OFFICIAL 2010-11 NHL SEASON THREAD ... Regular season has ended. Visit Stanley Cup Playoffs Thread.

[physicx]

[h3]11. F - Henrik Zetterberg (1,191)[/h3]

[table][tr][th=""]2009-10[/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]G[/td] [td]A[/td] [td]PTS[/td] [td]GPG[/td] [td]APG[/td] [td]PPG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]74[/td] [td]23[/td] [td]47[/td] [td]70[/td] [td].31[/td] [td].64[/td] [td].95[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Since the lockout [/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]G[/td] [td]A[/td] [td]PTS[/td] [td]GPG[/td] [td]APG[/td] [td]PPG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]366[/td] [td]169[/td] [td]219[/td] [td]388[/td] [td].46[/td] [td].60[/td] [td]1.06[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Noteworthy[/th] [/tr][tr][td]Won his first Stanley Cup championship in 2008, taking home the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.[/td] [/tr][/table]
[h3]12. G - Ryan Miller (1,155)[/h3]

[table][tr][th=""]2009-10[/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]W[/td] [td]L[/td] [td]OT[/td] [td]GAA[/td] [td]SP[/td] [/tr][tr][td]69[/td] [td]41[/td] [td]18[/td] [td]10[/td] [td]2.22[/td] [td].929[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Since the lockout [/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]W[/td] [td]L[/td] [td]OT[/td] [td]GAA[/td] [td]SP[/td] [/tr][tr][td]315[/td] [td]181[/td] [td]93[/td] [td]35[/td] [td]2.54[/td] [td].916[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Noteworthy[/th] [/tr][tr][td]Led Team USA to silver at the 2010 Winter Olympics and was named MVP, Olympic All-Star team and Best Goalie by the tournament directorate. [/td] [/tr][/table]
[h3]13. F - Ilya Kovalchuk (1,066)[/h3]

[table][tr][th=""]2009-10[/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]G[/td] [td]A[/td] [td]PTS[/td] [td]GPG[/td] [td]APG[/td] [td]PPG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]76[/td] [td]41[/td] [td]44[/td] [td]85[/td] [td].54[/td] [td].58[/td] [td]1.12[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Since the lockout [/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]G[/td] [td]A[/td] [td]PTS[/td] [td]GPG[/td] [td]APG[/td] [td]PPG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]394[/td] [td]230[/td] [td]107[/td] [td]337[/td] [td].58[/td] [td].27[/td] [td].86[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Noteworthy[/th] [/tr][tr][td]Is the only NHL player to record at least 40 goals in each of the last five seasons.[/td] [/tr][/table]
[h3]14. F - Rick Nash (1,055)[/h3]

[table][tr][th=""]2009-10[/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]G[/td] [td]A[/td] [td]PTS[/td] [td]GPG[/td] [td]APG[/td] [td]PPG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]76[/td] [td]33[/td] [td]34[/td] [td]67[/td] [td].43[/td] [td].45[/td] [td].88[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Since the lockout [/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]G[/td] [td]A[/td] [td]PTS[/td] [td]GPG[/td] [td]APG[/td] [td]PPG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]363[/td] [td]169[/td] [td]157[/td] [td]326[/td] [td].47[/td] [td].43[/td] [td].90[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Noteworthy[/th] [/tr][tr][td]Hit the 30-goal mark for the third straight season and fifth time in his seven year NHL career. [/td] [/tr][/table]
[h3]15. F - Patrick Kane (1,051)[/h3]

[table][tr][th=""]2009-10[/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]G[/td] [td]A[/td] [td]PTS[/td] [td]GPG[/td] [td]APG[/td] [td]PPG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]82[/td] [td]30[/td] [td]58[/td] [td]88[/td] [td].37[/td] [td].71[/td] [td]1.07[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Since the lockout [/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]G[/td] [td]A[/td] [td]PTS[/td] [td]GPG[/td] [td]APG[/td] [td]PPG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]244[/td] [td]76[/td] [td]154[/td] [td]230[/td] [td].31[/td] [td].63[/td] [td].94[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Noteworthy[/th] [/tr][tr][td]Led the Blackhawks with a career-high 88 points last season, ranking him ninth in the NHL and pacing American-born players. [/td] [/tr][/table]
[h3]16. F - Zach Parise (1,047)[/h3]

[table][tr][th=""]2009-10[/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]G[/td] [td]A[/td] [td]PTS[/td] [td]GPG[/td] [td]APG[/td] [td]PPG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]81[/td] [td]38[/td] [td]44[/td] [td]82[/td] [td].47[/td] [td].54[/td] [td]1.01[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Since the lockout [/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]G[/td] [td]A[/td] [td]PTS[/td] [td]GPG[/td] [td]APG[/td] [td]PPG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]407[/td] [td]160[/td] [td]175[/td] [td]335[/td] [td].39[/td] [td].43[/td] [td].82[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Noteworthy[/th] [/tr][tr][td]Is first player in team history to record four consecutive 30 goal seasons, as well as back-to-back 80 point campaigns. [/td] [/tr][/table]
[h3]17. F - Ryan Getzlaf (1,037)[/h3]

[table][tr][th=""]2009-10[/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]G[/td] [td]A[/td] [td]PTS[/td] [td]GPG[/td] [td]APG[/td] [td]PPG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]66[/td] [td]19[/td] [td]50[/td] [td]69[/td] [td].29[/td] [td].76[/td] [td]1.05[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Since the lockout [/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]G[/td] [td]A[/td] [td]PTS[/td] [td]GPG[/td] [td]APG[/td] [td]PPG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]363[/td] [td]107[/td] [td]232[/td] [td]339[/td] [td].29[/td] [td].64[/td] [td].93[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Noteworthy[/th] [/tr][tr][td]Among the active NHL players under the age of 25, he is plus- 66 career rating; leading the National Hockey League. [/td] [/tr][/table]
[h3]18. F - Daniel Sedin (969)[/h3]

[table][tr][th=""]2009-10[/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]G[/td] [td]A[/td] [td]PTS[/td] [td]GPG[/td] [td]APG[/td] [td]PPG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]63[/td] [td]29[/td] [td]56[/td] [td]85[/td] [td].46[/td] [td].89[/td] [td]1.35[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Since the lockout [/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]G[/td] [td]A[/td] [td]PTS[/td] [td]GPG[/td] [td]APG[/td] [td]PPG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]390[/td] [td]147[/td] [td]249[/td] [td]396[/td] [td].38[/td] [td].64[/td] [td]1.02[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Noteworthy[/th] [/tr][tr][td]Tied for fifth in league scoring and tied for second for most game-winning goals at the conclusion of the first round of last year's playoffs.[/td] [/tr][/table]
[h3]19. D - Shea Weber (94[/h3]

[table][tr][th=""]2009-10[/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]G[/td] [td]A[/td] [td]PTS[/td] [td]GPG[/td] [td]APG[/td] [td]PPG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]78[/td] [td]16[/td] [td]27[/td] [td]43[/td] [td].21[/td] [td].35[/td] [td].55[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Since the lockout [/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]G[/td] [td]A[/td] [td]PTS[/td] [td]GPG[/td] [td]APG[/td] [td]PPG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]320[/td] [td]64[/td] [td]102[/td] [td]166[/td] [td].20[/td] [td].32[/td] [td].52[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Noteworthy[/th] [/tr][tr][td]Since the start of 2006-07 season, has 62 goals, which ranks second only to Washington's Mike Green (70) in goals by a defenceman.[/td] [/tr][/table]
[h3]20. F - Marian Gaborik (940)[/h3]

[table][tr][th=""]2009-10[/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]G[/td] [td]A[/td] [td]PTS[/td] [td]GPG[/td] [td]APG[/td] [td]PPG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]76[/td] [td]42[/td] [td]44[/td] [td]86[/td] [td].55[/td] [td].58[/td] [td]1.13[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Since the lockout [/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]G[/td] [td]A[/td] [td]PTS[/td] [td]GPG[/td] [td]APG[/td] [td]PPG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]283[/td] [td]165[/td] [td]150[/td] [td]315[/td] [td].58[/td] [td].53[/td] [td]1.11[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Noteworthy[/th] [/tr][tr][td]Ranked fifth in the NHL in goals, 10th in points, 16th in shots, and tied for third in the league in home goals (26) and power play goals. [/td][/tr][/table]

 

[physicx]

[h3]21. D - Chris Pronger (903)[/h3]

[table][tr][th=""]2009-10[/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]G[/td] [td]A[/td] [td]PTS[/td] [td]GPG[/td] [td]APG[/td] [td]PPG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]82[/td] [td]10[/td] [td]45[/td] [td]55[/td] [td].12[/td] [td].55[/td] [td].67[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Since the lockout [/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]G[/td] [td]A[/td] [td]PTS[/td] [td]GPG[/td] [td]APG[/td] [td]PPG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]382[/td] [td]58[/td] [td]203[/td] [td]261[/td] [td].15[/td] [td].53[/td] [td].68[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Noteworthy[/th] [/tr][tr][td]Made his third Stanley Cup Final appearance last season and has made the playoffs for the 14th straight season.[/td] [/tr][/table]
[h3]22. F - Mike Richards (902)[/h3]

[table][tr][th=""]2009-10[/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]G[/td] [td]A[/td] [td]PTS[/td] [td]GPG[/td] [td]APG[/td] [td]PPG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]82[/td] [td]31[/td] [td]31[/td] [td]62[/td] [td].38[/td] [td].38[/td] [td].76[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Since the lockout [/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]G[/td] [td]A[/td] [td]PTS[/td] [td]GPG[/td] [td]APG[/td] [td]PPG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]372[/td] [td]110[/td] [td]173[/td] [td]283[/td] [td].30[/td] [td].47[/td] [td].76[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Noteworthy[/th] [/tr][tr][td]A former winner of the Bobby Clarke Trophy, given to the team's most valuable player, Richards led the Flyers in points last year. [/td] [/tr][/table]
[h3]23. D - Zdeno Chara (893)[/h3]

[table][tr][th=""]2009-10[/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]G[/td] [td]A[/td] [td]PTS[/td] [td]GPG[/td] [td]APG[/td] [td]PPG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]80[/td] [td]7[/td] [td]37[/td] [td]44[/td] [td].09[/td] [td].46[/td] [td].55[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Since the lockout [/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]G[/td] [td]A[/td] [td]PTS[/td] [td]GPG[/td] [td]APG[/td] [td]PPG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]388[/td] [td]70[/td] [td]161[/td] [td]231[/td] [td].18[/td] [td].41[/td] [td].60[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Noteworthy[/th] [/tr][tr][td]Led the team in plus/minus in the regular season last year and made his seventh playoff appearance in his 12th NHL season.[/td] [/tr][/table]
[h3]24. F - Eric Staal (859)[/h3]

[table][tr][th=""]2009-10[/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]G[/td] [td]A[/td] [td]PTS[/td] [td]GPG[/td] [td]APG[/td] [td]PPG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]70[/td] [td]29[/td] [td]41[/td] [td]70[/td] [td].41[/td] [td].59[/td] [td]1.00[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Since the lockout [/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]G[/td] [td]A[/td] [td]PTS[/td] [td]GPG[/td] [td]APG[/td] [td]PPG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]398[/td] [td]182[/td] [td]215[/td] [td]397[/td] [td].46[/td] [td].54[/td] [td]1.00[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Noteworthy[/th] [/tr][tr][td]Ranked tied for 26th in the NHL in points, tied for sixth in power-play goals and 13th in shots, despite missing 12 games last season. [/td] [/tr][/table]
[h3]25. F - Joe Thornton (84[/h3]

[table][tr][th=""]2009-10[/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]G[/td] [td]A[/td] [td]PTS[/td] [td]GPG[/td] [td]APG[/td] [td]PPG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]70[/td] [td]20[/td] [td]69[/td] [td]89[/td] [td].29[/td] [td].99[/td] [td]1.27[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Since the lockout [/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]G[/td] [td]A[/td] [td]PTS[/td] [td]GPG[/td] [td]APG[/td] [td]PPG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]406[/td] [td]125[/td] [td]385[/td] [td]510[/td] [td].31[/td] [td].95[/td] [td]1.26[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Noteworthy[/th] [/tr][tr][td]Completed seventh consecutive seasons of 20+ goals and 50+ assists; longest streak since Steve Yzerman and Doug Gilmore. [/td] [/tr][/table]
[h3]26. D - Nicklas Lidstrom (845)[/h3]

[table][tr][th=""]2009-10[/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]G[/td] [td]A[/td] [td]PTS[/td] [td]GPG[/td] [td]APG[/td] [td]PPG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]82[/td] [td]9[/td] [td]40[/td] [td]49[/td] [td].11[/td] [td].49[/td] [td].60[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Since the lockout [/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]G[/td] [td]A[/td] [td]PTS[/td] [td]GPG[/td] [td]APG[/td] [td]PPG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]396[/td] [td]64[/td] [td]256[/td] [td]320[/td] [td].16[/td] [td].65[/td] [td].81[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Noteworthy[/th] [/tr][tr][td]Norris Trophy winner six of the last eight seasons played, and only European born captain to lead his team to a Stanley Cup. [/td] [/tr][/table]
[h3]27. D - Mike Green (833)[/h3]

[table][tr][th=""]2009-10[/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]G[/td] [td]A[/td] [td]PTS[/td] [td]GPG[/td] [td]APG[/td] [td]PPG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]75[/td] [td]19[/td] [td]57[/td] [td]76[/td] [td].25[/td] [td].76[/td] [td]1.01[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Since the lockout [/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]G[/td] [td]A[/td] [td]PTS[/td] [td]GPG[/td] [td]APG[/td] [td]PPG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]417[/td] [td]71[/td] [td]149[/td] [td]220[/td] [td].17[/td] [td].36[/td] [td].53[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Noteworthy[/th] [/tr][tr][td]Finished second in voting for the Norris Trophy and was top vote-getter among defencemen on the NHL First All-Star Team. [/td] [/tr][/table]
[h3]28. F - Martin St. Louis (77[/h3]

[table][tr][th=""]2009-10[/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]G[/td] [td]A[/td] [td]PTS[/td] [td]GPG[/td] [td]APG[/td] [td]PPG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]82[/td] [td]29[/td] [td]65[/td] [td]94[/td] [td].35[/td] [td].79[/td] [td]1.15[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Since the lockout [/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]G[/td] [td]A[/td] [td]PTS[/td] [td]GPG[/td] [td]APG[/td] [td]PPG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]408[/td] [td]158[/td] [td]262[/td] [td]420[/td] [td].39[/td] [td].64[/td] [td]1.03[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Noteworthy[/th] [/tr][tr][td]Tied for first on the team in points, first in assists and second in goals; ranking fourth in the NHL with 65 assists. [/td] [/tr][/table]
[h3]29. F - Anze Kopitar (724)[/h3]

[table][tr][th=""]2009-10[/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]G[/td] [td]A[/td] [td]PTS[/td] [td]GPG[/td] [td]APG[/td] [td]PPG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]82[/td] [td]34[/td] [td]47[/td] [td]81[/td] [td].41[/td] [td].57[/td] [td].99[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Since the lockout [/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]G[/td] [td]A[/td] [td]PTS[/td] [td]GPG[/td] [td]APG[/td] [td]PPG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]318[/td] [td]113[/td] [td]172[/td] [td]285[/td] [td].36[/td] [td].54[/td] [td].90[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Noteworthy[/th] [/tr][tr][td]Has scored 20-plus goals in each of his first four NHL seasons and has played in 255 straight games entering 2010-11.[/td] [/tr][/table]
[h3]30. G - Henrik Lundqvist (661)[/h3]

[table][tr][th=""]2009-10[/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]W[/td] [td]L[/td] [td]OT[/td] [td]GAA[/td] [td]SP[/td] [/tr][tr][td]73[/td] [td]35[/td] [td]27[/td] [td]11[/td] [td]2.38[/td] [td].921[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Since the lockout [/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]W[/td] [td]L[/td] [td]OT[/td] [td]GAA[/td] [td]SP[/td] [/tr][tr][td]338[/td] [td]177[/td] [td]110[/td] [td]45[/td] [td]2.33[/td] [td].918[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Noteworthy[/th] [/tr][tr][td]Established career-highs in games played and saves while capturing the Rangers' MVP Award for the fourth consecutive year.

[/td][/tr][/table]

 

[physicx]

[h3]31. F - Patrick Marleau (656)[/h3]

[table][tr][th=""]2009-10[/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]G[/td] [td]A[/td] [td]PTS[/td] [td]GPG[/td] [td]APG[/td] [td]PPG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]82[/td] [td]44[/td] [td]39[/td] [td]83[/td] [td].54[/td] [td].48[/td] [td]1.01[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Since the lockout [/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]G[/td] [td]A[/td] [td]PTS[/td] [td]GPG[/td] [td]APG[/td] [td]PPG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]395[/td] [td]167[/td] [td]199[/td] [td]366[/td] [td].42[/td] [td].50[/td] [td].93[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Noteworthy[/th] [/tr][tr][td]Figured in on the scoring on all but one of the team's goals in the Western Conference Finals, including back-to-back multi-goal games. The first player in playoff history to have consecutive multi-goal games in which he's scored all of his teams goals.[/td] [/tr][/table]
[h3]32. F - Jarome Iginla (650)[/h3]

[table][tr][th=""]2009-10[/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]G[/td] [td]A[/td] [td]PTS[/td] [td]GPG[/td] [td]APG[/td] [td]PPG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]82[/td] [td]32[/td] [td]37[/td] [td]69[/td] [td].39[/td] [td].45[/td] [td].84[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Since the lockout [/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]G[/td] [td]A[/td] [td]PTS[/td] [td]GPG[/td] [td]APG[/td] [td]PPG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]398[/td] [td]191[/td] [td]226[/td] [td]417[/td] [td].48[/td] [td].57[/td] [td]1.05[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Noteworthy[/th] [/tr][tr][td]Member of Team Canada's Olympic gold medal-winning team in 2002 at Salt Lake City and in 2010 at Vancouver. Reached 900 career points in a two-goal, two-assist effort against the Oilers on January 30, 2010.[/td] [/tr][/table]
[h3]33. F - Corey Perry (635)[/h3]

[table][tr][th=""]2009-10[/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]G[/td] [td]A[/td] [td]PTS[/td] [td]GPG[/td] [td]APG[/td] [td]PPG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]82[/td] [td]27[/td] [td]49[/td] [td]76[/td] [td].33[/td] [td].60[/td] [td].93[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Since the lockout [/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]G[/td] [td]A[/td] [td]PTS[/td] [td]GPG[/td] [td]APG[/td] [td]PPG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]368[/td] [td]118[/td] [td]153[/td] [td]271[/td] [td].32[/td] [td].42[/td] [td].74[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Noteworthy[/th] [/tr][tr][td]Established career highs in assists and points while being the only player to appear in all 82 contests for the Ducks last season.[/td] [/tr][/table]
[h3]34. D - Dan Boyle (619)[/h3]

[table][tr][th=""]2009-10[/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]G[/td] [td]A[/td] [td]PTS[/td] [td]GPG[/td] [td]APG[/td] [td]PPG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]76[/td] [td]15[/td] [td]43[/td] [td]58[/td] [td].20[/td] [td].57[/td] [td].76[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Since the lockout [/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]G[/td] [td]A[/td] [td]PTS[/td] [td]GPG[/td] [td]APG[/td] [td]PPG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]351[/td] [td]70[/td] [td]186[/td] [td]256[/td] [td].20[/td] [td].53[/td] [td].73[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Noteworthy[/th] [/tr][tr][td]Fourth amongst NHL defencemen in points, tied for fifth in assists and tied for fourth in goals. His career-high of 43 assists in a single season are the most ever by a Sharks defenceman.[/td] [/tr][/table]
[h3]35. F - Marian Hossa (61[/h3]

[table][tr][th=""]2009-10[/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]G[/td] [td]A[/td] [td]PTS[/td] [td]GPG[/td] [td]APG[/td] [td]PPG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]57[/td] [td]24[/td] [td]27[/td] [td]51[/td] [td].42[/td] [td].47[/td] [td].89[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Since the lockout [/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]G[/td] [td]A[/td] [td]PTS[/td] [td]GPG[/td] [td]APG[/td] [td]PPG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]365[/td] [td]175[/td] [td]205[/td] [td]380[/td] [td].48[/td] [td].56[/td] [td]1.04[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Noteworthy[/th] [/tr][tr][td]Ranked fourth on the club with 24 goals, and fifth with 51 points in 57 regular-season contests. Ended last season tied for the club lead with a plus- 24 rating. [/td] [/tr][/table]
[h3]36. F - Dany Heatley (57[/h3]

[table][tr][th=""]2009-10[/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]G[/td] [td]A[/td] [td]PTS[/td] [td]GPG[/td] [td]APG[/td] [td]PPG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]92[/td] [td]39[/td] [td]43[/td] [td]82[/td] [td].42[/td] [td].47[/td] [td].89[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Since the lockout [/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]G[/td] [td]A[/td] [td]PTS[/td] [td]GPG[/td] [td]APG[/td] [td]PPG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]399[/td] [td]219[/td] [td]225[/td] [td]444[/td] [td].55[/td] [td].56[/td] [td]1.11[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Noteworthy[/th] [/tr][tr][td]Tied for 15th in the NHL in points and eighth in goals; second in the NHL in power play goals (1 and first in game-winning goals (9).[/td] [/tr][/table]
[h3]37. D - Tyler Myers (562)[/h3]

[table][tr][th=""]2009-10[/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]G[/td] [td]A[/td] [td]PTS[/td] [td]GPG[/td] [td]APG[/td] [td]PPG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]82[/td] [td]11[/td] [td]37[/td] [td]48[/td] [td].13[/td] [td].45[/td] [td].59[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Since the lockout [/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]G[/td] [td]A[/td] [td]PTS[/td] [td]GPG[/td] [td]APG[/td] [td]PPG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]82[/td] [td]11[/td] [td]37[/td] [td]48[/td] [td].13[/td] [td].45[/td] [td].59[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Noteworthy[/th] [/tr][tr][td]Captured the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL's Rookie of the Year while leading all Sabres players in ice time. [/td] [/tr][/table]
[h3]38. F - Daniel Alfredsson (39[/h3]

[table][tr][th=""]2009-10[/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]G[/td] [td]A[/td] [td]PTS[/td] [td]GPG[/td] [td]APG[/td] [td]PPG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]70[/td] [td]20[/td] [td]50[/td] [td]70[/td] [td].29[/td] [td].71[/td] [td]1.00[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Since the lockout [/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]G[/td] [td]A[/td] [td]PTS[/td] [td]GPG[/td] [td]APG[/td] [td]PPG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]373[/td] [td]156[/td] [td]267[/td] [td]423[/td] [td].42[/td] [td].72[/td] [td]1.13[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Noteworthy[/th] [/tr][tr][td]Entering his 11th year as captain, the longest-serving in the NHL, Alfredsson is the Senators' all-time leader in games played (1,002), goals (375), assists (617) and points (992).[/td] [/tr][/table]
[h3]39. F - Mikko Koivu (382)[/h3]

[table][tr][th=""]2009-10[/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]G[/td] [td]A[/td] [td]PTS[/td] [td]GPG[/td] [td]APG[/td] [td]PPG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]80[/td] [td]22[/td] [td]49[/td] [td]71[/td] [td].28[/td] [td].61[/td] [td].89[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Since the lockout [/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]G[/td] [td]A[/td] [td]PTS[/td] [td]GPG[/td] [td]APG[/td] [td]PPG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]362[/td] [td]79[/td] [td]176[/td] [td]255[/td] [td].22[/td] [td].49[/td] [td].70[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Noteworthy[/th] [/tr][tr][td]Set career highs in goals, assists and points while ranking 2nd in NHL in faceoffs won, 7th in faceoffs taken and 8th in faceoff % (56.9). [/td] [/tr][/table]
[h3]40. F - Jeff Carter (372)[/h3]

[table][tr][th=""]2009-10[/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]G[/td] [td]A[/td] [td]PTS[/td] [td]GPG[/td] [td]APG[/td] [td]PPG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]74[/td] [td]33[/td] [td]28[/td] [td]61[/td] [td].45[/td] [td].38[/td] [td].82[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Since the lockout [/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]G[/td] [td]A[/td] [td]PTS[/td] [td]GPG[/td] [td]APG[/td] [td]PPG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]381[/td] [td]145[/td] [td]132[/td] [td]277[/td] [td].38[/td] [td].35[/td] [td].73[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Noteworthy[/th] [/tr][tr][td]Played in the NHL All-Star Game after he tallied 46 goals and 84 points in 2008-09. In 52 playoff games with the Flyers, Carter is 15-28-43, 34 PIM.

[/td][/tr][/table]

 

[physicx]

[h3]41. F - Alexander Semin (369)[/h3]

[table][tr][th=""]2009-10[/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]G[/td] [td]A[/td] [td]PTS[/td] [td]GPG[/td] [td]APG[/td] [td]PPG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]73[/td] [td]40[/td] [td]44[/td] [td]84[/td] [td].55[/td] [td].60[/td] [td]1.15[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Since the lockout [/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]G[/td] [td]A[/td] [td]PTS[/td] [td]GPG[/td] [td]APG[/td] [td]PPG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]275[/td] [td]138[/td] [td]140[/td] [td]278[/td] [td].50[/td] [td].51[/td] [td]1.01[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Noteworthy[/th] [/tr][tr][td]Ranked seventh in the National Hockey League in goals, falling behind Sidney Crosby, Steven Stamkos, Alex Ovechkin, Patrick Marleau, Marian Gaborik and Ilya Kovalchuk.[/td] [/tr][/table]
[h3]42. G - Miikka Kiprusoff (367)[/h3]

[table][tr][th=""]2009-10[/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]W[/td] [td]L[/td] [td]OT[/td] [td]GAA[/td] [td]SP[/td] [/tr][tr][td]73[/td] [td]35[/td] [td]28[/td] [td]10[/td] [td]2.31[/td] [td].920[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Since the lockout [/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]W[/td] [td]L[/td] [td]OT[/td] [td]GAA[/td] [td]SP[/td] [/tr][tr][td]373[/td] [td]201[/td] [td]122[/td] [td]45[/td] [td]2.47[/td] [td].914[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Noteworthy[/th] [/tr][tr][td]Vezina Trophy winner and NHL First All-Star Team in 2006, played in the NHL All-Star Game in 2007, and was a member of Finland's Olympic team that won the bronze medal in Vancoouver . [/td] [/tr][/table]
[h3]43. G - Roberto Luongo (362)[/h3]

[table][tr][th=""]2009-10[/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]W[/td] [td]L[/td] [td]OT[/td] [td]GAA[/td] [td]SP[/td] [/tr][tr][td]68[/td] [td]40[/td] [td]22[/td] [td]6[/td] [td]2.57[/td] [td].913[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Since the lockout [/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]W[/td] [td]L[/td] [td]OT[/td] [td]GAA[/td] [td]SP[/td] [/tr][tr][td]346[/td] [td]190[/td] [td]116[/td] [td]37[/td] [td]2.52[/td] [td].917[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Noteworthy[/th] [/tr][tr][td]Last year's playoff appearance marked Luongo's third appearance in the postseason and the third time he has advanced past the first round.[/td] [/tr][/table]
[h3]44. F - Johan Franzen (346)[/h3]

[table][tr][th=""]2009-10[/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]G[/td] [td]A[/td] [td]PTS[/td] [td]GPG[/td] [td]APG[/td] [td]PPG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]27[/td] [td]10[/td] [td]11[/td] [td]21[/td] [td].37[/td] [td].41[/td] [td].78[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Since the lockout [/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]G[/td] [td]A[/td] [td]PTS[/td] [td]GPG[/td] [td]APG[/td] [td]PPG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]319[/td] [td]93[/td] [td]71[/td] [td]164[/td] [td].29[/td] [td].22[/td] [td].51[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Noteworthy[/th] [/tr][tr][td]Signed an 11-year contract with the Red Wings in April of 2009 and is entering his third NHL season, winning his first Stanley Cup championship in 2008.  [/td] [/tr][/table]
[h3]45. G - Martin Brodeur (325)[/h3]

[table][tr][th=""]2009-10[/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]W[/td] [td]L[/td] [td]OT[/td] [td]GAA[/td] [td]SP[/td] [/tr][tr][td]77[/td] [td]45[/td] [td]25[/td] [td]7[/td] [td]2.24[/td] [td].916[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Since the lockout [/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]W[/td] [td]L[/td] [td]OT[/td] [td]GAA[/td] [td]SP[/td] [/tr][tr][td]336[/td] [td]199[/td] [td]107[/td] [td]30[/td] [td]2.30[/td] [td].917[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Noteworthy[/th] [/tr][tr][td]Won fourth Vezina Trophy as the top goaltender while finishing fifth in voting for the Hart Trophy as the league's most valuable player.[/td] [/tr][/table]
[h3]46. F - Ryan Kesler (323)[/h3]

[table][tr][th=""]2009-10[/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]G[/td] [td]A[/td] [td]PTS[/td] [td]GPG[/td] [td]APG[/td] [td]PPG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]82[/td] [td]25[/td] [td]50[/td] [td]75[/td] [td].30[/td] [td].61[/td] [td].91[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Since the lockout [/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]G[/td] [td]A[/td] [td]PTS[/td] [td]GPG[/td] [td]APG[/td] [td]PPG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]374[/td] [td]88[/td] [td]122[/td] [td]210[/td] [td].24[/td] [td].33[/td] [td].56[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Noteworthy[/th] [/tr][tr][td]Appeared in the NHL playoffs for the third time in 2010, recording six points (1-5-6) in six games against the Los Angeles Kings in the first round of the Western Conference Quarterfinals. [/td] [/tr][/table]
[h3]47. F - Vincent Lecavalier (311)[/h3]

[table][tr][th=""]2009-10[/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]G[/td] [td]A[/td] [td]PTS[/td] [td]GPG[/td] [td]APG[/td] [td]PPG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]82[/td] [td]24[/td] [td]46[/td] [td]70[/td] [td].29[/td] [td].56[/td] [td].85[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Since the lockout [/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]G[/td] [td]A[/td] [td]PTS[/td] [td]GPG[/td] [td]APG[/td] [td]PPG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]402[/td] [td]180[/td] [td]232[/td] [td]412[/td] [td].45[/td] [td].58[/td] [td]1.02[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Noteworthy[/th] [/tr][tr][td]Ranks second on the team in assists and third on the team in points and goals. [/td] [/tr][/table]
[h3]48. D - Brent Seabrook (309)[/h3]

[table][tr][th=""]2009-10[/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]G[/td] [td]A[/td] [td]PTS[/td] [td]GPG[/td] [td]APG[/td] [td]PPG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]78[/td] [td]4[/td] [td]26[/td] [td]30[/td] [td].05[/td] [td].33[/td] [td].38[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Since the lockout [/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]G[/td] [td]A[/td] [td]PTS[/td] [td]GPG[/td] [td]APG[/td] [td]PPG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]392[/td] [td]30[/td] [td]114[/td] [td]144[/td] [td].08[/td] [td].29[/td] [td].37[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Noteworthy[/th] [/tr][tr][td]Tied for sixth on the team with 26 assists and ranked third among club defencemen with 30 points in 78 regular-season games.[/td] [/tr][/table]
[h3]49. F - Brad Richards (306)[/h3]

[table][tr][th=""]2009-10[/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]G[/td] [td]A[/td] [td]PTS[/td] [td]GPG[/td] [td]APG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]80[/td] [td]24[/td] [td]67[/td] [td]91[/td] [td].30[/td] [td].84[/td] [td]1.14[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Since the lockout [/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]G[/td] [td]A[/td] [td]PTS[/td] [td]GPG[/td] [td]APG[/td] [td]PPG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]374[/td] [td]108[/td] [td]254[/td] [td]362[/td] [td].29[/td] [td].68[/td] [td].97[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Noteworthy[/th] [/tr][tr][td]Ranks first overall in power play points (40), tied for second in power play assists (27), tied for third in assists, and tied for sixth in points.[/td] [/tr][/table]
[h3]50. F - Patrick Sharp (263)[/h3]

[table][tr][th=""]2009-10[/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]G[/td] [td]A[/td] [td]PTS[/td] [td]GPG[/td] [td]APG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]82[/td] [td]25[/td] [td]41[/td] [td]66[/td] [td].30[/td] [td].50[/td] [td].80[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Since the lockout [/th] [/tr][tr][td]GP[/td] [td]G[/td] [td]A[/td] [td]PTS[/td] [td]GPG[/td] [td]APG[/td] [td]PPG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]375[/td] [td]121[/td] [td]117[/td] [td]238[/td] [td].32[/td] [td].31[/td] [td].63[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]Noteworthy
[/th] [/tr][tr][td]Ranked fourth on the team with a career-high 41 assists, and fourth with a career-best 66 points in 82 regular-season contests.

[/td][/tr][/table]

 

[physicx]

toews is one of if not my favorite current player and he had one HELL of a year...but number 3????

 

[lvjordan238]

C'mon need at least 1 more for the fantasy league. Info on the 1st page. Draft is tonight.

 

[True Blues]

Originally Posted by LVJordan238

C'mon need at least 1 more for the fantasy league. Info on the 1st page. Draft is tonight.

Where's cquan and Raise The Cup?

 

[True Blues]

yuku

 

[True Blues]

yuku

 

[True Blues]

yuku

 

[proshares]

One of my favorite threads on NT

Here's to hoping the offense of the Devils clicks quickly and Volchenkov helps to keep the shots Marty faces to a minimum.

 

[primetime21]

Originally Posted by FIRST B0RN

The Road 2 Repeat begins.....

tomorrow night i can't wait.

 

[primetime21]

double post

 

[physicx]

i could play but someone would have to draft for me

 

[proshares]

Why not just let it autodraft?

 

[True Blues]

Word. Physicx, set your draft order and let it autodraft.

 

[physicx]

i like surprises

edit - k im on my lunch break and ranking players right now. ive ranked maybe 75 or so. they look at list first then they start drafting by bpa according to my needs or just who's the top ranked in their default rankings?

never done auto-draft before

 

[nikepennyiv]

I'm really hoping that Leighton can have a good year for the Flyers (and Boucher during the first month or so of the season), since they have everything else going for them and are loaded up front and on defense. I don't mind losing Gagne, Zherdev is a proven offensive talent. I'm definitely expecting them to finish higher than 7th this year, especially since Leino and Giroux emerged during the playoffs and were both great; hopefully they can build on that this year.

 

[True Blues]

Originally Posted by Physicx

i like surprises

edit - k im on my lunch break and ranking players right now. ive ranked maybe 75 or so. they look at list first then they start drafting by bpa according to my needs or just who's the top ranked in their default rankings?

never done auto-draft before

The autopick system first selects the highest-rated available player (based first on your pre-rankings and then our default rankings) that can fill one of the open starting positions on your roster.
After all of your starting positions are filled, the system determines a list of bench positions based on the number of starters at a position vs. the overall roster size. The system then selects the highest-rated available player (based first on your pre-rankings and then our default rankings) that can play one of the bench positions.

Given this system, it's important to remember that all starting positions are filled before any bench players are chosen. Additionally, keep in mind that the system determines a maximum number of players to draft per position (starters plus bench) so that no roster ends up with an inordinate number of players at any single position (e.g., five goaltenders in a league that has a single starting goaltender).

 

[theprocessofbelief]

Busy night. This draft, ball, and the Raps/Suns preseason game all with 3 hours of one another.

 

[proshares]

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler [+]

Spoiler

Ducks: 10 Things You Need To Know


The Anaheim Ducks were a preseason dark horse for many pundits a year ago, especially after giving Detroit all it could handle in the playoffs the spring before.

But a slow start, and perhaps life without Chris Pronger, dropped the Ducks to 11th in the West and six points out of a playoff spot. They were a surprising disappointment.

The retirement of Scott Niedermayer was a major hit this past summer, but at least Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu came back for at least another season. In the end, this team is about Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and Bobby Ryan. The three star forwards need huge seasons if the Ducks are to have a chance.

"The last couple of years, it's kind of been like that," Perry told ESPN.com. "If the three of us are going, the whole team is going. That's how we look at it. We put a lot of pressure on ourselves, and we ride that pressure. We like it. We go out there and try to prove ourselves every night."

1. Start smart
The Ducks must avoid their annual slow start.

"We've been notoriously slow starters for four out of five years except for the Cup year," Ducks GM Bob Murray told ESPN.com. "The guys are aware of it and are talking about it. You can't get behind the eight ball in the Western Conference, let alone our division. You get behind, it's hard to catch up."

Perry said the players have been talking about it since Day 1 of camp.

"It's something that's happened the last few years, and we put ourselves behind the eight ball," Perry said. "We're playing catch-up all year. We got to have a great start."

2. No Niedermayer
The loss of Niedermayer hurts on and off the ice.

"You just move on," Murray said. "You knew it was coming. Coupled with Pronger the year before, we probably had the best defense in hockey. Then, we lose those two guys plus [Francois] Beauchemin. But you got to move on and you have to build."

The blue line is Anaheim's weakest link. Lubomir Visnovsky is the top gun on the back end, and he'll be joined this season by Toni Lydman (when he's healthy), Paul Mara, Andy Sutton, Luca Sbisa, Sheldon Brookbank and then possibly Brett Festerling, Brendan Mikkelson, Danny Syvret or teenage rookie Cam Fowler.

"We have to play some kids," Murray said. "We'll have to see how it goes. We need to move the puck up the ice because our forwards are decent enough, and if we get them the puck, we'll get some scoring chances. But we have to keep it out of our end."

3. Keep an eye on Luca Sbisa
Sbisa has the talent to become a future star on defense. He was the key player in the Pronger deal with Philadelphia. At 20 years old, he appears ready to stick with the big club.

"He's a young man with a lot of intensity, a lot of passion to play the game," Murray said. "I think we're going to have to let him go into what he's going to become. He's going to have to learn on the job, and he's a willing participant."

4. Center of attention
The Ducks have experimented with Ryan, a natural winger, at center in the preseason. It may stick, meaning Koivu would switch to third-line center.

"That's a pretty good 1-2-3," Murray said. "All the great teams are always great down the middle of the ice. Plus, it gets Bobby the puck more, and it gets Bobby moving his feet more. Getzlaf, Ryan and Koivu -- that's not bad. It hurts us a bit on the wings, but we'll see what we can do."

5. The top line
Matt Beleskey had 11 goals in 60 games with the Ducks last season. He's got a shot at being a regular fixture on the top line alongside Getzlaf and Perry this season.

"It's a possibility," Murray said. "He's a character kid. He competes, goes to the net and likes to shoot. That's what Getzy and Corey like. And Matt is a willing combatant, he's not shy. So that could be a good fit for those guys."

Perry said the 22-year-old winger is a nice complement on his line.

"Matt likes to get in the corner, he can shoot the puck and I think he can fit in great with us," he said.

6. The Getzlaf factor
The Ducks need more consistency from Getzlaf, a player who has the talent and skill to challenge Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin for the league scoring lead.

"Well, more importantly I think he's hoping for more [consistency]," Murray said. "I think he was very disappointed as far as how the year went for the Ducks last year. I think he's out to prove something this year, and that's the better for us."

7. The goaltending
This will be Jonas Hiller's team from day one. Last season, he appeared somewhat distracted as he battled Jean-Sebastien Giguere for playing time until the latter was finally traded to Toronto in late January.

"It probably was a little awkward for both goalies, going back and forth and playing every other night," Perry said. "They both played well for us, but this is Jonas' team now. He's our goalie, and we're going to ride him. He likes the workload, likes the pressure, and he's going to be ready for us."

8. Lupul return?
Joffrey Lupul hopefully will be back in the lineup by Christmas; he's an important top-six forward for the Ducks. He's been out with a blood infection.

"The last set of antibiotics has taken away the pain. We watched him work out the other day, and he's in no pain for the first time in a long time," Murray said. "But we're going to have to harness him a bit. He wants to get going, but we want to make sure it's done right this time. We want to bring him along properly. I want to make sure he's OK."

9. A name to watch, Part I
Teenager Cam Fowler may get a long, hard look on defense. He'll either play in Anaheim or get sent back to Windsor of the Ontario Hockey League. The Ducks can keep him for 10 NHL games in October before making up their mind.

"He's off to a good start," Murray said. "Every day he seems to get more comfortable. He's a very intelligent man with the puck. That's not a bad way to start."

10. A name to watch, Part II
Troy Bodie is 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds and could be a third-line presence for the Ducks this season.

"He's a strong kid. A late bloomer," Murray said of the 25-year-old who played 44 games with Anaheim last season. "He's a wonderful young man who really competes. He gives us size. He could be a third-line winger for us. He's got a shot. It's up to him."

PREDICTION: The Ducks play in the NHL's toughest division and can't afford another slow start. We believe they'll fall just short of the playoffs and battle Dallas for the Pacific Division cellar.

[h4]Coach's Corner[/h4]

Coach: Randy Carlyle
Experience:
Entering 6th NHL season
Record: 219-139-52
Stanley Cup titles: 1

• Randy Carlyle is tough on his players, and there were whispers last season that it was perhaps wearing them thin.

But GM Bob Murray is a big booster of Carlyle's, and one suspects he'd trade a few players before even thinking about firing Carlyle, who led the Ducks to the Stanley Cup in 2007. A strong start to the season would make it easy on everyone.

[h4]The Fab Five[/h4]

LeBrun's top positional players for the Ducks:

F -- Ryan Getzlaf: He's out to prove he belongs among the very elite superstars in the NHL. Watch out.

F -- Corey Perry: Led the Ducks with 76 points (27-49) last season and was by far their most consistent player. He has 40-goal potential.

F -- Bobby Ryan: Led the Ducks with 35 goals last season. His shift to center this season bears watching. Can he adjust?

D -- Lubomir Visnovsky: The team's only true star blueliner, he should see plenty of power-play time.

D -- Toni Lydman: Once he returns to the lineup after battling a neurological problem, he'll give the Ducks a steady, puck-moving force.

[h4]Fantasy Focus[/h4]

Best Bet: Ryan Getzlaf
Hopefully, Getzlaf's ankle has had time to heal this offseason. He missed plenty of time last season, but still finished with better than a point per game. In only 66 games, Getzlaf had 19 goals and 50 assists. If you buy into reports that Getzlaf's ankle has healed properly, you can expect him to be the world-beater he has been in the past. Thanks to his penalty minutes and power-play points, Getzlaf could even return top-10 value this season. -- Sean Allen

Risky Pick: Jonas Hiller
A funny thing happened after Hiller took over the lion's share of starts from Jean-Sebastien Giguere (and got his contract extension): his play became less consistent and his seasonal stats yielded an also-ran status. Hiller again will be the main man in net in Orange County, so we'll see how he holds up when he's asked to start more than his career high of 58 games from last season. The addition of steady blueliner Toni Lydman will help in the defensive zone, and a reduction in Hiller's goals-against average from 2.73 would bump his overall rating in fantasy. Still, he's a solid No. 2 option. -- Tim Kavanagh

Sleeper: Luca Sbisa
If young Sbisa is ready to make a serious impression, the table couldn't be set any nicer in Anaheim. Although he has nothing other than a statistical goose egg to show for eight games with the Ducks in 2009-10, he did mange to collect 18 points in 29 games while splitting time between the Lethbridge Hurricanes and Portland Winterhawks in the WHL. Now that James Wisniewski is out of the picture (Islanders), much will be expected from Sbisa, who skates and moves the puck exceptionally well. -- Victoria Matiash

Thrashers: 10 Things You Need To Know

It's been a full decade of NHL hockey in Atlanta, and the city and its dwindling number of fans still await the team's first playoff victory. A decade of hockey and not one single playoff victory. That's not all that surprising given that the team has qualified for the postseason just once.

But that is about to change.

With veteran talent prospector Rick Dudley taking over for longtime pal Don Waddell as GM and Dudley's former minor league roommate Craig Ramsay taking over behind the bench, there is a sense in talking to other coaches and GMs that this is a team about to turn a corner.

Dudley has stocked the Thrashers with a handful of recent Cup winners from Chicago and a solid No. 1 netminder who should mesh nicely with a promising group of young players already in house. If this group pays attention to Ramsay's "safe is death" mantra -- first uttered in Tampa, where he helped guide the Bolts to a Cup in 2004 -- this may be the start of something entertaining, if not special, in Atlanta.

1. The Chicago Four
If you believe experience counts for something, then being able to bring four members of a Cup-winning team into your lineup should be a good thing. Ben Eager will add some toughness up front and Andrew Ladd (see below) has 20-goal potential and boasts two Cup rings from two different teams (he won with Carolina in 2006 before joining the Blackhawks). Brent Sopel brings some nice depth to the blue line, while the wild card will be playoff hero Dustin Byfuglien, who started training camp back on defense, the position he played when drafted by Chicago.

2. Adding Ladd
With captain Ilya Kovalchuk long gone, there is some debate as to who will wear the "C." We're guessing newcomer Ladd will get a serious look from management and coaching staff. Ladd had 17 goals last season with Chicago in a mostly checking role. He'll get more offensive opportunity with the Thrashers and could/should top the 20-goal mark. More importantly, he will be asked to do what he did in Chicago, and that's to be a calming influence in the dressing room.

3. Big Buff
Of all the new additions, none comes with as many expectations or question marks as the big man from Northern Minnesota. Byfuglien came into the league as a defenseman, but was converted to forward by the defense-rich Blackhawks. He flourished there, even though there were issues about his conditioning and focus. Those issues disappeared in the playoffs last spring, when Byfuglien scored 11 times, including a league-best five game winners.

It looks as though Byfuglien will return to defense, at least to start the season, in a move that has others in the hockey world a little puzzled. Dudley said Byfuglien is a rare specimen given his size (6-foot-4, 257 pounds) combined with good quickness and a big shot. His adjustment will be key to the Thrashers getting off to a good start.

"Buff can do anything he wants to do," Dudley said. The Thrashers are hoping he wants to do it in Atlanta.

4. The blue line
With Zach Bogosian presumably fully recovered from a wrist injury that limited his mobility and strength last season, the top four appears solid with him, Swedish Olympians Tobias Enstrom and Johnny Oduya, and Ron Hainsey. If Byfuglien adjusts, he will compete for ice time with those guys, while Sopel likely will round out the top six.

5. In the crease
Chris Mason was made expendable when he couldn't come to terms with the St. Louis Blues and they scooped up playoff hero Jaroslav Halak from Montreal. The Thrashers then scooped up Mason for the relatively inexpensive price tag of $1.85 million per year. Mason collected 57 wins over the past two seasons and should give the Thrashers the kind of consistency they have lacked. He will push young netminder Ondrej Pavelec to be more consistent. When he's good, Pavelec is very good. He just needs to be good more often. Mason should prove to be an upgrade over the long haul.

6. Who's gonna score?
The question coming into training camp was, who will replace the 45-50 goals Kovalchuk accounted for every season? With Ramsay's new puck-possession, go-after-it offense, the hope is that scoring will be equitably distributed among the team's top three lines. That means Bryan Little, awarded a three-year deal worth $7.15 million in the offseason, will have to bounce back after a 13-goal effort last season. He had 31 goals the year before and will return to his natural position as a center.

Niclas Bergfors will compete for top-six minutes along with Nik Antropov, sophomore Evander Kane and Rich Peverley. Fredrik Modin, once upon a time a 30-goal guy, is in the mix. Patrice Cormier broke his foot before camp started and won't be available until after the season starts. In his absence, Alexander Burmistrov, the team's top pick from June, may get a longer look.

7. Who's gonna score on the power play?
Last season, the Thrashers were 25th on the power play. Since much of the criticism of departing coach John Anderson was a lack of structure, the idea is that the Thrashers' power play should be much more dynamic under Ramsay. It better be.

8. Meanwhile ...
The Thrashers were actually respectable on the penalty kill, something that hasn't always been the case. They finished 16th overall and spent much of the season in the top 10. The Thrash also managed to collect nine short-handed goals, tied for second-most in the league. That's a good start for a squad that promises to be aggressive.

9. Rumor mongers
What's the over/under on the number of times the Thrashers will come up in discussion about possible relocation to Winnipeg? Or Quebec City? We're guessing 50. People always point to Atlanta as a bad hockey market, but how can anyone tell whether the market's bad or not given the failure of the product on the ice?

"No one can tell me Washington's a better hockey market than Atlanta," Dudley said.

It's an interesting point. It wasn't that many years ago that the Verizon Center was a dust magnet. But the Caps got real good and marketed themselves properly and now hockey is the hottest ticket in town. Could Atlanta replicate that kind of success?

10. Team smarts?
Do the Thrashers have enough collective hockey IQ to assimilate what Ramsay will want them to do? The squad is young enough and should be motivated enough. But the question is whether the team can collect enough points in the first weeks of the season -- when the system will truly be put to the test -- to keep from being buried early.

PREDICTION: The Thrashers will battle the new-look Tampa Bay Lightning for second place in the suddenly improved Southeast Division, but will fall short. But not short enough to miss the playoffs again; they'll sneak in as the eighth seed.

[h4]Coach's Corner[/h4]

Coach: Craig Ramsay
Experience: Entering first full season as NHL coach (he was an interim head coach in Buffalo and Philly)
Record: 16-27-6
Stanley Cup titles: N/A
• Craig Ramsay is among the most respected coaches in the game, and this head-coaching gig comes late in the going for him. But he may have the perfect temperament, not to mention game plan, for a young Thrashers team that has struggled to find an identity.

As GM Rick Dudley told us, he always comes away from a discussion with Ramsay with something to think about, something he hadn't necessarily considered before. Will it translate into success for the Thrashers? Many around the hockey world believe it will.

[h4]The Fab Five[/h4]

Burnside's top positional players for the Thrashers:

F -- Nik Antropov: While the Thrashers are a bit unsettled down the middle, coach Craig Ramsay thinks Antropov could be a dominant player.

F -- Niclas Bergfors: Needs to take another step forward this season after notching 21 goals last season.

F -- Evander Kane: An injury disrupted his promising rookie season, but he should thrive under Ramsay.

D -- Zach Bogosian: Can he be as good as Drew Doughty?

D -- Tobias Enstrom: Small but skilled, Enstrom should thrive in the new system.

[h4]Fantasy Focus[/h4]

Best bet: Tobias Enstrom
A breakout season was expected in 2009-10 and Enstrom delivered. The 25-year-old Swede managed 50 points through a complete 82-game schedule, including 19 on the power play. The Thrashers' offense will take a mild hit this season with the departure of Ilya Kovalchuk, but there's enough young talent up front to ensure Enstrom will have another chance to put up points consistently. -- Victoria Matiash

Risky pick: Chris Mason
Mason does well when he's frequently pelted with vulcanized rubber. In games in which he faced 34 shots or more, Mason had a 10-3-5 record and .932 save percentage last season. This makes sense: face more shots, make more saves. But Mason gets it done. He is a reliable No. 2 option for your team. -- Tim Kavanagh

Sleeper pick: Niclas Bergfors
Bergfors didn't look out of place as a first-line forward after he was acquired from New Jersey in the Kovalchuk trade last season. He scored 17 points in 27 games with the Thrashers and looked like he deserved even more time as a top-line guy. He'll get his chance this season. Bergfors could secure 25 goals and 50 points. Given that as a basement, he certainly appears to be a nice pick as your last starter. -- Sean Allen

Bruins: 10 Things You Need To Know

We'll find out a lot about the Boston Bruins this season. The way in which they recover from last spring's second-round meltdown will be paramount to their success.

"It sits with you all summer," Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli told ESPN.com. "You never forget about it. It makes you stronger. You can't ignore it. It's the elephant in the room, but you can minimize it and build from it."

No, you certainly can't ignore it: The Bruins became the first team in 35 years to blow a 3-0 lead and lose a series. Ouch.

The Blackhawks snapped a 49-year Stanley Cup drought last season. The Bruins have gone 38 years and counting. Can Boston follow in Chicago's footsteps? The Bruins finished first in the East two seasons ago and were one win away from the conference finals this past spring. From the front office to the dressing room, the Bruins believe they belong in the same class as contenders Washington, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and New Jersey.

"I look at last year as part of a larger learning curve," Chiarelli said. "With the talent level, we should be back in the top echelon in the East. I expect it to take a little time to heal the wounds from last year, but I know our group is a strong bunch."

The Bruins added forwards Tyler Seguin, Nathan Horton and Gregory Campbell in the offseason and cut ties with forwards Vladimir Sobotka, Steve Begin and Miroslav Satan, as well as blueliner Dennis Wideman.

1. The Horton trade
It was Chiarelli's offseason blockbuster. The Bruins acquired a 25-year-old power forward who has 35-goal potential and hope the change of scenery from Florida will give him a boost. They gave up a valuable top-four defenseman in Wideman, but the B's hope it's worth it.

"He brings size and scoring," Chiarelli said. "I know there are questions that people have asked about him in Florida about underachieving, but he's young and he's a great player. How many times have we seen a change of scenery impact a player? You can't deny his talent, his size and his skill."

2. Another move
And don't forget Gregory Campbell from that same trade. The gritty and intelligent Campbell solidifies Boston's third line.

"Gregory is a very good defensive player who's great on faceoffs," Patrice Bergeron said.

3. Savard's status
The Bruins begin the season without the services of top center Marc Savard, who revealed during camp that he was still suffering from post-concussion syndrome as a result of a hit he took from Matt Cooke last season. Savard came back in the playoffs (he shouldn't have) and then began to have problems during his offseason workouts. Chiarelli confirmed to ESPN.com during camp that he had "minimal" trade talks with "two or three" teams during the summer for Savard, but nothing ever came close.

Savard's return to the Bruins' lineup is up in the air as the regular season approaches. His absence means center David Krejci has been asked to step up, and he appeared set to begin the season playing between Horton and David Krejci, while Bergeron centered Seguin and Mark Recchi.

4. Another void
Winger Marco Sturm (knee) also begins the season on the shelf.

"He's scheduled to come back anywhere from mid-November to the end of November," Chiarelli told ESPN.com at the onset of training camp.

Once both Sturm and Savard are back in the lineup this season, the Bruins will need to make salary-cap room. But for now, especially given the uncertainty of Savard, that's on the back burner.

5. No offense
The Bruins were 30th last season in offense, averaging only 2.39 goals per game.

"I look at that as an anomaly because I have to look at the year before, too," said Chiarelli, whose team was second in the NHL in offense in 2008-09. "We had some injuries last season. Our personnel was depleted from the injury perspective but also from the performance perspective. I think we will improve our scoring. I would have thought that even had we maintained the same lineup, so I expect we'll be even better with the additions to the lineup."

6. Draft picks pay off
Thanks to the Phil Kessel trade with Toronto in September 2009, the Bruins had the Maple Leafs' second overall pick this past June and took Seguin, who has franchise player written all over him.

"I think Boston should be excited about getting a player like him," Bergeron said. "He seems like a very smart and down-to-earth kid. Bruins fans should be happy."

The Bruins want to make sure not to raise expectations too high during the 18-year-old's first season.

"I think you've seen over history that it's not often players of his age and pedigree make a huge impact right away in their first year," Chiarelli said. "I think it'll be a slow and gradual process."

7. Lucic's back?
Milan Lucic's offensive production was cut in half last season, as an injury-filled season limited his ability and kept him out 32 games. The Bruins need him back to his 2008-09 form.

"With Milan, it's about re-establishing his identity, what gives him the time and space," Chiarelli said. "He's got a new contract. There's a little more pressure to perform, but he's a clutch player. With Milan, it's about the physical play first. We've told him that's his bread and butter."

8. The goaltending
The Bruins have quite the tandem in net. Two years ago, Tim Thomas won the Vezina Trophy. Last season, Tuukka Rask wrestled most of the starts and posted the lowest goals-against average (1.97) and save percentage (.931) in the NHL. Thomas came to camp eager to reclaim his pride.

"I've never seen Tim more motivated right now," Chiarelli said. "There's no reason why we shouldn't be in the top two or three in goals against between the two of them. ... I thought Tuukka tired at the end of last year. Tim had injury issues last year. But he's motivated and we're going to have a really good tandem there."

The Bruins looked at the trade market for Thomas during the summer, and a good start by the veteran might reignite those talks.

9. Big man on the blue line
Zdeno Chara followed up a Norris trophy season in 2008-09 with a good campaign in 2009-10, but not a great one. He dipped from 19 goals the season before to only seven last season, partly because he played through a finger injury. He still totaled 44 points, not bad for a so-called "down" year. But with Wideman gone, Chara needs to pick up the offensive slack from the back end. Look for him to do just that.

10. Road trip
The Bruins open the regular season in Prague with a pair of games against the Phoenix Coyotes. They hope to join a recent trend -- Pittsburgh began the 2008-09 season in Stockholm en route to a Stanley Cup, and Chicago turned the trick last season after beginning the campaign in Helsinki.

PREDICTION: The Bruins will overcome their springtime nightmare, as well as Savard's setback, to win the Northeast Division and place third in the Eastern Conference.

[h4]Coach's Corner[/h4]

Coach: Claude Julien
Experience: 6½ seasons
Record: 252-164-24
Stanley Cup titles: 0
• Claude Julien enters his fourth year behind the Bruins' bench, having guided his team to the playoffs in each of his seasons in Beantown. And you know the Bruins will play well defensively.

Under Julien's defense-first system, the Bruins have given up the second-fewest goals in the NHL for two straight seasons. One of his challenges early this season is to make sure there are no mental wounds from last spring's historical collapse.

[h4]The Fab Five[/h4]

LeBrun's top positional players for the Bruins:

F -- Nathan Horton: Is this the Cam Neely trade revisited two decades later?

F -- Patrice Bergeron: The team's most complete forward, Bergeron looks to best the 52 points he put up last season.

F -- Marc Savard: The most gifted playmaker on the team is shelved by post-concussion syndrome as the season opens. How long he's out is a big X factor for the Bruins.

D -- Zdeno Chara: The Bruins captain produced a bit less offensively last season, but his 44 points, amazingly, were still third overall on the team.

D -- Dennis Seidenberg: The German defender was able to post a plus-9 rating in only 17 regular-season games with the Bruins after his trade from Florida last season.

[h4]Fantasy Focus[/h4]

Best bet: Zdeno Chara
If Chara doesn't collect 50 points with 100 penalty minutes while skating more than 25 minutes per game, his season is considered a disappointment. Therefore, last season was a bit of a letdown. His past play suggests this season should be better, especially considering Chara is a free agent next summer and might put forth a little more effort. -- Victoria Matiash

Risky pick: Marc Savard
Savard can make the perfect pass no matter what team he is on or how much money he is making, so the biggest question is whether the concussion he sustained from Matt Cooke's elbow will have a lasting impact. He won't be ready to start the season, so draft him later than you usually would a top-20 forward. -- Sean Allen

Sleeper pick: Tyler Seguin
Seguin looked terrific in rookie camp and seems poised for a strong rookie season. Seguin, the No. 2 overall pick, has remained focused on becoming the best player he can. His 48 goals for the OHL's Plymouth Whalers were more than twice as many as anyone else on that team last season. Considering the number of skilled wingers the Bruins have and the trouble young players have transferring their skills to the NHL, there is no reason to make Seguin an early draft pick. He should definitely be a reserve pick in shallow leagues. -- SA

Sabres: 10 Things You Need To Know

The Buffalo Sabres rebounded from missing the playoffs in 2008-09 by roaring back to win the Northeast Division last season.

The turnaround was fueled by a Vezina Trophy season from Ryan Miller and the sparkling emergence of Calder Memorial Trophy winner Tyler Myers on Buffalo's blue line. But a first-round loss to Boston sent the Sabres home in a foul mood. Then the fans got grumpier when the offseason didn't see much improvement to the roster.

Still, Miller believes his team turned the corner last season and is ready for bigger things.

"We did lose some players, but we have a core that knows what's going on," the Sabres' star goalie told ESPN.com. "I think we do have a great amount of talent and the guys on the team are very smart. We play a good system. That's what does it for you, if consistently every night guys know where they have to be shift to shift. From there, they can be creative and you can be a great team."

The goal this season?

"Stanley Cup," Miller said. "You have to set the bar high. You can't just be happy trying to make it to the second or third round of the playoffs."

1. The defense
The blue line underwent some changes. Henrik Tallinder and Toni Lydman left via free agency and were replaced by Jordan Leopold and Shaone Morrisonn. Sabres fans weren't generally enamored with the swap, but Buffalo believes there will be improvement from within.

"[Craig] Rivet went through a shoulder problem all last year and had offseason shoulder surgery," Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff told ESPN.com during camp. "He's doing really well, and we would hope his play would be a lot better since he had the surgery. We've got [Chris] Butler and [Andrej] Sekera that will battle for ice time. I think there's a good mix there. ... Leopold can really help on the offensive side, and Morrison can be like a Tallinder."

The Sabres need Sekera or Butler to take that next step this season for this group to improve from last season.

2. The secret is out
Myers deservedly won the Calder Memorial Trophy last season as rookie of the year, making the jump from Canadian junior hockey, delivering 48 points (11-37) and averaging a whopping 23:44 minutes a night in 82 regular-season games. But now the secret is out. Opposing teams know all about Myers and will key in on him during pregame meetings.

"They're going to know your tendencies," Ruff said of Myers. "It's going to be a harder year for you. You get a bit of a free ride that first year. I would just echo to him that it'll be more difficult this year. You'll have to pay more attention to detail."

3. Who's under the radar?
"Drew Stafford," Miller said of his teammate. "I just get the feeling from him; he cares so much about the way he plays. I think he's a very creative player. Sometimes creative players get frustrated when things aren't clicking for them, but I think he's been building his game. He's slimmed down a bit, he looks real fast, and he's still got the great hands and the great shot."

The Sabres hope to get more offense from several players, notably leading scorer Derek Roy, sniper Thomas Vanek and, yes, Stafford. Roy led the team with 69 points (26-43) last season, while Vanek, a two-time 40-goal scorer, sunk to 28 goals. Stafford, who seemed to figure it out with a 20-goal campaign in 2008-09, slipped to 14 last season, as well as dropping 11 fewer points overall.

4. The right balance
Ruff wants just 20 more goals overall because last season the team showed tremendous balance by placing 10th overall in NHL offense and fourth in defense. That's the kind of mix all coaches strive for.

"It's important that we see us maintain similar numbers defensively," Ruff said. "I'd like to see our team maybe climb up a little bit on the offensive side. Those are good numbers, but you'd still like to improve that offensive side."

5. The two-way game
Those stellar defensive numbers last season came thanks in part to Sabres players being willing to embrace a better two-way game, shedding their fire-wagon ways that had seen them come out of the lockout guns a-blazing. But let's be honest -- Mr. Team USA had a pretty big part in it, too. Ryan Miller was superb last season and easily won his first career Vezina Trophy.

That will present a challenge, Ruff said.

"That's not an easy job," the coach said. "We would like to be a better team around [Miller] and continue to improve in that area. And for him, it's just trying to maintain. It's not easy to maintain when people are telling you you're the best goalie in the league. That's a high pedestal he's standing on. His work load last year was tremendous. I think it's about getting back into form and putting last year behind him. That's important."

6. Niedermayer in Buffalo
Rob Niedermayer was the most important addition up front this offseason, as the 35-year-old center signed a one-year deal worth $1.25 million. He brings stability to the Sabres' checking line and a little more muscle to a forward group missing a bit of grit.

7. The new kid in town
Tyler Ennis could be a dark-horse threat in the NHL's rookie race. The 20-year-old combined for 13 points (4-9) in 16 games (playoffs and regular season) last season after a late call-up. He has wheels and soft hands, and could be an important offensive contributor this season.

8. Connolly's status
Tim Connolly played 73 regular-season games last season, the most in seven years. His 65 points (17-4 were second on the team, and he showed just how valuable he can be when he stays healthy. He's eligible for unrestricted free agency in July, so he should be hungry for another big campaign.

9. Special teams
Having Miller as the last line of defense certainly helps, but the Sabres had the second-best penalty-killing unit in the NHL last season, a marked improvement from the 17th-place ranking in 2008-09.

10. Stay or go?
Zack Kassian has had a strong camp/preseason as he tries to stick around the big club. Buffalo's first pick in 2009 (13th overall) plays a physical game, as he should with a 6-foot-3, 226-pound frame. Since he's only 19, his only options are either going back to Canadian junior hockey or staying in the NHL. Myers stayed with the big club last season, so it's not impossible. [Editor's update: Kassian was sent down to his junior team in Windsor on Saturday.]

PREDICTION: The Sabres' best bet for improvement has to come from internal growth. The blue line doesn't look as good to us. Buffalo will finish second in the weak Northeast Division and make the playoffs.

[h4]Coach's Corner[/h4]

Coach: Lindy Ruff
Experience: Entering 14th NHL season
Record: 482-361-78-62
Stanley Cup titles: 0
• Lindy Ruff enters his 14th year and 13th season as coach of the Sabres, the NHL's longest-tenured head coach. But he sounded like it was all new again during an interview with ESPN.com early in camp.

"I'm excited," he said. "Last year was such a fun year. ... I'm really looking forward to getting it going again. This was a great team to be around last year, and I really feel it's a team with upside which can challenge up there for the top spot in the East."

[h4]The Fab Five[/h4]

LeBrun's top positional players for the Sabres:

F -- Derek Roy: A year ago, he was invited to Canada's Olympic camp. That tells you what Steve Yzerman thinks of him. Now he needs to bring it more consistently.

F -- Tim Connolly: He proved, for the most part, he could stay healthy last season after playing in 73 games. He now enters a contract year looking to build on a 65-point season.

F -- Thomas Vanek: Where did the 40-goal man disappear to last season?

D -- Tyler Myers: The Sabres kept waiting for him to hit the wall last season, and it never happened. Can he avoid the sophomore slump?

D -- Jordan Leopold: The solid two-way blueliner is on his fifth NHL club in just two-plus years.

[h4]Fantasy Focus[/h4]

Best bet: Ryan Miller
Miller put up career bests in goals-against average (2.22) and save percentage (.929). This offseason, the Sabres lost defensemen Toni Lydman and Henrik Tallinder, but Jordan Leopold and Shaone Morrisonn were added. With little roster turnover and Miller still in his prime, another stellar season should be in the works. One other factor is the schedule -- the Sabres play back-to-back games 22 times, so Miller may need more games off. Even so, he's a legit first-rounder. -- Tim Kavanagh

Risky pick: Tim Connolly
Connolly is one of the best playmakers in the NHL when he is healthy, but staying healthy has been the bane of his career. He put in close to a full season in 2009-10 with 73 games and had 65 points to show for it. But how high can you select a guy who hasn't played a full season since 2001-02? Drafting him as a No. 2 center certainly seems reasonable enough. -- Sean Allen

Sleeper pick: Tyler Ennis
Ennis has all but locked up a roster spot among the Sabres' top six forwards to start 2010-11. He should be the right winger Thomas Vanek and Derek Roy have been looking for. Ennis is done with the AHL after dominating the league as a rookie with 65 points in 69 games. Now it's a matter of whether he earns top-six minutes or not. -- SA

Flames: 10 Things You Need To Know

The Calgary Flames missed the playoffs last season for the first time in the post-lockout NHL, igniting rumors of sweeping changes in the front office.

People waited and waited and waited and ... no one was fired.

Ken King is still team president, Darryl Sutter is still GM and brother Brent Sutter is back behind the bench.

But know this: The feeling among local observers is that the Sutter regime is on notice in Calgary. There's a short leash, and the playoffs are a must.

There were key changes on the roster, and that's where the GM had two signings that stunned the hockey world: bringing forwards Olli Jokinen and Alex Tanguay back into the fold after trading them away.

Sutter also added backup goalie Henrik Karlsson and forwards Tim Jackman, Raitis Ivanans and Ryan Stone. Gone are goalie Vesa Toskala and forwards Nigel Dawes, Jamal Mayers, Christopher Higgins, Eric Nystrom and Brian McGrattan.

Are the Flames any better? Few people think so. Few pundits are picking Calgary to make the playoffs.>

"You know what, and rightfully so," Darryl Sutter told ESPN.com "Our team didn't do well enough last year and not enough individuals did well, either, so the expectations are probably right based on last season."

But Sutter believes there were signs last season of a team capable of making the playoffs (the Flames finished just five points out and had a decent road record).

1. The roster moves
Sutter really started to attack this roster Jan. 31, when he pulled off a blockbuster trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs, dealing away star blueliner Dion Phaneuf in a package that brought him (most notably) defenseman Ian White, winger Niklas Hagman and center Matt Stajan.

"First off, we had a lot of money tied up in five or six guys," Sutter said in recalling the trade. "When they don't combine for an elite performance all the way through, then you have to make some adjustments. We weren't in a position to think we needed to rebuild; it was more that we had three or four guys that all had bad years collectively together. So we tried to get them back to where they wanted to be and move on."

2. Ian White is an underrated blueliner
An excellent puck mover with an offensive touch, White should establish himself as a top-four defenseman with a full season in Calgary.

"We thought he was a nice complement to [Robyn] Regehr," Sutter said. "He can put up numbers and move the puck. We thought he was a nice fit."

3. Hello, again
Flames fans thought they were being punked on July 1 when Jokinen was brought back with a two-year, $6 million deal and Tanguay was signed to a one-year, $1.7 million contract. Sutter can't figure out why people are so surprised by the reacquisitions.

"Well, they are guys that, from a free-agency standpoint, we thought we could get at value and we thought they were guys that enjoyed playing here and enjoyed the market," Sutter said. "They were guys we prioritized at the end of the year."

The hope is both players can reignite Jarome Iginla on the top line.

4. The right direction
Sutter points to two areas from last season that indicate the Flames can be a playoff team.

"I do think that when you're one of the top road teams in the league and one of the top goals-against teams in the league, that means you should be higher," he said.

Led by star netminder Miikka Kiprusoff (2.31 goals-against average, .920 save percentage), the Flames had the sixth-best defensive record in the NHL. The Flames' 20-15-6 road record was second only to St. Louis among the 14 teams that missed the playoffs.

5. The wrong direction
On the other hand, Sutter says two critical areas must improve if the Flames want to return to the postseason.

"We have to significantly improve our goals for and our home record," Sutter said. "We have to regain those areas."

The Flames' anemic offense scored the fewest goals in the NHL (204) and ranked 27th on the power play. Calgary went only 20-17-4 at home, the third-worst record in the Western Conference.

6. Where's JayBo?
More production needs to come from star blueliner Jay Bouwmeester, Calgary's big acquisition from a year ago. Points aren't the most important measure for a top defenseman, but Bouwmeester plays a ton of minutes, including the power play. His 29 points (3-26) from last season don't cut it.

7. The goaltending
Every season, the Flames say they'll give Kiprusoff more rest, and every season, he is the Western Conference version of Martin Brodeur. Last season, Kipper appeared in 73 games. Newly acquired backup Henrik Karlsson, received from San Jose for a sixth-round pick, could get some action this season.

8. Oh, captain
Is Iginla slowing down? The 33-year-old dipped to 69 points (32-37) last season, down from 89 points the season before and 98 points the season before that. We'll see whether his reunion with Tanguay and Jokinen brings more offense out of him.

9. More depth
Rene Bourque did his part for the offensively challenged Flames last season, producing a career-high 27 goals and 58 points in 73 games. He's a vital second-line player, and the Flames can't afford any sizeable decrease in his production.

10. Window of opportunity
The Flames are a veteran team, one that's being given one more shot in the current window, a window some critics believe has already passed. There won't be many more second chances for any of the veteran players on this team.

"We're not coming off a playoff year, we're not coming off a final four, we're not coming off a Stanley Cup. Some guys on this team will have their work cut out for them," Sutter said.

PREDICTION: It would be a great story if Darryl Sutter had the last laugh and the Flames made the playoffs with a reborn Jokinen leading the way, but we don't see it. Look for Calgary to miss the postseason and finish fourth in the weak Northwest Division.

[h4]Coach's Corner[/h4]

Coach: Brent Sutter
Experience: Entering 4th NHL season
Record: 137-88-21
Stanley Cup titles: 0
• Brent Sutter left Canadian junior hockey a demigod. His magic touch with the Canadian national junior team at the world juniors made him a red-hot commodity among NHL teams.

But, so far, his NHL coaching stints in New Jersey and Calgary haven't produced the same magic. The pressure is on to get his Flames back into the playoffs. Or else.

[h4]The Fab Five[/h4]

LeBrun's top positional players for the Flames:

F -- Jarome Iginla: The man is durable, once again appearing in all 82 games last season. But his offensive production fell 20 points.

F -- Olli Jokinen: Once seen as a franchise center, the Finnish center hasn't topped 60 points in two straight seasons. He's getting a real shot with Iginla on his wing this season.

F -- Rene Bourque: Sutter gets criticized a lot in his local market, but stealing Bourque from Chicago a couple of years ago was a gem of a move.

D -- Mark Giordano: Has established himself as a reliable, two-way defender whose offensive upside could see him net 40 points one season.

D -- Jay Bouwmeester: One of the game's great skaters needs a bigger offensive season to justify his contract.

[h4]Fantasy Focus[/h4]

Best bet: Jarome Iginla
The only question with Iginla is whether you are going to get a star or a superstar. One thing that bodes very well for fantasy owners is Iginla was truly a superstar during the two seasons he was paired with Alex Tanguay. With Tanguay back in the fold, it's hard not to see Iginla get closer to 100 points than 70. As long as Tanguay has enough passes to share between Olli Jokinen and Iginla, everything should work out nicely. There is little doubt Iginla is a No. 1 winger and a second- or third-round draft pick. -- Sean Allen

Risky pick: Miikka Kiprusoff
From 2005-09, Kipper was the definition of a workhorse goaltender, starting no fewer than 73 games per season. But while that was going on, his ratios were trending in the wrong direction, getting a little worse each season. Last season was a bit of a renaissance. Kiprusoff put in 72 starts and had his best numbers since his monster 2005-06 season (2.31 GAA, .920 save percentage). Sign of things to come or a late-career blip? Until he proves us wrong, we're leaning toward the latter. -- Tim Kavanagh

Sleeper pick: Rene Bourque
He barely saw the ice with the first line in Calgary last season, yet Bourque still quietly amassed a 27-goal campaign. It's not his overall numbers that make him a decent starter for your fantasy team, it's his ability to find a way to produce despite limited ice time and power-play opportunities. If the depth chart changes and Bourque winds up on the first line, he could produce even more. -- SA

Hurricanes: 10 Things You Need To Know

A rash of injuries to top players prompted a grisly start, but the Hurricanes turned in one of the more respectable second-half performances in the league and at one point crawled back into the playoff picture.

Perhaps that's why so many think Carolina is ready to get back in the hunt. We agree that there is a lot of raw talent in the Carolina locker room with Jeff Skinner, Brandon Sutter and Jamie McBain, but it may be a bit premature to suggest the Canes are ready for prime time. At least not yet.

Still, if GM Jim Rutherford's clubs have taught us one thing, it's to never underestimate them.

1. Mirage or reality?
Only Washington had more second-half points in the East than the Canes' 51, as they put together a 25-14-3 record down the stretch. All of which begs the question whether this is a true reflection of the team's capabilities or a bit of fool's gold from a team that had little to play for after a disastrous start essentially eliminated it from playoff contention.

As for why Carolina started so poorly, the injury bug bit hard and early, and there's not much you can do about that. Coach Paul Maurice said the Canes did examine their preparation this preseason to ensure they weren't missing something.

2. Young guns?
Carolina boasted just one 30-goal scorer, Jussi Jokinen, and four 20-goal producers, one of whom, Ray Whitney, is now in Phoenix. Captain Eric Staal leads the group in terms of talent and experience, and he'll need to return to his normal point-a-game-plus pace after injuries limited him to 29 goals, down from 40 the previous season when the Canes made a surprise run to the Eastern Conference finals. Another interesting figure is Chad LaRose, who collected 18 points in the final 21 games of the season. He'll get a chance to show that was no fluke.

3. Staal back
Before Staal got to training camp in 2009, he injured his groin at the Canadian Olympic orientation camp. Then, there was an oblique muscle injury and a triceps muscle problem. And still he played. At one point, he couldn't take any draws because he was so sore. But by the time the Olympics rolled around, the big center started playing his best hockey and he had 65 points in his final 57 games. In a recent interview, Staal talked about the Olympics and how they reinforced that he could play with the best of the best. His leadership and point production remain a pivotal part of Carolina's chances of success.

4. And Ward back
If you're a glass-half-full person, then having No. 1 netminder Cam Ward miss 18 games in the second half with a back injury allowed top goaltending prospect Justin Peters to prove he's got NHL tools. Peters was 6-3-0 in Ward's absence and looks to start the season as the undisputed backup.

Ward returned from his back injury and went 4-2-0 with a .936 save percentage in the final six games of the regular season, but his durability remains a question mark. Ward was bothered by back issues dating back to the 2009 playoffs. Given the youthful squad in front of him every night, Ward will need to stay healthy and provide a lot of quality starts if the Hurricanes are going to be in the playoff mix.

5. Sutter arrives
Not sure how Brandon Sutter can show his face at Sutter family gatherings given that he managed somehow to take just one minor penalty in 72 games last season. But the fact that he also netted 21 goals in just his second NHL season should keep him in the Sutter family's good graces. Sutter had 15 points in his final 22 games, but can he continue his dramatic evolution? If he can, it takes more pressure off Staal to produce, and a playoff berth may be in the cards sooner than later.

6. Feast or famine?
The Hurricanes reached the Stanley Cup finals in 2006, then missed the playoffs in 2003 and 2904. They came back after the lockout and won the Cup in 2006 before missing the postseason for two more years before advancing to the conference finals in 2909.

The pattern suggests that the Hurricanes draft and develop players exceptionally well. They are also a small-market team that will never compete for the big-name free agents, so on-ice success must sometimes wait for on-ice talent to develop. It may take one more year for the new crop of Canes to mature to a point where they will challenge for a conference championship or more.

7. The back end
Still not quite sure what to make of Joni Pitkanen. Having completed his sixth NHL campaign, he is capable of carrying a heavy workload. The 27-year-old led all NHL players in average ice time last season (27:22). He also finished fourth in team scoring (46 points), but was minus-11 a season after finishing plus-11.

Along with U.S. Olympian Tim Gleason, Joe Corvo and once-again Cane Anton Babchuk, the Hurricanes are respectable along the back end. Rutherford also picked up former 21st overall draft pick Bobby Sanguinetti from the New York Rangers at the draft. Then, there's McBain, who collected 10 points in 14 games after being called up from the AHL. He also averaged a whopping 25:46 a night in ice time, which was seventh among all NHLers, although over a much smaller sample of time.

8. Carolina's kid
Every team has one, we suppose, "the kid" who represents the franchise's future. For the Hurricanes, that player this season is Skinner, the seventh overall pick in the June draft. He was overshadowed by top picks Taylor Hall and Tyler Seguin, but the positive buzz about Skinner leads some to suggest the Canes may have ended up with as good a forward as there was to be had in 2010.

The 18-year-old center scored 20 playoff goals, tied for the OHL lead, and his 33 postseason points were second only to Hall. The Hurricanes have a history of being patient with their young prospects, but Skinner's name is one fans will do well to remember, if not this season, then down the road.

9. The trip
Every season, teams that travel across the pond to start the season debate the merits of such trips. For Carolina, the trip will be more adventurous than most; they'll head to St. Petersburg, Russia, before going to Helsinki to start the regular season against Minnesota. Given the youth on this team and the challenge of making young players feel part of the team, Maurice figures the trip can't hurt.

"It's a real opportunity for some good team-building," he said.

10. Youth is lost
Unlike most teams who go to a youth movement by keeping around a handful of aging players to bridge the gap, the players who will provide the leadership in Carolina's locker room are themselves youngsters who just happen to have a lot of experience. There's Staal (25), Jokinen (27), LaRose (2, Sutter (21) and Gleason and Pitkanen (both 27). In short, there won't be any hurry to rush the new kids into roles they're not ready for.

PREDICTION: We like where the Carolina Hurricanes are headed, we're just not sure if they can get there this season with Atlanta and Tampa both taking strides. We figure the three teams to be within a few points of each other, but the Canes will finish fourth in the division and just out of the playoffs.

[h4]Coach's Corner[/h4]

Coach: Paul Maurice
Experience: Entering 14th NHL season
Record: 412-413-99-53
Stanley Cup titles: 0
• With Rod Brind'Amour moving to the front office, where all former Hurricanes end up, the average age of the Hurricanes will go down in a hurry this season, which should play to Maurice's strengths. He has always been considered a great teaching coach.

Sometimes a coach wonders where he should start in terms of addressing the nuts and bolts and elements of the game given the experience on his squad. No dilemma for Maurice. "We'll go back to basics," he said.

[h4]The Fab Five[/h4]

Burnside's top positional players for the Canes:

F -- Eric Staal: The captain shook off injuries to enjoy a solid second half and reinforce he is an elite pivot.

F -- Jussi Jokinen: The shootout specialist led the Hurricanes with 30 goals last season and will need to stay near that production if the Canes want to return to the playoffs.

F -- Chad LaRose: He had 18 points, including eight goals, and was plus-13 in the final 21 games of the regular season.

D -- Joni Pitkanen: Led all NHL players in average ice time last season and is the key point producer from the back end for the Canes.

D -- Jamie McBain: Had a strong showing when called up from the AHL late last season.

[h4]Fantasy Focus[/h4]

Best bet: Eric Staal
He hasn't reached 100 points since his sophomore campaign and has a tendency to get his points in bunches (bad for head-to-head fantasy owners), but the flaws are minimal if you select Staal with your first-round pick. He's a lock for 30 goals and may get as many as 40. He's also a lock for 70 points and may get you as many as 85. Staal also takes more than his fair share of shots on goal and posts power-play points, making him even more attractive in the ESPN format for fantasy hockey. -- Sean Allen

Risky pick: Erik Cole
We know Cole can average close to a point per game when healthy, and a healthy Cole will surely flank Staal on the top line. Still, injuries are starting to take their toll and it's difficult to project Cole for more than 50 games. If you take him as your ninth forward or a reserve pick, the risk is low enough that he becomes worth the investment. -- SA

Sleeper pick: Zach Boychuk
Despite bouncing between the AHL and NHL last season, Boychuk still managed to put in an impressive campaign with Albany (36 points in 52 games), all while getting his feet wet at the NHL level for 31 games. His ice time was minimal with the Hurricanes, so we can't draw any definitive conclusions about his NHL future. But Boychuk has a strong shot at being a top-six forward for the Canes and someone to keep on your radar for the reserve rounds. -- SA

Hawks: 10 Things You Need To Know

The Blackhawks went from a team in celebration to a team under siege almost immediately.

After bringing home their first Stanley Cup since 1961, ending the NHL's longest Cup drought in the process, the Blackhawks began shedding bodies.

Eight regulars from the Cup roster are gone, including netminder Antti Niemi and playoff hero Dustin Byfuglien, as the Hawks struggled to make peace with the salary cap. As if that wasn't tough enough, they had to fend off an offer sheet from conference rival San Jose for the services of defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson and wait for the NHL to end its investigation into the contract tendered to Marian Hossa more than a year ago.

And you know what? Through it all, the Blackhawks maintained their Stanley Cup core, added a handful of prospects and assets, and look like a team that will mount a serious defense while ensuring it will remain a contender down the road.

GM Stan Bowman has been masterful at adding young assets and plugging holes, like signing Marty Turco to tend goal and adding Fernando Pisani and Ryan Potulny for next to nothing to give the Blackhawks more depth up front.

Fear not, Hawks fans; that Cup run was not a mirage.

1. Net gains?
Only time will tell whether GM Stan Bowman did the right thing in walking away from an arbitrator's ruling on Niemi. San Jose, the team that signed Niemi late in the summer, hopes Bowman's regret will come as early as next spring if the two teams again meet in the postseason (Chicago swept San Jose in the 2010 Western Conference finals). But Bowman had an inkling Niemi wasn't going to fit into his salary structure and found a more than adequate stopgap stopper in Turco.

While Turco doesn't have a Cup ring, he was sensational in the playoffs for Dallas in the spring of 2008 as the Stars advanced to the conference finals. Two non-playoff seasons spelled the end of Turco's time in Dallas, and he bided his time before signing a one-year deal at the bargain price of $1.3 million.

Turco won't be asked to play 70-plus games and won't face a ton of shots (the Hawks allowed a league-low 25.1 shots per game last season). One element of Turco's game coach Joel Quenneville is looking to incorporate into an already-skilled puck-moving squad is the goalie's puck-handling, which has the potential to spring skilled forwards on odd-man breaks and provide opposing teams even more headaches.

2. Plan B?
A year ago, the Blackhawks essentially rolled the dice on keeping Niemi to play with incumbent Cristobal Huet while sending Corey Crawford back to Rockford of the AHL. Now, Huet has been shipped off to Switzerland and Crawford has inherited the backup role to Turco (Crawford will have to show he's NHL-worthy after going 24-16-2 for the Ice Hogs last season). His play, as is the case with that of most NHL backups, might mean the difference between a division title and home ice in the playoffs. It also will go a long way in establishing whether he really is the Hawks' goalie of the future.

3. The captain
By the end of last season's playoffs, captain Jonathan Toews had collected an Olympic gold medal, a Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP and a Stanley Cup ring. Not a bad year's worth of work. Which leads us to ponder the question: Is it now Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin and Toews as the league's Big Three as opposed to the Dynamic Duo?

Toews likely won't put up numbers that will put him in line for a scoring title, but his value far exceeds what shows up on the score sheet every night.

Here is newcomer Turco on what he sees in Toews: "I've been around long enough to know a captain's a pretty big part of your team in order to win. The kid seems like he gets it."

4. Pat's pledge
The conversation of Ovechkin and Crosby came up in a recent interview with the other half of the Hawks' Glimmer Twins, Patrick Kane. It was likewise a season for the ages for Kane, who earned a silver medal at the Olympics and scored the Cup-winning goal in Game 6 against Philly. He talked about wanting to take another step forward as a player and be considered among the game's elite.

Kane had 88 points in the regular season and added 28 in the postseason, so the skill set is definitely there. Physically, Kane is bigger after another offseason of diligent training. Mentally, he appears to have put the embarrassment of last summer's cab driver incident in Buffalo, N.Y., behind him, and during his summer Cup visit, he described how he believes he is maturing and becoming more responsible.

5. Crunching the numbers
How good were the Blackhawks on both sides of the puck? They ranked third in goals per game, sixth in goals allowed per game and fourth on the penalty kill. Those numbers are signposts on the road to the Stanley Cup. Any reason to suggest they won't approach those numbers again? Not with Hossa in the lineup for the entire season and the core of the team in place.

6. What about the power play?
OK, the Hawks aren't perfect (they were a pedestrian 16th on the power play). But having Hossa around for a full season and with both Toews and Kane capable of more offensively, we wouldn't be surprised to see them jump into a top-10 ranking.

7. Motivation?
The reality of defending a Stanley Cup: A team has to be both mentally motivated and physically strong enough to put that motivation into practice. The Hawks are young and enter the season healthy. As for mental motivation, Turco said he was impressed with the team's focus and determination from the get-go at training camp. Talk to Duncan Keith, Toews, Kane and the rest, and they are chomping at the bit to get back at it. Can they sustain it? That's the $64 million question, no?

8. Oilers refugees
No problem finding motivation in the Hawks' lineup when it comes to guys like Fernando Pisani and Ryan Potulny, who spent last season looking at the Blackhawks from the bottom of the hockey world in Edmonton.

Pisani, a major contributor when Edmonton rolled to the 2006 Stanley Cup finals, admitted it often was hard to go to the rink for the last-place Oilers, who haven't qualified for the playoffs in four straight seasons.

"It's hard being positive and being motivated, but you learn a lot from that experience," Pisani told ESPN.com.

As for a chance to go from a franchise in disarray to the defending Cup champs, it is Cinderella stuff for Pisani and Potulny, who had 15 goals for the Oilers last season and played for the U.S. at the World Championships.

"Any chance you can have to be part of something special, you want to take advantage of that," Pisani said.

9. Hogs to Hawks
There was a belief last season that four or five players in the AHL who were NHL-ready didn't get a chance because of the skill in Chicago and the team's cap issues. Now, there are openings for players like Jack Skille, Bryan Bickell and Jake Dowell.

The positive thing for Chicago is that, while the opportunities are there, these players do not have to suddenly carry the team forward, but rather can grow into roles behind the team's established players (a model that has worked exceptionally well for the Detroit Red Wings for many years).

Skille, for instance, was the seventh overall pick in 2005 and is now 23. "He's ready. He's not a kid anymore," Bowman said.

10. Seeding the farm
This past offseason, every trade Bowman made involved sending out more money than he brought back in. He not only managed to address cap issues, but added much-needed young talent and draft picks. Some of the young assets he collected are already creating a stir, as defenseman Nick Leddy and forward Jeremy Morin are making strong pushes out of training camp.

Regardless, Bowman figures the team's affiliate in Rockford will be the youngest in the AHL this season. Depending on who makes the Blackhawks out of camp, the Ice Hogs could boast three 19-year-olds, three 20-year-olds and a couple of 21-year-olds.

PREDICTION: Don't really care about the bodies no longer in Chicago. The ones that are there are pretty special, special enough to return to the top of the Central Division. We also see a return to the Stanley Cup finals in the Hawks' immediate future.

[h4]Coach's Corner[/h4]

Coach: Joel Quenneville
Experience: Entering 14th NHL season
Record: 535-327-77-60
Stanley Cup titles: 1
• Quenneville, or Coach Q as he is more commonly known, was rewarded with a three-year contract extension after taking home his first Stanley Cup as a head coach. After taking over for Denis Savard early in the 2008-09 season, Quenneville deserves much credit for helping mold the youthful Hawks into winners in what appears to be the blink of an eye.

Like all coaches defending a title, Quenneville will have to find the balance between pushing too hard and pulling back too much. But one thing is for certain: No one will be taking anything for granted in the Blackhawks' dressing room with Quenneville at the helm.

[h4]The Fab Five[/h4]

Burnside's top positional players for the Hawks:

F -- Jonathan Toews: "Captain Serious" remains the conscience of the defending Stanley Cup champs.

F -- Marian Hossa: The talented winger played in just 57 regular-season games last season due to injury but has 80-game potential.

F -- Patrick Kane: Look for Kane to take another step toward the top of the NHL's scoring charts.

D -- Duncan Keith: The defending Norris trophy champ has nice replacement teeth for the ones he lost in the conference finals … and an appetite for more hardware.

D -- Niklas Hjalmarsson: The Hawks matched a four-year, $14 million offer sheet from San Jose. Look for him to take another step forward as a franchise defender.

[h4]Fantasy Focus[/h4]

Best bet: Duncan Keith
Keith provides the entire fantasy package. Playing a considerable part in the Blackhawks' Stanley Cup-winning season, Keith accumulated 69 points (second among D-men to only Mike Green) and 51 PIM while averaging 26:35 minutes per game (second only to Carolina's Joni Pitkanen) and ending the year at plus-21. What else do you want? Durability? Well, he's missed only six games in five full NHL seasons. In any fantasy league, Keith should go no later than the fourth round overall. -- Victoria Matiash

Risky pick: Marty Turco
With Antti Niemi gone, Turco should get a big share of starts for the Blackhawks, who were gutted this offseason due to salary cap restraints. The core of the Chicago defense is pretty intact, however, and that's the key here. Turco will be playing behind one of the league's best collection of rearguards, and that should help his goals-against average, which was 2.72 last season. Turco will also face fewer shots, which might yield a lower save percentage. One mitigating factor for Turco is his age. At 35, he might not start as many games as he did in the past. Because of the possible reduction in starts, it's hard to project Turco higher than other goalies that will have bigger workloads. -- Tim Kavanagh

Sleeper pick: Dave Bolland
If he can avoid injuries this season, the 24-year-old Bolland is poised for a breakout campaign. As illustrated by his 47 points in 2008-09 and 28 points in 39 career playoff games with the Blackhawks, the skill set is definitely there. Now, as the team's projected second-line center, Bolland has the chance to shine. A ranking among the top 100 forwards may seem bold, but considering the talent he will have to work with, Bolland should live up to the billing. -- Sean Allen

Avalanche: 10 Things You Need To Know

Only the amazing story of the Phoenix Coyotes overshadowed the stunning turnaround in Denver last season.

Colorado was dead last in the Western Conference in 2008-09 with a measly 69 points but improved a whopping 26 points in the standings last season to claim the eighth and final playoff spot in the conference.

No one saw that coming. But a young team, buoyed by rookie centers Matt Duchene and Ryan O'Reilly, played like a group wanting to prove something. It's the rawest motivation in sports, and it often works.

"There were such low expectations for us, and we wanted to prove people wrong," Duchene told ESPN.com. "We had a chip on our shoulder. We just had a lot of confidence. We had that young stubbornness with so many young guys. We just didn't believe we could lose a game and we played that way for almost the whole year."

The team got even younger in the offseason with several veterans exiting, including Darcy Tucker, Marek Svatos, Stephane Yelle, Brett Clark and Ruslan Salei. Winger Daniel Winnik was the lone acquisition as Colorado's young assets continue to take over the room.

1. The Avs, for real
No one is making fun of this team anymore, and the Avs won't be able to use that as motivation this season. In fact, they better try to ignore all the nice things being said about them.

"Yeah, you can definitely fall in that trap of pleasing other people and not yourself," Duchene said. "We have to focus on ourselves and do what made us successful last year and even improve on that. If everyone gets just a little better, we'll be that much better of a team."

Avs GM Greg Sherman said the motivation is to bring the team back to the powerhouse Colorado days.

"We have a standard here," Sherman told ESPN.com. "Ultimately, we want to get this franchise back to where we believe we should be. I think there's a lot of pride throughout our organization, starting with our players. They have expectations of themselves. Certainly the way things unfolded last year, they got a taste of it. Now we just want to build off that and take it to the next step."

2. No surprises
Colorado's kids won't take anyone by surprise this season, and teams won't take them lightly. That presents a different challenge.

"And we certainly welcome that," Sherman told ESPN.com. "This organization has one thing in mind, what we represent, what we stand for and what our own expectations are. It's a situation we gladly look forward to. We want to start off where we left things last year. ... Our identity as a franchise -- we've regained that. Now it's a responsibility to maintain that and go to the next level."

3. Two steps back
The Avs suffered a setback right off the hop when top-six winger Peter Mueller suffered a concussion in his first preseason game Sept. 23. What made it worse was that it was his first action since his season was ended by a concussion April 4, forcing him to miss the playoffs. Mueller, who signed a two-year, $4 million deal on the eve of camp, was being counted on to be a possible fit on a line with Duchene and Milan Hejduk, but he instead begins the season on the shelf.

4. Hot-shot rookie, Part 1
Duchene led all NHL rookies with 55 points (24-31) in 81 games last season, looking very much the part of future captain and superstar center. Oh, and he's only 19. What is he going to do for an encore?

"I just want to improve," Duchene said. "I'm not sure where that's going to take me. You just want to improve your numbers from year to year and getting better as a hockey player to contribute more to team success. I don't really have a number in mind. I've fallen in that trap in the past, and you end up doing it for the wrong reasons. I just want to improve on last year, and hopefully the team can go deep in the playoffs this year."

5. Hot-shot rookie, Part 2
O'Reilly also is only 19 years old. He was an even bigger surprise than Duchene in terms of his impact last season, providing quality two-way play while centering the third line and killing penalties.

It's important for the Avs that their Nos. 2 and No. 3 teenage centers avoid the proverbial sophomore slump.

6. The leader
The old goat was brought back for another season. Captain Adam Foote, 39, signed a one-year, $1.25 million deal to return to a dressing room in which he's old enough to be the father of one-third of the roster. Because of that, his leadership is invaluable to the team.

"He is the consummate leader," Sherman said. "Not only his play, but certainly he brings a very strong intangible off the ice as well. He's a player that won two Cups with this franchise, and it's a great situation to have him in that room with those players as we look to get back to that level."

7. The leader in the making
Paul Stastny responded well to a new contract last season that pays him $6.6 million a year, leading the team with a career-high 79 points (20-59) in 81 games while helping Team USA to a silver medal at the Olympics. With so much focus on fellow centers Duchene and O'Reilly being only 19 years old, it's easy to forget Stastny is only 24 and has already established himself as one the of the league's top centers.

8. The defense
Foote oversees a blue-line corps that has both youth and veteran blood lines. Joining him in the group are John-Michael Liles (29), Scott Hannan (31), Kyle Quincey (25), Kyle Cumiskey (23) and Ryan Wilson (23). That should be the top six this season.

There also were youngsters trying to make an impression in camp, such as Colby Cohen (21) and Norwegian Jonas Holos (23).

"The strength is that we have a good mix of both young guys returning, and of course they're anchored by our captain in Adam," Sherman said. "We feel real strongly about our blue line."

We're not as confident in this group; only five NHL teams gave up more shots per game last season than Colorado's 32.1 average. The Avs have to tighten up. We believe this is Colorado's biggest area of concern.

9. The goaltending
Will the real Craig Anderson please stand up? Is it the one who hung out in the lofty company of Vezina Trophy candidates last season or the journeyman who knows what it's like to be put on NHL waivers?

Anderson was sensational last season, and he's hungry again this season. He's eligible for unrestricted free agency July 1.

"You can tell he got some serious swagger after last season," veteran Avs scribe Adrian Dater of The Denver Post told ESPN.com. "He's tall and confident-looking in net, but the defense in front of him, I'd say, is still spotty. He faced the most shots of any goalie in the league last year, and the Avs lost one of the game's premier shot-blockers in Brett Clark. So, Andy had better get used to seeing plenty of rubber again."

10. More offense
The Avs might be leaky on defense, but they're a potent offensive machine. They were sixth in the NHL in goals per game last season. Can they keep it up? Muller's preseason injury could hurt. Aging sniper Hejduk is 34 years old. Duchene must avoid a sophomore slump. And can they really get 28 goals again from impressive 22-year-old Chris Stewart?

PREDICTION: If Anderson can't stand on his head, things could get dicey. But the one-two-three punch at center is standout. The Avs will finish second in the Northwest Division and eighth in the Western Conference, making the playoffs once again, but barely.

[h4]Coach's Corner[/h4]

Coach: Joe Sacco
Experience: Entering 2nd NHL season
Record: 43-30-9
Stanley Cup titles: 0
• Joe Sacco might have been the most unheralded coaching hire a year ago, essentially the consolation prize after Patrick Roy turned down the job. Fast-forward to June in Las Vegas, where Sacco was among the three nominees for the Jack Adams Award as NHL coach of the year.

"One of the best qualities with Joe is his ability to communicate with our players, whether it be with our younger guys or our veteran group," Sherman said. "This year, he's going to build off that with the fact he's had these players for a while now given that he came up with some of them with our minor league system. His purpose and his approach is direct, and his staff will look to build on last year."

[h4]The Fab Five[/h4]

LeBrun's top positional players for the Avs:

F -- Paul Stastny: One of the elite playmakers in the NHL; his 59 assists tied for sixth in the league last season.

F -- Matt Duchene: It's scary to think how good this player will be.

F -- Milan Hejduk: Will he put up big numbers this season? Well, he'll be an unrestricted free agent July 1.

D -- John-Michael Liles: Led all Avs blueliners with 31 points (6-25) last season despite playing in only 59 games.

D -- Kyle Quincey: Acquired in the Ryan Smyth trade in the summer of 2009, he led the team in ice time last season at 23:36 minutes per game.

[h4]Fantasy Focus[/h4]

Best bet: Paul Stastny
Stastny is ready to be considered a consistent point-per-game threat in the NHL, and a big thanks goes to Chris Stewart. The two young forwards complement each other nicely, with Stastny the playmaker and Stewart the goal scorer. Peter Mueller turned out to be the perfect balance on the other side, and this trio dominated the league after Mueller was acquired at the trade deadline. Because he is a bit heavy on the assists, Stastny should be considered as a No. 2 center, but he's one of the best No. 2 centers you can get. -- Sean Allen

Risky pick: John-Michael Liles
In the plainest of terms, Liles was a fantasy pain in the posterior last season. Often on the outs with Avalanche coach Joe Sacco, Liles was a healthy scratch for 10 games, despite being the team's priciest and most productive defenseman. But when he did skate, he averaged 0.53 points per game, a hefty chunk of them coming on the power play. Assuming all is well between Liles and Sacco and his shoulder injury issues are behind him, you can bank on 40 points through a full schedule. -- Victoria Matiash

Sleeper pick: Peter Mueller
With 2½ ho-hum seasons under his belt with the Phoenix Coyotes, it was starting to look as though this former first-round pick might be a bust. Voila! A change of scenery to Denver in March helped as Mueller ripped off 20 points in his final 15 games. He fit like a glove on the first line with Stastny and Stewart. Mueller has the pedigree and has shown the skills, so if he's healthy (he's currently out with a concussion), it may be time to take a chance. -- SA

Blue Jackets: 10 Things You Need To Know

The Columbus Blue Jackets are proof of how quickly the label "team on the rise" can turn into "team in disarray."

After making the playoffs for the first time in franchise history in 2009, the Blue Jackets took a significant step backward last season, finishing 14th in the Western Conference and tied for 26th overall. GM Scott Howson then hired former NHLer Scott Arniel away from Winnipeg of the AHL and only tinkered with his lineup (he brought in former Edmonton Oiler Ethan Moreau, who is coming off a couple of disappointing seasons).

Nikita Filatov, perhaps the Blue Jackets' most talented prospect, returns after self-exile in the KHL last season.

"For whatever reason, they took a big step back," rookie coach Arniel told ESPN.com recently. "It cost a coach his job. A lot of players had very disappointing seasons."

Still, he believes the pieces are in place for a bounce-back season. "We feel there's a great nucleus here," Arniel said.

1. Road woes
The Blue Jackets were a woeful 12-23-6 on the road last season, 28th in the league. Often that kind of record suggests a team is not mentally strong or is easily put off its game. Arniel will need to get his team better prepared for life away from Nationwide Arena.

2. Special teams
Strangely, special teams were an area of optimism for the Blue Jackets. After finishing dead last on the power play in 2008-09, they jumped to 14th on the man advantage last season. Meanwhile, the penalty kill continued to be respectable, down to 17th from 13th the previous season. Arniel would like both areas to be strengthened, but he's got a pretty good base from which to start. With Filatov in the house, the power play should get a boost.

3. Speaking of Nick ...
One of the interesting storylines will be the evolution of talented young winger Filatov. The sixth overall pick in 2008 played in just 13 games for the Blue Jackets last season before he was loaned out to the KHL. Filatov, 20, is hoping to turn that season of seasoning into a spot on the Blue Jackets' top two forward lines. Arniel acknowledged Filatov has some fences to mend in the dressing room. "Nothing's going to be handed to Nikita," Arniel said.

It's possible he could begin the season in Springfield with the team's AHL club. "We'll leave that up to Nikita," Arniel said.

4. Steve Mason
It would be both unfair and inaccurate to suggest the team's problems last season stemmed from goalie Steve Mason's significant drop-off in production. But there is no doubt a team as offensively challenged as the Blue Jackets needs exemplary goaltending almost every night. It was so in Mason's rookie-of-the-year campaign in 2008-09, when he posted a league-best 10 shutouts and 2.29 goals-against average that was second among all netminders.

But Mason's performance fell completely off the table last season. After turning in a bloated 3.06 GAA and tepid .901 save percentage, Mason should have learned something about humility. Now, how does the 22-year-old bounce back? The answer will affect the Blue Jackets' ability to jump back into playoff contention.

One of the issues was Mason's conditioning, which effected his consistency. He's arrived in Columbus "in tip-top shape," Arniel said. "He's motivated to get back to that position he was in a couple of years ago. He got a big taste of some humble pie."

5. The boys down the middle
If there has been a constant lament in Columbus, it's been about the lack of quality centers. It will be heard loud and clear again as the Blue Jackets try to find the kind of depth and consistency at the all-important position that has thus far eluded them. True, Antoine Vermette did yeoman service as the team's de facto No. 1 center last season, finishing second behind Rick Nash with 27 goals and 65 points.

Arniel already has penciled in that No. 1 line of Vermette, Nash and Kristian Huselius on his lineup card. But if Vermette is your No. 1 center going up against the likes of Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk, Jonathan Toews et al, that's pretty much a mismatch every night. No other Columbus center managed to score in double-digits.

p>6. Maturity check
There are a lot of ways to gauge whether a team is growing up or not. How about one-goal games? Gut it out in those situations to put points on the board, and that's usually a pretty good indicator of whether a team is, well, a team. The Phoenix Coyotes led the league last season with a 29-6-7 record in one-goal games. The Blue Jackets? Dead last with a 15-11-15 record in one-goal games. Enough said.

7. Scoring woes
Overall, the Blue Jackets were 20th in goals per game, but a better indication of the problems that confront Arniel is the team's 5-on-5 scoring (ranked 27th). If you're planning on scoring by committee, well, the committee better show up for the meetings.

8. About the back end ...
The Blue Jackets finished 24th in goals allowed last season, and it wasn't all Mason's fault. Arniel thinks there's room to grow for a group that has size in Mike Commodore, the underappreciated Jan Hejda and a hopefully healthy Rusty Klesla. There also is some skill with Fedor Tyutin and perhaps top young blueliner Kris Russell.

Still, a training camp knee injury to Russell sparked rumors the Blue Jackets would swap Commodore for disgruntled Edmonton defenseman Sheldon Souray. Arniel said he is especially looking to Commodore, a former Cup winner in Raleigh, to have a bounce-back season. When Russell returns, and whether Souray is in the mix, the overriding question is whether the group has the foot speed and skills to play the attack style Arniel wants to implement.

9. The captain
Just as all the goals weren't Mason's fault, all the offensive problems didn't fall at the feet of Nash. That said, the franchise player saw his point and goal production drop off significantly last season from 40 goals and 79 points in 2008-09 to 33 goals and 67 points last season. Stuff happens. Still, Nash, a member of Canada's gold-medal effort in Vancouver, remains the offensive catalyst, and that means bouncing back this season.

10. Food for thought
The Blue Jackets gave up nine short-handed goals last season. Only Minnesota (13) had more.

PREDICTION: Things won't get any better for the Blue Jackets this season; they'll finish fifth in the Central Division and near the bottom of the conference standings.

[h4]Coach's Corner[/h4]

Coach: Scott Arniel
Experience: Entering first NHL season
Record: N/A
Stanley Cup titles: N/A
• The Blue Jackets have gone through a lot of upheaval in recent years. Doug MacLean was shown the door in favor of the understated Scott Howson. Ken Hitchcock became the face of the team but was canned when the Blue Jackets couldn't sustain the momentum from that 2009 playoff run. Now it's Arniel's turn. He joked that his first reaction to getting the job was excitement followed by a period of "panic."

"It's been a whirlwind the past couple of months," Arniel said. He hopes his son will get a walk-on and earn a spot on the Ohio State hockey team while his wife stays in Winnipeg with their daughter, who will finish out her senior year in high school.

But Arniel is a smart hockey man who has seen the game through different vantage points. He doesn't come with the fanfare of, let's say, a Guy Boucher in Tampa Bay, but he comes with solid credentials and a plan to revive the flagging hockey spirit in Columbus.

"I've been looking forward to this [opportunity] for a long time," he said.

[h4]The Fab Five[/h4]

Burnside's top positional players for the Jackets:

F -- Antoine Vermette: Terrific season from the former Ottawa Senator, and the Jackets will need more of the same.

F -- Rick Nash: He's looking to get back to the 40-goal, 80-point plateau.

F -- Nikita Filatov: Is the skilled Russian NHL-ready after a year in the KHL?

D -- Kris Russell: There are high hopes for the 67th overall pick in 2005, but a knee injury will slow his contributions.

D -- Anton Stralman: He had a strong second half for the Blue Jackets and provides much-needed offense from the back end.

[h4]Fantasy Focus[/h4]

Best bet: Rick Nash
There is no question Nash can make the puck do whatever he wants, but as the focal point for opposing defenses, his skills are stifled at times. If Derick Brassard and Jakub Voracek can take another step forward this season, the pressure comes off Nash. Antoine Vermette will be back to help cover some of Nash's risky moves in the offense zone, and whether it's Kristian Huselius or R.J. Umberger on the opposite wing will make little difference to Nash's numbers. He's a No. 1 winger with the potential to be a top-10 player. -- Sean Allen

Risky pick: Nikita Filatov
While playing in the KHL last season, Filatov managed to get more ice time per game and posted 22 points in 26 games, a strong showing for a 19-year-old. Back in North America and ready to take on the NHL under a coach (Scott Arniel) who looks to be friendlier to young players, Filatov is a risk, but the payoff could be huge. Either working opposite Nash or on a young guns line with Voracek and Brassard, expect big things from this Russian sniper. He'll be worth the risk as a No. 3 winger or as an eighth forward off the board. -- SA

Sleeper pick: Derick Brassard
With Ken Hitchcock out of town and Arniel taking over as coach, the reins are coming off Brassard. As a potential quarterback for the first power-play unit and the centerman on a strong second line, Brassard has every opportunity to turn in the numbers. He'll have a strong checker with skilled hands on one side (Voracek) and potentially one of the best young snipers in the game on the other (Filatov). Ranking Brassard as a No. 2 center may seem a bit of an overstatement, but he looks ready to take a step forward. -- SA

Stars: 10 Things You Need To Know

These are changing times in the Lone Star State.

The Stars missed the playoffs by seven points after a 12th-place finish in the Western Conference, and the result was a changing of the guard.

Gone are Marty Turco, Jere Lehtinen and, most notably, Mike Modano, the face of the franchise since it left Minnesota for Dallas nearly two decades ago.

GM Joe Nieuwendyk took heat locally for not re-signing Modano, but it was the right move. The Stars need to turn the page on an era that produced great memories but needs to be put to rest. They need younger leaders to emerge and new faces to grace the team's identity.

1. Can the goalie answer the call?
Nieuwendyk's biggest move of all occurred last season, when he traded for netminder Kari Lehtonen and paved the way for Turco's exit this past summer. The younger Lehtonen was once a can't-miss, franchise netminder when drafted by Atlanta. But a litany of injuries and questions about his commitment to fitness saw the Thrashers give up on him. Now the Stars hope he's figured it out.

"To acquire Kari, there may have been some risk involved because of his injury history, but we did our homework on him and had him checked out," Nieuwendyk told ESPN.com. "I think we've got a goaltender at a point in his career where he's been through some things and matured, and we're getting a guy who has a chance to be an elite goaltender at the right time."

A lot is riding on it.

"When I worked in Toronto, Cliff [Fletcher, the Maple Leafs' GM] used to say, 'It all starts with the goalie,'" Stars coach Marc Crawford told ESPN.com. "It's so true. He gives you the opportunity to get good. He gives you the opportunity to win, to gain confidence. ... There's definitely an air of excitement in [Lehtonen's] body language. He's really put a hard summer of work in. The criticism about him from some people has been his conditioning and maybe the injury bug, which probably was caused by his lack of conditioning.

"But he's really taken a huge step in rectifying that. He hired a trainer this summer; he worked with our strength and conditioning coach in conjunction with the trainer that he hired. That gives us such confidence that we know we're going to have a real strong year from Kari."

2. The defense
In a perfect world, the Stars would have gone out and splurged on Paul Martin or Dan Hamhuis or any other high-profile unrestricted-free-agent defenseman available July 1. But the Stars' ongoing ownership issues continue to limit Nieuwendyk's ability to spend big. So, the team hopes that a young and sometimes struggling blue-line group from last season can take another step forward and improve from within. Aside from veteran Stephane Robidas, this is a young defensive corps.

Crawford hopes that playing those young blueliners in key minutes last season, a group that included Nicklas Grossman and Mark Fistric, will pay dividends this season.

"We've got four guys there who are still in developmental stages, whether it's [Matt] Niskanen, Grossman, Fistric or even [Trevor] Daley," Crawford said. "They've all now played in pretty much key opportunities -- Niskanen with the power play, Fistric and Grossman on the penalty kill and Daley in all situations.

"Those four guys were really focal points on our blue line last year, and you have to think they'll keep on getting better simply because they've seen everything they're going to see now, and we're hopeful that's going to be the case."

3. Stopping goals
So between the goalie and the blue-line corps, can the Stars shore up last season's biggest problem? They were 23rd in the NHL at 2.98 goals against per game.

"It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure it out. We got to be better with our goals against, and we got to be better on our penalty kill [27th last year]," Crawford said. "We have worked pretty hard at looking at the adjustments we can make. A lot of it in the defensive zone is just making sure we're paying adherence to those little details that make you win. Most teams defend in a similar way, but there's subtle differences to how they reattack on defense or how they put secondary pressure."

4. Team depth
The Stars may lack depth on defense, but they remain strong up front. And that's key for Crawford, who hopes to roll four lines as often as possible.

"You have to be a four-line team, you have to be able to roll your lines," the coach said. "You have to have two lines that you're confident can check the other team's top line. You can't just have one that can do it; you have to have two."

5. Can Jamie Benn avoid a sophomore slump?
The Stars forward was among the most impressive rookies last season in the NHL and is among those key Stars players who represent the changing of the guard.

"He's a smart enough kid to realize that he's not going into the season thinking people won't know who he is," Nieuwendyk said. "But I think the experience he gained throughout last year and going down [to] the minors at the end of the year and going on that long playoff run with our farm team was a real valuable experience, because he was a target down there throughout those playoff rounds and he really succeeded. He's going to have to know that's there. But he's a darn good player and has a solid future ahead of him."

Crawford wonders whether people outside Dallas realized just how good Benn was last season.

"I tell you what, had he been in a big market and had he been on a playoff team, he would have been one of the three candidates [for the Calder Trophy]," Crawford said. "His future is nothing but bright. He just looks even bigger and stronger right now. He's lost a lot of that baby fat. He looks much more muscular."

6. The Ribeiro factor
Mike Ribeiro was on the trade market for part of the summer, but the Stars didn't pull the trigger. How will he respond? He dipped to 53 points last season, albeit in 66 games, but it was still his lowest output since he joined the Stars in 2006. He averaged 80 points a season in his previous two campaigns with the Stars.

7. Brad Richards
Richards is a supertalented player and a generous man. This has nothing to do with hockey, but it must be repeated that he donated $500,000 to a hospital in his native Prince Edward Island. How cool is that?

8. A Burish move
The Stars didn't make any splashy additions, but the under-the-radar signing of pesky winger Adam Burish from the Chicago Blackhawks is viewed highly by the front-office and coaching staffs.

"One of the things that has been a priority for me is becoming a harder team to play against, especially in our bottom grouping of players," Nieuwendyk said. "A guy like Adam Burish on one side and Steve Ott on the other will give us an edge, which will make us uncomfortable to play against. Everyone talks about what a character guy he is in the room. ... We're going to really depend on some of his leadership as well."

9. The ownership hang-up
Owner Tom Hicks, facing financial difficulties, continues to try to find a buyer for the Stars. Until he does, the team's purse strings are limited. But you won't hear Nieuwendyk complaining about it.

"I think the frustrating part for me is the fact that people want to dwell on it so much," the Stars' GM said. "Yeah, it's out there and people talk about it, but as far as I'm concerned, I think so many people in the hockey world got used to the Dallas Stars' being a big-market team that spent to the cap every year, and that when we're not that way the last couple of years, that's all they want to talk about.

"I still feel we can be competitive. We were probably our own worst enemy and ended up in the situation we are in because of some of the spending and free agency and stuff like that. But I don't look at it as a negative. I look at it as a rallying point."

10. Are Stars fans turning their backs on the team?
The club ranked 17th in NHL attendance last season with an average crowd of 17,215. That still isn't bad, but it is Dallas' lowest ranking on ESPN.com's attendance tracker, which dates back to 2000.

PREDICTION: The Stars play in arguably the toughest division in the NHL. They will battle Anaheim for fourth in the Pacific Division, but they may not be that far from a playoff spot in the West if Kari Lehtonen answers the bell. That's how good the Pacific Division is -- three or four teams might reach the postseason.

[h4]Coach's Corner[/h4]

Coach: Marc Crawford
Experience:
Entering 15th NHL season, his second with Dallas
Record: 507-392-100-66
Stanley Cup titles: 1 (Colorado in 1996)

• Marc Crawford gave important minutes to young players last season, and that process will continue as the Stars' evolution (some would say rebuilding) continues.

He was Joe Nieuwendyk's first hire as coach, so he should be given every chance to stay on board during this process. But like any coach, his success will depend greatly on his goalie, Kari Lehtonen. It's going to be a long season for Crawford if Lehtonen doesn't answer the bell.

[h4]The Fab Five[/h4]

LeBrun's top positional players for the Stars:

F -- Brenden Morrow: The rugged team captain leads by example. Now more than ever, it's his job to ensure that the youngsters now playing bigger roles learn how to do things right.

F -- Brad Richards: Although Richards earned a 2004 Conn Smythe Trophy in Tampa Bay, we believe the pride of Prince Edward Island continues to be an underrated center. This guy can seriously bring it.

F -- James Neal: With his contract dispute finally put behind him on the eve of camp, look for Neal to take the next step in becoming the team's most complete, two-way winger.

D -- Trevor Daley: The smooth-skating Daley took huge strides last season in becoming a reliable two-way defenseman.

D -- Stephane Robidas: The old goat on an otherwise young blue line is the unsung hero on the team. He'll take a puck in the mouth and won't miss a shift.

[h4]Fantasy Focus[/h4]

Best bet: Brad Richards
With Loui Eriksson there to finish off his slick passes, Richards is back to being an arguable No. 1 center in fantasy leagues. Add in his power-play scoring and the fact he takes more shots than your average playmaker, and Richards is a very strong fourth-round choice. The weak spot in his game is plus/minus and it doesn't look like that will change as the Stars remain just as questionable on the back end for this coming season. With a lowly plus/minus and virtually no penalty minutes, you need to make a smart pick to make up for Richards' shortcomings if you select him. -- Sean Allen

Risky pick: Brenden Morrow
Morrow has fallen a long way from the multi-category fantasy star he appeared to be as recently as two seasons ago. Injuries continue to slow him down and limit his penalty minutes. Considering his PIMs were one of his most attractive qualities, he can hardly be considered an elite a pick as in previous seasons. If it all comes together for the Stars, Morrow could offer fantasy owners the numbers of a No. 2 winger; but given the question marks in Big D, he should probably stay on the draft board until the ninth or 10th round. -- SA

Sleeper pick: Fabian Brunnstrom
Brunnstrom has shown none of the skills that had some fantasy owners excited when he signed with the Stars two seasons ago. His total of two goals last season was downright awful, even if you account his minimal ice time. Why even look his way on draft day? Well, you probably shouldn't, but in deep leagues, you have to consider the outside chance he lands a top-six forward role now that he has two NHL seasons under his belt. Brunnstrom has blazing speed and soft hands, so you could make worse gambles with a final bench spot pick. -- SA

Red Wings: 10 Things You Need To Know

After Detroit appeared in two straight Stanley Cup finals against the Pittsburgh Penguins -- winning the big mug in 2008, in case you forgot -- the odds seemed to catch up with the NHL's model franchise in 2009-10.

Sort of.

By the time the dust cleared on the regular season, the Red Wings had lost an incredible 312 man games to injury (they lost only 187 the season before). And those injuries weren't to role players, but to their top personnel. Henrik Zetterberg, Tomas Holmstrom, Valtteri Filppula, Niklas Kronwall, Johan Franzen, Daniel Cleary and Jason Williams all missed time.

Still, just when it looked like the injury bug would end the Wings' playoff string at 18 straight seasons, coach Mike Babcock's squad, led by rookie of the year nominee Jimmy Howard, surged through the second half and defeated Phoenix in seven games before dropping a five-game set to San Jose in the second round. It marked the first time since 2006 the Wings failed to advance to at least the conference finals.

This season, the Wings have added a couple of veteran pieces in Mike Modano and Ruslan Salei, while welcoming back erstwhile forward Jiri Hudler. Assuming there's no repeat of the injury plague, Detroit looks poised to jump back into the rarified air of the Western Conference.

1. A breather
No one will ever use a long playoff run as an excuse for things not going well the next season, but when you play as much hockey as the Wings did in 2008 and 2009, fatigue is a cumulative thing. Bodies deteriorate because players aren't spending long offseasons working out and building their bodies back up to peak condition, Babcock said.

So when the Wings' playoff season ended far earlier than usual last spring, the team took advantage of that extra down time to recharge, and that has resulted in a very upbeat training camp.

"I can just tell by the attitude," Babcock told ESPN.com. "We feel this is a huge year for us because we think we have a chance."

2. Old or experienced?
By the time the puck drops on the regular season, the Red Wings could boast 13 players who are 30 or older. That number includes two 40-year-olds, newcomer Modano and captain Nicklas Lidstrom, who is back for at least one more go-round. There's also 37-year-old backup netminder Chris Osgood, 39-year-old Kris Draper, and Kirk Maltby (who signed a two-way contract shortly before training camp), Brian Rafalski and Holmstrom, all 37. Salei will turn 36 in early November.

Nothing is going to come along that this group hasn't seen before. It's not the first time the Wings have been painted as old and decrepit; in fact, the roster reminds us of the veteran group that won a Cup in 2002. But coming off an injury-plagued campaign, it's fair to question the team's durability when many key figures are of an advanced age.

3. Rebound time
All of the injured Red Wings are looking forward to recapturing their games, but it will be interesting to see how defenseman Niklas Kronwall responds, given the tremendous upside to his game.

At some point, Lidstrom will retire (seriously, at some point, he will), and when he does, Kronwall will become "the man" along the blue line. Babcock said Kronwall was playing exceptionally well when he got hurt last season. Can the hard-hitting Swede get back to that level this season? Or beyond?

4. Others from the M.A.S.H. unit
It might be too much to ask for Franzen, Filppula and Cleary to all bounce back to top form after coming off serious injuries. Franzen was slowed with a charley horse courtesy of a controversial hit by Pittsburgh's Brooks Orpik during the preseason, but Filppula "has been skating like crazy," Babcock said.

Filppula is crucial to the Wings' plans because Babcock would like to keep old pals Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk together, and that will work only if Filppula will shoulder the load as the team's second-line center. Look for Filppula to start the season flanked by Franzen and Todd Bertuzzi.

5. Scary special teams?
So, the Wings were without a healthy lineup pretty much the entire regular season, and ended up with a ninth-ranked power play and 10th-ranked penalty kill. So imagine what a healthy squad, not to mention the additions of Modano and Hudler, will do for those numbers. Did we mention scary?

6. Jimmy, Part Deux
We recall watching Howard in his first start in Sweden last fall, losing in less than stellar fashion to St. Louis. It looked like the Wings' grand plan to give Howard a shot at being an NHL netminder after four years in the AHL might not have been such a great idea.

Guess what? Per usual, GM Ken Holland knew what he was doing. Howard was instrumental in keeping the Wings in the playoff hunt, at one point starting 25 consecutive games. He finished tied for fourth in the league with a .924 save percentage and fifth with a 2.26 goals-against average. For our money, he should have won the Calder Memorial Trophy.

Can Howard replicate those numbers this season? He might not have to, assuming the team in front of him stays healthy. And while there will be some discussion about a possible sophomore jinx, remember that Howard, 26, was at the outer edge of the rookie age bracket and should be able to ride out whatever bumps he might encounter early on.

7. End of an era?
Is this it for the last members of the Grind Line? Darren McCarty has been retired for a couple of years now, and time appears to be running out for Draper and Maltby. Draper pulled a groin early in camp, and it's hard to see how he will see other than intermittent lineup time. Maltby, meanwhile, signed a two-way contract and might end up in Grand Rapids to start. The two gritty forwards have eight Stanley Cup rings between them and have been good, loyal foot soldiers for many years in Detroit.

8. Welcome home, Mike
Everyone seemed to get a nice, warm, fuzzy feeling from the Wings' signing of longtime Western Conference rival Mike Modano. The Detroit-area native spent his entire career in Minnesota/Dallas, but the Stars didn't want him back. And while everyone is saying the right things about not expecting too much from Modano and how his role will be a complementary one, the fact remains that's exactly what he was doing in Dallas before the end.

It might not mean anything if Modano doesn't chip in 20 goals or help the power play because the Wings are that deep, but Babcock is giving Modano every chance to succeed, putting him between Cleary and Hudler.

9. Welcome back, Jiri
Hudler's return to Detroit after a one-year self-imposed exile to the KHL has been overshadowed by Modano's arrival. Not surprising. Modano is likely headed to the Hall of Fame. But make no mistake, no single roster change is as important to the Wings' chances this season as the return of Hudler.

Two years ago, the shifty forward had 23 goals for the Wings, and chipped in five goals, nine assists and two game winners during the team's 2008 Cup run. He is older and is coming off an experience in Moscow in which he was counted on to do more. Look for Hudler to get lots of power-play time and have a breakout season.

10. How bad was it?
GM Ken Holland recalled how the Red Wings had $27 million worth of salary in the press box one night against Chicago. The stars were too hurt to play.

PREDICTION: It doesn't seem possible that the Wings could suffer a similar rash of injuries this season, which means they'll challenge Chicago for top spot in the Central Division, ultimately finishing second. We see them battling the Hawks in the Western Conference finals.

[h4]Coach's Corner[/h4]

Coach: Mike Babcock
Experience: Entering 8th NHL season
Record: 326-163-19-68
Stanley Cup titles: 1
• It's been a busy couple of years for Babcock, who also coached Canada to an Olympic gold medal this past February. He admitted it took him more than a month to get fully recharged this past offseason, but he's back in fine form this fall.

With assistants Paul MacLean and Brad McCrimmon and goaltending coach Jim Bedard, it's hard to imagine a more stable, better-prepared coaching staff in the NHL.

The Wings will need all they've got to get back to the top of the ultra-competitive Western Conference, but Babcock and his staff are more than capable of getting the job done -- again.

[h4]The Fab Five[/h4]

Burnside's top positional players for the Wings:

F -- Pavel Datsyuk: He needs to get back to the 80-point level after a 70-point outing last season.

F -- Henrik Zetterberg: Zetterberg likewise had 70 points and needs to pump up that number.

F -- Tomas Holmstrom: No one takes more abuse in front of opposing nets.

D -- Nicklas Lidstrom: If he plays like he did in the playoffs, it wouldn't surprise us if the ageless wonder ends up on more than a few Norris trophy ballots.

D -- Niklas Kronwall: On the verge of becoming an elite NHL defenseman.

[h4]Fantasy Focus[/h4]

Best bet: Pavel Datsyuk
Not many players can put up 70 points and have it be a disappointment to fantasy owners. Datsyuk fell short of the 97 points he put up in the previous two seasons and, as such, was considered a bit of a disappointment by his owners. So what went wrong? The Red Wings tinkered their lines after the loss of Jiri Hudler and additions of Todd Bertuzzi and Jason Williams. The injury to Johan Franzen then eliminated the team's secondary scoring. With no other threats, opponents keyed in on Datsyuk without giving up any ground elsewhere. Now, Hudler is back in the fold, Franzen is healthy and Mike Modano will add more depth. Expect nothing less than a return to elite form from Datsyuk. -- Sean Allen

Risky pick: Tomas Holmstrom
Thanks to his performance on the power play, it's easy to look past the fact Holmstrom may only give you 50 games. In those 50 games, he is a threat to offer 40 points with half of them coming on the man advantage. The Red Wings have a much more talented team with Hudler returning; Holmstrom is no lock to be a top-six forward, but you will be drafting him for his power-play numbers, anyway. Just make sure you make a solid bench pick to take up the slack when Holmstrom spends time in the infirmary. -- SA

Sleeper pick: Valtteri Filppula
Filppula should have little trouble blowing away his previous career high of 40 points since he's expected to be a second-line player from the outset. Given the possible options he has to work with (Franzen, Hudler, Bertuzzi), Filppula should have no trouble approaching 60 points while maintaining a decent plus/minus. While he may fall just outside the realm of being a starter in shallow leagues, he is among the top choices as a reserve. -- SA

Oilers: 10 Things You Need To Know

The only thing the Edmonton Oilers didn't change in the offseason was their name.

Sweeping changes followed a dismal, last-place finish in the NHL standings, including scouts, trainers, a new coach and, of course, nearly half the roster.

But there's a positive vibe because of it in the City of Champions. Young faces are fueling the rebuilding effort, led by June's first overall pick, Taylor Hall. The Oilers are selling hope, and their hard-core fans appear to be buying it.

"We did a lot of things on the ice and we did a lot of things off the ice," Oilers GM Steve Tambellini told ESPN.com. "It was a huge spring and summer for the organization. The way we look at it, it gives our organization, really, a chance to begin again from a staffing perspective and from a player perspective. ... It's a good feeling here right now. We're excited."

1. Rookie watch, Part 1: Taylor Hall
The 18-year-old winger has Oilers fans as excited as they've been since No. 99 came to town. Hall even gave the old Wayne Gretzky arm pump after scoring his first goal in the preseason.

"Being the No. 1 pick overall, you can imagine the expectations of the hockey world and the general public," Tambellini said. "But it's interesting, that's one of the questions I asked Taylor: 'Are you ready to be in the National Hockey League as the No. 1 pick overall?' And he says, 'Well, I am that guy.' He's totally comfortable with it. ... I've never seen someone compete for the puck as Taylor does. He's a winner."

2. Rookie watch, Part 2: Magnus Paajarvi
While he crossed the Atlantic from Sweden to Edmonton, the 19-year-old dropped the Svensson part of his last name and nobody complained about it. And they won't complain when they see the moves this guy has.

"We watched him play in the Sweden Games, which is an elite tournament. We watched him play in the World Championships this year," Tambellini said. "It was kind of his coming-out party at the international senior level. From a maturity standpoint, he's been living on his own for a few years, he's been playing against men, he knows what that feels like. I expect good things from him."

3. Rookie watch, Part 3: Jordan Eberle
The 20-year-old forward tore up the Western Hockey League last season with 50 goals and 106 points, while gaining postseason experience in the American Hockey League and playing for Canada's senior squad at the World Championships.

"We were criticized at times last year for not bringing him up to the Oilers," Tambellini said. "He went down the AHL after his junior season last year. There's a reason for that. We wanted him to see how good the American Hockey League is, how many people are fighting for jobs, how many people that have never had a chance to play in the NHL are in that league. And Jordan accepted all that. ... You look at him and wonder how he generates all this offense and these opportunities, and it always comes back to heart and intelligence for me."

4. New look behind the bench
Tambellini made the difficult decision to replace Pat Quinn as coach one year before schedule, promoting associate coach Tom Renney to the job. Quinn, now a consultant with the team, was vocal in his disagreement with the move.

"Pat is a great hockey man, a very successful coach," Tambellini said. "We moved it up one year ahead of the timetable as far as getting to that next step when we realized it was the right thing to do to begin the rebuild of the Oilers. Tom is the right person for us right now."

5. Renney's plan
Renney arrived at training camp with a whole new framework for his players.

"We want to make sure we're fundamentally strong," Renney told ESPN.com. "I don't think we're in a position to tweak here. I think we're in a position where we have to change a number of things in terms of how we just prepare to play hockey, quite honestly."

Renney will push players in all kinds of areas this season.

"In terms of our fitness and nutrition and our game preparation, our accountability, our level of discipline, those types of things have to be kicked up a notch in order to compete at this level," Renney said.

6. A new system
Renney has altered the system from last season.

"Not unlike what most teams try to do, we certainly want to play a pressure game, an attack game vehemently off of that," the coach said. "We want to make sure our defensemen are involved. This is not new stuff, but in terms of the application for our team, it's paramount. And it'll always be with a solid defensive base, there's no question about that."

7. The goaltending
The goaltending situation is in flux to say the least. Veteran Nikolai Khabibulin returned during the preseason, his first action since November after back surgery. But he also faces possible jail time in Arizona for a DUI charge, leaving Jeff Deslauriers, Devan Dubnyk and veteran addition Martin Gerber in the mix. Khabibulin has three years left on his deal, which carries at $3.75 million cap hit.

"Nik's off-ice issues have been well documented," Tambellini said. "But he was brought here to bring elite goaltending and a mature, veteran presence that has always worked well when you look at his history with young goalies. ... We've got four goalies that can play in the National Hockey League. Last year, I was not happy with the depth that we had in the minors, so we have choices now."

8. The Souray situation
Sheldon Souray remained property of the Oilers as the NHL's regular season approached. He asked for a trade after last season, but the Oilers found no takers for a contract that still has two years left at a $5.5 million cap hit. "It's a work in progress," Tambellini said of trade talks.

His best hope is other NHL teams realize they are not as good on defense as they had thought or some teams need help because of sudden injury. In the meantime, Souray was told to go home before camp; Tambellini did not want a disgruntled player around his young core.

9. Shawn Horcoff must be better
The Oilers' No. 1 center dipped to 36 points (13-23) last season and sported a minus-29 rating. That certainly doesn't cut it, given his $6.5 million salary. Expect a bounce-back season from the 32-year-old, who has an array of talented wingers to play with, such as Hall, Ales Hemsky, Dustin Penner and Eberle.

10. The sleeper signing
A somewhat under-the-radar signing was the offseason acquisition of Kurtis Foster. The blueliner exploded for a career-high 42 points (8-34) last season in Tampa Bay. He'll get some power-play time as well in Edmonton and could be a good sleeper pick in fantasy pools.

PREDICTION: The rebuilding Oilers will be last in the Northwest Division again and battle Columbus for the conference basement -- which is a good thing. Another lottery pick would go perfectly with the youth movement. This team could be a powerhouse in two or three seasons.

[h4]Coach's Corner[/h4]

Coach: Tom Renney
Experience: Entering 7th season as an NHL coach (his first in Edmonton)
Record: 203-170-9-46
Stanley Cup titles: 0
• Tom Renney is at the helm after being the associate coach last season. Throughout his career, which includes a long history with international hockey, Renney has been seen as a great teacher, which is why he's the right man for the rebuilding Oilers.

"We'd all like to think we can coach anybody all the time, but certainly my history suggests a teaching component, if you will," Renney told ESPN.com. "I'm excited about the opportunity. It's a big challenge. There's a real responsibility to make sure that whatever we do with these players is something that really sticks and gives them a chance to win years down the road and years after I'm gone."

[h4]The Fab Five[/h4]

LeBrun's top positional players for the Oilers:

F -- Dustin Penner: All those fat jokes went away last season when the hulking winger produced 32 goals and 63 points.

F -- Shawn Horcoff: It couldn't get any worse for him after last season's 36-point performance in a town that's already hard on him.

F -- Ales Hemsky: An injury-riddled campaign limited him to 22 games last season. He's got dazzling skills and a point-a-game pedigree.

D -- Ryan Whitney: For a guy who gets dumped on so much by pundits, he had 39 points (7-32) last season and should be on the first power-play unit this season.

D -- Tom Gilbert: Had an inconsistent performance on a bad Oilers team last season; he's a solid puck mover who is important to the team's transition game.

[h4]Fantasy Focus[/h4]

Best bet: Dustin Penner
Penner's inconsistency caused him to fall out of favor with fantasy owners. He looked like a changed man out of the gates, but he quickly faded over the course of the season to finish as an average No. 2 winger. Given the raw talent the Oilers will be working with this season, it's not fair to hope for more than what Penner produced last season. In fact, a bit of a dip might be in the offing given that coach Tom Renney leans toward a defensive game. Penner may not be the safest bet until you are filing out your seventh, eighth and ninth forward slots. -- Sean Allen

Risky pick: Sheldon Souray
Between sustaining a concussion in October, busting his hand on Jarome Iginla's face in January, contracting an infection in said hand shortly after and campaigning publicly for a trade in the spring, Souray managed a paltry 13 points in 37 games while hovering well in the red (minus-17). Thank goodness for fresh starts. Healthy, Souray is more than willing to brush 2009-10 under the carpet, and so should you. Souray may very well be traded before the start of the season. It doesn't matter. As long as he's skating somewhere, the veteran has one of the best shots in the league. He racked up 53 points in 2008-09 and easily could match those numbers again. -- Victoria Matiash

Sleeper pick: Jordan Eberle
At every single level of Eberle's career, he has produced at better than a point per game, including the WHL, AHL and world juniors. Eberle was named the CHL player of the year last season for his 106 points in 57 games with the Regina Pats. He also added 13 points in six playoff games. An 11-game assignment in the AHL to finish the season saw Eberle net 14 points, leaving little question this clutch scorer is ready to take on the NHL. It's certainly fair to look for Eberle to deliver 50-60 points. -- SA

Panthers: 10 Things You Need To Know

When we went to the Florida Panthers' website a couple of weeks ago, we found a giant football and a reference to the Miami Dolphins' perfect season in 1972. What does that say?

To be fair, there was a tie-in to Panthers' season tickets but, well, it was a bit of a stretch. Still, it does illustrate just how tough a sell hockey has been in South Florida. The tough sell will continue as the Panthers enter yet another rebuilding season. That said, the team is now under the tutelage of new GM Dale Tallon, whose fingerprints were all over the Blackhawks' Stanley Cup win. He will try to follow the same blueprint with the Panthers.

Tallon has already started to stockpile draft picks and assets, as he did in Chicago after the lockout. It is a slow process, but provided the new ownership in Florida is patient and give Tallon some resources as the process moves along, it will get done the right way.

"It's kind of an unknown for us, as well," Tallon recently told ESPN.com. "I like some of the pieces to the puzzle and we need some help in other areas. When we're ready, we'll know we're ready.

1. David Booth
One of the indelible images from last season was Mike Richards' blind-side hit on Booth that left the Panthers' top forward concussed and, along with Matt Cooke's hit on Marc Savard, ultimately led to a change in the NHL rule book regarding hits to unsuspecting players. The rule change didn't help Booth or the Panthers, though, as he appeared in only 28 games. Booth will need to bounce back to the form that saw him lead the Panthers with 31 goals two seasons ago if the Panthers' offense is going to improve from its 28th ranking last season.

2. Popgun offense
Did we mention the Cats' offense was ranked 28th? Things won't get easier. One of the first things Tallon did was ship out Nathan Horton and Gregory Campbell to Boston for defenseman Dennis Wideman and a first- and a third-round draft pick. Tallon almost moved Stephen Weiss, too, but he stayed put.

Weiss had a career year last season with 28 goals and will have to continue to lead the way. Coach Peter DeBoer will need to cobble some offense together from a group that includes newcomers Steve Bernier and Christopher Higgins and holdovers Radek Dvorak, Steven Reinprecht, Michael Frolik and Rostislav Olesz.

3. Stepping up?
Speaking of stepping up, one player to keep an eye on will be Shawn Matthias, a top prospect acquired from Detroit in exchange for Todd Bertuzzi at the 2007 trade deadline. Matthias' evolution has been slow, and this season looms large for the Mississauga native, who had seven goals in 55 games for the Panthers last season.

4. Long gone, Tomas?
If, as many believe, the Panthers will be south of the playoff bubble come February, Tomas Vokoun will most definitely be in play, since he is entering the final year of his contract. His $5.7 million price tag may scare off buyers even late in the season, but he's a top-end netminder who could yield some more assets for Tallon if the Panthers aren't in the mix. Wonder if the Caps might be interested if their youngsters don't answer the bell?

5. McCabe, too?
Both Vokoun and defenseman Bryan McCabe have no-movement clauses that may make trading them more problematic. McCabe, Florida's captain, has previously declined to be moved from Toronto under similar circumstances, so it's not a given he'll be on the move. Like Vokoun, McCabe is in the final year of his contract and will be an unrestricted free agent come July 1. At $5.75 million, McCabe is also a big-ticket item, but he possesses a booming shot and could be a boon to any team's power play. But let's not get too far ahead of ourselves. If the Panthers are to make a surprise postseason bid, they're going to need their captain to bounce back after producing just eight goals in 82 games last year.

6. Power outage
Speaking of the power play, McCabe's lack of production on the man advantage was just one contributing factor to a unit that sputtered all last season (29th in the NHL). Having a healthy lineup that includes Booth and veteran forward Cory Stillman, who missed 24 games to injury, should see those numbers improve significantly.

One issue with the power play was that opposing teams focused on McCabe, taking away the shooting lanes. When no one picked up the slack for the Panthers, it meant defending teams could keep on doing it.

7. And then, there's the penalty kill
On the other side of the special-teams fence, the Panthers weren't all that formidable either (23rd overall). Don't score on the power play and don't stop the opposition on the penalty kill -- the combination is a one-way ticket to an early offseason.

DeBoer admitted the team perhaps underestimated the loss of former franchise defenseman Jay Bouwmeester, who departed for Calgary before the 2009-10 season. This season, though, Wideman is in camp and former Sabre Nathan Paetsch should be a help.

8. Home, sweet home
For the first time in years, and certainly the first time since DeBoer took over as coach, the Panthers did not begin the season with an extended training camp trip. Last year, the Panthers crisscrossed North America before traveling to Finland to start the regular season against Chicago. In all, 22 of the first 23 days, starting in training camp, were spent on the road.

"We've traditionally had slow starts as a team," DeBoer said. "We're trying a different approach this year." Can't hurt.

9. The new face on the blue line
While Weiss and Horton haven't lived up to their billing as franchise forwards, the Panthers hope they've landed their franchise blueliner in Erik Gudbranson, the third overall pick in the June draft. He may not be a factor this season, but he has the kind of tools that could put him in the same class as Jack Johnson, Drew Doughty and Zach Bogosian. Tallon left the door open for Gudbranson to make the squad, but promised not to rush the youngster.

10. Coyotes East?
There won't be many folks picking the Panthers to be playing come mid-April, but DeBoer isn't necessarily upset about that. That kind of external disregard can bring an added element of motivation "and bulletin-board material for us," the coach said.

He noted that nobody picked the Phoenix Coyotes to be anywhere but near the bottom of the Western Conference standings last season, and they ended up with 107 points.

"It's just got to be the Florida Panthers this year," he said.

PREDICTION: Too big a bite for the rebuilding Panthers to sneak into the playoffs, even in the mediocre Eastern Conference. They'll finish fifth in Southeast.

[h4]Coach's Corner[/h4]

Coach: Peter DeBoer
Experience: Entering second NHL season
Record: 73-67-24
Stanley Cup titles: 0
• This will be Pete DeBoer's third season behind the Panthers' bench under his third different GM.

People forget the Panthers ended up tied for eighth place in the East two seasons ago and lost out on the final playoff berth in a tiebreaker. But the team took a significant step backward in 2009-10.

DeBoer believes the team perhaps underestimated the loss of Jay Bouwmeester, who signed in Calgary before the 2009-10 season, and other veteran defenders who left. This season, DeBoer will again have to employ all of his considerable coaching skill to keep the rebuilding Panthers in the hunt.

[h4]The Fab Five[/h4]

Burnside's top positional players for the Panthers:

F -- Stephen Weiss: He is looking to build on career season.

F -- David Booth: The talented sniper is hoping to put concussion woes behind him.

F -- Michael Frolik: Posted back-to-back 21-goal campaigns. Is there more from him?

D -- Bryan McCabe: The Panthers' captain is looking to bounce back offensively. Also in final year of his deal.

D -- Eric Gudbranson: Can the team's top pick at the 2010 draft make the jump from junior?

[h4]Fantasy Focus[/h4]

Best bet: Tomas Vokoun
Despite trade rumors this past season, Vokoun remains a central part of the plan for the Panthers. And a goalie of his caliber is essential. Vokoun's .925 save percentage wouldn't be possible if he didn't have a lot of shots to block, but more shots against usually means more goals against (2.55 GAA last season, 15th in the NHL). The Panthers are in flux, but Vokoun is one player who can be counted on. -- Tim Kavanagh

Risky pick: David Booth
Fantasy owners will have to look past Booth's concussion issues from last season if they want to trust him as a No. 2 winger. Given that he has only one season as a 30-goal scorer under his belt, most will take him at a discount later in drafts. Booth will look just fine skating with Stephen Weiss as his first-line center, but the picture is a bit murkier after that. The Panthers may spread out the offense, but, either way, it means Booth will be the focus of opposing defenses for the first time in his career. -- Sean Allen

Sleeper pick: Dennis Wideman
Wideman is better than 30 points, and he'll have the chance to prove it among new teammates as a Florida Panther. You can bet Bryan McCabe will help him flourish, since those two will be paired together on the man advantage and at even strength. Feel free to kiss that awful minus-14 goodbye, as well. This will be Wideman's renaissance season -- just watch. --Victoria Matiash

Kings: 10 Things You Need To Know

As the Los Angeles Kings entered the offseason, the theory (at least according to some) was that they were one impact forward from being a true Stanley Cup contender.

Like the young Chicago Blackhawks, who acquired Marian Hossa the previous summer to put them over the hump en route to a Stanley Cup, the prevailing thought was the rising Kings were similarly one major move away.

That's why the pursuit of star winger Ilya Kovalchuk made so much sense to so many people. Kovalchuk even flew to L.A. and met with Kings GM Dean Lombardi, Kings captain Dustin Brown and coach Terry Murray, among others.

But Kovalchuk did not sign with the Kings, and Los Angeles enters the 2010-11 season without that true impact winger many believe the team needs. But that doesn't mean the Kings won't acquire one between now and the March trade deadline, and that's exactly what they have in the back of their mind as a possibility. After all, they still have the cap space.

In the meantime, they did add a top-four blueliner in Willie Mitchell, an addition well received in the Kings' locker room. The team believes it can take that next step this season after reaching the playoffs last season with a 101-point season, a sixth-place finish in the competitive Western Conference and a re-energized market.

As for the Chicago comparisons, the Kings don't buy it.

"I don't buy the window theory," Lombardi told ESPN.com. "I'm not going through this to have a one-year run. Do I want to be Chicago and win? Yes. But I don't want to have to blow it up after one year."

"We're going to be even better this year," said 2009-10 Norris Trophy nominee Drew Doughty. "As a team and an organization, we're looking forward to getting further in the playoffs and hopefully being a Stanley Cup contender."

1. Will the failed luring of Kovalchuk have a negative impact in the Kings' locker room?

"Do you want to have Kovalchuk on your team? Absolutely," said No. 1 center Anze Kopitar, who would have benefited the most from such an acquisition. "But things went the way they did and that's unfortunate, but we can't look back. We got Willie Mitchell and Alexei Ponikarovsky, who are both real good players that will fit in well with our team. That's the most important thing right now. We have to look forward and forget about the Kovalchuk stuff."

Doughty agrees.

"It obviously would have been awesome to have him on the team," Doughty said. "No team would be disappointed to have him in our dressing room. He's a great player. But now that we didn't sign him, we made another signing in Willie Mitchell that will be great for our team."

Lombardi said the price for Kovalchuk would have been a detriment to what the Kings are trying to do as a long-term contender. Doughty and other youngsters will need new contracts.

"Would you like to add that element? Yes," Lombardi said of Kovalchuk. "But do we do it at the cost of sacrificing in terms of culture and doing it where we have to throw our whole salary structure out of line? So let's see how it plays out. Somebody will come up [via trade], and it'll be our type [of] guy at our price."

2. Welcome, Mr. Mitchell
From Day 1 of camp, newly acquired blueliner Willie Mitchell was partnered with phenom Doughty. The Kings didn't get Kovalchuk, but they believe they acquired a big-time defender when they signed Mitchell to a two-year, $7 million deal on Aug. 25.

"Once we got Willie Mitchell, every player down the line said, 'This is good for us.' No question about it," Lombardi said. "That was a huge piece missing for us."

He's a perfect fit, Lombardi said.

"There's the saying, 'The whole is greater than the sum of the parts' -- that's clearly the case here with him," the GM said. "His value transcends what he is as a player because it fits so well. He's a veteran presence, he's hard to play against defensively, I think he's underrated with the puck and ... we projected him as a perfect fit for a guy like Doughty."

Mitchell waited so long in free agency to make his decision because he wanted to make sure he was fully recovered from a serious concussion that had derailed his season in Vancouver. He recently told ESPN.com at Kings camp that he felt 100 percent and was raring to go. His health is a big X factor.

3. More experience
Last season's playoff experience was a huge stepping stone. The Kings learned a ton about themselves after finally making the postseason and giving Vancouver all the Canucks could handle in a six-game series loss. Lessons learned in that first-round series?

"I know one of the things that really stood out in my mind in that series is that we had two leads going into the third period, and they ended up winning both games," Doughty told ESPN.com. "We have to learn from that. We have a young team; a lot of guys had never played in a playoff series before. ... We thought we did a pretty good job, and this year, we'll have that experience going into the playoffs."

The key, Lombardi said, is the expectations come from the players themselves, not from the front office or the media or the fans.

"I think this is the first time they have legitimate expectations for themselves," the Kings' GM said. "Until you learn to deal with expectations, you're never going to be a real winner. They're at the stage now where they have legitimate expectations. It's from the room. Because I saw them handle it last year, that's why I have confidence in them."

4. Goaltending
Jonathan Quick was terrific in goal last season, but the Kings don't want him playing 72 regular-season games in 2010-11. Jonathan Bernier and Erik Ersberg were battling it out in training camp/preseason, and the victor would get to play one game a week, according to Kings coach Terry Murray.

Bernier was sensational in the AHL last season with a .936 save percentage and 2.03 goals-against average. It says here the 22-year-old former first-round pick could be a serious challenger to Quick, if not this season, certainly by 2011-12. The Kings are set in goal with the Quick-Bernier tandem. But what's important for the Kings is that Quick and Bernier form a healthy competition and avoid what happened in Montreal, where Jaroslav Halak and Carey Price couldn't share the net and forced the Habs to deal one.

"They're going to compete, but they're good enough kids that they're going to compete the right way," Lombardi said. "You talk about [1980s Oilers Andy] Moog and [Grant] Fuhr, you want to create that thing where they're competing but never happy the other fails."

5. Offense
The Kings didn't generate enough five-on-five scoring last season, ranking 18th in the NHL. That's why trying to sign Kovalchuk was paramount. Alexander Frolov is also gone, replaced by Alexei Ponikarovsky in what should prove to be a pretty even trade of talent. But can the Kings score more at even strength?

"We all agreed our five-on-five scoring wasn't good enough," Lombardi said. "So we're very cognizant we have to generate more offense five-on-five. Now, I think that's going to improve internally in some part. Our defense, for one, is going to be better."

Which means the puck should be in the offensive zone a little more. Lombardi expects big things from Jack Johnson, the U.S. Olympic defender who had a big second half last season. The GM also hopes that Kopitar and linemate Ryan Smyth can maintain their first-half form of last season through the spring. Perhaps a few more goals from Dustin Brown, a bounce-back season from Justin Williams, a 20-goal campaign from Ponikarovsky -- it would all add up. But if that internal improvement in five-on-five production isn't there by the March trade deadline, the Kings likely will work the phones looking for help.

6. Team depth
The Kings have the potential to ice one of the best third lines in the NHL in Michal Handzus centering Ponikarovsky and Wayne Simmonds. It's a line that also could pop in a few goals.

"I think they can be a dynamic third line," said Murray, who credits Handzus for his work in taking on opposing top centers. "Simmonds has really grown. Ponikarovsky is a big guy who plays both ends of the ice real well. We're going to look to those guys to shut down top lines."

7. Just how good is Drew Doughty?
At the tender age of 20, Doughty already has won Olympic gold and been nominated for a Norris Trophy. And he didn't just win gold in Vancouver this past February, he also had a major impact on the biggest stage one can imagine.

"It's happened so fast, only two years in the league, and a lot of good things have happened," Doughty told ESPN.com. "But you have to stay humble and continue to improve. I did everything I could this summer to become a better player. I want to have a better year than last year."

You want humble? Willie Mitchell told ESPN.com that Doughty offered his No. 8 to the new Kings blueliner. Mitchell declined, but it shows you the incredible maturity and respect that Doughty already has developed for the game. You can expect Doughty's name to grace the Norris Trophy one day, perhaps as early as this season.

8. Under the radar
Keep an eye on 26-year-old winger Scott Parse. In the preseason and likely to start the regular season, he will get a look on the second line with Jarret Stoll and Justin Williams. It's a big-time opportunity for Parse, who scored 11 goals last season.

"He was in and out of the lineup last year," Murray said. "He showed me a lot. I like some of the highlight-reel goals that he scored. He's a very high-skilled player, and I think he needs that opportunity to be successful. It's there. The line's got great potential. I hope he comes out on the right side, that he's successful."

9. Can Anze Kopitar avoid a midseason swoon?
The Kings' No. 1 center came out of the gates ablaze last season and was the NHL's leading scorer for a time before slumping in midseason. Can he bring it all season long?

"It's just a matter of being more consistent," said Kopitar, who will begin the season on a line with Smyth and Brown. "I had a pretty good start last year. I dropped a little bit in the middle of the season, but you want to stay on top of your game all season long and try to make something happen every night."

10. No 'I' in team
The Kings are a team. They are a tight-knit group. Many teams claim this, but not all actually are.

"A few years ago, only one or two players trained here in the summer. Now these guys all train together here in the summer," Lombardi said during Kings camp. "I've got a room that cares, there's no doubt in my mind."

That chemistry is a likely product of Lombardi's careful and patient rebuilding.

"We really got put together slowly but surely," Kopitar said. "Every guy on our team has a role, and that's really important. We don't rely on one or two guys. We are a team. That's what made us successful last year, and hopefully we can build on that and go further than we did."

PREDICTION: The Kings will win the Pacific Division and reach at least the second round of the playoffs. This roster isn't done improving. Look for GM Dean Lombardi to add another piece or two before the March trade deadline.

[h4]Coach's Corner[/h4]

Coach: Terry Murray
Experience: Entering 13th NHL season, his third with Kings
Record: 440-341-89-31
Stanley Cup titles: 0

• Terry Murray was a surprise choice to replace Marc Crawford two years ago. The Kings were rebuilding, and the recent NHL trend was to pair young, rebuilding teams with young, up-and-coming coaches. But the Kings instead chose Murray, a veteran bench boss who is a terrific teacher. Under his patient approach, the Kings have risen to power and taken huge strides.

"We know we took a big step forward last year, and we want to follow through with that kind of energy and keep pushing in the same direction," Murray said. "I think we're kind of put together for a pretty good run, and hopefully we can live up to our own expectations."

Murray added former Flyers coach John Stevens to his staff this past summer; the two have a long relationship and worked together in Philadelphia.

[h4]The Fab Five[/h4]

LeBrun's top positional players for the Kings:

F -- Ryan Smyth: The veteran winger, aka Captain Canada, was a key addition last offseason and didn't disappoint, providing gritty minutes and soft hands as he jelled with top center Anze Kopitar. He needs an injury-free season and more big goals for the Kings to succeed.

F -- Anze Kopitar: Some NHL executives aren't sold on his status as a true No. 1 center. He flirted with the NHL scoring lead last season before slumping. He's hungry to prove that he belongs among the elite centers in the NHL.

F -- Dustin Brown: The Kings' captain oozes character. His physical, two-way play helps him lead by example. He doesn't take a shift off and has the potential to score 30 goals if he stays on Kopitar's wing.

D -- Drew Doughty: Power-play quarterback, premier puck-mover, terrific defender ... just put a cape on him. Is this the season he wins his first Norris?

D -- Willie Mitchell: If he stays healthy, this could be one of the key offseason signings in the NHL. He is a top shutdown player whose physicality and size blend in perfectly with his star partner, Doughty.

[h4]Fantasy Focus[/h4]

Best bet: Drew Doughty
The unofficial fantasy darling of 2009-10, Doughty wears his crown with a healthy dose of humility. Doughty is so good because, aside from talent, he has a great attitude and works his caboose off, a lovely combination for the L.A. Kings and anyone savvy enough to draft Doughty in fantasy play. Second to only forward Anze Kopitar in team scoring, Doughty is productive on the man advantage. Plus, Doughty has missed only one game in his two seasons in the NHL. -- Victoria Matiash

Risky pick: Jonathan Quick
One of the most durable workhorses in the league last season, Quick started a whopping 72 games and won 39 of them. Unfortunately, that seems to be where he draws much of his fantasy value (his ratios were middle of the pack). While it's undeniable the Kings have one of the best collections of young talent in the league, led by franchise blueliner Doughty, they also have a future superstar netminder waiting in the wings in Jonathan Bernier, who carries first-round pedigree along with glowing scouting reports. Quick is a nice complement to a goalie with good ratios, but he is not complete enough to be a No. 1 on his own. Should the Kings use a time-share with Bernier and Quick, his value will drop quite a bit. -- Tim Kavanagh

Sleeper pick: Wayne Simmonds
How about 40 points, a plus-22 rating and triple-digit penalty minutes from a cheap forward? No fantasy owner would turn down those numbers. Even though Simmonds was far from a regular member of the Kings' top six, he managed to put together a productive 2009-10 season. Even if he skates on the Kings' second line, Simmonds has the potential to have strong linemates. He has to earn that top-six role to make good on his potential, though. -- Sean Allen

Wild: 10 Things You Need To Know

The Minnesota Wild regressed in the standings last season but hope it was one step back in order to take two steps forward this season.

The Wild finished 13th in the Western Conference, 11 points out of a playoff spot, and it didn't play well in a loyal and devoted hockey market.

But the team added more than it lost, signing veteran centers Matt Cullen and John Cullen and young forward Eric Nystrom, trading for rugged winger Brad Staubitz and losing very little off the roster other than aging winger Owen Nolan, depth blueliner Shane Hnidy and tough guys John Scott and Derek Boogaard.

On paper at least, this is a better team, one that will begin the regular season in Helsinki with a pair of games against the Carolina Hurricanes.

"We like our group of players," GM Chuck Fletcher told ESPN.com. "We like the character and the depth. ... Our goal is to make the playoffs. We believe we have a competitive team this year. We feel we have a lot of players that will bounce back this season and will play more to their career norm."

1. New bench boss
Under new coach Todd Richards, the Wild had hoped to become a more offensive club last season, compared to the way the team played under former coach Jacques Lemaire. But Minnesota ranked only 22nd in offense and regressed defensively, allowing 42 more goals against and dropping from the second-best defensive team in 2008-09 to 21st last season.

"We'd like to score more than we scored last year," Richards told ESPN.com. "We'd like to be in the top half of the league. But the other thing we have to do is be better defensively. I think there was growth and adjustment period, especially at the start of the year last season. We really probably didn't become a team, where guys felt comfortable, until mid-November. Then we became a very good team."

2. Avoiding another slow start
The Wild were done nearly before it began last season, winning only seven of their first 21 games and digging a hole that was too big to get out of.

"We clearly had a difficult start to the season last year, and there was a big adjustment for the players to adapt to the new coaching staff and the new system that was put in place," Fletcher said. "This year, we feel the adjustment period is clearly over. I think the players have a much better idea what to expect from the coaches and I think the coaches have a much better idea of what to expect from the players."

3. New faces
Cullen and Madden are key additions for two reasons. First, their veteran leadership will be a welcome ingredient.

"Both of these guys have won Stanley Cups, and to have those guys in the locker room gives those guys credibility right away," Richards said.

Second, they strengthen the lineup down the middle, which was a concern last season.

"I don't think you can consistently win in the NHL without a strong group of centers," Fletcher said. "We didn't feel we were deep enough and felt that was one of our major contributing factors behind our poor road record. ... We are deeper at center this year. We have players that can win faceoffs and check. We feel with [Mikko] Koivu and Cullen, in particular, we have centers that can also contribute offensively."

4. The Bouchard factor
The return of Pierre-Marc Bouchard cannot be underestimated after he missed 81 of 82 games last season with post-concussion syndrome. While it wasn't clear at time of this writing when the offensively gifted forward would return, he was cleared by doctors during training camp to begin working out hard and officially begin his comeback.

"We lost Pierre-Marc Bouchard for the whole year, and going into last season, we had penciled him in as our second-line center," Richards said. "He's really going to be like a free-agent addition for us because he didn't play for us last year. If we get a Pierre-Marc Bouchard who's 90 percent to 100 percent of what he can be, that's adding a guy that can get you anywhere to 40 points, maybe up to 70 points."

The 26-year-old Bouchard averaged 60 points a season three straight years from 2005-06 to 2007-08 before dipping to 46 points in 2008-09.

5. The road record
The Wild were a lousy 13-24-4 on the road last season, and that's just not going to cut it if you're going to be a playoff team. How do you fix that?

"I got asked that question a lot," Richards said. "I wish it was as simple as a math problem. Why didn't we play as well on the road? Was it the matchups? Maybe that had something to do with it, but I don't think it was a huge thing. I think it was a combination of a lot of things, confidence being one of them.

"There were two mentalities -- when we played at home, we came to the rink expecting to win. When we played on the road, I think sometimes we went into buildings hoping to win. There were two different mentalities there. I want it to be the same mentality -- when we come to the rink, we expect to win."

6. Where's Havlat?
The Wild need a bit more from star winger Martin Havlat as he enters his second season in Minnesota. Havlat had 18 goals and 36 assists in 73 games last season.

"The first 20 games last season, he struggled," Fletcher said. "He didn't have a lot of points during that stretch. Then, the next 50 games, he really picked up his game. ... He's a good hockey player, he's one of the better offensive players in the league, he has the ability to score goals and create plays. The thing about Marty over the course of his career is that the bigger the game, the better he's played. So we think he'll be a very productive player for us this season."

7. Where's the beef?
The Wild made a point of improving their overall physical fitness in the offseason and hope that will bear fruit this season.

"Coming into the season last year and doing the testing, I think the previous regime didn't put a lot of emphasis on that," Richards said. "When you fail to reach your goals, you look back and look at certain areas where we can be better, and one of those was putting more emphasis on our players and our summer training program."

8. Mikko Koivu
Captain Mikko Koivu, who led the team in scoring last season with 71 points (22-49), signed a seven-year, $47.25 million contract extension that won't kick in until next season. How will he play now that he has the big-money deal?

"I don't expect Mikko to change," Fletcher said. "He's obviously one of the best offensive players in the game. But personally, I don't want Mikko to get consumed by stats and feel he has to become an 80- or 90-point player. We'd like him to contribute offensively, but the strength of Mikko's game is the balance. ... We just want him to continue to play like he's played. And knowing Mikko and his makeup, I don't expect him to change his ways. I think he'll continue to evolve into one of the better two-way centermen in the game."

9. A sleeper signing
An under-the-radar signing might be winger Eric Nystrom, a castoff from the Calgary Flames.

"We expect that his best days are ahead of him in terms of production," Fletcher said. "He's a player that clearly can climb the depth chart as he goes forward in his career. He's a relentless worker, he's a competitor, he brings a lot of energy to a team, and he's a terrific teammate and person."

10. Sheppard out
James Sheppard was approaching this training camp as the most important of his career. But he never set foot on the ice after a freak ATV accident left him with a serious knee injury (broken left kneecap) a week before camp.

"That's an unfortunate incident to say the least," Fletcher said. "He looked like he was in great shape. Who knows what he would have been able to do. ... Hopefully this is just a temporary setback. It's a serious injury, but hopefully we can get him back at some point."

PREDICTION: The Wild will be a bubble team in the Western Conference playoff race and fall just short, placing third in the Northwest Division and 10th in the conference.

[h4]Coach's Corner[/h4]

Coach: Todd Richards
Experience: Entering 2nd NHL season
Record: 38-36-8
Stanley Cup titles: 0
• Todd Richards had big shoes to fill when he replaced the legendary Jacques Lemaire last season, and it didn't go very well in his rookie year behind the bench.

But once his players finally adjusted to his new system, the Wild did have strong stretches in the second half of the season. That's reason to hope for a better result this season. He's feeling the heat in a hockey-mad market.

[h4]The Fab Five[/h4]

LeBrun's top positional players for the Wild:

F -- Martin Havlat: He came on strong in the second half last season but needs to produce more than 18 goals to justify his $5 million salary.

F -- Mikko Koivu: Underwent offseason shoulder surgery, but appears to be back to 100 percent. One of the NHL's most complete players.

F -- Andrew Brunette: He was second on the team with 61 points (25-36) last season, another quietly effective season for a player who has been underrated his entire career.

D -- Marek Zidlicky: The Czech Olympian led Wild blueliners with 43 points (6-37) last season, giving him five 40-plus point seasons in six years.

D -- Nick Schultz: Steady as can be is his game; the team's best defensive defenseman.

[h4]Fantasy Focus[/h4]

Best bet: Mikko Koivu
A legitimate scoring threat and strong playmaker, Koivu wasn't even paired with the best wingers the Wild had to offer last season and still piled up 71 points. With Andrew Brunette and Antti Miettinen by his side the majority of the time, it was even debatable as to whether this was truly the team's top line. Koivu works well with whomever he is paired with and no matter how things shake out this coming season, he represents a well-spent pick on a No. 2 center. -- Sean Allen

Risky pick: Brent Burns
When Burns isn't hurt, he's very good. Unfortunately, he has been forced to deal with concussion and shoulder woes over the past two seasons. On the upside, the former forward is healthy to start the 2010-11 campaign and could explode under coach Todd Richards' free-wheeling, wide-open, offensive style. If you can stomach the shaky health history, Burns could pay out massive fantasy dividends as your No. 3 defenseman. -- Victoria Matiash

Sleeper pick: Guillaume Latendresse
Latendresse didn't find his game until he was traded from the Canadiens to the Wild partway through last season. In 55 games with his new club, Latendresse scored 25 goals and was an offensive leader. We will find out this season if he can reach the 40-goal pace he was on after arriving in Minnesota. Latendresse was a good fit on a line with Martin Havlat and Kyle Brodziak, but with some strong centers coming on board this season, it is hard to envision the team using Brodziak as a top-six forward. It is safe to take Latendresse as a No. 3 winger in your draft, and no more than that. -- SA

Canadiens: 10 Things You Need To Know

The Montreal Canadiens entered last season as a team completely reshaped by outgoing GM Bob Gainey, and the gamble was whether team chemistry could form before it was too late.

The Habs squeezed into the eighth and final playoff spot, and upended Washington and Pittsburgh in gigantic upsets. In the process, Quebec was engulfed on a magic carpet ride, one that finally ended with a loss to Philadelphia in the Eastern Conference finals.

But then, the Canadiens had some business to take care of in the offseason. To the shock of most fans, the Habs dealt playoff hero Jaroslav Halak to the St. Louis Blues, deciding to put their faith in the younger Carey Price. Perhaps because Halak is gone, or maybe because people don't buy into Montreal's surprising run having any lasting impact, the experts aren't too high on the Canadiens to be anything more than a bubble team this season.

"There's nothing wrong with playing the underdog role or exceeding some expectations," Cammalleri said of the outside skepticism. "We were a new group last year, we found some identity and we were able to figure out a way to win some games at the end of the year. I think it's important for us to get right back to it and try to start the season strong and remember the things that it took for us to win games."

1. Carry momentum
The Canadiens believe this past spring's magical and totally unexpected final four run might carry over to this season.

"There's no doubt there was great chemistry," Montreal coach Jacques Martin told ESPN.com. "This year, we have a strong nucleus back, so that should help, and we're counting on some of the younger players to be better."

2. Leaving Montreal
Apart from Halak, the Canadiens also parted ways with forwards Sergei Kostitsyn, Dominic Moore and Glen Metropolit, and defensemen Marc-Andre Bergeron and Paul Mara. New to the fold are backup goalie Alex Auld, promising young forward Lars Eller, and checking forwards Jeff Halpern and Dustin Boyd. Rookie blueliner P.K. Subban joined the team late last season, and now the Habs will benefit from his services throughout the campaign. Young forwards Ryan White, Max Pacioretty, Ben Maxwell and David Desharnais, as well as blueliner Yannick Weber are knocking at the door.

3. Did we really wait this long to touch on Carey Price?
The preseason was minutes old when Price was already getting it from the Bell Centre fans. Sheesh. Relax, people. Still, the question that will hang over the club this season is, "Will the Price be right?"

"We all appreciate what Jaro did and he was a good teammate and he'll do well in St. Louis, but we think Carey is a super-talented individual," Cammalleri said. "The way he handled himself last year in a very difficult situation showed us a lot about his character and endeared himself as a teammate. We're excited for him this year to come in and be the goaltender that we need him to be."

4. Special teams
The power play was once again dynamic for the Canadiens last season, ranking second in the NHL at a nice 21.8 percent clip. That's a big-time asset for a team that isn't overloaded with offensive pieces.

"I think it's really important to have good special teams," Martin said. "With the parity in this league, quite often that's the difference between winning and losing. The power play last year was a big weapon for us and a big factor in us qualifying for the postseason."

5. More offense
On the flip side, the Canadiens ranked only 26th in overall offense last season despite that great power play. That's because they were dead last in the NHL with 132 5-on-5 goals. How do they improve that dreadful statistic?

"Well, it's two-fold," Martin said. "One, I think we need to have more involvement from our defensive core offensively, and hopefully [Andrei] Markov getting healthy and the addition of P.K. Subban on a regular basis will help our offense. Two, we focused more on defense last year. It was my first season with the organization and we wanted to put in a good defensive system. I think this year, not being an Olympic year, we'll have more time in practice to focus on developing the offensive aspect of our play."

6. Big man on the blue line
Markov, 31, is Montreal's most valuable player, and he's on the shelf to begin the season as he recovers from reconstructive knee surgery. If Price is the No. 1 question most asked in Montreal, "When will Markov return?" is a close No. 2.

"Well, hopefully it'll be sometime near the end of October," Martin said. "He seems to be progressing well. He's such an important factor on our team -- 5-on-5, as well as on special teams."

7. Rookie watch, Part 1
Helping ease the burden in Markov's absence is the electrifying P.K. Subban. The 21-year-old blueliner was a late-season call-up last spring and didn't disappoint in the playoffs, collecting eight points (1-7) in 14 pressure-packed games and winning over the Habs faithful.

"I'm impressed with this young man," Cammalleri said. "I think he's going to be a special, special player and I think he already is. ... If you want to have some fun watching hockey, put us on TV when P.K. takes the puck behind the net. He's got a dynamic skill set you don't see every day."

8. Rookie watch, Part 2
Lars Eller was the main attraction in the package Montreal received in exchange for Halak. The Danish forward might have surprised some at camp with the physicality he showed.

"We'll see where he fits in, but he does have some excellent skill and good speed," Martin said. "Hopefully by adding a more skillful player, that will help us in our [offensive] production, as well."

9. The veteran
Scott Gomez finished strong last season in the playoffs with 14 points (2-14) in 19 games, but for a $7.35 million annual cap hit, 59 points (12-47) in 78 regular-season games doesn't cut it.

"I think Scott can give us more production," Martin said. "I thought he was very good for us in the playoffs last year, competed very hard and provided a lot of leadership on our team. I think in his second season here, he's a guy that enjoys playing in Montreal and he's dealt very well with the pressure and media here. I see him progressing."

10. Which Benoit Pouliot will we see this season?
Pouliot, acquired from Minnesota last November, had a torrid stretch for his new team between Dec. 28 and March 9, tallying 14 goals in 23 games. But by springtime, he faded big time. He didn't score a goal in 18 playoff games and was a total non-factor.

"Ben has good skill, good speed and good hands," Martin said. "To me, you just hope that he simplifies his game and gets it back on track. He did help our team and played very well with Gomez and Gionta for a stretch just by going to the net and going into the traffic and being direct with his game. When he does that, he can be very effective."

PREDICTION: The Canadiens and Senators will tie for third place in the Northeast Division and for seventh place in the Eastern Conference. But Ottawa will use the new tiebreaker rule to its advantage, pushing Montreal to eighth in the conference because the Habs will have won more shootout games this season.

[h4]Coach's Corner[/h4]

Coach: Jacques Martin
Experience: Entering 15th NHL season, his second with Montreal
Record: 556-439-119-66
Stanley Cup titles: 0
• Veteran hockey man Jacques Martin enters his second year behind the Canadiens' bench. His first season was a huge success thanks to a surprise trip to the conference finals.

"It's a great privilege to be able to coach this team and work with this organization," he said. "This team has so much history and tradition. It's been nice to work with people like Bob Gainey, who hired me and remains with the organization, and now Pierre Gauthier as GM, a guy I worked with in Ottawa. I enjoy our coaching staff. I look forward to the challenge this season."

[h4]The Fab Five[/h4]

LeBrun's top positional players for the Habs:

F -- Mike Cammalleri: This dude, who had 26 goals and 50 points in 65 games last season, loves the drama-filled market he's playing in.

F -- Tomas Plekanec: The underrated center led the Habs with 70 points (25-45) last season and was rewarded with a $30 million, six-year contract extension.

F -- Brian Gionta: The veteran winger led the Canadiens with 28 goals last season and brought a calming leadership to the dressing room.

D -- Andrei Markov: The stud Russian led the team in plus-minus and ice time, and is key to the power play, penalty kill, 5-on-5, the transition game ... well, you get the picture.

D -- Roman Hamrlik: A reliable, two-way workhorse who was second on the team, averaging 23:26 minutes a game, although his best years are behind him at age 36.

[h4]Fantasy Focus[/h4]

Best bet: Tomas Plekanec
Plekanec finished in the ballpark of 70 assists for the second time in the past three seasons and looks to be established as an elite NHL playmaker. He takes plenty of shots for a set-up guy and also contributes a fair share on the power play. Consider Plekanec one of the better No. 2 centers. -- Sean Allen

Risky pick: Carey Price
The starting goalie job in Montreal is one of the most high-pressure jobs in all of sports, and Price has yet to fully hit the level expected of a top-5 draft pick. His career marks (2.73 GAA and .912 save percentage) are not inspiring. Consistency continues to be a problem, although Proce won't be pushed very hard by Alex Auld or Curtis Sanford. -- Tim Kavanagh

Sleeper pick: P.K. Subban
After he netted eight points in 14 playoff games as a late-season call-up, Canadiens fans are craving more of the same from Subban. The Habs will use him on the power play and penalty kill, and the early Calder Memorial Trophy candidate will learn plenty (and rack up the points) skating alongside Andrei Markov on the man advantage. -- Victoria Matiash

Predators: 10 Things You Need To Know

Every year, the Nashville Predators' preseason entry goes something like this: great coaching, top-end blue line and goaltending, but suspect offense makes a playoff berth a long shot. Or something like that.

Same old, same old in Nashville.

Patric Hornqvist, the Preds' top goal scorer last season, happened to be the last player taken in the 2005 draft. They continue to boast a top-notch blue line, even with Dan Hamhuis leaving to Vancouver. Captain Jason Arnott also is gone. And yes, the playoffs remain far from a given, even if the Predators have qualified for the postseason in every year but one since 2004.

The downside, of course, is the team has yet to win a playoff round, despite pushing Chicago to a sixth game in the first round this past spring. But more about that later. As always, GM David Poile has managed to fill his lineup with under-the-radar moves, like the acquisitions of Matthew Lombardi and the enigmatic Sergei Kostitsyn.

1. Oh, why wait?
The Predators were less than a minute from taking a 3-2 series lead against the Blackhawks in the first round this past postseason when they inexplicably gave up a short-handed goal to Patrick Kane with 13.6 seconds left. Marian Hossa, given a major penalty late in regulation for boarding Hamhuis, returned from the penalty box to score the overtime winner, and Chicago was on its way. The Hawks would later describe it as their defining moment in the playoffs.

Small consolation for the Preds, but it will be interesting to see whether there is a hangover. Poile acknowledged it is the kind of shift that has the potential to alter not only a game and series, but perhaps a franchise's history itself. "We'll have to see," Poile told ESPN.com.

2. The Hamhuis hole
Make no mistake -- Poile wasn't happy about losing Hamhuis, a homegrown prospect who meant a great deal to the franchise. But the economics in Nashville and the collective bargaining agreement made it financially unviable to keep him. The Predators still boast top-end blue-line talent in captain Shea Weber and Ryan Suter. Poile is hopeful other homegrown prospects like Kevin Klein and Ryan Parent will take steps forward.

3. Fresh faces
It's possible the Preds could boast four starters from the same draft year (2003) in Klein, Weber, Suter and Alexander Sulzer, who played for the German Olympic team and could find his way onto the Preds' opening-night roster. Another blue-chip blue-line prospect in the mix will be Ryan Ellis (11th pick in 2009), who was impressive during rookie camp.

4. The backup battle
When Poile locked up top netminder Pekka Rinne to a two-year deal worth $3.4 million annually, it took away the safety net of backup Dan Ellis, who signed with Tampa Bay in the offseason. Rather than rush out and sign one of the many experienced netminders on the market this summer, Poile opted to leave the door open for one of his own young netminders.

Mark Dekanich, Chet Pickard and Anders Lindback, who at 6-foot-6 bears an uncanny resemblance to Rinne, were in the mix during training camp and might see some time depending their level of play and Rinne's health. Look for Dekanich to earn the backup job, with Lindback getting more seasoning in the AHL with Pickard. It seems safe to say that Rinne (32-16-5, 2.53 goals-against average and .911 save percentage last season) will see a lot of ice this season if the Predators are going to be back in the playoffs.

5. Scoring woes?
Poile has heard the questions before about whether his team will be able to score enough to get into the postseason. "Yes, we've never been real strong in that area," he joked.

Yet the Predators actually finished 18th overall in goals per game last season. They again will rely on scoring by committee, and there's no reason they can't replicate that level of production even with the free-agent departure of Arnott. The emergence of Hornqvist (30 goals, plus-18 rating) was a pleasant surprise.

6. What about Sergei?
If you're looking for a breakout candidate, what about Sergei Kostitsyn, who was acquired from Montreal after a tumultuous couple of seasons with the Habs? By the end of his time in Montreal, Kostitsyn was persona non grata with the team. Whether it was attitude or conditioning or too big a hockey city for a kid from Novopolotsk, Belarus, Kostitsyn now has a fresh start in Nashville. He is blessed with top-end talent; the question is whether he can find top-end maturity to match it.

Poile is wondering the same thing. "I think so, but do I 100 percent know? The answer is no," he said.

7. Veteran help
While there are young pieces like Kostitsyn and new center Lombardi (19 goals for Phoenix last season) in the mix, Poile also would like to see more out of his veteran players. He is hoping David Legwand puts up his best offensive numbers after Legwand posted just 11 regular-season goals but was terrific in the postseason (seven points in six games). He's also looking for Martin Erat (whose giveaway led to the Kane goal in the playoffs), J.P. Dumont and Steve Sullivan to give a little more.

8. Not so special
One of the more curious elements of the Predators' season was their lack of success on special teams. They were 28th on the penalty kill during the regular season and managed just one power-play goal on 27 postseason attempts. Fixing that will mean seeing new faces in those roles, whether it's Parent on the penalty kill or Lombardi on the power play. Regardless, Poile promised special teams repair will be a "pretty high priority."

9. Discipline
If your penalty kill is weak, it helps if you can stay out of the box, which the Predators did better than any other team last season. They were the least penalized team in the NHL, averaging just 8.7 minutes a night in penalties. And you wonder why Barry Trotz is still coaching.

10. Mindset
The Predators are a bit of a curiosity in the NHL; they've had the same GM and coach for their entire existence. The continuity has been laudable, given that Poile and Trotz have perennially iced a competitive hockey team through significant ownership upheaval and threats of relocation.

But the team always has been hamstrung by an internal budget that makes it difficult to keep homegrown assets (witness Hamhuis) or attract top free agents. Whether that has contributed to the team's playoff rut is debatable. But the reality is the Preds need to do something to shake themselves out of their April lethargy.

PREDICTION: We'll likely get this wrong, as we always do when it comes to the Predators, but we have them fourth in the Central and outside the playoff bracket.

[h4]Coach's Corner[/h4]

Coach: Barry Trotz
Experience: Entering 12th NHL season
Record: 411-371-60-60
Stanley Cup titles: 0
• It goes without saying that Trotz and the Predators fit like a comfortable old skate. He is sixth all time for games coached and wins with a single franchise, and was nominated last season for the Jack Adams Award as coach of the year. His teams are always well-prepared, hard-working units, and Trotz has become a visible figure in Nashville, working tirelessly for a number of charities.

Along with Lindy Ruff in Buffalo, Trotz is the longest-tenured coach in the NHL. When the Preds looked like they were going to slide out of the playoff race in the West last season, Trotz got them on track and they went 14-6-1 after the Olympic break.

[h4]The Fab Five[/h4]

Burnside's top positional players for the Preds:

F -- Matthew Lombardi: The Preds aren't deep down the middle and are expecting Lombardi to step forward.

F -- Patric Hornqvist: A wrist injury slowed Hornqvist during the latter part of last season, but he's healthy and looking to build on his big 30-goal season.

F -- J.P. Dumont: The former Sabre had 20-plus goals in six of seven seasons but now has had two straight seasons below that mark.

D -- Shea Weber: The new captain has emerged as a top-five NHL defenseman.

D -- Ryan Suter: One of the best U.S. defensemen at the Olympics, Suter provides great puck-moving ability and positional play.

[h4]Fantasy Focus[/h4]

Best bet: Patric Hornqvist
Taking a lot of shots and fighting for pucks in front of the net is certainly a good recipe for scoring goals, and Hornqvist proved what sheer determination can do by scoring 30 times last season. He'll never be a point-per-game player, but Hornqvist does have 40-goal potential in him. If Colin Wilson turns out to be the perfect centerman for Hornqvist and if the Predators' power play remains efficient, this could be a very strong season for the skilled youngster. He is a safe pick as a No. 2 winger. -- Sean Allen

Risky pick: Steve Sullivan
It doesn't appear Sullivan is quite able to approach a point per game anymore, and his 17-goal, 51-point season in 2009-10 is not as strong as many would have expected over 82 games. A lot of his success will depend on Wilson's ability to replace Jason Arnott as the Predators' top pivot. Wilson certainly has the potential and could make a nice fit between Sullivan and Patric Hornqvist. It's probably wise to push Sullivan back toward the end of your draft, but a case can be made for him as a starter. The injury discount means you should at least have six or seven forwards on your roster when you start looking at him. -- SA

Sleeper pick: Colin Wilson
After scoring 15 points in a 35-game debut with the Predators last season, Wilson may be the reason Arnott was no longer needed in Music City. The Preds will surely try Wilson out as their first-line pivot since David Legwand and Matthew Lombardi have proven they are better suited to second- or third-line roles. Wilson is an excellent playmaker with the ability to light the red lamp. -- SA

Devils: 10 Things You Need To Know

The full ramifications of Ilya Kovalchuk's 15-year, $100 million contract are not yet known in New Jersey. Oh, we know about the $3 million fine and the forfeited draft picks. But what will the Devils look like when they open the 2010-11 season? The players themselves spent most of training camp wondering who was going over the side to make room for Kovalchuk and get the Devils under the salary cap.

The game's greatest goaltender, Martin Brodeur, noted the team gave up a lot in terms of assets when it acquired Kovalchuk from Atlanta in February.

"Now we gave more because of what happened, what transpired with getting fined and draft picks and stuff," Brodeur said. "I think it's a great thing [to have him], but definitely it was weird to see how the NHL dealt with a superstar.

"It could have dealt a lot differently, I think. You don't see that in any other sport and I don't think we're the top sport out there. You don't see that happening with [Derek] Jeter or A-Rod [Alex Rodriguez] … but what are you going to do?"

Even with the uncertainty and the many Kovalchuk headlines from over the summer, the Devils enter the season again expected to make the playoffs after adding solid defensive pieces in Henrik Tallinder and Anton Volchenkov. Former Devil Jason Arnott returns to provide size down the middle.

1. Kovy in the house … forever
Let's start with the big man and his big contract. Kovalchuk looks like he'll shift to the right side to start the season with Zach Parise on the left and Travis Zajac in the middle. He said in an interview the switch wasn't that big a deal, and if the trio generates any kind of chemistry, expect big numbers for all three. To start paying dividends, Kovalchuk will have to net at least 40 goals and be in the 90- to 100-point range. He has the tools to do it. But the bigger question is whether Kovalchuk can actually help the Devils return to Cup-contender status.

2. The postseason pit
Speaking of the playoffs, the Devils have gone from perennial contenders to perennial flops with three straight first-round ousters. They have not advanced beyond the second round since their last Cup win in 2003. Why is that? Lack of leadership? Personnel? Scheme? Maybe all of the above. The bottom line is that the Devils appear only appreciably better than a year ago and they lasted five games in the postseason.

3. Martin Brodeur
Not exactly sure what to make of the game's greatest goaltender of all time. Brodeur was nominated for a Vezina Trophy again last season as he led the league in wins (45) and shutouts (nine). He has hit the 40-win plateau a record eight times in his career. And yet Brodeur has not been able to find magic in the postseason in a long time. Not that losing to Philadelphia in the first round was his fault, but in a matchup against journeyman backup Brian Boucher, the Devils should have expected to fare better. As usual, he talked about his workload, especially with Johan Hedberg backing him up ("We got a guy that's almost as old as me," Brodeur joked), but look for Brodeur to play a lot.

4. A-Train on track?
There weren't a lot of tears shed in Nashville when Arnott returned to New Jersey this offseason. For a player with his size and skill, he just never got the job done in Nashville. Some of that is injury-related (he missed 36 games over the past two seasons). Last season, Arnott's goal production slumped from 33 to 19 and he produced points (two goals) in just one of six playoff games for the Predators.

Arnott will turn 36 before the season is a week old, so his continued durability remains a major question. Arnott began training camp playing with old linemate Patrik Elias and captain Jamie Langenbrunner. If the trio can stay healthy -- and Lamoriello doesn't have to trade or demote one of them -- there is plenty of potential for production and a chance to roll out two pretty potent lines.

5. Chemistry?
Coach John MacLean will have to deal with a dressing room that faced uncertainty about who would stay and who would go through training camp. Would there be resentment toward Kovalchuk? And then there was captain Jamie Langenbrunner, who at least appeared to be at odds with former coach Jacques Lemaire and perhaps had other issues weighing on him. Langenbrunner, the captain of the 2010 U.S. Olympic team, saw his name percolate as possible trade bait in camp, which may have added to unsettled feelings. Coming off yet another disappointing playoff turn, getting everyone on the same page may be a major issue for the Devils.

6. Lou's time?
It was a strange summer, to say the least, for one of hockey's most respected men, Lou Lamoriello. There were rumors the GM and ownership disagreed over the pursuit of Kovalchuk; whether that's true or not, the plan has cost the Devils dearly in terms of young talent (Patrice Cormier, Johnny Oduya, Niclas Bergfors and a first-round pick went to Atlanta), forfeited draft picks and $3 million.

It's not the first time Lamoriello's teams have struggled with cap issues since the lockout, and without obvious young talent coming through the pipeline, the future doesn't look all that bright for the Devils. One wonders what another short playoff spin will do for Lamoriello's once-bulletproof career in New Jersey.

7. Zach Parise
Another huge issue looming will be keeping Parise in the fold. He is the team's most important asset outside of Brodeur and can become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. Parise, who had 82 points last season and was a plus-24, has indicated he is open to talking extension whenever it suits Lamoriello, although we wonder if the image of former teammate Paul Martin heading to Pittsburgh may give Parise pause to signing with New Jersey for the long haul. Perhaps more to the point, do the Devils have the wherewithal to keep Parise in the fold having signed Kovalchuk to his monster deal?

8. Same old, same old
The Devils were once again the stingiest team in the NHL when it came to allowing goals. There's no reason to suggest they won't be at or near the top of the league in that category again this season given the additions of veteran shut-down guys Volchenkov and Tallinder. Volchenkov, the former Senator, is one of the game's most fearless shot-blockers, while Tallinder was a key part of a decent Buffalo blue line. With Brodeur and Hedberg between the pipes, opposing teams will once again have their hands full trying to dent the Devils' armor.

9. Same old, same old, Part II
At the other end of the ice, the Devils were 19th in average goals per game. Not bad, not great. Some believe the addition of Kovalchuk for a full season will make a huge difference. Maybe, maybe not. Assuming the top six forwards are healthy, yes, the Devils could jump up in offense. But they're not likely going to get much help from the back end, and that could be a problem. The Devils had the 11th-ranked power play last season and that is an area MacLean could improve.

10. No surprise
The Devils were the least-penalized team in the Eastern Conference and are annually one of the most disciplined teams in the league.

PREDICTION: We've long since given up predicting the Devils will fall out of the postseason. Look for them to be third in the Atlantic and fifth in the conference. As for anything beyond that, don't hold your breath.

[h4]Coach's Corner[/h4]

Coach: John MacLean
Experience: First NHL season as head coach
Record: N/A
Stanley Cup titles: N/A
• It's been a long journey from being the sixth overall pick in 1983 to his first taste as an NHL coach, but it's fitting it comes with the Devils. Until Patrik Elias passed him in March 2009, MacLean was the Devils' all-time leading scorer.

MacLean has to find a way to shake the Devils out of their annual playoff letdown. He has promised to change things, but can he affect change when the team is so set in its ways? As Brodeur joked earlier in training camp, there seems to be a new coach in camp every year now. The Devils have gone through coaches at an alarming rate since the lockout (MacLean is the sixth if you count Lou Lamoriello's two fill-in gigs). This suggests MacLean will have to work harder to have his message heard given the turnstile approach to the position.

Still, if there's anyone who knows Devils hockey and can add a positive twist, it would seem to be MacLean.

[h4]The Fab Five[/h4]

Burnside's top positional players for the Devils:

F -- Travis Zajac: He will center the team's top line. Is he up to it?

F -- Ilya Kovalchuk: The pressure on the $100 million man will begin the moment the puck drops. Whether the pressure gets to him or not won't be known until April.

F -- Zach Parise: Lou Lamoriello's next big contract headache is also his most important player.

D -- Anton Volchenkov: When Paul Martin bolted for Pittsburgh, the Devils needed an impact defender. They got one in the shot-blocker supreme.

D -- Henrik Tallinder: Another solid defender added in offseason as the Devils will continue to be tough to score against.

[h4]Fantasy Focus[/h4]

Best bet: Zach Parise
Parise has proved he is a point-per-game player for fantasy owners. Coming off a huge 2008-09 season in which he had career highs across the board, Parise had a lot of questions to answer, the biggest being whether he could continue to take almost 100 shots more than any other season of his career. He didn't quite hit those peaks, but came close. There is little doubt he represents a top-10 talent for fantasy purposes. -- Sean Allen

Risky pick: Jason Arnott
Last season was an off year for Arnott. Now back with the Devils for the second time, expect the old 30-goal Arnott to make a return (most likely a No. 2 center for the first time in a while). While Arnott has the potential to return those stats in your pool, there is no way he should be selected higher than a No. 3 center in the draft. -- SA

Sleeper pick: Andy Greene
Underrated by many, Greene deserves more credit. The 27-year-old filled in for an injured Paul Martin as power-play pivot for most of 2009-10 and performed admirably, collecting 37 points in 78 games. With Martin now in Pittsburgh, the quarterback job belongs solely to Greene this season. -- Victoria Matiash

Islanders: 10 Things You Need To Know

Never mind the Phoenix Coyotes. Is there a more forgettable and lamentable team in the NHL than the New York Islanders?

Islanders? Islanders? … Anyone? Anyone?

With their future place of residence stuck in limbo -- Queens? Long Island? Kansas City? Do we hear Quebec City? -- the Islanders are likewise in limbo, unable to attract top free agents to their crumbling building and stuck with a goaltender whose 15-year contract remains one of the greatest wastes of time and money in recent hockey history.

The Isles have qualified for the postseason once since the lockout, in 2007. They have not won a playoff round since 1993 and have missed the playoffs entirely 11 times during that span.

This season? It's hard to imagine a playoff berth is possible after a 13th-place finish in the East, especially given training camp injuries to Mark Streit and Kyle Okposo. Wait, you say the Islanders were just nine points out of the postseason last season? And with former No. 1 pick John Tavares and Matt Moulson and some other guys, they aren't all that far off? Sadly, while the rest of the world turns, the Islanders remain the great stone in the NHL solar system, stuck in its own time warp waiting for something to happen to suggest otherwise.

1. Kick in the teeth
Let's get the early bad news out of the way. Before the Islanders played their first preseason game (their schedule was thrown out of whack when a planned trip to China was canceled in the offseason, so they didn't play exhibition games until late in training camp), the Isles found out they would start the season without their best defenseman. Streit ran into Moulson during a scrimmage and is out with a shoulder injury. Okposo, who's slated to play on a line with top center Tavares, has a shoulder injury that could cost him two months or more. By the time both return to action, it's entirely possible the Islanders will be out of the playoff picture.

2. Special teams?
There's nothing special about the way the Islanders approached the penalty kill or the power play last season. The Isles managed the dirty daily double, finishing 27th on the man advantage and 29th while killing penalties. Thank goodness for the Toronto Maple Leafs, else the Islanders would have really stunk. Things don't look to get any easier this season with power-play participants Streit and Okposo on the shelf indefinitely.

3. JT
It will be interesting to see how Tavares fares in his sophomore season after finishing second among all rookies with 54 points, one behind Matt Duchene of Colorado. Tavares said that one of the biggest things he learned in jumping to the NHL was how to manage time.

"Obviously, it's a long season, and there's a lot of games you play," Tavares said in a recent interview. "Just picking my spots when it's time to work on some things and when there's times to maybe shy away a little bit, get your mind away and refresh a little bit."

Isles GM Garth Snow has no worries about Tavares' continued evolution as a top young player.

"One great thing about John is that no one's going to have higher expectations of himself than he is," Snow said. "In that regard, John is an easy player to coach and an easy player to have in the organization."

4. Moulson
Moulson was one of the great hidden gems last season. The 263rd overall pick of the 2003 draft emerged as a scoring force, playing mostly with Tavares and netting 30 goals in his first full NHL season after a couple of stints with the Los Angeles Kings. Moulson, who will turn 27 in November, was the only Islander to hit the 30-goal plateau. His ability to repeat that kind of proficiency around the net will be key to the Isles' chances of staying in the playoff hunt.

5. The veteran
Doug Weight will return to action after playing in just 36 games last season and 53 the season before. With the injuries to Streit and Okposo, Weight will be counted on to log additional power-play minutes. If Weight can regain some of his spark, he could be attractive to a playoff-bound team come trade-deadline time. But given his injury woes, it's hard to believe the end of the road isn't in sight for the classy forward.

6. The return of Ricky D
The former No. 1 overall draft pick (thank former GM Mike Milbury for that gem) and owner of the albatross 15-year contract, Rick DiPietro has appeared in a total of 13 games the past two seasons. Offseason reports indicated that DiPietro's oft-rebuilt knees were, well, rebuilt again. Now, the thinking is if DiPietro is healthy, he and Dwayne Roloson will give the Islanders a pretty decent one-two punch in goal.

But the bigger question is whether a healthy DiPietro actually makes the Isles better. It's been so long since we've seen DiPietro play at a top level for any length of time that it is a giant leap of faith to suggest he could return after essentially two missed seasons. If he does, it will be one of the great comeback stories of the season.

Snow said he has no set idea on how many games he'd like to see DiPietro play. But the GM said DiPietro feels "100 percent" and, with Roloson in place, "we feel we have some really good depth at that position."

7. James W. and the blue line
James Wisniewski was sent out of Anaheim as part of a salary dump in exchange for a third-round draft pick. Wisniewski will be counted on to provide some offensive pop from the back end. He also will add some veteran experience to a group that, with the addition of Mark Eaton and big Milan Jurcina, should improve a defensive unit that ranked 28th in goals allowed per game.

8. Who cares?
Snow knows that the expectations are low for his club, at least externally, but he also points out that this is a team that saw an 18-point improvement over two seasons ago. And now, young players are being counted on to continue that maturation process, whether it's Tavares or Josh Bailey or newcomers expected to make a push for a roster spot like Matt Martin, Nino Niederreiter or defenseman Travis Hamonic. The group in the locker room believes it has a chance to win on any given night, "regardless of what people from the outside feel about it," Snow said.

9. The goals
Defensively, the Isles were bad. But perhaps the revamped blue line and goaltending tandem of Roloson and DiPietro will provide an upgrade. Maybe. Still, without Streit and Okposo to start the season, the Islanders will be desperate for scoring punch. They finished tied for 20th in the league in goals per game last season and likely would need to jump at least five spots to vie for a playoff spot. Where will those goals come from? Good question.

10. Did you know?
The Islanders gave up only three short-handed goals last season, tied for third in the league.

PREDICTION: Sorry, all the best intentions won't get it done on Long Island. Not this season, not any time soon. Fifth in the Atlantic, 14th in the Eastern Conference.

[h4]Coach's Corner[/h4]

Coach: Scott Gordon
Experience: Entering 3rd NHL season
Record: 60-84-20
Stanley Cup titles: 0
• There was a bit of a kerfuffle during the offseason when Newsday reported the team had declined to offer coach Scott Gordon a contract extension and he would coach out the final year of his contract. In essence, owner Charles Wang and GM Garth Snow are saying Gordon would be evaluated like everyone else in the organization at the end of the season. Nice.

If they don't think Gordon is the man to get this young team over the hump, they should find someone else. If they do, they should give him a contract that gives him some security and allows him to coach free of the idea that every night is an audition. Unless, of course, they're too cheap to do it that way.

[h4]The Fab Five[/h4]

Burnside's top positional players for the Isles:

F -- John Tavares: The big man has a big set of skills and should build on a solid rookie campaign.

F -- Matt Moulson: A great story that will be looking to add another chapter.

F -- Josh Bailey: With Okposo out indefinitely, the pressure is on Bailey to deliver the goods after he put up 16 goals in his sophomore season.

D -- Mark Eaton: He put in some good nights for the Pittsburgh Penguins during their two straight runs to the Cup finals in 2008 and 2009.

D -- Milan Jurcina: Can he get his big body in gear and become the physical presence that has thus far eluded him?

[h4]Fantasy Focus[/h4]

Best bet: John Tavares
Tavares did not set the world on fire in his rookie season. What he does for Act II is certainly an interesting debate. It's definitely reasonable to see Tavares increasing his overall points and he needs to take more shots on goal, but if he finishes with a minus-15 again, it wouldn't be a shock. He is a terrific choice as a No. 2 center with upside. -- Sean Allen

Risky pick: Matt Moulson
Yes, Moulson scored 30 goals last season. Yes, he will likely start on the same line with Tavares again. But you shouldn't pay for him at your draft like he'll score 30 again. The main concern with Moulson is he's the league's No. 1 example of a star by association. There's no way of knowing how Moulson will be deployed all season, and it's worth pointing out the Isles have a number of other players who will be pushing for first-line duties. -- SA

Sleeper pick: Rob Schremp
His knee injury from last season is healed and the Islanders gave him another one-year deal. He looked strong with 20 points in his final 27 games before hurting his knee. He has been on fantasy radars for years, and you may be tired of prospecting him at your draft, but if the stars were ever aligned for Schremp to break through, it's now (or never). -- SA

Rangers: 10 Things You Need To Know

It's hard to know what to make of the New York Rangers, which is what we seem to say pretty much every season. Such is life under the tutelage of GM Glen Sather, who continues to make moves that defy logic, let alone the salary cap.

With his team desperate for help down the middle and in need of a power-play quarterback, Sather bestowed a four-year deal worth $1.65 million annually on Minnesota mauler Derek Boogaard, who has tallied exactly two goals in his career.

Speaking of errors, Wade Redden was, as expected, shipped to Hartford to hide another contract mistake. In his absence, the Rangers will boast a young defense corps that will have to take a step forward if the boys in blue want to return to the playoffs.

The offense will again be led by Marian Gaborik, who stayed healthy (for the most part, playing in 76 games) and led the team with a career-best 86 points. Secondary scoring should get a boost from Alexander Frolov (repatriated from Los Angeles), and veteran Vinny Prospal will again figure into the mix, although he will be out two weeks with a sore knee that limited his action through camp.

1. Special work
Credit John Tortorella with keeping the Rangers' special-teams play at an acceptable level even as his lineup was in transition. The Rangers' penalty kill was seventh overall and the power play was 13th. Still, Tortorella pointed out the PK slumped down the stretch. As for the power play, the Rangers have come a long way in a short period of time (they were 29th two seasons ago). The power play was especially effective at the start and finish of the season. "We showed great improvement, but I thought we were too inconsistent on the power play in the guts of the season," the coach said.

2. The anchors
If the Rangers are going to jump back into the postseason for the fifth time in six post-lockout seasons, it will be because young defensemen Marc Staal and Dan Girardi take a step forward in their on-ice leadership. The two are the anchors of a young blue-line corps and will continue to shoulder a heavy load for the Rangers. Tortorella praised Staal for his composure as the season wore on. "He was really good the last couple of months," he said.

3. The power-play anchor
Michael Del Zotto, the 20th overall pick in 2008, made an impressive jump from junior hockey to the NHL and quickly assumed control of the Rangers' power play. He led all rookies with 18 power-play assists and was second only to first overall pick John Tavares with 22 power-play points. That said, Del Zotto did struggle to master both ends of the ice in his first NHL season.

Roster issues dictated that Tortorella continue to use him. "We didn't have any other options," he said.

4. The new blood
Partly out of necessity, partly out of hard work, the Rangers' lineup will feature a handful of young bucks when the regular season opens. Derek Stepan is battling with Erik Christensen for the No. 1 center job, while Ryan McDonagh, who came in the Scott Gomez deal, has been impressive along the blue line, although he was sent down to the AHL to start the season.

Another youngster who could appear along the blue line some time this season is Pavel Valentenko, another valuable piece from the Gomez trade (who says Sather gets them all wrong?). Valentenko missed much of last season with a shoulder injury, but Tortorella said he was impressed with his composure in camp. Like McDonagh, Valentenko will start the season in the AHL.

5. So, about the middle …
If Tortorella has his way, Prospal and Brandon Dubinsky would play on the wing; he believes that's a better position for those key forwards even though both have spent some time at center. But for that plan to work, Tortorella has to find folks capable of working the middle. Christensen was in a battle with Stepan for the top two spots, while Todd White, not known as a particularly gritty player, was also in camp in the hopes of cracking the lineup down the middle. Captain Chris Drury suffered a finger injury early on, which left the competition wide open.

Regardless of how it pans out, Tortorella is likely going to need a couple of his boys down the middle to take a giant step forward to make it work.

6. The MSG factor
The Rangers were 18-17-6 at Madison Square Garden last season, 25th overall in the NHL.

"We need to be better at home," Tortorella said. "It's a different animal in New York City."

He has sought input from players about how to prepare better at home, changing routines and being in a better mental mindset for games in the city.

"I think it's different at MSG [than other rinks]," he said. "Teams that come in love playing there. I just thought we didn't handle adversity with the games at home very well. It doesn't take long for things to change with the crowd there."

7. The King
It always seems to come down to the man between the pipes for the Rangers, Henrik Lundqvist. He's the only goaltender in NHL history to have won at least 30 games in each of his first five seasons. He'll have to do it for a sixth if the Rangers are going to be playoff bound. But the past couple of seasons have been disappointing for the man they call "The King."

It's not like he hasn't played well; Lundqvist finished with a .921 save percentage and 2.38 GAA. But he seems to take these setbacks personally, as do all great leaders. One of the reasons for optimism this season is the Rangers weren't far off from being a playoff team.

Veteran backup Martin Biron joining the squad adds an interesting dynamic for Lundqvist. Biron will presumably be a more reliable option. Lundqvist has played in 70 or more games in each of the past four seasons.

"If you want to play for another two months [after the regular season], then 72 games might be a little much," Lundqvist said. "We'll see how it plays out. I love to play. It's hard to sit on the side and watch. I definitely want to be out there in the action. But in the long run, it's always good to have a goalie that can back up and maybe play a little bit more."

8. Huh?
Nothing illustrates the shambling, meandering state of the New York Rangers like the mind-numbing signing of Boogaard. How does that make any sense? Boogaard, who has managed to score twice in 255 NHL games, must have thought he had died and gone to contract heaven, which is pretty much how most free agents feel when they meet with Sather. But for a team that had to send Redden to Hartford to get out from yet another whopper contract error, the Boogaard signing suggests this is a team that will never quite get it when it comes to having a master plan about how to best spend ownership's money.

9. The captain
Looking for class? Then look no further than the man behind the "C" in New York, Chris Drury. But these have not been easy times for the one-time Buffalo Sabre, who has struggled to find a role in New York and will begin this season on the injured list (broken finger). Twice a 30-goal scorer, Drury has been relegated to a more defensive role, even though the Rangers are painfully thin at center. Here's hoping he finds something akin to satisfaction this season with the Rangers.

10. Oh, those shootouts
Watch for the Rangers to be more vigilant about trying to pick up points in overtime and shootouts. Losing a playoff berth on the final afternoon of the regular season in a shootout will do that for you. Last season, the Rangers won just three of seven shootout games. In overtime, the news was just as bad; the Rangers were 4-11 in the extra session. That's a lot of points left on the table.

PREDICTION: The reality is the Rangers could end up anywhere between sixth and 12th in the mediocre Eastern Conference. We're guessing a lack of depth down the middle and a too-young defense corps lands the Rangers fourth in the Atlantic Division and 12th in the conference.

[h4]Coach's Corner[/h4]

John Tortorella
Experience: Enters second full season with Rangers
Record: 289-265-37-51
Stanley Cup titles: 1
• This will be Tortorella's second full season with the Rangers after taking over for Tom Renney in February 2009. He acknowledged there has been a long period of getting to know and understand each other and what he wants as a coach. It was so in Tampa Bay before the Lightning became an NHL force and won a Stanley Cup in 2004.

No one will mistake these Rangers for that Lightning team, but Tortorella insisted he likes the attitude and feel around his club heading into the season.

"I just have a good feeling about our mindset here," he said. "I think they understand me better, and I admit it does take some time to understand me. I just have a very good feeling about this."

[h4]The Fab Five[/h4]

Burnside's top positional players for the Rangers:

F -- Derek Stepan: The homegrown prospect should see top-six minutes down the middle, where the Rangers are perilously thin.

F -- Marian Gaborik: The Rangers got their money's worth from the skilled Slovak, who put up 86 points. They'll need more of the same this season.

F -- Alexander Frolov: He ended up in Terry Murray's doghouse in Los Angeles and became a Ranger as a result. Has 30-goal potential as long as he doesn't end up in Tortorella's doghouse.

D -- Marc Staal: The young defenseman who earned an invitation to Canada's Olympic orientation camp a year ago signed a new contract late in the offseason and is the future of the blue line.

D -- Michael Del Zotto: How will Del Zotto follow up a terrific rookie season?

[h4]Fantasy Focus[/h4]

Best bet: Henrik Lundqvist
King Henrik got better goal support from the Blueshirts than the two prior seasons and the best save percentage since his rookie campaign in 2005-06, but won only 35 games. Those numbers simply don't compute, and we expect a bit of a rebound. With viable backup Martin Biron in town, Lundqvist may have a night off more often. But even if The King is down to 65 starts, those are enough to keep him in fantasy's top tier. -- Tim Kavanagh

Risky pick: Marian Gaborik
You all know the deal with Gaborik by now. Pro: He is one of the most offensively gifted players in the NHL. Con: He gets hurt a lot. That's pretty much it. The only thing to weigh is whether you believe his body can hold out for a second straight season for the first time since 2003. If you believe he can stay healthy, he could be taken in the first round. If you want to hedge your bets, wait until the third round. -- Sean Allen

Sleeper pick: Evgeny Grachev
If the Rangers have a young player to keep an eye on this season, it's Grachev. While Artem Anisimov may have more experience at the NHL level, Grachev's upside goes well beyond Anisimov's. Using his formidable frame and strong stick-work, Grachev could play his way into a key spot on the depth chart. -- SA

Flyers: 10 Things You Need To Know

What a storybook run for the Flyers this past spring.

First, they qualified for the playoffs on the final afternoon of the regular season, in a shootout against division foe New York Rangers, no less. Then, the Flyers dispatched New Jersey in five games before mounting a monumental comeback against Boston, becoming only the third team in NHL history to erase a 3-0 deficit and win a series.

After defeating Montreal in five games in the conference finals, the Flyers lost a heartbreaker to Chicago in the Cup finals, losing in overtime in Game 6 on home ice.

Still, it was a busy offseason for GM Paul Holmgren, who added defensive depth in Andrej Meszaros and Sean O'Donnell and took on talented but inconsistent blueliner Nikolai Zherdev. The move cost them veteran forward Simon Gagne, and injuries may keep Chris Pronger, Ian Laperriere and Michael Leighton out of the opening night roster and beyond. But in all, the Flyers look even more formidable this season.

1. So, how about those goaltenders?
Hey, it's Philadelphia, so there has to be a goaltending controversy (or at least goaltending angst) from the get-go. It goes with the territory. Although we feel a bit small leveling any criticism at the Brian Boucher and Leighton tandem that bested Martin Brodeur, Tuukka Rask and Jaroslav Halak in the postseason, let's be candid. There was a reason Leighton had been on waivers periodically throughout his career, and there's a reason Boucher hadn't been a playoff starter in a decade.

Is it possible the two will push each other and share a Jennings Trophy for allowing the fewest goals? Perhaps. Is it more likely that midway through the season, fans will be clamoring for Holmgren to go out and bring in a battle-tested netminder for the playoffs? Yes.

The picture became even murkier late in training camp when Leighton went down with a back injury. He is out indefinitely but apparently will not need surgery. That puts Boucher back in the crosshairs and opens the door for 22-year-old Sergei Bobrovsky to make a case for himself. Stay tuned for future episodes of "As The Flyers Goalie Turns."

2. Breakthrough Briere
It's been a bit of a roller-coaster ride for Daniel Briere since he signed that big contract in Philadelphia, but last spring was a true coming-out party for the good-natured, skilled center. After playing on the wing for most of the season, Briere moved back to the middle when Jeff Carter was injured and absolutely lit it up. Briere led all playoff performers with 30 points and scored five winning goals. By the time the dust cleared in the Cup finals, Briere was being widely considered for the Conn Smythe Trophy had the Flyers been able to pull out the win against Chicago. And with good reason. There's no reason to suggest that level of production will tail off this season.

3. The puck thief
We will never get tired of covering any hockey event in which Chris Pronger takes part. Olympics, All-Star weekend, media days, pancake breakfasts, playoffs -- they're always a treat. His snaring of the pucks after the first few games of the Cup finals was classic, as was his play throughout most of the playoffs. Pronger averaged 29 minutes, 3 seconds a night in ice time, tops in the NHL. Yes, he was minus-5 in Game 5 of the Cup finals, but so what?

Pronger was absent from preseason games as he continued to rehab his knee after a minor surgical procedure late in the offseason. We're sure this was a real disappointment to the defenseman, who has seen his fair share of training camp exercises since breaking into the NHL in 1993. But for a guy who logs as much ice time as he does and is no spring chicken at age 35, Pronger has to be worried about durability. The Flyers boast a deep and talented blue line, so Pronger doesn't need to carry the team, but both his minutes and his health will bear watching this season.

4. The other boys on the blue line
Regardless of when Pronger returns to the lineup, the Flyers still boast one of the most impressive blue-line corps in the NHL. Although they ranked just 15th in goals allowed per game, we're looking for the Flyers to jump into the top 10 with the addition of Meszaros from Tampa Bay and O'Donnell, a veteran from Los Angeles. They will join a nice blend of skill and size that includes Matt Carle, who was terrific playing alongside Pronger in the playoffs, Braydon Coburn and the underappreciated Kimmo Timonen.

5. The Zherdev enigma
Here's the deal with Zherdev. On some nights, you'll swear you're watching Alex Ovechkin or Sidney Crosby or Ilya Kovalchuk. Then on the next night, or even the next shift, you'll wonder whether he's even in the building. That has been the experience of coaches in Columbus and New York, his first two NHL stops. Now, he's Peter Laviolette's challenge.

"We're going to let him get in here and get used to the system," he said. "He seems to be a good kid. You talk to him, he listens."

A bad attitude? "That I don't see," the coach said.

6. Speaking of firepower …
Yes, the Flyers can bring it. Last season, they ranked eighth in goals per game and third in power-play efficiency. And even without Gagne, they should still bring it again, as players such as Claude Giroux, Ville Leino and Zherdev should continue to bring more to the offensive table to complement a solid nucleus that includes Briere, Carter and captain Mike Richards.

7. Sin bin
Now, how's this for a mindblower? The Flyers have difficulty with discipline. OK, just kidding, but it's true. Maybe it's in the DNA, but only Tampa Bay took more penalties on average than the Flyers last season. Luckily, the Flyers aren't too shabby at killing penalties with a unit ranked 11th overall. Sometimes it is what it is.

8. Hangover?
Laviolette had to guide his Carolina Hurricanes through the choppy waters of a post-Cup season in 2006-07. It was a difficult task, and Carolina missed the playoffs. How about defending a run to the Cup finals?

"I think it is different. The feel is different," Laviolette told ESPN.com during training camp. "Right now, we're not the happy campers we were in Carolina. We've got the bad taste in our mouths. We don't have any roses to smell here."

9. The good news
Still, there is reason to believe that the Flyers can use last season's emotionally jarring run to the Cup finals as motivation. The core of the team is returning, and the Flyers know how hard they worked to get out of 29th place midway through the season. They played a series of playofflike games through the second half just to get into the postseason. In theory, they are a mature team that knows what it is to overcome adversity and bumps in the road.

10. Rookie? Really?
It took us until about midway through the East finals to realize it wasn't an ongoing misprint -- Leino was in fact an NHL rookie. Technically. Having played in Detroit for some of the previous season, he still was considered a rookie last season when the Red Wings sent him to Philadelphia as part of a salary dump. He struggled to get into the Flyers' lineup and wouldn't have seen much in the way of ice time if it weren't for injuries to Carter and Gagne at the end of the first round of the playoffs.

When he got there, though, Leino played lights-out. The big forward had seven goals and 23 points in 26 postseason games with two winners. Look for Leino to continue to get top-six minutes this season. At some point, we're guessing Laviolette will try to rekindle the magic Leino worked with linemates Briere and Scott Hartnell.

PREDICTION: We see the Flyers going toe-to-toe with Pittsburgh for the Atlantic Division crown (and let's throw the Devils in for good measure), but in the end, figure Philadelphia for second in the Atlantic and fourth in the Eastern Conference.

[h4]Coach's Corner[/h4]

Coach: Peter Laviolette
Experience: 8 years (entering first full season with Flyers)
Record: 272-208-25-39
Stanley Cup titles: 1
• It took a while for the Flyers to adapt to Laviolette's all-motion attack. "Feet always moving" is the mantra, and that's a hard way to play. Laviolette wants more of that this season.

"At the end of games, I would like people to say, 'I can't believe how aggressive they are,'" Laviolette said. He's not talking about punching people but rather being lightning-quick on the forecheck, on loose pucks and while getting back in the defensive zone -- all things the Flyers did exceptionally well en route to the Cup finals.

"My question is, can we do it better?" Our answer is, why not?

[h4]The Fab Five[/h4]

Burnside's top positional players for the Flyers:

F -- Jeff Carter: Injury slowed Carter's production in the playoffs, and although he remains a top-level scoring talent, he needs to take a step forward in the leadership category.

F -- Scott Hartnell: After a miserable regular season, Hartnell was a force in the postseason with 17 points.

F -- Nikolai Zherdev: Did the Flyers hit the jackpot in bringing in the talented winger, or is he the hockey equivalent of fool's gold?

D -- Chris Pronger: His recovery from a knee operation will bear watching, but he is a difference-maker when he's in the lineup.

D -- Kimmo Timonen: Skilled and understated, he remains one of our favorite players.

[h4]Fantasy Focus[/h4]

Best bet: Jeff Carter
Carter takes a ton of shots and his goal totals reflect that. On a team with so many offensive weapons, Carter is one of the few sure things. If he can land on a line with good chemistry, the sky is the limit. As a No. 1 center, he offers good value in the second round of drafts, but he could return more than you invested if everything falls into place. -- Sean Allen

Risky pick: Nikolai Zherdev
Zherdev is one of the most skilled players in the world, but also one of the most inconsistent. He spent last year in the KHL and managed to put up a decent point total (39 points in 52 games). Now back in the NHL, he could be a point-per-game player if he stays driven and the Flyers provide him with adequate ice time on a scoring line. With such big "ifs," Zherdev should come at a huge discount. -- SA

Sleeper pick: Ville Leino
Leino never got a decent amount of ice time with the Red Wings or Flyers after a trade midway through the regular season. Then, in the playoffs, Leino scored 21 points in 19 games while skating on a dominant line with Daniel Briere and Scott Hartnell. Leino has a few years experience in Finland, so he is only a rookie by the technical NHL definition. He is a serious offensive threat and has the skills to be a No. 3 winger. -- SA

Coyotes: 10 Things You Need To Know

A year ago, the Phoenix Coyotes were the overwhelming choice among pundits and fans alike to finish dead last in the Western Conference. Their ownership issues seemed to be a huge distraction, their new coach arrived halfway through camp and players were preoccupied by what was going on around them.

Boy, did they have everyone fooled.

A 107-point season, which included a serious push on San Jose for first place in the Pacific Division, surprised everyone around the hockey world. Dave Tippett won the Jack Adams Award as NHL coach of the year, Don Maloney was awarded the inaugural GM award and Ilya Bryzgalov was nominated for the Vezina Trophy. The Coyotes also pushed powerhouse Detroit in a tough, seven-game series in the first round before finally bowing out.

No one saw any of that coming. Now, the Coyotes won't catch anyone off guard. Now, they have to prove it wasn't a fluke.

"Sneaking up on people is all well and good to get yourself established," Tippett told ESPN.com. "We just don't want to be a one-and-out. We want to be a good team and a good organization. I think if you ask the players right now, they would tell you the training camp was very hard. We have to up the ante here. Just because we made the playoffs one year, we still lost in the first round. ... And it's not about what we did and all those stories about being a Cinderella team."

Tippett said the feeling changed from going into games hoping to win early last season to going into games expecting to win later in the campaign.

"And this year, we're showing up expecting to win," the coach said. "The elite teams in the league, they expect to win every night. If they lose, they look at themselves and say, 'What did we do wrong?' We want to be one of those teams. When Detroit loses, they think about what they did wrong and not about what the other team did right."

1. The forwards
The Coyotes believe that they're a lot deeper at the forward position, and we agree. Sure, they lost Matthew Lombardi, but they added Ray Whitney, Eric Belanger and Kyle Wellwood (on a camp tryout). They also think it will make a difference to get a full season out of Wojtek Wolski, Lee Stempniak and Scottie Upshall, as the first two players came late last season via trades and Upshall missed half the season with a serious knee injury.

"If I look at our forward group, I believe we're as strong, if not stronger, than we were at the end of last season," said Maloney, who deserves credit for another successful offseason.

If youngsters such as Kyle Turris or Viktor Tikhonov make the jump from the AHL, the Coyotes will be even deeper.

2. The defense
The blue line is not as deep after the Coyotes lost top defenseman Zbynek Michalek to free agency and did not replace him.

"Michalek -- that's big minutes right there, that goes without saying," Tippett said. "But we feel we have a pretty good group. Our top four of [Ed] Jovanovski, [Adrian] Aucoin, [Keith] Yandle and [Derek] Morris is pretty good. Sami Lepisto is a quality NHL player. ... He's kind of an unheralded guy but a solid player. He fits in well with what we're doing. But the bottom line is that Michalek's minutes aren't going to be taken by one guy. It's going to have to be a group effort."

The sixth and seventh spots on defense will come from David Schlemko, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Maxim Goncharov, Shane Hnidy or Kurt Sauer. Ekman-Larsson, 19, is a highly touted prospect.

3. Special teams
The power play was awful last season, ranking 28th in the NHL and dead last in the Western Conference at 14.6 percent.

It did come alive a bit in the playoffs against Detroit, but the Coyotes need to get that straightened out with regularity this season, and the power play was already an area of focus in camp. The addition of Whitney will be huge in this department, as will having Wolski and Stempniak all season long.

"It's got to be able to win you games," Jovanovski, who will anchor one of the two units, told ESPN.com. "It lost us more last year. We have goals on where we want to be as a group on the power play. Definitely adding Ray, he's a crafty player who can play the point and play on the halfboards; that's going to add a lot."

4. Did we mention Ray Whitney?
The addition of Whitney cannot be underestimated. Long underrated during his durable career, the Wizard has been among the most consistent point producers in the NHL since the lockout.

"Adding Ray Whitney -- the puck skills, the power play -- just the first few days of camp, you really saw the difference," Maloney said. "If he's like this all year long, he's really going to be such a good player for us. He's so clever for us."

5. How good is Keith Yandle?
The 24-year-old had a career-high 41 points (12 goals and 29 assists) last season and still has more upside. He's the key figure in the Coyotes' transition game with his puck-moving skills and vision.

"If Yandle was in a big market, he'd be a big-time player [in terms of his profile]," Tippett said. He's just a dynamic player."

6. The ownership drama continues
One year later, the Coyotes still don't have an owner. But it doesn't seem to have the same impact this time around. During a stop in Phoenix during training camp, the players seemed to become numb to it. Everyone just goes on with his business.

"From the hockey side, it's a little out of sight, out of mind," said Maloney, who has done wondrous work icing a competitive team with limited financial means. "We know what we have to do. ... The budget was expanded, it'll still be in the lower third of the league, but that's OK. It's still enough to put a good team on the ice. And I think we will be a good team if the chemistry comes together and the goaltender does his thing."

7. The goalie
The most important player on the team remains Ilya Bryzgalov, who is slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. The Russian netminder, who was nominated for the Vezina Trophy last season, is the glue. The Coyotes again need to rank in the top 10 in goals against to have any chance of returning to the playoffs.

"The key to our success is going to be our goaltending. It's no secret," Maloney said. "Bryz emerged as a top-five goaltender last year. We need him to do it again. If he does it again, that puts him squarely in good position to get the kind of contract those top players get. Until we have our ownership situation clarified, we're just going to sit tight. But that's OK, too. I think he's at a stage now where he's OK with it."

8. That 'no-name' identity
Last season, the Coyotes forged an image of a lunch-bucket crew with no egos. Part of that is because that's really how they approach the game. They really don't have a typical No. 1 line or fourth line. There were nights last season when Vernon Fiddler led all Coyotes centers in ice time. It all depends on matchups. The team depends on all four lines to contribute at both ends of the ice.

"People say Vern Fiddler is a fourth-line center. Well, we don't really have numbers on them," Tippett said. "That's the kind of team we are, and I don't mind that. Everybody in that locker room feels like they're a part of it, and that leads to some very good team chemistry."

9. Will their trip to Europe be a factor?
The Coyotes will begin their regular season in Prague against the Boston Bruins. How will that factor into their campaign?

"We'll have to experience it to see," Jovanovski said. "You hear mixed stories about going over there and coming back and having a week off. [But] we have a lot of Czech players, so they're all excited to play in front of their family and friends."

10. Keep 'em interested
The Coyotes believe they need a quick start to keep their market interested. Fans came out in droves late last season. Will the excitement carry over?

"We have sold 30 percent more tickets to date than at this time last year," a team spokesman told ESPN.com last week.

Of course, the number had nowhere to go but up because the Coyotes were dead last in overall attendance last season.

"By the success we had last year in getting to the playoffs, this city reacted the same way as a Calgary or an Edmonton or a Toronto, any of those hockey cities," Maloney said. "The crowds here were great, the fans were enthusiastic ... but now we're back to doing it again. We need to build on last year. We can't afford a setback in the sense of a slow start. We have to get off to a strong start, and that'll bring the people back."

PREDICTION: The Coyotes lost Zbynek Michalek and Matthew Lombardi, but GM Don Maloney did a marvelous job bringing in other bodies at a cheap rate and keeping his roster otherwise intact. This team won't surprise anyone this season but remains a very good club that will challenge Los Angeles and San Jose before ultimately finishing third in the mighty Pacific and will make the playoffs once again in the Western Conference.

[h4]Coach's Corner[/h4]

Coach: Dave Tippett
Experience: Entering 8th NHL season, his second with Phoenix
Record: 321-181-28-44
Stanley Cup titles: 0

• Dave Tippett was unemployed when training camps opened in September 2009. Nine months later, he was in Las Vegas accepting the Jack Adams Award as coach of the year, and the vote wasn't even close.

"It's been rejuvenating, the whole experience here," Tippett recently told ESPN.com. "Don [Maloney] has been excellent to work with. We had a relationship before and were teammates before. ... But sometimes change is good. I was in Dallas for a long time. Sometimes you get frustrated with different things, and just the change of scenery invigorates you. And that's what I found last year."

This season, Tippett got to start with his team from Day 1 of camp, not arrive halfway through as he did last season.

"Yes, just the ability to make sure that things are in order and running the way you want is nice," Tippett said. "But [assistant coach] Ulf Samuelsson did a great job last year before I came on."

[h4]The Fab Five[/h4]

LeBrun's top positional players for the Coyotes:

F -- Wojtek Wolski: So far, the trade with Colorado for Peter Mueller is looking decidedly tilted in Phoenix's favor. Wolski is as close to a star offensive player as the Coyotes have.

F -- Martin Hanzal: The rugged, two-way center does a bit of everything for the Coyotes and really took a giant step forward last season.

F -- Shane Doan: The Coyotes' captain can change a game with a big hit or a clutch goal. Missing the last few games of the playoffs this past spring because of injury has made him incredibly hungry to make sure his team gets back there again.

D -- Ed Jovanovski: The veteran rearguard doesn't rev it up with electrifying, end-to-end rushes as he did in his younger Vancouver days, but he's a big-time defender who is as steady as can be. And he happens to be a UFA on July 1.

D -- Keith Yandle: There's still a lot of upside left for the team's top offensive defenseman who keys the transition game. This guy is a star in the making.

[h4]Fantasy Focus[/h4]

Best bet: Ilya Bryzgalov
After slogging through a few seasons as Jean-Sebastien Giguere's backup in Anaheim, Bryz became the starter in Phoenix. The first full season wasn't too encouraging in 2008-09, but 2009-10 was a revelation. Bryzgalov improved his goals-against average (2.29) and save percentage (.920) and notched 42 wins. There's a concern his ratios will regress to the mean this season, and his streakiness is clear when looking at his monthly splits. Even so, there's an excitement that comes along with owning a feast-or-famine netminder. Bryzgalov can provide that for weekly head-to-head league owners. -- Tim Kavanagh

Risky Pick: Shane Doan
Whether it is because he is slowing down or because he is no longer the focus of the Coyotes' offense, Doan doesn't pack the same punch he used to. Just 55 points and no significant penalty minutes are a far cry from the nice power-forward numbers he used to offer. With young stars like Wojtek Wolski, Mikkel Boedker and Kyle Turris stepping into the spotlight, it's quite possible Doan doesn't have to shine as brightly as he had to in the past. He isn't the sure-fire No. 2 winger he once was, but should be considered a 12th-round pick with little upside. -- Sean Allen

Sleeper pick: Kyle Turris
Finally given a full season of proper development, Turris made huge strides in the AHL last season. He went from being a somewhat directionless young center who had trouble withstanding the rigors of pro hockey to a dominant playmaker and scorer who played at both ends of the ice. Turris scored 63 points in 76 games for the San Antonio Rampage and looks more than ready to step into the NHL this season. He is a must-draft sleeper. -- SA

Penguins: 10 Things You Need To Know

After two straight trips to the Stanley Cup finals, culminating with a championship in 2009, the Pittsburgh Penguins seemed to simply run out of gas.

How else to explain Pittsburgh's second-around loss against eighth-seeded Montreal after taking a 3-2 series lead? Yes, the goaltending wasn't up to Marc-Andre Fleury standards, but the entire team stunk out the joint in Game 7, allowing the plucky Habs to build a 4-0 lead in the first 25 minutes of a game they seemed ill prepared to play.

GM Ray Shero moved quickly to address the departure of classy defenseman Sergei Gonchar by signing two of the top defensemen on the free-agent market, Zbynek Michalek and Paul Martin. He then added skilled center Mike Comrie late in the summer.

There will still be issues about who will play wing for Sidney Crosby and where former scoring champ Evgeni Malkin will play. Jordan Staal must also prove he can come back from surgery to repair a sliced tendon in his foot, an injury that will keep him out of the lineup indefinitely. But this Penguins team has all the tools to jump right back into the Stanley Cup fray.

1. The captain
Every season, there's something Crosby seems to get better at. During the playoffs two years ago, he went to the net more vigorously and came up with a league-leading 15 postseason goals. That carried into last season, when Crosby tied for the league lead with 51 goals. He also worked on his faceoff proficiency and won 137 more faceoffs than the No. 2 faceoff man (Minnesota's Mikko Koivu).

Nominated for the Hart Trophy, he probably deserved it given the offseason endured by former NHL scoring champ Malkin. And, oh yeah, Crosby also found time to score the overtime winner to give Canada the gold medal in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

Still, by the time the second round of the playoffs rolled around, Crosby, like many of the Penguins, seemed to have little left in the tank. Crosby spent the summer fishing and working out and hopes last season's experience will be learning tool for everyone in the locker room.

"You've got to prove that you're a contender," Crosby said in a recent interview. "You've got to prove every night consistently that you're going to be tough to beat."

2. A new barn
The Penguins are moving into a new state-of-the-art building, the CONSOL Energy Center. The team will have to get used to the new boards and glass and dressing room, but it's bound to be exciting even if there will be more than a little emotion at closing the doors on Mellon Arena. After all, that weird, shiny reject from a 1960s science fiction movie remains a place where many great franchise moments unfolded.

"I think it's great for both the city and the franchise," Crosby said. "Still, there are mixed emotions. [There are] a lot of great memories in the Mellon." As for the new barn, "I don't think there's a bad seat in the house," he said. "It's going to be loud. It's a brand new building, so it's going to be nice."

3. The way it ended
After giving up a 3-2 series lead against the eighth-seeded Canadiens, does the second-round series loom as an educational tool, or a warning of deeper problems for a team that was so good in the clutch the previous two springs?

"You question things," Crosby said. "For us, I look at Montreal, I think that consistently throughout that series, we didn't really put them away. We kind of let them hang around. … Good teams, great teams have that killer instinct and they make sure that they don't give teams a chance. … And I think whether that was because we were a little tired because of the couple of years that we had, I don't think we really need to make any excuses. We just didn't do it."

Shero doesn't buy the fatigue argument: "I don't think it had anything to do with mental or physical fatigue. The details of our game seemed to slip [in that series]. We didn't have a dominant player in that series for us."

4. The Upside
During a recent training camp visit, Detroit Red Wings coach Mike Babcock made an interesting point about long playoff runs and how they often preclude players from getting into peak shape for the next season. While most players are working out, building up muscle mass, resting and preparing mentally, teams that go the distance are not. Crosby echoed those same kinds of sentiments, not making excuses necessarily, but explaining the dynamics of the reality of playing that much hockey.

"The last couple of years, we just kind of dragged ourselves into camp and tried to maintain and survive. But this year we should be really eager," Crosby said. "Hopefully having gone through last year, that hunger will be there more than ever."

5. Good start, bad finish
The Penguins started the season 9-1-0 last season.

"We were good. We were playing really good hockey," Shero said.

But as the season went along, the team seemed to slip out of its groove. "We never found it," he said.

6. The Fleury factor
We spent most of last season banging the Fleury drum for the 2010 Canadian Olympic team. Our argument was no Canadian goalie had played and won more clutch games the previous two seasons than Fleury. Well, good thing the Olympics aren't this year; we'd have trouble making that argument.

Fleury allowed three or more goals nine times in the Pens' 13 postseason games. Ouch. It's amazing the Pens actually won a round. But Fleury has been down this road of external doubt before and emerged with a Stanley Cup ring to show for it. Is this season any different?

"I'm not worried about this hanging over his head," Shero said. "It's a fresh start for him. He's a good goaltender and he's won a Stanley Cup. I'm not worried about it."

7. The new blue line
There is no disputing the impact Sergei Gonchar had on the Penguins' playoff successes in 2008 and 2009. He was a rock. But in his absence, the Penguins might just ice their best defensive corps since the lockout, adding Martin and Michalek to go along with Kris Letang and Alex Goligoski. Brooks Orpik remains as tough as they come, giving the blue line a lot of bite. It's up to coach Dan Bylsma to find enough ice time for them all.

But the skill set Martin and Michalek bring should be a boon to the skilled forwards in terms of getting the puck cleanly out of the Penguins' zone. The Penguins were a solid ninth on the penalty kill, a number that should be solidified with the addition of Martin and Michalek.

8. Winging it with Malkin
The past three years, the Penguins' dominance has come from their strength down the middle with Crosby, Malkin and Staal forcing other teams to pick their poison in how they defend the Pens. With Comrie in the mix and Staal looking to take a bigger bite offensively (once his bad foot heals), the Penguins are toying with the idea of starting the season with Malkin playing on the wing with Crosby.

The former playoff MVP missed 15 games due to injury last season and still managed to put up 77 points. But when you're that good, it is seen as being "off." The playoffs reinforced Malkin was at a low ebb (he had 11 points in 13 games, but had just one goal in seven games against Montreal). Look for Malkin to bounce back with a monster season, whether he plays alongside Crosby or not.

9. Homegrown help
At some point, it will be nice if the Penguins can produce some homegrown talent to play alongside Malkin, Crosby and Staal. It will certainly make managing the salary cap easier for Shero. There are some interesting pieces in the mix, including Mark Letestu, Dustin Jeffrey and Eric Tangradi, all looking for a chance to play with the big boys after spending time in Wilkes-Barre with the Baby Pens. Other hopefuls, like Nick Johnson and Chris Connor and veteran minor-league scorer Brett Sterling, were dispatched to the AHL late in camp, but could resurface during the season.

10. The Comrie factor
At last season's trade deadline, Shero brought in Alexei Ponikarovsky to do what Marian Hossa, Bill Guerin and Chris Kunitz had done in previous years. This time, it didn't work out, as Ponikarovsky just never got it and ended up a healthy scratch in the postseason. This past offseason, Shero opted not to bring back Guerin (he's with the Flyers now) and instead brought in skilled forward Comrie.

Now, sometimes a player's potential impact can be wildly overstated just because he may end up playing with players like Crosby and Malkin. Could that be the case with Comrie? Maybe. But we like his maturity and ability, and we figure it should be a pretty good fit. Does that mean 30 goals? A lot will depend on Staal's injury and how much power-play time Comrie is afforded, among other things. But we don't think it's out of line to suggest 25-30 goals. For a team that ranked just 19th on the power play despite its talent, Comrie should be a nice fit.

PREDICTION: New building and a new assault on the Stanley Cup for the Penguins, whom we like to win the Atlantic and their second Cup in three seasons.

[h4]Coach's Corner[/h4]

Coach: Dan Bylsma
Experience: Entering second full season in NHL
Record: 65-31-11
Stanley Cup titles: 1
• It's been a bit of a blur for coach Dan Bylsma, who won a Cup before he took the Penguins to their first training camp.

Now, he's back for his second full season, and the cerebral Michigan native will be trying to map out a strategy that gets the Penguins back in the championship groove.

The overall improved mobility of the defense should play into Bylsma's hands and he's a coach who's not afraid to mix things up in terms of line combinations and giving guys a shot to play out of role. Bylsma showed early on he could get his team beyond the bumps and hurdles of a playoff grind; now he has to show he can get a team on track after a playoff disappointment. We're guessing he can.

[h4]The Fab Five[/h4]

Burnside's top positional players for the Pens:

F -- Sidney Crosby: You might have heard of him.

F -- Evgeni Malkin: Will the experiment to move Malkin to the wing with Crosby work? How long does Bylsma go with it if it doesn't?

F -- Chris Kunitz: Missed 32 regular-season games with injury, but did put up 11 points in 13 postseason contests.

D -- Paul Martin: Smooth-skating, puck-moving defenseman lost most of last year to a broken forearm. A nice pickup for the Pens.

D -- Brooks Orpik: In the absence of Sergei Gonchar, Orpik will be counted on even more to fulfill a leadership role.

[h4]Fantasy Focus[/h4]

Best bet: Sidney Crosby
Crosby remains a close No. 2 when it comes to the most valuable fantasy players in the NHL. The only thing separating him from Alex Ovechkin at the top of the list is Ovi's ridiculous shots total. Still, Crosby is the no-brainer No. 2 choice in any league. He may have to adapt his game (as he did as a goal scorer last season), but in the end, you will get what you paid for. -- Sean Allen

Risky pick: Chris Kunitz
If Kunitz can stay healthy, he may be one of the only choices the Penguins have for a talented winger in the top six. In a 20-game Pittsburgh debut after the trade deadline in 2008-09, Kunitz had 18 points, but last season he was limited to just 50 games and potted 32 points. Just don't invest highly in Kunitz, as his value is tied intrinsically to his role on Crosby or Evgeni Malkin's wing. Durability is also an issue. -- SA

Sleeper pick: Alex Goligoski
With Sergei Gonchar headed to the Ottawa Senators, Goligoski takes over as the big enchilada on the Pittsburgh Penguins' blue line. After one and a half moderately successful years in the NHL, the 25-year-old is poised to break out. If he stays healthy, a 50-point season is within reach. -- Victoria Matiash

Sharks: 10 Things You Need To Know

The San Jose Sharks didn't win the Stanley Cup last season, but they kicked the elephant out of the room. A trip to the Western Conference finals went far in rehabilitating their playoff reputation.

The question now is whether this talented club can finish the job.

"The expectations are the same they were last year -- win the Cup," veteran blueliner Dan Boyle told ESPN.com during training camp. "We're not happy with the way things ended last year. We're looking to build on that and take the next step, which is getting in the Cup finals and hopefully winning it."

The club lost the valued leadership of Rob Blake, replaced Evgeni Nabokov in goal with the Finnish tandem of Antero Niittymaki and Antti Niemi, and saw a useful player in Manny Malhotra leave via free agency. Otherwise, led by Boyle, Joe Thornton, Joe Pavelski, Patrick Marleau and Dany Heatley, this is largely the same team that shed some playoff demons this past spring and played a lot better in the Western finals than its four-game sweep against Chicago would indicate.

"Last year wasn't good enough," Boyle said. "I'm proud of what we accomplished, but we want to win it all. You don't get too many opportunities. I feel we have the right guys in this room to get it done."

1. There's fresh blood in goal
Sharks GM Doug Wilson was able to bring in a pair of No. 1 goalies in Niittymaki and Niemi for $2 million apiece in salary, which costs less than what they paid the veteran Nabokov alone last season. It sets up as a nice one-two punch for the Sharks.

But who's the starter?

"We don't know who 'the man' is at this point," Sharks coach Todd McLellan told ESPN.com during camp.

McLellan was more focused on getting both newcomers adjusted to their new team, system and blue-line corps.

Niittymaki, who was signed two months before Niemi was added in early September, told ESPN.com during camp that there were absolutely no hard feelings at the sudden competition for starts.

"There's a lot of good goalies out there," Niittymaki said. "There's competition everywhere. We've got a good group of guys in San Jose, and we're both looking forward to the season."

2. Rob Blake is gone, Part I
Who will replace the leadership void left behind by last season's captain?

"It's not one guy that's going to do it," Boyle said. "It's going to be a group thing."

That's the common refrain in the Sharks' locker room.

"A lot will be made out of who wears that piece of felt [the 'C']," McLellan said. "That's what we do in our game and that's great, but it's not as big an issue in our locker room because it's more of a group thing."

Wilson said the key is that Blake's leadership legacy is still felt.

"What Blakey did as a leader last year is he set the standards -- how to train as a professional, how to handle situations," the GM said. "We will build on what Blakey started and established last year. I think we've got a real strong leadership group. ... Plus, to have five of our guys play in the [Olympic] gold-medal game, being in that environment, they saw other leaders in a very stressful situation."

3. Rob Blake is gone, Part II
Who will replace his 21 minutes, 21 seconds per game from last season? The Sharks signed Niklas Hjalmarsson to an offer sheet only to see Chicago match it. They tried to sign Willie Mitchell but lost out to Los Angeles. So there was no immediate top-four replacement for Blake on the ice.

"I don't think we have one individual that we see stepping in an assuming all of his 21 minutes," McLellan said. "So, collectively, between the seven guys, there has to be some growth to cover what he did."

Douglas Murray, Boyle and Marc-Edouard Vlasic are the top three blueliners; then, the group that follows includes Jason Demers, Niclas Wallin, Kent Huskins, Jay Leach and possibly youngster Derek Joslin or camp tryout invitee Andreas Lilja. It appears Demers likely will benefit the most and slide in on the second pairing with Vlasic, but don't be surprised if Wilson continues to look for blue-line help right up to the trade deadline.

4. Remember the name Jason Demers
We couldn't resist the segue. The 22-year-old native of Dorval, Quebec, combined for 38 points at the AHL and NHL levels last season, including 21 points (4-17) in 51 games at the big league level. He's an offensive blueliner who should get his share of power-play minutes this season. He looks like a young Dan Boyle.

"He's certainly impressed me," Boyle said. "I see a lot of what he's going through, so much of it I went through. I think he's going to be a very good hockey player. He's very smart. I think with added time and added confidence, he's going to get better and better."

5. Mr. Clutch
Pavelski brought his game to another level last season, making a name for himself as a clutch, two-way player. There may not be a more useful player on this team.

"He's very, very important to this team, for a lot of reasons," McLellan said. "He's a great two-way player. The other top-six forwards on this team want to play with him and enjoy playing with him. His versatility is key; he can play up or down on the power play, he's good in the faceoff circle, he contributes in the shootout -- there's not an aspect of the game where we don't consider using him. [Team USA GM] Brian Burke called him a Swiss Army knife. He really is. It's a great analogy."

6. Don't forget Murray
Douglas Murray doesn't get the credit he deserves on a national scale. He's a valuable member of the Sharks' blue-line corps, now more than ever with Blake gone.

"I don't think people realize the impact that he has on our team," McLellan said of Murray. "He likes to play a bull-in-the-china-shop-type game. That's a nice element to have on our team. We've got some puck-movers and some defenders, but he can keep some people honest. He's very solid. His game has improved a lot and even has a bit of offensive flair in it. He's a very important part of our puzzle."

7. Changing lines
The Sharks hope that Devin Setoguchi can bounce back after following up a career-high 31 goals in 2008-09 with 20 tallies last season. Of course, he's only 23. He began camp playing on a line with Thornton, and that can never hurt. Ryane Clowe was on the other side, as McLellan broke up the Olympic line of Thornton, Heatley and Marleau, something he also did during the playoffs.

Thornton, for one, is fine with the change.

"I like playing with a right-hand shot," said Thornton, who once set up a right-handed Jonathan Cheechoo for 56 goals. "I love playing with Heater and Patty, too, and I'm sure we'll end up playing again together this year, but [McLellan] is trying a few things out. We have such a deep forward group that I'm sure we'll see different faces with each other throughout the season."

Setoguchi is hungry to produce. He settled for a one-year, $1.8 million deal in the offseason with the prospect of a bigger payday next summer if he plays well this season.

"We have high expectations for Devin," Wilson said. "He trained really hard this summer. If you looked at the contributions at the last few teams that have won Cups, there's some young players that have stepped up and got it done. We are the sum of all our parts. We need the Devin Setoguchis and Jason Demers and other young players to push to the next level, and we think they can do it."

8. The playoff factor
Are the Sharks mentally fortified by their long playoff run this past spring, or were they satisfied with getting to the conference finals?

"It's only valuable experience if we use it properly this year," McLellan said. "I told my players, 'It's like a car going up a hill and stalling. We stalled against Chicago [in the conference finals]. If we can get the momentum back and grow based on what we did last year and get higher up the hill, then we'll be fine. But if the car starts rolling back down the hill, it's going to be hard to stop that momentum.' So we're at a critical point where growth will be important for our team. ... You're either growing or decaying. You don't ever stay in the same spot."

9. Healthy squad
Torrey Mitchell finally appears to be back from the broken leg he suffered in practice two years ago in September. After missing the entire 2008-09 NHL season, he returned last season and played in 56 games but still wasn't quite there. Another summer of training has Mitchell in fine form.

"He's flying out there," Wilson said. "He was a real important player for us a couple of years ago. He's all the way back now. He looks great."

Mitchell most likely will begin the season on the third line with Jamie McGinn and Logan Couture.

10. Say hello to Frazer McLaren
McLaren got a brief look last season, appearing in 23 NHL games with the Sharks. He's got a shot at patrolling left wing on the fourth line this season, and given his 148 penalty minutes in the AHL last season, you know he can take care of business.

"He's big, 6-foot-5 [and 250 pounds], and you understand that element," McLellan said. "But we believe that you have to have another skill set other than being the policeman. I think he's got that. He gets the game, and he's prepared to work on it. He's improved every year, so he's a candidate for that role."

PREDICTION: The Sharks will battle the Kings for the Pacific Division crown and fall just short with a second-place finish. Not having the first-place spotlight on them for once will be a good thing. We see another very deep run in the playoffs. And yes, we predict a Stanley Cup championship for them.

[h4]Coach's Corner[/h4]

Coach: Todd McLellan
Experience: Entering 3nd NHL season
Record: 104-38-22
Stanley Cup titles: 0
• Todd McLellan enters his third campaign behind the Sharks' bench. The former Red Wings assistant coach showed tremendous resolve in bouncing back from that first-round upset loss to Anaheim in April 2009 by coaching his team to the conference finals a year later, all while deftly answering questions about his team's postseason hiccups.

"Todd's really important," GM Doug Wilson said. "That coaching staff, they really do honestly hold people to high expectations. Todd demands a lot from these players, but they also know he wants them to succeed. He wants to make them better every day. He wants them to grow, and that's whether it's our star guys or our younger guys. He has the respect of that group."

[h4]The Fab Five[/h4]

LeBrun's top positional players for the Sharks:

F -- Joe Thornton: Jumbo Joe led the Sharks in scoring again last season with 89 points (20-69), but more importantly, he had a solid playoff performance to help silence his critics, putting up 12 points (3-9) in 15 games against tough opposition.

F -- Joe Pavelski: Consider last season the official coming-out party for The Big Pavelski in terms of joining the ranks of star players. His Olympic performance for Team USA was impressive, but he was even more clutch come playoff time, leading the Sharks with 17 points (9-

in 15 games. He's the real deal.

F -- Patrick Marleau: He led the Sharks with 44 goals last season before going silent in the opening two rounds of the playoffs. But he went out with a bang, scoring five of his team's seven goals in the Western Conference finals.

D -- Marc-Edouard Vlasic: He's the most complete, all-around blueliner on the team. Vlasic is nothing flashy but most often makes the right decision with the puck and has terrific positional play.

D -- Dan Boyle: The veteran rearguard posted another huge offensive season with 58 points (15-43) in 76 games, also winning Olympic gold along the way. Then he stepped it up a notch in the playoffs, placing second in team scoring with 14 points (2-14) in 15 games. He's a workhorse (he averaged a team-high 26:12 last season) and a great team leader.

[h4]Fantasy Focus[/h4]

Best bet: Dany Heatley
Without Evgeni Nabokov to make sure the Sharks stay in most games, Heatley and the other top offensive options in San Jose should be relied upon to increase the Sharks' overall scoring. Twice a 50-goal scorer, Heatley could return to that level with a renewed focus on offense and a reinvigorated Joe Thornton at center. Even without the steep increase to his scoring, Heatley is still an easy first-round pick. The Sharks haven't lost much when it comes to offense, so don't hesitate to hang your hat on Heatley as your top selection this season. -- Sean Allen

Risky pick: Ryane Clowe
Clowe was extremely valuable last season with 57 points and 131 penalty minutes; that combination of skill and toughness is all too rare in the NHL these days. If there were any promise that Clowe would repeat his time in the penalty box, he would be ranked a lot higher. While you can't count on the PIMs, the points should be there again. That makes Clowe a high-upside pick when filling out your bench. He works well with Joe Pavelski as his pivot and actually poses a mild threat from Logan Couture for playing time. -- SA

Sleeper pick: Logan Couture
While he is likely to start out as the third-line center, Couture could slide to a wing in an attempt to earn a spot on the team's second line. A talented goal-scorer at the lower levels, Couture has averaged better than a point per game in both the OHL and AHL. He faces a tall order to supplant either Clowe or Devin Setoguchi on the second line, so the best chance he has of being a fantasy factor this season would be if someone on the top two lines were to get injured. -- SA

Blues: 10 Things You Need To Know

The Blues remain a bit of an enigma. After storming into the playoffs with a red-hot stretch run in 2008-09, they looked to build on that momentum last season and prove they were among the up-and-comers in the Western Conference.

Never happened. Or at least not in any meaningful way, until the season was lost.

The Blues struggled, especially at home, where they ranked 28th with just 18 wins. Coach Andy Murray, a nominee for the Jack Adams Award the previous season, was fired after 40 games, and Davis Payne was promoted from the team's AHL affiliate Jan. 2. Payne's work in helping the Blues chart a different course (they were 12-5-2 at home after Payne took over, 23-15-4 overall) provided enough confidence that he was given the job full time.

The offseason saw other significant changes in St. Louis. Veteran GM Larry Pleau retired, and Doug Armstrong took over the post, bringing in new No. 1 goaltender Jaroslav Halak in the team's key offseason move. Veterans Keith Tkachuk (retired) and Paul Kariya (out this season with concussion-related injuries) are gone. Now, the task of getting back into the playoff mix in the tough Western Conference falls to a group of talented young players like U.S. Olympians Erik Johnson and David Backes, fan favorite T.J. Oshie, David Perron and Patrik Berglund.

1. Offense by committee
The Blues will return just three 20-goal scorers from last season. None of them -- Andy McDonald, Alexander Steen, David Perron -- managed to crack the 30-goal plateau, which suggests the Blues once again will rely on scoring by committee (they somehow ranked 17th in goals per game last season). "We have a lot of options, a lot of versatility," Payne said in a recent interview.

2. Boyes scout
If there is one player who will be expected to embrace a larger role, both in terms of leadership and production, it will be Brad Boyes. In the previous two seasons, Boyes collected 76 goals, 27 of them on the power play. Last season, the 28-year-old managed just 14 goals, only two on the man advantage.

Payne said that when things went off the rails for Boyes, the frustration seemed to leak into other parts of his game.

"He's come back with a great attitude," the coach said. And there's nothing better than a guy who wants the puck on his stick and Boyes is that player, the coach said.

3. Solid Steen
If Boyes' production was a disappointment, it surely was offset by the emergence of Steen as a top two-way center. The former Toronto prospect finished with a career-best 24 goals, seven of which came on the power play. Payne is looking for Steen to continue to help out on the power play, working mostly on the blue line. The coach also had high praise for Steen's mental approach to the game and drive to get better after coming over from Toronto.

"He had a lot of internal motivation and he did a great job with it," Payne said. "It's a great feeling in that he is in no way satisfied with what he's accomplished."

4. All hail Halak
When the Blues and starting netminder Chris Mason couldn't get together on a contract, Armstrong moved swiftly and decisively to acquire Montreal playoff hero Jaroslav Halak. It cost the Blues two prospects, including highly regarded forward Lars Eller. But Halak's other-worldly turn between the pipes in leading eighth-seeded Montreal past Washington and Pittsburgh told Armstrong the reward was worth the risk.

Halak, who signed a four-year deal worth $3.75 million annually after the trade, turned in a .923 save percentage in 18 postseason games but has never played in more than 45 regular-season games. Worried? Not the Blues. Ty Conklin, one of the game's steadiest backup netminders, will continue to be a viable Plan B if Halak falters. Ben Bishop continues to try to evolve into NHL material.

5. PK honors
It wasn't all bad news for the Blues in 2009-10. The team had the league's most potent penalty-killing unit. Maintaining that level of efficiency -- a sign of maturity and coaching acumen -- will go a long way toward returning to the postseason. The problem for the Blues was they got a lot of practice playing a man short; they were the third-most penalized team in the NHL and the most penalized team in the West last season.

6. Big Erik
Slowly but surely, Erik Johnson is maturing into the kind of impact defenseman the Blues thought he would be when they made him the first overall pick in 2006. Missing all of the 2006-07 season after a freak preseason golf cart injury stunted his development. Yet, as time went on last season, Johnson showed more poise while eating up more and more minutes. His solid turn on the U.S. Olympic team also was a boon to the 6-foot-4, 236-pounder. His playing with more confidence this season will be important to the Blues' playoff chances.

7. Blues' blue line
Beyond Johnson, there are plenty of interesting parts along the St. Louis blue line, including Alex Pietrangelo, the fourth overall pick in the 2008 draft. Pietrangelo got a taste of NHL life during a nine-game stint (he scored once but was a minus-9) before returning to his junior club. Payne is expecting the 20-year-old will now make a case for being a full-time NHLer. Captain Eric Brewer will be hoping to put two injury-plagued years behind him, as he's managed to suit up for just 87 games the past two seasons. He likely will be the only Blues defenseman older than 30.

The blue-line picture became a little murkier late in camp when Carlo Colaiacovo went down with a hip injury that will likely keep him out of the lineup for the start of the season. Watch for Tyson Strachan, Nathan Oystrick and Nikita Nikitin to battle for Colaiacovo's ice time in his absence.

8. Out of the blocks
One of the challenges for the Blues will be avoiding a third straight poor start to a season. Payne said it would be imprudent for the team to think that somehow its second-half level of play will come automatically. It would have been a feather in the Blues' cap if they had made the playoffs last season, as they did in 2008-09. But in the end, they were a team without a cap at all, and they need to remember that heading into this season.

9. Glass ceiling?
Much will be made of the absences of Kariya and Tkachuk. Yet, as we saw a few years back in Detroit when Brendan Shanahan left and Steve Yzerman retired, it opened the door for players like Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk to bloom. This isn't a knock on Kariya or Tkachuk (just as it wasn't a knock on Shanahan or Yzerman), but will we see the same dynamic in St. Louis with players like Oshie, Perron and Backes? The Blues are counting on it.

10. The Armstrong factor
You have to give the Blues credit for the classy way in which they have handled the transition from longtime GM Pleau to Armstrong. Pleau will spend some well-deserved quality time with wife Wendy, who has battled cancer in recent years. Armstrong bided his time, assessing the Blues' assets. He also has spent a lot of time scouting the league for Hockey Canada in various capacities, including as associate director of player personnel for Canada's gold-medal winning effort in Vancouver. His bold acquisition of Halak suggests he won't sit idly by if there's a move to be made.

PREDICTION: We think the Blues are ready to take a step back into the postseason. They will finish behind Chicago and Detroit in the Central but will keep things interesting. We slot them into the seventh seed in the West.

[h4]Coach's Corner[/h4]

Coach: Davis Payne
Experience: Entering first NHL season
Record: N/A
Stanley Cup titles: N/A
• Payne, a native of Port Alberni, British Columbia, is the second-youngest coach in the NHL at age 39. He spent the summer in Alaska, where he was previously the coach of the ECHL's Alaska Aces. In taking over for Andy Murray midway through last season, Payne acknowledged he wanted to keep things moving forward as opposed to starting from scratch with a whole new system.

With a chance to work through his first training camp, he is hoping the Blues will avoid the pitfalls of the past couple of seasons, when slow starts put them in deep holes early on. The fact that the team played so well down the stretch provides what Payne hopes will be solid building blocks to a season of high expectations.

[h4]The Fab Five[/h4]

Burnside's top positional players for the Blues:

F -- Alex Steen: He's looking to build off a career season.

F -- David Perron: He hit the 20-goal mark in his third NHL season. Can he get to 30?

F -- David Backes: Easily one of the most personable players on the 2010 U.S. Olympic team, he is a captain in waiting.

D -- Erik Johnson: Taking steps toward becoming a dominant NHL defenseman.

D -- Eric Brewer: He must stay healthy to help stabilize a young Blues blue line.

[h4]Fantasy Focus[/h4]

Best bet: Erik Johnson
A smoldering prospect only a few years ago, Johnson is getting better and better. And so is a young St. Louis Blues team. Johnson rebounded well off a lost 2008-09 season by netting 39 points in 79 games last season. If all goes well, the 22-year-old will hit the 50-point mark in 2010-11. As his career is ascending, Johnson is one sparkly fantasy gem. -- Victoria Matiash

Risky pick: David Backes
After a stellar 2008-09 that saw the power forward rank among the most valuable fantasy assets, his goal total was virtually cut in half last season (31 to 17). He still topped triple-digit penalty minutes and was a decent No. 4/bench forward, but it does not appear as though Backes is ready for superstardom. His physical play is what will keep him relevant in fantasy leagues, but he should be considered more for a bench spot -- he's the type of player who is more appealing when you are not forced to start him on a nightly basis. -- Sean Allen

Sleeper pick: Jaroslav Halak
Halak led the Canadiens to a surprisingly deep playoff run in 2009-10, displacing Mr. Lightning Rod of Controversy himself, Carey Price, in the process. For all his hard work, he was shipped to St. Louis. Of course, there are much worse outposts in the NHL world than the blueliner-rich Blues. The streaky Halak is in a good spot to be worthy of fantasy No. 1 status this season. -- Tim Kavanagh

Lightning: 10 Things You Need To Know

For a team that hasn't won a playoff series since winning it all in 2004, the Tampa Bay Lightning have found themselves the topic of much discussion around the NHL in recent years. Sadly, the discussion has usually been framed around the terms "circus," "chaos" and "futility."

But this offseason, there has been significant buzz around the Lightning connected to a different descriptor: "optimism." Starting with the sale of the team from controversy-plagued owners Len Barrie and Oren Koules to quiet businessman Jeff Vinik and the hiring of new GM Steve Yzerman, the Lightning are suddenly on everyone's radar. And with good reason.

In his first NHL GM job, Yzerman has quickly assembled a deep, talented team that is expected to jump from 14th in the East and 25th overall to a playoff spot. Yzerman brought in highly touted rookie coach Guy Boucher and added veteran sniper Simon Gagne, former Cup winner Pavel Kubina and netminder Dan Ellis to augment a lineup that already boasted Vincent Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis, Ryan Malone and emerging superstar Steven Stamkos.

1. Vinny and Marty?
Boucher has talked about reuniting Lecavalier and St. Louis, a pair that was so dynamic during the team's Cup run. The logic is obvious: try to get Lecavalier back to a comfort zone that will see him return to the elite form we last saw in 2006-07, when he scored 52 goals. But at what cost? Last season, St. Louis played on what was one of the league's most explosive lines with Steve Downie and Stamkos. Gagne and Malone, who had 21 goals in 69 games last season, will be in the mix for the top two lines.

2. Speaking of the captain ...
This is a significant year for both Lecavalier and the franchise. After enduring rampant rumors about being on the trading block and struggling through a series of injuries, Lecavalier appears ready to put all that behind him.

"I feel great. I think we have a great organization," Lecavalier told ESPN.com. "I think they're building a first-class organization with winners and with guys that have won and that people really respect, a lot of class."

Lecavalier said he hopes to get back to the level he was at in 2006-07.

"I think a lot of distractions outside of the locker room, I don't know if it crept in or not," Lecavalier said. "It's easy to say when the team hasn't done well in two years, but there was a lot of talk. There was the trade talks, just a lot of distraction, not the distraction that we're going to have now. So I just feel like forgetting those two years and build from right now at training camp."

3. Out of the box
The Lightning ranked second-to-last in the league with 399 minutes in minor penalties last season. From the moment the Bolts hit the ice at training camp, Boucher was watching to see if his guys were using their sticks properly in the hopes of breaking bad habits that can lead to minors.

4. Outside the big guns
If the Lightning can get their top two lines producing, it may not matter what comes out of the third and fourth lines. But for a team that ranked 29th overall in 5-on-5 scoring last season, scoring depth is going to be crucial. To that end, Yzerman has assembled a team with a lot of experience in the hopes of providing that balance. He nabbed Sean Bergenheim from the New York Islanders and brought in Dominic Moore, who was solid for Montreal during its playoff run last spring. Teddy Purcell, the former L.A. King, is also in the mix. If those players can stick, Yzerman won't have to rush in any of his young players.

5. Chemistry experiment
When you change everything from ownership to GM to coaching staff to key parts of your lineup, cohesion isn't something that happens overnight. Which is why Boucher spent time at training camp working on chemistry while also warning that these things take time.

"The biggest challenge right now is to hurry up and get some kind of chemistry and structure before the season starts," he said. "We're by far the team that's made the most changes at every level, which means that probably we'll have more struggles than most to start. Not necessarily in terms of wins and losses, but in terms of chemistry and guys being on the same page to start the year."

6. The goalies
A few seasons ago, Yzerman saw up close how good Ellis can be in the playoffs when undermanned Nashville nearly knocked off the Detroit Red Wings. But Ellis' body of work is relatively limited and he was supplanted as the starter in Nashville by top prospect Pekka Rinne. Ellis appeared in just 31 games last season, so the question is whether he is capable of carrying a workload that may be close to double that. That's assuming, of course, Mike Smith doesn't end up as the No. 1 netminder.

Smith came from Dallas in the Brad Richards deal, but has never put his stamp on the starting job in large part to lingering effects of a concussion. But the bottom line is these two will have to provide consistent starts if the Lightning are going to make good on all the optimism surrounding them coming out of camp. They are good friends and insist the competition between them will be healthy, not distracting.

7. A better blue line
One of the quietest signings of the summer might well have been Tampa's most important: the return of blueliner Pavel Kubina. The big Czech (6-foot-4, 250 pounds) was part of the Lightning's Cup run and never would have left if it weren't for an enormous contract offered by Toronto. Things didn't exactly work out with the Leafs, and Kubina performed well in Atlanta after being dealt to the Thrashers.

He will help the power play with his big shot and should provide helpful tutelage for young defensive anchor Victor Hedman, who had an up-and-down rookie season. There will still be questions about the mobility along the blue line and whether the unit can adequately feed the puck to the team's skilled forwards.

8. What next, Stammer?
Having earned a share of the Rocket Richard Trophy with 51 goals in his sophomore season, where does Stamkos go from here? He's in great shape thanks to a summer of Gary Roberts' grueling workout regimen in Toronto, and no matter how the lines shake down, Stamkos will play with skilled players. So? Blessed with terrific speed and a laser shot, 50 goals should again be within reach. Who knows ... maybe there will be more than a little Hart Trophy talk when the dust clears next April.

9. Steve Downie
Few NHL players are as polarizing as Downie. Oft-suspended, often at the center of controversy, Downie showed he has NHL tools last season, posting 24 goals and a plus-14 -- for a non-playoff team. Credit former coach Rick Tocchet for keeping the tightly wound Downie on task. Boucher will have to do the same this season. If he does, Downie, who can handle himself around the net and is a terrific puck-pursuit and possession forechecker, will continue to rewrite his own hockey biography.

10. Simon Gagne
The acquisition of the veteran Flyer and two-time Canadian Olympian was one of Yzerman's shrewdest offseason moves. Although Gagne makes $5.25 million, he has only one year left on his deal. If he can stay healthy and chip in 30-40 goals playing on the top two lines and seeing lots of power-play time, it's a win-win situation. If Gagne is sidelined (he has been troubled by groin, foot and concussion issues in recent years and missed 84 games over the past three seasons), the team's exposure is limited to this year only. Gagne seems pumped in his new surroundings and may start the season playing with Lecavalier.

PREDICTION: Hey, we've been aboard the Lightning bandwagon for a couple of years; maybe we were just ahead of our time. Regardless, we do believe Yzerman has assembled a playoff-ready coaching staff and lineup. They won't catch Washington for the Southeast Division title, but should settle comfortably into the middle of the East playoff pack.

[h4]Coach's Corner[/h4]

Coach: Guy Boucher
Experience: Entering first NHL season
Record: N/A
Stanley Cup titles: N/A
• One veteran player told ESPN.com that after the first team meeting with Boucher, he felt like standing up and applauding. "That's a coach," he said. Others have echoed that sentiment, praising Boucher's passion and intensity.

"Every meeting we're having with him is pretty intense," Simon Gagne said. "He's not even on the ice and guys are going all-in, all out there. ... Even the scrimmages, the tempo out there, it's almost faster than a regular hockey game."

Boucher, the youngest coach in the NHL at age 38, has no qualms about his ability to do the job here even though his apprenticeships at the junior and AHL levels was extremely short.

"Basically, I'm approaching this as I always have in every new environment that I've been in, I'm going to coach people, and that doesn't change," Boucher told ESPN.com. "Whether they're 25 or 17 or 30, they want to be better hockey players, they want to improve, they want to have the best season they've ever had."

[h4]The Fab Five[/h4]

Burnside's top positional players for the Bolts:

F -- Vincent Lecavalier: Bounce-back time for the captain? The stage is certainly set for it.

F -- Martin St. Louis: May move to the wing with Lecavalier, although he had great chemistry with Stamkos. Either way, he's the heart and soul of this team.

F -- Steve Downie: Can the one-time wild child keep his emotions in check and enjoy another top offensive season?

D -- Pavel Kubina: The big man with the big shot won a Cup in Tampa and was ecstatic at the chance to return to his first NHL home.

D -- Victor Hedman: The No. 2 overall pick in the 2009 draft struggled at times last season, but he's a keeper.

[h4]Fantasy Focus[/h4]

Best bet: Steven Stamkos
After a solid, 46-point rookie season in 2008-09, Stamkos blew away everyone's expectations last season and led the league in goals and finished with 95 points. It's safe to say Stamkos has shown us all his cards. Can he repeat those numbers? Sure. He still has Martin St. Louis as a skilled winger, the power play is getting better with the addition of skilled defenseman Pavel Kubina and Simon Gagne will help with secondary scoring to keep the pressure off. -- Sean Allen

Risky pick: Vincent Lecavalier
Last season was a bit of a disappointment for Lecavalier owners; he was well below a point per game and finished with a minus rating for the second season in a row. What has been Vinny's trouble? A lack of quality linemates, for one. But now Gagne and Teddy Purcell are available to take some shifts with Vinny, and Sean Bergenheim, Ryan Malone and Marc Pouliot are waiting in the wings. Consider Lecavalier as a top-end No. 3 center with upside. -- SA

Sleeper pick: Teddy Purcell
Purcell should be a lot better than his numbers in the NHL have shown. He has the size, strength and skill to score points and has dominated at the AHL level, but he hasn't managed to display those skills in NHL just yet. After a trade to the Lightning at the end of last season, he finished with nine points in 19 games, which could possibly be a sign of things to come. Purcell looks like a good player to try on the wing with Lecavalier and Gagne. -- SA

Maple Leafs: 10 Things You Need To Know

[h4]Coach's Corner[/h4]

Coach: Ron Wilson
Experience: Entering 1tth NHL season, his third with Toronto
Record: 582-499-101-73
Stanley Cup titles: 0
• Ron Wilson enters his third year as Leafs coach.

South of the border, his coaching acumen is respected more than ever after he led a young Team USA squad to within one goal of an Olympic gold medal in Vancouver in February. In Toronto, some locals believe he should be fired if the Leafs get off to a slow start.

"I think we have one of the best coaches in the NHL," Burke said. "I think he's finally got a group he's excited about for the first time since he got here, and we're all looking forward to a successful season. There's no issues with the coach."

Wilson, to his credit, wants his team to play an aggressive, offensive style. Whether or not he has the horses to pull it off is another question.

[h4]The Fab Five[/h4]

LeBrun's top positional players for the Sens:

F -- Phil Kessel: A healthy Kessel could reach the 40-goal plateau this season.

F -- Tyler Bozak: He really should be a No. 2 center in this league, but in Toronto, he's forced to play on the top line.

F -- Kris Versteeg: Gets a chance to flex his offensive muscle after being limited as a checker on the Cup champion Blackhawks.

D -- Tomas Kaberle: He likely didn't think he'd be back in Toronto. Now he's focused on a big season to help him hit the jackpot next summer on the open market.

D -- Dion Phaneuf: He sounded at peace and comfortable in his own skin on the eve of this season. The trade from Calgary was a blessing.

[h4]Fantasy Focus[/h4]

Best bet: Dion Phaneuf
The point man for the Leafs, Phaneuf will rack up the on-ice minutes, hit the score sheet with regularity and continue to play with a bit of pepper (read: collect more than 100 PIM). Forget last season's disappointing output; the freshly anointed leader is ready to turn the page. Phaneuf is poised for an explosive season. -- Victoria Matiash

Risky pick: Jonas Gustavsson
Leafs GM Brian Burke liked "The Monster" enough to bring him back on a two-year contract extension this summer and Gustavsson should continue to improve. He ended the season strong, posting a 7-1-0 record, 2.06 GAA and .923 save percentage over eight starts in March. Those numbers probably are not sustainable over the course of a season, but even a slight reduction will be quite acceptable.-- Tim Kavanagh

Sleeper pick: Nazem Kadri
The young sniper has nothing left to prove in junior hockey after scoring 93 points in 56 games in the OHL last season. Kadri is fast and has that extra level of hockey awareness that makes him skate to the exact right spot. He'll have to overcome his small frame if he is to make an impact against NHL defenders. Kadri still has a ton of upside and may be worth a gamble with your utility spot or as a bench player. -- Sean Allen

Canucks: 10 Things You Need To Know

The 40th NHL season in Vancouver could end with the team's first Stanley Cup championship.

Well, at least that's the prediction from some noteworthy pundits.

"It's very flattering and shows what kind of players we have in this locker room," star goalie Roberto Luongo told ESPN.com. "And we're confident. Other people have expectations for us, and for our own part, we know we have our own expectations, as well."

Indeed, Cup fever has hit Van City, one of the NHL's most passionate and knowledgeable hockey markets.

The Canucks revamped their blue line and checking line, and believe a core led by the Sedin twins (Daniel and Henrik), Ryan Kesler and Luongo is ready to take the next step following back-to-back, second-round playoff losses to the Chicago Blackhawks.

But the hype is making the architect of the team a little nervous.

"Yeah, I also go into it with some trepidation," Canucks GM Mike Gillis said with a smile during a recent interview with ESPN.com. "My first year, some people picked us to be 29th in the league and we won the division. You just have to be balanced in your approach, and not get too high and too low. I really have great confidence in our management staff and our coaching staff; it begins there. I have great confidence in our players. We've made a lot of changes here, but we've managed to keep our core intact."

1. Durable blue line
The Canucks added a pair of top-four blueliners in Dan Hamhuis and Keith Ballard. Willie Mitchell, who missed the second half of last season because of a concussion, left for Los Angeles late in the offseason. Sami Salo is out long term recovering from a torn Achilles tendon. So, essentially, Hamhuis and Ballard replace Mitchell and Salo.

But the big advantage is the two newcomers have been durable NHLers so far in their careers, and that's paramount for a Canucks team that showed an injury-depleted blue line last spring.

"We targeted defensemen in Ballard and Hamhuis, who tend not to get injured and who play a lot of minutes," Gillis said. "It's very difficult in the West to keep a defensive group intact for an entire season because of the travel, the wear and tear, and the speed of play."

The additions were welcomed in the Canucks' dressing room.

"You look at Hamhuis and Ballard, they're both great players and are both really going to help us," Daniel Sedin said. "We've got seven or eight defensemen that can play and do well. That's important because you're going to get injuries and you need guys to step in."

2. The transition game
Vancouver's top four on defense -- Hamhuis, Ballard, Alex Edler and Christian Ehrhoff -- are all gifted puck movers, essential to the transition game. The past three Cup champions -- Chicago, Pittsburgh and Detroit -- were blessed with these type of defensemen, who can lead the attack.

"Two and half years ago, we really changed the methodology of this team and how it was going to play," Gillis said. "I was convinced when I took this job that the only way you were able to be a top-tier team in this league is to score goals. You have to have a system of play that allows for you to score goals. The way we felt it was going to get accomplished is by getting the puck into our forwards as quickly and as often as possible.

"So we've gone out and got players who can do it. Now I think we're better situated."

3. Henrik Sedin
The Hart Memorial Trophy found a home in Vancouver for the first time in team history. How does Henrik Sedin top last season?

"It's going to be tough," he told ESPN.com with a smile. "But it's one of those things that when you look back, you're proud of what you've done. But it's nothing more than that. It's something you remember after your career; it'll always be there for you. But it's a new season."

4. The man in net
Roberto Luongo had a charged offseason, dropping the captaincy, changing goalie coaches, adjusting his playing style and once again dealing with critics who say he was mostly to blame for the Canucks' playoff loss to Chicago. Sink or swim, much of Vancouver's success this season will once again depend on its star goalie.

"Everyone in this room trusts him and knows he's a great goalie," Daniel Sedin said. "We need to support him and play the way we should. Last year, we were an offensive team, but we allowed too many easy goals, too many 3-on-2s and 2-on-1s. We've got to play better defensively and help him out."

5. Scoring depth
The Canucks revamped their third line with the additions of Manny Malhotra and Raffi Torres. Malhotra, in particular, is a shrewd signing, a player the San Jose Sharks greatly appreciated last season for his two-way play and prowess in the faceoff circle.

"On our third line, we really wanted a different look, and we think we got that in Manny Malhotra and Raffi Torres," Gillis said. "We wanted to add some size, and we definitely wanted to get better in the faceoff circle and better on the penalty kill. So far, we think we've accomplished that."

6. The injury list
Talented winger Alex Burrows, the Sedin twins' usual linemate, begins the season on the shelf while recovering from offseason shoulder surgery.

"Alex is a very hard-working guy," Gillis said. "He played throughout the playoffs with that injury, and it was kept quiet throughout that entire time frame. He can handle pain. But that injury is a five- to six-month recovery period. He's in Month 4 now. He hasn't had any contact at all, and he won't have contact until doctors clear him to have it. After that, there's still another solid month of recovery time and gradually getting back into contact. He's got a little ways to go. We're confident that he'll be ready hopefully in November."

7. The cap list
The Canucks are right up against the salary cap, and once Salo comes of the long-term injury list, they'll likely have to make a move. It has led to speculation that Kevin Bieksa could be traded, but Gillis said all of that speculation is just that, for now.

"We went into last year with nine defensemen, and at the end of the season, we didn't have enough," Gillis said. "There's a lot of time, and a lot of things can happen between now and when Sami is able to return. The time frame for [Salo's] injury is five to six months, and that's if everything goes well. So we've got a lot of hockey to play between now and then, and we'll just see where we are at that point in time."

8. The second line
The pairing of Ryan Kesler and Mason Raymond on the second line looks primed for another big season.

"Mason and Ryan have come to this camp really well prepared," Gillis said. "They're in great shape physically and they're flying."

Kesler played through a shoulder injury during the playoffs, but the U.S. Olympian is raring to go.

9. The road less traveled
The Canucks survived the NHL's longest road trip last season, a necessity because of the Olympics invading their home arena. This season, they can look forward to a much better schedule, one in which the longest road trip is five games. That should help minimize the wear and tear on players.

"The league has worked with us to try and consider some of the things that we found in our analysis in how we travel," Gillis said. "The cost of injuries is huge. Last year, we had at one point $23.5 million [of salaries] on LTI. It just becomes unworkable when you have that amount of money sitting in the press box. ... We feel confident this schedule is one of the best ones, if not the best one, in the history of the Canucks."

10. Another new face
Ehrhoff was a sly pickup by the Canucks last season; he produced a career-high 44 points (14-30) and a plus-36 rating in 80 games. He also happens to be eligible for unrestricted free agency in July. Gillis is already on the case.

"We know that he likes playing here a lot," the GM said. "Christian is a guy that got a great opportunity here last year and played in multiple situations. We've had some preliminary discussions. We're confident that we'll get Christian signed. We're beginning the process, and we'll see where it goes."

PREDICTION: The Canucks will romp through the Northwest, finish first in the division and top the tough Western Conference. It's time to get giddy, Canucks fans.

[h4]Coach's Corner[/h4]

Coach: Alain Vigneault
Experience: Entering 9th NHL season
Record: 291-232-35-36
Stanley Cup titles: 0
• Alain Vigneault has earned the trust of two GMs during his four-plus years in Vancouver and, in doing so, was able to change his stripes when it came to the team's style of play.

The Canucks were the second highest-scoring team in the NHL last season, just three years after being considered one of the most boring, defensive teams to watch. Mind you, both styles produced results. Still, Vigneault has shown his impressive coaching acumen in adapting to Gillis' demands for a more offensive system, and that's why he's regarded as one of the best coaches in the league.

[h4]The Fab Five[/h4]

LeBrun's top positional players for the Canucks:

F -- Daniel Sedin: Somewhat lost in his brother's Hart trophy campaign was that Daniel put up 85 points (29-56) despite missing 19 games with injury. Impressive.

F -- Henrik Sedin: A career-high 112 points (29-83) and plus-35 rating once and for all silenced his critics.

F -- Ryan Kesler: An excellent two-way forward with sandpaper to boot. Produced a career-high 75 points (25-50) in 82 games and ranked second in the NHL in takeaways.

D -- Dan Hamhuis: He said no to both Philadelphia and Pittsburgh so he could come home and play in his native province. Out from the shadow of Shea Weber and Ryan Suter in Nashville, Hamhuis gets a chance to prove he's 1-A material in Vancouver.

D -- Alex Edler: Had a career-high 42 points (5-37) last season, and there's still upside for the 24-year-old Swede many local observers believe is the most talented defenseman on the team.

[h4]Fantasy Focus[/h4]

Best bet: Henrik Sedin
Henrik Sedin won't need to carry the Canucks on his back this coming season. He has the talent to repeat his 112-point campaign, but he has no need to with a healthy Daniel Sedin and a better-than-ever blue line. Expect the Sedins to settle into the 85-90 point range as things calm down somewhat from the torrid pace they set last season. Mason Raymond and Mikael Samuelsson have proved their ability to score without needing a wing spot alongside the Sedins to do it. Sedin is still a top-10 pick, but expect his numbers to roll back a bit. -- Sean Allen

Risky pick: Alex Burrows
Burrows is a star by association with the Sedin twins. Since he is likely to play that same role again this season, he should not be discounted at the draft table. Because he is on the ice with them, Burrows will naturally rake in at least 50 points through osmosis. Combined with a solid plus/minus and triple-digit penalty minutes, you can quickly see the fantasy appeal. Provided you discount him enough to account for the chance he doesn't play with the twins all season, Burrows will provide ample upside as a No. 2 winger. -- SA

Sleeper pick: Cory Schneider
Schneider is one of the NHL's most promising young netminders; but given the lifetime contract signed by Roberto Luongo, it appears Schneider's best chance at stardom will occur after he's traded. His most recent start was a brilliant, tough-luck 2-1 loss to the Dallas Stars in which he made 45 saves, only to be left unsupported by the Canucks offense. Depending on whether that trade occurs early this season -- and where he's shipped -- Schneider's prospects in fantasy vary greatly. Given that reality, he's one to leave undrafted, except in deep leagues. -- Tim Kavanagh

Capitals: 10 Things You Need To Know

Why do we have this image of the Capitals holding their hands over their collective ears this upcoming season and saying, "I can't hear you, I can't hear you"?

Blocking out the shrill noise that still echoes from last spring's colossal collapse against the eighth-seeded Montreal Canadiens will be a big enough challenge for the star-studded Capitals. They ran away with the Presidents' Trophy as the top regular-season team -- establishing club records for wins, goals and points -- and then built a 3-1 series lead in the first round before inexplicably pulling the chute.

"I think we wanted it so bad," Washington captain Alex Ovechkin told ESPN.com in a recent interview. "I think our emotions were so high and we just, when we [were up] 3-1, we just stopped playing and stopped doing what our coaches said."

GM George McPhee believed in the team he built and made only cursory changes in the offseason, entrusting even more responsibility to young homegrown talent.

"The kids we will be bringing in this year have had success in the American league, won championships, and they will make our team better," McPhee said in a recent interview. "You want them to believe that they deserve to be here and they're just not going to give up this opportunity."

1. Ovechkin's role
The Capitals' captain remains a bit of an enigma. As dynamic a player as there is in the NHL, Ovechkin has collected more goals and points than any other player since the lockout. He was won three straight players' association "most outstanding player" awards, won two straight Hart Trophies as league MVP (2007-08 and 2008-09) and is the only active player with four 50-goal seasons.

And yet he has struggled to lead the Caps and other teams to success. His star-studded Russian Olympic squad flamed out in the quarterfinals of the 2010 Olympics and was denied gold against a weak field at the World Championship. The Caps have failed to advance beyond the second round since the lockout and have won just one playoff series.

This doesn't fall solely at Ovechkin's feet, but as one former player said upon exiting the team, there are a lot of players who have a lot of growing up to do in that room. Ovechkin needs to grow into a leadership role if the Caps are going to shake the doubters. It sounds like he understands that; he tells ESPN.com he doesn't care about his own game, only the success of the Capitals.

"I just want to win," he said. "I don't care about my game now, actually. I just want to win. I just want to do my best to help the team to win."

2. The goaltenders
The Capitals' goaltending has been an ongoing saga the past couple of years. In the spring of 2009, Jose Theodore was yanked one game into the postseason and replaced by rookie Semyon Varlamov. In August 2009, Theodore lost his infant son, but the goaltender was remarkable during the '09-10 regular season (30-7-7). Then, one game into the postseason, he was gone again. Now, Theodore is gone for good and Varlamov will have to compete with top minor league prospect Michal Neuvirth for playing time.

Look for the first few months to be a testing ground as to whether the pair is capable of taking the Caps deep into the playoffs. If there is any faltering, look for McPhee to add some veteran presence before the trade deadline. Neuvirth signed a two-year contract extension during training camp and was described by McPhee as being technically near-perfect, so the duel in net should be a great subplot.

3. A new and improved Mike Green?
The Calgary native has evolved into one of the most exciting defensemen in the NHL. Nominated for two straight Norris Trophies, Green is one of only seven blueliners in NHL history to post back-to-back 70-point seasons before the age of 25. He is, to put it mildly, a force, a modern-day Paul Coffey. Yet Green has struggled in the postseason. He has 50 goals in the past two regular seasons, but just one in his past 21 playoff games, calling into question his mental toughness and physical preparation.

But Green was candid with ESPN.com in preseason interviews and has vowed to be in the best shape of his life come next April. If he is, this may be the Caps' year to put the doubters to rest.

4. John Carlson in the house
We had an interesting window into the future when Caps rookie defenseman John Carlson faced off against Montreal prospect P.K. Subban in the first round. Both showed glimpses of greatness in high-pressure situations. By the end of the series, Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau was sending the 20-year-old Carlson over the boards in almost every situation. Ovechkin described the youngster's postseason play as "unbelievable."

Carlson has enjoyed a dramatic rise to fame in a short time, from starring on the international junior stage with Team USA to success in the AHL and NHL. Sometimes those kinds of curves have a sudden interruption. But Carlson, who averaged 20:14 per night in ice time in the postseason, will be looking to buck that trend. Boudreau already has him penciled in on the second power-play unit. Carlson may end up on the short list of some voters for the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year. Look for Carlson to possibly play alongside Karl Alzner.

5. Power-play flameout
Want to know how quickly things can change when the money is on the table? During the regular season, the Caps dominated on the man advantage and led the league with a 25.2 percent efficiency rating. In the playoffs? Not so much. (They scored just once on 33 attempts.) Boudreau said he went through tape of all those opportunities during the offseason and couldn't find his team lacking in anything other than in finishing.

"We had multiple golden scoring chances that we would normally have scored [on], and whether we were missing the net or the goalie was making great saves, that was that," Boudreau said. "That has kept me feeling that what we did and what our power play [has been] since I've gotten here is on the right track."

6. Penalty-kill woes
Boudreau sees some good things in the Caps' penalty-killing unit, one that finished 25th overall during the regular season and gave up six power-play goals during the seven-game loss to Montreal. "We think our penalty killing can't get any worse," Boudreau said.

But seriously.

"We've changed a couple of tactics on our penalty killing that [associate coach] Dean [Evason] has worked on all summer long, and we think that's going to help," Boudreau said. "Only time will tell."

7. Alexander Semin
Keep your eyes on the talented Russian with a penchant for pulling the chute when the going gets tough. When he's on, he's as dangerous as they come (he has averaged 34.5 goals the past four seasons and has an absolutely deadly release and terrific speed). Still, Semin seems to lack what several Caps observers have called "the compete gene." People can point the finger at Ovechkin for the Caps' playoff missteps all they want, but Semin's inability to come through in the clutch has been a major drag.

After potting 40 regular-season goals last season, he failed to score at all in the playoffs despite his 44 shots on goal. He is in the final year of a deal that pays him $6 million. Don't look for the team to initiate talks on an extension until they see what they get out of Semin when it really counts.

8. Backing Backstrom
Although there were few significant changes to the Caps' lineup, the big offseason news was the long-term deal tendered to top center Nicklas Backstrom. The slick puck handler, who has emerged as one of the top playmaking centers in the NHL, signed a 10-year deal worth $67 million that gives Caps fans reason to believe there will be many nights of Backstrom-to-Ovechkin and vice versa. In the same way that the Penguins' fortunes have been solidified with long-term deals to Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, locking up Backstrom to complement Ovechkin was key to the Capitals' stability.

9. The rest of the middle
A year ago, veteran Brendan Morrison was brought in to help provide depth down the middle for the talented Capitals. That experiment didn't work out, as Morrison struggled during the second half and was a healthy scratch at times during the playoffs. This summer, the question of the team's depth down the middle remains unanswered. Tomas Fleischmann, Mathieu Perreault, Keith Aucoin and rookie Marcus Johansson (the 24th overall pick in the 2009 draft) are waging a battle for what amounts to two pivot positions on the roster. Our guess? Perreault and Fleischmann get the nod to start, but that could change at a moment's notice.

10. The T-shirt
It's not quite "Win one for the Gipper," but Caps players could be seen during training camp sporting T-shirts with the slogan "Stay Angry Believe In Yourselves" on the backs. By next April, we'll find out whether angry translates into erasing last spring's disappointments.

PREDICTION: Washington will rebound from its first-round ouster to once again win the Southeast Division and finish atop the Eastern Conference standings. A berth in the Eastern Conference finals, at least, is in the offing.

[h4]Coach's Corner[/h4]

Coach: Bruce Boudreau
Experience: Entering third full season with Caps
Record: 141-56-28
Stanley Cup titles: 0
• Was there disappointment in Washington last spring? Sure.

As Boudreau said, he's had good teams lose in the playoffs, but it's different in the NHL.

This season will serve as a great litmus test for Boudreau and his coaching acumen. For our money, the former Jack Adams Award winner is still a terrific bench boss, but the stakes are high, as are the expectations.

Look for the Caps to be a better defensive team -- we're guessing top 10 in goals allowed -- and for them to be zeroed in on the task at hand come April. As for a repeat of last spring's upset special? Not a chance.

[h4]The Fab Five[/h4]

Burnside's top positional players for the Caps:

F -- Nicklas Backstrom: Signed long-term extension in the offseason and should be a top-five point producer.

F -- Alex Ovechkin: This season is a big one for the talented captain who needs to lead his team over the playoff hump.

F -- Mike Knuble: Solid, durable and capable of scoring 30 or more goals.

D -- Mike Green: New diet and new outlook on staying strong for the postseason.

D -- Tom Poti: He overcame an eye injury in the playoffs and signed a new two-year contract extension during training camp.

[h4]Fantasy Focus[/h4]

Best bet: Alex Ovechkin
What can you say about Ovechkin that hasn't been said before? He is a threat to lead all forwards in as many as five of the seven categories in fantasy and the entire league in four of them. He takes enough shots to single-handedly win you that category. He has a career average of 5.5 shots per game. Playing with Nicklas Backstrom is enough to make sure he continues to propel past 100 points, and even if Alexander Semin is separated from Ovechkin at even strength, they still get together on the power play. He is far and away the No. 1 overall pick in fantasy. -- Sean Allen

Risky pick: Semyon Varlamov
After an impressive run through the 2008-09 playoffs, big things were expected for Varly in 2009-10. Unfortunately, a sports hernia injury, followed by a knee injury while recovering from the hernia injury, short-circuited those plans. Let's face it: whoever winds up between the pipes for the Caps will get some wins considering the team's offensive firepower. But it's hard to project which Varlamov we'll get, given his frequently banged-up status last season. A handcuff pick of Michal Neuvirth is required if one takes Varlamov. -- Tim Kavanagh

Sleeper pick: Eric Fehr
On a pure points-per-minutes-played basis, Fehr was one of the best in the NHL in 2009-10. As a third- or fourth-liner last season, Fehr scored 21 goals and 39 points in 69 games. He re-upped with the Caps and is now being paid like a second-line winger. But unless Mike Knuble gets injured or Fehr can outplay Tomas Fleischmann, Fehr looks like a good option to stash on your bench in case he earns more ice time. -- SA

Senators: 10 Things You Need To Know

The Ottawa Senators weren't a popular pick to make the playoffs last season but did just that, placing fifth in the Eastern Conference and giving the Pittsburgh Penguins all they could handle in a first-round playoff loss.

But it wouldn't be the offseason if there wasn't some form of controversy in Ottawa. A year after Dany Heatley forced a trade out of Canada's capital, star center Jason Spezza caused a stir when he suggested to GM Bryan Murray in player exit meetings that maybe he should get a change of address (he was hurt that he was the target of boos from Sens fans in the playoffs).

It caused a few weeks of anxiousness and trade rumors before Murray calmed the waters and announced at the June draft that his top center was not going to be dealt.

In the meantime, the Sens surprised many on the first day of free agency by signing veteran star blueliner Sergei Gonchar to a three-year, $16.5 million contract. But on the same day, they lost hard-hitting blueliner Anton Volchenkov to New Jersey.

1. The power play
The Senators were 21st on the power play last season, a real area of concern. Enter Gonchar and his cure-all abilities.

"The back end is always the critical part on a power play, I think," Murray told ESPN.com. "The goals don't always come from there, but how creative the point men are, how they get the puck up the ice, when they get into the zone, how organized they are -- everything can run from there.

"He's so poised and so calm with the puck. He finds the open man. He gives people a chance to do something with the puck when they get it. So now with him, Erik Karlsson and Filip Kuba, we've got some quality back there offensively."

2. The blue line
The defensive corps has shifted its look somewhat. An injured Kuba missed the playoffs last season. Gonchar is a huge new addition. So you're basically looking at Gonchar/Kuba replacing Volchenkov and Andy Sutton. Second-year blueliner Erik Karlsson, an offensive wizard, will get more ice time. So suddenly, Ottawa's blue line has shifted into more of a puck-moving group and less of a banging outfit.

Kuba was sorely missed last season and he won't be back until about two weeks into the regular season.

3. New face in the crowd
Karlsson should become more of a household name around the league this season. The 20-year-old Swede had 26 points (5-21) in 60 games last season and now will get more of a chance, especially on the power play.

"Not a big body, but a big shot. Real smart, skates very well, doesn't defend with strength but with position," Murray said. "And when he gets beaten with position, he gives up a fair amount. But with the puck, and helping forwards getting the attack going, he's going to be one of the better young defensemen in the league, without a doubt."

4. Spezza stays
Spezza is still a Senator. His feelings were hurt a little last spring, but he's apparently over it.

"At the end of the year he was frustrated; he was disappointed," Murray said. "We were short-handed in the playoffs, and he took the brunt of that to an extent. People here expected us to go further, and Jason was the target [from fans]. But then we met midsummer, he was working out and looked great, and I told him he wasn't going to be traded whether he wanted it or not. He didn't really push the point. Since then, he's been terrific; we've talked a number of times."

5. Secondary scoring
Nick Foligno battled two separate injuries last season -- a knee problem and then a broken leg -- limiting him to 61 games. The 22-year-old has come back stronger than ever this fall and looks poised to make a bigger impact on the Sens' second line.

"Nick has come back and proven himself," Murray said. "He's been so good, so quick and good with the puck. So I'm hoping that carries into the regular season and way beyond. He should be in the top six."

6. Drawing the lines
The forward lines, as we see them, would feature Spezza centering Daniel Alfredsson and Milan Michalek on the top unit; Mike Fisher would be between Foligno and Alexei Kovalev on the second line; Chris Kelly would once again center Jarkko Ruutu and Chris Neil; and newcomer Zack Smith might get a chance on the fourth line between Jesse Winchester and Peter Regin.

7. The goaltending
The goaltending is a huge topic among fans and media in Ottawa. Pascal Leclaire looks to redeem himself this season after injuries and inconsistency marred his 2009-10 season, opening the door for unheralded Brian Elliott to take the mantle. Now the job is wide open again.

For Leclaire, there's a lot at stake. He's slated for unrestricted free agency July 1. In the meantime, if neither Leclaire nor Elliott is inspiring confidence by midseason or late season, don't be surprised if 19-year-old Swedish prospect Robin Lehner gets called up. He'll start the season in the AHL, but the Sens are mighty high on him.

8. Injuries
Two-thirds of the top line is coming off notable surgeries -- Alfredsson had hernia surgery, while Michalek had knee surgery.

"Alfie looks great," Murray said. "He doesn't look like he's lost a step. The surgery went well for him. Milan, we were a little concerned, but he's back skating. He's a guy that should get you 20-25 goals a year, and he flies. I think both players will be OK."

9. What's in store for Alexei Kovalev this season?
The enigmatic yet uber-talented 37-year-old dipped to 49 points (18-31) in 77 games last season, his lowest offensive output in four seasons.

"You guys [the media] are lot harder on him than I am," Murray said. "The guys he plays with love to play with him because he really gets them the puck in the right spot. ... He looks like he stands around too much, but for the most part he's been real good. I knew what he was, I think I know what he's going to be, and that's OK."

10. The last word
One of Ottawa's real areas of strength last season was on the penalty kill, which ranked eighth in the NHL. The defection of Volchenkov could hurt in this area; the A-Train was a huge part of the penalty kill during his time in Ottawa.

PREDICTION: The Senators and Canadiens will tie for third place in the Northeast Division and for seventh place in the Eastern Conference. But Ottawa will use the new tiebreaker rule to its advantage, pushing Montreal to eighth because the Habs will win more shootout games this season.

[h4]Coach's Corner[/h4]

Coach: Cory Clouston
Experience: Entering second full NHL season
Record: 44-43-10
Stanley Cup titles: 0
• Cory Clouston enters his second full season behind the Ottawa bench. The young, hard-nosed coach brought much-needed discipline to the Sens last season.
"He's done a good job," Murray said. "I think the thing Cory had to do was be a little more open with the players away from the ice, and he's really tried to do that. He's loosened up a little bit. He still has to be strict on the ice. Players seem to be in a real good mood. I think he's an excellent coach."

[h4]The Fab Five[/h4]

LeBrun's top positional players for the Sens:

F -- Mike Fisher: The second-line center is the team's best two-way player. And his wife is famous, too (Carrie Underwood).

F -- Jason Spezza: He worked extremely hard in the offseason after his controversial and timid trade request. He looks hungry.

F -- Daniel Alfredsson: He has fully recovered from offseason hernia surgery and looks ready to deliver another 70-point season.

D -- Chris Phillips: The solid, two-way defender is eligible for unrestricted free agency July 1.

D -- Sergei Gonchar: Need a cure for a power play that struggled last season? Gonch and his pinpoint passing and blast of a shot are the answer.

[h4]Fantasy Focus[/h4]

Best bet: Daniel Alfredsson
While you can't count on Alfredsson to score 40 goals again, he's still a point-per-game player. The Senators also have a legitimate point man for the power play (Sergei Gonchar), and that bodes well for Alfredsson's power-play production. Alfredsson falls just outside the realm of No. 1 centers because you have to account for him missing a handful of games. -- Sean Allen

Risky pick: Alexei Kovalev
There is no question Kovalev can score with the best of them when he is on his game, but unfortunately, that isn't as often as fantasy owners would like. Questions continue to surround his work ethic and he had a knee injury at the end of last season. Still, it's impossible not to think about gambling on a talent this enticing just in case he plays an 82-game slate. -- SA

Sleeper pick: Peter Regin
The Denmark native finished with 29 points and a plus-10 rating while playing a limited role on the Senators for most of the season. Projected for a scoring-line role this season, Regin could be the catalyst on the second line or even slip in on the first line with Jason Spezza and Alfredsson. -- SA
  

 

[proshares]

The spoiler is the 10 things to know about each team, predictions and key players.

 

[theprocessofbelief]

Proshares, you updating it? All I see is to Carolina.

Avy cheeeccckkkk.

 

[proshares]

You serious? Spent a good minute trying to put that together and the Yuku monster just messes it up. The spoiler seems to be cutting it off, I may have to edit and just post it w/o the spoiler. Hate to do that to you guys.

 

[frenchblue23]

Originally Posted by Proshares

You serious? Spent a good minute trying to put that together and the Yuku monster just messes it up. The spoiler seems to be cutting it off, I may have to edit and just post it w/o the spoiler. Hate to do that to you guys.

No, no.  It works perfectly now.  Thanks for that.