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2010-11 Pucking Awesome NHL Preview: Southeast Division
September 18th, 2010
The Southeast division is one that generally tends to get looked down upon by the rest of the league because it usually fails to send more than one team to the playoffs each season. The Washington Capitals have won the division for the past three years and show no signs of slowing down, but their divisional peers have also been making some progress in an effort to challenge them for that top spot. Will this be the season where Ovechkin & co. are knocked off their pedestal atop the division and the league by one of their Southeastern rivals?
1.) Washington Capitals
Rear-view Mirror: Once a long-time mediocre club, the Capitals have been on the rise since the arrival of phenom Alex Ovechkin and haven’t looked back since. They’ve made the playoffs the last three seasons as winners of their division, but haven’t been able to truly find their footing in the post-season and consequently have never taken their immensely talented club past the conference semifinals. Still, their struggles in the playoffs cannot take away from their incredible regular season accomplishments. The team finished with a 54-15-13 record and 121 points (good enough for the President’s Trophy), had the top-ranked offense in the NHL with an average of 3.82 goals per game, and had the best power play unit in the league at 25.2 percent. In addition to Washington’s accomplishments as a team, Ovechkin (50-59-109) surely would have taken the Rocket Richard Trophy away from both Sidney Crosby and Steven Stamkos had he not missed 10 games due a suspension and injuries.
Offseason Ins: Kyle Greentree, Brian Willsie, Dany Sabourin
Offseason Outs: Jose Theodore, Brendan Morrison, Eric Belanger, Joe Corvo, Scott Walker
What Makes Them Tick: The Capitals are arguably the best offensive team in the NHL. The top line of Ovechkin (50-59-109), Backstrom (33-68-101), and Semin (40-44-84) combined for 123 goals and 294 points; to put that into perspective, that’s three guys on one line combining for almost 2% of the total goals scored in the league this past season. No other line in the league comes close to touching that number, and all of the above players show zero signs of slowing down. Factor into that the offensive prowess of the NHL’s top-scoring defenseman Mike Green (19-57-76) and the help of veterans like Mike Knuble (29-24-53), and Washington’s offense appears to be more than ready to continue to make life miserable for defensemen and goaltenders around the league.
What Could Make Them Go Boom: If there was one major flaw to the Washington Capitals team of last season, it was the defense. Sure, when your team is scoring almost 4 goals each game and you’ve got the top power play in the NHL on your side, life as a defenseman can seem pretty easy. All of that offensive help can even make some of your defensemen appear to be better than they really are (Jeff Schultz’s plus-50 rating would be the perfect example of this). However, when push comes to shove, it’s hard to call the Capitals defense anything more than what it really is in comparison to every other aspect of the team: mediocre. With a 25th ranked penalty kill last season attesting to a defense that needs work, Washington simply must improve this vital unit of their team if they hope to win a championship. If they don’t, their post-season luck (or lack thereof) will most likely continue as it has been.
Player to Watch: Who else but superstar Alexander Ovechkin could be deemed the player to watch on the Caps? Entering his second season as the official captain of the team, Ovie now has more to prove than ever. Though he doesn’t have much to prove as far as his play is concerned (except for maybe improving on some of the discipline issues that earned him a suspension last season), his leadership skills are still very much in question. Alex isn’t exactly known as the most mature player in the league, and many have wondered if he really is ready to handle the job of captain. This season, Ovechkin needs to prove that he’s just as worthy of a leader as he is a player and show everyone why the Washington Capitals is truly his team.
Prediction: It’s hard to imagine any Southeast team taking the division crown from the Capitals, despite multiple improvements made by many of the teams in an attempt to at least challenge Washington. With a superior offense and strong up-and-coming talent in goal, not only is it easy to imagine the Caps repeating as champions of their respective division, but also as Eastern Conference champions and as winners of the President’s Trophy for a 2nd straight season. Washington will cruise through the regular season and clinch a playoff berth easily, but as many hockey fans know, the playoffs are where the team’s troubles usually begin. The Capitals will be out to prove they’re not the “one-and-done” club they’ve been labeled as over these past few seasons
2.) Tampa Bay Lightning
Rear-view Mirror: Another season of high expectations and an ultimately disappointing outcome has come and gone for the Lightning, missing the playoffs for the third straight season despite having a playoff-caliber team on their hands. Sophomore Steven Stamkos netted 51 goals (tying him with Sidney Crosby for most in the league), Marty St. Louis (29-65-94) fell just short of another 100-point season, and their supporting cast of Vincent Lecavalier (24-46-70), Ryan Malone (21-26-47), and Steve Downie (22-24-46) all factored into a team that looked simply stellar on paper coming into the season. However, all of that talent seemed to have trouble transferring onto the ice, and the Bolts ended the season with a 34-36-12 record (80 points) and finished 12th in their conference. All that firepower also didn’t seem to come through for the team last season as they finished 23rd in the league in offense with an average of only 2.60 goals per game. After the turmoil the franchise has suffered both on and off the ice these past few years, everyone is hoping a new, stable front office will lead to more stability on the ice as well.
Offseason Ins: Simon Gagne, Pavel Kubina, Dan Ellis, Dominic Moore, Randy Jones
Offseason Outs: Antero Niittymaki, Alex Tanguay, Andrej Meszaros, Kurtis Foster
What Makes Them Tick: If there is one team in the NHL that has the pure potential to challenge the Washington Capitals in the argument for best offensive team in the league, it’s the Lightning. Former MVP Marty St. Louis has helped young Steven Stamkos develop into a player that has the ability to take the league by storm, and both guys have the talent to be consistent 30 and 40 goal scorers each season. When you throw a healthy, motivated Vincent Lecavalier into that mix you get another 40 goals, and gritty guys like Ryan Malone and Steve Downie also contribute with 20-goal seasons themselves. Add the newly-acquired Simon Gagne (17-23-40 in 58 games) into that group of top 6 forwards, and you’ve got yourself two lines that are going to be an absolute nightmare for any defenseman that comes their way. With a power play unit that already ranked top 10 in the league last season despite other struggles, this offense now has the power to totally dominate any game they come into.
What Could Make Them Go Boom: In an off-season where talented free agent goaltenders were nothing short of abundant, the Lightning decided to go the frugal route and sign former Nashville Predators backup goaltender Dan Ellis. While Ellis is more of a “1b” goaltender than a true backup, it was an interesting route for the Lightning to take. It wasn’t as if the team was afraid of taking on salary in general, which was shown in the trade with the Philadelphia Flyers for Simon Gagne despite his 5.25 million dollar salary for only one more season of play. That most likely would have been the asking price for a true #1 goaltender such as Evgeni Nabokov, who was forced to flee to the KHL due to the abundance of free agent goalies this off-season. But Tampa sought fit to set themselves up for a sort of goaltending duel between Ellis and Smith, hoping that friendly competition will arise from the fact that the two have found themselves in a “1a-1b tandem” situation before back with the Iowa Stars. However, not having a bona fide starting goalie is always a risky move, and while competition can be a positive thing within in a team, the risk may be greater than the reward in this case.
Player to Watch: As goes Vincent Lecavalier, so goes the Tampa Bay Lightning. Though he may not necessarily be the heart and soul of the team, he is no doubt the leader; if he struggles, so does the whole team. And while it may not seem fair to put the fate of the club on his shoulders, he has the honor of being both the most respected athlete in the city he calls home as well as the highest paid player in the league. However, his 10 million dollar paycheck certainly does not reflect his recent play on the ice, coming off two straight seasons without reaching the 30-goal mark. A player of his caliber should be scoring 40 goals each and every season, and while injuries certainly have plagued the talented center and should be taken into consideration when trying to figure out why he has struggled so much these past few seasons, one could easily question his motivation at this point. Lecavalier has to lead by example, and if he’s able to get his game back on track and return to playing the kind of hockey everyone knows he can, chances are the Lightning will follow suit.
Prediction: For the past two seasons, the Lightning has been considered the “dark horse” candidate by many people around the league; however, each of those seasons the team has managed to end up finishing at or near the bottom of the league. With new-found organizational stability which includes a revamped front office as well as a brand new coaching staff, the stars of the Bolts will finally be able to focus solely on playing the best hockey possible instead of worrying about whether or not they’ll be traded or let go if they have a misstep. Big seasons out of Stamkos, St. Louis, and Lecavalier will help the team stay in the thick of things and eventually propel them to a top-8 finish, marking a return to the playoffs for the first time in three years.
3.) Carolina Hurricanes
Rear-view Mirror: The Hurricanes experienced a fall from grace last season, going from making it to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2008-2009 to finishing just 11th in the conference and 24th overall in 2009-2010. Injuries were much to blame for this slide, with star center Eric Staal (29-41-70) missing much of the beginning of the season and top goaltender Cam Ward eventually being sidelined as well. The team finished with a 35-37-10 record and 80 points, their worst finish since before the lockout, and struggled in almost every possible category (ranked 26th in defense, 20th in power play, 19th in penalty kill). With the departure of several key players this off-season, Carolina will have to figure out how to win despite missing players who have been considered leaders of the team for so long.
Offseason Ins: Joe Corvo, Jonathan Matsumoto, Riley Nash, Bobby Sanguinetti, Anton Babchuk
Offseason Outs: Rod Brind’Amour, Ray Whitney, Brian Pothier, Manny Legace
What Makes Them Tick: If there is one position on the team that is unquestionably solid, it’s goal. Despite some injuries that have caused problems in the past, Cam Ward (18-23-5, 2.69, .916) continues to establish himself as one of the top goaltenders in the league. He’s also still relatively young, which means that his best play is most likely still yet to come. In an off-season where the team lost key veterans in Brind’Amour, Whitney, and Pothier, the fact that Ward is signed through the 2015-2016 season no doubt induces a sigh of relief from all Hurricanes fans. The sky is truly the limit for a fundamentally sound goalie such as Cam Ward, and while great goaltending usually isn’t enough on its own to carry a team, if he can stay healthy he can easily help Carolina shake things up in the East.
What Could Make Them Go Boom: Losing three veteran players in Ray Whitney (21-37-58), Brian Pothier (5-10-15), and longtime captain Rod Brind’Amour (9-10-19) will not be an easy thing for the Hurricanes to overcome. Despite his scoring struggles this past season, Brind’Amour was invaluable on the ice for his leadership skills alone. The loss of defenseman Brian Pothier only further depletes the Carolina’s depth at that position, and fan favorite Whitney’s departure will cause the offense to take a serious blow as his 58 points for the season was third best on the team. If new captain Eric Staal doesn’t develop into the kind of leader that Brind’Amour was, that could leave the generally young and new team reeling by season’s end. The Hurricanes are in need of clear direction both on the ice and in the locker room if they are to succeed.
Player to Watch: Eric Staal is undoubtedly the best player on this Carolina Hurricanes hockey club. Despite some injuries and struggles early on in, Staal came roaring back in a big way by season’s end and not only finished best on his team in many statistical categories, but also came home with a gold medal after playing on Team Canada’s hockey team in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. The fact that Staal was even selected for Team Canada’s 2010 squad is quite a testament to his talent, considering his struggles during the season while fellow Canadians such as Steven Stamkos were playing stellar hockey elsewhere. Eric Staal is the definition of a well-rounded hockey player, from his pure offensive skill (consistent 30-goal scorer up until this season, where he missed the mark by one goal) to his stamina (he averaged the most ice time of any forward at almost 21 minutes each night). If he can round out his game by developing into a true leader, Staal could help the Hurricanes develop as a team quicker than most expect.
Prediction: Despite all the key losses and having to rebuild the club on a shoestring budget, the Hurricanes still have plenty of talent to allow them to be contenders this season. Staal is still one of the best forwards in the game, Cam Ward is arguably one of the best goaltenders in the game, and a supporting cast that includes Jussi Jokinen (30-25-65), Tuomo Ruutu (14-21-35), and Joni Pitkanen (6-40-46) is more than enough to keep Carolina in the mix throughout the season. The main thing that will hinder their playoff chances is the vast improvements made by their peers in the division while they themselves stayed content with what they had. Due to the improvements made by other teams and the unpredictability of the Eastern Conference, Carolina will just miss out on the playoffs and consequently stay home for the second year in-a-row.
4.) Atlanta Thrashers
Rear-view Mirror: After missing the playoffs for the ninth time in their 10 seasons of hockey in Atlanta, the Thrashers finally decided to make some major changes both on the ice and in the front office. These changes were made with just cause: despite placing 2nd in the division and finishing only 2 spots out of the final playoff seed, the Thrashers finished with just a 35-34-13 record and 83 points putting them at 23rd overall in the NHL. The loss of Ilya Kovalchuk (31-27-58 with Atlanta) prior to the trade deadline was the final blow to an already fragile team ego, and Atlanta finished with the 25th ranked defense with an average of 3.05 goals allowed per game and the 25th ranked power play at 16.1 percent. However, major acquisitions have been made this off-season to help improve on those statistics and in an attempt to fill the void left by Kovalchuk and other key players who left.
Offseason Ins: Dustin Byfuglien, Andrew Ladd, Ben Eager, Brent Sopel, Chris Mason
Offseason Outs: Colby Armstrong, Marty Reasoner, Johan Hedberg, Pavel Kubina
What Makes Them Tick: The Thrashers went out and made some big trades this off-season, most notably the one that brought Dustin Byfuglien (17-17-34), Andrew Ladd (17-21-38), Ben Eager (7-9-16), and Brent Sopel (1-7-8) to Atlanta from Chicago in exchange for some picks, prospects, and Marty Reasoner (4-13-17). The team was the main beneficiary of the cap crunch the Chicago Blackhawks felt immediately after winning the Cup, and they were able to obtain several great players in exchange for very little at all. With that comes a revamped offense, which is a positive and necessary thing in light of the departure of star center and offensive staple Ilya Kovalchuk. Some new weapons along with some old ones Thrashers fans already know and love could be enough to allow Atlanta to play spoiler for many teams in the East.
What Could Make Them Go Boom: In spite of all the positive things that come with the procurement of new, talented players, the subject of team chemistry is going to be a major question mark for the Thrashers coming into the season. While the fact that all four main acquisitions on offense and defense came from the same team is definitely a plus, there is no telling how those players are going to work with their new linemates. In addition, the team’s lack of depth on the third and fourth lines (where players such as Ladd and Eager will most likely be playing) could mean that the potential those players possess to be serious offensive threats could very well be wasted. If the players on Atlanta can’t find chemistry with one another quickly, they will most likely be left in the dust in a very talented and always challenging conference.
Player to Watch: Nik Antropov (24-43-67) is without the question the man to take over for Kovalchuk on the Thrashers. At the age of 30, Antropov has the perfect mix of both veteran experience and youthful play, and his ability to be a consistent 20-goal scorer will no doubt continue to keep him considered to be the main offensive weapon on an Atlanta team where goals will not come easily without Kovalchuk. He led the team last season in plus-minus last season at +13, finished 3rdof the team’s forwards in ice time at an average of 18:13 each night, and led the team in both goals (24) and power play points (21). Though there is a vacancy in the position of captain on the Thrashers, Antropov seems the most poised to claim that title while leading a generally young team down the road of positive development for the future.
Prediction: The Thrashers followed a popular Southeast Division trend by starting almost from scratch this off-season and attempting to rebuild the team from the ground up. A decision like that may irk many Atlanta fans because they’ve suffered from so many losing seasons, and the knowledge that they’ll most likely have to continue to wait a bit longer until they taste playoff success is obviously not pleasing. However, when fans look at the big picture, they can rest assured that the team is moving in the right direction by rebuilding; the pain of losing now will soon be subdued when Atlanta becomes a consistent contender in the future. That future is still a few seasons off though, and the Thrashers will once again miss the post-season for the tenth time in their eleven year history.
5.) Florida Panthers
Rear-view Mirror: Remember when the Florida Panthers were a team playing for the Cup? Chances are that you don’t, considering it’s been almost 15 years since they fell to the Colorado Avalanche in the Stanley Cup Finals. In fact, you might not even remember the last time the team even qualified for the playoffs considering it’s been exactly one decade now. While it may be harsh to say that the history of the Florida Panthers is humiliating, the team tends to make themselves a large target for criticism, and last season was no exception. Florida finished 14th in the Eastern Conference and 28th overall in the league with a record of 32-37-13, garnering a measly 77 points (3 more than the 74 points the Toronto Maple Leafs finished with) to wrap up a season which saw them finish with the 3rd worst offense in the league (2.46 GPG) and the 2nd worst power play in the league (14.2%). Coming into yet another off-season without having had the chance to compete for the Cup, the Panthers looked to rebuild in order to avoid what would be a record 10th straight season out of the playoffs.
Offseason Ins: Chris Higgins, Steve Bernier, Marty Reasoner, Dennis Wideman, Nathan Paetsch
Offseason Outs: Nathan Horton, Keith Ballard, Gregory Campbell, Kamil Kreps
What Makes Them Tick: The Panthers have had the luxury of great goaltending even in the worst of times as a team, and last season was no exception with Tomas Vokoun in net. Despite a lackluster offense that rarely gave him any goal support and a defense that didn’t provide much protection in front, Vokoun gave Florida a chance to win in each game he played in. In the 62 games that he started he went 23-28-11 with 2.55 GAA and .925 SV%, all impressive stats for a goalie that had the weight of a struggling team on his back throughout most of the season. Backup goaltender Scott Clemmensen (9-8-2, 2.91 GAA, .912 SV%) had a strong finish and will provide some relief for Vokoun occasionally during the season. With a rock in net like Tomas, the Panthers will be given a chance to succeed despite other aspects of the team that need work.
What Could Make Them Go Boom: As it stands, the Panthers have not done much to address their offensive issues. The fact that they haven’t is a little more serious for a team like Florida, considering their extreme offensive woes last season that were discussed earlier. They traded top-line right winger Nathan Horton (20-37-57) to the Boston Bruins for Dennis Wideman (6-24-30), and while that is certainly a fair return considering Wideman’s defensive skills, the Panthers’ defense was certainly better than their offense last season and losing Horton’s consistent 20+ goals is certainly going to hurt. Considering the most the Cats have done to address the loss of Horton is acquire Chris Higgins (8-9-17), it could be another long season for Vokoun in net.
Player to Watch: As mentioned earlier, Tomas Vokoun is the main reason the Panthers will have a real chance to actually do something this season. His play last year was simply outstanding, and the great stats he put up were made that much more impressive by the simple fact that Florida was just an all-around underwhelming team. But there are more reasons besides his amazing play that make him the player to watch on this team. Vokoun is entering the last year of his four-year contract with the Panthers, and because Florida has been paving the way for up-and-coming prospect Jacob Markstrom (2.01 GAA, .927 SV% with Brynas of the SEL) to take over in net in the near future, chances are Tomas won’t be returning next season. Should the Panthers fail to stay in playoff contention next season despite Vokoun’s sure-to-be-incredible play, there’s a good possibility he could be traded to a team that could use some a steady goaltender in their net heading into the playoffs. Vokoun will either lead the Panthers to playoff glory or become their biggest asset at the trade deadline, and that is what makes him the player to watch on this team.
Prediction: While it’s almost difficult for any hockey fan regardless of affiliation to not wish that Florida makes the post-season, chances are that wish won’t be coming true anytime soon. Despite many different player acquisitions that appear to have helped improve the team, the Panthers suffer from having to compete in a division that seems to be dominated by one team while the others also continue to constantly improve, and a conference that is entirely unpredictable. While great goaltending by Vokoun may very well be enough to help Florida keep things interesting for awhile, that’s more than likely not going to be enough to actually power the Cats into the into the playoffs for the first time in a long time. Much like the Atlanta Thrashers, the Panthers will undoubtedly benefit from all the changes occurring within the organization in the future; however, as of right now, it’s going to be quite some time before Florida develops into a playoff-caliber team.
A hockey lover’s guide to surviving the off-season
June 14th, 2010Well, it’s that time of the year again…the time when hockey action officially ends and the withdrawals officially begin. It hasn’t even been a week since Chicago lifted the Cup, and many of us are already counting the days until October 7th. Surviving the off-season is a challenge, but when one is prepared for the challenge they’re about to face they tend to get through it better than those who go about it blindly. So to help you prepare, here is a hockey lover’s guide to helping you get through the off-season (relatively) pain-free.
June 22nd marks our first taste of hockey during the off-season, with the ’10-’11 schedule set to be released on that day. You may have noticed that it’s being released about 3 weeks earlier than usual, and we have Mr. Gary Bettman to thank for that. I like to think it’s his way of saying “Here’s the schedule for next season, hockey addicts. Plan your lives accordingly.” In all honesty I’m not exactly sure why it’s being released so early, but you won’t hear me complaining.
The day after that we have the NHL Awards, which is always a fan favorite because while we love seeing the boys out on the ice, nothing quite compares to watching your favorite (or least favorite) hockey player awkwardly accept an award with a 15-second max. speech. Unless English isn’t the player’s first language, and then it’s more like 10 seconds and you can barely understand a word being said (I’m lookin’ at you, Datsyuk). But hey, no one ever said these guys were expert orators, and their awkwardness is just another reason to love them. You can catch the awards that night on Versus at 7:30 ET.
Closing out the week will be the NHL Draft on the 25th and 26th, where we will finally find out the answer to the question, “Taylor or Tyler?” In addition to that we’ll be able to enjoy all the other things that seem to always accompany the draft: ridiculous rumors, blockbuster trades (let’s not forget that the Pronger trade was done at the draft last season), and of course the chance to watch your team draft the next superstar-in-the-making. You can catch the first round of the draft June 25th at 7:00 ET on Versus, but rounds two through seven which take place on the 26th will not be televised, so you’ll want to be constantly checking your team’s website to get updates on the players they’ve drafted.
The real challenge to a hockey addict’s sanity comes after the NHL Draft, because that’s when things slow down significantly. Free Agency begins July 1st, and for the first week there will be constant signings and trades and you’ll be refreshing the NHL.com home page 100 times a day to see who signed where. But after that we’ll enter a point where the highlight of your hockey week will be your team signing some minor league prospect that will probably never even play a game for your team…and that’s rough. The month of July is truly the dog days of the hockey off-season, and this will no doubt be the time where you’ll be so desperate for hockey that you’ll resort to watching games from last season 20 times, popping in that Stanley Cup DVD to relive the good ‘ole days, and maybe view Slap Shot a couple of times for good measure.
But fear not, for there are plenty of good resources for suppressing your craving for hockey during the off-season. First and foremost there is the NHL Network, which will supply you with a never-ending lineup of hockey action and the latest in hockey news. If you don’t have the NHL Network on your TV, you can watch it online here anytime for free. Now if you want to go back and watch specific games from last season, you can visit Hulu and there you’ll find past games (some full, some condensed) to watch for free as well.
Before you know it it’ll be September, where you begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Training camp starts in the first couple of weeks, and you’ll have your first real chance to hear (and possibly see depending on your proximity to your team) how your players are doing coming back from the break, who’s battling an injury, who came back from summer in less-than-stellar shape, and which prospects are fighting for a starting spot on the team among other things. Immediately after is pre-season, and while the games don’t count, I think we all can agree that hockey is hockey and after an off-season that seems like it lasts forever you’ll take what you can get.
I don’t think I need to say what comes next, hockey lovers. Because if you’re anything like me, you already have a countdown of your own going until that fateful day when real hockey returns. They say absence makes the heart grow fonder, and I find that to be true about hockey. As tough as it is, going for such a long period of time without hockey will only strengthen your love for the game, and we all know that in the end it’s worth the wait.
