Hockey Preview-The Contenders

by Pete Gegick

Ready for Round 2? This time, it’s the Contenders who take center stage. Starting with...


20)New York Rangers

Normally, any team with the scoring power of Marian Gaborik, the goaltending of Henrik Lundqvist, and the defensive duo of Dan Girardi and Marc Staal would be a playoff team. But since this team has little depth at the forward position, refused to sign it’s top defenseman for about three months, and relies on a player known for his injury-prone nature, they’ll probably miss the playoffs. The only good news for Rangers fans is that the team released Wade Redden.

19) Calgary Flames

How bad is this team offensively? Well it signed Alex Tanguay and Olli Jokinen to offseason deals. The same Tanguay that hasn’t been good in three years, and the same Jokinen that got traded from Calgary for his lack of production.

However, the team still boast the deepest defense in the NHL, led by Robyn Regehr and Jay Bouwmeester. Still, the team doesn’t have enough offensive firepower to make the playoffs in the West, or keep fan-favorite Jarome Iginla on the roster.

18) Toronto Maple Leafs
When Brian Burke took over the Maple Leafs, he wanted to find players with “pugnacity, testosterone, truculence, and belligerance.” He then went out and signed physical defenseman Mike Komisarek, Francois Beauchemin. Later, he traded for
Dion Phanuef, a player known for his violent collisions and his propensity for fighting.

(This player now regrets his decision to insult Mr. Phaneuf)

Phaneuf is now the captain of a squad that features a Stanley Cup winning goaltender in Jean-Sebastian Giguere, and two of the top young forwards in Phil Kessel and Kris Versteeg. Still, the team will barely miss a playoff spot due to the lack of forward depth that will haunt them as the season winds down.

17) Montreal Canadiens

They should just rename this team the island of misfit toys. The top four forwards are all undersized. On defense, they rely on the talents of Hal Gill, a player so slow that he’s nicknamed after a warship. And the goalie is Carey Price, a player who wasn’t even trusted during last year’s playoff run. Despite all this though, the team has enough talent and depth to secure the final playoff spot in the East. Expect a huge contribution this year from Mike Cammalleri, who could be a 40-goal scorer before all is said and done.

16) Nashville Predators

Shea Weber is the most underrated player in the NHL today. Not only is he a physical defenseman who impacts every play, he also contributes with a booming shot that can find the net from anywhere.

(He was considered a lock for Team Canada. That's how much talent he has. Original video from Hockey Night in Canada, January 2nd, 2010)

This year, he’s captaining the Predators, as he attempts to lead the team to back-to-back playoff births. Though this will probably be the hardest-working team in the league, this is also a team that just doesn’t have enough talent. Expect them to come up just a little short on this one.

15) Tampa Bay Lightning

Steve Yzerman takes over the helm for the Lightning after choosing Team Canada’s gold medal winning hockey club. Yzerman probably made one of the biggest offseason acqusitions when he traded for talented, yet off-injured forward Simon Gagne. With the 30-goal calibur Gagne added to a lineup that features the league’s leading scorer in Steven Stamkos, the results could be dangerous.

(This is the last thing most defenseman remember before they get sent to the AHL)

Factor in talented forwards Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St-Louis, and the Lighting are loaded offensively. If they give defensive prospect Victor Hedman the time he needs to develop, this team will return to the playoffs

14) Detroit Red Wings

With the talent level that surrounds the Red Wings, it should come as no surprise that the team should make the playoffs yet again. However, the real surprise is that the team is still considered to be in the hunt for the Stanley Cup. An already old team, (the website NHLhotstove.com listed the team’s average age last season at 30.03) the Red Wings haven’t had a transition period to allow younger players major playing time. Still, with Nicklas Lidstrom, Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk on the roster, the team should still be able to make one last playoff run.

13) Chicago Blackhawks

Many people will probably be surprised that a team returning Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Marian Hossa is picked to finish seventh in the Western Conference. But the losses of major role players like John Madden, Brent Sopel and Kris Versteeg could kill the teams chances at a cup. Even more so, the talented defensive trio of Brent Seabrook, Duncan Keith and Brian Campbell will have to protect new goaltender Marty Turco. Though the team has skill, it lost too much in the offseason to truly contend for another title.

12) Colorado Avalanche

Last year, no one thought that the Avalanche would finish over .500, let alone make the playoffs. Yet the team accomplished both goals behind a group of talented rookies, led by Matt Duchene. Duchene, a two-way forward in the vein of Joe Sakic, should have a breakout season, and could be a major factor for this team.

(That's spelled D-u-c-h-e-n-e. Remember it.)

Factor in forwards like Chris Stewart and Paul Stastny, the best defense no one knows about, and a possibly elite goalie in Craig Anderson, and this team could be a definite contender.

11) New Jersey Devils

The team that had the best offseason, the Devils added a possible 50-goal scorer in Ilya Kovalchuk, while also landing a shot-blocking master in Anton Volchenkov. Look for Volchenkov to become the next great shut-down defenseman for the Devils, while Kovalchuk will add much needed scoring.

If Martin Brodeur can have one more elite year under new head coach John MacLean, this year could see the Devils headed to the Finals for the first time since 2003.