By Allan Muir, SI.com Other previews: Northeast | Southeast | Central | Northwest | Pacific
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New York Rangers |
| 2006-07: 42-30-10, 6th in Eastern Conference |
Style: Aggressive mix of skill and grit.
Strengths: High-end scoring depth, goaltending.
Weaknesses: Fair-to-spare blueline corps.
MVP: Henrik Lundqvist (left). On a team of hockey royalty, King Henrik rules. The offense will shoulder its share of the load, but the two-time Vezina finalist legitimizes them as Stanley Cup hopefuls.
Don't count on: Marcel Hossa. The Rangers have experimented with the strapping (6-3, 220) winger on the first unit with Scott Gomez and Jaromir Jagr, but he's no Mike Knuble in the making. Hossa will work hard for his minutes, but unless he enjoys banking shots in off his backside, he will be blessed to break 40 points.
Kid to watch: Marc Staal. A defensive-minded blueliner, Staal brings a physical presence and a keep-it-simple approach that makes him easy to coach. If he doesn't open the season with the big club, he?ll get the call soon enough.
Overview: Every team talks about being Stanley Cup contenders. The Rangers are the real deal. Adding Chris Drury and Gomez on the opening day of free agency addressed a major concern down the middle and bolstered an already staggering array of offensive options. The defense isn't necessarily bad as much as it is non-descript. It lacks an obvious presence like a Niedermayer or Lidstrom, but it is capable (ninth overall last season). That said, chances are it won't look the same heading into the playoffs as it does now. Expect the Rangers to challenge for the President's Trophy.
Summer Report Card: Offseason moves and analysis
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Pittsburgh Penguins |
| 2006-07: 47-24-11, 5th in Eastern Conference |
Style: They'll say otherwise, but it's run-and-gun
Strengths: Explosive offense; staggering talent at center; power play
Weaknesses: Reliance on young players, especially on defense and in goal
MVP: Sidney Crosby (left). You were expecting Val Fonteyne? Heading into his third campaign, the NHL's best player is set to ratchet his game up a level: 130-140 points.
Don't count on: Ryan Malone. Maybe it's time to accept that he'll never be more than a 20-goal banger.
Kid to watch: Kris Letang. A disappointment in camp, botching his zone coverage and failing to move the puck quickly, but the top prospect is a blue-chipper with transition skills tailor-made for this club. It?s a matter of when, not if, he'll make an impact.
Overview: Expectations can be an incredible burden. Coming off a 47-point turnaround, the Pens are now seen as one of the East's top teams. That's a lot of pressure on so many young players, but coach Mike Therrien has a deft hand. Vets Gary Roberts and Mark Recchi will help keep things on an even keel. The offense should only get better with Petr Sykora in it, an improved transition game courtesy of Darryl Sydor and the maturing of Ryan Whitney. But is the defense and goaltending sturdy enough for the long haul? Marc-Andre Fleury's gambling with the puck cost his team too many goals. If he simplifies his game and finds consistency, the Pens are in the chase for the Cup.
Summer Report Card: Offseason moves and analysis
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Philadelphia Flyers |
| 2006-07: 22-48-12, 15th in Eastern Conference |
Style: Speed, grit and tenacity, especially on offense
Strengths: Physically imposing defense; elite first unit; penalty kill
Weaknesses: Unproven forward corps; team defense
MVP: Kimmo Timonen (left). For the money they're paying him ($6.3 million this season), he better be. The former captain of the Predators will eat big minutes and key a transition game that was so clearly absent from last season's squad.
Don't count on: Jeff Carter. They're hoping for a significant offensive contribution from the 22-year-old pivot, but he hasn't yet proven himself worthy of that trust at the NHL level. A season of good health is critical to his development and the team's success.
Kid to watch: Steve Downie. A Ken "The Rat" Linseman clone, he's an agitating forward with enough skill to be an offensive factor. The trick will be keeping his game just this side of mayhem.
Overview: GM Paul Holmgren's dramatic makeover means last season's ugliest duckling is on the verge of becoming a big, fast, mean swan. Or maybe not. Few of his changes came without asterisks, and integrating so many new bodies can be tricky, but Timonen and Jason Smith upgrade the 28th-ranked defense with puck skills and physical play, respectively. Daniel Briere is an elite offensive center who can carry the top line. But Martin Biron must establish himself as a legit No. 1. The blue-chip status of Joffrey Lupul, Scottie Upshall and Braydon Coburn is debatable due to slow development. But the atmosphere of defeat is gone. If it all clicks, they're in the playoffs and going for the Cup in short order.
Summer Report Card: Offseason moves and analysis
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New Jersey Devils |
| 2006-07: 40-24-9, 2nd in Eastern Conference |
Style: Creating offense with smothering defense
Strengths: Goaltending, team play, new coach Brent Sutter
Weaknesses: Punchless offense, power play.
MVP: Martin Brodeur (left). Lou Lams could cobble a lineup of beer leaguers and Rockies alums and still field a competitive squad with the reigning Vezina-winner between the pipes.
Don't count on: Jamie Langenbrunner. The steady veteran (23 goals, 60 points last season) is sidelined by sports hernia surgery and expected to miss two months. The nature of this injury means he could be less than 100 percent well beyond that.
Kid to watch: Andy Greene. The 24-year-old defender impressed during a late-season audition in the chorus line, but is being handed a much larger role. With Brian Rafalski gone, Greene is expected to pick up many of his team-leading minutes and much of his offensive slack. For the Devils to succeed, he has to be in the Calder mix.
Overview: With Brodeur and the highly-regarded Sutter, it's unwise to bet against them, but I will. Gutted by free agency, they have serious issues, especially on defense where three raw recruits and three vets of questionable pedigree must hold the fort. The offense needs much more from Brian Gionta and Patrik Elias, especially with the extra man, but Dainius Zubrus is the top center,m so that's probably asking too much. Zach Parise's a budding star, but the other forwards are better suited for crash-and-bang than lighting the lamp. This may be a long year but Devils fans can enjoy the amenities of the spanking new Prudential Center!
Summer Report Card: Offseason moves and analysis
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New York Islanders |
| 2006-07: 40-30-12, 8th in Eastern Conference |
Style: Pluggers must outwork opponents for any chance to win
Strengths: Goaltending, work ethic, coach Ted Nolan
Weaknesses: Lack of top-end talent; pervasive air of mediocrity.
MVP: Rick DiPietro (left). Putting that 15-year contract aside, he was magnificent last season, providing stability while playing with a hip injury that required off-season surgery. At 26, the acrobatic and entertaining stopper is just entering his prime, poised to move into the ranks of the game's elite.
Don't count on: Bill Guerin. It says here his 36 goals in 2006-07 were a mirage. When the Sharks needed him most, he came up empty, chipping in just two assists in the playoffs. A creaky 37 in November, the tank is getting awfully close to E for the Isles' new C.
Kid to watch: Jeff Tambellini. He's not the kind whose contributions will be reflected in the boxscore, but the 23-year-old winger should finally earn a full-time NHL gig based on his speed, tenacity and gritty defensive play.
Overview: As fashionable as it is to run the Isles down, they're hardly the laughingstock they were (unless you're talking about Nassau Coliseum, of course). Coach Nolan will play to the strength of his roster by demanding a defense-first approach to lessen the burden on the pop-gun offense. While DiPietro is a singular talent capable of carrying the team for stretches, their postseason hopes will be done in by a schedule with nearly half their games against the toughest division in hockey.
Summer Report Card: Offseason moves and analysis
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