17 July 2002:
Caps Reload for the 2002-03 Season
Capitals Farm System
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kids
Unrestricted Free Agency
Petr Sykora To Remain in the Czech Republic
Where's Jaromir?
Around the NHL
NHL Rumors
Players to Watch in 2002-03
Mid-Summer NHL Team Rankings
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The Washington Capitals added scoring center Robert Lang
to their lineup on July 1st, inking the Penguins center to a
five-year, $25 million contract. |
Capitals Mid-Summer Review
by Brian Marshall
Caps Reload for the 2002-03 Season
It has been a busy summer for Washington Capitals General Manager George McPhee, including an eventful draft, the hiring of a new coaching staff, and the most significant foray into free agency in franchise history. Yes, it's been a busy summer for the Capitals GM, and why not? With the departure of Ron Wilson, Tim Army and Tim Hunter, McPhee himself will face a firing squad if the Caps get off to their customary slow start.
The Capitals had an unwelcome vacation through April, May and June, but the off-season officially began with the NHL Entry Draft, held in Toronto's Air Canada Center from June 22nd-June 23rd. The Capitals promised to make an impact one way or another, entering the draft with no less than three first round picks, care of a series of trades in the latter half of the 2001-02 season. Entering the draft, McPhee held the 12th, 13th and 17th overall picks, but made no secret of the fact that he would deal those picks either for help immediately, or to seize one of the top three selections in the draft. It was an open secret that McPhee coveted power forward Rick Nash of the London Knights, yet the Capitals GM was stymied.
In the days leading up to the draft, a deal appeared imminent between the Caps and the Atlanta Thrashers, sitting at #2 overall and overtly shopping their pick. Yet on the morning of the 22nd, the Columbus Blue Jackets swung a three-way deal with the Florida Panthers and the Thrashers to land the first overall selection. With that pick the Blue Jackets drafted Nash, a surprise selection over swift-skating defenseman Jay Bouwmeester, for the top selection in the draft.
Accordingly the Capitals trade with Atlanta fell through. Yet the Caps still possessed three high picks, and a farm system in need of help in the wake of the July 2001 trade for Jaromir Jagr.
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The Capitals made defenseman Steve
Eminger the 12th overall seelction in the
2002 NHL Entry Draft. |
Draft weekend rumors also had the Capitals and Edmonton Oilers talking trade, and the name of former Cap Anson Carter arose, yet nothing came of these alleged discussions. Still, the Caps left the draft weekend with three strong prospects and a much strengthened farm system, further bolstered by the March, 2001, Adam Oates trade, which brought highly-prized goalie prospect Maxime Ouellet to Washington.
With the team's first selection (12th overall) in the draft, the Capitals eagerly selected high-scoring defenseman Steve Eminger, a player the Capitals had ranked at #7 or #8 overall. Eminger plays for Kitchener of the Ontario Hockey League (WHL), and is coming off a season in which he notched 19 goals and 39 assists for 58 points in 64 games. In each of his three seasons with Kitchener, Eminger's point production has improved consistently.
Scouts describe him as an offenseman with decent size, and strong mobility straight ahead, skating backwards, and laterally. He reads the ice very well and can lead a deadly transition game with a strong headman pass, or simply skate with the puck himself. Eminger will play a physical game when necessary. He possesses exceptional puck-handling and playmaking skills, and has shown the ability to control the tempo of a game with poise, anticipation, and confidence. A solid two-way defensemen, Eminger plays 5-on-5, with the man advantage and shorthanded.
Standing at 6' 2" and weighing 200 lbs., Eminger still has growing to do, and the club will not rush his development, blessed as it is with a deep corps of prospect defensemen. Yet Capitals scouts project that Eminger will eventually blossom into a top-four defenseman, who can quarterback the powerplay.
With the team's second selection (13th overall), the Capitals took a rare gamble and drafted a potential goal scorer in smooth skating winger Alexander Syemin, of Russia's famed Chelyabinsk Traktor hockey program. Syemin has a lot of growing to do before he will be NHL material, still a scrawny 6' 0" and 174 lbs. Capitals scouts hope that he can bulk up in the next couple of years to allay their concerns over his strength.
Otherwise the product of Krasnoyarsk, Russia, boasts a complete offensive game. He is all offense, and was ranked the #2 ranked European skater by the Central Scouting Bureau. Syemin has excellent speed and quick acceleration, and well above average puck-handling skills, even in dense traffic. Despite his offensive gifts, scouts say that Syemin maintains a two-way game and is responsible in the defensive end. He will take abuse in front of the opposing net to eke out a scoring opportunity. Pegged one of the purest skill players in the draft, Syemin is a gifted playmaker, skater and shooter whom scouts have compared him to Alexander Mogilny.
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Russian winger Alexander Syemin has
drawn comparisons to Alexander Mogilny. |
An unusual pick for a Capitals club that usually values toughness with its early selections, chock this gamble up to the fact that the team has three picks this year. Syemin is the team's long shot, but the potential returns are exceptionally high. If he puts on some weight and becomes a stronger player, his development could break a long dry spell for the franchise in its attmepts to bring along goal scorers.
Rated a dynamic offensive talent with an attractive combination of speed and scoring tools, Alexander Syemin needs only to beef up to earn a scoring line role for the Caps in due course.
If the Caps used the hackneyed, "best available player" approach to select at #12, and reached for a goal scorer with the #13 pick, they used the 17th overall pick to select one of the safest bets of the first round.
Boyd Gordon, of the Western Hockey League (WHL) Red Deer Rebels and a Saskatchewan native, is a prototypical George McPhee draft selection. He is projected for third-line or energy-line NHL duty, provided he maintains his level of effort. At 6' 0" and 192 lbs., Gordon is not a large or physical player, but he uses his strong skating, balance and lateral mobility to advantage, and creates turnovers through a tenacious forechecking game. He does not initiate physical contact, but will not flinch, taking the body to make a play. He has a tendency to gravitate towards the front of the net, where he will gladly endure hacks from opposing defensemen to earn a scoring chance.
Gordon finished fifth in team scoring in 2001-02 on an extremely deep Red Deer squad, with 22 goals, 29 assists and 51 points in 66 games. He raised his game immeasurably in the playoffs, for a Red Deer squad that advanced deep into the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) playoffs two years running. In 23 playoff games in 2002, Gordon scored 10 goals and added 12 assists for 22 points, nearly a point-a-game pace.
Gordon does his best work on the half boards, sees the ice well and uses his teammates to good effect. He has demonstrated strong hockey sense and creativity, especially with the man advantage. He does not excel in any one particular area, but neither are there discernible holes in his game. Gordon's speed, rounded game, and extremely strong work ethic caught the eye of the Capitals' scouting staff, famously enamored of WHL players. It seems a foregone conclusion that Gordon will crack the Capitals' roster as an energy line player down the road. Bob MacKenzie of Canada's TSN says of Gordon: "He's not flashy, just an honest solid player who competes every shift." Gordon's coach, one of the ubiquitous Sutter brothers of NHL fame, is effusive when extoling Boyd's work ethic. High praise indeed, considering the source.
Project Gordon as a third-line forward for the Capitals in three or four years, a solid two-way player with a strong defensive game, a good right-handed shot, and a quick release. He has a high-probability of cracking the NHL roster. He will never be the most skilled player at camp, but he will want it more than the other guy.
In the second round, the Capitals selected goaltender Maxime Daigneault with the 59th overall pick. A goltender once projected to fall early in the first round, Daigneault's star was tarnished after a mediocre 2001-02 season. Nonetheless, Daigneault is a solid goaltender who rounds out the Capitals' suddenly deep pool of prospect goaltenders.
Ranked #23 overall by the Hockey News heading into the draft, the Caps must have been thrilled to find this gem still available late in the second round.
Capitals Farm System
The Caps under George McPhee continue to follow a discernible drafting pattern - a welcome change from the erratic drafting under David Poile.
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The Capitals hope Moose Jaw Warrior center Brian Sutherby
can crack the roster this season. |
The Caps take few chances with most of their picks, preferring to stockpile big, gritty forwards with a strong work ethic, who stand a very good chance of playing in the NHL. Few of them have the tools to score 30 goals, however, nor emerge as stars.
The Washington Capitals typically look to the outside to provide pure goal scorers. Alexander Syemin is an exception to this rule, but it is worth noting that the Caps would probably not have taken a chance on the right winger were it not for the fact that they had three first-round picks.
By and large, the Capitals enter each draft trying to select the next Steve Konowalchuk in the early rounds.
A brief overview of the Capitals' farm system:
- Steve Eminger is the just latest member of a very strong unit of Capitals defensive prospects, with a balanced mix of offensive and defensive defensemen. He joins Jean-Francois Fortin and Nolan Yonkman, who are on the verge of securing full-time roster spots with the Capitals. Also highly touted are Nathan Paetsch and Jakub Cutta, while notable minor-league defensemen include Ryan Van Buskirk and Nathan Forster.
- For goaltending, the Capitals seemed desperate for a future replacement for Olaf Kolzig as little as a year ago. No longer. Sebastien Charpentier has demonstrated the ability to challenge for the full-time backup role in Washington, while the Capitals will develop five-star prospect Maxime Ouellet and promising tender Maxime Daigneault, both from the QMJHL. Suddenly the Capitals are flush with promising goaltending talent.
- While the Capitals have not developed quality goal scorers for some time, they have shown a proclivity to develop quality defensive checking forwards with offensive upside. Boyd Gordon joins Stephen Peat, Graham Mink, Chris Corrinet, Trent Whitfield, Owen Fussey, and Mike Farrell among this robust group of players destined for eventual third- or fourth-line duty in the NHL. Outside this trend, Alexander Syemin and late-round 2000 selection Ivan Nepriayev are offensive Russian forwards the Capitals hope will continue to develop into scoring-line players. To bolster the prospect pool's clear lack of scoring punch, GM George McPhee acquired the rights to Czech center Petr Sykora (not THAT Peter Sykora…) from the Nashville Predators during the draft in exchange for a third-round pick in 2003.
Aside from Ouellet, the only other blue chip prospect in the Capitals' system is center Brian Sutherby, of the WHL's Moose Jaw Warriors, the 26th overall selection in the 2000 draft. A dynamic scorer who plays a physical two-way game, Sutherby stands a very good chance of making the opening night roster for the Capitals in 2002-03.
For a far more thorough look at the Capitals' farm system, featuring player rankings, prospect biographies and team strengths, the Capitals page at the Hockey's Future website is highly recommended.
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kids
Sure, it sounds catchy right now, but after the 500th time it's likely that joke will grow tired…
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Bruce Cassidy leaves the AHL to
coach the Capitals in 2002-03. |
With the hiring of Bruce "Butch" Cassidy from the Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League (AHL), the former affiliate of the Ottawa Senators, McPhee has broken with the past and joined a new trend (as he puts it) to give young head coaches a chance at the NHL level. Cassidy is known as an adaptable coach, who earned rave reviews in the hockey community for his success in Grand Rapids. He won the AHL's coach of the year award in 2001-02, posting a 42-27-11-0 record. Cassidy becomes the 12th head coach in the 29-year history of the Capitals franchise.
With the hiring of assistants Randy Carlyle and Glen Hanlon, the Capitals broke with past coaching connections, and served notice that the new regime will ease a talented pool of prospects into the Capitals lineup. Hanlon has served for the past three seasons as the head coach of the Portland Pirates, the Capitals' chief AHL affiliate, and has developed a reputation as a strong teacher for Capitals prospects. For his part, Carlyle brings a wealth of NHL experience and a Norris Trophy-winning career as a defenseman, which surely will elicit a healthy degree of respect from returning Capitals defensemen Nolan Yonkman and Jean Francois Fortin.
An opening-day roster that might include as few as four, and as many as six, young players will surely benefit from the tutelage of Cassidy, Hanlon and Carlyle.
The difficult search for a coach to fill Hanlon's shoes in Portland comes next, but it says here that the Capitals could do far worse than to bring on former Caps team captain Dale Hunter to coach in Portland. The owner and head coach of the junior hockey Ontario Hockey League (OHL) London Knights seems a safe bet to one day coach the Capitals himself, and it is time to bring him back into the fold. Hunter is one of only three players, with Rod Langway and Yvon Labre, to have had his number retired by the Capitals. In 2001-02, Hunter was the coach of Rick Nash, the #1 overall selection in the NHL Draft.
Unrestricted Free Agency
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| Hey, the Caps have Jagr! Woo! |
Having completed his draft-day selections on the advice of his scouting staff, GM George McPhee turned his attention to the free agency period, which began at the stroke of midnight on July 1st, 2002. Caps fans with a long memory will remember that the Capitals were shut out of the bidding for free agents Jeremy Roenick and Pierre Turgeon in July, 2001, by the Philadelphia Flyers and Dallas Stars, respectively. Self-flagellant Capitals fans bemoaned the state of the Capitals and their reputation around the league for 10 long days, until on July 11th the Capitals traded prospects Kris Beech, Michal Sivek and Ross Lupacshuk to Pittsburgh for RW Jaromir Jagr.
By trading for Jagr and inking him shortly thereafter to a contract worth $77 million ($88 million if the club exercises its option for an eighth year), the Capitals sent a signal to the rest of the league that it was serious about winning, willing to pay top dollar - but not more than market price - to be a contender. The club followed up that shockwave by signing goaltender Olaf Kolzig to a five-year contract worth $30 million, a substantial sum to be sure, but reasonable given Kolzig's status and the size of the contracts unrestricted free agents have earned in recent years.
The Caps were players.
As the July, 2002, period approached the Capitals were expected to dabble, but owner Ted Leonsis cautioned fans that the team would tighten its belt this summer, and trim payroll rather than add another huge salary. Neither Bobby Holik nor Bill Guerin, expected to earn contracts in the $8-10 million/yr range, were within the Capitals' budget. Unofficially, however, it became known that the Capitals were shopping for a fast, goal-scoring center, capable of putting up 30-50-80 numbers with skilled wingers. Their target was former Pittsburgh Penguins center Robert Lang.
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Robert Lang fights off Sergei Nemchinov
in Olympic play at Salt Lake City, Utah, in
February 2002. |
Unlike in so many years past, the Capitals hit a home run in unrestricted free agency. McPhee called Robert Lang one minute after midnight on July 1st, and by early evening later that day Lang signed a five-year contract valued at $25 million. The Caps filled a glaring hole at center, with a player who fit their needs to a tee. Lang gives the Capitals two legitimate scoring lines, with Zubrus centering Jagr; and Lang expected to center Bondra. The move is intended to leave opponents scratching their heads as to which line to check.
Score one for the good guys.
After the flurry of major signings died down, the Capitals made two more acquisitions on the depth end of the spectrum. Kip Miller joins the Capitals for two years, following a career that includes stints with the Pittsburgh Penguins and the New York Islanders, and a stop in Grand Rapids as recently as 2001-02, under none other than Bruce Cassidy. Miller provides the Capitals with an affordable center and excellent face-off man, expected to anchor the fourth or possibly third line. Miller also in the past displayed remarkable on-ice chemistry with Jaromir Jagr in Pittsburgh, so that remains one line option, should injuries strike or should Cassidy simply opt to play a hunch, and spread out the firepower throughout his lines. Either way, Miller provides a versatile component for the Capitals at a very reasonable salary.
Kip Miller is the third Miller brother to play for Washington, joining long-time fan favorite Kelly Miller, who played in a checking role for the Capitals between 1987 and 1999.
The Capitals also added 26-year-old Dwayne Zinger, a hulking Alberta native at 6' 4" and 225 lbs. Zinger played four seasons at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks, then accumulated 149 regular-season games with the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks of the AHL. A former Detroit Red Wings prospect who was never able to crack the Wings' deep roster, Zinger notched 19 points and 156 penalty minutes in 67 games with Cincinnati in 2001-02. It is unclear whether or not Zinger will serve as a 7th or 8th defenseman in Washington, or help to swell the ranks in Portland, which will be shorthanded if the Pirates send defensemen to Washignton, as expected.
Petr Sykora To Remain in the Czech Republic
Prospect Petr Sykora and his agent, Rich Winter, held discussions with McPhee in early July with the hope of signing a contract that would bring the skilled forward to Washington for the 2002-03 season. Alas, whether due to an impasse on the question of a two-way contract (McPhee insisting on one; Sykora refusing to sign one), or a misunderstanding as to what constituted the Capitals' final offer to Sykora, the sides were not able to reach agreement by the July 15th NHL deadline. Any further efforts to bring a European player over to the NHL require the payment of an exorbitant fee to the player's European parent club.
Instead, Sykora will play in the Czech Republic for the 2002-03 season, and negotiations are expected to resume in the Summer, 2003. The Capitals retain Sykora's NHL rights, and can afford to wait. Sykora is only 24 years old, and continues to develop as a goal scorer and playmaker in the Czech Republic. Caps fans can only hope that ill-concealed animosity between the Capitals and Winter will not be a factor, should Sykora develop into a fine hockey player.
Sykora was expected to play the left wing alongside Robert Lang and Peter Bondra on the second line. A slot is now open for a current Capitals player (Simon, Nikolishin, Pettinger, Konowalchuk), a prospect (Sutherby, Farrell, Corrinet) or a player acquired in trade (Anson Carter and Mike Grier have been whispered as the subjects of unsubstantiated trade rumors).
Where's Jaromir?
In keeping with the subject of this host website…
…summer finds Jaromir Jagr preparing to visit Russia with a team of elite hockey players from the Czech Republic in August7, on a goodwill charity tour. The team will play four to five exhibition games, and Jagr is promising to skate with a Russian Super League team for one of the games.
Team Jagr will be playing Russian team champion Lokomotiv Yaroslavl; Avangard Omsk (coached by Ivan Hlinka); SKA St. Petersburg; and HC TsSKA Moscow.
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Jaromir Jagr skates with two children
while raising funds for local charities in
the Czech Republic. Mushy, but cute... |
The roster includes current and former NHL stars, including Jaromír Jágr, Martin Straka, Jirí Šlégr, Martin Rucínský, Pavel Patera, Jan Hlavác, Václav Prospal, Martin Procházka, Martin Havlát, Josef Beránek, Robert Kron, Roman Hamrlík, Radek Dvorák, David Výborný, Václav Varada, Tomáš Kaberle, František Kaberle, Jaroslav Špacek, Marek Malík, Josef Melichar, Patrik Štefan, Milan Kraft, Pavel Kubina, Milan Hnilicka, Petr Míka, Jan Hrdina, Filip Kuba, František Kucera, and Michal Rozsíval.
Team Jagr has conducted fundraising efforts to procure sophisticated diagnostic and therapeutic equipment for a Prague teaching hospital for sick children and other charitable causes for over 10 years.
In the interim, Jagr is participating in a hockey school for young whipper snappers in Slaný, run by Czech coach Marián Jelínek.
Around the NHL
Making headlines during the chaotic free agency period are literally dozens of players, but here are some of the highlights, featuring the biggest signings and one major trade:
- June 25: Dominik Hasek announces his retirement from the Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings.
- July 1: Former Capitals center Adam Oates signs a two-year, $7 million contract with the Anaheim Mighty Ducks.
- July 1: The Washington Capitals sign Robert Lang to a five-year, $25 million contract, worth $5 million/yr.
- July 1: New York Rangers sign center Bobby Holik to a five-year, $45 million contract, worth an average of $9 million/yr.
- July 2: New York Rangers sign Darius Kasparaitis to a four-year, $22.5 million contract.
- July 2: Curtis Joseph signs with the Detroit Red Wings for $24-million over three years.
- July 2: The Dallas Stars sign Defenseman Phillippe Boucher to a four-year contract worth $3 million/yr.
- July 3: Goaltender Ed Belfour signs a two-year deal for $13.5 million with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
- July 3: Defenseman Chris Chelios re-signs with the Detroit Red Wings for two years at $6 million/yr.
- July 4: Goaltender Mike Richter re-signs with the New York Rangers for two years at $4 million/yr.
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| Bill Guerin has 45 million reasons to smile. |
- July 4: The Dallas Stars sign Winger Bill Guerin to a five-year, $45 million contract, worth an average of $9 million/yr.
- July 5: The Dallas Stars sign Winger Scott Young to a two-year contract worth $3.5 million/yr.
- July 5: Winger Teemu Selanne re-signs with the San Jose Sharks for one year at $6.5 million, with a player option for a second year at $6.5 million. The deal represents a pay cut of more than $3 million/yr from his previous contract. Selanne allegedly accepted less money from the Sharks to remain with San Jose.
- July 6: The New Jersey Devils trade Petr Sykora and prospects to the Anaheim Mighty Ducks for Oleg Tverdovsky and Jeff Friesen, and a prospect.
- July 12: The Phoenix Coyotes sign Winger Tony Amonte to a four-year, $24 million contract, worth an average of $6 million/yr. The Coyotes later announce that Amonte has agreed to defer a $4.8 million signing bonus to be paid after the team moves into its new arena over the next three years. The deal includes a fifth year at $6 million, guaranteed provided Amonte achieves undisclosed scoring and playoff leadership milestones.
- July 15: Winger Daniel Alfredsson re-signs with the Ottawa Senators for two years at $9.5 million, with another potential $500,000 in undisclosed bonus clauses, contingent on performance.
- July 15: Winger Keith Tkachuk signs an $8.3 million one-year qualifying offer with the St. Louis Blues.
- July 15: The New Jersey Devils sign Winger Patrik Elias to a three-year contract, terms undisclosed.
NHL Rumors
According to the grapevine, Calgary GM Craig Button is discussing a trade that would send redundant defenseman Derek Morris to Toronto in exchange for winger Darcy Tucker. Any deal that would send "Sideshow Bob" to the media wasteland of the northern prairies, and the Stanley Cup Playoff Purgatory it represents, is good for the NHL… all GMs should chip in $10,000 to make this more palatable for Button.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are also allegedly shopping much more valuable Tucker brother-in-law, Shayne Corson, presumably for a good defensive defenseman or a fleet scoring winger. This one does not make as much sense, since Corson is a valuable gritty component for a playoff run, though he often goes unheralded. More to the point, he hs a no-trade clause and will not waive it.
The Phoenix Coyotes, who recently acquired Brian Boucher from Philadelphia for Robert Esche and Michal Handzus, are reportedly set to shop goaltender Sean Burke around the NHL in the upcoming season. Apparently Burke's request for a considerable raise this summer has left Phoenix management discombobulated. Even at an increased salary, Sean Burke remains an All-Star and MVP-caliber goaltender. Were he to hit the market, he might draw substantial interest from teams such as Toronto, Philadelphia and St. Louis. The return for an already stacked Phoenix team would be significant.
Washington Capitals GM George McPhee has hinted in the Washington Post that his team will be active prior to the start of the season in the trade market, for a scorer. This was before the Caps failed to lure Petr Sykora to the NHL from the Czech Republic. Expect trade bait to include Andrei Nikolishin, Chris Simon, Matt Pettinger, and possibly Brendan Witt, if the return were substantial. A prospect or two, especially on defense, might also be shopped, given the depth on the Capitals blueline at Portland and in junior hockey.
The animosity New York Post columnist Larry Brooks bears towards Toronto GM and head coach Pat Quinn continues to mount daily. Having stopped just short of accusing Quinn and small market NHL teams of collusion with regard to free agency for weeks, Brooks outright called out the NHL on collusion charges in a July 15, 2002, article in the NY Post:
"Let's face it. If there was legitimate free-agent bidding rather than the collusion obviously in place and orchestrated by NHL headquarters, if super-revenue teams really were interested in flexing their financial muscles, then the Flyers would be tendering an unmatchable offer sheet to Montreal's Group II Jose Theodore, the Rangers would be maneuvering to sign Calgary's Group II Jarome Iginla and the Red Wings would be preparing an offer for New Jersey's Group II Patrik Elias."
Sneered Brooks in closing: "It's time for Quinn, whose team is an ugly smudge on the league, to stop distorting the record, in addition to stop making outrageous statements…"
Though sensationalistic, the substance of Brooks' allegations can be said to reflect the sentiment of Rangers ownership and Rangers fans, as well as ownership in other large markets. His diatribe is as clear an example yet seen of the disunity prevalent among the 30 NHL teams. Anyone who thinks Gary Bettman speaks for a unified league on the subject of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) is sadly mistaken.
There are two rifts looming as 2004 approaches: One between owners and players, and one between wealthy owners whose teams benefit from the current CBA, and owners in smaller markets at a disadvantage under the current system.
Players to Watch in 2002-03
As another season approaches, highly-touted prospects will enter the NHL, players will assume new leadership responsibilities, and scores of players will come out of nowhere to put up career numbers and lead their clubs. Here are some players to watch in the coming season:
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Forsberg last played 80 games in 1995-96
for the Colorado Avalanche. |
Detroit: Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg will have breakout seasons in Detroit. Datsyuk can undress defenders with adept stick-handling at top speed, while Zetterberg held his own at the Olympics with Team Sweden. Expect Detroit's youngsters to spell the aging Detroit veterans more often than was the case this season.
Colorado: All eyes will be on Peter Forsberg, who has not played a full season in what seems like a decade. When healthy he can be the most dominant two-way player in the game, but can he play more than 60 games a season?
Dallas: Bill Guerin will get the attention, but it is Pierre Turgeon who has something to prove, after a dismal 2001-02 season. Reunited with Scott Young, Turgeon is expected to produce for Dallas next year, and return to 80-point form.
San Jose: This team is stacked, boasting the best checking line in hockey, but San Jose will not be a legitimate Cup contender until Patrick Marleau breaks out and achieves his promise. The Sharks’ second-line center has all the tools to put up 80-90 points in the NHL, and this might be the year his game comes together. Expect 30 goals and 50 assists for the Sharks center.
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| Is Shane Doan the next Jarome Iginla? |
Phoenix: This one is easy. Shane Doan is poised to be the NHL’s next elite power forward, hot on the heels of Todd Bertuzzi and Jarome Iginla. Expect 35-45 goals from the Phoenix winger, who may play on a line with Daniel Briere and Tony Amonte. Watch closely to see how a young team reacts should management trade goaltender Sean Burke elsewhere. A staple in Phoenix for years, Burke has kept this team afloat in many a game.
Washington: Dainius Zubrus will enter his first full season as a center, receiving top line ice time centering RW Jaromir Jagr, and a left winger whom we’ll name Token for the moment. If Zubrus is ever to silence the Zedheads, this will be his opportunity. It does not get any better than this for a hockey player. Project Zubrus for 25 goals, 45 assists and 70 points. Sergei Gonchar should hit 30 goals, 60 points this season. Provided his skating improves, Nolan Yonkman should be mentioned in the same breath as Hal Gill or Zdeno Chara among bruising defensemen by season's end.
Ottawa: Jason Spezza should make his first appearance in the NHL, the culmination of a junior career in which he was seldom outside the spotlight. Can he measure up to the hype? It says here Ottawa will ease him into the lineup judiciously, but a scoring line center role is his for the taking as soon as Spezza feels comfortable. That time could spell the end of Radek Bonk’s tenure in Ottawa.
St. Louis: Young defenseman Barret Jackman has drawn weighty comparisons to Chris Pronger, and with Pronger out for the first six months of the season, Jackman will have to step in immediately at the NHL level and play 15-20 minutes a night. I hope he likes pressure. Welcome to the NHL, kid.
Carolina: Sophomore Eric Cole will need to duplicate his virtuoso 2001-02 performance, as this is still a team that has trouble scoring goals. Sami Kapanen must achieve the kind of consistency that has eluded him in the past, following a summer in which he is filing for arbitration. Ron Francis must remain healthy.
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LA King, Adam "Grateful" Deadmarsh, is a perennial 30-goal
scorer and a tremendous playoff performer, whose play hints
at further improvement. |
Philadelphia: More than anyone else, John LeClair will dictate the success or failure of the season for Philadelphia. If his back goes out again and the Flyers lose his scoring, they become a much less dangerous team. Mark Recchi needs to rediscover his scoring touch.
Los Angeles: This could be the year Jason Allison achieves 100 points; 90 seems to be a conservative estimate. Adam Deadmarsh is one of the quietest 30-goal scorers in the NHL, but he is on the threshold of posting a 40-goal season. His clutch playoff goal-scoring rivals that of Colorado's Chris Drury
Toronto: Ed Belfour will be entertaining to watch, although whether as a result of his saves or off-ice antics remains to be seen. This could be the year Alexander Mogilny carries the Leafs on his back, with a 40- to 45-goal season.
New Jersey: The parts are so interchangeable and so mutable in New Jersey, that the player to watch most closely is GM Lou Lamoriello. His decision to stockpile three premier offensemen is extremely intriguing, provided his team can find some scoring. Look for rookies Christian Berglund and Brian Gionta to shoulder an unfair amount of pressure to score for the Devils. They may well surprise people: these kids are highly skilled. Andreas Salomosson is a dark horse to emerge as an offensive threat. Veterans Scott Gomez and newly-signed Patrik Elias will need to be leaders for a Devils team that is rebuilding with youth.
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If there is a checker worth $9M/yr, that man
is NY Ranger center Bobby Holik. |
Vancouver: The offensive pressure will rest squarely with Todd Bertuzzi and Markus Naslund, but everyone in Vancouver is waiting for Henrik and Daniel Sedin to break out as offensive players. Watch Dan Cloutier to see if he can duplicate his surprisingly satisfactory performance of 2001-02.
NY Rangers: Bobby Holik will face contract pressures to deliver the goods, but if there is a player up to the task, this is it. Project Holik to notch 25 goals and 40 assists for 65 points, as a checking center and shadow. In relative obscurity for the first time in his career, behind Holik and Eric Lindros, expect Pavel Bure to notch 60 goals (and post a mediocre +8 in the process) to win the Maurice Richard Trophy.
NY Islanders: It is approaching now-or-never time for projected power forward Brad Isbister, for whom expectations have always exceeded performance. Project him to notch 20 goals, below expectations yet again. With Michael Peca out for months recovering from injury, the pressure is squarely on the shoulders of Alexei Yashin to keep the Islanders afloat.
Edmonton: Starved for offense, the Oilers will look for Ryan Smyth and Anson Carter to score consistently in 2002-03, something they were unable to do last season. Look for rookie snipers Ales Hemsky and Jani Rita to crack the Oilers lineup, and pot 20 goals each over the course of the season. These kids are going to be stars.
 |
| Martin Lapointe is no Terry O'Reilly... |
Boston: Martin Lapointe did nothing to silence his critics last year, shocked after the grinding third-line winger inked a five-year, $25 million deal with Boston. A 25-goal season would help, especially for a Boston team that will need to replace Bill Guerin’s 40 goals.
Montreal: Coming off a new contract, Jose Theodore will be counted on to win a number of 2-1 games for Montreal, though the scoring of Marius Czerkawski should help. Can Saku Koivu stay healthy for the bulk of the season? He has a history, cancer aside, of being a brittle player. The Canadiens will need his playmaking ability to earn a playoff berth.
Calgary: All Iginla, all the time. He is The Man in Calgary. Pressure will be on newcomer Martin Gelinas to provide instant offense from the start, although 20 goals is probably his upside.
Buffalo: This would be an excellent time for Martin Biron to emerge as the next Dominik Hasek, because this Sabres team cannot score more than 2 goals a game, 3 at most. Nothing less than a 50-goal season from Miroslav Satan will get the Sabres into the playoffs, though he will likely top off at 35-40 goals.
Anaheim: Petr Sykora will be counted on to notch 30 or more goals for Anaheim, while no less than 60 assists from Adam Oates will be expected to take the heat off Paul Kariya. Given the team’s dearth of offense beyond its top line, however, a great deal of pressure will fall on the shoulders of rising star Jean-Sebastien Giguere.
Pittsburgh: All eyes are on Mario Lemieux, who will be fortunate to play 60 games in 2002-03. Martin Straka and Alexei Kovalev will need to have stellar seasons. Look for Brooks Orpik to crack the lineup, and Alexei Morozov to continue his progress as an offensive contributor for the young Penguins.
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| Gaborik may score 500 goals for the Wild before he is done. |
Chicago: With Tony Amonte departed, Eric Daze must become Chicago’s go-to player, along with center Alexei Zhamnov.
Nashville: Scott Hartnell will continue to develop into one of the game’s top young two-way forwards. RW Vladimir Orszagh scored nearly 20 goals and 40 points in 2001-02, his first full NHL season, and can be expected to notch 25 goals and 50 points in 2002-03.
Minnesota: Marian Gaborik is the franchise, jumping to the NHL immediately, at age 18. By contrast, next best Minnesota prospect Mikko Koivu will require the customary two- to three-year development period. So for the moment, Gaborik is it. Defenseman Filip Kuba continues to develop into a fine two-way defenseman, dependable in all situations.
Atlanta: Unlike 2001, no rookies will leap immediately form the draft to the NHL from Atlanta’s 2002 Entry Draft class. Nonetheless, the league will be watching with interest the progress of two-way center/wing Dany Heatley and RW Ilya Kovalchuk, both under 20 years of age. Kovalchuk, should he play a full season, should reach 40 goals, to follow up a rookie campaign in which he scored 29 goals in 65 games. Heatley has demonstrated the ability to both set up his talented Russian linemate, and score himself. After a rookie campaign in which he had 25 goals, 41 assists and 66 points, expect a climb to 30 goals, 50 assists and 80 points for the talented sophomore. Patrik Stefan should continue his more gradual improvement, compared to Heatley and Kovalchuk, while Shawn McEachern may provide a needed element of grit for the Thrashers.
 |
Ilya Kovalchuk blew away the NHL in his rookie campaign,
with 29 goals in 65 games. Linemate Dany Heatley helped. |
Columbus: It appears that 18-year old Rick Nash will be thrust into the NHL right out of juniors, and it will be interesting to watch his progress. Defenseman Rostislav Klesla will be the heart of this club for a decade. The Blue Jackets will not be a playoff team, so for the moment they are all about player development.
Florida: Jay Bouwmeester seems sure to enter the NHL as an 18-year-old, and fans around the league are eager to see how the fleet blueliner fares against NHL competition. Rookie center Stephen Weiss may become the Panthers’ #1 center at age 19, though 40 points would be a reasonable expectation. Sandis Ozolinsh will need to score as much as possible, since that is all he brings to the party: 20 goals should be his minimum each season, given his salary and defensive lapses. Young wingers Kristian Huselius and Ivan Novoseltsev will be counted on to carry their fair share of the offensive load, but expect them to come up short.
Tampa Bay: Vincent LeCavalier has to break out if he is to salvage his fading promise as a franchise center. Brad Richards, who has become Tampa Bay’s #1 center while LeCavalier wrestles with his game, should put up 25-30 goals and 65 points. Rookie center Alexander Svitov will join Tampa Bay, having finally settled his military service in Russia, and should reach 40 points for a respectable rookie season tally. Former All Star winger Fredrik Modin must return to his 30-plus goal and 60-point pace for a Lightning squad short on reliable go-to-snipers.
Mid-Summer NHL Team Rankings
By no means are rosters yet set for the 2002-03 season. The summer stretch drive is beginning, as the majority of the major free agency signings have concluded. Only Theoren Fleury and Byron Dafoe remain unsigned among the elite-level unrestricted free agents. Teams unable to improve themselves either during the NHL Entry Draft or in free agency will look to trades before October. Look for Toronto, Edmonton, and Calgary to be very active, and for a number of other teams to tinker with the bottom half of their rosters.
Despite this impending player movement, here is a stab at NHL team rankings, post-free agency.
Legend:
The first column lists team rankings as of July 17, 2002; followed by the final 2001-02 season position in the NHL standings; projected point total for 2002-03; team city name; and finally The Skinny.
| Rank |
Rank '01-'02 |
Pts. '03 |
Team |
The Skinny. |
| 1 |
1 |
109 |
Detroit |
Getting older, but that should only become a factor in the playoffs. Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg will pick up slack, and Larionov will be put out to stud. It's scary, but they are getting better, with some very good youth. Could use a young defenseman. |
| 2 |
2 |
105 |
Colorado |
Peter Forsberg will play a full season, and Alex Tanguay, Chris Drury, Stephane Yelle can all be expected to return to form. Radim Vrbata is going to settle down as a contributor. Patrick Roy remains the last line of defense. Expect that team to add another defenseman this summer. They need one, badly, but that is one of their few weaknesses.
|
| 3 |
17 |
104 |
Dallas |
Yes. Dallas will jump 14 slots. That's not a misprint. Lehtinen-Modano-Guerin. Arnott-Turgeon-Young. That's potent. Solid defense and an underrated goaltender, with Philippe Boucher one of the better year's better UFA signings. This is a great team of scorers, who will love playing for a new coach. Tugnutt adds depth.
|
| 4 |
5 |
104 |
San Jose |
Nothing changed, but that's a good thing, right? Selanne took less money to stay there, because he did not want to leave something unfinished. This is a team that believes it will win a Cup.
|
| 5 |
12 |
103 |
Phoenix |
Take a look at that roster. Young, deep at every position, fast and physical. Amonte just might be the free agent signing that has the most impact on a team, truly adding scoring to an already solid roster. Everything is in place for an exceptionally strong season.
|
| 6 |
18 |
101 |
Washington |
A scary roster that boasted a wealth of scoring added Robert Lang at center. If Konowalchuk, Johansson and Halpern can stay healthy and contribute, the rest will take care of itself. Yonkman will begin to emerge as a force, while Fortin will be steady. Two rookie forwards may crack the lineup, including an open slot on a scoring line.
|
| 7 |
15 |
99 |
Ottawa |
Clone their scouting staff and send them to Toronto and the NY Rangers. Tons of scoring and a physical defense; tremendously improved with towering Zdeno Chara. It's hard to believe that a team that deep is still waiting to add Jason Spezza, when they can make room for him, that is. Still soft in front, but improving.
|
| 8 |
8 |
98 |
St. Louis |
No one in St. Louis is happy, it seems. Yet this is still a very good lineup, and Barret Jackman is going to be a great defenseman. Ah, yes, defense… Pronger is out for months and MacInnis is aging, so the kids will get to play early. Lots of scoring up front and attitude in abundance. Don't count them out. Brent Johnson is underrated.
|
| 9 |
17 |
97 |
Carolina |
Can this team remain consistent in the regular season? If so, they have the parts for a winning team, as shown in the playoffs. Ron Francis has to stay healthy and rested for this to work, because their scoring depth is limited, even before Gelinas departed. Still, nice to see two good teams in the Southeast.
|
| 10 |
7 |
96 |
Philadelphia |
Offense in abundance. Need a healthy LeClair (they'll have it) and an offenseman on the blueline (they won't have it). Cechmanek is a great regular season goalie, though the jury is out on his playoff mettle. Trade for Handzus will improve the club, as will addition by subtraction by trading Jiri Dopita to Edmonton.
|
| 11 |
13 |
96 |
L.A. Kings |
Great mix of talent and grit on this team, and all of it is young, fast and physical. Much depends on the play of Potvin, who is a huge question mark on most nights. They need a goaltender upgrade to contend in the playoffs. Watch out if they sign Dafoe.
|
| 12 |
3 |
95 |
Toronto |
It's a circus in Toronto, but a good team is still in place. They will slide somewhat, given how many games Curtis Joseph won on his own, but otherwise they are returning the same team to the ice. A firesale of trades this summer is quite possible, however.
|
| 13 |
11 |
94 |
New Jersey |
It says here that New Jersey's three defensemen will be leading one hell of a transition game. Elias is now the offense, but Berglund and Gionta are great talents and with increased ice time will shine. They will have to, or Brodeur could have a very lonely year.
|
| 14 |
14 |
94 |
Vancouver |
Bertuzzi is 255 lbs. and can ruin your whole day, with Naslund. They can be a one-line team, but Bertuzzi is 255 lbs... how do you stop that? If the Sedins can finally start producing, this team can do a lot of damage. Need to replace Lachance on D, but behemoth Bryan Allen is a start. Sub-par goalie is their Achilles' Heel.
|
| 15 |
21 |
93 |
NY Rangers |
Yes, Bobby Holik is really that good. Bure will play for the Rangers for a full year, and with Lindros rack up some impressive stats. Kaspar will help the defense. It's undoubtedly a Frankenstein's Monster of a team, but this year, they'll make the playoffs.
|
| 16 |
9 |
90 |
NY Islanders |
They will miss Michael Peca, and his absence might cost them a playoff spot. The Islanders need overachievers like Bates, Webb and Parrish to duplicate their performances, which is a tall order. Replacing Czerkawski's production will be difficult. Pressure is mounting on Isbister. Should make the playoffs, but not convincingly.
|
| 17 |
16 |
88 |
Edmonton |
Not enough offense here, and no amount of shell game trades or sleight of hand will change that. The Oilers have some rookie scorers who will need to have Calder-quality seasons for the team to make the playoffs. The opposition improved this off-season, while the Oilers did little.
|
| 18 |
2 |
87 |
Boston |
Lost Allison and then Guerin and Dafoe in two years. If the Bruins trade Thornton and/or Samsonov next, the fans may finally rescind the blind loyalty that allows the Jacobs family to fleece the faithful. They'll fall from 1st to 8th in the East, but make the playoffs.
|
| 19 |
18 |
85 |
Montreal |
Theodore will carry this team, but with Gilmour probably retiring they will be minus grit and leadership that served them well. Randy McKay is a good pickup, but he cannot replace what Gilmour brought to the Canadiens. Wait for Hainsey and Komisarek in a year of two on defense. No playoffs for the moment. Soft.
|
| 20 |
22 |
82 |
Calgary |
Iginla will probably duplicate his performance of this season and be a Hart candidate yet again, but he has too little help. For a defense with solid players and a great reputation, why do the Flames allow so many goals? Fleury would help, but even with him the Flames miss the playoffs.
|
| 21 |
20 |
80 |
Buffalo |
Miroslav Satan IS the offense, and payroll restrictions are chipping away at the defense. Strong goalie prospects might need to be turned into offense in trades. A .500 record will be a major accomplishment.
|
| 22 |
24 |
78 |
Anaheim |
Great to see a once woeful team make an attempt this off-season to improve, if only to give Paul Kariya a reason to enjoy hockey again. Oates, Sykora and Kariya will make for a good line, but that's it. There is some talent on defense but not enough; a very good young goalie cannot stop them all.
|
| 23 |
26 |
74 |
Pittsburgh |
Lemieux, Straka and Kovalev need to be healthy and highly productive; Hrdina and Morozov need to be joined by Beech… a lot of youth needs to overachieve for the Penguins to make any noise, without Lang. They won't.
|
| 24 |
9 |
68 |
Chicago |
They have some good players, but letting Amonte go like that… Chicago is a poor man's Boston, and that's just plain sad. Goalie issues persist. Could Chicago be a home for Dafoe? Major step back for the 'Hawks, especially if Thibault cannot rebound from the playoffs.
|
| 25 |
25 |
65 |
Nashville |
It is difficult to tell whether Poile has a plan for this team. Hartnell is a wonderful talent to watch, but that's about it right now.
|
| 26 |
23 |
63 |
Minnesota |
Gaborik is a phenom and the Wild have a sound defensive system that the team embraces. Continued fan support has been nice, but how long will that last, given a merciless trap and mediocre record?
|
| 27 |
30 |
62 |
Atlanta |
Hardly a deep roster, by any stretch. Yet with Heatley and Kovalchuk the Thrashers have two legitimate superstars, who are only going to improve. Milan Hnilicka is an adequate goaltender, while gritty winger Shawn McEachern is an interesting pickup.
|
| 28 |
29 |
58 |
Columbus |
Give them five years and they will be competitive, but not yet. Rick Nash is a reason to watch next year, and "Rusty" Klesla is a burgeoning superstar on defense. This team will miss Ron Tugnutt.
|
| 29 |
28 |
55 |
Florida |
Good core of young players will make for a strong future, but this is not their time. The free agent spending that ownership promised this summer did not occur.
|
| 30 |
27 |
54 |
Tampa Bay |
LeCavalier needs to break out for this club to have any chance. There is some good talent here, with more on the way, but LeCavalier needs both to be a leader and put up some points. As it is, Khabibulin has to carry the team most nights.
|
Brian Marshall
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