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Beasts of the East Devils, Flyers the teams to beat in conference
Updated: Tuesday October 02, 2001 1:37 PM
Despite the many moves by most every team over the summer, the East is realistically a two-team race. Still, the 2001-02 season should prove extremely interesting and entertaining. From an excitement standpoint, no teams upgraded more than the Islanders and the Thrashers. The Islanders went after proven NHL players in acquiring Alexei Yashin, Michael Peca and Chris Osgood. In so doing, they strengthened their play down the middle to the point of being competitive on a nightly basis and if all goes well, contending for a playoff spot. Atlanta, meanwhile is building slowly through the draft and now sports the top three position players taken in the past three entry derbies. Both Dany Heatley and Ilya Kovalchuk join the lineup this season and might push each other for the Calder Trophy. However, it is Kovalchuk that possess the rare ability to bring fans out of their seats. His approach is all offense, all of the time, and his on-ice presence is electric. The Thrashers might yet struggle to find consistency in year three as they continue in the patient and proper direction. In the meantime, Kovalchuk and Heatley will provide plenty of individual highlights. The East also sports a few teams in an interesting transitional phase. First, the Sabres prepare for life without the Dominator, meaning youngster Martin Biron gets the opportunity to prove he is worthy of top billing in the NHL. And it is not just in goal that it's out with the old and in with the youthful -- their entire team complexion has changed with Tim Connolly and Taylor Pyatt arriving from the Island in the Peca deal. It should be an engaging season for the Sabres, especially if the team gels and gets solid goaltending from the outset. Talks about new eras, the Bruins are still trying to move beyond the Ray Bourque days. They uncharacteristically spent some money on newcomers Martin Lapointe and Rob Zamuner, while reverting to form by drawing the purse strings tight for incumbents Jason Allison and Bill Guerin. Add feisty new bench boss Robbie Ftorek and it could be interesting in Beantown this season, especially if they stay healthy, particularly netminder Byron Dafoe. The final team of intrigue from a makeover standpoint is Ottawa. Looking for a better mix of skill and grit, they forsake mainstays Jason York, Andreas Dackell, Rob Zamuner and Alexei Yashin for newcomers Zdeno Chara, Bill Muckalt, Chris Herperger and the second pick in the '01 entry draft, centerman Jason Spezza. It is up to Jacques Martin to bring these new players in and prove the moves make the Sens more potent in the postseason, rather than merely more pedestrian. Then you have a few teams working on zero margins, with little room to sustain drop-off from players who had career years last season. No team comes to mind more than the Penguins with Mario Lemieux playing solo without sidekick Jaromir Jagr. Then there is the Alexei Kovalev-Robert Lang-Martin Straka line coming off a dominant season -- a feat they have to build upon if the Penguins are to avert a slide in the standings. The same holds true for goaltender Johan Hedberg. The Pens are his team after last year's dramatic emergence and much of their defensive fortune rests with his development. In Tampa Bay, the margin for error for the Bolts is a bit greater than in recent years with Nikolai Khabibulin tending goal. Still, just about everything would have to go TB's way -- including a big season from disgruntled captain Vincent Lecavalier -- to fulfill GM Rick Dudley's playoff proclamation.
Finally, there is the perennial baseline franchise -- the Hurricanes -- tethered always to being just good enough to battle for the eighth seed. The 'Canes brass hope that Rod Brind'Amour's contract commitment carries with it contentment and productivity. They also need Jeff O'Neill to continue his scoring ways -- better if his even-strength output increases -- as well as having David Tanabe's burgeoning talents continue to blossom. If one of those elements is missing, so too might Carolina be from the '02 playoffs. Teams with more questions than answers? In Washington, the Capitals are hedging that one brooding, offensive virtuoso is better than a team concept rooted in defense -- a concept previously vetoed by Master Jagr. Meanwhile, in Florida the Panthers are speculating that two Bures are better than one, even when many feel one is too many. And the Canadiens are pondering what is tragically becoming an annual dilemma -- how many man games lost to injury and illness must we endure? The Rangers have multiple health-related questions of their own. Will Mike Richter's rickety knees hold up? Will Eric Lindros remain lucid all season, avoiding any knock that makes him loopy? Can Theo Fleury conjure up the mental fortitude to overcome the demons that landed him in rehab last season? Has Mark Messier overstayed his usefulness? Is Bryan Berard's comeback with 20/400 vision in one eye wise or merely wanton? Further, is a miraculous Berard comeback the only way coach Ron Low will be able to reduce Brian Leetch's ice time in order to maximize his effectiveness? Maybe the team opening with the biggest question marks are the Maple Leafs. Pat Quinn's reconstruction seems to be based more on blue sky than blueprint. Clearly he is assessing additions Alexander Mogilny, Travis Green, Robert Reichel and Mikael Renberg based on their best work, ignoring all of their past inconsistencies and indifferent play at times in their careers. Like any gamble, it is a lineup rife with risk and reward qualities -- one that could land the Leafs as one of the top four teams in the Conference, or quite possibly, leave them as a playoff observer come April. Regardless, the class of the conference remains the Devils, with the Flyers posing a very challenge. As usual, the Devils will sprinkle in a few prospects from the minors, including youngster J.F. Damphousse to backup Martin Brodeur. Yet, the possibility exists that Scott Stevens, Ken Daneyko and Tommy Albelin -- all born in 1964 -- might begin to show their age and youngsters Jiri Bicek, Pierre Dagenais or Brian Gionta might fail to produce offensively. So, while the Devils' core is solid, they will be unproven in spots up front, with half their blueline graying -- maybe just the opening the Flyers will exploit as the most improved team in NHL. They added skill down the middle in Jeremy Roenick and Jiri Dopita, while adding depth via the Lindros trade in Kim Johnsson and Jan Hlavac. A healthy John LeClair and a repeat performance by goaltender Roman Cechmanek and the Flyers could be back to the Stanley Cup finals for the first time since 1997. Darren Eliot, a former NHL goaltender, is a hockey analyst for CNN/Sports Illustrated and is a regular contributor to CNNSI.com.
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