love the puck

Thursday, September 08, 2005

North East Division

Boston Bruins- Just when it looked like the Bruins were going to lose their star player to free agency last summer, the Bruins opened up the bankbooks and signed big Joe Thornton to a long term deal. It is a no-brainer to lock Joe up, but the Bruins have a shady history of making awkward front office decisions regarding their money and their players. I think if they sign Nick Boynton and Andrew Raycroft to long term deals, that solidifys the building blocks at all positions. All three guys are young, two are all-stars and one is a former rookie of the year. All this is without even mentioning Patrice Bergeron who undoubtedly plays beyond his age of 19 years. The off-season was an interesting one as well for Beantown, as they picked up Brian Leetch from division rival Toronto and also Alexei Zhamnov, who will likely team with Sergei Samsonov to add some flair up front. I think Boston overpaid a little for these guys, but veteran leadership and talent doesn't come cheap. Leetch showed he can still play, and Zhamnov is one of those guys who can turn it on and off whenever he feels like. If Captain Joe can keep him motivated he could score 25-30 goals. I think the Bruins are a lock for the post season, and could go deeper this year than they have in a while if Joe stays healthy and Raycroft plays to his potential.

Toronto Maple Leafs- When the leafs lost Nieuwendyk I was crushed. No acquisition could replace what a guy like that does, on the ice and in the locker room. But all things considered I think the Leafs have done well for themselves. Going into the free agent free for all, John Ferguson was looking at some tight finances. Money was no longer an abundant option in Toronto, and he had to do some really serious negotiating to get a competitive team on the ice. I think that the acquisitions of Lindros, O'Neill and Allison hold very serious risk, but at the same time, very serious reward. Is there injury questions? Yes. But that headline is nothing new in Toronto. Alex Mogilny's hip, Joe Nieuwendyk's back, Owen Nolan's everything, Toronto has seen and faced it all. So Lindros' concussions seem like a small deal. He had his dome looked at, and the doctors say it's cobweb free until he gets thumped. So the Big E is officially on the loose, and I think he's motivated. Jeff O'Neill will score goals in Toronto. Carolina is not an offensive team, and there are no Mats Sundins or Jason Allisons to feed him pucks. Now in Toronto he will get powerplay time with players who can create and finish. Jason Allison was a dominant player in this league and he too is healthy and ready to go. I think he'll be great for the Leafs. A lot of people were calling for the head of Ed Belfour on a platter, but I think keeping the Eagle is a good move. He's been resting that creaky back, and is a positional goalie, and one of the most intelligent to boot- so Eddy is ready. There is no one good enough to replace him right now, and I think Toronto should take a stab at Roberto Luongo when he comes off Florida's books. The Leafs will make the Playoff's this year, even if they haven't made a significant move on defense. I can't help but think that Ferguson will do something about this blueline soon.

Ottawa Senators- I hate to admit it, but the Senators will be awesome to watch this year. Havlat, Spezza, Heatley, Alfredsson up front, Redden, Chara, Phillips on Defense and Hasek in goal. I personally don't think that Hasek will return to the form that saw him win a handful of Vezina's and a Stanley Cup, but nonetheless, it will help the Sens to know that Lalime is not behind them to let them down. Jason Spezza is more than ready for the big time which he proved by being the AHL's MVP last year. And I am an advocate for what was done with Marian Hossa and Dany Heatley. If the Senators can hold onto Wade Redden, they'll be racing for first in the east with Philly and Tampa Bay. Every year they bost one of the leagues top powerplays, and this year will be no different. They will score in bunches and their defence will keep pucks out. I still think they should have kept Jacques Martin, as he is one of the elite coaches in the league and has tonnes of class.

Montreal Canadiens- This is another team I am really excited for. A good mix of young and veteran talent, a premiere goaltender and just not enough defence to make sure they'll be consistently dominant. Other than Sheldon Souray and Mathieu Dandenault there isn't really any other guy who plays like he won't melt down at any other moment. They'll keep Kovalev and Zednik together, and they'll be able to let Michael Ryder and Pierre Dagenais lose this year. Mike Ribeiro, though soft, it extremely talented, and could put up some really good numbers in the new look NHL. Radek Bonk gives them a reliable, defensive centreman, and if they re-sign Yannic Perrault, they'll get their premiere face-off man back. Montreal should not have any problems making the playoffs, and once they get there, they'll be great to watch because of their wild-card status. They could get hot and pummel anyone, or they could disintegrate with a few bad decisions. Teams like that are always fun to watch.

Buffalo Sabres- The Sabres shouldn't be too disappointed about losing Miro Satan and Alexei Zhitnik, because though talented, they spent a lot of time looking disinterested. The Sabres actually have a lot going for them right now. Three goalies that are good but not yet stellar- though all have the potential to be, and some good young forwards like Daniel Briere, Chris Drury, Maxim Afinogenov, Jochen Hecht, J.P. Dumont and Derek Roy. I think that Jay McKee is a very good defeneman who is seldom talked about, but should be. There is a lot of good things happening in Buffalo. Their power play got better when they snagged Toni Lydman from Calgary for basically nothing. The Sabres will be an outside shot at the post season, but they could squeak in if they get hot and stay out of injury trouble. A question that does come up is who will get moved from their net? Ryan Miller and Mika Noronen are both capable and Martin Biron is a legitimate starter. It would not make any sense to hang on to all three, as they are strong assets and if they move Miller or Noronen, they could get a legit player or great prospect. Lots for them to consider.

Next up is the South East division.

Posted by Jon at 11:10 AM | | e-mail me