Detroit Red Wings defenseman Niklas Lidstrom became the first European defenseman and eighth overall to reach 1,000 points, assisting on two goals in his teams 5-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings.  Lidstrom is a six-time Norris Trophy winner as the NHL’s best defenseman.  Last nights game also showed that forward Pavel Datsyuk is beginning the year the same way he closed out last season, on the injury list.  He is showing that even though he is considered one of the best two way players in the league, you have to be healthy to be effective.  Detroit desperately needs Datsyuk to get on track to make their offense as potent as it can be.  With the tough competition in the western conference this year the aging Wings will need all the help they can get.

Well it seems like the possibility of the NHL playing again in Quebec City is not that far off.  They have announced their  intention to build a new arena in the hopes of bringing back an NHL team and one day hosting the Winter Olympics.  The City’s mayor has hired an engineering firm SNC Lavalin to conduct a feasibility study.  He hopes to see the arena built from 2010 to 2012.  The Mayor expects the arena to cost $400 million, with the city contributing $50 million to the project. He wants the federal and provincial governments to each pony up $175 million under infrastructure programs.  Quebec lost the Nordiques in 1995, when they left to become the Colorado Avalanche who went on to win the Stanley cup in 1996.  The aging Colisee arena has been cited as the main reason for the city’s inability to attract another NHL team.  I hope that the city can get this deal done because it would be awesome for hockey and its fans to have another Canadian team in the league, not to mention the rivalries that would be rekindled.

After Nikolai Khabibulin took the Blackhawks to the Western conference finals some worried that with his departure to the Edmonton Oilers in the offseason that the goaltending duties would be well handled by Cristobal Huet.  Well, it seems that some of those fears are now being realized.  If backup netminder Antti Niemi continues to play well, and Cristobal Huet continues to struggle, there will be a change in goal for the Blackhawks.  This comes after Huet, the No. 1, was pulled last night after just seven minutes into the third period, after allowing three goals on five shots.

As if it’s not enough for the Ducks to have two big forwards with outstanding skills, they added Bobby Ryan to the mix last season and Ryan had an exceptional rookie season, scoring highlight-reel goals and looking every bit like a future star. Assuming he can avoid a sophomore slump, Ryan should be more productive as he can handle at least a couple more minutes of ice time per game.  Though 38-year-old Teemu Selanne has lost a step, he’s still a valuable power play performer (scoring 28 of his 54 points with the man advantage) and, with the right linemates, he can help take some pressure off the young guns.  Andrew Ebbett earned his place on the second line.  He’s an undersized perimeter player with strong setup skills who has always managed to put up points.  If Ebbett can build on his rookie season, he would certainly provide good value.

As for the defense, they will be led once again by the return of defenseman Scott Neidermayer.  Neidermayer will anchor the blueline and look for help from Ryan Whitney.  Whitney struggled early in the season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, but started to turn his game around after arriving in Anaheim via a trade. Whitney doesn’t use his size as much as he could, but his vision and puck skills make him a valuable contributor.  Adding James Wisniewski at the trade deadline was a stroke of genius, as he brings puckhandling, toughness and the ability to play in any situation.  Tough guy Sheldon Brookbank didn’t play a lot, but he was solid in limited minutes.  He’s inexpensive depth and plays the hard-nosed style that befits the Ducks, look for him to get extensive playing time.

Jonas Hiller emerged as a quality starter in his second NHL season, taking the reins from Jean-Sebastien Giguere down the stretch and into the playoffs where he was even better.  The natural progression would be for the 27-year-old Hiller to assume the starting job next season but despite Hiller’s breakthrough campaign in 2008-09, he hasn’t been handed the starting goaltending job entering this season.  Giguere, the veteran Cup winner from 2007, has been told he’s got an equal shot at it.  It’s a fascinating decision by head coach Randy Carlyle, given Hiller’s stellar play against San Jose and the Red Wings in the playoffs, but I also think it’s the correct one.  Maybe this hasn’t even played into Carlyle’s decision, but I think it’s important for the Ducks to rebuild Giguere’s asset value around the league.  It’s hardly a secret that Ducks GM Bob Murray tried to trade the goalie  in the offseason but found no takers for a player slated to earn $13 million over the final two years of his deal ($6 million this season and $7 million next season).  However, if Giguere recaptures some of his old form, then teams will have to give him a mulligan after he lost his focus following the death of his father last season.  I think a few teams will realize they’re not good enough in goal come December and will try to trade for the veteran.

All in all after last years performance the Ducks showed that they’re really a true contender to win the Stanley Cup.  A few minor tweaks here and there and we will once again be watching this team go deep into the playoffs.

The Sharks were lead by a balanced scoring attack that saw 6 players score 20+ goals led by their captain Patrick Marleau with 38 goals and sophomore sensation Devin Setoguchi with 31 goals.  Last year also saw a resurgence of both defenseman Dan Boyle tallying 57 points and Rob Blake puting up 45 points especially on the 3rd ranked power play where they combined for 54 points.

Up front this team is fast, deep, and excels in scoring the difficult goals, exemplified by their top scorer Joe Thornton with 86 points.  Big Joe has been dynamic since his trade to the Sharks and will once again be asked to be the team leader on the ice and especially on the power play where he had a team high 11 goals and 35 points.  The team will also expect bigger things from their improving young guns, Setoguchi and Joe Pavleski, who are both restricted free agents at the end of the season and both coming off career seasons last year.

This year, the Sharks’ blueline will be helped dramatically by the continued development of  Marc-Edouard Vlasic, who, at just 22, is entering his fourth NHL season.  The Montreal native took another step forward last season, putting up single-season bests with six goals, 30 assists and a plus-15 rating.

Once again this team will be evaluated on the playoff success.  We all know they are talented and should win the Pacific Division for the third straight year.  If they come out slow, or are not playing to expectations right before the trade deadline, don’t be surprised if Doug Wilson pulls the trigger on trading Patrick Marleau or Evgeni Nabokov as the GM has said change is needed for this team that constantly does not live up to their potential.

A horrible start to his second season limited Gagner’s production, but he finished strong (21 points in the final 20 games) for the second season in a row, leaving some room for optimism going into next year, but he has to be able to produce right from the get-go; otherwise, the Oilers could be left in the lurch like they were last season.  Similarly, Cogliano’s production dipped slightly in his second season, but his speed makes him a threat offensively and enhances his ability as a checker.  Like the other young Oilers, though, Cogliano simply has to be better next year.  Like fellow young forwards Gagner and Cogliano, Robert Nilsson’s game slipped last season, though he had brief stretches during which he was productive.  He might be better off with a fresh start, either elsewhere or with the new coach in Edmonton.  Shawn Horcoff is ostensibly the Oilers’ number one centre, a prospect that looked much better coming off 50 points in 53 games (2007-2008) than it does coming off a season in which he scored 53 points in 80 games (2008-2009).  Horcoff is a very sound two-way player but his offensive production has ebbed and flowed since lockout, so it’s tough to count on him to anchor the top scoring unit.  On the second line, however, he may be ideal.  Perhaps the only young forward who at least met expectations, Marc Pouliot, had a solid, if unspectacular, season.  Pouliot doesn’t seem to have the offensive flair to be a top six forward, but could carve out a solid career.

When healthy, the Oilers’ blueline is a formidable group.  Lubomir Visnovsky’s season ended in early February, but he was excellent in his first season with the Oilers. His mobility and ability to move the puck helps him dictate the pace of the game and the Oilers’ push for the postseason was obviously hindered when they lost Visnovsky’s 23 minutes per game from the lineup.  Sheldon Souray’s first season in Edmonton may have been a washout, but he was an impact performer last season, scoring 23 goals to tie for second among NHL defencemen.  Souray’s point shot is devastating, no doubt, but just as important for the Oilers was that Souray was a plus player for the first time since the lockout.  25-year-old Denis Grebeshkov was one of the most improved defencemen in the league last season, emerging as a legitimate top four defenceman, particularly with Visnovsky absent in the second half of the season.  Grebeshkov’s emergence also gives the Oilers an abundance of capable offensive defenceman.

Edmonton’s penalty killing was 77.5 percent, ranking them 27th in the league.  That cost them more than 16 goals this season, only the Toronto Maple Leafs penalty killing proved more costly.  This will have to change in order for the Oilers to win a few more close games.  As I mentioned earlier they fell just short of the playoffs last season, a couple more wins and they would have been playing for a chance to win Lord Stanley’s cup.

When it comes to the goaltending situation the Oilers find themselves in decent shape.  They signed Khabibulin to take over the starting role for Dwayne Roloson who left and signed with the New York Islander’s.  So, can the Oilers hypnotize (or con) goaltender Khabibulin into believing that they have an option to dump him and void his deal after each season in his latest four-year contract?  After his reawakening in a contract year with the Chicago Blackhawks, the issue isn’t whether he has anything left; it’s his motivation.  He is 36 years old which is an improvement over Roloson who was just over 40.  Edmonton hopes he plays like he did in last years playoffs.  If he gives a repeat performance this season then the Oilers will be very competitive.  As for the backup role, Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers only got seven starts with the Oilers, with none coming from December 1 through April 9, so it’s hard to know how good he can be. Although  Drouin-Deslauriers will have a more significant backup role, with 20 starts in the plan, for next season.  This should help keep Khabibulin fresh throughout the year.

They aren’t that far away, but it’s time the Oilers went into a season with more than enough talent on hand, rather than hoping they have enough if everything works out as hoped.

While he didn’t notch 50 goals, as he did in 2007-2008, Jarome Iginla scored 35 goals and 89 points and he’s averaged nearly 94 points per season over the last three years, second-best among NHL wingers (behind Alex Ovechkin) in that time.  However, Iginla’s consistency at both ends of the rink can be better.  Not many players in the league surpassed expectations like Rene Bourque, who notched a career-best 40 points and plus-18 rating despite missing 24 games with an ankle injury.  Bourque is a solid two-way winger and penalty killer, who showed more offensive flair than anticipated.  Like Bourque, Curtis Glencross was an off-season acquisition that paid off handsomely.  Glencross is a high-energy winger who gets in quickly on the forecheck to create scoring opportunities, offering a little offensive upside for a checking winger.  Ageless Craig Conroy had a tremendous season, registering 48 points and a plus-20 rating while providing his usually reliable two-way game.  He’ll be 38 next season, and is entering the final year of his current contract, but Conroy’s a safe bet as the third line center.

As I mentioned earlier Bouwmeester and Phaneuf will provide a strong 1st pair on the blueline as well as the powerplay.  Phaneuf can be an intimidating presence, but needs to learn how to pick his spots so that he doesn’t get caught out of position and can handle one of the league’s heaviest workloads.  Cory Sarich is rock solid and durable on the blueline and his 20 points and plus-12 rating from last season represented career-bests.

While netminder Miikka Kiprusoff has been incredibly durable, averaging 75 games per season over the last four years in Calgary, his goals against average and save percentage have declined every year; perhaps an indication that he’s not at his best when carrying such a heavy load.  For better or worse, the Flames are committed long-term to Kiprusoff, so they had better find a way to reverse the trend.

Former player-turned-agent Mike Gillis showed a lot of immediate moxie after taking over as GM.  One of his best moves was keeping the faith with Vigneault during trying times, and he was able to lock up the Sedin twins and sign Mikael Samuelsson.  They still have Roberto Luongo, of course, and the Canucks and Calgary Flames will benefit from what is becoming a bottom-heavy division, reminiscent of the Central of a few years ago.

The offense is well taken care of now that the Sedin twins Daniel and Henrik have re-signed with the team with a pair of five-year contacts worth $6.1 million a season with no-movement clauses included.  Playing side by side for the Canucks, the duo has amassed 288 goals, 634 assists, and 922 points in 1,288 games combined.  The 2008-2009 season was arguably their best year yet, with Daniel leading the Canucks in goal scoring with 31 - the second highest output of his career - while Henrik had a career-high 22 goals. Both finished with 82 points on the season.  A late season move onto the wing with the Sedins elevated Alex Burrows from checking winger to prime sniper for a couple of months and, as a result, he ended up as the only NHLer with more than 20 goals, 50 points, a plus-20 rating and 150 penalty minutes. 

Ryan Kesler continued his steady improvement and, not unlike Burrows, discovered an unexpected scoring touch in the second half of the season (scoring 34 points in 34 games after the All-Star break), while often playing with Mats Sundin and Pavol Demitra.  Kesler is one of the better checking centres in the game, but now that he’s added an offensive dimension, he can be an impact player at both ends of the rink.  Samuelsson, 32, recorded 40 points in 81 games last season and 10 points in 23 playoff games with Detroit through to the 2009 Stanley Cup Final.  he’ll make a fine adition to the canucks and will probably end up plaing on the 2nd line.  The Canucks also will likely count on Cody Hodgson, last year’s 10th overall pick, to not only make the jump to the NHL, but to play a prominent role.  No one can argue that Vancouver doesn’t have the depth to go far.

The Vancouver Canucks signed right-winger Sergei Shirokov to an NHL contract to help out the Canucks with another scorer.  Shirokov, 23, had 17 goals and 41 points in 56 games with CSKA Moscow of the KHL in 2008-09.  He has also played in two world junior championships with Russia in 2005 and 2006. In 12 tournament games he had seven goals and six assists.  Shirokov, a five-foot-10, 176-pound native of Moscow, was selected 163rd overall by the Canucks in the 2006 NHL draft.

When it comes to the defense, Alexander Edler has developed beautifully in his first three pro seasons, now quarterbacking the power play in addition to providing crisp first passes and sound defensive play. He can use his size even more as he matures, but Edler is already a terrific building block for this unit.  Oft-injured Sami Salo has played more than 70 games only twice in his ten NHL seasons, which helps to keep his contributions under the radar, but he’s a solid top-four defenseman with one of the league’s hardest shots from the point.  32-year-old shutdown defenseman Willie Mitchell is coming off the best season of his career, tallying a career-high 23 points along with a career-best plus-29 rating.  Mitchell handles the toughest defensive assignments and while his lack of speed can be exposed on occasion, his strength and competitiveness make him a handful for the league’s top forwards.  Kevin Bieksa enjoyed a bounceback season, notching a career-high 43 points and leading Canucks defenceman with more than 23 minutes of ice time per game while regularly playing with a proverbial burr under his saddle.  For Bieksa to take the next step in his development, he needs to do a better job picking his spots because his defensive play can suffer as a result of his over-aggressive nature and, as a result, he tied for worst among Canucks blueliners at minus-4.

Th Canucks selected 5′8″ 175 lb center Jordan Schroeder out of Minnesota of the WCHA with the 22nd overall pick in the 2009 NHL draft.  He’s a dynamic player, a leader and a type of player that has developed into a complete offensive and defensive threat every time he is on the ice.  He has a rocket of a wrist shot and he can beat you by putting the puck in the net, going around a defender, or freezing the goaltender and passing it off to one of his wingers.  The concern is going to be his overall size, like there was with current NHL stars such as Scott Gomez, Brian Gionta and with Patrick Kane, but at the same age he is probably a little thicker and a little bit more compact than they were.  He’s a great hockey player who should have a successful NHL career.

Last but certainly not least Vancouver’s goaltending situation.  Though his season came to an inglorious halt in the second round of the playoffs, surrendering seven goals in the deciding game against Chicago, Roberto Luongo had another strong season between the pipes for the Canucks, ranking second in the league in shutouts with 9 while finishing fifth in both goals against average and save percentage.  Luongo, 30 is entering the final year of a four-year, $27 million contract and is coming off a 2008-09 campaign where he posted a 33-13-7 record.  However as of this post GM Gillis and Luongo are philosophically very close to a contract extension.  Luongo, 30 is entering the final year of a four-year, $27 million contract.  He is coming off a 2008-09 campaign where he posted a 33-13-7 record.  After two impressive seasons in the American Hockey League, Cory Schneider could be ready to make the jump to the NHL and be a competent and reliable backup.  This would also make financial sense for the Canucks as they are very close to their cap limit.

With what we saw last year from this talented team is that they have all the tools to make a run at the Stanley cup Trophy.  Having all the right tools helps and the Canucks definitely have them.   The season can’t get here fast enough for me to see how this team performs.  I’ve always said that the NHL would be more successful if a Canadian team goes deep into the playoffs and even wins it all but that is a story and discussion for another time.

Though he managed just five goals before the All-Star break, David Perron is a rising star with slick hands and a steadily improving all-around game.  When the Blues matched the offer sheet to power forward David Backes last summer, they surely hoped he would respond with a good season, though no one could have reasonably expected 31 goals. Backes plays with an edge, but it wouldn’t hurt for him to play with a tad more discipline.  T.J. Oshie made an immediate impact with the Blues, playing a frenetic hard-hitting style and showing signs of future stardom, though he’ll need to stay healthy if he’s going to reach his potential.  Veteran Kariya only played 11 games before he was sidelined with a hip injury, but he was on the verge of return when the Blues were bounced from the postseason. Kariya’s game has been in decline in recent seasons, but he had 15 points in 11 games last season so, if he’s healthy, he could be a productive scorer.  Shifty McDonald creates chances with his speed, but he’s also minus-30 in 98 games with the Blues, so he could stand to get better without the puck. Nevertheless, like Kariya, McDonald is a valuable veteran leader for the younger Blues forwards.

Somewhere between the promising young snipers and the veteran scorers, Brad Boyes slides in, having scored 76 goals over the last two seasons with the Blues.  While his minus-20 rating last season was discouraging, Boyes was a plus player after the All-Star break, as the Blues started moving in the right direction as a team.  Not only did Patrik Berglund show impressive offensive ability as a rookie, but his all-around game was much more refined than that of most rookies.  With more ice time and maturity, Berglund has the size and skill to be an impact player.

St. Louis suffered from an utter lack of offense from the blue line last year.  Their top six defensemen (Carlo Colaiacovo, Barret Jackman, Jeff Woywitka, Roman Polak, Jay McKee and Mike Weaver) combined to score 12 goals, and none of them had more than 89 shots on goal.  But the club’s blue-line firepower should be helped by the simple return of young stud D Erik Johnson, who missed the entire season due to a knee injury.  The first overall pick in the 2006 NHL draft, Johnson tore both the ACL and MCL in his right knee as a result of a freak accident sustained while getting out of a golf cart at a team outing.  After surgery and rehabilitation, the 6-foot-4, 225-pound Johnson reportedly looked good in drills during the club’s early July, pro-orientation camp.

Mason took over the starting goaltending job and ignited the Blues’ strong finish to the season, setting career highs in wins (27) and shutouts (6).  It’s up to him to hold down the number one job for a full season, something the 33-year-old has yet to do in his NHL career.

David Rundblad, a rugged 6′2″ 195 lbs defenseman from Sweden was who St. Louis selected with the 17th pick in the NHL draft.  has a very good shot. He is a right-handed shot and he is used on the power play, even in the (Elite) League despite being a young player. He is a very smart player. He could be a little more physical in his game, but that is something that he is learning.  Let’s remember that he’s only 18 years old.

With young players like Johnson, Perron, Oshie, Berglund and Backes only figuring to get better, expectations are going to be higher for the Blues, next season and for several years beyond.  It seems like a Stanley Cup run could be in the Blues’ near future.  More importantly, they announced that this franchise is once again relevant.

The departure of Marian Hossa, Jiri Hudler and Mikael Samuelsson means that the Wings will have to make up for the offensive output that those players provided.  Hossa’s departure paves the way for Johan Franzen to join Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk at the elite level.  Franzen’s scoring has gone up each of the last four years.  He could end up being Detroit’s key to fighting off the Chicago Blackhawks for the division title this year.  As for the rest of Detroit’s fire power it seems that after a good, not great, regular season, Zetterberg re-established his credentials as one of the top two-way players in the game with his outstanding work in the playoffs. Not only is Zetterberg a gifted offensive performer, but he is a sound performer in all three zones.

Few players in the league can match the exceptional puckhandling skills of Datsyuk, the slick Russian center who tied his career-high with 97 points last season and has recorded a rating of at least plus-25 for four straight seasons. Datsyuk may have struggled in the postseason, but still dazzled on occasion with his creative offensive moves.  Let’s not forget that he was playing hurt.

The Red Wings had only one real weakness in 2008-09: their penalty killing.  They ranked 25th in the NHL with a 78.29 percent kill rate.  I think Darren Helm and Jonathan Ericsson will help improve the club’s penalty-killing unit.  The PK unit also would benefit from a better regular season performance by starting goalie Chris Osgood.

As for the defensive unit Nicklas Lidstrom performs at a level of consistency that is above and beyond the rest of the league and the 39-year-old was tremendous again last season.  While it may not have necessarily been another Norris Trophy campaign, Lidstrom provides a security blanket for the entire franchise.  In his mid-30s, Brian Rafalski has continued to perform at a high level, putting up a career-high 59 points last season.  He may get outmuscled at times, but his mobility and puckhandling skills are an ideal fit for the Wings’ puck control style of play.  In my opinion, Ericsson stands among the best young defensemen in the game.  He’s a strong skater who is smooth with the puck and isn’t intimidated by the physical game.  Watching him, you can’t help but think he has learned a lot from Detroit captain and fellow countryman Lidstrom.  Clearly, Ericsson is a keeper who figures to be patrolling the Wings’ blue line for years to come.

When it come to goaltending the Red Wings are going to stick with who they’ve got.  On the heels of what was the worst regular season of his career, Osgood’s strong playoff performance should provide some measure of confidence in his ability going into next season.  Even at his best, Osgood doesn’t need to steal games for the Wings, just provide stable and consistent netminding.