In anticipation of the new NHL season, sportsnet.ca previews a division a day leading up to opening night.
The Northwest Division will always be one of the league’s most competitive and most-anticipated with three Canadian teams in the mix.
After a division crown and decent playoff run the Canucks remain the favourite to do so again in 2010, but a difficult road stretch around the Olympics will make or break the team. The Flames need to avoid another second-half collapse while its provincial rival from Edmonton is poised to ride a new coach and goaltender to a playoff re-appearance.
The Wild lost its franchise scorer in Marian Gaborik while the Avs face its first season in some time without captain Joe Sakic.
By Mark Spector, sportsnet.ca
VANCOUVER CANUCKS
SCHEDULE | STATS | ROSTER | NEWS
In Year 2 of GM Mike Gillis’ reign, the Canucks have settled into a pretty solid groove. Roberto Luongo and the twins are signed long-term. The defence is deep and solid, with plenty of puck movers. And if Mikael Samuelsson works alongside the Sedins, Alex Burrows can set up shop next to Ryan Kesler, and the Canucks will have plenty of depth.
The next step that this organization needs to make will cerebral, and it won’t occur until springtime. For whatever reason, when Vancouver lost the momentum in their second round series against Chicago last spring, they never got it back. There just wasn’t enough fight, try — whatever you ant to call it. Fix that problem, and they’ll have a Cup shot in Vancouver.
Burning Questions:
Will the schedule conquer the Canucks?
Forget the fact that Vancouver wraps a 14-game road trip around the 2010 Olympics — eight games out before the Games, six after — it is a different pair of road trips that has head coach Alain Vigneault more concerned. They play nine games in 14 nights beginning late in October, and eight in 13 nights after the Olympics. Those two stretches could define the season for Vancouver.
Is Samuelsson the next Anson Carter?
Carter had a career-high 33 goals when he played with the twins in ’05-’06. Samuelsson comes over a free agent, another right-handed shot who likes to fire first and ask questions later. He should fit the Sedins like as glove. In fact he did — when they played together in the ’06 Winter Olympics and at the World Championships. If Carter had 33, he could score 40.
Will Demitra’s injury hurt [or help] the Canucks?
One offshoot of the month or so Pavol Demitra is expected to miss with his injured shoulder is that the Canucks are taking a much longer look at 23-year-old rookie Sergei Shirokov. To us, Demitra’s annual playoff disappearing act is emblematic of the Canucks biggest hurdle. If the Canucks forge some chemistry off the start of the season, will his return mess up the mojo?
How will Vancouver do?
The Canucks will win the division this year, and do so through the front door. Last year they caught and passed a collapsing Flames club. This season they will build character through a tough Olympic schedule, and should be able to go two rounds at least, if not three.
CALGARY FLAMES
We pick the Flames to go far every year, and every year they get snuffed in the first round. This year we’ll give the division to Vancouver, and let the Flames prove that — with the addition of another top quality defenceman in Jay Bouwmeester — they can figure it out in the post-season.
Without a personnel overhaul, this year’s Flames camp has been all Theo Fleury, all the time. Meanwhile, the biggest factor of all could be the guy who will take part in the decision on whether Fleury stays or goes — new Calgary head coach Brent Sutter.
Is this the year the Flames actually win a playoff round?
The law of averages says, “Sure, why not?” But you have to ask the question: has the game moved away from the kind of style Calgary tries to play? Look at the teams that do win playoff rounds out West — Detroit, Anaheim, now Chicago and Vancouver. Is adding another stud defenceman over the summer really what the Flames need?
Is another Sutter brother the answer in Calgary?
Certainly Mike Keenan had run his course as head coach in Calgary, and a new man was required. Brent Sutter is as good as they come, so if you can forget about the surname, you’d have to say that upgrading the head coach is a wise step for a good team that just can’t seem to find a winning identity. Make no mistake though — the Flames had better reclaim that identity that has been missing since ’04, or the next change may come in the GM’s office.
What will Jay Bouwmeester do for Calgary?
Well, what’s it worth to have another Olympic team caliber shut-down guy on your side? Alongside Robyn Regehr, Dion Phaneuf and Mark Giordano, the Flames have as good a Top 4 as any team in the NHL Maybe better. And if goal scoring becomes a problem, with Mike Cammaleri gone, GM Darryl Sutter can move Phaneuf for some star power up front.
When will Kipper turn back into Kipper?
As goalie Miikka Kiprusoff’s stats have sunken on to the back page of nhl.com over the past few years, folks in Calgary blamed the erosion of the team’s defensive play. Never the goalie. Last season Kiprusoff led the league in wins (45) and games played (76), but was 32nd in both saves percentage (.903) and goals against (284). He has given the Flames good goaltending, but not great goaltending, on too many nights. Turku Broda has to stop the slide, or he’ll be back playing for the team he owns in his Finnish home town before long.
How will Calgary do?
Calgary will press Vancouver to the final week before finishing second in the Northwest. The Flames are good, but need more from their big names. Even Iginla — still a Top 8 scorer (89 points) and 35 goal man — has to find a higher level than the one that annually has a mighty good hockey team watching the playoffs on TV after Round 1.
MINNESOTA WILD
After – years of going nowhere in Minnesota, the Wild made changes. Jacques Lemaire said he wasn’t coming back — then went to new Jersey instead — and GM Doug Risebrough was canned in favour of former Penguins assistant GM Chuck Fletcher. Hew hired Todd Richards to coach.
We’d say they’ll open it up some in Minny this year, but they couldn’t possibly go the other way. It’s time this franchise realized the lockout was over, and up-tempo hockey wins now.
Will the Wild ever score enough goals to make the playoffs again?
In eight seasons the Wild have made the playoffs three times, losing Round 1 twice. A Wild success this franchise has not been, mostly because they don’t score enough. Minny was 22nd in scoring last season, and dead last among 30 teams in shots per game. They’ve got an excellent goalie and decent defence. But if Richards doesn’t open it up a bit, the Wild will always be brutal.
How good is goalie Niklas Backstrom?
One of Risebrough’s final acts as Wild GM may have been his best when he signed Backstrom to a four-year, $24 million deal. Backstrom is in his prime at 31, and was fifth in the NHL with 37 wins — on a non-playoff club. His saves percentage (.923) and goals against (2.33) were both Top 4 — better than Luongo and Brodeur. He will likely start for Finland in Vancouver.
How much will they miss Marian Gaborik?
They’ll miss him for the 40 or so games a year he plays — when he’s not hurt. The Wild filed that slot with Martin Havlat, another injury diva, and added Petr Sykora as well in what appears to be a concerted attempt to get softer. This team needs an identity up front, and it will take a season or two post-Lemaire to make that happen.
How will Minnesota do?
In what has become an easier division, the Wild, Oilers and Avalanche will trade a lot of points. All will feed Calgary and Vancouver however, as there is clear separation in the Northwest between the Top 2 and the Bottom 3. Minnesota may push for eighth into mid-March, but only in their Wildest dreams.
EDMONTON OILERS
Last year the Oilers weren’t nearly as good as everyone thought they would be. This year the opposite is true. Nikolai Khabibulin is an excellent goalie, and with Lubo Visnovsky, Sheldon Souray, Tom Gilbert and Denis Grebeshkov, Edmonton’s defence should once again be a Top 5 offensive unit in the NHL.
It’s up front where the Oilers’ major challenge lies. Mike Comrie is an upgrade on Robert Nilsson, but there is still a matter of Nilsson’s two years and $4 million cap hit remaining on his contract. If Dustin Penner finally attained the consistency of a pro, and 6-4 winger J.F. Jacques proved he could play, it would help a ton. The Oilers are too small and easy to play against up front, where they’ll lose too many puck battles to be considered a playoff team.
Can coaching make that big a difference?
Yes, and no. What Pat Quinn and Tom Renney want — bigger, more responsible forwards — will take a while to accrue. Craig MacTavish wanted those players too, and his departure will serve as a turning point in that it will lead to a new, harder to play against direction for this team. In the meantime, Quinn and Renney will be teaching as fast as they can. Good luck.
Is this the year Dustin Penner finally gets it?
By all accounts, Penner came to camp in shape this year fir the first time. And he showed a willingness, at least in the preseason, to take lumps in front of the net. He needs to play the game like a mixture between Ryan Smyth and big Tomas Holmstrom in Detroit. But that takes perseverance and work ethic — two elements Penner has yet to prove he has.
Is there a leadership void in Edmonton?
Well, both Quinn and Souray have questioned the leadership during training camp, with Souray making sure to point the finger back at himself. No coach can instill the magnitude of change needed in Edmonton, if the veterans are acting as hall monitors, making sure nothing slips behind the coach’s back. If captain Ethan Moreau, Steve Staois and Souray aren’t all on the same page, this dressing room will get worse, not better in ’09-’10.
Mike Comrie back in Edmonton? Are you kidding?
Yes, they booed the local kid out of town after his first stint in Edmonton. But give him credit — he walked willingly right back into Rexall Place on a one-year deal, and has admitted his wrong-headed approach the last time, and said he hopes to “earn the fans’ respect.” All the right words, and the he lit it up in training camp, leading the team in preseason scoring. He’s the type of small forward you don’t mind: obstinate and highly skilled. He will make Nilsson expendable.
How will Edmonton do?
It will be a slow start in Oilerville, but they’ll come on and typically press for eighth spot late. There isn’t enough here for a playoff berth though. It’s another 10th place year in the Big E.
COLORADO AVALANCHE
Nepotism finally got to what was, pre-lockout, one of the NHL’s best run organizations. Every time there was a hire to made in Colorado, a former goalie was courted [Patrick Roy], or the ex-GM’s son [Eric Lacroix], or the old coach [Tony Granato].
Finally, the Avs settled on the two biggest head scratchers of the summer: GM Greg Sherman, who was once in charge of the Avalanche store at the rink, and journeyman Joe Sacco as coach. Meanwhile, Joe Sakic retired, Ryan Smyth was dealt to Los Angeles, Ian Laperriere went to Philly, and the Avs are a lock for a lottery pick next summer.
Who will go to games in Denver this winter?
As they stumbled to 28th place in the NHL last season, their attendance fell to 26th and the Avs actually qualified for revenue sharing. That is a worrisome sign for the NHL, in that Denver was once an American foothold. I.E. — if it doesn’t work in Denver, how is the NHL supposed to work in all those other places. There is too much going on in Denver for the Avs to be this bad and still draw. And they won’t draw this winter, if the Avs are as bad as we expect them to be.
What makes the Avs better this year?
Colorado isn’t bad on the blue-line, with an ageing Adam Foote likely to wear the ‘C’, alongside Scott Hannan, John-Michael Liles, and Smyth trade acquisitions Kyle Quincey and Tom Preissing, who is hurt early.. Also, the goaltending void in Denver was filled when they landed former Florida netminder Craig Anderson in the offseason. They’ll be decent in their own end, and the goaltending that killed the Avs last year should be better.
What happens to this forwards group without Sakic and Smyth?
They lose a great faceoff man, a huge dose of skill, and a ton of grit. Milan Hejduk is an ageing perimeter guy now, and Darcy Tucker has lost to much grit to be effective. There is a decent group of younger players, led by Paul Stastny, David Jones, Marek Svatos and Wojtek Wolski, but they lack the effective veterans necessary to win the tight games they will be in all season.
How long does the Sacco-Sherman entry have?
Two years at best. Both came cheap, and neither have been furnished with enough talent to dazzle in their new portfolios. If ownership takes major financial losses again this season, the time will come when they will do one of two things: sell the team, or make another offer to Patrick Roy. The Avs spent too much time courting Roy last summer, and he eventually turned them down. Now Sherman and Sacco are simply keeping the chair warm for Patrick, who will watch them earn a few more high draft picks — like last summer’s Matt Duchesne — then ride in from Quebec City on his silver steed.
How will Colorado do this season?
They will bring up the rear in the Northwest, and earn a lottery pick. The Avs are rebuilding – not just in the locker room but in the front office. And we’re not sure they truly know what they are doing. This team that made the playoffs for 11 straight years to 2006 will miss for the second straight year, and the third in four seasons.
try { sportsnetPage.registerInit({ _expression: “.poll”, _functionRef: “poll”, _data: { poll_id: 5620 }, _rank: “PAGE_MINOR” }); } catch (e) { $(“.poll”).poll({poll_id: 5620}); }