01/10/11: Montreal 5, Tampa Bay 1; raising the spirits

Just as we were quick to say "it's only preseason" during all 6 of the Montreal Canadiens' losses, we need not be reminded that it was STILL "only preseason" last night as the team got their revenge on the Tampa Bay Lightning in a big way with a dominating 5-1 win. Given the lack of a boxscore, I'll inform those that missed it that the goal scorers were Brian Gionta, Scott Gomez, Mathieu Darche, Erik Cole, and Mike Cammalleri.

BUT this was a big one. A big one because, given how poorly preseason had gone thus far, the team needed to get another win on the board. Sure, 2-6-0 is still a pretty crummy record, but ending on a high with the team's through and through best effort while playing its most complete roster will be good for the group's confidence as they prepare for the season opener this Thursday in Toronto.

As with previous games, we'll talk about some specific players, but focus more on the collection of their work over the course of the preseason than just last night specifically. If a player isn't mentioned below, that means he was basically as expected. If it's a veteran, it means he wasn't awful, but looked preseasonish, and if it's a rookie, it basically means "see: other prior reports."

Scott Gomez: From his first game, it was clear that Gomez has no intention of repeating last season's disappointment. This year's Gomez seems quicker, more involved and determined, and more willing to put the puck on net rather than make soft passes. While it's possible he will be deemed expendable as of next season depending on the progress of David Desharnais and Lars Eller, he will be an important part of this year's team and the club will need a strong performance out of him if they are to make a deep playoff run.

Erik Cole: No disappointments here thus far. He has been a productive player in every game he played except for Thursday night's shutout loss, and even then he was one of the team's better forwards. He has shown an uncanny ability to rip the puck off opposing players as they try to start a breakout or skate through center ice, creating turnovers and high percentage scoring opportunities on a nightly basis. He also has the ability to finish plays that often lacks on the Montreal roster with his quick shot and positioning in front of the goal.

Mike Cammalleri: I've said this in virtually every review, but Cammalleri is another player who looks determined to have a good year. He also looks faster than in the past, and has shown frustration over his numbers not being better than they have been. 30 goals is not out of the question if he can stay healthy.

Aaron Palushaj: I've given Palushaj a hard time throughout most of camp, but it was deserved. In rookie camp and into his first two preseason games, he simply didn't look good. A soft, perimeter player who wasn't generating any offense. To his credit, he managed to flip a switch and has made a camp out of it, with 2 points in each of his third and fourth games, and then a solid effort last night, putting his speed and size to good use. It's not clear where he might fit on the roster, and he's likely headed down to Hamilton when everyone is healthy, but PERHAPS there is still some hope for him.

Mathieu Darche: Love the guy. Keep him out of the top 6 please, but as a third or fourth liner, he definitely has a valuable spot on the team. He forechecks hard, goes to the high-traffic areas, is a good enough skater with good enough size, and has a solid shot. Works well with David Desharnais.

Andreas Engqvist: A disappointing camp continues. He's a fine penalty killer, but he doesn't look NHL-ready. Certainly must be making the Canadiens wish they had signed Zenon Konopka over the summer, but at this point, he'll get the 4th line center job by default and just have his minutes limited until everyone is healthy.

Chris Campoli: I'm impressed by the signing. Good skater, good puck mover, supports the offense well with a quick release shot. The waiting game now will be an update on his health tomorrow, as he left the game following a hit to the head by Ryan Malone - a troublemaker throughout the game - in the third period. Was the hit suspension-worthy? Based on Brendan Shanahan's rulings thus far in preseason, I would say so, but judge for yourself:

UPDATE: - There is good news, being that Campoli was on the Canadiens' flight to Toronto and will accompany the team on their retreat to Collingwood. If he had shown signs of a concussion, it is likely he would have returned to Montreal for treatment.

Josh Gorges: The Habs' best defenseman in preseason, Gorges hasn't lost a step with his surgery of last year. In fact, he looks quicker. A great teammate, willing to step in to defend anyone in trouble, and so very sound defensively. He'll be a big part of the group this year, and MUST be retained next summer when he'll be UFA eligible.

Jaroslav Spacek: I never thought I'd say this, but wow. I've been impressed by Spacek, who got into much better shape over the summer and has shown the kind of focus and determination needed to turn the twilight years of his career around. I think he knows that with the way he had been playing, he was not going to be offered another NHL deal after this year, and while it's still probably his last season in Montreal, he looks poised to be a solid veteran presence on a D that will be injected with some young talent throughout the season.

Raphael Diaz: I'll admit to being a big Alexei Yemelin fan for the physical elements he bring that are lacking in our group of d-men, but I have to give a lot of credit to Diaz. He does have some defensive shortcomings, but as camp as progressed, he has looked more and more confident with the puck. His control at the blueline on the second powerplay unit is definitely NHL-calibre, and his breakout passes are crisp and effective. For now, he has earned a job, but I do hope Jacques Martin finds a way to get Yemelin some ice time.

Carey Price: This wasn't the busiest of nights for him, but he looks well prepared to undertake the long and grueling year that lies ahead. As many in the media have said recently, he's well on his way to being one of the top netminders in the world, and this year will hopefully be another stepping stone towards that end.

The Canadiens weren't the only game in town yesterday, however. Here's a look at how some other members of the organization played:

- The Hamilton Bulldogs had their second and final preseason game, earning a 4-3 win to finish with a 2-0 record. Brian Willsie had the winner with his second goal in as many games, both Gabriel Dumont and Philip DeSimone got on the board, and Josh McFadden, participating in these preseason contests despite being told he would not be signed, had a goal and a helper. With Peter Delmas still on the shelf, Robert Mayer was in nets for a second straight game. The 'Dogs open their regular season at home next Saturday night.

- Brendan Gallagher returned to the Vancouver Giants' line-up, wearing an A, and scoring a goal, finishing with an even +/- record in a 6-3 loss. This was Gallagher's first game of the regular season.

- Both Nathan Beaulieu and Darren Dietz were on the receiving end of big blowouts (7-0 and 6-0), and each finished -2.

- In NCAA preseason play, the University of North Dakota posted an 8-1 win, with Danny Kristo scoring a goal and adding a helper, and freshman Mark MacMillan contributing 1 assist.

Michigan lost their exhibition match 3-2, but Greg Pateryn scored a goal with Mac Bennett earning an assist.

Preseason Game 8: 01/10/11 Montreal Canadiens vs. Tampa Bay Lightning in Quebec City

Finally, we've arrived at the end of the torture. Just one more game, and then we can get to some "meaningful" hockey. There is no doubt the preseason has been a bit of a disaster for the Canadiens, but a big win tonight could reverse the flow and allow the team to enter the regular season on a positive note with a bit of momentum.

The lines tasked with this challenge should be the same as we saw in practice yesterday:

Mike Cammalleri - Tomas Plekanec - Andrei Kostitsyn

Max Pacioretty - Scott Gomez - Brian Gionta

Mathieu Darche - David Desharnais - Erik Cole

Aaron Palushaj - Andreas Engqvist - Yannick Weber

Hal Gill - P.K. Subban

Josh Gorges - Chris Campoli

Jaroslav Spacek - Raphael Diaz

Carey Price

Jeff Woywitka, Alexei Yemelin, and Mike Blunden are the healthy scratches. As we've mentioned, it seems Raphael Diaz has for now won a starting role over Yemelin. Many Habs fans will (perhaps rightfully) not like the lack of truculence in the line-up, with no toughness on the fourth line and a relatively soft group of d-men.

The expected Tampa Bay Lightning line-up:

Brett Connolly - Steven Stamkos - Martin St. Louis
Ryan Malone - Vincent Lecavalier - Teddy Purcell

Mattias Ritola - Dominic Moore - Steve Downie
Dana Tyrell - Tom Pyatt - Adam Hall

Victor Hedman - Eric Brewer
Brett Clark - Matt Gilroy
Marc-Andre Bergeron - Pavel Kubina

Mathieu Garon

Other updates for today:

- Lars Eller practiced without a blue "no contact" jersey today, which should indicate he is nearing a return. For Habs fans who have been underwhelmed by the preseason performances of Andreas Engqvist (in other words, pretty much all Habs fans), this should come as a sign of relief, as it appears Eller could dress in the first game or two of the season.

- Travis Moen, Andrei Markov, and Ryan White are accompanying the team on the road, as they leave for their annual team building retreat (to Collingwood, Ontario) following tonight's game in Quebec City. Moen skated alone again this morning, while White remains sidelined and unable to take to the ice.

Jacques Martin was quoted as saying "it will be a long while before White can return." Officially, he is sidelined with a "lower body" injury.

- The Hamilton Bulldogs opened their preseason last night with a 4-1 win over the Binghamton Senators. The top line of Alexander Avtsin, Brock Trotter, and Brian Willsie led the charge, with Avtsin scoring 2 goals, Trotter having 3 assists, and Willsie 1 goal and 1 assist. Robert Mayer got the win for the 'Dogs in goal. This is a good start for Avtsin who faces a crucial year for his development in North America. He should see greatly increased ice time over last season where he was a healthy scratch, and will have to prove he can be more involved physically and more responsible without the puck. The team has a rematch against the Senators tonight.

- Goaltender Nicola Riopel, who was invited to a Canadiens development camp as a try-out several years ago, has been invited to try-out with the Bulldogs at camp. Since Peter Delmas is expected back shortly from his concussion, this will mean four goaltenders in the mix.

- In the junior ranks, it was a big night for a lot of Habs prospects. Despite just barely getting to the arena on time after being cut by the Canadiens in the morning, Michael Bournival scored 2 goals in a 7-2 Shawinigan win. Bournival now has 7 goals and 1 assist in just 3 games.

Jarred Tinordi, who we told you yesterday was named captain of the London Knights, finished a +1 with no points in an 8-2 London win. Tinordi made his mark with a huge hit and a very lopsided fight win. Here's a video of that:

Morgan Ellis, also captain of his Cape Breton Screaming Eagles, helped the team mount a third period comeback with 2 assists in a 4-3 win.

Olivier Archambault had a goal but finished -2 in Drummondville's 4-2 loss to Nathan Beaulieu's Saint John Sea Dogs. Beaulieu had no points but finished a +1.

Lastly, in the WHL, Darren Dietz had an assist and led all his Saskatoon Blades teammates with a +3 in a 4-2 win. Montreal's other WHL prospect, Brendan Gallagher, will join his Vancouver Giants teammates in time for tonight's game after being cut from Canadiens camp yesterday.

- IT IS OFFICIAL! Likely the funniest member of the Montreal Canadiens, Hal Gill, has joined Twitter. You can follow him at: @skillsy75

- The Toronto Maple Leafs' forward Clarke MacArthur was suspended 2 games by Brendan Shanahan today for a hit on Detroit Red Wings' forward Justin Abdelkader. As such, he will miss the season opener against the Habs on Thursday. Canadiens fans will remember the shoe was on the other foot a year ago, with Mike Cammalleri missing the season opener against the Leafs due to a preseason suspension resulting from an altercation with Nino Niederreiter of the New York Islanders.

29/09/11: Tampa Bay 4, Montreal 0; at least there's only 1 left

Any Habs fans expecting a change in the team that had a 1-5-0 preseason record now that there were more veterans in the line-up were quite disappointed last night. It seems the team has not yet decided to flip the switch from preseason to the real thing... or at least, we hope that's all this slumping play is. After a solid first period, the game went way downhill with many players having nights they'd like to forget. The 4-0 score is generous, even, as two clear goals for the Lightning were not counted (Lecavalier's because whistle blew, and Pyatt's because the refs just missed it and there is no video review). We discuss some of the players' performances below.

Peter Budaj: When your team is shutout, blaming a goaltender seems like a cop-out, but Budaj has had a very poor preseason. After 'tending in the blowout loss to Boston in Halifax, Budaj looked weak on virtually every shot sent his way (not just the goals), seeming lost in his crease at times and having to search hard to find pucks. At this point, I have little confidence in him as a back-up, but hopefully he improves as the year goes on, working with Pierre Groulx while Carey Price starts the lion's share of games.

David Desharnais: I'll give him a break as it's his first game back from injury, but definitely not his night. Admittedly he looked good when the puck was on his stick in the offensive zone, showing some creativity and flare, but at every other time he was out of position on the ice with horrible defensive zone coverage. Needs to step it up or he's on the outs when Lars Eller is healthy.

Andrei Kostitsyn: Awful game, even worse than Desharnais. Threw his body around a bit in the third period which earned him a couple of points back, but horrible play in his own end, soft when on the puck, and didn't generate anything offensively.

Andreas Engqvist: The Habs depth at center becomes a problem because Engqvist is no looking like an NHL'er right now. Clearly he didn't help himself by adding much weight/muscle this summer, as despite his 6'4" frame, he looks very weak on the puck and is knocked over easily. He is fine on the penalty kill, but at this point I'd take Tom Pyatt back over him. Gabriel Dumont was far better, but the Habs want a righty and some size so Engqvist stuck around instead.

Max Pacioretty: A few chances, but overall perhaps his worst performance of the preseason. Stayed to the perimeter far too much to be effective, committed a number of giveaways. Couldn't finish around the net, pushed out of position too easily.

Mike Cammalleri: Probably the Habs most dangerous forward on the evening. Unfortunately had hands of stone, missing empty nets and hitting goal posts. Cammy has looked quick and slick in preseason and seems poised for a good year.

Tomas Plekanec / Brian Gionta: I'll lump these two together for their highly unimpressive preseasons. Mostly invisible, lack of intensity, sleepwalking through to October. That's not a problem so long as they're ready for game 1 of 82.

Scott Gomez: Perhaps the second best forward for the Canadiens, but lacked in creativity with the puck. Seemed to try the same play over and over again in the offensive zone, with a bank pass off Dwayne Roloson's pads, but it almost clicked a few times, so not a bad night.

Erik Cole: I'd lump Cole with Cammalleri and Gomez in the "forwards who actually played well" category. Goes to the traffic areas where he needs to be, tries to deflect shots. He has also shown throughout preseason a knack at stealing the puck off players skating up ice. His ability at creating turnovers will be valuable on a smaller team like the Habs.

P.K. Subban: The good and bad of P.K. were on display, as he weaved his magic with the puck in dancing through the neutral zone a few times, but was also caught out of position a lot. Looks like he needs one more season of babysitting with a defensively responsible blueliner like Hal Gill.

Alexei Yemelin: Horrible start to the game, but got better as it went on. Subban is not the ideal partner for him as he isn't ready to cover for a partner's pinches or miscues. Known as a punishing, "dirty" defenseman, his physicality has been missing for most of preseason. He came to camp laying out big hits in the first day's scrimmage, but has completely toned it down ever since. The only plausible explanation is that someone on the coaching staff had a chat with him about focusing more on positioning than hitting, but it is severely hurting his game. When he improved in the third, it's because he was starting to take the body again.

Raphael Diaz: Looks to be ahead of Yemelin for the 6th spot on D. Has weaknesses in his own end, but showed good smarts in moving the puck, a strong first pass, and creativity in the offensive zone.

Brendan Gallagher: Good first period, but disappeared after that. Was very neutralized by bigger, experience Lightning players. Even Marc-Andre Bergeron completely rubbed him out along the boards on one play. His inexperienced showed on this night, but I don't know that it hurt his chances given the awful play of Desharnais and Kostitsyn. And honestly, with how badly the Habs have performed in preseason, I don't think they can afford to cut a guy who has consistently been one of their top forwards. Should get a 9-game trial just to bring some enthusiasm and energy to the group.

Josh Gorges: The Habs best d-man on this night. Looks like his old self, and survived a scare when Ryan Malone fell awkwardly on his right knee. Skated to the bench gingerly, but didn't even miss a shift, right back out there only seconds or minutes later.

Chris Campoli: He looked good for a first game. Certainly not a shutdown guy, but he's a good skater and moves the puck well. Fired some good shots at the net. Seems like a nice addition while the inexperienced players like Yemelin and Diaz adjust and develop.

And so that's it. We've got only one more game before the eternal optimists and apologists can tell us to "stop complaining because it's only preseason!" Hopefully they show up stronger on Saturday to give us some confidence for the season opener in Toronto.

2011/12 NHL Preview - Southeast Division

We've covered the West (Northwest, Central, Pacific), so now we turn our attention to the Eastern Conference, beginning today with the Southeast. Seen for several years as the league's softest, the Southeast has rebounded, now with two clubs that have legitimate eyes on taking the East.

CAROLINA HURRICANES

Projected depth chart / lines:

Jussi Jokinen - Eric Staal - Jeff Skinner

Tuomo Ruutu - Brandon Sutter - Alexei Ponikarovsky

Chad Larose - Zac Dalpe - Zach Boychuk

Jiri Tlusty - Tim Brent - Anthony Stewart

Joni Pitkanen - Tomas Kaberle

Bryan Allen - Jamie McBain

Derek Joslin - Tim Gleason

Cam Ward

Brian Boucher

The 'Canes have missed the playoffs for two seasons in a row, and were as active as they could be this off-season to try to get back into contention. The club managed to keep most of their pending UFA like Joni Pitkanen and Jussi Jokinen, only really having to say goodbye to Erik Cole. The club will hope young players like Zach Boychuk and Zac Dalpe are ready to pick up the offensive slack left by Cole's departure, as free agent signings Alexei Ponikarovsky and Anthony Stewart are low-risk gamble shots in the dark. After a strong sophomore season in 2009-10 where he topped the 20 goal mark, Brandon Sutter regressed last year, so Carolina will need him to bounce back. The club must also hope that last year's standout 18-year old rookie Jeff Skinner doesn't hit a sophomore slump, or else it could be a long season for the Hurricanes up front.

On defense, Tomas Kaberle was a great value signing after his poor play with the Boston Bruins minimized interest in his services league-wide. Kaberle has topped 45 points in 5 of the last 6 seasons (the only miss being a year he scored 31 points in just 57 games), despite playing for some pretty poor clubs. 23-year old offensive d-man Jamie McBain should continue his development after putting up an amazing 10 points in 14 NHL games at the end of the 2009-10 season, and building that into a 30 point rookie season last year. He is a nice sleeper pick for a late round of a deep hockey draft.

If the 'Canes due have a chance to surprise this year despite some holes and questions, it's because of Cam Ward. After winning the Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe as a rookie, Ward has shown he is amongst the game's best goaltenders and will give his team a chance to win on any given night.

YourCanadiens Verdict: Bubble playoff team.

FLORIDA PANTHERS

Projected depth chart / lines:

David Booth - Stephen Weiss - Kris Versteeg

Tomas Fleischmann - Sean Bergenheim - Tomas Kopecky

Evgeni Dadonov - Scottie Upshall - Matt Bradley

Jack Skille - Marcel Goc - Mike Santorelli

Brian Campbell - Mike Weaver

Dmitry Kulikov - Ed Jovanovski

Jason Garrison - Keaton Ellerby

Jose Theodore

Scott Clemmensen

We covered the remodeling of the Florida Panthers in an earlier piece, and certainly the club that will begin the 2011-12 season looks nothing like that which finished 2010-11. Up front, the acquisitions were numerous as the team struggled to reach the salary cap floor. Kris Versteeg has become somewhat of a journeyman, now joining his fourth club since 2009-10, but his ability to contribute offensively cannot be questioned. Sean Bergenheim and Tomas Fleischmann were great high-potential-payoff underrated signings (both were high on our initial wish list of Habs targets), though the team did have to overpay to bring them in. When Bergenheim was taken in the first round in 2002, he was seen as a similar player to fellow Finn Saku Koivu, but his offense never seemed to translate at the NHL level. He broke out last season, first with a career high of 29 points, but then far more importantly, 9 goals and 11 points in 16 playoff games - certainly the kind of clip the Panthers would love to see him at this year. A third round selection in 2007, skilled Russian Evgeni Dadonov should see full-time action at the NHL level after scoring 17 points in 36 games with Florida last year. It will be interesting to see how this chemistry experiment plays itself out, but it is unlikely to yield immediate results.

On defense, the big ticket acquisitions of Brian Campbell and Ed Jovanovski will soak up minutes to allow the young core to develop at their own pace. Leading this group of youth is 2009 1st rounder Dmitry Kulikov, already entering his third season in the big league after scoring 26 points in 72 games last year.

The team lost starter Tomas Vokoun to free agency this summer, instead going with a duo of Jose Theodore and Scott Clemensen to hold the fort until top prospect Jacob Markstrom is ready for full-time duty. Over the last two seasons, Theodore seemed to have refound his game, so he should be an adequate stop-gap.

YourCanadiens Verdict: Out of the playoffs.

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING

Projected depth chart / lines:

Ryan Malone - Steven Stamkos - Martin St. Louis

Teddy Purcell - Vincent Lecavalier - Steve Downie

Ryan Shannon - Dominic Moore - Nate Thompson

Tom Pyatt - Dana Tyrell - Adam Hall

Victor Hedman - Mattias Ohlund

Pavel Kubina - Eric Brewer

Brett Clark - Matt Gilroy

Dwayne Roloson

Mathieu Garon

The Lightning lost quite a bit of offensive depth this summer, but still possess perhaps the game's top duo in Steven Stamkos and Martin St. Louis (though I'm sure the Sedins would disagree... so let's say best non-brother duo). Dominic Moore set a career high with 18 goals last season and looks to have perhaps finally found a more permanent fit after stops in New York, Pittsburgh, Minnesota, Toronto, Buffalo, Florida, and Montreal (all by the age of 31 - WOW!). Teddy Purcell is coming off a breakout season with 51 points after joining the Lightning from the Los Angeles Kings at the 2009-10 trade deadline, and the team hopes that young first rounder prospects Carter Ashton and Brett Connolly will be able to follow his progression and make the jump to the big league in the near future to replace the likes of Simon Gagne and Sean Bergenheim.

Tampa has quietly assembled what might be the best overall D in the league for the coming season, with Victor Hedman - now in his third year - expected to emerge as a true #1 workhorse. The team managed to retain Eric Brewer after picking him up during last season, and added Rangers cast-off Matt Gilroy in an underrated move (we wanted him in Montreal), ensuring that Marc-Andre Bergeron won't have to form part of the permanent top 6.

It's a good thing the team's defense is so strong, as starter Dwayne Roloson will turn 42 just after the season kicks off on October 12. Rolli had a great year and is a very impressive athlete given his age, but did show signs of fatigue as the playoffs rolled on. Fortunately, the team locked up a very capable back-up in Mathieu Garon who could easily split time with Roloson to give him any rest he needs.

YourCanadiens Verdict: Solid playoff team.

WASHINGTON CAPITALS

Projected depth chart / lines:

Alexander Ovechkin - Nicklas Backstrom - Alexander Semin

Troy Brouwer - Brooks Laich - Mike Knuble

Marcus Johansson - Joel Ward - Jason Chimera

D.J. King - Jeff Halpern - Matt Hendricks

Roman Hamrlik - Mike Greene

John Carlson - Dennis Wideman

Jeff Schultz - Karl Alzner

Tomas Vokoun

Michal Neuvirth

The Capitals seemed to make all the right moves in all the right places this off-season, adding size up front in budding power forward Troy Brouwer while cementing their bottom 6 with the additions of playoff vets Joel Ward and Jeff Halpern. They are a popular pick as a league favourite at this stage, now boasting a far deeper team than just the top line of Alexander Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, and Alexander Semin. Their 2nd line - with Brouwer, Brooks Laich, and Mike Knuble - offers three big bodies that are certain to be a challenge to defend against. Marcus Johansson had a strong rookie season at the age of 20 last year when put into a big minute role due to injuries. When the team is healthy, he should be able to play against opposing bottom lines and thus may be able to surpass last season's 13 goals and 27 points.

On defense, Roman Hamrlik seems like the perfect signing to balance out the offense-first Mike Greene and John Carlson. The veteran may be slowing down with age, but he provided very valuable services to the Canadiens and will be missed. Former first round selection Karl Alzner should take on a bigger role entering his second year as a full-time NHL'er. The club has a bit of a log-jam on the bottom pairing, with both Tom Poti and John Erskine also under contract, at $2.875M and $1.5M respectively. Given that the team still needs to do a bit of wiggling to get under the salary cap, expect one of the two to find a new employer soon enough.

The team's biggest coup this off-season, however, was in nets. After getting a king's ransom in return for Semyon Varlamov - who some felt would ultimately end up being a third stringer behind Michal Neuvirth and Braden Holtby - the club signed star keeper Tomas Vokoun to a dirt cheap one year contract, filling perhaps the last hole needed to make the Caps a true top flight contender.

YourCanadiens Verdict: Conference contender.

WINNIPEG JETS

Projected depth chart / lines:

Andrew Ladd - Nikolai Antropov - Bryan Little

Evander Kane - Alexander Burmistrov - Blake Wheeler

Chris Thorburn - Jim Slater - Eric Fehr

Patrice Cormier - Ben Maxwell - Tanner Glass

Dustin Byfuglien - Tobias Enstrom

Ron Hainsey - Zach Bogosian

Mark Stuart - Johnny Oduya

Ondrej Pavelec

Chris Mason

Excitement over the return of the Jets gave way to a bit of disappointment as the former Atlanta Thrashers were rather quiet over the off-season. This may have been in part intentional, however. It gives management and ownership one year to evaluate the talent that is in place, and besides, given the crazy travel schedule they'll have playing one year out of the Southeast Division, even the best of rosters would have likely had some difficulty in succeeding. So perhaps the bigger splashes come next summer.

Meanwhile, the team should benefit from the continued development of Bryan Little and Evander Kane up front, two young stars who just happen to be western Canadian born and should feel at home in Manitoba. Alexander Burmistrov, the team's first round pick in 2010, had a quiet season as a 19-year old, but with a full year of experience under his belt should easily surpass the 20 points he finished with. Team captain Andrew Ladd (who conspiracy theorists will remind you is also a western Canada kid) set career highs with 29 goals and 59 points last year so he'll look to continue on that high armed with a new long-term contract. While there is a solid young core in place, the team lacks in depth at the moment, and without sufficient go-to talent on the top lines, they will struggle to produce for stretches this year.

On the backend, though, the Jets can count on a solid group of 7 (the 6 above + Randy Jones). Developing star Zach Bogosian remains unsigned but hopes to have a deal in place for camp. While the team lacks in offense, the top pair of Dustyin Byfuglien and Tobias Enstrom are skilled in supporting the attack and will both be counted on when the younger forwards slump.

In goal, it is reasonable to expect that Ondrej Pavelec and Chris Mason split games at about a 50-30 ratio, provided the former's health concerns are all behind him. When he has been on the ice, Pavelec has shown improvement year over year and this could be the season he establishes himself as a true number 1.

YourCanadiens Verdict: Out of the playoffs.

Thanks for reading. Monday we move on in the East to the Atlantic Division, before previewing the Habs and the Northeast Tuesday, and finally our full predictions on Wednesday.