A New Day in Vancouver

VANCOUVER CANUCKS

2013-14 record: 36-35-11 (83 points)
Missed the playoffs
Captain: Henrik Sedin

The 2013-14 season for the Vancouver Canucks is one that is neither likely to be forgotten anytime soon nor one that anyone associated with the team would like to remember.  The John Tortorella Experiment ended after one year, but not before the Roberto Luongo Ferris Wheel finally stopped with a whimper, Tortorella trying his antics during an intermission against the Calgary Flames in a game, Mike Gillis getting canned after several trades gone awry (Derek Roy, anyone?), and Ryan Kesler asking for and getting a trade out of town.

This year, the Canucks will be dipping into their past, as Trevor Linden was brought in as President of Hockey Operations, and he brought in Jim Benning as General Manager and Willie Desjardins as head coach.  Linden and Benning wasted no time giving the team a makeover, trading Kesler to Anaheim for Nick Bonino, Luca Sbisa, and a first round pick in 2014 (which turned out to be Jared McCann).  In free agency, Ryan Miller was brought in to give Eddie Lack more time to develop and Radim Vrbata will replace some of Kesler's production.  Vrbata's addition means that the top three lines are more likely to be set in the places they were meant to be.  Desjardins brings with him AHL championship experience, as well as WHL coaching experience, and he brings a more patient approach to the game, something that will go over well in the dressing room.  Defensively, a change from the zone scheme will be welcome, and though depth is still an issue, it will help if Alexander Edler rebounds from a horrible 2013-14 campaign, but he will have to wait for redemption while he recovers from injury.  Miller will provide a veteran presence in net, but he hasn't been the Ryan Miller of old, and given the win now market of Vancouver, any struggles he has could be magnified.

Prediction: 3rd in the Pacific Division

The Canucks are in a make the playoffs mode this season, and certainly, they have the pieces in place to do so.  Goal could be a deciding factor, but a more harmonious front office this season will positively affect the players.  After all, it can't be any more chaotic than last season.

Turning Over a New Leaf

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS

2013-14 record: 38-36-8 (84 points)
Missed the playoffs
Captain: Dion Phaneuf

The Toronto Maple Leafs fell back to their usual bumbling ways after making the playoffs in 2013.  From the disastrous maiden year of David Clarkson to the Dave Bolland Experiment gone awry to a defense that was easy to get around, the Maple Leafs took several steps back.  Though Jonathan Bernier made his case to be the starting goaltender, he also got hurt, and that exposed both James Reimer and the defensive unit in front of the goaltender.  The only moves the Leafs made to fix this unit were buying out Tim Gleason, trading for Roman Polak, and signing Stephane Robidas.  None of those moves are exactly extreme makeover quality.  The hope here is that Dion Phaneuf will rebound from a horrid year and youngsters Jake Gardiner and Morgan Rielly will continue to develop into solid players.  Up front is where the team's strength lies, particularly the top two lines.  The James van Riemsdyk-Tyler Bozak-Phil Kessel line posted their usual great numbers.  It's the bottom two lines that could be an issue, particularly if Clarkson doesn't improve upon his 14 points in 60 games from last season.

Prediction: 7th in the Atlantic Division

The Leafs have more questions than answers at this point, which means they will be missing out on playoff hockey barring a miracle.

Striking Again

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING

2013-14 record: 46-27-9 (101 points)
Lost to Montreal in Conference quarterfinals
Captain: Steven Stamkos

The Tampa Bay Lightning were supposed to be a rebuilding team that was going to struggle last season.  Losing Steven Stamkos for half the season due to a broken leg and later Martin St. Louis in a trade that saw Ryan Callahan come from the New York Rangers would have suggested this to be true.  However, a funny thing happened, and the rookies stepped up, and Ben Bishop emerged as a top goalie for the Lightning as they claimed a playoff spot.  However, Bishop was hurt, and down went the Lightning's chances of advancing.  Stamkos is healthy once again, and the Lightning suddenly find themselves with higher expectations.  Even though they're going to miss Calder Trophy candidate Jonathan Drouin for a month, Stamkos will have Callahan, Valtteri Filppula, Tyler Johnson, and Ondrej Palat helping up front, meaning the Lightning will have depth up front.  Defense let them down in the playoffs, and other than Victor Hedman, the blue line was mostly in need of better talent.  To that end, they traded for Jason Garrison and signed Anton Stralman in free agency.  Brian Boyle was also signed to provide the team with badly needed size and a strong presence on the bottom two lines.  Bishop seized the starting job last season, but his absence due to injuries was felt, which was why Evgeni Nabokov was signed.

Prediction: 2nd in the Atlantic Division

The Lightning snuck up on last year, and now with higher expectations, they're going to have to prove that it wasn't a fluke.  A healthy Stamkos and an improved blue line should ensure that the Lightning won't be a one-year wonder.

Blood in the Water

SAN JOSE SHARKS

2013-14 record: 51-22-9 (111 points)
Lost to Los Angeles in Conference quarterfinals
Captain: TBA

The San Jose Sharks became just the fourth team in NHL history to blow a 3-0 series lead and lose the series when they turned the trick against the Los Angeles Kings last season.  The Sharks' actions during the off-season can be best described as a chicken running around with its head cut off, as they've let Dan Boyle walk, move Brent Burns back to the blue line, taken away all letter designations from their players until after training camp, and are toying with the idea of letting the backup goalie become the starter.  While Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau are still solid point producers, only Marleau actually showed up for the playoffs, and Joe Pavelski emerged as a viable option while Logan Couture was never the same after getting injured prior to Olympic break.  There's no shortage of offensive options, but fixing the power play is a must.  The blue line sees Burns going back to the position he played on a regular basis as of three seasons ago.  This move was necessitated by the Boyle departure, and there will be at least one more newcomer (likely Mirco Mueller) since Brad Stuart was traded.  Antti Niemi had a good, but not great season.  However, that season got much worse come playoff time, as he was yanked in favor of Alex Stalock, who had a great regular season as a backup, but he could not save the Sharks' sinking ship in the playoffs.

Prediction: 4th in the Pacific Division

The Sharks are doing just about everything to wash away the stench of the 3-0 to 4-3 series loss they endured.  Whether or not any of it works will be figured out in the early parts of the season, and with jobs potentially on the line, the pressure to succeed is on more than ever.

All the Low Notes

ST. LOUIS BLUES

2013-14 record: 52-23-7 (111 points)
Lost to Chicago in Conference quarterfinals
Captain: David Backes

The St. Louis Blues started last season on a tear, and were in fact, a favorite to win the President's Trophy.  However, the last six games of the season, and eventually the playoffs, did not look upon them too kindly, as they not only lost the Central Division title on the last day of the regular season, but also lost the playoff series against Chicago after being up 2-0.  While the regular season offense and defense were great (for the most part), both ends unraveled in the playoffs.  That was why Ryan Miller and his 2.70 GAA in the playoffs wasn't resigned and Peter Stastny was brought in to provide clutch scoring.  Stastny joins 33-goal scorer Alexander Steen and four other 20-goal scorers (David Backes, TJ Oshie, Jaden Schwartz, and Vladimir Tarasenko) in the hopes that his playoff luck will rub off on them, as only Tarasenko lived up to any billing as a goal scorer in the playoffs.  They will have to compensate somewhat for the loss of Vladimir Sobotka, who brought a toughness to the front lines.

Defensively, this unit can jump start an offense, but won't intimidate anyone, as only Barrett Jackman provides any grit of the regulars.  That means the likes of Alex Pietrangelo, Jay Bouwmeester, and Kevin Shattenkirk will all have to step up the transition game more so.  Miller's departure opens the door for Jake Allen to become a full time NHLer after spending most of last season in the minors.  He will be 1B to Brian Elliott's 1A, as the Blues will once again go with the hot hand throughout the season.

Prediction: 2nd in the Central Division

The Blues have offense for days and a system that keeps pucks out of the net.  However, those systems seem to break down come playoff time, and now the Blues are playing catch-up with the Blackhawks and Kings of the world.  The pressure is on to perform when it counts the most, so how the players respond this season may determine the fate of the coaching staff.

Erie Review: Starting a New Season

Beginning this season (let's see how long this lasts), there will be a new segment that covers the weekly exploits of the Erie Otters.  Tonight, the Otters will head on the road to take on the Saginaw Spirit in a rematch of last year's Western Conference quarterfinal match-up in which the Otters won the series 4-1.  They will be going into the season with Connor McDavid as the captain and Dylan Strome, Cory Genovese, and Joel Wigle serving as Assistant Captains.  The Otters will also play on Friday and Saturday at Windsor and Plymouth before coming back to Erie for their home opener on October 4 against Sarnia.

The Emperor's New Clothes

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS

2013-14 record: 51-24-7 (109 points)
Lost to NY Rangers in Conference semi-finals
Captain: Sidney Crosby

Stop me if you've heard this story before: the Pittsburgh Penguins crack the 100 point barrier in the regular season and have another early playoff exit.  That refrain, which happened for the fifth year in a row since the Penguins won the Stanley Cup in 2009, was enough for upper management to relieve Ray Shero and Dan Bylsma of the General Manager and head coaching duties, respectively.  Taking over as General Manager is Jim Rutherford, who was talked out of retirement from being General Manager of the Carolina Hurricanes.  The new head coach is Mike Johnston, who was last seen taking the Portland Winterhawks to four straight WHL Finals and one Memorial Cup appearance.

Offensively, both Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin will have at least one new linemate, as Crosby will be without Pascal Dupuis will still be recovering from major knee surgery while Malkin lost James Neal in a trade with Nashville.  In fact, the forward lines will have a makeover, mainly on the wings, something that remains familiar with the Penguins, as they've always sought help there since winning it all in 2009.  The defense will have some new faces, as well, as Matt Niskanen and Brooks Orpik are out and Christian Ehrhoff and one from a group that includes Derrick Pouliot, Brian Dumolin, and Scott Harrington are in.  While Pouliot has an inside track, thanks to playing under Johnston while in Portland, don't expect Dumolin or Harrington to give up without a fight.  Marc-Andre Fleury had a solid regular season, and he also found his game in the playoffs after a rough start to that season.

Prediction: 1st in the Metropolitan Division

The Penguins will make the playoffs again, but as it's always been, it will be what they do once they get there where they will ultimately be judged upon.  Johnston is expected to implement a system that will get the most out of Crosby and Malkin, which likely means business as usual.