NHL Eastern Conference- Northwest Division Preview

Calgary Flames

2005-06 Finish: 46-25-11, 3rd West
2005-06 Goals For: 218
2005-06 Goals Against: 200
2005-06 Power Play: 18.2% (12th)
2005-06 Penalty Killing: 84.3% (7th)
Points Leader: Jarome Iginla (67)
Goals Leader: Jarome Iginla (35)
Assists Leader: Daymond Langkow (59)

New Faces

(D) Brad Ference, (LW) Jeff Friesen, (RW) Eric Godard, (G) Jeff McLennan, (Head Coach) Jim Playfair, (LW) Alex Tanguay, (D) Andrei Zyuzin

Gone

(RW) Shean Donovan, (D) Jordan Leopold, (LW) Lynn Loyns, (C/LW) Craig MacDonald, (LW) Chris Simon, (G) Brian Boucher, (LW/RW) Mike Leclarc, (D) Cale Hulse, (D) Bryan Marchment

Offence

Left Wing: Kristian Huselius, Marcus Nilson, Jeff Friesen, Eric Godard, Eric Nystrom
Centre: Alex Tanguay, Daymond Langkow, Jamie Lundmark, Stephane Yelle, Matthew Lombardi
Right Wing: Jarome Iginla, Tony Amonte, Darren McCarty, Chuck Kobasew

The Calgary Flames had a disappointing post-season, and with that disappointed, all the criticism fell onto Darryl Sutter's lap. The General Manager stepped down from the Head Coaching position after the first round exit, and hired Jim Playfair for the job. First thing was first, Jarome Iginla needed a true centreman, who could not only keep up with Iginla, but also finish and set up Iginla. That's what Darryl Sutter did, he went out and acquired Alex Tanguay from the Colorado Avalanche. Mostly playing wing in Colorado, Tanguay moves to his natural position, in hopes of becoming an elite player in the NHL. It should be no problem for him. The problem with the Flames last season was scoring goals, and getting a guy like Tanguay will definitely boost their scoring. That means, Daymond Langkow moves to the second line, possibly with Tony Amonte and Jeff Friesen. Friesen was acquired after a few horrible seasons, and hopefully he can light up the lamp again, with grit and grind players around him. The grit and grind continues on the third line with, Darren McCarty, and Stephane Yelle and Chuck Kobasew. A good well rounded four lines, gives them another chance at a division title.

Defence

D: Robyn Regehr, Dion Phaneuf, Roman Hamrlik, Andrew Ference, Andrei Zyuzin, Rhett Warrener, Brad Ference

The Flames have possibly the toughest defencemen in the league. These defenceman can not only give big hits, clear the front of the net, battle in the corner, they can score goals. Robyn Regehr has come into his own, to be the number one defenceman. Regehr is a tough guy, who can win any battle it seems. Next to him is Dion Phaneuf, who is in his sophomore year, plays almost the same way, and he can change the momentum of any game with his devastating open ice hits. Then you have Andrew Ference and Rhett Warrener who can easily give big hits, clear the net, and grind with the best in the league. It rounds out with Andrei Zyuzin, Brad Ference and Roman Hamrlik, who can all, do well in all three zones. They are the fastest team, but they aren't the slowest either. They all have determination, and they let it all out in each game. Always hustling to win possession of the puck, the Flames defencemen just seemed to upgrade. With every season that passes, this core grows to be better in all areas.

Goaltending

G: Mikka Kiprusoff, Jamie McLennan

Mikka Kiprusoff came off a Vezina Trophy winning performance. Kiprusoff posted a 42-20-11 record, with a 2.07 GAA and .923 save percentage, and 10 shutouts. He was in the top three for each of those categories. Kiprusoff will need to be equally good, or better than he was, for the Flames to reach the Stanley Cup Finals. There's no issue or worries in goal for Jim Playfair. Even backup, Jamie McLennan is not a worry, who had a decent backup year for Florida last season.

Look Out For

Eric Nystrom fits right into Darryl Sutter's system for the Calgary Flames. A good two-way player, with a lot of upside on either side. Always playing an upbeat game, at both ends of the ice. He works harder than anybody while on the ice. Nystrom is not a quitter, and that's why Darryl Sutter might have him suit for most of the season, but only on the third or fourth line. Nystrom is not quite there yet, but he has the potential to be.

Round-Out

Going into the new season, the Calgary Flames don't seem to have any worries anywhere. The only worry or concern that they might have is, how well will Alex Tanguay help Jarome Iginla score goals. Other than that, it looks like another Stanley Cup contending team. A little deeper down the middle, and a good backup goalie makes the Flames an elite team this season. Possibly taking home another Northwest Division Title, the Flames have all the mechanics of going to the Stanley Cup Finals, but only if they can score goals.

Prediction: 109 points, 1st in Northwest Division

Colorado Avalanche

2005-06 Finish: 43-30-9, 7th West
2005-06 Goals For: 283
2005-06 Goals Against: 257
2005-06 Power Play: 18.8% (9th)
2005-06 Penalty Killing: 84.6% (5th)
Points Leader: Joe Sakic (87)
Goals Leader: Joe Sakic, Marek Svatos (32)
Assists Leader: Joe Sakic (55)

New Faces

(C) Tyler Arnason, (General Manager) Francois Giguere, (D) Ken Klee, (D) Jordan Leopold, (LW/RW) Matt Murley, (RW/LW) Mark Rycroft, (D) Michael Vernace

Gone

(D) Rob Blake, (D) Bob Boughner (retired), (RW) Paul Healey, (C/W) Dan Hinote, (General Manager) Pierre Lacroix, (D) Tomas Slovak, (LW) Alex Tanguay, (C) Jim Dowd

Offence

Left Wing: Wojtek Wolski, Andrew Brunette, Steve Konowalchuk, Brad May
Centre: Joe Sakic, Tyler Arnason, Ian Laperriere, Brent McLean, Pierre Turgeon
Right Wing: Milan Hejduk, Marek Svatos, Antti Laaksonen, Brad Richardson

If the world turned back a couple of years, the roster for the Colorado Avalanche would look nothing like it is now. Peter Forsberg and Alex Tanguay were huge for the Avs, and they ended up losing both. However, there have been a few good upsides during the off-season. Especially with Tyler Arnason. New General Manager, François Giguere hopes he will be able to score again. Marek Svatos looks to have a great sophomore year, and he can stay healthy for the whole season. Andrew Brunette, Pierre Turgeon will have decent years, like the consistent forwards they are. Milan Hejduk will definitely be better. Although there is no Forsberg to set up Hejduk now, he's still a goal scorer, and they have knack for scoring goals, even without the setup men. Wojtek Wolski will be looked upon in training camp, and he would really like to make the roster, as he would be a great addition for the Avs. Although, he is still young and inexperienced, playing alongside Joe Sakic will help his cause for the season and his career. The offence is not as deadly as it once was, but it can still score goals. That's the important thing for new GM Francois Giguere

Defence

D: Jordan Leopold, John-Michael Liles, Karlis Skrastins, Brett Clark, Patrice Brisebois, Ossi Vaananen, Kurt Sauer, Ken Klee

Just like with their offence, if the world turned back a couple of years, their defence would look nothing like it is now. They lost one of their best defencemen this past season in Rob Blake. Losing Rob Blake hurts the Avs so much, that they will have a hard time finding a replacement. The Avs are hoping that John-Michael Liles can fill in the void is their number one d-man. With a great season under his belt, he has the potential to be a number one defencemen. Newly acquired Jordan Leopold will certainly help the Avs blue line, as he is a good puck moving defencemen, same thing with Brisebois, and Vaananen. The Avs lost Adam Foote to Columbus, two seasons ago, but now they have Karlis Skrastins, Brett Clark, Kurt Sauer, and Ken Klee can all certainly fill in the void for Adam Foote. All can throw their weight around, block shots, and clear the net. A good combination of defencemen, they will just need to see how well their chemistry is.

Goaltending

G: Jose Theodore, Peter Budaj

Jose Theodore believes he can be a number one goalie. The former Hart Trophy winner has the ability to be a number one goalie, but with bad luck for personal reasons and professional reasons, he has been inconsistent and decent at best over the past few seasons. He came to Colorado and looked decent, and had a less than good showing in the first two rounds of the playoffs. He has a new season, a new General Manager to play under, so he has a completely new season to work with. He can put the things behind and focus on this upcoming season. However if he does not work, Peter Budaj will take the number one job, but I believe he isn't ready for the number one job, just yet. The Avs will struggle if Theodore does not play up to his standards.

Look Out For

Wojtek Wolski played for the Avalanche at the beginning of last season, and he did not disappoint them. Although being sent back down to the OHL's Brampton Batallion, he had six points, in nine games. In the post-season, he was called back up, and scored four points in eight games. The scoring ability is there, he will have to use his big frame to stay with the big boys of the NHL. It would be a huge mistake by new General Manager François Giguere to leave him off the roster.

Round-Out

The Colorado Avalanche is not what they used to be, and that will be a huge problem for them. They will not be scoring goals at will, nor will they be dictating the game as they used to. They do have the young talent, and the veteran leadership, and the toughness to be a good team. Their defence is not horrible, but it does not stand out as it used to. There is scoring and toughness in their defence, so it should not be worry. For this team to win, Jose Theodore is going to have to play like another Hart Trophy winner. He will be looked upon throughout the whole season.

Prediction: 85 points, 5th in Northwest Division

Edmonton Oilers

2005-06 Finish: 41-28-13, 8th West
2005-06 Goals For: 256
2005-06 Goals Against: 251
2005-06 Power Play: 18.1% (15th)
2005-06 Penalty Killing: 84.1 (8th)
Points Leader: Ales Hemsky (77)
Goals Leader: Ryan Smyth (36)
Assists Leader: Ales Hemsky (58)

New Faces

(D) Jan Hejda, (RW) Joffrey Lupul, (C) Marty Reasoner, (D) Ladislav Smid, (RW) Petr Sykora, (D) Daniel Tjarnqvist

Gone

(G) Ty Conklin, (RW) Radek Dvorak, (RW) Georges Laraque, (C/LW) Rem Murray, (C) Michael Peca, (D) Chris Pronger, (LW) Sergei Samsonov, (D) Dan Smith, (D) Jaroslav Spacek, (D) Dick Tarnstrom, (RW) Todd Harvey, (D) Igor Ulanov

Offence

Left Wing: Ryan Smyth, Joffrey Lupul, Ethan Moreau, Brad Winchester
Centre: Shawn Horcoff, Fernando Pisani, Jarret Stoll, Marty Reasoner
Right Wing: Ales Hemsky, Petr Sykora, Raffi Torres, Marc-Antoine Pouliot

Last year's team had a simple strategy, which led to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. Ryan Smyth will lead the way again this year, as he is the example that Craig McTavish wants on the ice. His work ethic and grit and grind, is exactly what McTavish loves about Smyth, and hopes all the other players play the same way. They will need to finish this year. Losing Sergei Samsonov to free agency was a big loss to the Oilers. The Oilers did a speedy scorer and since Ales Hemsky does not shoot all that often, the Oilers are very glad that they got Joffrey Lupul. He is natural goal scorer. He loves to shoot and has a lot of creative talent on the ice. He will suit well with the Oilers. Newcomer Petr Sykora will have to bounce back from a couple of disappointing seasons. Sykora can really help the Oilers, if he gets his scoring touch back. He is a veteran, who plays with a lot of heart, and again, it fits in with the Oilers. Shawn Horcoff had a career year, he will only get better this season. The rest of the crew is all set, and they know their game plan. Bang, crash, and invade the offensive zone.

Defence

D: Marc-Andre Bergeron, Jason Smith, Steve Staios, Matthew Greene, Ladislav Smid, Daniel Tjarnqvist, Danny Syvret

Losing Chris Pronger was the worst thing that could have happened to the Oilers after the Stanley Cup run last season. But, in their eyes, the Oilers blue line have never worried about who was back there, as along as they could get the job done. That is the case with this blue line. Marc-Andre Bergeron will try to become the number one power play point man, and he has already showed signs of it in his career. Jason Smith, Steve Staios and Matt Greene are beasts in front of their own net, and in the offensive zone. They love to take the body; they love to rush to the offensive zone. They make plays, but always remember that they are defencemen, so they hustle harder than just about anyone on the ice at that time. Ladislav Smid and Danny Syvret will look to make the roster, and one of them probably will, look for it to be Smid. A young talent who can help score points from the blue line. Daniel Tjarnqvist, along with Smid, will be able to carry the puck in deep during an attack. They both have good puck handling skills, and they can help the team.

Goaltending

G: Dwayne Roloson, Jussi Markkanen, Devan Dubnyk

Dwayne Roloson was having a sub-par year in Minnesota, and Manny Fernandez took the number one job, permanently. The Oilers signed Roloson to a three-year deal, after an amazing performance and leading the Oilers to the Stanley Cup Finals. He had a good 2.32 GAA and a .927 save percentage to go along with his amazing performance. The only worry that McTavish might have is that Roloson's regular season record was way below .500. If Roloson can play as he did in the playoffs, the Oilers will have no problem making the playoffs, and with the way Markkanen had played in the Stanley Cup Finals, after Roloson got hurt, he will be a reliable back up to Roloson.

Look Out For

Marc-Antoine Pouliot is another player who fits right into the Edmonton Oilers. He loves to score goals, make plays, and he thrives in the offensive zone. However, he does leave his defensive responsibility somewhere else. He is talented in both ends, and he loves to be physical. He likes getting into the corners, and battling for pucks. He likes giving hits, and when he takes hits, Pouliot will get right back up. He will have to prove he can be on the roster, which he most likely will.

Round-Out

The Edmonton Oilers don't look that great on paper as they did last year, but if things go the way General Manager Kevin Lowe wants, there will be no problems. All the potential is there for another Stanley Cup run. They will make the playoffs, and there will be no worries as to who will show up. They are all playoff-performers, even Ales Hemsky now. Their offence looks great, and they have depth in the third and fourth lines. Two consistent scoring lines and a good top four defence. Their fifth and sixth defencemen are not that great, but will improve greatly over the season. The goaltending is the only question mark and the Oilers will see how well Roloson will do. Otherwise, the Oilers have another strong team this year, and will not disappoint Edmonton fans.

Prediction: 97 points, 3rd in Northwest Division

Minnesota Wild

2005-06 Finish: 38-36-8, 11th West
2005-06 Goals For: 231
2005-06 Goals Against: 215
2005-06 Power Play: 17.0% (21st)
2005-06 Penalty Killing: 87.4% (1st)
Points Leader: Brian Rolston (79)
Goals Leader: Marian Gaborik (38)
Assists Leader: Brian Rolston (45)

New Faces

(G) Niklas Backstrom, (D) Keith Carney, (C/RW) Pavol Demitra, (LW) Ryan Hamilton, (D) Kim Johnsson, (RW) Mark Parrish, (RW) Branko Radivojevic, (C) Wyatt Smith

Gone

(C) Marc Chouinard, (RW/LW) Alexandre Daigle, (D) Scott Ferguson, (D/LW) Alex Henry, (D) Filip Kuba, (RW/LW) Andrei Nazarov (retired), (C) Patrick O'Sullivan, (C/LW) Randy Robitaille, (RW) Maxim Sushinsky, (D) Daniel Tjarnqvist, (RW) Kyle Wanvig, (D) Andrei Zyuzin

Offence

Left Wing: Pavol Demitra, Pierre-Marc Bouchard, Stephane Veilleux, Mattias Weinhandl
Centre: Brian Rolston, Todd White, Wes Walz, Mikko Koivu,
Right Wing: Marian Gaborik, Mark Parrish, Pascal Dupuis, Branko Radivojevic

Jacques Lemaire's system for the Minnesota Wild was to fit the "old" NHL, in the way of being defensive minded, trap setting, shying away from offence. This year, it might be a little different. Especially with new players, Pavol Demitra, and Mark Parrish, who are dubbed as goal scorers and are able to score a point a game. Marian Gaborik reunites with fellow countryman Pavol Demitra, and Jacques Lemaire will have no problem on letting these two score goals. Brian Rolston who led the team in scoring, will have another good season, between Gaborik and Demitra. Jacques Lemaire will definitely place a system into the Wild, so they can score goals now. These two new acquisitions will definitely help the sixth worst offensive team in the NHL in the 05-06 season. Their penalty killing was the best in the league, but their were ranked 21st on the power play, and that will have to change this season. The second line is a good line, with upcoming star, Pierre-Marc Bouchard, newcomer Mark Parrish and Todd White centering the line. The depth of this team is good. They have, Wes Walz, Pascal Dupuis who will anchor the grit and grind lines, and Branko Radivojevic, Stephane Veilleux, Mattias Weinhandl, and Mikko Koivu will all be relied on to kill penalties and do all the dirty work that third and fourth liners do.

Defence

D: Kurtis Foster, Kim Johnsson, Nick Schultz, Keith Carney, Brent Burns, Martin Skoula, Petteri Nummelin

Over the past couple of seasons, the Wild have lost a lot of their defencemen, but they have done well for themselves, by signing big, hard-nosed defencemen. Kim Johnsson was added over the past season, and he will bring in his specialty, which is being a point man on the power play, which the Wild need desperately. Nick Schultz will continue to improve his ability on the blue line. Already considered a top two defenceman for the Wild, he will definitely be a star in Minnesota. Brent Burns, Keith Carney, Martin Skoula, and Kurtis Foster, all bring their style of game, which is a nice combination of everything. They can hit, make plays, carry the puck up the zone and shut down the opposing offence. Overall, this defence isn't the most star-studded, but it can be effective enough to stay near the top of the league.

Goaltending

G: Manny Fernandez, Josh Harding

Manny Fernandez became the official number one goalie last season, and he took that torch and carried it with a 30-18-7 record, a 2.29 GAA and a .919 save percentage. He will be the starter and the goalie the Wild need to make the post-season. Josh Harding will most likely be the back up for Fernandez, and he faired well in his first three NHL games, posting a 2-1 record. Josh Harding is able to take over as the number one goalie, but not after learning a few things from Fernandez.

Look Out For

Petteri Nummelin will make his NHL return in the 06-07 season, since playing with the Blue Jackets in 2000-01, but the question is, when? No one knows, but if he does make it to the NHL, he will be looking good. Nummelin is not a young boy, he is a little older than the rest of the young prospects, but Nummelin has had great years overseas in Finland. As apart the Finland team, he won the Olympic Silver Medal. Over the past five seasons in the Swiss Elite League, he has averaged over a point a game.

Round-Out

The Minnesota Wild can be confident in knowing that they have the offensive firepower now, instead of always having to shut-down the offensive firepower. With Demitra, Gaborik, Rolston, White, Parrish and Bouchard, the offence is will be run-and-gun. The defence is strong; all the players play a well-sounded two-way game. There is no doubt that they are able to perform well in all three zones of the ice. The goaltending, if consistent, will take the Wild into the playoffs.

Prediction: 91 points, 3rd in Northwest Division

Vancouver Canucks

2005-06 Finish: 42-32-8, 9th West
2005-06 Goals For: 256
2005-06 Goals Against: 255
2005-06 Power Play: 18.3% (10th)
2005-06 Penalty Killing: 81.8% (18th)
Points Leader: Markus Naslund (79)
Goals Leader: Anson Carter (33)
Assists Leader: Henrik Sedin (57)

New Faces

(LW) Jan Bulis, (C) Marc Chouinard, (LW) Gord Dwyer, (D) Rory Fitzpatrick, (D) Lukas Krajicek, (G) Roberto Luongo, (D) Willie Mitchell, (LW) Taylor Pyatt, (D) Yannick Tremblay, (Head Coach) Alan Vigneault

Gone

(D) Bryan Allen, (G) Alexander Auld, (D) Nolan Baumgartner, (RW) Todd Bertuzzi, (D) Wade Brookbank, (D) Sean Brown, (D) Sven Butchenschon, (D) Keith Carney, (RW) Anson Carter, (G) Dan Cloutier, (D) Ed Jovonovski, (RW/LW) Jarkko Rutuu, (D) Eric Weinrich (retired), (D) Jason Doig, (G) Maxime Ouellet, (RW) Richard Park

Offence

Left Wing: Markus Naslund, Daniel Sedin, Marc Chouinard, Josh Green
Centre: Brendan Morrison, Henrik Sedin, Trevor Linden, Ryan Kesler
Right Wing: Matt Cooke, Jan Bulis, Taylor Pyatt, Brandon Reid, Alexandre Burrows

Todd Bertuzzi gelled great with Naslund last season and Anson Carter gelled ever so nicely with the Sedin twins, but they're both gone now, and that leaves big holes on the first two lines. In his second season as General Manager, Dave Nonis is expecting Matt Cooke and Brendan Morrison to turn into elite forwards, especially on the first line or second line. They have had great years in the past, but the level of consistency was never there. This is their chance, they are under a new Head Coach. Alan Vigneault is looking for chemistry, so he can figure out the first two lines. Vigneault has the talent there, but it is how well they all play together. Trevor Linden and Ryan Kesler stabilize the third and fourth line. Signing Taylor Pyatt and Marc Chouinard, the Canucks have their options and they can change their last two lines around. Brandon Reid, Alexandre Burrows, Josh Green are available. The offence on paper, does not look deadly without Todd Bertuzzi and Anson Carter, but there are players can replace the two, especially with the chance they are receiving from the new Head Coach.

Defence

D: Mattias Ohlund, Sami Salo, Willie Mitchell, Luc Bourdon, Lukas Krajicek, Rory Fitzpatrick, Yannick Tremblay, Kevin Bieksa

The Vancouver Canucks lost more than just two great goal scorers. They lost good puck carrying, point man on the blue line. Ed Jovonovski and Bryan Allen both signed to different clubs, and it has left the Canucks biting their nails to see who will take their place. As of right now, there is no one. However, Mattias Ohlund is proving to be an elite defenceman. Ohlund is a big man, who can shut down the opposing forwards, play the point, hit, and carry the puck and back check better than any defenceman on this team. Sami Salo has all similar qualities except for the aggressiveness Ohlund has. Willie Mitchell is a tough player with good agility for a big man. He will be able to show Roberto Luongo a clear path. The rest of the spots are up in the air, but Lukas Krajicek, Rory Fitzpatrick and Yannick Tremblay all look to be taking those roster spots.

Goaltending

G: Roberto Luongo, Wade Flaherty

Goaltending was always an issue, the Dan Cloutier "experiement" did not work in Vancouver, and now with established number one man, Roberto Luongo, the Canucks should have no worries in goal, as they have possibly the next best goalie in the league. Finally playing under a better defensive team, Luongo will be happy playing each night, knowing that he will face under 40 shots a game. Wade Flaherty backs up Luongo, but shouldn't see too much action unless Luongo is injured.

Look Out For

Luc Bourdon has the ability to replace Ed Jovonovski in the future. His cannon of a shot from the blue line and his physical edge makes him a player to look out for this season and in the future. Bourdon could turn a few heads this season, as he has the ability to play in the NHL, full-time, but does not necessarily have the tools to become a number one man. Not for another few years.

Round-Out

The Vancouver Canucks certainly lost many quality players. This team has many young prospects and a lot of potential in the future. Right now, they are ahead of one team this season. Possibly right on top of Colorado. They have the better goaltending and that is how the Canucks will be carried. Luongo will be relied on heavily throughout the whole entire season. It's just a matter of time to see how well the first two lines gel which each other. They will need to gain chemistry in the early season, or their post-season dreams will be over.

Prediction: 88 points, 4th in Northwest Division