| Chicago Blackhawks |
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32-41-9, 71 points
#13 in Western Conference
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D+ |
FRESH FACES Sergei Samsonov (trade, Mon), Andrei Zyuzin (trade, Cal), Yanic Perreault (UFA, Tor), Robert Lang (UFA, Det), Kevyn Adams (trade, Pho), Jonathan Toews (top prospect), Jim Fahey (UFA, NJ)
BACK IN THE FOLD
James Wisniewski, Jim Vandermeer, Danny Richmond
GONE
Jassen Cullimore (trade, Mon), Tony Salmelainen (trade, Mon), Adrian Aucoin (trade, Cal), Jeff Hamilton (UFA, Car), Michal Handzus (UFA, LA), Radim Vrbata (trade, Pho), Mikael Homqvist (UFA, Sweden), Craig MacDonald (UFA, TB)
YET TO SIGN
Denis Arkhipov, Peter Bondra, Bruno St. Jacques
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| Chicago is a town full of hockey fans who have been beaten down by the tyranny of the Wirtz clan, but they are secretly longing for a reason to care again. Finally, they might have it ... but not necessarily because of any of GM Dale Tallon's offseason moves. While he ranked among the most active players, each of his key acquisitions comes loaded with a reputation for soft, inconsistent play. The Samsonov deal is easiest to understand: a pair of stale bodies for a winger with the potential for 30 goals. But Samsonov is more likely to score 15 and drive coach Denis Savard crazy with his east-west skating. Lang underachieved in two full seasons in Detroit, where he was a favorite target for boobirds. Perreault is the game's best face-off man, but a liability outside the circle. Trading Vrbata for Adams doesn't come close to adding up, and allowing Hamilton -- a very useful contributor after being signed out of Russia -- to slip away in free agency is a decision the Hawks are likely to regret. Tallon addressed neither the league's worst power play nor the 28th "best" offense. The team's defensive needs certainly won't be solved by Zyuzin, a third-pair fill-in at best. But, as mentioned, there is good news. Jonathan Toews, the stellar center whose two-way excellence evokes memories of Bryan Trottier, is a lock to make the club and ranks among the early favorites for the Calder. He'll be the centerpiece of the Hawks' attack before long. Patrick Kane, the first overall pick in this summer's draft, has been promised every chance to stick. He doesn't appear to be physically ready, but neither did Jordan Staal last summer in Pittsburgh. If the kids contribute, Hawks fans will have something to cheer about... even if it's not a better record.
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| Columbus Blue Jackets |
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33-42-7, 73 points
#11 in Western Conference
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C |
FRESH FACES Michael Peca (UFA, Tor), Kris Beech (UFA, Was), Sheldon Brookbank (UFA, Nas), Jiri Novotny (UFA, Was), Jan Hejda (UFA, Edm), GM Scott Howson
BACK IN THE FOLD
Ole-Kristian Tollefsen, Joakim Lindstrom, Steve Goertzen
GONE
Anders Eriksson (UFA, Cal), Brian Boucher (UFA, Phi), Alexander Svitov (UFA, Russia), Aaron Johnson (UFA, NYI)
YET TO SIGN
Bryan Berard, Jamie Pushor
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| The hard truth: It takes patience to build a winner out of an expansion team. But after the Jackets finished 23 points out of the playoffs in year six of Doug MacLean's program, it was obvious that the founding GM's approach wasn't going to work. In came Howson, a relative non-entity outside of Edmonton. It was an odd choice -- a man whose experience matched that of coach Ken Hitchcock would have been the safer move -- but Howson is highly regarded in the hockey world for his work as the Oilers' assistant GM. You can't argue with his stated build-from-within approach, but after such a disappointing season, Columbus fans deserved a bone -- certainly something bigger than what they got. The recent signing of Peca should make an impact in the room, but he's far from the world-class player of a decade ago. He essentially fills the hole created by Svitov's reverse defection to Russia. Novotny has potential. The former first-rounder has good size (6-2, 209), but six goals last season don't suggest he's a gamebreaker in waiting. Eriksson's loss will be felt -- he averaged over 20 minutes per game and led the team with a plus-12. Hejda, a 29-year-old Czech, will be hard-pressed to replace him. Still, despite the lack of a positive focal point, the Jackets are likely to improve, thanks primarily to the sheer force of Hitchcock's will. But don't expect miracles out of this lineup. The playoffs are a topic best saved for some other season.
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| Detroit Red Wings |
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50-19-13, 113 points
Central Division chanmpion
#1 in Western Conference
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B |
FRESH FACES Brian Rafalski (UFA, NJ), Dallas Drake (UFA, StL), Igor Grigorenko
BACK IN THE FOLD
Dominik Hasek, Chris Chelios, Jiri Hudler
GONE
Mathieu Schneider (UFA, Ana), Robert Lang (UFA, Chi), Todd Bertuzzi (UFA, Ana), Kyle Calder (UFA, LA)
YET TO SIGN
Danny Markov
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| Alright, I've learned my lesson. After predicting doom last fall, the Wings made me look silly by running up 113 points and winning a pair of playoff rounds before bowing out to the eventual champs in the conference finals. Here's what I missed: Those Wings weren't just talented. They were tougher, both physically and mentally, than any Wings edition since Detroit's last Cup. This season's club may not quite match those benchmarks, but it will be in the ballpark, despite a tumultuous offseason. Although they lost Schneider -- a player whose value was vividly apparent after he went down in the Ducks series -- GM Ken Holland responded boldly by signing Rafalski, who is ideally suited for Detroit's puck-possession style. He's not as physically imposing as Schneider, but he's better at the transition game and is four years younger. Grigorenko, a former second-rounder who has rebuilt his game in Russia after a nearly fatal car accident, is being counted on to replace Lang. The salary expectations of Bertuzzi and Calder made it an easy decision to cast them off and clear playing time for impressive youngsters Johan Franzen and Valterri Filppula, both of whom could enjoy breakout seasons. The Wings still lean heavily on graybeards like Hasek and Chelios, along with the ageless Nick Lidstrom, but this team will reap the benefits of strong scouting and maintain its standing as one of the league's best.
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| Nashville Predators |
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51-23-8, 110 points
#4 in Western Conference
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C- |
FRESH FACES
Jed Ortmeyer (UFA, NYR), C Radek Bonk (UFA, Mon), Greg de Vries (UFA, Atl), Martin Gelinas (UFA, Fla)
BACK IN THE FOLD
Scott Nichol, Jerred Smithson, Pekka Rinne, Greg Zanon, Darcy Hordichuk, Vern Fiddler
GONE
Kimmo Timonen (trade, Phi), Scott Hartnell (trade, Phi), Paul Kariya (UFA, StL), Sheldon Brookbank (UFA, Clb), Vitali Vishnevski (UFA, NJ)
YET TO SIGN
Peter Forsberg, Patrick Leahy, Karl Goehring
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| Gotta love Nashville. Where else could a team lose its No. 1 goalie, top defenseman, and two world-class forwards and leave its fans believing that it will actually be better off? Must be some kind of contact high after surviving Jim Balsillie's takeover bid. While much of the hockey world predicts a crash-and-burn, the reality is probably somewhere in the middle. These Preds shouldn't waste time with their predecessor's Cup aspirations, but GM David Poile's re-tooled squad still has the look of a playoff contender. That's a testament to past personnel decisions rather than anything he did this summer. This will be a far less talented squad that must rely on the rapid development of three key players (Chris Mason, Shea Weber, Alexander Radulov) because Poile brought in little immediate help. It's fine to talk about improvements on the depth lines with the additions of Ortmeyer and Bonk, and how Mason outplayed Vokoun last season (debatable, by the way). But Poile is relying on an internal solution to replace three key elements of the power play, including QB Timonen. More than one Pred must emerge as a legit scorer up front. That's especially true now that offensive linchpin Steve Sullivan is sidelined for three months, and Kariya (161 points over the past two seasons) will be lighting it up for division rival St. Louis. Euro prospects Patric Nordqvist and Oliver Setzinger have a chance to crack the squad, but that would leave Poile in a tough spot. He already has 13 forwards on one-way deals and a 14th, Radulov, who's not going anywhere. Another important move may yet come before the season. It's unfair to judge Poile's summer by the same standards as other GMs. He was forced into fire sale mode by the circus-like atmosphere surrounding the team's ownership situation, so he gets a bit of a break. But his team is less prepared than last season, and its fans shouldn't be so quick to believe otherwise.
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| St. Louis Blues |
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34-35-13, 81 points
#10 in Western Conference
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B+ |
FRESH FACES Erik Johnson (top prospect), Keith Tkachuk (UFA, Atl), Paul Kariya (UFA, Nas), Hannu Toivonen (trade, Bos), Alex Brooks UFA, NJ), Juuso Riksman (UFA, Finland)
BACK IN THE FOLD
Barret Jackman, Lee Stempniak, Yan Stastny, Matt Walker, Jeff Woywitka, Jason Bacashihua
GONE
Radek Dvorak (UFA, Fla), Dallas Drake (UFA, Det), Curtis Sanford (UFA, Van), Jamie Rivers (UFA, Mon), Carl Soderberg (trade, Bos)
YET TO SIGN
Glen Metropolit, Ville Nieminen, Vladimir Orszagh, Peter Sejna
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| Hard to believe this is the same Larry Pleau who watched as the Blues fell into total disrepair just two seasons ago. Continuing on a strong second half that saw him fleece the Bruins (Brad Boyes) and Thrashers (the Keith Tkachuk deal), the Blues GM added several interesting pieces to a team in rapid turnaround less than 18 months after finishing as the NHL's worst. Has to make the long-suffering fans in Columbus and Phoenix crazy, doesn't it? It was no surprise to see Tkachuk re-enlist with the team that dealt him at the deadline, but his physical presence and goal-scoring create a critical bridge for a young club trying to find its way. Kariya, lured by an aggressive three-year $18 million offer, is a significant upgrade over the departed Dvorak and should make an immediate impact on the 29th-ranked power play. Pleau failed to land a legitimate No. 1 goalie, but in Toivonen he might have nabbed one for the future. The former first-rounder had fallen out of favor in Boston, but has the athleticism and temperament to be a star. If goalie coach Rick Wamsley can refine his technique, Toivonen could turn out to be Pleau's best move of the summer. It's probably smart not to expect too much yet of Erik Johnson, the first overall pick in 2006. But even with veterans crowding the blueline, it wouldn't be a shock to see him having the same impact that Marc-Edouard Vlasic had on the Sharks last season. The Blues aren't likely to capture a playoff spot, but this revamped squad will be in the mix right up until the end.
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