1. Vancouver Canucks
- It’s early in the season, and the Canucks have looked like anything but championship contenders. However, there are still many more games to go before the playoffs get started, and it seems more than likely that Vancouver will be able to figure things out before then. Last season, the Canucks stumbled mightily in the playoffs against the eventual champion Blackhawks due to a lack of defence. Vancouver brass nabbed defensemen Dan Hamhuis and Keith Ballard in the offseason, along with aggressive centre Manny Malhotra. Roberto Luongo has been unspectacular in goal to start the year, but he’ll likely improve as the season unfolds. Don’t forget that the Canucks still have the Sedin brothers and one of the best offences in the game.
2. Tampa Bay Lightning
- The likelihood that Tampa Bay can ride its hot start all the way to the late rounds of the playoffs is slim, but it’s hard not to have them on this list because of the otherworldly play of third-year centre Steven Stamkos. Stamkos has been the most exciting-and productive-player to watch so far this season, with a ridiculous 18 points in nine games. While it’s doubtful that Stamkos can continue to score at this clip, he’s not the only player lifting the Lightning. Veteran Martin St. Louis has turned back the clock with 12 points to his name so far, and Tampa Bay is sure to get more from Vincent Lecavalier as the season moves on.
3. Pittsburgh Penguins
- After starting the season with three losses in four games, the Pens put together a nice four game winning streak before dropping consecutive contests on the road. Consistency is looking like an issue for Pittsburgh, but when your team is led by Sidney Crosby, anything is possible. The Penguins are scoring three goals a game, which is good, but they’re allowing 2.5 per game, which is not so good. Head Coach Dan Bylsma preached better defence all offseason, and that message needs to kick in sooner rather than later if the Pens want to contend. With that said, expect to see Pittsburgh near the top of the NHL standings by the end of the regular season.
4. Los Angeles Kings
- Many expected the Kings to be good this year, but hardly anyone thought they’d be so convincing early in the season. Los Angeles leads the NHL in points with 14 after ten games, and has put up some impressive hockey scores against very good teams, including two victories so far against the Canucks. Justin Williams has been solid on the right wing, but the story of the season so far has been goaltender Jonathan Quick, who currently sports a 1.96 goals against average, and has recorded six wins in seven games played. The fact that Quick is backed up by super-prospect Jonathan Bernier bodes well for the Kings’ playoff hopes. Definitely a dark horse team that could come into its own in the postseason.
Brian Rafalski, Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings have been forced to find a new quarterback to their power play with the veteran defenseman Rafalski out 3-4 weeks following arthroscopic knee surgery he underwent on October 12th. In the meantime the Red Wings will rely on Niklas Kronwall and rookie Jakub Kindl to play alongside Niklas Lidstrom with the man-advantage. Kronwall has already proved productive from the point, leading the Wings with 2 power play scores through the first 5 games.
Marian Gaborik, New York Rangers
The Rangers hope that Gaborik is not suffering a relapse of the injury bug after missing only five games last season. The top NHL Scores specialist for NY is expected to miss 2-4 weeks with a separated shoulder he suffered after being boarded by Colby Armstrong in the second period of a loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on October 15th. With his team on a three game losing streak, Coach John Tortorella anxiously awaits the return of his top offensive player, who had not yet tallied a goal this season before leaving the ice last Friday.
Marc Savard, Boston Bruins
Savard was placed on the long term injured list with post-concussion syndrome to start the season meaning that he will mandatorily miss the Bruins’ first 10 games. Concussions have plagued Savard his entire career but the undersized center has always managed to return to form after suffering those blows to the head. With rookie sensation Tyler Seguin providing depth and offence at center, the expectation is that Boston will play it safe with Savard and not unnecessarily force acceleration in his recovery.
Jordan Staal, Pittsburgh Penguins
After undergoing surgery in May to repair a torn tendon in his foot, Staal has suffered several infections that have put off the start to his season. Staal’s presence down the middle is certainly missed by the Penguins who are currently in the lower half of the league in both penalty killing and faceoff percentage. Staal has begun skating with the team and is scheduled to return for Pittsburgh’s October 27th game but the infection healing process is unpredictable.
Brian Rolston, New Jersey Devils
Rolston underwent surgery for a sports hernia on October 14th and is expected to miss 4-6 weeks. The Devils could use the two-way forward as they have struggled out the gate to a 1-4-1 record in NHL Standings; however the injury to Rolston provides the Devils with an additional $5 million in cap space to fill out its roster. New Jersey had been decimated by cap issues surrounding their illegal signing of star winger Ilya Kovalchuk and while losing an all-rounder like Rolston is far from ideal, it will provide them with some much needed flexibility to restore their man power.
Last week’s hit on the Buffalo Sabres’ Jason Pominville by Chicago’s Niklas Hjalmarsson marked the first controversial hit of the season, and was addressed by the NHL in the form of a two-game suspension for the Blackhawks defenceman. Hard hits have come under heavy scrutiny in the NHL as more and more players have suffered major, debilitating injuries in recent years. In response to a plethora of dangerous hits last season, the NHL instituted a new blindside hit rule earlier in the year, stating that “a lateral or blind side hit to an opponent where the head is targeted and/or the principle point of contact is not permitted”. While the hit on Pominville may have lacked any maliciousness on Hjalmarsson’s part, it fell within the parameters of the new bylaw and had to be treated accordingly.
Hjalmarsson came in far too hard given the circumstances-whether he made a play for the puck could be debated as well-but video replay of the hit clearly shows that Hjalmarsson was not head-hunting, and made contact with Pominville’s right shoulder area, rather than his head. In fact, the call made at the time-boarding-was correct, but reactions to the hit from players, fans, and coaches were understandably explosive because Pominville was indeed blindsided.
Pominville was far enough from the boards that the impact of the hit to his shoulder area caused his head to whip into the glass, ultimately resulting in a concussion. Hjalmarsson, for his part, has expressed sympathy for Pominville, repeatedly stating that his intention was not to hurt his target, and that he was looking to play the puck. Sabres’ goaltender Ryan Miller vehemently disagreed with the suggestion that Hjalmarsson could be completely absolved of guilt, and called on the league to dole out a heavy suspension in order to “set a precedent” and “change the culture” of modern professional hockey.
Pominville had attempted six shots on goal but had failed to score heading into the game against Chicago. Since missing time with post-concussion symptoms, Pominville has seen his team plummet in the NHL standings; the Sabres have now lost five straight games, the last coming to Chicago in Hjalmarsson’s return. Saturday’s game was expected to be a heated affair, but ultimately lacked any overt retribution towards Hjalmarsson. The Chicago defenceman was a non-factor during the game, after stating that he wasn’t worried about any potential payback coming his way.
The hit on Pominville was a reminder of just how tricky enforcing “dirty hit” bylaws are going to be for the NHL. While the end result of Hjalmarsson’s hit-a scary concussion-certainly warranted some type of disciplinary action, the NHL’s standards for what plays are deserving of what punishment are still vague. For Miller and the Sabres, worrying about the current hockey scores is probably a more relevant use of their time than arguing the league’s disciplinary decisions, but the Pominville hit certainly reminded everyone of the risks involved in an increasingly aggressive brand of hockey.
1. Dion Phaneuf
- The new Toronto captain will attempt to reignite his career and turn the Leafs around after the team finished second-to-last in NHL standings 2009-10. Phaneuf should be exactly the type of fiery leader the Leafs need; expect him to rack up the PIM along with the points. However, expectations have been built up in Toronto and management is counting on Phaneuf to channel the right types of emotion every night. After a terrible statistical half-season with Toronto, Phaneuf is primed to explode this year. It will be interesting to see how Phaneuf reacts to both success and disappointment in a leadership position.
2. Taylor Hall
- All eyes will be on the first pick of the 2010 Entry Draft as Hall steps into a tricky situation as a probable top-liner for the Oilers. Only 18 years old, Hall will be expected to produce almost immediately and hockey fans will be watching to see how Hall’s game translates to the NHL after back-to-back Memorial Cup MVPs with the Windsor Spitfires. Expectations for the team aren’t nearly as high as they are for Hall.
3. Ilya Kovalchuk
- With the Kovalchuk contract saga finally remedied, it remains to be seen if New Jersey made the right decision shelling out $100 million to the 27-year-old left winger. The former first overall pick is a proven finisher, but how much longer can he go at scores of 40 goals a season? The Devils are hoping that the answer is more than a decade, and skating on a line with Zach Parise will help Kovalchuk hit that mark this season.
4. Carey Price
- Montreal’s front office sent a clear message to Price over the offseason: he is the team’s number one goalie, and it’s time for him to own the role, by not allowing huge NHL scores while he is on the ice. By allowing playoff hero Jaroslav Halak to walk away as
a restricted free agent this summer, the Habs are banking on Price to come into his vast potential and propel the team to yet another successful postseason run. Price has shown flashes of brilliance over the course of his young career, but has also proven to be mentally fragile in big moments.Ideally, Halak’s departure will galvanize Price and give him a much-needed confidence boost. In the pressure-cooker that is the Bell Centre, though, Price can’t afford to make any mistakes.
5. Jaroslav Halak
- Halak has almost as much to prove as Price, after signing a new deal with the St. Louis Blues in the offseason. The most interesting individual story of last season’s playoffs, Halak needs to prove that his run with the Habs wasn’t a fluke. There is a chance that Montreal manage knows something the average fan doesn’t. Canadiens and Blues fans won’t be the only ones paying attention to Halak’s every move, though; the entire league is curious tosee if the fifth-year vet is worthy of all the recent hype.
After suffering a heartbreaking upset at the hands of last year’s playoff Cinderellas, the Penguins are looking to right the ship in 2010-11 and make it back to the NHL Finals for the third time in four years, with as many NHL scores as possible. Led by league darling Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh is a frontrunner yet again to hoist the Stanley Cup at the end of the season.
With the loss of penalty kill anchor Sergei Gonchar this offseason, Penguins GM Ray Shero chose to focus almost exclusively on improving the team’s defence. By bringing in two young NHL Players with, promise defensively in Paul Martin and Zbynek Michalek, Shero instantly improved the Penguins’ defensive corps—one that should be able to shutdown opposing offences at a much higher rate than last year.
While many fans hoped to see Shero go after a couple star wingers to pair with Crosby and fellow centre Evgeni Malkin, this offseason’s defensive makeover should pay dividends immediately for Pittsburgh. Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury had a mediocre regular season between the pipes, and looked even worse during the playoffs, with an average save percentage of .891 in two series against Ottawa and Montreal. While Fleury may not be a capable of being a shutdown goalie for a full season, his track record points to his ability to raise his level of play in big games. The additions of Martin and Michalek should go a long way in providing Fleury with some peace of mind in 2010-11.
On offence, the Penguins often looked like a two-man squad last season, at least when Malkin was healthy. Crosby and Malkin combined for 186 scores during the regular season, with Sid tallying 51 goals en route to splitting top scoring honors with Tampa Bay star Steven Stamkos. Malkin only dressed for 67 games in the regular season, but when he and Crosby are on the ice, the Penguins boast one of the deadliest attacking lines in the NHL. However, both players put up subpar numbers in the Montreal series, and Head Coach Dan Bylsma must find additional scoring and playmaking options on his squad to make it more difficult for opponents to shadow Malkin and Crosby with two or three defenders at all times. One-year contract signees Arron Asham and Mike Comrie could help in this department.
The key to Pittsburgh’s success this season could end up being the health and production of fourth-year centre Jordan Staal. Staal proved himself to be an effective third-line centre and an excellent two-way player last year, scoring 21 goals and assisting on 28 in the best overall statistical season of his career. Moving Staal over to the wing to complement Malkin or Crosby is an option Bylsma will surely test out at some point during the year. Currently, though, Staal remains sidelined by injury, with no definite return date.
Pittsburgh remains an elite team with the talent and experience to go all the way this season. However, the competition close to home is only getting stronger: expect Philadelphia and New Jersey to challenge Pittsburgh for division bragging rights.
Developing a tolerance is something associated with alcohol, or pain, or the sound of a construction yard. Typically, sports fans don’t develop tolerances related directly to their team. Unfortunately, this has not been the case for Leafs fans, who have acquired—over the course of six years—what might be best described as a tolerance for losing. The once-proud franchise has been mired in mediocrity since their last playoff appearance in 2005-06, and while the team has made some on-paper improvements and addressed many of its concerns effecting their nhl scores from a year ago, Toronto fans are understandably wary about their club’s forecast for 2010-11.
Of-maligned GM Brian Burke has done a solid job bringing defensive talent to the Leafs in 2010, beginning with the acquisition of Dion Phaneuf in January. Although Phaneuf was largely uninspiring during his half-season stint with Toronto, the Leafs’ front office has made it clear that he is the future of the franchise, making him the 18th captain in the team’s history over the summer. Toronto fans can hope that a greater sense of responsibility will rejuvenate Phaneuf’s career and allow him to finally come into his vast potential. Expect Mike Komisarek to bounce back from a disappointing season in a big way, as well.
While Phaneuf is expected to anchor a deep defensive corps, the Leafs have high expectations for goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere in his first full season with the team, which help keep leaf scores down. Giguere was impressive in 15 games with Toronto last season, posting a .916 save percentage and providing a much needed veteran presence for rookie goalie Jonas Gustavsson.
Led by Phaneuf and Giguere, Toronto should be a much-improved defensive squad this coming season, but a lack of firepower up front is a serious concern for the team. Phil Kessler has proved himself to be a talented—if inconsistent—scorer in the NHL, and will be forced to carry much of the offensive load for the Leafs. Bringing in right-winger Kris Versteeg from Chicago should provide head coach Ron Wilson with an all-around player to pair with Kessler on offence, but beyond this duo, the team’s offensive options appear limited.
One area of intrigue will be the development of seventh overall pick Nazem Kadri, who is slated to play in at least three of Toronto’s first five preseason games. Kadri impressed in the OHL with his skill-level and competitiveness, and is hoping to finally make the cut after participating in Toronto’s preseason for the second straight year.
The Leafs have plenty to be excited about this season: a new captain, a battle-tested goaltender, and an intriguing young prospect. However, Toronto fans don’t need to be reminded that this is a team that finished 29th in the standings a season ago. The playoffs might not be in the cards this year for Toronto, but steady improvement is to be expected with the team’s ever-improving core.
Predicted Wins: 37
NHL Standings Predicted Finish: 10th in the East
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