The Carolina Hurricanes–High Expectations But Missing a Couple of Pieces.
The Hurricanes certainly exceeded expectations in 2008-09 with a run all the way to the Eastern Conference finals. However, even with so much success, the team has specific areas that need improvement. Mainly they need a couple of big-scoring wingers. Perhaps the most important realization to come out of the Hurricanes’ playoff run was that [...]
NHL Teams Continue Making Roster Moves–Olympics Raise Some Concerns.
Even though we’re in the off season, NHL teams have been very active in making roster changes hoping to find the right combination to lead them to the promised land, the Stanley Cup Finals. The Montreal Canadiens have announced the signing of goaltender Curtis Sanford to a one-year, two-way contract for the 2009-10 season. Over the [...]
The Southeast Division: First Up, The Washigton Capitals.
Up next in my breakdown segment of all NHL teams, we have the Washington Capitals. This past season the Caps got a true MVP performance from their superstar player Alex Ovechkin. Ovechkin lead the league in goals and picked up the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s most valuable player. Unfortunately for Ovechkin and all capitals [...]
The Philadelphia Flyers: A Team Who’s On The Cusp of a Championship
Despite a first-round playoff loss to the Stanley Cup Champions Pittsburgh Penguins, the Philadelphia Flyers have a quality young roster that should be in contention for years to come. The perception is that Philadelphia’s problem was in the crease, with free-agent goalies Martin Biron and Antero Niittymaki. However the real problem was the Flyers defensive [...]
An Offseason Of Changes For The New York Rangers: This Is A Good Thing.
This offseason will see many changes in the New York Rangers organization. The Rangers seemed to wake up after a coaching change and came together under the tutelage of head coach John Tortorella to earn a playoff spot and then pushing the Washington Capitals to seven games in the first round. Last season the Rangers’ [...]
Next Up On The NHL’s Off Season Report: The New Jersey Devils.
The New Jersey Devils were not really a bad club last season, they were solid offensively and defensively. They could have used another scorer but no one could predict that they would lose in the playoffs theway they did. New Jersey gave up two late goals in game 7 of their series with the Carolina [...]
Adding Tavares: A Step In The Right Direction For The New York Islanders.
Next up in the Atlantic division is the New York Islanders. We can all face the truth and admit that the New York Islanders were awful this past season losing more games than any other team helping them secure the first pick overall in the NHL draft. The Islanders need help everywhere with the exception [...]
The Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins Need Minor Tweaking.
Let’s start off this entry by saying that the Pittsburgh Penguins were awesome in this years playoffs resulting in a Stanley Cup Championship. But every great team knows that you have to improve in the off season because 29 other teams will be trying to get better to beat you and take what you have. [...]
The Montreal Canadiens and Washington Capitals Add Depth and Experience.
Yesterday saw the Montreal Canadiens come away with two very solid signings. Montreal signed forward Travis Moen to a three-year $4.5 million contract and veteran defenceman Paul Mara to a one-year deal. They added some size to the back end and some toughness, Moen, who will probably play on the third line. I think he would be [...]
NHL’s Signings and Rumors: What’s Next For Martin Biron?
The Tampa Bay Lightning signed defenceman and second overall pick Victor Hedman to a standard three-year rookie contract on Thursday. The 6′6, 220-pound Swede was rated as the top European player available in the NHL Entry Draft. Hedman will fit in well down in Tampa and along with Vincent Lecavalier the lightning have two players who [...]
