Sports Logic

Anaheim Ducks

SHAUN SAYS:

What I Like:

• Scott Niedermayer. It doesn't matter how old he's getting. Like Nicklas Lidstrom in Detroit, Niedermayer is a crafty defenseman who can skate like the wind and is seemingly never out of position. The motivation of playing in the Olympics in his backyard will be an added bonus for the Ducks this season.
  
• The Goaltending Situation. I'm fairly certain JS Giguere doesn't agree with me that this is a positive, but anytime you can have a Stanley Cup winning goalie and a young stud splitting games, it can't hurt. Especially if one of them goes through a rough patch.
  

What Scares Me:

• Saku Koivu, Number 2 Center. There's nothing wrong with Koivu as a number two center in theory. The problem is that he isn't exactly the youngest 34 year old out there, and he has a tendency to get dinged up. After Koivu, there's Todd Marchant and Andrew Ebbett at center. Yikes.
  
• Where Are The Fighting Ducks? When the Ducks won the Stanley Cup in 2007, they were "truculent and belligerent." In 2009, I'm not so sure that fire still burns. Gone from the back-end are Chris Pronger and Francois Beauchemin, a couple of gentlemen who didn't mind pasting opposing forwards into the glass. They have been replaced by Ryan Whitney and Luca Sbisa? Yikes times two.
  

WAYNE SAYS:

What I Like…

• Ridiculous Top Line. With Ryan Getzlaf centering Corey Perry and Bobby Ryan, the Ducks have three big, highly skilled guys playing together who just so happen to have a boatload of chemistry. Did I mention their also all young, former first rounders and capable of 30+ goals each? This line is among the best in the game…and that doesn't include the fact they're all power forwards.
  
• Changing of the Guard on Defence. Credit GM Bob Murray for rebuilding his defence on the fly without much of a drop off. They still have Scott Niedermayer as the anchor, but with Chris Pronger and François Beauchemin gone, Murray was able to restock the cupboard for now with Nick Boynton, Luca Sbisa, Ryan Whitney, and James Wiesniewski. In addition, Murray got two first round picks and a conditional pick along with Sbisa and Joffrey Lupul to load up for the future in the Pronger trade. Not a bad return for a 34 year old…This is how good managers rebuild.
  

What Scares Me…

• Secondary Scoring. The Ducks added Saku Koivu and Joffrey Lupul to the second line with Teemu Selanne. On paper it looks good, but I worry about a few things with this line. Expecting consistent scoring from Lupul is like expecting a one night stand to call you in the next couple days. Koivu has a history of injuries and these days he' more Thanksgiving turkey than spring chicken. And Selanne said before the start of the season that he's retiring at the end of the year. He can still score, but at 39 you never know when the hands finally go cold.
  
• Goaltending. They're paying Jean-Sebastien Giguere a lot of money and he lost his starting job this year and may never get it back. The guy he credits with his success, goalie coach François Allaire, followed Blowhard Brian Burke to Toronto and Giguere is on the wrong side of the 32. Jonas Hiller looked great down the stretch and in the playoffs last year, and this may be completely unfair to state, but we've seen Swiss goaltenders come out of the gates hot and fizzle shortly thereafter. I like Hiller, but I'm not sold on him as a top notch starter without more proof.
  

Season Overview

In the ridiculously tough Western Conference, the Ducks are an interesting team. They have several great components along with plenty of question marks. Their top line is great, their second line could be hot or cold and third and fourth lines after aren't anything to write home about. Their defence is rebuilt and younger, and their goaltending should be solid, but could easily be an Achilles heel.

Calgary Flames

SHAUN SAYS:

What I Like:

• The Defence. This is fairly obvious. The Flames added Jay Bouwmeester and suddenly they have 3 potential defensemen from Canada's Olympic hockey roster on their back-end. Combine those guys with a healthy Mark Giordano and Cory Sarich and the Flames won't be much fun to play against.
  
• Brent Sutter. The single biggest problem the Flames have had in the past number of years is that they lacked structure. Bless Jim Playfair and Mike Keenan, but they didn't exactly have a system outside of "Hey Jarome and Dion, go score." Those days are officially over with a Sutter behind the bench.
  

What Scares Me:

• Miikka Kiprusoff. Sure, he won a Vezina in 06, but that was 3 years ago. I don't doubt that he is still a top flight goalie in the league, but he has to prove it again. Too many times last year Kiprusoff let in a goal from some ungodly angle and it wound up costing the Flames. If he's not better this year, he may be playing elsewhere.
  
• Injuries. As I said above, the Flames will play the Sutter way this season. That means dishing out a lot of hits and blocking a lot of shots. Over an 82 game schedule, that is going to take its toll on the Flames, and injuries could creep in. All you need to do is look at last season to know how devastating it could be.
  

WAYNE SAYS:

What I like…

• Deep, Balanced D. The Flames defence is easily one of the best in the league. They have everything you could want in a defence corps with size, physicality, skating and nastiness. They have a blend of offensive guys and stay-at-home types and all of them in their prime with an average age is a shade under 27. Scary.
  
• Sutter Factor. Several of the Flames best players had their best years when Daryl Sutter was behind the bench. Those players also regressed a bit under Jim Playfair and even moreso Mike Keenan. Now that Brent Sutter is at the helm, the stars could be headed back to where they were…particularly Dion Phaneuf, who played for Brent as a junior in Red Deer.
  
• Consistency. Throw out their San Jose Sharksesque record in first rounds for a second and the Flames are one of the most consistent teams in the game. They made the playoffs each of the four years after the lockout after going to the finals the year before the lost season. Few teams can boast a playoff streak that long, but the Flames need to start making hay in the playoffs to avoid the chronic underachiever label.
  

What Scares Me…

• Injuries. They may not have a lot of players with injury histories, but the toll their physical style takes has to catch up to them at some point. At the end of last year, they didn't need an ambulance to the sick bay…they needed a Greyhound bus. If they face a similar rash, the team might not have the depth up front to pick up the slack.
  
• Expectations. After adding Olli Jokinen last season and Jay Bouwmeester this year, the Flames definitely improved. With the improvements come even greater expectations for a club that hasn't been able to get out of the first round in four attempts with four different coaches. At some point, the responsibility falls on the players and it's time for Jerome Iginla, Miikka Kiprusoff, Dion Phaneuf and Robyn Regehr to take the next step in the playoffs or some of them could be looking at real estate in other cities.
  
• Playoff Curse. The Flames are great at making the playoffs but mediocre dancers when they get to the ball. Whether they're beaten up going in, gun shy once they get there or simply outplayed doesn't matter. This team needs to take the next step and go deep in the playoffs because a fifth year failure won't satisfy an increasingly eager fan base.
  

Season Overview

The Flames are arguably the team in the biggest make-it-or-break-it season of any team in the league. They have all the pieces in place from GM to coach to scoring stars to defensive depth to goaltending but continue to disappoint when it matters. They play an exciting style and have the horses to run with anybody, so this could be the year they do something special…or not.

Chicago Blackhawks

SHAUN SAYS:

What I Like:

• The Forwards. When you're as bad as the Hawks were as long as they were, you tend to amass a stockpile of talent. Last season that talent all matured at the same time, and the Hawks looked like a force in the West. In the offseason the Hawks added Marian Hossa, Tomas Kopecky and John Madden to that already stacked group. With the perfect combination of grinders and scorers, the Hawks could be a top flight team this season.
  
• The Defence. Is there anything not to like about a group of Cam Barker, Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook and Brian Campbell. Anytime Brian Campbell is the 4^th guy you think of when thinking of a team, they're pretty darned good.
  

What Scares Me:

• The Goalie. I'm not sold on Cristobal Huet as a number one goalie. He's never been able to be anything more than a fringe number one, or a top flight backup. If there's a plus side, it's that Huet plays better when he's not being pushed by a backup. That shouldn't be a problem with backup Corey Crawford.
  
• The Front Office. This team was almost exclusively built by Dale Tallon. Tallon was fired over the summer and replaced by Stan Bowman. It's not a problem per se, but what if Bowman doesn't like the makeup of this team and wants to put his stamp on it? So long chemistry, hello Bill Wirtz era part II?
  

WAYNE SAYS:

What I like…

• Forward Depth. Outside of the Flyers, no team features the young, skilled depth over four lines like the Hawks. They added a couple of veterans to the mix in John Madden and Marian Hossa to replace Sami Paulsson and Martin Havlat…which should make them even better up front. This team can come at you in waves and each line has a different look. One of the most entertaining players isn't Patrick Kane or Jonathan Toews; it's Dustin Byfuglien. He's a beast of a human with good hands and impossible to move.
  
• Deep D. Like the group in Calgary, the Hawks defence is deep, balanced and even a bit younger. They have three great skaters to go with bruising defensive specialist. Outside of a massive overpayment for Brian Campbell, the Chicago blueliners are a relative bargain with nobody else making over $3.5 million. At least not yet.
  
• The City. When owner Bill Wuertz died and his son Rocky took over, it rejuvenated one of the great hockey cities. The fans returned to the United Centre in record numbers and were finally able to watch the team on TV after the archaic thinking of Wuertz Sr. subsided. There may be no louder building in the league than Chicago.
  

What Scares Me…

• Cristobal Huet. I'll start by stating I liked Huet in Montreal and Washington. But, he's never been a true number 1 goaltender for a full season and has several odd moments in the crease. He's also 34 years old and needs to prove he's not only reliable but also able to steal the odd game. Unfortunately, he's already proven in the past that he's capable of doing the exact opposites for a team.
  
• Salary Cap Killers. For all the smart drafting and deft trades Dale Tallon made as GM before getting squeezed out in a suspicious move, he also gave long-term, big-money contracts to Brian Campbell, Marian Hossa and Cristobal Huet totalling a shade under 18 million per for the next three years. In Campbell and Huet's cases, he brought them in at positions the team was already strong and ended up with expensive assets playing second fiddle. In Hossa, he gave a massive 12 year deal to a player with shoulder problem instead of re-signing last year's leading scorer Martin Havlat, who sign a shorter, more affordable deal in Minnesota and was not happy with his ouster.
  
• Expectations. After their run to the Western Conference Finals, the Blackhawks aren't going to surprise anybody this year. The expectation isn't to make the playoffs again; it's to build on last year. That could be too big of a task for this young team, especially in the West.
  

Season Overview

The Hawks could overtake the Wings in the Central or they could be as low as 7^th.

Colorado Avalanche

SHAUN SAYS:

What I Like:

• Nothing. No, I'm just kidding (kind of).
  
• The Ryan Smyth Trade. The Avalanche were able to rid themselves of Smyth's 50 points and 6.25 million dollar cap hit. In return the Avalanche got Tom Preissing and stud in the making, Kyle Quincey. The Avalanche didn't really hurt their offense by moving Smyth and improved their defence substantially.
  
• The Ignorance of Youth? If the Avalanche are lucky, the young guys on the team will have no idea what to expect this season, and will just play their game. I'm really stretching for 2 things to like about the Avs this season, but I demand points for trying.
  

What Scares Me:

• A Lot. Nah, I'm kidding again. But not really.
  
• The Goaltending. Let's play a game and get inside the General Manager's head. "We had a problem with our goaltending last season. Let's sign Craig Anderson." Was Damien Rhodes unavailable?
  
• Paul Stastny's Health. Make no mistake about it, if Paul Stastny were a cyborg, it's probably not going to impact the Avalanche season. But with the injuries Stastny has dealt with in the last 2 seasons, it's almost time to label him with one of those red and white crosses in the fantasy magazines.
  

WAYNE SAYS:

What I Like…

• Young Skill. With Joe Sakic retired, a new era starts in Denver. This team now belongs to the young skill players while the Avs rebuild. With Sakic clone Steve Duchene, Paul Stastny and Wojtek Wolski, the Avalanche have pieces in place to eventually return to their former glory. However, don't hold your breath until that happens; this team is a looooooong way from being competitive.
  
• New Anchor on D. After years of being a free agent haven, the Avs are now looking to put together a team for next decade. Unloading Ryan Smyth for Kyle Quincey and throw-in Tom Preissing is a good start. Four of their best prospects are also defencemen, so the Avalanche are preparing for the transition from Adam Foote and Scott Hannan to the future. But if that's a positive, then there's not much to like about this team.
  

What Scares Me…

• Beat Up Veterans. Foote is on his last legs (puns are fun!) as an effective NHL player, Hannan looks a lot older than 30, Milan Hejduk slowed big time from injuries and Darcy Tucker is hardly worth his $2.25 million salary. It's gotta be tough to be an Avs fan…but if you watch the team's games at least you can see there aren't many of them.
  
• Goaltending. After YEARS of Peter Budaj proving he's not a legitimate starting goaltender, the Avs made a big splash by signing…career backup Craig Anderson. He's in the prime years for a goaltender at 28, but with only 109 career games under his belt going into this year; it's hard to believe he'll be a long-term difference maker. More than likely he's a goalie like Ty Conklin…better than a traditional backup but not good enough to be a full-time starter.
  
• Joe Sacco. After naming relative unknown Greg Sherman as General Manager, the team named Joe Sacco as its new head coach. And why not? His AHL record of 60-79-21 and .432 winning percentage prove he's qualified for the best league in the world.
  

Season Overview

Quite possibly the worst team in the league this year, the Avs don't have a hope in the Western Conference of finishing above 14^th place. But at least the former powerhouse with tickets impossible to get qualifies to collect revenue sharing money now.

Columbus Blue Jackets

SHAUN SAYS:

What I Like:

• Rick Nash. Remember earlier in his career when Nash would score 40 goals, but be a minus-30? Those days have passed him by thanks to the structure put in place by Ken Hitchcock. Nash has flourished under Hitch, and if not for that Ovechkin guy in Washington, Nash would probably compete for the Rocket Richard trophy this season.
  
• Ken Hitchcock. While the talent level in Columbus is improving, Hitch still has to take lemons and make lemonade from time to time. He does it as well as anybody, and like the best coaches in the league, he puts people in a role where they can succeed. If a player doesn't like his role in the Hitchcock system, he will enjoy his role eating popcorn from the press box, which is exactly what a young team like Columbus needs.
  

What Scares Me:

• Steve Mason. I believe William Shakespeare once said "Steve Mason had a great season in 2008, but repeating it in 2009 will prove difficult." Mr. Shakespeare was right on the money. Much like Simeon Varlamov in Washington, Mason has to prove that he can carry the mail for a full season. Teams now have video tape to scout him, and this will be the litmus test for Mason.
  
• The Defence. Call me crazy, but I don't think Fedor Tyutin as the point man on a power play deserves a lot of attention. The Jackets have a good group of shut down defensemen, but who can get the puck to the forwards? Who can quarterback the power play? These are questions to which the answer is Kris Russell, but is he ready for that role?
  

WAYNE SAYS:

What I Like…

• Rick Nash. One year away from free agency and a bevy of teams interested in his sniping abilities, Nash re-upped with the Blue Jackets for the long haul. The guy is a horse in his prime and the perfect leader for the Blue Jackets.
  
• Scott Howson. As much as I love Doug MacLean as a radio and tv personality, he was at best mediocre as GM of this team. Howson stepped in, hired Ken Hitchcock and started pulling gold off the NHL scrap heap. The young skill players in Columbus blossomed under the Howson regime in ways they never could for MacLean. Howson is just getting started with this team.
  
• Goaltending. With hybrid goalie and Martin Brodeur idolizer in Steve Mason taking the reins, the goaltending situation for the Blue Jackets is solid. With fellow righty-catching Mathieu Garon serving as a more-than-capable backup, Mason should continue to learn on the job and be the backbone of the team.
  

What Scares Me…

• Kristian Huselius. Call him the poor man's Alex Kovalev. Huseluis has all the skills imaginable to dominate games, but seems to take several vacations from productivity during the season…especially after the All-Star break.
  
• Expectations. The Jackets made the playoffs for the first time in franchise history last year. They expect to make the next step and win a few games in the post-season, but could just as easily be like the Atlanta Thrashers and not return to the dance for a year or three.
  
• Division. What once was Detroit's division with Nashville in the mix in the west, the Central is suddenly one of the best in hockey. None of the teams suffers from true also-ran status. It'll be a battle all year in the Central.
  

Season Overview

The Blue Jackets are going to need everything to go right to improve on last year's 7^th place finish and will be pushed by the teams below them. They could make it or miss by a few points.

Dallas Stars

SHAUN SAYS:

What I Like:

• Marty Turco. There is no way that Marty Turco is as bad as he showed last season. Turco has been a top 5 goalie in the league every year since the lockout, and I'd like to think last year was just an anomaly and nothing more. Turco will need to be in his finest form for the Stars to return to the playoffs this season, and I think he's up to the challenge.
  
• The Returning Brenden Morrow and Brad Richards. The Stars lost Morrow early last season to a knee injury, and the team never recovered. Brad Richard was in and out of the lineup for most of the year with wrist problems. Both players are healthy this year and both are going to be relied on to put points on the board in a big way.
  

What Scares Me:

• Marc Crawford. The knock on Crawford has always been that he needs a goalie to win. Well now he has one, so the excuses stop here. You'd have to think if Crawford can't find a way to win in Dallas that his coaching career is over. That means he returns to his job at the CBC. With that in mind, I might become a Dallas Stars fan.
  
• Stephane Robidas. With the injuries to Sergei Zubov, Robidas has been the de facto number one point man in Dallas for a few years now. Zubov has gone back to Russia now, so the job is officially Robidas' to run with. The only problem I see is 26 points in 72 games last season doesn't exactly scream "Power play time".
  

WAYNE SAYS:

What I Like…

• Bounce Back Players. Brenden Morrow and Brad Richards had tough seasons last year with injuries and should make the team better this year if they can stay healthy.
  
• Grit. With Morrow leading the charge and Steve Ott in the lineup, the Stars have a pair of physical and agitating guys who can also really play the game. The rest of the lineup should learn by example with from Morrow.
  

What Scares Me…

• Defence. They lost long-time and oft-injured powerplay QB Sergei Zubov and replaced him with…Karlis Skrastins. Stephane Robidas may be underrated but the rest of the defence isn't. This is not a great group on the back end and has to face the top lines of Anaheim, LA and San Jose 18 times this year. The rest of the West isn't exactly a cake walk either.
  
• Goaltending. Marty Turco's acrobatics and puck handling are exciting to watch, but at 34 can he bounce back from an atrocious season and be one of the best goalies in the league? His team will need him to if they want to compete, but I'm more than a little sceptical he can do enough.
  
• Scoring Depth. After Loui Eriksson, Morrow and Ribeiro, there isn't much. Mike Modano is more role player than sniper these days and the Stars don't have much in the way of young high end players…but at least Marc Crawford will coach like they do.
  

Season Overview

From Western Conference Finalist to well out of the playoffs the next year, it's hard to imagine the Stars being closer to contender status than bubble team this year.

Detroit Red Wings

SHAUN SAYS:

What I Like:

• Ken Holland/Mike Babcock. Let's cut to the chase. Mike Babcock is the best coach in the NHL and Ken Holland is the best General Manager. These guys somehow take guys off the scrapheap (Dan Cleary) and make them bonafide NHL players.
  
• Nicklas Lidstrom. The law of averages says that eventually Lidstrom is going to slow down. Yet every year, Lidstrom is a Norris candidate and leads the wings on a charge to the Stanley Cup finals. Don't expect Lidstrom to slow down just yet, but at 39 and in the last year of his contract, will he retire at season's end?
  

What Scares Me:

• Age. I haven't done the math on this, but if the Red Wings aren't the oldest team in the NHL, they have to be damn close. 6 Red Wings starters this season are over the age of 35. At the end of last season, the end sure looked near for guys like Kirk Maltby, Kris Draper and Tomas Holmstrom, but as is always the case in Detroit, they will be a thorn in the opposition's side for at least one more season.
  
• Chris Osgood. While it's a fact that Osgood took his team to the Cup finals for a 2^nd straight year, it's also fact that the Wings were doubting if he could still be an NHL goalie last season. Osgood's career numbers are Hall of Fame worthy, yet he never gets the respect he deserves. Even as I say that, he is on my list of things that scare me about the Red Wings, pretty much confirming my own point.
  

WAYNE SAYS:

What I Like…

• High End Skill. No teams finds more skill where no one else bothers looking. On their respective draft days, nobody thought much of Pavel Datsyuk, Johan Franzen, or Henrik Zetterberg, but they are the pillars of the Detroit offence. If that weren't enough, they take on players who went bust after being labelled can't miss out in their draft years and turn them into scorers. Like Dan Cleary.
  
• Defence. The diamonds in the rough aren't just up front. The Wings also have Niklas Kronwall and Jonathan Eriksson (who was the last player picked in his draft year) to go along with Brian Rafalski, Brad Stuart and some dude named Lidstrom.
  
• Mike Babcock. He may not have a shelf of Jack Adams trophies, but clearly one of the best systems coaches in the game.
  

What Scares Me…

• Ancient. Although they finally cut ties with Grandpa Chelios, the Wings are still the oldest team in the NHL. Combine that with going to the Stanley Cup Finals the last two years after losing out in the Western Conference Finals the year before (and starting this year in Sweden), the Wings play the most hockey with the oldest roster. At some point, something has to give.
  
• Chris Osgood. He plays well in the playoffs, but in the regular season, he's a beer leaguer. With Jimmy Howard now as his mediocre backup, the Wings have huge issues in net. Osgood at 36-years-old is a scary goalie for this team.
  
• Red Beards. I don't hate red beards per se; my dad grows one. However, it freaks me out that it's almost a prerequisite to play for the team that you be able to grow a red beard. It's creepy.
  

Season Overview

Every year, I think this has to be the downturn in Detroit, and every year I'm wrong. But with more competition in the Central Division, better teams in the Western Conference and the sheer number of games the Wings play every year, they should regress a little. The Red Wings are still a playoff team in the top half of the bracket, but not the powerhouse.

Edmonton Oilers

SHAUN SAYS:

What I Like:

• A New Voice. There is no mistaking the fact that Craig MacTavish had to go as coach of the Oilers after last season. The team quit on him, and it was obvious by their performance on the ice. Enter Pat Quinn, who set the tone in the pre-season by demoting Sam Gagner to the 4^th line, and by doing so, set the tone that things are going to change in Edmonton one way or another.
  
• Offence from the Defence. I don't think there's a team in the league who has as much in the way of offensive defensemen than the Oilers. Sheldon Souray, Lubomir Visnovsky, Tom Gilbert and Denis Grebeshkov provide the Oilers with a plethora of options on the power play.
  

What Scares Me:

• Size vs. Division. The Oilers' forwards are skilled, but with the exception of Dustin Penner, JF Jacques and Zach Stortini aren't the biggest dogs in the yard. Playing in a division with physical defensemen like Robyn Regehr, Dion Phaneuf, Willie Mitchell and Brent Burns, the Oilers' forwards may be in for a lot of ice bags this season.
  
• Khabibulin'$ Motivation. It's no secret that Khabibulin gets a little unmotivated when he has the security of a long term contract. It's no coincidence that his best seasons have come in contract years. So the question remains whether Khabibulin wants to cement his legacy or pad his bank account.
  

WAYNE SAYS:

What I Like…

• Breath of Fresh Air. Steve Tambellini came in as the new General Manager last year but it didn't feel like anything changed until after the season when he put Oiler fans out of their misery and turfed Craig MacTavish. On top of that, he hired Pat Quinn, Tom Renney and Wayne Fleming to coach the Oilers (he kept Kelly Buchberger as a compromise for Kevin Lowe, who loves to employ his buddies). The roster didn't get the overhaul expected, but it was shuffled and the Oilers could, if nothing else, be entertaining.
  
• Mobile D. The Oilers have four, maybe five puck movers on the back end and can put up points. That should bode well for Quinn team built to play off the rush.
  
• Third Unis. Call it nostalgia, call it hatred for the regular get-ups, but I love the old school blue helmets, jerseys, gloves, pants and socks. The orange reminds of the glory days…even if this season is the 20^th anniversary of the end of the dynasty years.
  

What Scares Me…

• Clones. Despite Tambellini taking over, this is still a Kevin Lowe-designed team. There isn't much balance to the roster with half the forwards being essentially the same player and four of the defencemen playing doppelgänger styles. It's tough to win that way.
  
• Soft D. For all the mobility and puck moving, could somebody please throw a bodycheck? The Oilers zone is far too easy to enter because there isn't a punisher on the back end to make getting to the net difficult.
  
• The Bulin Wall. Admittedly, I waffled on this subject over the summer…partly because the team needed to end the Dwayne Roloson era. However, four years for a 36-year-old goaltender is a big, big investment. Especially since management's ingenious idea to suspend their AHL franchise and share an affiliate for years made it impossible to develop properly Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers and Devan Dubnyk. Had they handled that properly, maybe there wouldn't have been a need to bring in an expensive, proven goaltender.
  

Season Overview

The Oilers should be more fun to watch this year with a combination or structure and a puck possession/offensive style. That said, with so many similar players, it means they're likely missing something elsewhere in the lineup and are at best a bubble team.

Los Angeles Kings

SHAUN SAYS:

What I Like:

• Dean Lombardi. The Kings' GM has done an outstanding job of speeding up the rebuilding process in Los Angeles. By adding younger veterans like Jarret Stoll and Justin Williams and experienced players like Ryan Smyth and Rob Scuderi, the Kings are set up for success in the now.
  
• Drew Doughty. It's bold prediction time again. It wouldn't surprise me if Doughty is in the Norris conversation this season. With a year of experience under his belt, Doughty is ready to take the next step. As Dean Lombardi said last week on a Toronto radio station, "Drew Doughty has the best vision of any player to come out of Canada in the last 20 years" That my friends it lofty praise.
  

What Scares Me:

• The Goaltending. Whether it's Jonathan Bernier, Erik Ersberg, or Jonathan Quick, it's simply not good enough right now. All three of those guys have the potential to be a number one goalie, but it's going to take time.
  
• Are They Underachievers? I can't help but ask whether Alexander Frolov and Anze Kopitar are nothing more than 65-70 point guys. Obviously with the talent they have, you'd expect more, but should we? Kopitar is obviously better than the 66 points he got last season, but how much better? The Kings are going to need the answer to that question to be "a lot" if they want to make the playoffs this season.
  

WAYNE SAYS:

What I Like…

• Young Skill, Top to Bottom. The Kings are likely the latest version of the Flyers/Penguins/Blackhawks as a deep team built on young stars and a handful of veteran mentors. With Dustin Brown, Alexander Frolov, Anze Kopitar, and Oscar Moller up from, Drew Doughty, Davis Drewiske, and Jack Johnson on the back end along with Jonathan Quick and Jonathan Bernier in net, the Kings are on close to breaking out.
  
• Veterans Mentors. Between Michal Handzus, Ryan Smyth, Jarret Stoll and Rob Scuderi, the younger players have plenty of guys to look up to when the going gets tough.
  
• Dean Lombardi's Development Philosophy. Lombardi has been patient with his team and recently stated on a radio show that he's never heard of a player getting ruined by an organization taking their time with him. With the young players they boast, it's tough to argue.
  

What Scares Me…

• Growing Pains. Like any young team on the cusp, there's a good chance that they don't know how to win consistently or how to avoid the long losing streaks. They're going to need to learn fast.
  
• Injury Prone Players. As much as I respect the way Ryan Smyth plays, he's on the wrong side of 30 and has a long history of missing time. So do Jack Johnson, Jarret Stoll, and Justin Williams.
  
• Goaltending. Until the current guys prove they belong and the carousel is over in LA, I'm not sold.
  

Season Overview

While it's not a make-or-break year for the Kings, it could be the year they stick in the playoff conversation right to the very end.

Minnesota Wild

SHAUN SAYS:

What I Like:

• No More Lemaire. In the off-season, the Wild said goodbye (or should I say good riddance) to the only coach they've ever known when they fired Jacques Lemaire. The Wild have inserted Todd Richards as head coach, and depending on the system he employs, Minnesota could be a wild card this season, no pun intended.
  
• No More Gaborik. This was a blessing for the Wild. For years they pinned their hopes on an injury-prone guy who has all the potential in the world, but can't stay healthy. So the Wild chose not to re-sign Marian Gaborik and replaced him with Martin Havlat...At least he's not injured as much I guess.
  

What Scares Me:

• Brent Burns' Health. The Wild absolutely need Brent Burns to be healthy this season. Especially in a more open system (I assume) Burns will be given a little more rope to jump into plays. That would play right into his game, but between shoulders, groins and concussions, Burns needs to worry about his health first and points second.
  
• The Great Unknown. I've mentioned it a few times already, but I'll mention it again. With new head coach, Todd Richards, what should we expect from the Wild this season? Are they going to open it up? Keep it status quo? No one really knows yet, but if they do open it up, are the horses there to run with it?
  

WAYNE SAYS:

What I Like…

• The End of Dull Hockey. With Doug Risebrough and Jacques Lemaire gone, arguably the best hockey fans in the States will finally get the exciting hockey they deserve. Chuck Fletcher and Todd Richards are part of the new wave of coaches and managers so the team should at least be tv worthy for a change.
  
• The Blue Line. Since defensive hockey was the name of the game since their inception, the team always chased after good defencemen. With Brent Burns and Nick Schultz anchoring their back end, the Wild should be good to go on that front.
  
• Grit. Not only does he lead the league in hits and run his mouth, Cal Clutterbuck has an awesome last name that no doubt gets mocked on the ice with all sorts vulgarity.
  

What Scares Me…

• Who's Gonna Score? Outside of adding Martin Havlat, the Wild didn't get anybody to help Mikko Koivu. Scoring by committee is a nice theory but when you need that big goal and look down your bench at….Andrew Brunette, you're in trouble.
  
• Nik Backstrom Without the Defensive System. He should be fine, but who knows? He could be like a pitcher going from a pitcher's field to a hitter's park and get roasted.
  
• Slow Development of Prospects. Jacques Lemaire has a habit of keeping the top prospects on the big club, then not playing them much thinking they'll learn from watching. It obviously hasn't worked when you look at how much these players regress as pros.
  
• Derek Boogaard. He's a frightening human with no real hockey ability.
  

Season Overview

The Wild will no longer be painful to watch, but won't be a whole lot better in the points department.

Nashville Predators

SHAUN SAYS:

What I Like:

• Shea Weber. Weber is a Norris winner in the making. He has a booming shot, and he is a very dependable shut down defender. There aren't more than 2-3 of those guys in the entire league and Weber is already there at the tender age of 24.
  
• The Rest of the Defense. While Weber is a Norris candidate, there are plenty of other good things to talk about on the Predators' blue line. Dan Hamhuis, Ryan Suter, Kevin Klein and up-and-comer Cody Franson make the Predators blue line among the best in the league. It's a real shame that they play in Nashville, where no one gets to see them play.
  

What Scares Me:

• The Forwards. Anytime your top forwards are Jason Arnott and JP Dumont, you have a problem. The bigger problem for the Preds is that those two guys have been the top forwards there for at least 2 full seasons. Although David Legwand signed a contract extension last season, the fact is that he will never be that the Preds expect, or need him to be. The same could be said for Martin Erat.
  
• The Market. How demoralizing must it be to have to play in front of half full buildings every night? Nashville isn't a hockey market and it never will be. The players who play in that city need exposure and they certainly aren't going to get it anytime soon.
  

WAYNE SAYS:

What I Like…

• Ridiculous Depth on D. The Preds are in the same class as the Blackhawks and Flames along the blue line. With Shea Weber, Ryan Suter, Dan Hamhuis, Kevin Klein, Cody Franzen and Alexander Sulzer all 26 and under, they shouldn't be as good as they are. Average age is a shade over 24.
  
• Pekka Rinne. The big goalie is technically sound and behind that defence looks even better.
  
• Balance. They lack a lot of high end skill but have a lot of secondary scoring guys in Jason Arnott, JP Dumont and Steve Sullivan. But all three have age and injury issues. Nashville is also a role player factory.
  

What Scares Me…

• Scoring Depth. After the big three, there is a huge drop off in scorers. Whenever your defencemen are close to your top scorers, you're in trouble.
  
• Division. For years they played second fiddle to the Red Wings in the Central. Now they're at the bottom of the heap.
  
• Non-Traditional Market. You know the southern US experiment isn't working when a team has to pump in crowd noise over its PA system. You also know you're in Tennessee when the teams former owner – and current prison resident – is named Boots Del Biaggio.
  

Season Overview

With the vast improvements in Chicago, Columbus and St Louis, the Predators are in tough to finish anywhere but last in the division.

Phoenix Coyotes

SHAUN SAYS:

What I Like:

• Gretzky Gone. This has little to do with his coaching ability. I'm more talking about the fact that he was part owner of the team, and was in theory the General Manager's boss. That's a dynamic that just cannot work. If you want to touch on his coaching ability, Derek Morris said something to the effect of "Every day we came to the rink and it was a new system. It's like he was pulling ideas out of a hat." That's pretty damning.
  
• Peter Mueller, I Guess. Honestly, there isn't a lot to like in Phoenix this season. If there's anything good that could happen this year, it's that Peter Mueller could lead the team in scoring and give the team some hope for when the time comes that Shane Doan leaves.
  

What Scares Me:

• Kyle Turris. I smell a rant coming. The Coyotes sent Turris to the AHL to work on his game this season. Here's my question: What the hell did you expect when you drafted a kid 3^rd overall from Junior B? And this isn't the first time the Coyotes have taken a pick in the top 5 only to have him not pan out. Remember Blake Wheeler? They took him 5^th overall and he was ranked in the 2^nd round. Nice work Gretz.
  
• Everything Else. The Coyotes are a mess. On the ice, they have Shane Doan, Peter Mueller and 20 question marks. Off the ice, they have no owner, and are probably going to be moved at season's end. In a way, I feel sorry for the Coyotes, but in another way, I don't feel like I should waste any more of my time on them. The latter has won out.
  

WAYNE SAYS:

What I Like…

• Built for Future. The Coyotes, if nothing else, have a lot of really talented players in their system.
  
• Role Players. Funny how the Canadian fans know more about Vernon Fiddler, Matthew Lombardi, and Scottie Upshall than the home town crowd, yet Gary Bettman wants to keep them in that market. Ridiculous.
  

What Scares Me…

• Too Young. The youngest team in the league will have too many growing pains along the way to be competitive. The controversy surrounding the team won't help any.
  
• Goaltending. Ilya Bryzgalov can be dominant or terrible. Problem is you never know which one you're going to get.
  
• The Phoenix Coyotes. The Winnipeg Jets moved south in 1996. Since then, they've never had a profitable season. They do lead the league in losing money though!
  

Season Overview

After the constant chatter in the offseason about the Coyotes, I'm sure the players can't wait to hit the ice and get away from all the attention in front of all those empty Glendale seats.

St. Louis Blues

SHAUN SAYS:

What I Like:

• The Balance. The Blues are a very deep team up front when everyone is healthy. From the veterans like Paul Kariya and Keith Tkachuk to the young guys like David Perron and TJ Oshie, the Blues are deep, physical and have an offensive flare. There won't be a lot of easy nights for opposing defenders when the Blues come to town.
  
• Andy Murray. Murray has a short shelf life as a coach due to his need for constantly having meetings and his attention to detail. Fortunately for the Blues, he hasn't worn out his welcome in St. Louis and will still be able to squeeze the best out of his players.
  

What Scares Me:

• Chris Mason. Is Chris Mason a legitimate number one goalie? The Blues had better hope so because if not, Ty Conklin is the backup. Nothing against Conklin, but he is no more of a number one than Mason is.
  
• The Defence. The reason the Blues were swept by the Canucks in the playoffs last year, besides Luongo, was their inability to generate anything from the blueline. This year should be different in that regard since Erik Johnson will be back from his golf cart accident and Alex Pietrangelo is starting the year on the team. If Pietrangelo plays as poorly as he did at the World Junior Championships, it will be of zero benefit to the Blues, who sorely need him to be a top 4 defenseman.
  

WAYNE SAYS:

What I Like…

• Deep Talent. I got so used to the Blues not being good that they surprised me last year. They're deep up front with some of the best young talent at all forward positions along with healthy veterans Keith Tkachuk and Paul Kariya. GM Larry Pleau also build a balanced blue line of offensive and defensive players.
  
• Productive Vets. The Blues don't really have any mediocre veterans and it helps the youngster develop watching the old guy produce.
  
• Special Teams. As a result of coach Andy Murray's structured approach, the Blues had a top ten power play AND penalty kill last year. This year should be more of the same.
  

What Scares Me…

• Goaltending Tandem. Outside of his family and friends, I may be the biggest Ty Conklin fan going, but I worry that him and Chris Mason will be able to carry this team for long stretches.
  
• Frail D. While the blueliners are balanced, they're also prone to injury. Almost every player has lengthy injury histories. Tough to believe that won't continue.
  
• Expectations. The Blues are expected to keep progressing into a contender. It's a tough challenge for young teams, so they could take the step either forward or backward this season.
  

Season Overview

With all their skill and Andy Murray at the helm, the Blues should be a team to keep your eye on. Playing in the Western Conference, they have a lot of competition for the playoffs, but they are definitely in the conversation at this point.

San Jose Sharks

SHAUN SAYS:

What I Like:

• The Letter Shuffle. The Sharks needed to get the captaincy from Patrick Marleau. He is a talented player, but he's evidently not the leader they needed in that room. Enter Rob Blake, who I'd guess won't be afraid to get in someone's face and show off his Stanley Cup ring and Olympic gold medal. That should get some people's attention.
  
• Evgeni Nabokov. Nabokov is a perennial Vezina candidate. The truth is, he should already have one, but he was robbed 2 seasons ago by Martin Brodeur. As long as the Sharks have Nabokov in net, goaltending will always be the least of their problems.
  

What Scares Me:

• The Tin Men. No one can put their finger on why the Sharks lose out early in the playoffs each year. Obviously it's more than a case of not wanting it as much as the other team. So it's puzzling why, when the team is in need of a heart and soul guy, they go out and get Dany Heatley. Is there a more gutless player in the league?
  
• Toughness. Looking down the Sharks' roster and my initial reaction was "these guys are going to get crushed." The Sharks are a smaller team in a physical conference. I wish them well, but they are going to need to add some size or guys like Joe Pavelski and Devon Setoguchi are going to get beat up on a nightly basis.
  

WAYNE SAYS:

What I Like…

• Built For Offence. Doug Wilson liked his top players enough to keep them around for another season and added Dany Heatley to Joe Thornton's wing. They have a few puck movers on the back end to get the puck up quickly, so the Sharks are going to score a bunch.
  
• Todd McLellan. A coach who knows how to let his horses run, McLellan is one of the league's best.
  

What Scares Me…

• Evgeni Nabokov. He's been the starter for all their playoff failures and is getting older. The time is near for the goaltending factory to look at another option in net.
  
• Playoff Ghosts. Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau and new Shark Dany Heatley are infamous for their playoff disappearing acts. All three are key parts of the team.
  
• Dany Heatley. Used to be my favourite player in the league, now has an unfathomable sense of entitlement and showed true colours as a "me first" player.
  

Season Overview

The Sharks will be a great regular season team with arguably the best line in hockey. Without making it past the second round of the playoffs, the Sharks will be a failure.

Vancouver Canucks

SHAUN SAYS:

What I Like:

• Roberto Luongo. Wow, here's a shocker. Luongo steals games for the Canucks on a regular basis. He is most definitely a top-flight goalie in the NHL, and with the motivation of being the starting goalie for Canada Olympic team on his home ice, Luongo may be even better if that's possible. Also, let's cut out this nonsense that Luongo isn't a big game goalie because he let in 7 goals in a playoff game. Patrick Roy let in 7 in a game 7 and no one ever questioned him as a big game goalie. That being said, if Luongo isn't on his game, the Canucks will lose. Yes, it's that simple.
  
• The Physicality. There will be no easy games against the Canucks this season. With forwards like Alex Burrows, Ryan Kesler, Ryan Johnson and Rick Rypien, and a bruising defence, the Canucks are going to hit anything that moves this season.
  

What Scares Me:

• Alain Vigneault. This isn't anything new for me to rant and rave about Vigneault's theory. If the Canucks score first, they instantly revert to a 1-2-2 trap. If the Canucks are behind, they are tenacious and blitz the other team until they get the go ahead goal. Then it's back to the 1-2-2. If the Canucks played like they were behind at all times, they would be borderline unstoppable.
  
• Secondary Scoring. Last year the Canucks got the secondary scoring they needed from guys like Burrows and Kesler. Can they repeat that performance this year? That remains to be seen. If those two guys don't repeat, who else is there to step up? Bernier? Wellwood? That's asking a lot from veterans who have never done it before.
  

WAYNE SAYS:

What I Like…

• Productive Twins. I hate the media love they get at all times, but the package deal tandem put up points and make the Canucks offence go.
  
• Deep D. They have a good mix of mean and skill on the back end and won't be any fun for teams to play against. Alex Edler and Christian Erhoff are the future of their blue line.
  
• Third and Fourth Lines. The Canucks have two very good lines, and then two good lines to back them up. Their role guys can all skate and chip in with some offence while providing some grit and toughness.
  

What Scares Me…

• Expectations and History. Recently the Canucks have followed good seasons with missing the playoffs. Every time they're picked as the favourites, they seem to regress. Is this the year they break the trend?
  
• Olympics. The Canucks may be affected by the Olympics being in Vancouver this year, with long road trips before and after the games. GM Mike Gillis whined about the schedule and travel last year, chances are he will again.
  
• Roberto Luongo. Often billed as the best goalie in the world, Luongo is entering his fourth year with the Canucks and the Captain led his team to the playoffs only twice. He's also only been nominated for the Vezina once and looked really bad when it mattered most against the Blackhawks. At 30 years old, he needs to prove he's as good as his massive hype.
  

Season Overview

The Canucks are a tough team to predict because of their Jekyll and Hyde tendencies. If Luongo is on his game, the Sedins lead the charge and the defence can stay healthy, they're definitely in the mix. But if any one of those things go off kilter, they could be a big disappointment.

SHAUN SAYS

WAYNE SAYS

1. San Jose Sharks

1. San Jose Sharks

1. Calgary Flames

2. Calgary Flames

1. Detroit Red Wings

3. Detroit Red Wings

1. Vancouver Canucks

4. Chicago Blackhawks

1. Chicago Blackhawks

5. Anaheim Ducks

1. Anaheim Ducks

6. Vancouver Canucks

1. St. Louis Blues

7. St. Louis Blues

1. Dallas Stars

8. Los Angeles Kings

1. Columbus Blue Jackets

9. Columbus Blue Jackets

1. Edmonton Oilers

10. Edmonton Oilers

1. Los Angeles Kings

11. Dallas Stars

1. Minnesota Wild

12. Minnesota Wild

1. Nashville Predators

13. Nashville Predators

1. Colorado Avalanche

14. Phoenix Coyotes

1. Phoenix Coyotes

15. Colorado Avalanche