The NHL Topic

[Strike]

So, we're still a little ways away from preseason starting on that end and such, but hockey season is closer to being upon us. Surely, I'm not the only hockey fan around these parts, right? .........right?

Well, for the few who do follow, what are you hoping to see out of your teams this season? For me, being a Colorado Avalanche fan was tough during the second half of the season as we skidded all the way down to the 2nd worst team in the league - on the bright side, being able to draft Landeskog and Siemens with picks #2 and #11 on the draft helps a ton. Not to mention all the offseason trades and free agency pick ups - Liles getting shipped to Toronto, getting Varlamov from the Caps for a 1st and 2nd rounder in next year's draft, acquiring Jan Hejda and Shane O'Brien from free agency...it's exciting, I feel the Avs are a far better team now due to some of these things than last year and am looking forward to the season opener against the Detroit Red Wings (it helps that it's also Forsberg's jersey retirement night).

So, what about you all? =D

[Gates]

Don't worry Chris, you're not alone lol

Being a Maple Leafs fan, it's been a rough few years. They always seem to make some sort of push in the second half of the season, but it always ends up being pointless and short. They made some decent moves this off season (the aforementioned Liles deal, signing Tim Connelly and getting Matthew Lombardi/Cody Franson being the ones I remember), and might be enough to push them into 8th by the end of the season, but if they do get into the playoffs, they won't stick long, though I hope they prove me wrong.

I'm hoping they bring Nazem Kadri up right away and give him a long look, but knowing Burke and Wilson, they won't. I mean, all he did last year when he got called up, was create plays and gain points. I'm also hoping that Reimer doesn't slump in his second season, because I don't trust Gustavsson enough to put him between the pipes for the majority of a season.

I think things are going well for Toronto, though...hopefully by the end of the season they will have figured it all out for next year and beyond.

[Captain Metro]

I'm excited! Last year was huge for the Bolts and I think they're one of the teams in the east that has a shot to emerge this year. My big concern is the goaltending; Rollie was good for us last year and has always been an above average goaltender, but I'm not certain whether Garon would be the answer if something were to happen. I figured Cedrick Desjardins (who's one hell of a goaltender in my estimation Chris, you guys have a steal there) would've been the back up and in what he did last year, could have been very serviceable for us.

I can't wait for training camp to see some of the young guys, Ashton and Connolly in particular. I think they could both play a role for the team this year, but wouldn't mind Connolly going to junior for one more year and Ashton spending some time in the AHL 'cause our top-six is solid barring Malone's shoulder injury not getting him back in time.

Also Heath, I agree on the Maple Laughs. I think they could be fighting for eighth along with Carolina, the Islanders and potentially the Jets depending on how things shake out. That Grabovski, Kulemin, McCarthur line is scary.

[Strike]

Not to mention - IMO anyway - James Reimer so far looks like the goaltender of the future for the Leafs. As for Desjardins, he's definitely going to be our starter at the AHL affiliate but if Varlamov and/or Giguere (who I forgot to mention was another good pick-up off free agency, should help with mentoring Varlamov) go down at some point this season, he will definitely see some time in the big leagues (and yes, I do think he's a steal as well James).

[Doug E Fresh]

Hooray more hockey fans!!

I grew up a Penguins fan so I'm sincerely concerned about the status of the golden boy Crosby. Other than that, I like Boston's chances to do well again and I think the Jets will sneak into a playoff spot.

[Ty]

I'm Canadian, screw Crosby. I'm a Malkin fan.

Anywho, lol@ leaf fans

I'm a Montreal fan, chances are we will get one of the last 3 playoff spots, seemingly rally through the first round and fall just short in the second. We might make it to the semis though... The usual I guess

[Geordie]

Woot, more puckheads!

I'll join Weston in being a Leafs fan (Bled blue and white since I was little), and I'm cautiously optimistic about this season.  Reimer's pretty well the key to any success Toronto could have this year, but it would be great to get a healthy Lombardi into the lineup at some point too.

Also, @ Strike - The Avalanche had an interesting summer; I think Landeskog is going to be awesome this year (My pick for Rookie of the Year right now, unless Larsson makes an immediate impact in New Jersey).  Now, it kinda sucks that Colorado gave up their first-round pick next year for Varlamov (Especially in the event that Colorado falters again; losing a shot at Nail Yakupov in next year's draft would SUCK!), but they seem to find ways to make things work.  I remember that people didn't think they'd do anything in 2009-10, but they managed to get into the playoffs, so they could be another surprise team.

EDIT - I just remembered a blog post made by a satirical blogger up here in Canada (Weston and Trifecta might know of him), and he outlined some of the free agent winners and losers from this summer.

Offseason winners and losers

With training camp just weeks away and almost all of the summer's player transactions already in the books, it seems like a good time to take a critical look back at the 2011 offseason.

Many teams made headlines over the summer, shaking up their rosters in an attempt to address weaknesses. Other chose to stay pat, tinkering here and there but avoiding major moves. Each team had their reasons for the deals they did or didn't make, but history shows that they can't all be right. So which teams made the right decisions?

Common sense would say that we can't possibly know the answer until the end of the 2011-12 season. But common sense doesn't have to find something to write about during the offseason, so let's start arbitrarily naming winners and losers right now instead.

Winner: Minnesota Wild - Revamped their roster by acquiring Dany Heatley and several other San Jose Sharks, whose well-known penchant for disappearing during long playoff runs is unlikely to ever be an issue in Minnesota.

Loser: Los Angeles Kings - Their continued failure to resign restricted free agent Drew Doughty leaves them vulnerable to the possibility of another team signing him to an offer sheet in an alternate universe where NHL general managers are actually doing everything possible to make their teams win.

Winner: Ottawa Senators - Free agent Zenon Kenopka signed a $700,000 deal and could provide excellent value while competing for the second line center role, which is great news for Senator fans as long as they don't think too hard about what it says about the rest of the roster.

See the rest here: http://www.downgoesbrown.com/2011/08/offseason-winners-and-losers.html

[T-Bonizzle]

I'm a Flyer fan, so I'm frequently disappointed in the playoffs every year.

Maybe finally they have the answer to goaltending. I think the Flyers have had 11 different goalies in the past 4 seasons. They signed Bryzaglov from Phoenix to be their starting goalie. Plus Brovlosky and Leighton are still solid back-ups and could be starters elsewhere I think.

It'll be interesting though because Carter and Richards were traded away. Bit of a shock there. The Flyers are getting younger so hopefully it works out now and in the future. I'm pretty accustomed to seeing new faces every year, because the Flyers always seem to make drastic changes to their personal every year.

Here's to hoping they finally get over the Standley Cup hump.

[Gates]

The Carter and Richards deals were definitely surprising when I heard about them, because they seemed like two key pieces to the Flyers offense. Might be interesting to see how they fill in their gaps (don't know the signings they made in the off-season though, so it might be fixed already lol). Bryz should definitely help out in net, though. He did well for Phoenix and now with a better team in front of him, he should do well. At least well enough to mean that they won't need 11 more goalies over the next 4 seasons.

[Strike]

At the same time, if the Flyers make the playoffs this upcoming season, that's where the test is going to be for Bryz - he hasn't exactly performed well in them the last few seasons and it's not as if Phoenix's defense was utterly crappy either. But consistency on net is a good thing. Varlamov/Giguere tandem is already > Anderson/Elliott/Budaj from last year and the season hasn't even started for the Avs yet.

Geoffie, Down Goes Brown is hilarious and I tend to read it every now and then - still got the touch. As for the Avs losing a potential shot at Yakupov, yeah, it'd suck (especially if it is another crappy season again) but at the same time with all the big bodies added on defense, consistency between the pipes, a big winger in Mueller coming back from a concussion that kept him out the entirety of last season and Landeskog ready to make an immediate impact...I think we can make the playoffs as a 7th or 8th seed or at least come close as long as injuries don't hamper the team like they did last year.

[Ty]

I have to say, I was very surprised Larsson didn't go sooner in the draft, he's the only rookie that wowed me at all this year

[Black Death]

Go Red Wings

[T-Bonizzle]

Brierre will probably step up as the Flyer's go to guy. Gierox and van Rimsyk are great young talents who's names I can't spell. I'm not too worried about them making the playoffs, they've done it 18 out of the last 20 years. It's during the playoffs they crumble, and get beat like they did in Boston.

[Snap]

Being a Maple Leafs fan, it's been a rough few years.

Condolences. They have a good GM, though, so there could be a turnaround over the next few seasons. Vancouver went through a similar period and have grown into a good team, so there's no reason to believe Burke can't do the same with the Leafs.

Yeah, I know Nonis and Gillis have also played a role in Vancouver's development, but Burke was the one who got Vancouver through the disaster of the Messier years.

[Ty]

The city itself plays a role the teams success. Comparing an arena in Toronto to one in Vancouver, I'd take Vancouver anyday. Toronto, as a city, is the most fickle sports market I've ever seen in Canada. When I'm making fun of Oiler fans, they at least stand up for their team. When I call the Islanders the place where short bus tourists and people who couldn't afford Ranger tickets go, they at least point out to me the distance Rangers and Islanders Arenas are apart. When I read a Toronto newspaper or listen to their fans talk, if they lose a couple games they are calling for people to get fired or traded and if they win a game, they are screaming of some team 'revival'. When I make fun of them during bad times, they hang their heads in shame, 'I know, yeah, I'm a leafs fan'.

The town, outside of $$$ is the least supportive of any canadian market lately, if your going to be a fan, be a freakin fan and put some God damned faith in your team to win. If your willing to turn on your team so easily, take off the Jersey and gtfo