Around the League: Playoff Predictions

It's around this time of year every season with the trade deadline distancing itself in the rear-view mirror that I make my first post-season predictions. The playoff picture may not be fully clear yet, so I'll wait before dissecting possible matchups, but with rosters more or less set for the stretch run, here are some of my favourites.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Expected playoff participants:

New York Rangers

Boston Bruins

Florida Panthers

Pittsburgh Penguins

Philadelphia Flyers

New Jersey Devils

Ottawa Senators

Washington Capitals

The Winnipeg Jets currently hold the 8th and final playoff spot but - while it would be a nice story - I expect the Caps who are 2 points back and hold a game in hand to catch them by early April. Washington has underachieved throughout the season but they are deep and talented enough that I expect them to put together enough of a hot streak in the remaining games to salvage a post-season birth - think the Habs of 2009 (and then quickly forget that painful memory). With the immense parity in the league, I expect the buffer established by the top 7 to be sufficient to hold on to their spots.

First Round Weak Links:

Florida Panthers

Ottawa Senators

Barring a head-to-head matchup, I expect the East's Cinderella clubs in Florida and Ottawa to be the first round's easiest outs. 2011-12 was a huge step forward in the building process for both teams, but at least on paper, neither stacks up the conference's elite. The Sens have been led by phenom Erik Karlsson, but it should be noted that he and top center Jason Spezza rank 2nd and 8th in the league in powerplay points (Ottawa's PP ranks 6th overall). With powerplays tougher to come by in the post-season, the team may struggle to score - a significant problem when considering that they've allowed more goals than any other team in a playoff position.

Florida's patchwork club rising to the top of its division may be more linked to the struggles of Washington and Tampa Bay than the team's own strong play (a statement supported by their -21 goal differential on the season, worse even than Montreal's), but certainly they've surpassed expectations. The Panthers are one of the league's lowest-scoring teams and have only 3 40+ point forwards, one of whom (Stephen Weiss) has zero playoff experience. This will be a good year to bring some of the team's new core along and help them gel, but it is too early to be thinking about any kind of long run without a spectacular streak from either Jose Theodore or Scott Clemmensen, which I would doubt in either case.

Projected Eastern Conference Playoff Champion:

Pittsburgh Penguins

Evgeni Malkin has a Conn Smythe Trophy on his resume and his outstanding play this season is my main reason for picking Pittsburgh to return to the Stanley Cup Finals. With big wingers like James Neal and Chris Kunitz, the team has the resources to get passed the Zdeno Chara wall in Boston and to overwhelm the New York Rangers's young back-end. The team's top 4 is rock-solid, with strong production from Kris Letang compensating for the hole in the depth chart left by the absence of superstar Sidney Crosby. The Pens were my pick even before yesterday's news that Crosby has been cleared for contact and may play in the near future, but if he can return healthily, it will take the team to another level. Above all, the team's core, from Marc-Andre Fleury out, has been there before. They've been to the finals and lost, as well as won a Cup, and this experience will carry them a long way once again.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Expected playoff participants:

Vancouver Canucks

St. Louis Blues

San Jose Sharks

Detroit Red Wings

Nashville Predators

Chicago Blackhawks

Dallas Stars

Los Angeles Kings

On the strength of a 7-1-2 record in their last 10 games (including their win over the Canadiens), the Dallas Stars currently lead their division. However, I expect either them or the Phoenix Coyotes to slip up down the stretch, allowing the Los Angeles Kings to sneak into the post-season. Hey, my preseason picks to win the regular season conferences look pretty bad right now in Los Angeles and Washington so I have to stick to my guns at least a little bit, no?!

The Kings bolstered their league's worst-offense with the addition of Jeff Carter prior to the deadline and should start to see some dividends in the coming weeks. They are tied with San Jose in points (though the Sharks hold a game in hand) and sit 1 point behind the Coyotes (with a game in hand on them) to make the second season and with the sound goaltending they've been getting, should be able to jump over a club or two if those teams stumble.

The Sharks have seen a solid season collapse over the past little bit, but could still take their division if they can turn fortunes around.

First Round Weak Links:

Dallas Stars

The West looks rather evenly matched, with only the Stars (or Coyotes if they make it in Dallas's place) appearing like an easy out. Dallas's defense is suspect and they are the only team in the Western playoff picture with a negative goal differential. The team has gotten strong production from their underrated forward group, but it seems unlikely to hold up over a 7 game series against a tough opponent.

Projected Western Conference Playoff Champion:

Vancouver Canucks

Like the Penguins before them, the Canucks will avenge a loss in the Stanley Cup finals by returning to the dance and this time winning it all. Their offense is led by the usual cast of characters in the Sedins, Ryan Kesler, and Alex Burrows, but they've bolstered their bottom 6 with proven playoff shutdown guru Sammy Pahlsson. The addition of toughness in Zack Kassian allows them to match up better against bigger squads, as does the size of Marc-Andre Gragnani bringing depth on the back end. This team has seen what it takes to get oh so close, and as a now famous Sidney Crosby NHL commercial once said, "never wants to be in that spot again." This is their year.

That's my take on how things will shake up for now. I'll certainly provided round-by-round predictions as the post-season gets underway in April, as depressing as it is to not count the Canadiens among the qualified teams.

Habs Training Camp Details

The Boys are Back in Town! The Montreal Canadiens kick things off for the 2011-12 NHL season with rookie camp opening Monday, September 12th, and running through Thursday, September 15th, all held at the Complexe Sportif Bell in Brossard.

The annual golf tournament is scheduled for Wednesday, September 14th, before the big guns open training camp on Saturday, September 17th. The schedule for training camp, most of which will also be held at the Complexe Sportif Bell, can be found HERE (or below). We should get rosters for Rookie Camp by tomorrow.

2011/12 NHL Preview - Predictions

With yesterday's tragic plane crash and resulting deaths of KHL club Lokomotiv Yaroslavl in Russia, we felt it best not to publish a hockey story.

So today, we welcome you to our pre-season forecasts/predictions for the 2011-12 NHL season. With rookie and training camps about to get underway, we've completed our divisional previews around the league and can move on to to our best guess on how things will play out.

We'll begin, conference by conference, with our prediction of the final standings, and then discuss some rationale / expectations behind them.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

1. x-Washington Capitals

2. x-Philadelphia Flyers

3. x-Montreal Canadiens

4. Buffalo Sabres

5. Boston Bruins

6. Tampa Bay Lightning

7. Pittsburgh Penguins

8. New York Rangers

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9. Toronto Maple Leafs

10. New Jersey Devils

11. Carolina Hurricanes

12. New York Islanders

13. Florida Panthers

14. Winnipeg Jets

15. Ottawa Senators

I can hear the howls of homerism already, but I do think the Northeast will be a three dog race this year between the Montreal Canadiens, Buffalo Sabres, and Boston Bruins. When healthy, all three have deep rosters playing in front of one of the league's best goaltenders. The Sabres lead the group on defense, while I would argue the Habs have the better forward group, and the Bruins are likely the most balanced while also having an edge in toughness. Ultimately, the team that takes it is likely the one that best avoids injury and individual slumps, so here's hoping for some luck on Montreal's side! (for more on this, see my Northeast Division Preview)

Sure, they won the Conference last year as well, but the moves the Washington Capitals made this summer cement them as a top flight contender. They've added the kind of depth forwards you win with (Jeff Halpern, Joel Ward...) as well as help on the back end (Roman Hamrlik, Tomas Vokoun).

It will be interesting to see how the Philadelphia Flyers new team performs, but I expect that the addition of Ilya Bryzgalov will outweigh any dip in offensive production from the younger club, helping them take the division ahead of the (for now) Crosby-less Pittsburgh Penguins.

Looking at the playoff race, the 8th spot may come down to the New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs, and New Jersey Devils with Henrik Lundqvist being our key reason for selecting N.Y. (yes, ahead of the addition of Brad Richards). The Leafs have a good forward group, but there are questions around James Reimer and Jonas Gustavsson, while the Devils will need Martin Brodeur to play like he's 10 years younger than he really is to crack the top 8.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

1. x-Los Angeles Kings

2. x-Vancouver Canucks

3. x-Detroit Red Wings

4. San Jose Sharks

5. St. Louis Blues

6. Chicago Blackhawks

7. Anaheim Ducks

8. Calgary Flames

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9. Columbus Blue Jackets

10. Edmonton Oilers

11. Minnesota Wild

12. Dallas Stars

13. Colorado Avalanche

14. Nashville Predators

15. Phoenix Coyotes

If the East seems like it's full of "safer" picks, the West is where we'll gamble a bit. The Los Angeles Kings were very active improving their club over the summer, and they enter the season with a young, exciting, skilled, and well-balanced team. Reuniting Mike Richards and Simon Gagne fills out perhaps the league's best top 6, and with a solid D and two strong netminders, they are a real threat to take the Conference title.

The Vancouver Canucks, San Jose Sharks, and Detroit Red Wings seem to find themselves near the top of the standings every year, so there isn't much to justify there, but the St. Louis Blues are amassing the depth needed to join the elite. Injuries derailed what could have been an emerging season for the team last year, so if they're healthier, look for them to climb the standings buoyed by an offense 4 lines strong and a Jaroslav Halak with much to prove in goal.

On the lower end of the playoff hunt, the 7th and 8th spots would be debated over by the Anaheim Ducks, Calgary Flames, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Edmonton Oilers. The Oil may need one more year before jumping into the competitive ranks out West, during which time they'd hopefully address the D and goaltending situations. The Blue Jackets were aggressive in adding to their roster, and while the offense looks impressive enough, the D still needs some more retooling and there are questions in goal. That leaves the Ducks and Flames, both with star netminders that need to bounce back this season in Jonas Hiller and Miikka Kiprusoff. Both teams have nice balances of offense and defense, however, and thus have good chances at making the post-season, potentially becoming contenders if they can add to their core by the trade deadline.

So that's it. This is how we expect the season to play out, barring the unexpected. And of course, with injuries, trades, and anything and everything else, the unexpected is likely what's expected. So take our predictions with a grain of salt. But if we're right, that doesn't mean we won't brag about it!

2011/12 NHL Preview - Northeast Division

And finally we arrive at the Northeast. If you missed the earlier division previews, check them out here:

- Atlantic Division

- Southeast Division

- Northwest Division

- Central Division

- Pacific Division

BOSTON BRUINS

Projected depth chart / lines:

Milan Lucic - Patrice Bergeron - Nathan Horton

Tyler Seguin - David Krejci - Brad Marchand

Benoit Pouliot - Rich Peverley - Chris Kelly

Daniel Paille - Greg Campbell - Shawn Thornton

Zdeno Chara - Dennis Seidenberg

Andrew Ference - Joe Corvo

Johnny Boychuk - Adam McQuaid

Tim Thomas

Tuukka Rask

The defending Stanley Cup champions lost some depth over the summer, notably playoff hero Michael Ryder who signed in Dallas, and trade deadline acquisition Tomas Kaberle who joined the Carolina Hurricanes. Picking up some slack offensively will be a year-older Tyler Seguin who should now be a regular, and Benoit Pouliot who will be trying his luck with a third club in his short NHL career. Rookies Zach Hamill and Jordan Caron will battle for jobs in training camp but the forward group is deep enough that they are likely to start the year in the AHL. Brad Marchand was a hero (second only to the man in goal) in last year's playoffs and should improve on the 41 point he scored last season. With the possible exception of assist-man David Krejci, all of Boston's top 6 should be expected to top the 20 goal mark, and with quality two-way players in trade deadline acquisitions Chris Kelly and Rich Peverley on the third line, the team looks ready to compete again.

The Bruins defense isn't nearly as deep as their offense with a significant drop-off after captain Zdeno Chara. The addition of Joe Corvo should help the team's powerplay, but just as it did last year with the acquisition of Kaberle, much of the team's remaining cap space (over $7M with only Marchand left to sign) should go to patch a hole on the back end as this year's deadline nears.

Goaltending isn't something Boston has to worry about as Tim Thomas dominated the league through the regular and post- season last year. And even if, at age 37, he begins to slow down, Tuukka Rask, who stole the starting job from Thomas for one season in 2009-10, is capable of putting up equally as impressive numbers.

YourCanadiens Verdict: Conference contender.

BUFFALO SABRES

Projected depth chart / lines:

Thomas Vanek - Derek Roy - Jason Pominville

Drew Stafford - Brad Boyes - Ville Leino

Tyler Ennis - Paul Gaustad - Nathan Gerbe

Jochen Hecht - Cody McCormick - Patrick Kaleta

Tyler Myers - Christian Ehrhoff

Robyn Regehr - Jordan Leopold

Andrej Sekara - Mike Weber

Ryan Miller

Jhonas Enroth

Active on both the trades and free agency markets this summer, the Sabres enter the season with the best roster they've had since the Daniel Briere and Chris Drury days. At 5'5" and 5'9" respectively, Nathan Gerbe and Tyler Ennis are Buffalo's answer to David Desharnais and Brian Gionta on the Habs, with both showing last season that they belong in the NHL despite their diminutive stature. They will provide added scoring depth to a top 6 that was completed with the signing of Ville Leino, a player whose best seasons many feel are still ahead of him. It seems like top forward Derek Roy will be fully recuperated from his leg injury of last season when training camp opens in a couple of weeks which means Thomas Vanek should continue to score at a 30-goal, 70-point clip on his wing. Drew Stafford exploded last season with 31 goals in 62 games but it remains to be seen if that will be an anomaly for a typical 20 goal man or if it was simply a leap ahead in his development as an NHL'er. The Sabres do still have a bit of work to do to get under the salary cap, but the most likely situation seems to be a trade or demotion of Ales Kotalik up front and Shaone Morissonn on the back end, leaving the above roster unaffected.

Speaking of the defense, adding Christian Ehrhoff and Robyn Regehr gives Buffalo arguably a top 5 defense in the league for the coming season. Anchored by Tyler Myers, the top 4 is as good as any, and to provide further depth, 25-year old Andrej Sekera unexpectedly set a career high last year with 29 points.

For my money, Ryan Miller is the top goaltender in the NHL, and though his numbers took a bit of a dive last season, expect him to rebound behind his newly upgraded D and be one of the top fantasy performers in the league. The Sabres should get at least one more full season out of Jhonas Enroth, now 23, as a back-up, but it is likely he has starter aspirations and that will have to be with a different club.

YourCanadiens Verdict: Solid playoff team.

MONTREAL CANADIENS

Projected depth chart / lines:

Mike Cammalleri - Tomas Plekanec - Erik Cole

Max Pacioretty - Scott Gomez - Brian Gionta

Travis Moen - Lars Eller - Andrei Kostitsyn

Ryan White - David Desharnais - Mathieu Darche

Andrei Markov - Josh Gorges

Hal Gill - P.K. Subban

Jaroslav Spacek - Alexei Yemelin

Carey Price

Peter Budaj

Ah oui, les Canadiens. Pierre Gauthier managed to land his man on July 1st this year with the signing of Erik Cole to a 4-year deal. Cole seems like a great fit, bringing much-needed size and physicality to the Montreal forward core, but Habs fans need to hope that he'll fit in much better with Tomas Plekanec than he did with the Edmonton Oilers - his only other stint in the NHL outside of Carolina. Andrei Kostitsyn had some harsh words about head coach Jacques Martin printed in the Belarussian media this summer so it will be interesting to see how long he remains in Montreal, given that he's a pending UFA next summer and appears to be slated in for third line duty. He formed a nice duo with Lars Eller at times last year, though, so if the two stick together, it could mean a breakout year statistically for the young Dane. Max Pacioretty should be back at full strength after a vicious Zdeno Chara hit ended his season and what was a very hot breakout stretch for him. The team must hope that the hit and concussion won't cause Pacioretty to play timidly and to avoid the corners and front of the net - the areas where he was most successful.

Montreal lost two pillars on the blueline in James Wisniewski and Roman Hamrlik but will see the return of veteran Andrei Markov who, when healthy, can be one of the game's top defensemen. Markov will find his old spot quaterbacking the powerplay, meaning P.K. Subban should improve upon the 38 points he scored last year just from receiving passes from the guy at the opposite point. Alexei Yemelin will be an intriguing addition to the club, assuming he makes the big team out of camp, as he brings a physical toolkit the team has missed since the departure of Mike Komisarek. Jaroslav Spacek has (rightfully) fallen out of favour with much of the Canadiens' fanbase, but as a pending UFA, he will have the pressure of improving or seeing his NHL days come to an end following this season, which hopefully will inspire him to reach his pre-Habs levels of play.

Carey Price made Pierre Gauthier look smart for making the unpopular move of trading Jaroslav Halak by turning in the best performances of his career. After playing 72 games, Habs fans must believe that he is the real deal, but there will remain some trepidation that it could have been just a good season until he plays well consistently again in 11-12. No one will mistake Peter Budaj for a quality NHL starter, but given that he played 45 games for Colorado last year, he should be expected to get more action than the 16 games Alex Auld saw in Montreal (perhaps a 60-22 split).

Frankly, if things go right, this team could be as good as the Bruins and chase them and/or the Sabres for the division title. However, if Scott Gomez doesn't rebound from a horrid season, Carey Price is inconsistent, Erik Cole disappoints, the injury bug strikes, and Pierre Gauthier sits tight all year with this group of d-men, it could be a long season that sees the team finish outside the top 8.

YourCanadiens Verdict: Solid playoff team.

OTTAWA SENATORS

Projected depth chart / lines:

Milan Michalek - Jason Spezza - Daniel Alfredsson

Nikita Filatov - Nick Foligno - Bobby Butler

Chris Neil - Peter Regin - Stephane Da Costa

Zack Smith - Zenon Konopka - Jesse Winchester

Sergei Gonchar - Erik Karlsson

Chris Phillips - Jared Cowen

David Rundblad - Filip Kuba

Craig Anderson

Alex Auld

The Senators are rebuilding and the fact that they were rather quiet this off-season seems to indicate the process is on-going. Offensively, there are a number of young players who will try to establish themselves during training camp, including mid-season signee Stephane Da Costa, draft day acquisition Nikita Filatov, and 2011 first round pick Mika Zibanejad. The Sens will need some of these guys to elevate their play as the offense is quite thin beyond the top trio of Jason Spezza (slowed by injuries), Daniel Alfredsson (aging, injuries), and Milan Michalek (hasn't been productive since removed from the top lines of San Jose). College free agent signing Bobby Butler looks to have been a nice find for the Sens, putting up 21 points in 36 NHL games after getting a call-up from the AHL in his first pro season. If he can build on that, he should have the inside track for a top 6 job this year.

If you look at half of Ottawa's defense, you see declining veterans whose best days seem long behind them. Fortunately, the other half is comprised of top notch defensive prospects Erik Karlsson, Jared Cowen, and David Rundblad, the first of which broke out last year with an all-star game nod worthy performance, and the latter two expected to play their NHL rookie seasons this year after putting up big numbers from the blueline in their respective leagues. Rundblad in particular comes over to North America turning 21 in October and coming off a season where he scored 50 points in 55 games in the Swedish Elite League; quite an impressive feat. The Sens hope they've found a balance of new and old, but it is more likely the veterans slowly fade out and give way as the youth takes on larger roles.

Craig Anderson will get another shot to prove he can be a quality starter over a full season after putting up studly numbers following a trade to Ottawa from Colorado (.939 save percentage and 2.05 GAA in 18 games). Sens fans should be cautious, though, as he only has one season of more than 55 games under his belt, meaning Alex Auld should expect to see more action than he did in Montreal.

YourCanadiens Verdict: Out of the playoffs.

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS

Projected depth chart / lines:

Joffrey Lupul - Tim Connolly - Phil Kessel

Nikolai Kulemin - Mikhail Grabovski - Clarke MacArthur

Colby Armstrong - Matthew Lombardi - Nazem Kadri

Mike Brown - Tyler Bozak - Darryl Boyce

Dion Phaneuf - John-Michael Liles

Luke Schenn - Cody Franson

Keith Aulie - Mike Komisarek

James Reimer

Jonas Gustavsson

Brian Burke kept no secrets that he was looking to upgrade his center position this summer, and after missing out on Brad Richards, he did so by signing the highly skilled but oft-injured Tim Connolly. Having missed only 23 games in total over the last two years combined, the Leafs hope Connolly's biggest issues are in the past, and that he'll find chemistry with Phil Kessel on the team's top line. If that works out, the Leafs may have a potent offense this season, with the second line of Nikolai Kulemin, Mikhali Grabovski, and Clarke MacArthur coming off a big season. Further helping the club's depth is the fact that salary dump acquisition Matthew Lombardi looks to be healthy and may join the club as early as during training camp. Lombardi played only 2 games with Nashville last year due to a concussion, but topped the 50 point mark in Phoenix the year prior. A number of young players will be auditioning for roles, but only Nazem Kadri seems like a safe bet to make the team out of camp. Joe Colbourne, Matt Frattin, and Jerey D'Amigo will be amongst those looking for a call-up at some point.

The Leafs lost a lot of their depth on D but also got quite a bit younger. Picked up in trades, Cody Franson and Keith Aulie both look like they could be fixtures for many years, while another acquisition, John-Michael Liles, increases the group's mobility and puck-moving skills, eating minutes while the younger players develop. The pressure, then, will be on Mike Komisarek whose career has taken a disastrous turn, and captain Dion Phaneuf who seems to have left his offensive game in Calgary.

James Reimer had a hot start at the NHL level, emerging from obscurity to post a .921 save percentage and 2.60 GAA in 37 games. Toronto faithful have to hope for at least a repeat performance from the 23-year old, but it wouldn't be the first time a young goalie rose to stardom quickly only to fall right back down. Fortunately for the Leafs, there is still hope that Jonas Gustavsson develops into "The Monster" he was seen to be, with several great performances towards the end of the American League season after returning from injury.

YourCanadiens Verdict: Bubble playoff team.

2011/12 NHL Preview - Atlantic Division

Last week, we covered 4 of the 6 NHL divisions in our season previews (Southeast, Northwest, Central, Pacific), so today we continue on with the Atlantic, before wrapping up with the Northeast tomorrow and then finally our overall predictions on Wednesday.

NEW JERSEY DEVILS

Projected depth chart / lines:

Patrik Elias - Travis Zajac - Zach Parise

Ilya Kovalchuk - Dainius Zubrus - Nick Palmieri

Mattias Tedenby - Jacob Josefson - David Clarkson

Eric Boulton - Dave Steckel - Cam Janssen

Henrik Tallinder - Anton Volchenkov

Andy Greene - Adam Larsson

Bryce Salvador - Matt Corrente

Martin Brodeur

Johan Hedberg

The Devils were among the hottest teams in the league over the second half of last season but it wasn't enough to overcome a disastrous start. While the return this season of star forward Zach Parise from injury will be a boost to the club's chances, another year of wear on Martin Brodeur can't help. Still, it could be an exciting year offensively for New Jersey with the emergence of three young forwards who should earn full-time roles in Nick Palmieri, Jacob Josefson, and Mattias Tedenby. All three have the potential to be top 6 contributors and now that all have gotten their feet wet in the big league, they will look to improve on last year's point totals. After signing his huge long-term contract, Ilya Kovalchuk was hot and cold last season, finishing below a point-per-game for the first time since 2006-07. Given that they'll be on the hook for his deal for many years, N.J. will need to find a way to get the best out of him quickly.

On D, the big addition will be first round selection Adam Larsson who should be expected to earn a spot right out of training camp. The 6'3" Swede was a real gift to the Devils at 4th overall as the top 3 teams opted to take forwards. If Brodeur isn't getting any younger, he will at least be well protected by the team's top shutdown pair of Anton Volchenkov and Henrik Tallinder, provided the former can stay healthy after playing just 57 games last year.

Clearly this is Brodeur's team, but at least Johan Hedberg is capable of providing the Quebec native with more rest than his career averages would suggest. Hedberg played 34 games for the Devils last year, and 47 for the Atlanta Thrashers the year before, with numbers that compare

YourCanadiens Verdict: Bubble playoff team.

NEW YORK ISLANDERS

Projected depth chart / lines:

Matt Moulson - John Tavares - Michael Grabner

Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau - Brian Rolston - Blake Comeau

Josh Bailey - Frans Nielsen - Nino Niederreiter

Matt Martin - Marty Reasoner - Trevor Gilles

Mark Streit - Milan Jurcina

Mark Eaton - Travis Hamonic

Ty Wishart - Andrew McDonald

Rick DiPietro

Al Montoya

The Islanders are still in rebuild mode and will likely only begin to look competitive in time for the arrival of 2011 first round pick Ryan Strome. There are some pieces in place, however, as Michael Grabner unexpectedly showed tremendous progress last season, and Matt Moulson topped the 30 goal mark for the second straight year. If Brian Rolston shows to have any gas left in the tank, he will be a good veteran presence to take some pressure off the young John Tavares and Frans Nielsen (also coming off a career year) at the center position. If players like Nielsen and Grabner pleasantly surprised, Josh Bailey was a disappointment, scoring just 28 points in 70 games despite having 17 points in 11 AHL games. Turning 22 in October, the days remaining for Bailey to establish himself as an offensive threat are getting shorter. If Bailey can't do it, though, look for a breakout from rookie Nino Niederreiter who got a 9 game trial last year before putting up 70 points in 55 WHL games.

On the back end, Mark Streit will return after missing all of last season with injury and - poolies be aware! - 50+ points is not an unreasonably expectation from the club's #1 d-man and PP quarterback. The rest of the defense still needs lots of work though, with the team looking to 21-year old Travis Hamonic, 23-year old Ty Wishart, and eventually - possibly even as soon as this year - 20-year old Calvin de Haan to form a new up-and-coming core.

Starter Rick DiPietro has played a total of 39 games over the last 3 seasons combined and given that he is under contract until 2021, fans around the league tend to enjoy mockingly following his injuries. Al Montoya was a nice story for the Islanders last year, seen as a bust since being taken 6th overall back in 2004, but posting a strong .921 save percentage and 2.39 GAA in 21 games, his only NHL action to date outside of 5 games with Phoenix in 2008-09. There is a big question mark in goal with regards to the status of Evgeni Nabokov, who the Islanders plucked off waivers after the Detroit Red Wings tried to sign him from Europe during last season. Nabokov initially refused to report, but there has been word over the summer that he expects to be at camp this month.

YourCanadiens Verdict: Out of the playoffs.

NEW YORK RANGERS

Projected depth chart / lines:

Sean Avery - Brad Richards - Marian Gaborik

Brandon Dubinsky - Derek Stepan - Ryan Callahan

Mats Zuccarello-Aasen - Artem Anisimov - Ruslan Fedotenko

Wojtek Wolski - Brian Boyle - Mike Rupp

Marc Staal - Daniel Girardi

Mike Sauer - Ryan McDonagh

Tim Erixon - Michael Del Zotto

Henrik Lundqvist

Martin Biron

To no one's surprise, the Rangers landed the big fish on the UFA market this summer, signing Brad Richards to a long term deal until the summer of 2020. With Richards in the mix, New York has a deep group of talented forwards buoyed by the young Derek Stepan and Mats Zuccarello-Aasen, both of whom made strong NHL debuts last season. Marian Gaborik missed 20 games last season and his production trailed off significantly from his first with New York, so he'll look to bounce back playing with a new center. The team's bottom 6 presents an impressive mix of size and skill with the addition of Mike Rupp giving Sean Avery some breathing room to perform his pest antics that get opposing teams off their game. Offensively, Glenn Sather has done a nice job in assembling a mix of young and old, talent and strength, for a nicely balanced group of forwards.

There are some questions on defense though, given the age of the group likely to start the season with the club. Though still only 24, Marc Staal can't be considered a green rookie, emerging as a true top pairing stalwart. When Michael del Zotto regressed in his play last season, it was former Habs' draft choice Ryan McDonagh who stole his spot as a regular contributor by year's end. In addition to those two, this season should mark the debut of Tim Erixon - a Calgary Flames first round pick in 2009 - in the NHL after signing to come over from Sweden. The 20-year old is a two-way d-man who will battle with Steve Eminger and Pavel Valentenko for a spot in the top 6.

Henrik Lundqvist is coming off another excellent season which saw him lead the league with 11 shutouts despite playing fewer than 70 games for the first time since his rookie season in 2005-06. This enabled him to set a career high for save percentage with a .923, so expect back-up Martin Biron to get enough action to keep Hank fresh.

YourCanadiens Verdict: Bubble playoff team.

PHILADELPHIA FLYERS

Projected depth chart / lines:

James van Rimesdyk - Claude Giroux - Daniel Briere

Jakub Voracek - Brayden Schenn - Jaromir Jagr

Wayne Simmonds - Maxime Talbot - Scott Hartnell

Andreas Nodl - Blair Betts - Jody Shelley

Chris Pronger - Matt Carle

Kimmo Timonen - Andrej Meszaros

Braydon Coburn - Andreas Lilja

Ilya Bryzgalov

Sergei Bobrovsky

We previously went over this summer's remodeling of the Flyers and many in the hockey world are eager to see how it pans out. Replacing all of Jeff Carter, Mike Richards, Ville Leino, and Kris Versteeg up front will be no easy task, but youngsters Jakub Voracek, Brayden Schenn, and Wayne Simmonds are no slouches. Voracek's offense may end up equaling Carter's alone, while Schenn begins his rookie season in the NHL after putting up 7 points in 7 regular season AHL games and adding 4 points in 5 playoff games at the end of last year. If Simmonds does play on our projected third line with Maxime Talbot and Scott Hartnell, they will be a trio as tough to play against as perhaps any in the league. After much talking this summer, it will be fun to see if Jaromir Jagr truly does have what it takes to be productive in the National League or if he is limited to a minor powerplay specialist role.

It appears Chris Pronger's injury problems are ongoing as he may not be ready for training camp. The Flyers' D looks far better with him in the line-up eating up minutes and covering for a softer partner. Still with the always underrated Kimmo Timonen, who, despite his offense slowing down with age, remains a very solid veteran, Philadelphia's top 4 is top tier in calibre and cements them as a conference contender.

But even if the D misses Pronger for any period of time, they've addressed what has long been their Achilles heel by bringing in Ilya Bryzgalov as their starter. Bryzgalov has been out of the spotlight spending the last four years in Phoenix, but put up a save percentage of .920 or better in three of those four years despite a young and inexperienced team in front of him. The only question will be how he holds up in the post-season where his experience and success are far less. As a positive, he should be a great mentor to fellow Russian Sergei Bobrovsky, but with Bryzgalov signed until 2020 it's most likely the Bob's next real shot will be with another team.

YourCanadiens Verdict: Conference contender.

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS

Projected depth chart / lines:

Chris Kunitz - Sidney Crosby - James Neal

Tyler Kennedy - Evgeni Malkin - Steve Sullivan

Matt Cooke - Jordan Staal - Pascal Dupuis

Craig Adams - Dustin Jeffrey - Arron Asham

Kris Letang - Brooks Orpik

Paul Martin - Zbynek Michalek

Matt Niskanen - Ben Lovejoy

Marc-Andre Fleury

Brent Johnson

The Pens were rather quiet this summer while sitting and anxiously waiting for updates on the health of Sidney Crosby. Depending on who you believe, it looks at best that he'll miss the start of the season, and at worst that he perhaps will never play again. His absence is a huge loss for the Penguins, but also one for the league in general as he represents a generational talent. Still, Pittsburgh silenced many doubters last season by maintaining their Eastern Conference positioning despite having to play without both Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, so getting just one of the two stars back is still a major addition. After trading for James Neal last year, the signing of Steve Sullivan finally provides the team with enough depth at wing to go along with their trio of stud centermen and Sullivan is a darkhorse fantasy pool option for a strong bounce back performance.

Last summer's additions of Paul Martin and Zbynek Michalek went a long way to stabilizing the Penguins' back end, and if Kris Letang can repeat or improve upon last season's performance, he may be on the verge of becoming a Norris candidate calibre blueliner.

Personally, I'm not the biggest Marc-Andre Fleury fan but he is a starter of sufficient quality to take this team to the promised land if they get healthy contributions from all of their forwards. He's a fine goalie when you're trying to win games 6-3 as opposed to 1-0 and will benefit from playing behind some strong defensive defensemen.

YourCanadiens Verdict: Solid playoff team.

Tomorrow we wrap up our divisional previews with the Northeast before getting into specific predictions league-wide on Wednesday!

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.

2011/12 NHL Preview - Northwest Division

We've covered the Central and the Pacific, so today we round out the Western Conference with a preview of the Northwest.

CALGARY FLAMES

Projected depth chart / lines:

Alex Tanguay - Olli Jokinen - Jarome Iginla

Rene Bourque - Brendan Morrison - Curtis Glencross

Niklas Hagman - Mikael Backlund - Lee Stempniak

David Moss - Matthew Stajan - Tom Kostopoulos

Jay Bouwmeester - Mark Giordano

Cory Sarich - Scott Hannan

Anton Babchuk - Chris Butler

Miikka Kiprusoff

Henrik Karlsson

Traditionally, the Flames had been criticized for leaning too much on a single line - that of captain Jarome Iginla - to produce the vast majority of their offense. Well, quietly, Calgary has amassed an extremely deep group of talented forwards with 10 guys who easily have 40+ point potential (this is not to say they will hit that mark, of course...). Mikael Backlund looks poised for a breakout year at age 22, and the recent addition of Lee Stempniak ensures he'll have two offensively inclined wingers to play with. Rene Bourque and Curtis Glencross both had 2010-11 campaigns that cemented their credentials as top 6 wingers, and while many mocked the club's "experiments" of last off-season bringing in Olli Jokinen, Alex Tanguay, and Brendan Morrison, all produced well above expectations with successful years they will look to build on.

To make room for all the new talent up front, the Flames had to do a bit of gutting of what was arguably the league's best defense. Jay Bouwmeester has not lived up to the hype since being acquired from the Florida Panthers, but fortunately Mark Giordano has been a pleasant surprise in picking up some of the offense-from-the-blueline slack. In fact, Giordano looks to be a much better pick for your fantasy hockey drafts than the bigger name Bouwmeester. For the bargain basement price of $1,000,000, Scott Hannan was a great signing to round out the group; those of you who have read this site regularly know that I was a major advocate of the Habs picking him up for added depth.

It's no secret who Calgary's man in net will be, but Miikka Kiprusoff's game has shown kinks as he's aged (now 34). While his numbers haven't been poor, three of his last four seasons have seen GAAs above 2.60 and save percentages below .910, so it will be something to watch. Henrik Karlsson proved to be an adequate back-up after joining the Flames straight out of the Swedish Elite League last year, but at age 27 already, it is unclear whether he'll ever be more than that.

YourCanadiens Verdict: Bubble playoff team.

COLORADO AVALANCHE

Projected depth chart / lines:

Peter Mueller - Paul Stastny - Milan Hejduk

Gabriel Landeskog - Matt Duchene - David Jones

Brandon Yip - Kevin Porter - Ryan O'Reilly

Chuck Kobasew - Jay McClement - Cody McLeod

Erik Johnson - Jan Hejda

Kyle Quincey - Ryan O'Byrne

Matt Hunwick - Shane O'Brien

Semyon Varlamov

Jean-Sebastien Giguere

Over the past year, the Avs have made a number of controversial deals which critics were quite vocal about. This trend continued into the summer with the dealing of a couple of high draft picks to the Washington Capitals for young goaltender Semyon Varlamov whose days in that organization seemed numbered at best to begin with. Certainly there will be a lot of pressure on the 23 year old former first round selection, who set a career high in games played at the NHL level last season... but it was still just 27! In fact, Varlamov's career high for games at the AMERICAN LEAGUE level is also just 27, so despite good numbers wherever he has played, he is not yet a proven NHL #1 and represents another intriguing storyline for the upcoming season.

Varlamov will need to be on his game for the Avalanche to make any noise as, though the team has a stocked cupboard of young talent, their offense remains shallow and inexperienced. At times during the last 2 seasons, Brandon Yip, Ryan O'Reilly, and/or David Jones have emerged from nowhere as pleasant surprises, but their inexperience makes it tough to predict how they will perform in 2011-12. The lack of top end talent means we should see Gabriel Landeskog's NHL debut this year as a compliment to young stars Paul Stastny and/or Matt Duchene, making him one of the top options for a rookie in your pool.

On the blueline, Colorado paid a hefty price to acquire Erik Johnson last season, so they will expect a lot out of him in leading a group that leaves much to be desired. Still, he represents a building block on D that they severely lacked and should be a cornerstone to the team the organization is trying to put together - something that can't really be said about any of the other 5 starters, despite the fresh four year deal handed to Jan Hejda.

YourCanadiens Verdict: Out of the playoffs.

EDMONTON OILERS

Projected depth chart / lines:

Taylor Hall - Shawn Horcoff - Ales Hemsky

Ryan Smyth - Ryan Nugent-Hopkins - Jordan Eberle

Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson - Eric Belanger - Linus Omark

Ryan Jones - Sam Gagner - Ben Eager

Ryan Whitney - Tom Gilbert

Andy Sutton - Ladislav Smid

Theo Peckham - Cam Barker

Devan Dubnyk

Nikolai Khabibulin

The Oilers' offense looks perhaps scarier than the Pittsburgh Penguins team when Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Jordan Staal were all just breaking into the league. Four lines deep, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins should make his NHL debut, adding to Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle, Magnuss Paajarvi-Svensson, and more... a veritable "who's who" of top NHL prospects. This summer's addition of Ryan Smyth will bring a sound veteran presence to the locker room and on the ice, and will shelter some more inexperienced rookies from some difficult minutes.

But offense hasn't been this team's true problem. Their defensive and goaltending situations have not been addressed for the short term, and could be what keeps the club out of the post-season. Ryan Whitney and Tom Gilbert are mobile, two-way blueliners that any team would be happy with, but there is a big drop-off after them. Theo Peckham was a nice find last season as a tough guy on the back end who could slot in as an everyday player, but the club still desperately needs to improve its top 4 in order to reach "contender" status.

The situation in goal is even more precarious, with Nikolai Khabibulin's legal issues raising almost as many concerns as his deteriorating play with his age (38) and health. Devan Dubnyk showed some of the potential that many once saw in him last season, posting solid numbers and undoubtedly positioning him to push Khabibulin for ice time. The Oilers added depth by bringing former Canadien Yan Danis back from Russia, though if Khabibulin can play, he may start out in the AHL.

YourCanadiens Verdict: Bubble playoff team.

MINNESOTA WILD

Projected depth chart / lines:

Dany Heatley - Mikko Koivu - Devin Setoguchi

Pierre-Marc Bouchard - Matt Cullen - Guillaume Latendresse

Kyle Brodziak - Eric Nystrom - Cal Clutterbuck

Casey Wellman - Darrell Powe - Colton Gilles

Marek Zidlicky - Nick Schultz

Greg Zanon - Chay Genoway

Mike Lundin - Clayton Stoner

Niklas Backstrom

Josh Harding

The Wild shook up their offense this summer thanks to a couple of trades with the San Jose Sharks, and now present a very respectable top 6. Look for a strong year from ex-Hab Guillaume Latendresse as he returns from injuries that sidelined him most of last season. If Dany Heatley is to be believed, he should be highly motivated to bounce back from a career-worst points-per-game season that saw him finish with just 64 in 80 contests. Given that he may have some skilled new linemates, snatch up center Mikko Koivu quickly in your pools, as he should get back above the 70 point mark. Still, the offense is thin outside of two lines (and even those have some question marks).

The Wild's defense ranks in the lower half of the league, but one interesting player to watch will be NCAA signing Chay Genoway. Never drafted because of his size (5'9", 165 lbs), the 24 year old finished his college career on a high note with an over a point-per-game season, leading to an NHL bidding war for his services.

In goal, Niklas Backstrom has shown he can be a top 5 or 8 'tender in the league when he's on his game, but Josh Harding has also shown he may be ready for starting duties. With Harding a pending UFA next summer, look for the club to try to upgrade the back-end at some point with a deal.

YourCanadiens Verdict: Out of the playoffs.

VANCOUVER CANUCKS

Projected depth chart / lines:

Daniel Sedin - Henrik Sedin - Alexandre Burrows

Mason Raymond - Ryan Kesler - Mikael Samuelsson

Chris Higgins - Manny Malhotra - Marco Sturm

Jannik Hansen - Cody Hodgson - Maxim Lapierre

Dan Hamhuis - Kevin Bieksa

Alexander Elder - Sami Salo

Keith Ballard - Andrew Alberts

Roberto Luongo

Corey Schneider

There was lots of criticism up and down the Canucks roster after the team came oh so close to winning their first Stanley Cup in franchise history, but failed to close the deal. It is hard to argue with the regular season numbers of Daniel and Henrik Sedin, but many question their ability to win the big game come post-season. With three straight seasons above the 25 goal mark, Alex Burrows has proven that his success was no fluke, and the Canucks will be very happy to bolster their offense through the return of a healthy Mikael Samuelsson. The team managed to retain trade deadline acquisitions Chris Higgins and Maxim Lapierre, both of whom played large roles in the playoff run, but there were no real significant acquisitions (no offense intended to Marco Sturm, but he appears to be on the downside of his career).

Vancouver's defense - despite being ravaged by injuries all year long - was amongst the league's best last year, and they still present a formidable group despite the loss of Christian Ehrhoff. Other than the eternal question of Sami Salo's health, the other one to watch will be how the team handles Keith Ballard. Considered a steal of an acquisition when he was brought over from the Florida Panthers, Ballard began last season with injury issues and never regained his form. He fought for ice time on the club's blueline and was even often a healthy scratch. With 4 years remaining on his deal at $4.2M per season, the team will have to do what they can to extract the best value out of him starting this year.

I don't think it's time for Vancouver to push the panic button on Roberto Luongo's post-season struggles, as he did put up several big money performances. Still, he has not yet shown himself to be a big game goalie, and those who point to the 2010 Vancouver Olympics forget that he was quite poor in the gold medal game, and Team Canada won almost in spite of his play. The question becomes, with Corey Schneider's emergence as a solid NHL netminder, how will the club split games? This is certainly still Luongo's team, but perhaps we will see a larger role for his back-up in 2011/12.

YourCanadiens Verdict: (Regular Season) Conference contender.

Thanks for reading. Tomorrow we switch over to the Eastern Conference and hit the Southeast Division!

2011/12 NHL Preview - Central Division

After previewing the Pacific yesterday, today we turn our heads to the Central, a division where all five teams could be seen as having realistic post-season aspirations.

CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS

Projected depth chart / lines:

Patrick Sharp - Jonathan Toews - Patrick Kane

Andrew Brunette - Dave Bolland - Marian Hossa

Michael Frolik - Rostislav Olesz - Bryan Bickell

Daniel Carcillo - Ben Smith - Viktor Stalberg

Brent Seabrook - Duncan Keith

Niklas Hjalmarsson - Steve Montador

Sami Lepisto - Nick Leddy

Corey Crawford

Alexander Salak

The Blackhawks got deeper over the summer with a number of veteran roleplayer signings like Andrew Brunette, Daniel Carcillo, Steve Montador, and Sami Lepisto, enabled by the trading of Brian Campbell. Up front, the team has plenty of offensive firepower but lacks depth at the center position. In the projected line-up above, both newly acquired Rostislav Olesz (who will feel some pressure to put up a good year as his career appears to be sputtering) and surprising youngster Ben Smith are natural wingers, but might be pressed into duty down the middle depending on the club's final moves. Either that or the team may opt for a more balanced roster by moving Patrick Sharp off of a top line and back into a center role where he is equally at ease.

On defense, the duo of Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith is one of the best in the league, equally as good in their own end as they are in supporting the rush. Look for former first round selection Nick Leddy to break out as a solid NHL d-man as a 20 year old this year after getting in 46 games with the Hawks last season, straight out of college.

While I'm not personally 100% sold on Corey Crawford as a top notch starting goaltender, he will certainly be given the chance to prove me wrong, as though Alexander Salak has shown quite a bit of potential, he is much less proven than Crawford. Of course, both may find themselves out of the starting spotlight if training camp invitee Ray Emery shows he is healthy enough to earn a contract.

YourCanadiens Verdict: Conference contender.

COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS

Projected depth chart / lines:

Vaclav Prospal - Jeff Carter - Rick Nash

R.J. Umberger - Antoine Vermette - Derick Brassard

Matt Calvert - Ryan Johansen - Kristian Huselius

Derek Dorsett - Samuel Pahlsson - Jared Boll

Marc Methot - James Wisniewski

Fedor Tyutin - Radek Martinek

Kris Russell - Grant Clitsome

Steve Mason

Mark Dekanich

The Jackets are a very deep offensive team bolstered by big ticket off-season moves on which many felt they overpaid. If Chicago has a lack of centers, they should look no further for a trade partner than Columbus, as 5 of the team's top 6 forwards (everyone but Rick Nash) are natural C's. Winger Kristian Huselius will be sidelined to start the season, but the money freed up allowed the club to sign Vaclav Prospal to a reasonable contract, and he should be a perfect set-up man for Nash and Jeff Carter. No disrespect to Carter, but I think it will be fun to monitor who has more points at year's end between him and Jakub Voracek - the player sent to the Philadelphia Flyers along with a first round selection for Carter. Big things are expected from rookie Ryan Johansen, who will be well insulated thanks to the club's depth, and may play alongside 21-year old Matt Calvert who is looking like a complete steal as a 5th round pick in 2008.

Columbus took a huge gamble in handing a very large contract to former Canadien James Wisniewski this summer, one that many consider the off-season's worst deal. The Wizz provided valuable service to Montreal, though, and Marc Methot seems like an ideal partner for him being a reliable no-nonsense defense-first type.

In goal, it looks like the team will give Mark Dekanich a shot at an NHL job after his dominance in the American League, but ultimately a big part of Columbus's fate will rest on starter Steve Mason's ability to bounce back after two subpar years.

YourCanadiens Verdict: Bubble playoff team.

DETROIT RED WINGS

Projected depth chart / lines:

Valtteri Filppula - Pavel Datsyuk - Todd Bertuzzi

Johan Franzen - Hernik Zetterberg - Tomas Holmstrom

Patrick Eaves - Jiri Hudler - Daniel Cleary

Drew Miller - Darren Helm - Justin Abdelkader

Nicklas Lidstrom - Brad Stuart

Ian White - Niklas Kronwall

Mike Commodore - Jonathan Ericsson

Jimmy Howard

Ty Conklin

The Red Wings are perennial contenders, though for a change, they were quite quiet this summer, leaving the team with more cap space than they've had at any point in recent memory. Offensively, the team looks just like that which was bounced from the playoffs, but one could make a strong case that they were as good as any other club remaining had the injury bug not stricken many of their stars. Pavel Datsyuk is arguably the best all-around player in the league, and the team makes good use of big body wingers like Tomas Holmstrom, Johan Franzen, and Todd Bertuzzi - the type of players Habs fans have been craving for years. The club was supposedly in on Jaromir Jagr until the final hours, which means they may still look to bring in some additional scoring punch, particularly with an aging group of wingers.

While the offense looks the same, Detroit had some holes to fill on defense after the surprising retirement of Brian Rafalski. With Rafalski contributing at both ends of the rink, Ken Holland looked to two players to fill the roles - Ian White for the powerplay, and Mike Commodore for his defensive game. As per usual with the Wings, both were signed for good value, perhaps a reason why the team wasn't more active on other players with many receiving far more than they are worth in a shallow market. A big question for the team will be how much longer Nicklas Lidstrom decides to play, as there is no heir apparent for his very large skates to fill.

In goal, Jimmy Howard showed to be a reasonable starter last year, though Detroit's puck control game tends to limit shots on net better than most, offering support for whoever is between the pipes. The retired Chris Osgood was replaced by Ty Conklin, a suitable back-up but not one who will take the team far if pressed into service.

YourCanadiens Verdict: Solid playoff team.

NASHVILLE PREDATORS

Projected depth chart / lines:

Martin Erat - Mike Fisher - Sergei Kostitsyn

Blake Geoffrion - Colin Wilson - Patric Hornqvist

Cal O'Reilly - David Legwand - Jordin Tootoo

Niclas Bergfors - Nick Spaling - Jerred Smithson

Shea Weber - Ryan Suter

Francis Bouillon - Jonathan Blum

Kevin Klein - Jack Hillen

Pekka Rinne

Anders Lindback

Every season I predict a drop-off for the Predators, and yet every year they manage to prove me wrong. Do I just severely underrate them? Is it all Barry Trotz's coaching? I will again suggest that a few key losses and no real additions will mean that the Preds miss the playoffs in 2011-12, but that's not to say they can't make it interesting. Mike Fisher was a big ticket addition prior to last season's trade deadline, and a big part of his role will be mentoring Colin Wilson into the top 6 center that he projects to be. 6'1" winger Blake Geoffrion (grandson of Habs legend Bernard "Boom Boom" Geoffrion)had a great rookie season at the pro level, putting up 37 points in 45 AHL games and adding 8 points (including 6 goals) in 20 with the Preds, something he hopes to build on in the coming year. Certainly a good candidate if your pool obliges you to take a rookie (he's still Calder eligible). This could be former first round pick Niclas Bergfors's last chance to prove he belongs in the NHL, as he joines his third club in the past year and will have to battle for ice time.

If Geoffrion has legitimate Calder aspirations up front, Jonathan Blum might be one of the league's best rookie rearguards, rounding out a top 4 anchored by the newly re-signed Shea Weber and the pending UFA Ryan Suter. With a lack of star presence at forward, Weber's offense from the blueline is key to Nashville's success.

Pekka Rinne proved last season that he is amongst the most solid netminders in the game, while Anders Lindback showed he is more than capable of stepping in when called upon - perhaps a future asset for the team to move to add some scoring. But will a Weber-led defense in front of Rinne be sufficient for the team to make the West's top 8? It looks like it will be a tall order.

YourCanadiens Verdict: Bubble playoff team.

ST. LOUIS BLUES

Projected depth chart / lines:

David Backes - Patrick Berglund - Chris Stewart

David Perron - Andy McDonald - T.J. Oshie

Matt D'Agostini - Jason Arnott - Alexander Steen

B.J. Crombeen - Vladimir Sobotka - Jamie Langenbrunner

Barret Jackman - Alex Pietrangelo

Roman Polak - Kevin Shattenkirk

Carol Colaiacovo - Ian Cole

Jaroslav Halak

Brian Elliott

The Blue look like an up and coming exciting young team ready to do some damage. Offensively, bringing in veterans Jason Arnott and Jamie Langenbrunner on one year deals makes the forward group exceptionally deep and nicely surrounds the younger players. Chris Stewart was on a torrid pace after being acquired from the Colorado Avalanche, scoring 15 goals and 23 points in 26 games, while Andy McDonald quietly produced another 50 point season despite injuries limiting him to only 58 games. McDonald isn't the only one hoping for better health, as 23 year old David Perron scored 7 points in the only 10 games he was able to play last season. With a bit of luck, it is far from unreasonable for this team to have 7 or 8 50-point scorers, a testament to how dangerous the offense is.

The trade of Erik Johnson will be felt on defense, though his offensive production is easily replaced (and even surpassed) by the acquisition of Kevin Shattenkirk in that same deal. As a rookie last season, Shattenkirk scored an impressive 43 points - 5 more than Montreal's P.K. Subban - to lead all freshman blueliners. Ian Cole is another young d-man who will be entering his first full season at the NHL level, making for a great young core along with Shattenkirk and of course top pairing stalwart Alex Pietrangelo.

In nets, Jaroslav Halak will have to shake off a season of injuries and inconsistencies to prove that he is capable of shouldering the load as a full-time #1. He shows flashes of looking like a dominant goaltender, but has yet to show the endurance to carry it over a full year. Still, he adds to a group that the Blues hope to keep together for a while and may not be far off from contender status.

YourCanadiens Verdict: Low seed playoff team.

Thanks for reading. Tomorrow we preview our first Canadian teams as we hit the Northwest Division!

2011/12 NHL Preview - Pacific Division

Today in part 1 of our previews of the upcoming NHL season, we look at the Pacific Division. Each day we'll look at projected team depth charts and a number of other factors that could make or break teams this year, before culminating in our predictions on September 7th.

ANAHEIM DUCKS

Projected depth chart / lines:

Corey Perry - Ryan Getzlaf - Bobby Ryan

Jason Blake - Saku Koivu - Teemu Selanne

Brandon McMillan - Andrew Cogliano - Dan Sexton

Matt Beleskey - Maxime Macenauer - George Parros

Lubomir Visnovsky - Toni Lydman

Cam Fowler - Francois Beauchemin

Luca Sbisa - Kurtis Foster

Jonas Hiller

Dan Ellis

The Ducks failed to make any major acquisitions this off-season but did bring in Andrew Cogliano from Edmonton to shore up their depth at center. Once a highly touted prospect, Cogliano's offensive game and consistency have been questioned at the NHL level, but perhaps a change of scenery is just what he needed. He and Brandon McMillan will need to perform to support an aging 2nd line of Jason Blake, Saku Koivu, and Teemu Selanne (assuming Selanne does decide to return, that is, which is still not a given).

The Ducks' top line is perhaps the best in the game, but they'll need to lean an awful lot on it to have a successful season since they are lacking in scoring support. Things aren't that grim though as a number of promising rookies have a chance to see action at some point whether this season or next including Kyle Palmieri, Emerson Etem, and Peter Holland. Another interesting storyline up front will be Mark Bell, once a budding young power forward with the Chicago Blackhawks, but whose off-ice activity and life issues derailed his development. After spending two seasons in the Swiss league, Bell hopes to return to the NHL this year, but is likely to start with the Ducks' affiliate in the American League.

It hasn't taken Anaheim long to successfully replace the win pillars on the blueline of Scott Niedermayer and Chris Pronger. With no offense intended towards Ryan Whitney, the club outright stole Lubomir Visnovsky from the Oilers, while Toni Lydman may be amongst the more underrated defensemen in the game. The fun one to watch this season will be Cam Fowler - an unexpected draft day slider who made his NHL debut as an 18 year old and put up an impressive 40 points in 76 games. While he still needs to polish his defensive game, he certainly has Drew Doughty'esque potential, and makes a good gamble for any fantasy hockey pools out there.

The real success factor for the club this season resides in goal. Jonas Hiller put up incredible numbers during the first half of last year, but was sidelined with concussion syndromes after being hit in the head during the all-star game. If he can return to form, Anaheim looks good to lock up a playoff spot. If he can't, however, it is unlikely that back-up Dan Ellis will be sufficient to extend the team's season beyond April in the tough and competitive Western Conference.

YourCanadiens Verdict: Low seed playoff team.

DALLAS STARS

Projected depth chart / lines:

Brenden Morrow - Mike Ribeiro - Loui Eriksson

Steve Ott - Jamie Benn - Michael Ryder

Adam Burish - Vernon Fiddler - Radek Dvorak

Toby Peterson - Tom Wandell - Jake Dowell

Alex Goligoski - Stephane Robidas

Trevor Daley - Nicklas Grossman

Sheldon Souray - Adam Pardy

Kari Lehtonen

Andrew Raycroft

The Stars were active on the UFA market this summer, but as was the nature of the market, most signings were depth players unlikely to make a difference in the overall success of the team's season. Michael Ryder is coming off a resurgent UFA year, scoring 41 points in the regular season but more importantly having been an integral piece to the Boston Bruins Stanley Cup championship, where his great two-way play helped the team past the Montreal Canadiens, and he added 8 goals and 17 points in the 25 playoff contests. In Dallas, he will perhaps be reunited with former Hab linemate Mike Ribeiro, who for all the negative press he gets, remains a competent and productive top pivot. With three straight seasons over 60 points, the last two of which were over 70, Loui Eriksson has proven he is amongst the league's most talented wingers, and at the age of 26, he is still in the prime years of his career. Due to his age and the nature of his game, Stars captain Brenden Morrow, on the other hand, would appear to be in decline, but will still see top line minutes on a team lacking in offensive depth.

On the back end, the most interesting player to follow will be Sheldon Souray, getting a new chance at an NHL job after half a season sat out and a full year in the AHL due to a situation-gone-wrong in Edmonton. Habs fans will fondly remember Souray's booming pointshot and will be curious to see if he still has it in him, even if the Stars may keep Alex Goligoski and Stephane Robidas as their number 1 powerplay pair. Those in very deep hockey pools may consider gambling on Souray in a late round, but the overall outlook for Dallas this year doesn't seem to be particularly positive, so combining that with Souray's known defensive deficiencies, expect a poor +/- rating.

Between the pipes, Andrew Raycroft has gotten his career back on track and appears to be a reliable back-up keeper, but clearly the team needs Kari Lehtonen to stay healthy to have any chance of reaching the playoffs. His 69 games last year was a career high and he'll look to build off that even if he'll never live up to his billing as a former 2nd overall selection (albeit in a weak first round in 2002).

YourCanadiens Verdict: Out of the playoffs.

LOS ANGELES KINGS

Projected depth chart / lines:

Justin Williams - Anze Kopitar - Dustin Brown

Simon Gagne - Mike Richards - Dustin Penner

Kyle Clifford - Jarret Stoll - Brad Richardson

Scott Parse - Trevor Lewis - Ethan Moreau

Jack Johnson - Drew Doughty

Willie Mitchell - Rob Scuderi

Matt Greene - Alec Martinez

Jonathan Quick

Jonathan Bernier

While the Kings do still have to get star defenseman Drew Doughty under contract, it is our expectation that is done in the next couple of weeks prior to the start of training camp. Los Angeles was aggressive in improving their roster over the summer and now possess what may be the best group of top 6 forwards league-wide. There have been some questions about Dustin Penner's off-season training and conditioning, but the additions of him (trade deadline), Simon Gagne (UFA), and Mike Richards (off-season trade) give the Kings a scary arsenal of offensive weapons. Skilled winger Justin Williams was finally healthy last season, with his 73 games being the first time he topped the 50 game mark since 2006-07. If he can build on the success he had with 57 points and 4 more in 6 playoff games, he rounds out a top 2 lines that Habs fans could only dream of - all players at 6'0" or greater with a nose for the net.

The Kings had to sacrifice their top prospects in Brayden Schenn and Wayne Simmonds to make their moves, but the cupboard isn't bare, with many expecting talented Russian forward Andrei Loktionov to establish himself full-time at some point during the season. He put up 7 points in 19 NHL games and 31 more in 34 AHL games last year, so if your pool needs a good rookie and the obvious ones are gone, he might be a good risk. Similarly on the blueline, after the big names in Doughty and Jack Johnson, this may be a breakout year for the highly underrated Alec Martinez. After scoring 16 points in 20 games with the Manchester Monarchs last season, he made the jump to the big club and his solid two-way play earned him a role in the top 6 right through the playoffs.

Many eyes may be on the developing situation in goal, as Jonathan Quick is a high calibre starting goaltender but will be a UFA in 2 seasons. Jonathan Bernier has dominated at the AHL level but has yet to truly prove he can be a consistent NHL starter, leading to a question of whether he will get that chance in L.A. or be moved for other assets.

YourCanadiens Verdict: Conference contender.

PHOENIX COYOTES

Projected depth chart / lines:

Ray Whitney - Kyle Turris - Shane Doan

Raffi Torres - Martin Hanzal - Radim Vrbata

Taylor Pyatt - Daymond Langkow - Mikkel Boedker

Paul Bissonnette - Boyd Gordon - Petteri Nokelainen

Keith Yandle - Rostislav Klesla

Derek Morris - Oliver Ekman-Larsson

Michal Rozsival - Adrian Aucoin

Mike Smith

Jason Labarbera

Stunts in the development of a few of Phoenix's top prospects slowed the rise of what was not long ago seen as a true up-and-coming team. Kyle Turris will be given every chance to prove himself as a 1st or 2nd line center this season or he'll be dealt for someone equally enigmatic. Mikkel Boedker should see regular ice time in a secondary scoring role, while Viktor Tikhonov looks to continue to battle his way back into the NHL after his surprising rookie season as an 18 year old in 2008-09. The recent acquisition of Daymond Langkow has sound potential upside bringing veteran presence to a third line after the 35 year old returned to the NHL from injury towards the end of last season. There isn't too too much to work with though, so the Coyotes need to hope for a huge pre-UFA year from captain Shane Doan to lead the team up front - a simple Raffi Torres won't do it.

If there aren't many bright spots up front, the Coyotes have two pillars on defense for the foreseeable future in Keith Yandle and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Unfortunately, the rest of the group is getting up there in age and isn't particularly quick of foot, which will be a problem given that the club can no longer rely on a main reason for their past success, goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov. His trade to the Flyers means the team is now counting on a pair of netminders who are at best 1B goaltenders and seem better suited for back-up roles, but between Mike Smith, Jason Labarbera, and even third stringer Curtis McElhinney, perhaps the club will receive sufficient performances to remain in contention.

YourCanadiens Verdict: Out of the playoffs.

SAN JOSE SHARKS

Projected depth chart / lines:

Martin Havlat - Joe Thornton - Patrick Marleau

Logan Couture - Joe Pavelski - Ryan Clowe

James Sheppard - Michal Handzus - Torrey Mitchell

Jamie McGinn - Andrew Murray - Ben Ferriero

Dan Boyle - Marc-Edouard Vlasic

Brent Burns - Douglas Murray

Jason Demers - Collin White

Antti Niemi

Antero Nitttymaki

For a team that has seen such tremendous regular season success for many seasons in a row, the Sharks certainly were busy this summer. It is debatable if the team is better up front, with Martin Havlat, Michal Handzus, and James Sheppard replacing notably Dany Heatley and Devin Setoguchi, but the team did land a big fish on defense in Brent Burns (a huge upgrade over trade deadline acquisition Ian White). The offense will depend on many of the same key contributors of a year ago, with a top 6 rivaling that of the Kings provided that Ryan Clowe and Joe Pavelski continue along in their quick progression as offensive threats. It would appear as though Havlat has put his prior injury problems behind him with three straight seasons of more than 70 games, but the team's offense doesn't extend deep into the bottom 6, so they will need to remain as healthy as possible if they are to challenge for the conference title.

On the blueline, the Sharks are a young, mobile, two-way group anchored by veteran Dan Boyle. The club made a couple of important depth moves in signing both Collin White and Jim Vandermeer to cheap value deals, and they will be crucial veterans should any of the younger players slump.

Antti Niemi may have led a team to a Stanley Cup as a rookie, and did post solid numbers last season in San Jose, but I'm far from sold on him as a top notch starting 'tender. Fortunately, Antero Niittymaki is arguably a goalie of similar calibre, so between the two of them, the Sharks goaltending tandem should be up to par with what it was with Evgeni Nabokov and Vesa Toskala back in the day.

YourCanadiens Verdict: Conference contender.

Thanks for reading. Tomorrow we hit the Central Division!