NHL Team Previews 2008

The calendar is coming very close to September which means NHL training camps are coming soon, and in just over a month the regular season will begin. In this preview of this year, Ozelsports will go over new additions, young guns to watch and where Ozelsports thinks this team will end up in the standings. I will go through 7-8 teams at a time, every 5 days. The projections of where each team will finish, will be posted after all the previews have been posted. I hope you enjoy.

Anaheim Ducks:

Whose in: Brendan Morrison, Brian Sutherby,

Whose out: Todd Bertuzzi, Mathieu Schneider

The Ducks have definitely taken a step back from their Stanley Cup triumphed, no longer are they the team to beat or emulate around the NHL. Schneider as of this writing is still a Duck, but that will not continue. He will be traded in order to resign Selanne. Their an extremely strong back end team but they need their young guys to take the bull by the horns this year in order for them to be considered strong Cup favorites. They are nonetheless one of handful of teams I can see winning the Stanley Cup. At the same time the defensive pairing of Niedermeyer and Pronger are a year older. The young gun to watch on this team is Bobby Ryan. He lit it up in junior and needs to make the jump this year to solidify his high draft spot. I expect him to bring out this year, with about 50 points or more.

Atlanta Thrashers:

Whose in: Jason Williams, Ron Hainsey

Whose out: Alexei Zhitnik

Enjoy the Thrashers in Atlanta while you can, because this team will be gone from there within the next 5 years. Ilya Kovalchuk will be gone within the next 2 years and the franchise will not be able to survive a rebuilding time period, considering they have never been able to generate momentum with any solid play. It’s also a case of the team being in a terrible sports town, which is what Atlanta is. They have a terrible time picking up free agents, who don’t see Atlanta as a destination of choice. Because of this they over spend on free agents, and because of this, they need to hit home runs with their draft picks. They haven’t for the most part, and because of this, they have done nothing of importance since joining the league. The two signings they made this year I actually like. Jason Williams will be a steal if he can come back from injury, and because he’s on a one year deal, it’s low risk, high reward. Ron Hainsey turned his game around in Columbus after a dreadful start in Montreal, look for him to continue his rise on a weak defensive core. Look for them to be bottom feeders this year, and one year closer to possibly coming to Winnipeg. Not sure if he’s still considered a young gun, but look for Colby Armstrong to have a big year.

Boston Bruins:

Whose in: Michael Ryder,

Whose out: Glen Murray

Oh the Boston Bruins, a team that has never scared anybody since the early 90’s when a guy named Ray Bourque was manning the blue line. There a team that more often than not competes, makes the playoffs, but they don’t scare you. They are kind of just in the way, and it will take you time to get around them, but you will get around them. Anyways, this team is right up that alley. Great pieces they have, but not enough to make them more than a fringe playoff team, and even if they do finish in the top 4 in the east, they won’t go far in the playoffs. I think Ryder will make a comeback and have a strong season. Having him on a line with Marc Savard should easily get him to the 30 goal plateau. The young gun to watch will be Phil Kessel, who I think will have a breakout year and solidify himself as an NHL superstar.

Buffalo Sabres:

Whose in: Craig Rivet, Teppo Numminen, Patrick Lalime

Whose out: Steve Bernier

A year after being 3 games from reaching the Stanley Cup Finals, the Buffalo Sabres took a huge step back last year, missing the playoffs and trading their big star, Brian Campbell, at the trade deadline. Although they have solidified their back end with Rivet and Numminen coming back and signing reliable back up Patrick Lalime. On the offensive end they are young and very fast, but lack that solid offensive presence that they had when Chris Drury was here. The Sabres have taken a step back, and this step back has largely been blamed on General Manager Darcy Regier. But when you have a penny pinching owner like Tom Golisano you have no chance to succeed. He did not allow Regier the chance to make a competitive offer to Briere, Drury and Campbell. He finally opened up his wallet for goaltender Ryan Miller, but it’s a case of too little too late. Look for the Sabres to compete for a playoff spot, but I see them finishing on the outside looking in. The young gun to watch here Is Ales Kotalik, I see him taking a more predominant role in the offense.

Calgary Flames:

Whose in: Todd Bertuzzi, Mike Cammalleri

Whose Out: Alex Tanguay

The Calgary Flames are a team that has lost it’s mojo since being one win away from winning the Cup in 2004. For a few years after they were picked as a team to beat in the west, but flamed out (no pun intended) in the playoffs. They played like a team with no motivation, and until they get it back and play with the flair and desperation they had that year, they will continue to make the playoffs and be knocked out by the second round. They added Mike Cammalleri and subtracted Alex Tanguay. A great move for Calgary and I think he will have a good year in Calgary, as he’s excited to be playing back in Canada, in front of fans that care. The Todd Bertuzzi signing is puzzling. He’s hated in Calgary and that won’t help. I don’t see him doing, which is pretty much what he’s been doing since the 2002-2003 season, oh yeah, other than end a guy’s career and blame everybody but himself for it. Look for the Flames to make the playoffs and if they get hot, could surprise and make a cup run. Look for Mikael Backlund to join the squad for parts of this season and show us some flair that will turn into big seasons a couple years down the road.

Carolina Hurricanes:

Whose in: Patrick Eaves, Joni Pitkanen

Whose out: Erik Cole

The Hurricanes are again one of those middle of the pack teams. The additions of Patrick Eaves and Joni PItkanen are strong. But at the same time, Pitkanen has been on 3 teams in 3 years and still hasn’t lived up to his potential. When he was playing at the World Juniors 6 odd years ago the ohh and ahh for him was unbelievable. People were saying he was going to be the next best defensemen in the NHL. Well, 6 years later, we are still waiting for him to cash in on this potential. Time is running out and many people, including myself, find Pitkanen to be a bust. This is a make or break year from him, where he either becomes an elite defensemen or a journeymen for his NHL career. Bringing Eaves into the mix could prove huge dividends if he can stay healthy and mesh with his new teammates. Look for the Hurricanes to fight for a playoff spot like the Sabres and possibly steal the weak Southeast division from the Washington Capitals. Although he’s been in the NHL for a few years, the young gun to watch is Patrick Eaves, this could be a huge year for him if he can blend in with this offense.

Chicago Blackhawks:

Whose in: Christobal Huet, Brian Campbell,

Whose out:

The Chicago Blackhawks are a team on the rise and this is the year they begin their path to perennial Stanley Cup contenders. The Chicago Blackhawks will make the playoffs this year for the first time since 2002. They are hockey’s Tampa Bay Rays. They will surprise people not on doing well with the young talent they have, but will surprise on how well they do, at least in the regular season. With both Jonathan Toews and Patrick Sharp with an extra year under their belts and the additions of Brian Campbell and Huet makes the back end much stronger. Campbell is an offensive defenseman and this is an offensive team coached by a former offensive player (Denis “Marlboro” Savard), this team will score lots of goals. Look for them to pick something up for Nikolai Khabibulin, who will get traded most likely to the LA Kings. The young guy to watch, for this team it’s hard to pick, but going on what I heard from my sources and coming from a friend, who loves Tony Danza, look for Jack Skille to make the team and have a big year.

Can the TFC make the playoffs this year?

The Toronto FC is only in its second year of existence, but the thirst for playoff action is there. Fans of the TFC will be pessimistic because of the fact that the owners of the TFC are also the owner of the Toronto Maple Leafs. TFC fans become weary of MLSE (owners of the TFC and Leafs) because they seem perfectly content with the Leafs being a mediocre team as long as people continue to pay huge amounts of money to watch the team play. Well, FC plays in front of sold out crowds all the time, and the need for MLSE to put up a winning franchise is minimal. Nearing the end of the summer, and the home stretch of the season underway FC is in the hunt for a playoff spot.

At the moment, they would be on the outside looking in, but that could easily change with some strong play down the stretch. There are many things I notice with this team, but the one thing that stands out is how much we over rate the players we have. Danny Dichio is somebody I am a huge fan of, but at the end of the day he is a player who strives on a weak team, and would be a bench player if that on a contender. Jim Brennan is seen as the “Canadian Star”, but in my opinion is an extremely weak defender and his selection to the all star game was purely a publicity stunt in having a Canadian, who plays for the All Stars hosts. Lauren Robert, is a player I do like, but the fact that he can only play with his left foot is problem. Losing Maurice Edu this week to Europe Club play is a huge loss. Rookie of the year last year, we knew this day was upon us, especially when last year Aston Villa was in town to play and their manager Martin O’Neill, known for spotting young talent, discussed a desire to bring Edu to Europe. I am surprised to see how early he left. I believed we would have him till the end of this year and then he would be gone, but that did not happen. The problem with TFC this year has been their inability to score and win on the road. That hasn’t changed as their last game proved theories, losing to the NY Red Bulls 2-0, a team, directly ahead of us in the standings. TFC has 10 games left in the season, 5 at home and 5 on the road. Of Toronto’s 5 games on the road, 3 of them are against teams below us in the standings. I believe the playoffs are in reach and will happen for this year’s club. Success in the playoffs is hard to garner, unless we go on a big run and gain home field advantage for the playoffs, we will be playing on the road. What Toronto should be looking at doing is using these 5 games on the road to find out why they can’t win away from the friendly confines. For Toronto to guarantee a spot in the dance look for them to need at least 5 wins, 3 losses and 2 draws. Hopefully our new additions, being Chad Barrett and Johann Smith can scores some goals for this team, something that needs to happen, in order to be successful.

Ozel

McCabe has waived no-trade, could be going to F-L-EH?

After hearing from My Friend Aaron Fair that McCabe could be headed to Florida, it is now being reported on Sportsnet that he could be going that way. Makes sense for both teams. By the trade deadline in 2009 Jay Bowmeester WILL NOT be a Florida Panther. He refuses to sign a long term deal, and becomes a free agent next summer. Unless they offer him a ridiculous contract ( something like 5-6 years at 7 million per) he’s going to be traded. So McCabe fits in nicely in that he takes his spot. Bowmeester was seen as the next Bobby Orr when he got drafted and although he hasn’t lived up to the potential, there are signs he’s blossoming into one of the top 6 defensemen in the NHL. Remember he went right from the draft to the NHL and it often takes time to develop into the players guys become. For every Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin, there’s a Mike Ribeiro or Pavel Datsyuk. Unfortunately I don’t see the leafs getting Bowmeester back in this trade. I do think the leafs should explore the possibility, perhaps offering Steen or Stajan and a pick after the 2^nd round. The Leafs will also most likely need to take on some salary back, looking at the Panthers roster, look for the Leafs to get somebody such as Radek Dvorak or possibly Stephen Weiss, if we’re lucky. Anyways stay tuned, something concerning McCabe should get done by the end of the month.

P.S – Would like to apologize for writing so little the last few days, Olympics has kept me working every day, so the none posts will continue for another 10 days. To keep you updated Zimbabwe, Togo and Michael Phelps have more medals than Canada…. Very sad.

Trade deadline Winners and Losers

Here's my take on the Trade Deadline winners and losers of this year.

Winners

Milwaukee Brewers:

The Brewers are by far the biggest winners at this trade deadline. Although they had to send big hitting prospect Matt Laporta , the Brewers have to win now. There other ace, Ben Sheets, is a free agent after this year and not expected to come back. Prince Fielder has an agent named Scott Boras, and there are reports out there that the Brew Crew will look at trading him this summer, while they can get lots for him, as he is still in his arbitration years. Sabathia will be in Milwaukee simply for this year, and the Brewers will take the sandwich draft picks and see him sign somewhere else. So far, Sabathia has been nothing short of amazing for the Brewers. In six starts he’s 5-0 with 3 complete games, and has pitched into the 9^th another game. Not only did the brewers pick up C.C, but they also picked up some dept for the infield. Ray Durham was picked up for a couple low level prospects. This was done in case second basemen Richie Weeks continues to struggle, it’s also the type of trade that winning teams make. I see the Brewers heading to the World Series.

Los Angeles Dodgers:

They were able to pick up one of the top major league hitters of this era, for a couple of low level prospects, and a million dollars. That’s how badly the Red Sox wanted Ramirez out of Boston and out of the division. This instantly makes the Dodgers contenders for the weak NL West, but I still don’t consider them World Series contenders. They were interested in bringing in Greg Maddux, but supposedly balked at what the Padres wanted. A great move at a low cost, but one that will only get them making the playoffs, at most.

Boston Red Sox: It’s hard to call them winner when they get rid of one of the biggest bats in baseball. But when you have a malcontent, who wants a new contract, whose insulting the owner, shoving a senior citizen, and making horrible decisions in the outfield, it’s time to make a trade. This trade is more about keeping the right focus in the dressing room than anything. The Sox had to give up a couple of high level draft picks and pay the 7 million left on Ramirez deal. Craig Hansen is a former first round pick and could be a star with a fastball in the mid to high 90’s. Brandon Moss is said to be a starter on most Major League teams. But the Red Sox did add Bay to help them with the bat there losing. Not only that, they get him for next year at a reasonable contract ( around 7.5 Million) and He seems to be loving playing in front of the Red Sox faithful.

Pittsburgh Pirates: The Pirates were able to pick up 8 prospects, and you have to think a few of them will make some contributions to the team. Karstens has started for them, and gave them a strong outing. Moss will start for them. Not only that, two things strike this deal as a sign that the Pirates are finally looking like their going about rebuilding the right one. 1. They traded Bay at a high, trade rumors began to surface about him in the off season, when he was coming off a down year. By holding him until the middle of this season, he was able to put in a good season, and thus enhancing his trade value. 2. The Pirates took on prospects, and lowered salary.

Atlanta Braves: Although they didn’t get full return on what they gave up for Teixeira last trade deadline, they did get a solid young first basemen in Casey Kotchman. GM Frank Wren was smart enough to know it wasn’t happening for the Braves this year with all the injuries they have, and he got what he could when he needed too.

Toronto Blue Jays: The Jays were rumored to be going after Jason Bay, with the Pirates asking for Shaun Marcum and hitting prospect Travis Snider. Thankfully we didn’t make that trade.

LAA Angels: Although they will only get Teixeira for 2 plus months (unless he re-signs in free agency) they are telling all of Baseball they want to win. You’ve got to love an Owner like Arte Moreno. The Angels have already pretty much won the AL West division, but with this trade they instantly become World Series contenders.

Losers:

Chicago White Sox: They trade two low prospects for Ken Griffey Jr. Now I love Junior, love him. But this is the problem I have with this trade. They already have Quentin, Swisher and Jermaine Dye in the outfield. There’s no room for him. So they’ve caused a log in the outfield that will most certainly affect the infield as many are saying Paul Konerko will be sent to the bench. Konerko has been having a terrible year, but is Griffey the answer. His defense in the outfield is weak at best, and there now putting him in centerfield. His offence is nothing great either, he’s batting under .250, with 15 homers. Not only that Griff has a 4 million dollar buyout out of his contract at the end of this year. This trade is more about GM Ken Williams infatuation with Griffey than a smart deal.

Houston Astros: Now many of you may not know GM Ed Wade but let me tell you this. Do a little research on this guy, and what he did for the Phillies, and I guarantee you will come back and say he is the worst general manager in baseball. He has no vision, he picks up guys on the scrap heap, and pays costly for them, often trading the future for those players. Well what he’s done in Houston is no different. But tell me this, what kind of team picks up a losing veteran pitcher for prospects when there 13 games out of the division lead, and 9 games out of the wild card. Keep watching the Astros while he is GM, and keep watching how much they falter. He’s traded many prospects (Tejada, Wolf) for players past their prime The Astros have one of the weakest farm systems for a reason, and it’s not only because of owner Drayton McLean’s insistence on never giving up.

Adam Dunn: From what I heard, the reds weren’t asking for much for him, which tells you that Ricciardi’s comments must be shared by many GM’s. He’s on pace for another 40 home run year, yet nobody wanted him for the stretch run. He is known for not showing up when it counts, but you have to think his free agent value this summer has gone right down.

After the trade deadline, it’s time to make my Initial playoff predictions

Division winners:

Tampa Bay wins the AL East

Chicago wins the AL Central

Angels win the West

In the NL

New York wins the East

Chicago wins the Central

Arizona wins the West

Wild Cards:

Red Sox and Brewers

World Series

Angels vs. Brewers

And The World Series Champions are the Angels