love the puck

Sunday, October 02, 2005

Northwest Divsion

Colorado Avalanche- The big story in Denver is departure. Adam Foote, Peter Forsberg, Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne. But all is not lost. Rob Blake is still manning the blue line. Milan Hejduk, Alex Tanguay and Joe Sakic know a thing or two about scoring, and David Aebischer is promising, despite having Patrick Roy's impossible shoes to fill. John Michael Liles is a promising defenseman, and the Avs got tougher by signing Brad May. There is still work to be done though. Pierre Turgeon and Patrice Brisebois are not getting any younger, and they certainly won't be expected to fill the holes left by Foote and Foppa. There is no bonafide NHL back-up for Aebischer, and the defense is depleted. Colorado, if healthy could still make the playoffs, but they are certainly lacking that greatness that the city has been accustomed to.

Calgary Flames- There are high expectations in Calgary this year. Many are hailing them to be the champions, but I don't think it's fair to give them the cup just yet. Jarome Iginla will be dominant, durable and dependable, and Calgary's defense is second to none in the league. I believe Mikka Kiprusoff is not a fluke and will have a great year in front of that defense core. However beyond their first two lines, Calgary doesn't have a tonne of scoring, and deeper teams might give them trouble. On top of that the new schedule means Calgary, and every team in the Northwest will play a much tougher schedule than the other teams in the Western Conference. When it's all said and done Calgary will be close to the top of the NHL, but I don't think the cup is coming to the Red Mile this season.

Vancouver Canucks- It's hard not to be excited about the Canucks this season. Naslund, Bertuzzi and Morrison make up what might be the best top three of the league. They will score and score some more as Vancouver buries people with their exciting brand of hockey. It seems that Dave Nonis has finally found someone to complement the Sedin's, as Anson Carter looks rejuvanated beside the big Swedish twins. Marek Malik and Brent Sopel left town, but the Canucks replace them with Steve McCarthy and Nolan Baumgartner, who probably should have been in the NHL for the past two seasons, as he is a solid, yet not spectacular defenseman. Cloutier's regular season play is not in question, but this may be his last chance to prove he can get it done in the post season. The Canucks look great on paper all the way through their line-up, and at this point the Northwest division is their's to take.

Minnesota Wild- It is unfortunate for the Wild that they play in this division, because it means 32 games against very good hockey teams. The strength of the Wild begins in goal, with Roloson and Fernandez, who will likely split time between the pipes this season. On defense, more will be asked of Nick Schultz and Willie Mitchell, two players who should play a more prominent role with inreased minutes this season. Marian Gaborik is back, and will be the major thrust of Minnesota's offense, and the club is hoping for another strong campaign from Alexander Daigle. Minnesota won't make the post season this year, but by drafting Benoit Pouliot this year, and giving Patrick O'Sullivan another year to develop, they'll come back stronger offensively under this new system next season.

Edmonton Oilers- This is the season to welcome the Oilers back to competive status. In the past 15 years the Oilers have gone from Stanley Cup champs to the one team that is always scrapping for that final playoff spot. The salary cap system has changed the dynamic in Edmonton. Players like Chris Pronger and Mike Peca have come to the city for it's atmosphere and history. Ryan Smyth, Jason Smith and Ethan Moreau are the heart and soul of this team, which has a calling card of hard work and fast skaters. Pronger and Peca instantly strenghten this team, and Ales Hemsky is expected to break out. Kevin Lowe is one of the best GM's in the NHL, and the Oilers will reap the benefits this season. The only question mark is with the goaltending, as Ty Conklin and Jussi Maarkenen will split time until a definite number one is revealed. The Oil should strike the playoffs this season, as a late seed, but a late seed that could make some noise.

Posted by Jon at 2:01 PM | | e-mail me