Monday morning thoughts about an NHL season that is just around the corner:
Justifying Jason: One year after he was forced to trade scoring ace Dany Heatley, Ottawa Senators GM Bryan Murray could have had another hornet's nest on his hands when Jason Spezza suggested he wouldn't be opposed to being moved. The 27-year-old centre was booed by the locals last year at the conclusion of what was a frustrating year.
It started with Spezza playing much of the first half injured in a failed attempt to make the Canadian Olympic hockey team and it ended with his team being beat out in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
However, along the way, it was a more mature Spezza that emerged in Ottawa. He worked harder on his defensive game while demonstrating a greater desire to get to the net. While the Senators didn't advance beyond the first round, Spezza managed seven points in six games and played well.
The easy thing for Murray to do would have been to ship Spezza to another team, but what's the message for fans if two of the team's top players were granted a free pass out of town? Under young coach Cory Clouston, the Senators are developing into a disciplined, hard-working outfit that needs Spezza to continue to develop into a more well-rounded player.
I am predicting a big year for No. 19 this year.
Canada's Canucks: The Stanley Cup may reside in downtown Toronto, when it isn't being carted around the world by members of the championship team, but no Canadian-based team has won it since the Montreal Canadiens in 1993. Is this the year the Cup returns to Canada?
Taking a look at the six Canadian-based clubs, you'd have to think the Vancouver Canucks are the most serious threat to win it this season. With all due respect to the Montreal Canadiens, who made it to the Eastern Conference final last season, their goaltending is too big of a question mark at this stage of the game to suggest they will match or exceed last year's success thanks to the departure of playoff hero Jaroslav Halak.
The Canucks, meanwhile, have a nice combination of veteran leadership, improving youth, solid defence and a potentially great goaltender.
The Sedin twins, Daniel and Henrik, are legitimate stars and there is no doubt they can compete at the most critical time of the year. Ryan Kessler, Alex Burrows and Mason Raymond all took their games to the next level last season and will be better this year. The addition of Dan Hamhuis and Keith Ballard gives the Canucks depth on the blueline.
If Roberto Luongo plays to his potential in net, there's every reason to suggest the Canucks can win it all. The Canucks are certainly Canada's best hope for a champion.
Simple advice: Get the puck to the net. Just get shots on goal. Shoot from anywhere.
How many times has your coach told you this? One hundred? One thousand? It is a mantra that is repeated so often, it usually goes in one ear and out the other.
But think about the two biggest goals scored last season; Sidney Crosby's game-winner in the gold medal game at the 2010 Winter Olympics and Patrick Kane's Stanley Cup-winning goal against the Flyers. Both were low percentage shots from bad angles that somehow found the back of the net.
So the next time your coach tells you he or she wants you to get pucks on the net, follow their advice.
Random thoughts: Jim Balsillie offered to purchase the Phoenix Coyotes for $212.5 million dollars, but his bid was rejected because he wanted to relocate the team to Canada. Wouldn't it be something if, after all the nonsense the Coyotes wind up in Canada after all?... My pick for most improved player in the NHL this season is Carolina Hurricanes centre Brandon Sutter. This kid has flown under the radar, but he's poised to have a breakout year. Thirty goals and 70 points are not out of the question… I am a big Matthew Lombardi fan, but when he is listed as his team's No. 1 centre, that team (Nashville Predators) could be in for a long year.
