canadian prospect. This time it was Marc-Andre Fleury, who won&rsquo;t pay Lemieux-like dividends, &mdash; of course &mdash; who would? but who gives the team a prospective franchise goal tender.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0172-0220/10214064-1-eng-US/f0172-022.jpg" title="f0172-02" width="1429" height="2080"><figcaption class="caption-body">DICK TRANSTROM (SPORTS ACTION)</figcaption></div> That&rsquo;s assuming there is a franchise.The biggest issue surrounding the Penguins is their fight for a new arena. Lemieux says that without one, the team cannot hope to stay in Pittsburgh past 2007, when its lease at 43-year-old Mellon Arena expires. In order to pay for their share of a new building, the Penguins were pinning hopes on slot machine revenue from a hoped for horse track.Speaking of gambling, GM Craig Patrick hired his new coach right out of the broadcast booth. Erstwhile color man and longtime NHL forward Eddie Olczyk replaces Rick Kehoe, who was one of several employees fired or re-assigned in an organization-wide &ldquo;evaluation&rdquo; ordered by Lemieux after his team missed the playoffs for the second straight year and officially declared itself in a rebuilding mode.Actually, Patrick labeled it &ldquo;survival mode&rdquo; until there&rsquo;s a new CBA. The payroll likely will be in the $20-million range. The main attraction will be Lemieux, but this team no longer can be molded in his image.It&rsquo;s time to forge a new identity, one of a young, relentless, defensively conscious club that opponents hate to play against. The Penguins say they have the NHL&rsquo;s best crop of prospects. They will have ample opportunity to test that claim over the next few years.STRENGTHS Lemieux turns 38 in October but remains a dominant force, as evidenced by his finishing second in the league in points-per-game last season(1.36). Lemieux, who is 18 goals shy of 700, will need speed and skill on his wings. Martin Straka and Aleksey Morozov are logical linemates.Even though the power play struggled after Alexei Kovalev was traded last season, the Pens should be able to score with the likes of Lemieux, Straka, Morozov and the surprisingly smooth Dick Tarnstrom on board. And when neither Lemieux nor the power play are on the ice, the Pens will at least have plenty of youthful enthusiasm.WEAKNESSES Long feared for their explosive talent, the Penguins ended last season with a pop-gun offense and were horrendous 5-on-5. They were shut out 10 times, tied for second most in team history and only four teams had fewer goals (189). Somebody from a pool of former high draft picks that includes forwards Kris Beech, Michal Sivek, Konstantin Koltsov, Rico Fata and Milan Kraft must take a large step forward and establish himself as a consistent threat.And while everyone is waiting to see who will take that jump, the follies of inexperience will be all too plain to see. Mistakes are a given. Olczyk will admittedly be learning on the job, as will many of his players. And as always-ever since Sergei Zubov left - town eight years ago Mario the search for a legitimate No. 1 defenseman continues, although 2002 top pick Ryan Whitney might fit the bill one day. Pittsburgh&rsquo;s no-name defense corps could be better than people think if Josef Melichar can rebound from shoulder surgery.OFFENSE Outside of Lemieux, Straka and, to a certain degree, Morozov, there are no proven NHL goal-scorers. Second-year left winger Tomas Surovy showed flashes of becoming one, as did Fata, who must learn how to use his blinding speed.Pittsburgh will need to make hay on the power play and resort to fundamentals at even strength. The first step is for the defensemen to trigger successful breakouts with accurate first passes. Next, the Pens must break their longtime habit of committing multiple turnovers all over the ice. Once in the offensive zone, they must direct more pucks to the net - they averaged only 25shots per game last year. They also need to direct some bodies toward the net, create traffic and make opposing defensemen pay a price. In short, do all the things for which they&rsquo;re not known.DEFENSE The Penguins&rsquo; defensive game will be the barometer by which Olczyk&rsquo;s contribution is measured. Simply put, they cannot continue to be one of the worst defensive teams in hockey and expect to have any success. In recent years they have done little more than pay lip service to this facet of the game.Olczyk, who was an offense-minded player, wants to make his team more accountable in all three zones and to make opponents &ldquo;go through all five players&rdquo; to get to the net. They will need to hustle back more, block more shots, make better decisions with the puck and eliminate opposing forwards in the slot. If Olczyk employs a regular checking line, he&rsquo;ll break new ground in Pittsburgh. The goaltending should be competent and the race is wide-open with Johan Hedberg and Sebastien Caron likely to split time, but with J-S Aubin and perhaps even Fleury in the mix.BEHIND THE BENCH Olczyk, who will lean on top assistant Lorne Molleken, puts a recognizable face on the rebuilding movement. He is a bright, communicative sort whom Patrick likened to the late Bob Johnson. With a keen hockey sense, Olczyk should adjust to in-game maneuvering. His biggest challenge will come between games. He must let players know exactly what they&rsquo;re supposed to do within the context of a system and give them daily feedback. In the broadcast booth, he was creative with the tele strator. Perhaps he could drag the Penguins out of the Ice it Age by using and other video technology as teaching tools.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0173-0134/10214057-1-eng-US/f0173-012.jpg" title="f0173-01" width="1153" height="1760"><figcaption class="caption-body">The Penguins are still Lemieux&rsquo;s team, but they lack the means to mold the club in his image. (SPORTS ACTION)</figcaption></div>CHEMISTRY 101 There will be no shortage of leaders in the dressing room, although having Lemieux there can be tricky because his mere presence intimidates some of the younger players. Straka leads by example, while Marc Bergevin and Steve McKenna keep teammates loose with their zany antics. The Penguins have a long history of providing an enjoyable atmosphere for players. Injuries have warped morale in recent years, so good health would go a long way toward good chemistry.ROOKIES With two seasons of pro hockey under his belt, Orpik should be ready to provide some much-needed muscle on the blue line. Surovy, who had four goals in 26 games last year, has a quick release and a nose for the net. Koltsov, who might be the world&rsquo;s fastest-skating human, could be the poster boy for the Penguins&rsquo; youth movement. He will be a gauge by which to - grade the teachers in terms of how well he progresses-because his incredible talent is matched by his scant knowledge of how to play the game.<h2>THEBOTTOMLINE</h2>The Pens won&rsquo;t print playoff tickets. Another lottery ticket and the right to draft Alexander Ovechkin is far more likely.PREDICTION15th in East<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0172-0314/10214050-1-eng-US/f0172-032.jpg" title="f0172-03" width="278" height="595"></div><h2>MIKE BROPHY&rsquo;S spotlight</h2>&nbsp;RICO FATA, RWIt Looked for a while like this speedster might never score an NHL goal. But after stops in New York and he Calgary, started to show Pittsburgh some of the promise that made him a first round pick by the Flames in 1998.<h2>ARRIVALS & DEPARTURES</h2>Off-season player movement affecting Pittsburgh&rsquo;s roster includes:<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0173-0220/10214043-1-eng-US/f0173-022.jpg" title="f0173-02" width="258" height="155"></div>Matt Bradley, RWK. Koltsov, RWBrooks Orpik, DMarc Bergevin, D<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0173-0313/10214036-1-eng-US/f0173-032.jpg" title="f0173-03" width="266" height="156"></div>Joel Bouchard, DAlexandre Daigle, RWShawn Heins, DM. Johansson, CHans Jonsson, DKent Manderville, CVille Nieminen, LWJamie Pushor, DM. Samuelsson, RW<h2>DEPTH CHART extra</h2><h3>TEAM GRADE D+</h3>&ldquo;Pittsburgh, we have a problem&hellip;&nbsp;GM Craig Patrick19th NHL year, 2nd team (734-639-177)COACH Ed Olczyk1st NHL year, 1st team (0-0-0)*OT losses counted as losses<h3>GOALIES</h3>1. Johan Hedberg2. Sebastien Caron3. J-S Aubin<h3>GRADE C+</h3>Not bad, not good enough to be difference<h3>DEFENSEMEN</h3>1. Dick Tarnstrom2. Josef Melichar3. Michal Rozsival4. Brooks Orpik5. Dan Focht6. Marc Bergevin7. Richard Lintner8. Ross Lupaschuk9. Robert Scuderi10. Micki Dupont<h3>GRADE D+</h3>There&rsquo;s a reason they&rsquo;re no-names<h3>LEFT WINGERS</h3>1. Martin Straka2. Tomas Surovy3. Ramzi Abid4. Steve McKenna5. Toby Petersen6. Guillaume Lefebvre<h3>CENTERS</h3>1. Mario Lemieux2. Kris Beech3. Brian Holzinger4. Michal Sivek5. Milan Kraft6. Matt Murley<h3>RIGHT WINGERS</h3>1. Aleksey Morozov2. Rico Fata3. Matt Bradley4. Eric Meloche5. Konstantin Koltsov6. Tom Kostopoulos<h3>GRADE C+</h3>Don&rsquo;t ask where they&rsquo;d be without Mario<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0174-0134/10214029-1-eng-US/f0174-012.jpg" title="f0174-01" width="2427" height="2300"></div><h2>The Hockey News GOALIE ZONE</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0175-0129/10214022-1-eng-US/f0175-012.jpg" title="f0175-01" width="1517" height="1836"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0175-0212/10214015-1-eng-US/f0175-022.jpg" title="f0175-02" width="1538" height="735"><figcaption class="caption-body">(NHL RANK)</figcaption></div><h2>FUTURE WATCH</h2>Here are Pittsburgh&rsquo;s first draft pick in 2003and top 10 prospects, with age, position and 2002-03 team.<h3>2003 TOP PICK</h3>MARC-ANDRE FLEURYPOSITION GoaltenderSELECTED 1st overallCLUB CapeBreton (QMJHL)SCOUTING REPORT He is &rsquo; Quick, agile, technically sound and mentally focused. Scouts called him an incredibly well-rounded-goalie except for his puck handling. Time horizon: one year away. Key stat: save percentage at Worlds Juniors.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0175-038/10214008-1-eng-US/f0175-032.jpg" title="f0175-03" width="256" height="251"><figcaption class="caption-body">(JOHN RUSSEL/BS)</figcaption></div><h3>TOP 10 PROSPECTS</h3>Blue squares indicate projected sure-fire NHLers. Not included are 2003draft picks. Age as of Oct. 1.1. Ryan Whitney, D, 20, Boston University (HE)2. Brooks Orpik, D, 23, Wilkes-Barre (AHL)3. Tomas Surovy, LW, 23, Wilkes-Barre (AHL)4. Konstantin Koltsov, RW, 22, Wilkes-Barre (AHL)5. Shane Endicott, C, 22, Wilkes-Barre (AHL)&nbsp;6. Colby Armstrong, RW, 20, Red Deer (WHL)7. Ross Lupaschuk, D, 22, Wilkes-Barre (AHL)8. Noah Welch, 0, 21, Harvard (ECAC)9. Ryan Malone, LW, 23, St. Cloud (WCHA)10. Matt Murley, LW, 23, Wilkes-Barre (AHL)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0175-045/10214001-1-eng-US/f0175-042.jpg" title="f0175-04" width="985" height="3440"></div> &#9632;

f0172-01

Tough times ahead for Mario & Co.

<div class="byline">By Derrick Goold</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0176-0135/10214172-1-eng-US/f0176-012.jpg" title="f0176-01" width="341" height="349"></div>Few St. Louis Blues vocalized the very real opportunity to win a Stanley Cup last season, but none denied it.A team doesn&rsquo;t survive the use of a NHL-record seven goal tenders and season-long loss of Chris Pronger, enjoy the emergence of rookies Barret Jackman and Petr Cajanek, and endure two team-wide flu attacks and countless other goofy injuries without thinking such traits lead, ultimately, to triumph.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0176-0217/10214165-1-eng-US/f0176-022.jpg" title="f0176-02" width="1381" height="2084"><figcaption class="caption-body">BARRET JACKMAN (BRUCE BENETT/BBS)</figcaption></div>The Blues felt they were on the verge of doing what the franchise never had.They were.For the first time in the team&rsquo;s 36 seasons and its 24 consecutive playoff berths, the Blues bungled a 3-1 series lead by losing Game 7 in Vancouver. The feeling was too familiar. The Blues&rsquo; rites of spring habitually include an in-like-a-lion, out-like-a-lamb post-season. The loss was ruled &ldquo;unacceptable&rdquo; by ownership. Again. Changes were required. Again. And this edict went unspoken:The franchise wants to get finally - what it pays for. &ldquo;At some point, we all have to look around this room and ask, Are you ever going to play with as good a team as we have now?&rsquo; said Al Maclnnis, who is. entering the last year of his contract and likely the last season of his Hall-of-Fame career. &ldquo;That has to be an urgency and the urgency can&rsquo;t come from some people. It has to come from all people. Because this team, I really did think, was good enough to win a Cup.&rdquo;Because of such diverse ailments as chicken pox, whiplash and one fractured upper jaw, the Blues didn&rsquo;t have a complete, healthy lineup once during 89 games last season. They weathered the absences with landmark outputs: Pavol Demitra&rsquo;s first 90-point season, Dallas Drake&rsquo;s first 20-goal season, Cory Stillman&rsquo;s career-high 67 points and Maclnnis&rsquo;s 68 points, best among the league&rsquo;s defensemen.Trading Stillman and Tyson Nash at the 2003 draft cleared some of the money needed to re-sign a linchpin like Demitra, but it also signaled a makeover of the forward corps. I he Blues plan a new, younger, less-expensive look. Considering it took career years from to many fuel the Blues last season, it is a concern when some of the players being relied on to outfit a budget-conscious lineup haven&rsquo;t had careers.&nbsp;STRENGTHS During a stretch last season when the Blues led the league in scoring, coach Joel Quenneville said the team&rsquo;s potency was &ldquo;surprising&rdquo;.Clearly it was built by milestone performances-say, Eric Boguniecki&rsquo;s 22 goals-but the foundation remains in place. Cajanek&rsquo;s two-way dexterity at center created an additional true scoring line for the Blues and put pivot playmakers on three lines. The Blues shed some scoring on the wing, but remain hearty down the middle and Cajanek is to expected excel in his second NHL season.Pronger is returning from a career-threatening wrist injury and risky surgery, but his comeback went well and a return to form is possible. A full season of Pronger, Maclnnis, Jackman and the burgeoning Bryce Salvador fortifies a rigid, multi-tasking defense-the hallmark of Quenneville&rsquo;s Blues.WEAKNESSES In the past two seasons, the Blues have had multiple chances to take or extend a lead in their division, but have hiccuped in crucial games or absolutely floundered against Detroit. (The Blues have won just twice-both inconsequential late-season games - in their last 15 against the Red Wings.) It&rsquo;s a sore subject with the players, but they&rsquo;ve yet to show any big-game gumption. Check their Game 7 loss to Vancouver for proof.Blues GM Larry Pleau said goaltending hasn&rsquo;t been as strong in bined 33 games due to injuries. the past six seasons as the Blues have needed. With Chris Osgood inked in as the No. 1, the team hopes that position is stabilized. That said, there&rsquo;s no guarantee. Osgood has the resume, the attitude and the support of the team, but must reconnect with consistency.OFFENSE The Blues had six 20-goal scorers last season - but two had never done it before, one may not do it again and one has been traded. Keith Tkachuk, coming off a hideously paltry playoffs, must expunge last season and can pick up his scoring to off set the losses. Doug Weight had a strong post-season, but the Blues want a full season from him.Pleau said he wanted to change the &ldquo;personality&rdquo; and &ldquo;chemistry&rdquo; of the forwards. That means adding New Jersey castoff Mike Danton and youthful verve. Atop the next generation is Peter Sejna, the Hobey Baker winner, who will get every chance to be the offense&rsquo;s answer to Jackman.DEFENSE Pronger&rsquo;s ability to log upward of 30 minutes again and Maclnnis&rsquo;s sheer desire will make this the soul of the team, as usual. The Blues would like to add a right-side blue liner to spell Maclnnis, but even without one more, the defense hasexperience, skill and versatility (shooters, hitters, pokers, blockers, passers) aplenty for Quenneville to employ. A glaring and unsettling problem last season for the Blues was their penalty kill, which once ranked last in the league and finished at eighth-worst. Pronger&rsquo;s presence will instantly improve it, as will any goal-tending upgrade.BEHIND THE BENCH Quenneville and his staff&rsquo;s ability to prepare for games or series and their agility with in-game tinkering is renowned, but players have asked uenneville to be a larger, maybe stricter, presence in the dressing room. The defense-minded Quenneville has expanded his coaching repertoire each season, but this season the pressure to produce will be oppressive and his patience must be shorter. The Blues like the job Quenneville has done - five of the franchise seight best regular seasons have been under his - tutelage but they like the coach they think he&rsquo;ll still become even better.CHEMISTRY 101 Pronger is back as captain, but Maclnnis remains the voice that rivets his teammates and is the leader by example. Osgood easily threaded into the MARK team&rsquo;s fabric and the vibe of the room was part of why he sought a return.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0177-0125/10214158-1-eng-US/f0177-012.jpg" title="f0177-01" width="1189" height="1781"><figcaption class="caption-body">In his first two seasons in St. Louis, Doug Weight has missed a combined 33 games due to injuries. (MARK BUCKNER/BBS)</figcaption></div>Tkachuk works for an atmosphere of inclusion - if you can take a joke, or take being ajoke&rsquo;s target. Tkachuk and Maclnnis also lay down the law and dole out advice. (Both took Jackman aside and said the team would rather have him play than fight.) Drake, the on-ice mouth, and Mellanby are the irreproachable sages.The frat-house feel - which has a sprinkling of healthy personality conflicts-works for the Blues as an asset.&nbsp;ROOKIES Sejna already has a place in history as the shooter on the last regular season goal against retired Patrick Roy and much more is expected of the rookie left winger. Signed as a free agent on a Saturday and playing on Demitra&rsquo;s line for the season finale the next day, Sejna &ldquo;just carries himself like a hockey player,&rdquo; said one Blue. His poise has been to compared Jackman&rsquo;s and he could get prime time on a scoring line.Matt Walker is a rugged blue liner who could fit smoothly into the Blues&rsquo; defense as its immovable obstacle. He needs to the improve speed of his reactions. The Blues must keep him on its NHL roster or risk losing him in the waiver draft.<h2>THEBOTTOMLINE</h2>The Blues are still plenty skilled, hut will need everything to fall into place to compete with Detroit and Colorado.PREDICTION6th in West<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0176-039/10214151-1-eng-US/f0176-032.jpg" title="f0176-03" width="274" height="617"></div><h2>MIKE BROPHY&rsquo;S spotlight</h2>&nbsp;CHRIS PRONGER, 0 After returning from career-threatening wrist and knee injuries, Pronger had four points in five regular season games, then averaged nearly 25 minutes of ice time per game during the post-season.<h2>ARRIVALS & DEPARTURES</h2>Off-season player movement affecting St. Louis&rsquo;s roster includes;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0177-0210/10214144-1-eng-US/f0177-022.jpg" title="f0177-02" width="267" height="151"></div>Mike Danton, CPeter Sejna, LW<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0177-037/10214137-1-eng-US/f0177-032.jpg" title="f0177-03" width="269" height="156"></div>Fred Brathwaite, GValeri Bure, RWTyson Nash, LWShjon Podein, LWMartin Rucinsky, LWCory Stillman, LW<h2>DEPTH CHART extra</h2><h3>TEAM GRADE B</h3>Solid on D, but can they score enough?GM Larry Pleau9th NHL year, 2nd team (300-265-88)COACH Joel Quenneville8th NHL year, 1st team (278-184-70)*OT losses counted as losses<h3>GOALIES</h3>1. Chris Osgood2. Brent Johnson3. Reinhard Divis<h3>GRADE B-</h3>The job is Osgood&rsquo;s to lose, Johnson&rsquo;s to win<h3>DEFENSEMEN</h3>1. Al Maclnnis2. Chris Pronger3. Barret Jackman4. Bryce Salvador5. Alexander Khavanov6. Jeff Finley7. Matt Walker8. Christian Laflamme9. Christian Backman10. Tom Koivisto<h3>GRADE A-</h3>The Blues will live and die with their top three<h3>LEFT WINGERS</h3>1. Keith Tkachuk2. Dallas Drake3. Peter Sejna4. Sergei Varlamov5. Mike Danton6. Igor Valeev<h3>CENTERS</h3>1. Pavol Demitra2. Doug Weight3. Petr Cajanek4. John Pohl5. Ryan Johnson6. Steve Martins<h3>RIGHT WINGERS</h3>1. Scott Mellanby2. Jamal Mayers3. Eric Boguniecki4. Reed Low5. Eric Nickulas6. Jame Pollock<h3>GRADE B</h3>Can Weight&rsquo;s amazing playoff carry over?<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0178-0133/10214130-1-eng-US/f0178-012.jpg" title="f0178-01" width="2461" height="2304"></div><h2>The Hockey News GOALIE ZONE</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0179-0127/10214123-1-eng-US/f0179-012.jpg" title="f0179-01" width="1568" height="1892"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0179-0212/10214116-1-eng-US/f0179-022.jpg" title="f0179-02" width="1510" height="727"><figcaption class="caption-body">(NHL RANK)</figcaption></div><h2>FUTURE WATCH</h2>Here are St - Louis' first draft pick in 2003 and top 10 prospects, with age, position and 2002-03 team.<h3>2003 TOP PICK</h3>SHAWN BELLEPOSITION Defenseman&nbsp;SELECTED 30th overallCLUB Tri-City (WHL)SCOUTING REPORT One scouting report called him both the best pure skater in the draft "like Paul Coffey," and the most engimatic, as in slow learner, as in a defensive liability. Time horizon: Three years away. Key stat: 21 points in 66 games.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0179-0310/10214109-1-eng-US/f0179-032.jpg" title="f0179-03" width="246" height="250"><figcaption class="caption-body">(JIM MCISAC/BS)</figcaption></div><h3>TOP 10 PROSPECTS</h3>Blue squares indicate projected sure-fire NHLers. Not included are 2003 draft picks. Age as of Oct. 1.1. John Pohl, C, 24, Worcester (AHL)2. Matt Walker, D, 23, Worcester (AHL)3. Christian Backman, D, 23, Worcester (AHL)4. Peter Sejna, LW, 23, Colorado College (WCHA)5. Alexei Shkotov, RW, 19, Central Army (Rus.)6. Jay McClement, C, 20, Brampton (OHL)7. Colin Hemingway, RW, 23, N. Hampshire (HE)8. Tuomas Nissinen, G, 20, Ilves (Fin.)9. Trevor Byrne, D, 23, Dartmouth (ECAC)10. Brett Scheffelmaier, D, 22, Worcester (AHL)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0179-045/10214102-1-eng-US/f0179-042.jpg" title="f0179-04" width="957" height="3473"></div> &#9632;

f0176-01

Teasing continues for talented Blues

<div class="byline">By Ross McKeon</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0180-0129/10214273-1-eng-US/f0180-012.jpg" title="f0180-01" width="338" height="343"></div>The San Jose Sharks began last season as the chic pick in the NHL. A record-tying six consecutive years of improvement and coming with in a win of the conference final will do that for a team.Then the 2002-03 season started. And the disappointments began to mount. And snowball. And turn finally into an avalanche.When it was all over coaching staff - fired, veteran big-name players traded and the a longtime employee jettisoned out of the GM&rsquo;s chair - Sharks were left wondering where they should start to pick up the pieces of a plan gone very, very wrong.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0180-0210/10214266-1-eng-US/f0180-022.jpg" title="f0180-02" width="1182" height="1974"><figcaption class="caption-body">PATRICK MARLEAU (JIM MCISAAC/BBS)</figcaption></div>&ldquo;We won&rsquo;t talk about last year any more,&rdquo; proclaimed new GM Doug Wilson. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ll bury it and bury the shovel, too.&rdquo;The Sharks can ponder all want they about what went wrong, but two areas stick out like sore thumbs: goals against and penalty killing.It is hard to imagine this was basically the same team that allowed the third-fewest goals in the league two seasons ago (192). Last year, San Jose surrendered 239 goals to rank 27th in team defense.How bad were the Sharks shorthanded? They set a team-record with 45 straight kills during one 13-game stretch and still finished dead-last in penalty-killing efficiency (81.0 per cent).&ldquo;Penalty killing and goals against are team indicators and have nothing to do with talent,&rdquo; Wilson said. &ldquo;There are teams that are strong in those areas and look what they accomplished with what some people say is less talent than others.&rdquo; As the Sharks try to put the pieces back together for a devoted fan base whose loyalty has never been tested like this, the organization is trying to plot a quick return to the post-season. And they do so without taking their eye off what may lie ahead in the changing financial landscape of the NHL. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re probably positioned as well as any team in the league to go forward,&rdquo; Wilson said. Whether that includes returning to Stanley Cup contention remains to be seen.&nbsp;STRENGTHS Theoretically, Evgeni Nabokov is more the goalie he showed in his first two seasons than the mere shadow he displayed following a protracted contract dispute last year. He missed the first month of the season, never found a rhythm and lacked consistency.Strong-willed and determined, Nabokov has shown the ability to rebound from poor performances. Now he must prove he can do it following a sub-par season. If he again falters early, coach Ron Wilson will not be afraid to with Vesa go Toskala, who impressed during a late-season promotion to the point that ineffective backup Miikka Kiprusoff found himself the on trading block.&nbsp;WEAKNESSES Assuming they can make improvements in the penalty-killing and goals-against departments, the other big concern is the turnover at forward, leaving the team inexperienced and unproven.A year ago, San Jose&rsquo;s right side on its top three lines looked like this: Owen Nolan, Teemu Selanne, Niklas Sundstrom. The current roster has Todd Harvey, Scott Parker and Marco Sturm - who will likely end up at center - as the right wingers with the most experience. The team lacked speed, especially in the middle of the ice last year. Vincent Damphousse and MikeRicci start the year holding down two pivot positions, so if the Sharks are to improve it might have to come with more consistent play from Patrick Marleau or a break-through camp from rookie Marcel Goc or former Leafs prospect Brad Boyes.OFFENSE Wilson plans to add new wrinkles to a fairly productive power play that ranked ninth last year. He&rsquo;s a firm believer in the ability of special teams - especially the power play - to generate momentum and offense.Youngsters Niko Dimitrakos, Miroslav Zalesak, Jonathan Cheechoo and the return of clever Alexander Korolyuk should provide a spark. And with nearly500 games (478) in six seasons of NHL experience, Marleau has to assert himself as the main scoring threat now. Sturm continues to set personal bests year after year and he, too, might be ready for his first 30-goal campaign.The defense also will be asked to get more shots on net and contribute more efficiently onthe power play. Mike Rathje, Brad Stuart and even Kyle McLaren can add more offense than they&rsquo;ve produced in the past.DEFENSE San Jose brass recognizes the need to add an experienced defenseman to what, on paper, looks like a strong core for now and the future: Rathje, Stuart, McLaren, Scott Hannan, Jim Fahey and German rookie Christian Ehrhoff. A number of players who have advanced through the lower ranks and minors, including Rob Davison, Jesse Fibiger, Matt Carkner, Robert Mulickand college-aged prospect Doug Murray, will vie for the seventh spot.But it&rsquo;s not justup to the blueliners. The forwards have to work in tandem with the defense. The gaps got too large last year and the Sharks faced too many odd-man breaks. San Jose was slow to react to a crackdown on obstruction and needs to do a better job capitalizing on turnovers and quick transition in the neutral zone to take stress off its backline.BEHIND THE BENCH Wilson&rsquo;s biggest regret after taking over last year was not changing enough right from the start. Wilson wanted to be accepted so the team would listen to his message and execute his systems. But he didn&rsquo;t change enough of the team&rsquo;s bad habits in time. He promises that will be different this year.&ldquo;I&rsquo;m really looking forward to having a full training camp to get things going,&rsquo; said. heLike his assistants Tim Hunter and Rob Zettler, Wilson enters the season in the final year of his contract and with something to prove after failing to rally the team last year.CHEMISTRY 101 Wilson has hinted he may take the first couple of months of the regular season before he settles on a captain. San Jose went without a designated &lsquo;C&rsquo; following Owen Nolan&rsquo;s trade to Toronto at the trade deadline last seasonMike Ricci could easily captain this team. He&rsquo;s not loud and demanding, but who is a better leader by example? Vincent Damphousse would be a strong alternate, while Brad Stuart is an emerging leader of the brat pack. Also, don&rsquo;t overlook Kyle McLaren and Todd Harvey. They, too, lead by example.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0181-0125/10214259-1-eng-US/f0181-012.jpg" title="f0181-01" width="1141" height="1786"><figcaption class="caption-body">With the departure of Owen Nolan, Mike Ricci will be expected to provide leadership for the Sharks. (JIM MCISAC/BS)</figcaption></div>Alyn McCauley and Primeau were Wayne positive trade in terms of acquisitions rebuilding a strong dressing room.ROOKIES All eyes will be on the 21-year-old Ehrhoff, who signed his first pro contract in the off-season and left quite an impression in his first training camp with the Sharks last fall before returning Goc and Boyes all hto Europe.Ehrhoff is a two-way defenseman with good judgment on the attack and the skill to finish a scoring chance. His skating is effortless. He has enough size and smarts to compete, but he&rsquo;ll need to adjust to the smaller North American rink.are - Up front, Zalesak, Goc and Boyes all have a legitimate shot at making the team Their individual offensive prowess Zalesak is a scorer, Goc a play maker and - Boyes a bit of both well they integrate a well known. How defensive posture into their respective games will determine where they start the season.<h2>THEBOTTOMLINE</h2>San Jose goes into this season with a weaker roster than the one that tanked a year ago. Improvement will be minimal.PREDICTION14th in West<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0180-037/10214252-1-eng-US/f0180-032.jpg" title="f0180-03" width="274" height="622"></div><h2>MIKE BROPHY&rsquo;S spotlight</h2>&nbsp;ALYN MCCAULEY, CMcCauley proved two years ago in the playoffs and again upon his trade to San Jose from Toronto that he can produce at the NHL level. He'll get a chance to play on one of the Sharks' top two Lines.<h2>ARRIVALS & DEPARTURES</h2>Off-season player movement affecting San Jose&rsquo;s roster includes:<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0181-0211/10214245-1-eng-US/f0181-022.jpg" title="f0181-02" width="263" height="148"></div>Christian Ehrhoff, DAlex Korolyuk, LWScott Parker, RW<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0181-039/10214238-1-eng-US/f0181-032.jpg" title="f0181-03" width="258" height="147"></div>Adam Graves, LWTeemu Selanne, RW<h2>DEPTH CHART extra</h2><h3>TEAM GRADE C</h3>Once-promising club in rebuilding mode&nbsp;GM Doug Wilson1st NHL year, 1st team (0-0-0)COACH Ron Wilson11th NHL year, 3rd team (332-343-89)*OT losses counted as losses<h3>GOALIES</h3>1. Evgeni Nabokov2. Vesa Toskala3. Miikka Kiprusoff<h3>GRADE B-</h3>Nabokov&rsquo;s reputation took a beating<h3>DEFENSEMEN</h3>1. Brad Stuart2. Mike Rathje3. Kyle McLaren4. Scott Hannan5. Jim Fahey6. Christian Ehrhoff7. Rob Davison8. Jesse Fibiger9. Doug Murray10. Matt Carkner<h3>GRADE B-</h3>Time is ripe for Stuart to move to next level<h3>LEFT WINGERS</h3>1. Scott Thornton2. Alyn McCauley3. Alex Korolyuk4. Mark_Smith5. Lynn Loyns6. Chad Wiseman<h3>CENTERS</h3>1. Vincent Damphousse2. Patrick Marleau3. Mike Ricci4. Wayne Primeau5. Brad Boyes6. Marcel Goc<h3>RIGHT WINGERS</h3>1. Marco Sturm2. Jonathan Cheechoo3. Todd Harvey4. Niko Dimitrakos5. Scott Parker6. Miroslav Zalesak<h3>GRADE C</h3>Selanne hurts; Losing who will fill void?<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0182-0214/10214231-1-eng-US/f0182-022.jpg" title="f0182-02" width="2463" height="2522"></div><h2>The Hockey News GOALIE ZONE</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0183-0123/10214224-1-eng-US/f0183-012.jpg" title="f0183-01" width="1526" height="1842"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0183-0212/10214217-1-eng-US/f0183-022.jpg" title="f0183-02" width="1484" height="733"><figcaption class="caption-body">(NHL RANK)</figcaption></div><h2>FUTURE WATCH</h2>Here are San Jose&rsquo;s first draft pick in 2003 and top 10 prospects, with age, position and 2002-03 team.<h3>2003 TOP PICK</h3>MILAN MICHALEK&nbsp;POSITION Right wingerSELECTED 6th overall&nbsp;CLUB Budejovice (Cze.)SCOUTING REPORT This mature two-way winger is strong in all three zones. Michalek has good speed, size and power, distributes the puck well and has great lateral movemetn. Time horizon: one year away. Key stat: eight points in 46 games.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0183-043/10214210-1-eng-US/f0183-042.jpg" title="f0183-04" width="244" height="251"></div><h3>TOP 10 PROSPECTS</h3>Blue squares indicate projected sure-fire NHLers. Not included are 2003 draft picks. Age as of Oct. 1.1. Brad Boyes, C, 21, Cleveland (AHL)2. Marcel Goc, C, 20, Mannheim (Ger.)3 Mike Morris, RW, 20, Northeastern (HE)4. Christian Ehrhoff, 0, 21, Krefeld (Ger.)5. Niko Dimitrakos, RW, 24, Cleveland (AHL)6. Vesa Toskala, G, 26, Cleveland (AHL)7. Miroslav Zalesak, RW, 23, Cleveland (AHL)8. Chad Wiseman, C, 22, Cleveland (AHL)9. Dimitri Patzold, G, 20, Mannheim (Ger.)10. Tero Maatta, 0, 21, Espoo/Assat (Fin.)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0183-052/10214203-1-eng-US/f0183-052.jpg" title="f0183-05" width="979" height="3435"></div> &#9632;

f0180-01

Picking up pieces Sharks’ top priority

<div class="byline">By Damian Cristodero</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0184-033/10214374-1-eng-US/f0184-032.jpg" title="f0184-03" width="824" height="355"></div>The could be Tampa Bay Lightning on the of verge something big&hellip;or it could be a one-hit wonder. The talent is there, but the jury is out.After a remarkable season in which it earned a team-record93 points, won its first division title and made its first playoff appearance in seven seasons, the Bolts entered the summer with a fistful of questions.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0184-0127/10214367-1-eng-US/f0184-012.jpg" title="f0184-01" width="1249" height="2024"><figcaption class="caption-body">VINCENT LECAVALIER (JIM MCISAAC/BBS)</figcaption></div>Lightning GM Jay Feaster did well to acquire left winger Cory Stillman from the Blues for the 62nd pick in the 2003 draft and to sign Finnish star Eero Somervuori. The moves were made in case left winger and top scorer Vinny Prospal was lost to unrestricted free which agency, happened in mid-July when he a signed deal with Anaheim. The defense was turned over and, going into free agent season, the Lightning had only five defensemen with NHL experience on the roster.Plus, Feaster had budgetary issues to face. He had to sign forwards Brad Richards, Andre Roy and Fredrik Modin, defensemen Brad Lukowich and Dan Boyle, and backup goalie John Grahame with a $33-million budget, only $5 million more than last season.Add a potentially uncomfortable situation between Feaster and coach John Tortorella and things should be interesting.Tortorella was critical of the team for not signing Prospal before the free agent period began. He also was rebuffed, for the time being, in his attempt for a multi-year extension for himself and his staff. A meeting apparently cleared the air and team president Ron Campbell said Tampa Bay&rsquo;s &ldquo;No. 1 priority&rdquo; is to keep the staff intact. But Tortorella was peeved enough to announce he will not talk about a new contract until the season is over.That said, the Lightning is still young and hungry and has enough weapons to cause any opponent trouble. Center Vinny Lecavalier emerged as a bona fide star and Richards is a budding high-impact player. Martin St-Louis is a joy to watch and Tim Taylor and Dave Andreychuk are true leaders.If the defense gets some help and goalie Nikolai Khabibulin can bounce back from a sub-par playoffs and his healthy scratch in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinal, the Lightning should strike again.STRENGTHS This team is so tight in the dressing room and so focused on the team concept, it can overcome shortcomings of talent. Andreychuk and Taylor have crafted an all-for-one mindset that was so strong, players told Feaster at the trade deadline not to upset team chemistry.The Lightning is relentless in its puck-pursuit system and can hurt you with better-than-average speed. Defensive awareness also is key. Forwards come back to help and the defense, while not the most rugged, is good at clogging the middle and blocking shots.The Lightning is rarely out of a game and can surprise you with creativity not usually expected ofa Tampa Bay team.WEAKNESSES Depth could be the biggest problem. The Lightning roster has enough to get the job done, but things can go wrong if injuries become an issue.For the most part they weren&rsquo;t last season. But the organization, after years of neglect by previous owners, is still building up its minor league system. It has been a difficult task made harder this season by the inability to secure an American League affiliate. After two previous seasons of sharing Springfield with Phoenix, Tampa&rsquo;s minor-leaguers still are not getting the undivided attention they need.As for the NHLers, Tampa Bay could use a little more muscle on the blueline and more consistent special teams. The success they experienced down the stretch last season had much to do with an efficient power play attack and strong penalty killing unit. emerged last points.Until additions are made on the back line and a true power play quarterback is either acquired or developed, there still will be question marks.OFFENSE The scoring potential is there. In fact, the Lightning was the only NHL team last season to have four players - Prospal, Lecavalier, St-Louis and Richards with at least 70 points. It also had four 20 and added another in goal-scorers Still man.The key could be the continued development whose 53 assists were fifth of Boyle, among defensemen and who sparked much of the offense with his puck-carrying and pressure in the offensive zone.DEFENSE The Lightning very rarely use a trap, preferring to be aggressive in puck pursuit and fore checking. It can do that because of excellent speed.Where the Lightning gets in trouble is when the forwards do not get back or if they fail to rotate when defensemen pinch, something the coaching staff encourages them to do.When everyone follows the plan, Tampa Bay&rsquo;s defense is pretty solid. They play well together and take pains to force opponents to the wall.The team needs upgrades in ruggedness. Some of it could come from within. Defenseman Pavel Kubina needs to be more physical and Luko which, the most-improved defenseman over the course of the season, needs to continue the physical play that characterized the second half of his season.BEHIND THE BENCH It would be difficult to find a more intense NHL presence than Tortorella, who backs that up with superb preparation.With the help of associate coach Craig and assistant Ramsay Jeff Reese, Tortorella devised a high-energy, attacking system. more of the same this season. Expectjust Tortorella, a Jack Adams Award finalist last season as coach of the year, also has learned that a pat on the back is sometimes as good as a kick in the pants. The coach used to admonish his players during games. Now Tortorella encourages his charges. Things still get heated - just ask Andre Roy - but there is more of a balance.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0185-0124/10214360-1-eng-US/f0185-012.jpg" title="f0185-01" width="1186" height="1809"><figcaption class="caption-body">Martin St-Louis year as a serious scoring threat, finishing with 33 goals and 70 (ACTION SPORTS)</figcaption></div>CHEMISTRY 101 Andreychuk and Taylor run a tight ship, but also bring so many elements of fun to the dressing room that the cliques that hurt the team in the past are gone. Both are serious about their jobs and are almost coaches during practices and video sessions. Andreychuk has a standing offer from the to Lightning be an assistant coach when he retires.Team outings and dinners are planned on road trips (there was a paint-ball war last season) and it is not unusual for bingo games to be played in the back of the team&rsquo;s bus to the hoots and hollers of the players. Give Tortorella credit for knowing when to stay out of the players&rsquo; way and allowing them to bond through the good times and bad. It is the team&rsquo;s greatest strength.ROOKIES Somervuori always skated well and could make a deft pass, but the late-blooming right winger finally reached star status in Finland when he improved his consistency. He could fill Prospal&rsquo;s spot on the roster.Swedish defenseman Andreas Holmqvist also has a chance to make the team. At 22, Holmqvist skates well and can move the two areas in which the puck, Lightning are trying to upgrade their blue line.<h2>THEBOTTOMLINE</h2>If they can add some quality on defense, stay healthy and get consistency in goal, the Lightning will again be a threat.PREDICTION5th in East<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0184-029/10214353-1-eng-US/f0184-022.jpg" title="f0184-02" width="268" height="611"></div><h2>MIKE BROPHY&rsquo;S spotlight</h2>DAN BOYLE, DAfter scoring 33 points in his first 104 NHL games, Boyle exploded for 53 last season, fifth-highest among defensemen. He was particularly effective on the power play wherehe scored eight of his 13 goals.<h2>ARRIVALS & DEPARTURES</h2>Off-season player movement affecting Tampa Bay&rsquo;s roster includes:<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0185-0211/10214346-1-eng-US/f0185-022.jpg" title="f0185-02" width="266" height="155"></div>Cory Stillman, LWEero Somervuori, RWPascal Trepanier, D<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0185-039/10214339-1-eng-US/f0185-032.jpg" title="f0185-03" width="266" height="152"></div>Marc Bergevin, DJanne Laukkanen, DStan Neckar, DNolan Pratt, DVaclav Prospal, LWDarren Rumble, D<h2>DEPTH CHART extra</h2><h3>TEAM GRADE B</h3>Lecavalier&rsquo;s progression a key factorGM Jay Feaster3rd NHL year, 1st team (43-43-21)COACH John Tortorella5th NHL year, 2nd team (75-107-29)*OT losses counted as losses<h3>GOALIES</h3>1. Nikolai Khabibulin2. John Grahame3. Evgeny Konstantinov<h3>GRADE B+</h3>Fine tandem if Grahame holds form<h3>DEFENSEMEN</h3>1. Jassen Cullimore2. Cory Sarich3. Pavel Kubina4. Dan Boyle5. Brad Lukowich6. Pascal Trepanier7. Darren Rumble8. Andreas Holmqvist9. Gerard Dicaire10. Henrik Bergfors<h3>GRADE B-</h3>Excellent coaching keeps things simple<h3>LEFT WINGERS</h3>1. Cory Stillman2. Fredrik Modin3. Dave Andreychuk4. Ruslan Fedotenko5. Andre Roy6. Chris Dingman<h3>CENTERS</h3>1. Vinny Lecavalier2. Brad Richards3. Tim Taylor4. Alexander Svitov5. Martin_Cibak6. Jean-Francois Soucy<h3>RIGHT WINGERS</h3>1. Martin St-Louis2. Nikita Alexeev3. Ben Clymer4. Eero Somervuori5. Jimmie Olvestad6. Sheldon Keefe<h3>GRADE B</h3>Two scoring lines if Modin rebounds<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0186-0125/10214332-1-eng-US/f0186-012.jpg" title="f0186-01" width="2447" height="2472"></div><h2>The Hockey News GOALIE ZONE</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0187-019/10214325-1-eng-US/f0187-012.jpg" title="f0187-01" width="1553" height="1857"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0187-026/10214318-1-eng-US/f0187-022.jpg" title="f0187-02" width="1533" height="735"><figcaption class="caption-body">(NHL RANK)</figcaption></div><h2>FUTURE WATCH</h2>Here are Tampa bay&rsquo;s first draft pick in 2003 and top 10 prospects, with age, position and 2002-03 team.<h3>2003 TOP PICK</h3>MIKE EGENERPOSITION DefensemanSELECTED 34th overallCLUB Calgary (WHL)SCOUTING REPORT He'sa &rsquo; tough, mean rearguard who takes on all comers. Egener also has decent skating and shooting skills. Although he scraps a lot, he&rsquo;s not agood fighter. Time horizon: two or three years away. Key stat: 210 PIMs in 40 games.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0187-042/10214311-1-eng-US/f0187-042.jpg" title="f0187-04" width="258" height="261"><figcaption class="caption-body">(SPORTS ACTION PHOTOGRAPHY)</figcaption></div><h3>TOP 10 PROSPECTS</h3>Here are Tamp Bay's draft pick in 2003 and top 10 prospects, with age, position and 2002-03 team.1. Alexander Polushin, RW, 20, Central Army (Rus.)2. Eero Somervuori, RW, 24, Hameenlinna (Fin.)3. Evgeni Artukhin, RW, 20, Moncton (QMJHL)4. Anders Holmqvist, 0, 22, Linkoping (Swe.)5. Adam Henrich, LW, 19, Brampton (OHL)6. Martin Cibak, C, 23, Springfield (AHL)7. Anton But, LW, 23, Yaroslavl (Rus.)8. Gerard Dicaire, D, 21, Kootenay (WHL)9. Dennis Packard, LW, 21, Harvard (ECAC)&nbsp;10. Ryan Craig, C, 21, Brandon (WHL)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0187-052/10214304-1-eng-US/f0187-052.jpg" title="f0187-05" width="984" height="3480"></div> &#9632;

f0184-03

Winning habits likely to stick

<div class="byline">By Ken Campbell</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0188-0114/10214475-1-eng-US/f0188-012.jpg" title="f0188-01" width="842" height="377"></div>The Toronto Maple Leafs play in a rink located about three city blocks from the Hockey Hall of Fame, the permanent home of the Stanley Cup.In geographic terms, the Leafs have always been close to the Cup, but in practical ones, they've spent the past 36 years bumbling around in the dark looking for it. And while some of the market contenders spent the summer loading their rosters for a run at the big silver mug, the Maple Leafs seemed to be doing their darndest to extend their string to 37.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0188-024/10214468-1-eng-US/f0188-022.jpg" title="f0188-02" width="1417" height="1900"><figcaption class="caption-body">ALEXANDAR MOGILNY (GREG ABEL/BBS)</figcaption></div>It could preoccupied with finding a new GM and positioning themselves for the NHL&rsquo;s post-lockout landscape than they were with actually improving their roster.A new board of directors, led by Toronto businessman Larry Tanenbaum, took control of the team July 1, but the Leafs were looking as old, staid and dysfunctional as they've been since the NHL expanded to 12 teams and the organization became more focussed on profit than on-ice achievements.Coach-GM Pat Quinn was expected to drop the GM title from his portfolio, but he and vice-president Ken Dryden, two-thirds of the search committee for the new man, have not exhibited an ability to agree on everything. And while some have charged the new GM will be Quinn&rsquo;s puppet, he must be able to get along with Quinn at the very least.The Leafs will tell you they geared up for a Cup run last year at the trade deadline and we know what a spectacular failure that was. Now they seem to be on some kind of youth movement and appear obsessed with having as few contracts as possible on the books once the new collective bargaining agreement is reached.They still possess talented veterans who can create ample offense and if goalie Ed Belfour&rsquo;s 38-year-old body can withstand NHL rigors the way it did last year, the Leaf will contend in the Eastern Conference. But a defense corps that was porous before Robert Svehla retired doesn't exactly have the makings of a reliable group and the Leafs will suffer for it.That said, the team will still sell out every game, make millions in concession, max out on its signage and have TV and radio revenues that will be the envy of the NHL.There will be no championship, but the Leafs' cup will runneth over with money.STRENGTHS The Maple Leafs' depth of talent and experience at forward will keep them from slipping too far in the standings. They fin-ished third in scoring in the Eastern Conference (ninth overall) last season and with the likes of Gary Roberts, Darcy Tucker and Owen Nolan, their for-ward have an encouraging amount of grit.Also, Belfour re-emerged as one of the league&rsquo;s top goalies last season and give the Leafs a chance to produce.Led by Belfour, Toronto vastly improved its penalty kill, finishing third in the NHL in that category. Robert Reichel and Tom Fitzgerald were a reliable tandem for them penalty kill.WEAKNESSES The defense corps is suspect to say the least and that is compounded by the fact their forwards seem only slightly inclined to backcheck. The Leafs have not been able to grasp the team concept for years, meaning they turn the puck over in almost every zone. That results in loads of prime scoring chances against.The Leafs also suffer from an extreme persecution complex. They truly believe the referees and the league are plotting against them and rarely is there a penalty called that isn&rsquo;t followed by an array of histrionics. And now they have Bryan Marchment and his 2,126 career penalty minutes to contend with.OFFENSE There is plenty of firepower and it is led by Mogilny, one of the most purely talented players to ever wear a Maple Leafs uniform.Mogilny rebounded with 79 points last season and was dangerous just about every time he touched the puck. Sundin dipped a little last season, but remains a marquee offensive talent. Tucker had a miserable season and is looking to rebound from a 10-goal campaign.The Philadelphia Flyers proved in the first round of the post-season, however, that a good-skating and defensively conscious team can make the Leafs look rather ordinary.DEFENSE The Maple Leafs averaged almost 30 shots and their against per game shots-against total was second-worst among playoff teams and ninth worst in the league. Quinn has tried to emphasize defense for five years and for five years he has failed miserably.Particularly without Svehla, the defense corps is soft and mistake-prone and it didn&rsquo;t help that Bryan McCabe endured a cat-astrophic year after making incredible gains the season before. Buying out the slow and aged Jyrki Lumme is a case of addition by subtraction and the acquisition of Marchment will some what off-set the losses of Svehla and Glen Wesley, but the Maple Leafs&rsquo; play in their own zone will continue to haunt them.BEHIND THE BENCH Quinn should be a far more effective coach without having to worry about being preoccupied with the GM duties next season, but that won&rsquo;t endear him any more to his players, many of whom have grown weary of his methodsQuinn does very little work on systems, abhors defensive hockey and rarely match-es lines - which puts him in a minority in today&rsquo;s dead-puck NHL.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0189-019/10214461-1-eng-US/f0189-012.jpg" title="f0189-01" width="1172" height="1779"><figcaption class="caption-body">Maple Leafs captain Mats Sundin has scored 70 or more points in12 consecutive NHL seasons. (BRUCE BENNETT/BBS)</figcaption></div>CHEMISTRY 101 As dysfunctional as the team&rsquo;s front office is, the dressing room was even worse last season. There were a number of cliques and rivalries and several players didn&rsquo;t attend a year-end gathering after the Leafs were eliminated. Removing Shayne Corson from the dressing room will help immensely, but hard feelings remain.Roberts is Toronto&rsquo;s unequivocal vocal leader in the dressing room and is not afraid to speak his mind to a teammate or demand accountability. Sundin provides quiet leadership, but was unable to keep the team united during times of strife last season.ROOKIES Coming off a year in which he struggled in junior and had off-season shoulder surgery, defenseman Carlo Colaiacovo will be given a chance to stick with Toronto and fill in a hole on defense.Colaiacovo needs to get stronger on the puck and improve defensively; the NHL might not be the best for a place 20-year-old to do it. Brendan Bell, another graduating Ontario League defenseman, has made enormous strides in the past year and has added considerable muscle to his frame.Chief scout Barry Trapp said over the summer that Bell likely has the best chance of making the team next season.<h2>THE BOTTOM LINE</h2>Toronto has the&nbsp;talent and money to contend, but the self-imagined center of the hockey universe again won't hold any Cup parade.PREDICTION4th in East<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0188-034/10214454-1-eng-US/f0188-032.jpg" title="f0188-03" width="268" height="637"></div><h2>MIKE BROPHY&rsquo;S Spotlight</h2>DARCY TUCKER, LWNot only did Tucker drop from 24 goals down to 10, he was in the middle of a controversial dressing room split that divided the team last season. If that&rsquo;s water under the bridge, Tucker has the ability to rebound.<h2>ARRIVALS & DEPARTURES</h2>Off-season player movement affecting Toronto&rsquo;s roster includes:<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0189-026/10214447-1-eng-US/f0189-022.jpg" title="f0189-02" width="265" height="150"></div>Brendan Bell, DCarlo Colaiacovo, DBryan Marchment, D<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0189-034/10214440-1-eng-US/f0189-032.jpg" title="f0189-03" width="265" height="150"></div>Shayne Corson, LWPaul Healey, RWOonas Hoglund, LWPhil Housley, DJyrki Lumme, DRobert Svehla, DGlen Wesley, D<h2>DEPTH CHART extra</h2><h3>TEAM GRADE B</h3>Talent exodus on blue-line doesn&rsquo;t bode wellGM TBAPat Quinn&rsquo;s successor to be namedCOACH Pat Quinn18th NHL year, 4th team (571-439-144)*OT losses counted as losses<h3>GOALIES</h3>1. Ed Belfour2. Trevor Kidd3. Mikael Tellqvist<h3>GRADE B+</h3>Year 2 in blue true test for Belfour<h3>DEFENSEMEN</h3>1. Tomas Kaberle2. Bryan McCabe3. Bryan Marchment4. Aki Berg5. Karer Pitar6. Ric Jackman7. Brendan Bell8. Carlo Colaiacovo9. Maxim Kondratiev10. Regan Kelly<h3>GRADE B-</h3>Injury to Kaberle would be disastrous<h3>LEFT WINGERS</h3>1. Gary Roberts2. Darcy Tucker3. Mikael Renberg4. Wade Belak5. Alexei Ponikarovsky6. Brad Leeb<h3>CENTERS</h3>1. Mats Sundin2. Nik Antropov3. Robert Reichel4. Travis Green5. Matt Stajan6. Aaron Gavey<h3>RIGHT WINGERS</h3>1. Alexander Mogilny2. Owen Nolan3. Tie Domi4. Tom Fitzgerald5. Josh Holden6. Harold Druken<h3>GRADE B+</h3>Sundin, Mogilny potent gamebreakers<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0190-0115/10214433-1-eng-US/f0190-012.jpg" title="f0190-01" width="2463" height="2485"></div><h2>The Hockey News GOALIE ZONE</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0192-0114/10214426-1-eng-US/f0192-012.jpg" title="f0192-01" width="1502" height="1830"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0192-024/10214419-1-eng-US/f0192-022.jpg" title="f0192-02" width="1512" height="720"><figcaption class="caption-body">(NHL RANK)</figcaption></div><h2>FUTURE WATCH</h2>Here is Toront&rsquo;s first draft in 2003 and its top 10 prospects, with age, position and 2002-03 team.<h3>2003 TOP PICK</h3>JOHN DOHERTYPOSITION DefensemanSELECTED 57th overallCLUB Phillips-And. (USHS)SCOUTING REPORT This project is a huge, offensively skilled rearguard who skates well. Scouts question his hockey sense and say he&rsquo;s easily knocked off the puck by smaller foes. Time horizon: four years away. Key stat: 23 points in 24 games.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0192-043/10214412-1-eng-US/f0192-042.jpg" title="f0192-04" width="254" height="259"><figcaption class="caption-body">(JIM MCISAAC/BBS)</figcaption></div><h3>TOP 10 PROSPECTS</h3>Blue squares indicate projected sure-fire NHLers. Not included are 2003 draft picks. Age as of Oct. 1.1. Carlo Colaiacovo, D, 20, Erie (OHL)2. Alexander Steen, C, 19, V. Frolunda (Swe.)3.Mikael Tellqvist, G, 24, St. John&rsquo;s (AHL)4. Karel Pilar, D, 25, St. John&rsquo;s (AHL)5. Maxim Kondratjev, D, 20, Togliatti (Rus.)6. Brendan Bell, D, 20, Ottawa (OHL)7. Matt Stajan, C, 19, Belleville (OHL)8. Jay Harrison, D, 20, St. John&rsquo;s (AHL)9. Kyle Wellwood, C, 20,Windsor (OHL)10. Ian White, D, 19, Swift Current (WHL)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0192-053/10214405-1-eng-US/f0192-052.jpg" title="f0192-05" width="932" height="3471"></div> &#9632;

f0188-01

Deficiencies on ‘D’ dog aging Leafs

<div class="byline">By Elliott Pap</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0194-0114/10214576-1-eng-US/f0194-012.jpg" title="f0194-01" width="850" height="364"></div>A team-record 104-point regular season. A team-record 1O-game win streak. A team-record 14-game unbeaten streak. Eight home playoff dates. A Hart Trophy finalist.The Vancouver Canucks had a campaign to remember in 2002-03. Yet what sticks in their craw to this day is their stunning meltdown against Minnesota in the second round of the playoffs.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0194-025/10214569-1-eng-US/f0194-022.jpg" title="f0194-02" width="1120" height="1890"><figcaption class="caption-body">BRENDAN MARRISON (SPORTS ACTION)</figcaption></div>Up 3-1 in the series, the Canucks unraveled like a cheap suit and lost by scores of 7-2, 5-1 and 4-2 against a Wild team hardly noted for its offense.So much good was undone by that series loss. It cast doubt on the goaltending of Dan Cloutier, who won 33 regular season games despite two knee injuries. It cast doubt on the leadership of left winger Markus Naslund, who, despite 14 playoff points, seldom dominated in the post-season. It cast doubt on the defense corps, which couldn&rsquo;t stop the likes of Marian Gaborik (Minnesota&rsquo;s only legitimate star) and journey man center Wes Walz.Granted, in the playoffs of 2002-03, Vancouver&rsquo;s misery had company in cities such as Detroit, Colorado, Dallas, St. Louis and Toronto, all big-budget teams that didn&rsquo;t last as long as the Canucks in the hunt for Lord Stanley&rsquo;s mug.So for Canucks GM Brian Burke, the 2003-04 season does not call for a major rebuilding job, but rather a modest renovation. Burke was given a budget increase by owner John McCaw and he will have up to $41 million with which to shape his roster. Last year, Burke wound up shelling out$36 million for his players when all bonuses were paid.With a number of teams looking to unload salary - and his own core signed and intact - Burke be able may to add another top-six forward and another top six defenseman without having to surrender something significant. It is a nice situation for Vancouver and one that should keep the Canucksa Stanley Cup contender.STRENGTHS The Canucks&rsquo; power play finished third in the league last season and their two biggest weapons, Naslund and Todd Bertuzzi, are back for more fun. Naslund quarterbacks the extra-man unit from the sideboards and Bertuzzi is the jammer-disturber-deflector presence in front.With Ed Jovanovski at the point and clever center Brendan Morrison either down low or at the other point, the Canucks are very difficult to stop on the power play.Getting offense from the defense is another of the Canucks&rsquo; strong suits. Coach Marc Crawford gives his blueliners the green light to jump up and join the attack and four - of them Jovanovski, Brent Sopel, Sami Salo and Marek Malik-all put up career numbers in either goals, assists, or points all of the above. The ability of Vancouver&rsquo;s defensemen to cash in on offensive chances has been a key toWEAKNESSES Although Cloutier performed well for most of the regular season - highlighted by an 11-1-0 player-of-the-month November - his abysmal post-season numbers (3.24 goals-against average, .868 save percentage) re-opened the debate on whether the Canucks can win the big one with him between the pipes. The public&rsquo;s confidence in Cloutier appears to be eroding and proclamations from Burke that Cloutier is still his No. 1 weren&rsquo;t being bought by everyone who follows the team.The penalty kill began to erode after the season&rsquo;s first quarter - where they had the finally top-rated unit in the - league finishing 12th overall at the end of the season, then disintegrating in the playoffs. Unless someone from the current roster steps up and becomes the equivalent of Guy Carbonneau, the Canucks figure to continue their struggles in this area.OFFENSE Vancouver led the league in scoring in 2001-02, with254 goals, and finished second in 2002-03 to Detroit, 269-264. So what&rsquo;s not to like about an attack that boasts arguably the best two wingers in the game in Naslund and Bertuzzi?Believe it or not, the Canucks can get considerably better if Daniel and Henrik Sedin ever start living up to their billing as offensive players. When third line left winger Matt Cooke, who almost never sees the power play, collects 42 points and outscores each twin - Henrik had 39 Daniel 31 - there is room for points, improvement.And look for electrifying, if undersized rookie Brandon Reid to crack the ranks up front and add some dash and flash.DEFENSE The Canucks aren&rsquo;t the league&rsquo;s most sound defensive team, one reason being Crawford&rsquo;s preference to have his blueliners join the rush.This leaves the team susceptible to counter-attacks. As well, the Canucks&rsquo; forwards aren&rsquo;t considered to be among the best group of back checkers in the league&rsquo;s pantheon of Seike Naslund and types. Bertuzzi, for all their scoring heroics, were barely plus players during the regular season (plus-6 and plus-2, respectively), clearly - must indicating they be more responsible without the puck.The Canucks are also vulnerable to a strong cycle attack. In the current era of suffocating team defense, the Canucks haven&rsquo;t become the whole-hearted converts other teams have.BEHIND THE BENCH Crawford is entering his fifth full behind the year Vancouver bench and, under his leadership, the Canucks have improved each season.Crawford is a fiery and emotional coach who likes his charges to play an up-tempo style. As mentioned, one of the biggest features of his coaching style is giving defensemen the green light to join the rush and pinch in the offensive zone.This second wave produces more offensive-chances and enables the team to have everyone involved, which usually keeps the players happy and productive.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0195-0111/10214562-1-eng-US/f0195-012.jpg" title="f0195-01" width="1216" height="1777"><figcaption class="caption-body">Canucks captain Markus Naslund enjoyed a career year in 2002-03, setting career highs in goals and points. (SPORTS ACTION)</figcaption></div>CHEMISTRY 101 Veteran players, who have been around and seen a few dressing rooms in their day, insist the Canucks have good chemistry within the walls of the organization. There are seemingly no big cliques on the team and the leadership flows from captain Naslund and former Trevor captain Linden. Naslund is well-respected by everyone and to have appears convinced his mates to keep any gripes and complaints out of the media.ROOKIES The Canucks finished their playoff run with young center Reid in the lineup and goalie Alex Auld as the No. 2 man. Both Auld and Reid are to expected challenge for roster spots this season.Reid, should especially, stick, with his energy, whirling offensive moves and Charlie Hustle manner of play. Another possibility at forward is right winger Jason King. He has a history of goal-scoring, though his defensive play and physical strength need work.Meanwhile, the lanky Auld seems capable of backing up Cloutier, although the team brass was hinting strongly that they want him in starting every day the American League as opposed to once every 10 days in the NHL. Veteran minor league stopper Tyler Moss is also in the mix.<h2>THEBOTTOMLINE</h2>With their core still young and hungry, the Canucks will take another bite out of their opponents in the wild, wild West.PREDICTION3rd in West<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0194-034/10214555-1-eng-US/f0194-032.jpg" title="f0194-03" width="275" height="614"></div><h2>MIKE BROPHY&rsquo;S spotlight</h2>&nbsp;ED JOVANOVSKI, D Though his goal production dipped from 17 two years ago to six Last season, Jovanovski was phenomenal in the playoffs, scoring seven goals in 14 games. He needs to be a consistent scorer/physical force.<h2>ARRIVALS & DEPARTURES</h2>Off-season player movement affecting Vancouver&rsquo;s roster includes:<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0195-025/10214548-1-eng-US/f0195-022.jpg" title="f0195-02" width="277" height="148"></div>Brandon Reid, CAlex Auld, G<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0195-034/10214541-1-eng-US/f0195-032.jpg" title="f0195-03" width="274" height="155"></div>Murray Baron, DTrent Klatt, RWTrevor Letowski, RWPeter Skudra, G<h2>DEPTH CHART extra</h2><h3>TEAM GRADE B+</h3>Success hinges on getting good goaltendingGM Brian Burke7th NHL year, 2nd team (202-236-64)COACH Marc Crawford10th NHL year, 2nd team (326-248-99)*OT losses counted as losses<h3>GOALIES</h3>1. Dan Cloutier2. Alex Auld3. Tyler Moss<h3>GRADE B-</h3>Cloutier needs a good playoff to take heat off<h3>DEFENSEMEN</h3>1. Ed Jovanovski2. Mattias Ohlund3. Sami Salo4. Brent Sopel5. Marek Malik6. Bryan Allen7. Mikko Jokela8. Jaroslav Obsut9. Rene Vydareny10. Martin Grenier<h3>GRADE B+</h3>No concerns to speak of on steady blue line<h3>LEFT WINGERS</h3>1. Markus Naslund2. Daniel Sedin3. Matt Cooke4. Brad May5. Darren Langdon6. Ryan Ready<h3>CENTERS</h3>1. Brendan Morrison2. Henrik Sedin3. Artem Chubarov4. Mats Lindgren5. Brandon Reid6. Pat Kavanagh<h3>RIGHT WINGERS</h3>1. Todd Bertuzzi2. Trevor Linden3. Jarkko Ruutu4. Jason King5. Tyler Bouck6. Fedor Fedorov<h3>GRADE B+</h3>Could be &lsquo;A&rsquo; unit if the Sedin twins emerge<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0196-0111/10214534-1-eng-US/f0196-012.jpg" title="f0196-01" width="2439" height="2507"></div><h2>The Hockey News GOALIE ZONE</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0197-018/10214527-1-eng-US/f0197-012.jpg" title="f0197-01" width="1506" height="1870"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0197-024/10214520-1-eng-US/f0197-022.jpg" title="f0197-02" width="1514" height="737"><figcaption class="caption-body">(NHL RANK)</figcaption></div><h2>FUTURE WATCH</h2>Here are Vancouver&rsquo;s first draft pick in 2003and top 10 prospects, with age, position and 2002-03 team<h3>2003 TOP PICK</h3>RYAN KESLERPOSITION&nbsp;CenterSELECTED&nbsp;23rd overallCLUB Ohio State (CCHA)SCOUTING REPORT His size and willingness to battle in corners and work relentessly makes him suited as a pro second- or third-liner. Doesn't provide much offense. Time horizon: two or three years away. Key stat: 31 points in 40 games.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0197-033/10214513-1-eng-US/f0197-032.jpg" title="f0197-03" width="256" height="257"><figcaption class="caption-body">(SPORTS ACTION PHOTOGRAPHY)</figcaption></div><h3>TOP 10 PROSPECTS</h3>Blue squares indicate projected sure-fire NHLers. Not included are 2003 draft picks. Age as of Oct.. 1.1. Kirill Koltsov, 0, 20, Omsk (Rus.)2. Umberger, C, 21, Ohio State (CCHA)3 Alex Auld, G, 22, Manitoba (AHL)4. Brandon Reid, C, 22, Manitoba (AHL)5. Jason King, LW, 24, Manitoba (AHL)6. Brandon Nolan, C, 20, Oshawa (AHL)7. FedorFedorov, LW, 22, Manitoba (AHL)8. Rene Vydareny, 0, 22, Manitoba (AHL)9. Nathan Smith, C, 21, Manitoba (AHL)10. Rob McVicar, G, 21, Brandon (WHL)<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0197-043/10214506-1-eng-US/f0197-042.jpg" title="f0197-04" width="1052" height="3414"></div> &#9632;

f0194-01

Next challenge: Successful playoffs

<div class="byline">By Dave Fay</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0198-0114/10214677-1-eng-US/f0198-012.jpg" title="f0198-01" width="827" height="358"></div>The question surrounding the Washington Capitals on a daily basis last season was which club would show up - the one strongly committed toa team or one game that would go through the motions?The same question remains this season, but the situation is far more worrisome.On the plus side, the Capitals finally realized they didn&rsquo;t possess endless fire-power, four lines so were designed with that in mind. This season, it is hoped two lines will produce offense, a third will successfully check the opposition&rsquo;s top line and the fourth will create some havoc.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0198-023/10214670-1-eng-US/f0198-022.jpg" title="f0198-02" width="1352" height="1927"><figcaption class="caption-body">SERGEI GONCHAR (SPORTS ACTION)</figcaption></div>On the negative side, it was rare last season when all four units performed as designed. But more importantly, the defense corps needs to be rebuilt, virtually from the ground up. Calle Johansson, one of the best all-around defenders in team history, is gone. Ken Klee, the steady partner Sergei Gonchar leaned on heavily, is gone. Infact, no pair from 2003-03 returns intact and the club will on rookies rely and/or minor league prospects to fill at least half the top six spots on the blueline.This isn&rsquo;t good news for goalie Olie Kolzig, who deserves far better. Washington has built its defense around Kolzig for six seasons, but has failed to recognize he can&rsquo;t do it alone. Even a Vezina Trophy-winner needs some support.Majority owner Ted Leonsis vowed to reconsider his team&rsquo;s pricey payroll after more than one-third of the MCI Center seats were empty for the club&rsquo;s abbreviated playoff appearance. He has kept his word - there were no high-priced surprises during the off-season - but is a smaller payroll going to produce improved results? Not unless you&rsquo;re the Minnesota Wild.STRENGTHS There is no doubt the Capitals have the potential to pile up bunch of goals, but that potential was there last season and failed to materialize most nights. Rarely did chemistry exist for more than a few games between some of the most talented performers in the NHL, turning a potential offensive explosion into a wet a sparkler. Nonetheless, the Capitals count Jaromir Jagr, Peter Bondra, Robert Lang, Michael Nylander, Jeff Halpern, Steve Konowalchuk and Mike Grier among their forwards - lineup more than one coach would love to have.As long as Kolzig is healthy, Washington is never out of it. He has stolen big games before - and must certainly do so this season if the club is to make any Capital gains.WEAKNESSES It will be difficult for Washington to hide an in experienced defense, one that opposing forwards will take to school until it gets on solid footing.Not only will a handful of new defenders have to break in with the team, but pairs with decent chemistry will have to be formed. And there isn&rsquo;t that much time between the start of and the training camp start of the season, especially with all the hopefuls auditioning for up to four or five &lsquo;D&rsquo; jobs.Also, Washington&rsquo;s special teams were nothing less than a disaster last season. Even with their astonishing of fire-array power, the power play ended up in the middle of the pack, seemingly running from different patterns period to period, never settling down to a set scheme and allowing it to develop. And it&rsquo;s hard to imagine the penalty killing being any worse - it escaped the league cellar by mere fractions of a percentage point.OFFENSE This not only should be the team&rsquo;s strong point this year - it will have to be if the Caps are to survive.Jagr had 36 goals and 77 points in a sub-par campaign for him. There were times when he dominated like the Jagr of old, but those stretches were infrequent and inconsistent.Lang quietly amassed 69 points, 19 more than he scored for Pittsburgh in 62 games the year before, but 11 fewer than his single-season high in 2000-01.Gonchar&rsquo;s goal-scoring was down a bit 26 to18, still enough to lead NHL defensemen but he played better defense; and - Bondra became the team&rsquo;s all-time production leader, with 451 goals and790 points in 907 games as a Cap.Dainius Zubrus, who missed training camp and ended up with13 goals and 35 points in63 games, has to be more of a factor offensively.Other than Gonchar, the defense managed just 12 goals while the fourth line, regardless of who was on it, rarely came through with a goal.&nbsp;DEFENSE Johansson felt it was time to move on after 15 seasons and did. Klee wanted to test free agency and did. That leaves Washington with two defensemen with more than one full season of NHL experience: Gonchar and Brendan Witt.The rest of the blueline will be made of up rookies who were up with the Caps for parts of last season, American League prospects from Portland or junior-aged players. Candidates include Jason Doig, ashoo-in, Nolan Yonkman, Josef Boumedienne, Rick Berry and Steve Eminger, to name a few.There are problems right from the start. Gonchar is great offensively, but takes time to adjust to a new partner. Witt has played solid responsible, tough hockey, but only while paired with Johansson. He&rsquo;ll have to adjust quickly to a new situation, one in which he&rsquo;ll likely be asked to help break in a rookie.Suffice to say, the young, inexperienced defense will have to come together in a hurry for the Caps to stay in contention.BEHIND THE BENCH Bruce Cassidy made his NHL coaching debut with a lot of ideas, almost all of them bad - and that&rsquo;s his assessment. According to Cassidy, there were a lot of games lost in 2002-03 that might have been won had he done things differently.But Cassidy believes he did figure some things out as the season progressed, like handing off some duties behind the bench, restraining himself somewhat and saying fewer things that he might after regret. Cassidy has vowed to put to quick use the things he learned last season and to in still a more disciplined approach.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0199-0111/10214663-1-eng-US/f0199-012.jpg" title="f0199-01" width="1166" height="1771"><figcaption class="caption-body">Jaromir Jagr has disappointed in his first two years with the Capitals and was the subject of off-season trade rumors. (SPORTS ACTION)</figcaption></div>CHEMISTRY 101 Kolzig is the one voice that everybody respects, but he alone can&rsquo;t hold things together. Konowalchuk is a good captain, but he commands a dressing room that is divided in more than one way, with players representing different continents, different countries, different ways of life.This has been a problem with Capitals teams for years, one that won&rsquo;t be solved with more team dinners. It is not so much of a problem that players don&rsquo;t speak to each other, but issues arise when trying to fashion a team out of the various factions.ROOKIES Boyd Gordon played four seasons for Brent Sutter in Red Deer (WHL) and that in itself is a pretty good credential for a player headed for the NHL.Gordon moved from the right side to center in his final of season junior and collected 33 goals and 81 points in56 games sandwiched around a stint with the Canadian world junior team.Also expected to make a heavy contribution is defenseman Steve Eminger, a member of the Kitchener Rangers Memorial Cup team, and possibly forward Alexander Semin, a 19-year-oldRussian prospect.<h2>THEBOTTOMLINE</h2>Kolzig will have to perform better than Spiderman and even that may not be enough to get Washington into the playoffs.PREDICTION8th in East<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0198-034/10214656-1-eng-US/f0198-032.jpg" title="f0198-03" width="271" height="633"></div><h2>MIKE BROPHY&rsquo;S spotlight</h2>&nbsp;DAINIUS ZUBRUS. RW Will this finally be the year the big, versatile forward takes his game to a higher level? Blessed with size (6-foot-4, 231 pounds), Zubrus teases with his talent, but has yet to become a consistent offensive force.<h2>ARRIVALS &&nbsp;DEPARTURES</h2>Off-season player movement affecting Washington&rsquo;s roster includes:<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0199-024/10214649-1-eng-US/f0199-022.jpg" title="f0199-02" width="270" height="160"></div>J. Boumedienne, DOwen Fussey, RWBoyd Gordon, RWNolan Yonkman, D<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0199-034/10214642-1-eng-US/f0199-032.jpg" title="f0199-03" width="269" height="151"></div>Sergei Berezin, LWIvan Ciernik, LWJosh Green, LWCalle Johansson, DKen Klee, DJoel Kwiatkowski, dGlen Metropolit, C<h2>DEPTH CHART extra</h2><h3>TEAM GRADE B-</h3>Defense will surely get upgraded it?&nbsp;GM George McPhee7th NHL year, 2nd team (221-206-59)COACH Bruce Cassidy2nd NHL year, 1st team (39-35-8)*OT losses counted as losses<h3>GOALIES</h3>1. Olie Kolzig2. Sebastien Charpentier3. Maxime Ouellet<h3>GRADE B+</h3>Kolzig still steadiest part of Caps&rsquo; game<h3>DEFENSEMEN</h3>1. Sergei Gonchar2. Brendan Witt3. Jason Doig4. Nolan Yonkman5. Josef Boumedienne6. Rick Berry7. Steve Eminger8. Jakub Cutta9. Chris Hajt10. J-F Fortin<h3>GRADE C</h3>Nolan Yonkman on second pair? Yikes<h3>LEFT WINGERS</h3>1. Peter Bondra2. Steve Konowalchuk3. Kip Miller4. Graham Mink5. Matt Pettinger6. Alexander Semin<h3>CENTERS</h3>1. Robert Lang2. Dainius Zubrus3. Michael Nylander4. Jeff Halpern5. Brian Sutherby6. Trent Whitfield<h3>RIGHT WINGERS</h3>1. Jaromir Jagr2. Mike Grier3. Stephen Peat4. Boyd Gordon5. Owen Fussey6. Alex Henry<h3>GRADE B</h3>Jagr&rsquo;s up-and-down play will be barometer<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0200-024/10214635-1-eng-US/f0200-022.jpg" title="f0200-02" width="2475" height="2507"></div><h2>The Hockey News GOALIE ZONE</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0201-017/10214628-1-eng-US/f0201-012.jpg" title="f0201-01" width="1540" height="1849"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0201-022/10214621-1-eng-US/f0201-022.jpg" title="f0201-02" width="1498" height="719"><figcaption class="caption-body">(NHL RANK)</figcaption></div><h2>FUTURE WATCH</h2>Here are Washington&rsquo;s first draft Pick in 2003 and top 10 prospects, with age, position and 2002-03 team.<h3>2003 TOP PICK</h3>ERIC FEHRPOSITION Right wingerSELECTED&nbsp;18th overallCLUB Brandon (WHL)SCOUTING REPORT A lanky forward with deceptive speed and good scoring skills, Fehr needs to get stronger and refine his game. Scouts love his work ethic. Time horizon: three years away. Key stat: 55 points in 70 games.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0201-042/10214614-1-eng-US/f0201-042.jpg" title="f0201-04" width="249" height="252"><figcaption class="caption-body">(SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY ACTION)</figcaption></div><h3>TOP 10 PROSPECTS</h3>Blue squares indicate projected sure-fire NHLers. Not included 2003 are draft picks. Age as of Oct. 1.1. Steve Eminger, D, 19, Kitchener (OHL)2. Maxime Ouellet, G, 22, Portland (AHL)3. Alexander Semin, LW, 19, Togliatti (Rus.)4. Boyd Gordon, C, 19, Red Deer (WHL)5. Nolan Yonkman, D, 22, Portland (AHL)6. Jakub Cutta, D, 21, Portland (AHL)7. Owen Fussey, RW, 20, Moose Jaw (WHL)8. Ivan Nepryayev, C, 21, Yaroslavl (Rus.)9. Maxime Daigneault, G, 19, Vai d'Or (QMJHL)10. Graham Mink, LW, 24, Portland (AHL)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0201-052/10214607-1-eng-US/f0201-052.jpg" title="f0201-05" width="962" height="3456"></div> &#9632;

f0198-01

Washington hopes for Capital offense

<h2>National Hockey League</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0204-017/10214893-1-eng-US/f0204-012.jpg" title="f0204-01" width="956" height="3460"></div><h2>Goalie Leaders</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0206-018/10214886-1-eng-US/f0206-012.jpg" title="f0206-01" width="2561" height="3580"></div><h2>Stanley Cup Playoffs</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0204-024/10214879-1-eng-US/f0204-022.jpg" title="f0204-02" width="1531" height="3456"></div><h2>Leaders by Category</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0207-018/10214872-1-eng-US/f0207-012.jpg" title="f0207-01" width="2591" height="3580"></div><h2>Top 200 Scorers</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0208-016/10214865-1-eng-US/f0208-012.jpg" title="f0208-01" width="2526" height="1848"></div><h2>U.S. Colleges</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0208-023/10214858-1-eng-US/f0208-022.jpg" title="f0208-02" width="2474" height="1496"></div><h2>European Leagues</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0209-016/10214851-1-eng-US/f0209-012.jpg" title="f0209-01" width="2641" height="3550"></div><h2>2003 NHL Entry Draft</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0210-019/10214844-1-eng-US/f0210-012.jpg" title="f0210-01" width="5214" height="3580"></div><h2>2003 NHL Entry Draft team-by-team</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0211-017/10214837-1-eng-US/f0211-012.jpg" title="f0211-01" width="2561" height="3570"></div><h2>American Hockey League</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0213-016/10214830-1-eng-US/f0213-012.jpg" title="f0213-01" width="2641" height="3580"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0214-016/10214823-1-eng-US/f0214-012.jpg" title="f0214-01" width="5225" height="3572"></div><h2>East Coast Hockey League</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0216-016/10214816-1-eng-US/f0216-012.jpg" title="f0216-01" width="5231" height="3572"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0218-016/10214809-1-eng-US/f0218-012.jpg" title="f0218-01" width="2571" height="3580"></div><h2>Ontario Hockey League</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0219-016/10214802-1-eng-US/f0219-012.jpg" title="f0219-01" width="2601" height="3580"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0220-017/10214795-1-eng-US/f0220-012.jpg" title="f0220-01" width="2571" height="3580"></div><h2>Western Hockey League</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0221-015/10214788-1-eng-US/f0221-012.jpg" title="f0221-01" width="2651" height="3536"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0222-016/10214781-1-eng-US/f0222-012.jpg" title="f0222-01" width="2591" height="3580"></div><h2>Quebec Major Junior Hockey League</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0223-015/10214774-1-eng-US/f0223-012.jpg" title="f0223-01" width="2681" height="3570"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0224-016/10214767-1-eng-US/f0224-012.jpg" title="f0224-01" width="2571" height="3560"></div><h2>NHL 2003-04 Schedule</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0228-012/10214760-1-eng-US/f0228-012.jpg" title="f0228-01" width="5243" height="3552"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0230-014/10214753-1-eng-US/f0230-012.jpg" title="f0230-01" width="5295" height="3562"></div> &#9632;

f0204-01

2002-03 Statistics

<div class="byline">Sam McCaig </div><div class="byline">Project Editor</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0232-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0232-015/10214931-1-eng-US/f0232-012.jpg"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0232-022/10214924-1-eng-US/f0232-022.jpg" title="f0232-02" width="340" height="555"></div>If you&rsquo;ve-made it this far the last page of The Hockey News 2003-04 Yearbook chances are you&rsquo;re a fan of the game.And, chances are, you&rsquo;re aware that come next 15 the collective Sept. bargaining agreement is set to expire and, with it, so could NHL hockey for much of, all of, and maybe even more than the 2004-05 season.But what does it all mean for this year? Why is 2003-04 suddenly so unique?Need a hint? Sayonara, superstars. Goodbye, great ones. Thanks for the memories, Mario and Mark. See ya, Stevie YThis is destined to be the swan song season for of the NHL&rsquo;s many best players, strike or no strike.How many could go? Up to 20, maybe even more than 30 if the &ldquo;work stoppage&rdquo; kills 2004-05 and starts chewing on 2005-06.Got that? A full roster of truly great NHL players-the majority of them headed directly to the Hall of Fame (!) -might decide to call it a career after the 2003-04 season.For some, it will just be time to hang &rsquo;em up. And we&rsquo;ll salute them. For others, it&rsquo;ll be because of the uncertainty surrounding the 2004-05 season as the mostly rich players and grossly rich owners fight over your money. Rather than wade through the rhetoric and wait out the lockout, many future Hall of Famers, some even legends of the game, will retire. And we&rsquo;ll be sad.Like who? Well, since you asked:We don&rsquo;t need no stinkin&rsquo; strike Assuming they play this season, it&rsquo;s definitely your last chance to see Hall-worthy old-school types Doug Gilmour, Igor Larionov, Mike Richter and Claude LemieuxWe probably don&rsquo;t need no stinkin&rsquo; strike Yes, his Mario Lemieux-ness and the sublime Steve Yzerman are likely going to retire anyway - go watch &rsquo;em both when Pittsburgh hosts Detroit Oct. 18 - and you might say the same for Dominik Hasek, Ed Belfour and Luc Robitaille. But if healthy, there&rsquo;s always a chance they could play on. If the CBA gets ugly, though, they&rsquo;ll just move on.Strike-induced retirement A lot of players fall under this million-dollar umbrella, so there are sub-categories:Gordie Howe Club These physical specimens are future Hall heavyweights who, like Howe, could play until age 52. But it&rsquo;s doubtful Mark Messier, Ron Francis, Chris Chelios, Brett Hull, Al Maclnnis and Scott Stevens want to do push-ups until the post-strike puck drops. They&rsquo;re links to another era of hockey; see them if you can.<blockquote class="pullQuote">FROM THE POINT</blockquote>Not real old, but rode real hard These guys are in their mid-30s and, thankfully, will likely be around after 2005. But they&rsquo;ve all logged at least 1,200 NHL games (regular season and playoffs) and are Bob Goodenow&rsquo;s first generation of multi-millionaires. An extended strike - 18 months or more - might convince Joe Sakic, Mike Modano, Brian Leetch and Brendan Shanahan (and Tony Amonte, Jeremy Roenick and John LeClair, though not they&rsquo;re Hall shoo ins) to beat the trap once and for all.Who else? Peter Forsberg, Nicklas Lidstrom, Alexander Mogilny, Pavel Bure and Peter Bondra could all go home and not come back. Adam Oates, Joe Nieuwendyk, Curtis Joseph and Dave Andreychuk aren&rsquo;t definite for the Hall, but they&rsquo;ve been respected stars for a decade or two and we&rsquo;ll miss them when they go.The good news? All of these players, who own a combined 50 Stanley Cup rings, are on the ice this season. And they want more finger jewels.FROM THE POINT APPEARS<a href="mailto:MONDAYS@THEHOCKEYNEWS.COM">MONDAYS@THEHOCKEYNEWS.COM</a> &#9632;

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Yearbook 2003-04

‘I want to score the winner’

Internal bickering divides the Island

Plenty of players looking for work

Kids can join core in post-Hatcher era