Around The World - 9/30/13

HC Yugra 1, Spartak Moscow 0

Barys Astana 5, Dinamo Minsk 2

Donbas Donetsk 6, Avangard Omsk 1

Medvescak Zagreb 3, Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg 0

KalPa 3, Espoo 2 (OT)

30 Teams, 30 Days - Winnipeg Jets

I hope that the latter stages of last season serve as motivation for the Jets this year. The Jets were in position to win the Southeast Division and make the playoffs until Washington stormed past them. Winnipeg was the odd team out, finishing 9th in the Eastern Conference and had to watch the playoffs from home. Now they move to the Western Conference and will play in the wide-open Central Division. They removed a lot of dead weight from last year's roster, with Nik Antropov, Alex Burmistrov, and Antti Miettinen leaving in free agency. I think they'll miss Ron Hainsey, who signed with Carolina, but it will allow youngster Jacob Trouba to perhaps step in and contribute. As far as additions, the Jets traded for Devin Setoguchi and Michael Frolik in separate deals, and also signed Matt Halischuk. They're going to be an interesting team this year, I'm looking forward to seeing what they do.

Projected Forward Lines:

Andrew Ladd - Bryan Little - Blake Wheeler
Evander Kane - Olli Jokinen - Devin Setoguchi
Matt Halischuk - Mark Schiefele - Michael Frolik
Eric Tangradi - Jim Slater - James Wright
Chris Thorburn - Anthony Peluso

The Jets have a top line that quietly put together a very nice season in 2012-13. Ladd, Little, and Wheeler combined for 119 points and all of them played in every game last year. Now that they have established themselves as an upper echelon group, those three will have to produce similarly to pace this team. Kane and Jokinen was a good combination last year, and the addition of Setoguchi will hopefully give them another goal scorer on that second line. Even the third line can score; Halischuk scored 15 goals for Nashville two seasons ago and Frolik has averaged 14 goals per 82 games in his career. Schiefele has had two short stints before getting sent back to junior each time, and this year he'll look to stick.

Projected Defensive Pairings:

Zach Bogosian - Tobias Enstrom
Dustin Byfuglien - Grant Clitsome
Paul Postma - Mark Stuart
Jacob Trouba

The Jets have not been a good team defensively in recent years, even dating back to their days as the Atlanta Thrashers. They gave Bogosian a 7-year contract worth $36 million this offseason, and everyone but Stuart is signed past this season. This is going to be a gut check season for the Winnipeg blueliners. The team played well for stretches last year and was in position to make the playoffs, so they know how to get there; the challenge for the Jets' defense is now to execute and win games when the offense isn't scoring. The backend will chip in on offense, but they're defensemen by name, and it's time that they become defensemen by trade, too.

Goaltending:

Ondrej Pavelec
Al Montoya

You could make the argument that Pavelec was the worst starting goalie in the league last year. He played in 44 games last year, most in the league, and went 21-20-3 with a 2.80 GAA and a .905 save percentage. Yikes. His goals against was third-worst among goalies who appeared in at least 25 games, and his save percentage was tied for fifth-worst. He also failed to record a shutout last year. It's imperative that he gets more rest this season, which will hopefully improve his play. The numbers that Pavelec posted suggest that the team played at least token defense in front of him, and they did; Winnipeg was 18th in the NHL in shots against at 29.7 per game. He just has to be better. Montoya will see more action this year and he'll also have to do his part for this group to succeed.

Special Teams:

When looking at areas of the game that the Jets can and must improve upon this year, you can immediately point to the power play. Their 13.8% conversion rate was the NHL's worst last season, and that dipped to 11.9% when playing away from the MTS Centre. Adding depth scoring this offseason will allow the Jets to give opposing penalty kills different looks, and that might be the difference for them this season. They need to get the power play on the ice more often after finishing 25th in the league with just 145 opportunities. Thankfully, they were the second-best team at staying out of the box, their 138 times shorthanded giving them a +7 differential. However, the kill wasn't good for them last year, finishing 24th at 79.7%.

X-Factor:

Let me put it this way: if Pavelec's numbers were 2.55/.915, the Jets make the playoffs last year. It's all on him this year. Granted, there were some good offenses in the old Southeast Division, except for Florida, and the move to the Central puts the Jets with some equally iffy teams, save for Chicago and St. Louis. Based on the teams they'll be seeing more often, his numbers should improve, but is it enough to steal games, or even record a shutout? That remains to be seen, and in my mind it'll be the determining factor for whether this team is playoff-bound.

The Jets will make the playoffs if...

... Pavelec is above average, the depth scoring that they signed delivers, and the special teams rise to the league average. To think that the Jets were so close to the playoffs with such awful goaltending and special teams bodes well for this season. I doubt that those two areas of the game will be as bad in 2013-14. With that guaranteed third playoff spot in the Central being completely unpredictable, any improvements there could be enough to see them through if everything else remains the same. Just as it was last year, the opportunity is there for the taking. Hopefully the Jets learned from what happened and can close the deal this season.

The Jets will miss the playoffs if...

... we see the same Pavelec from last year, a lack of synergy causes more special teams issues, and they badly lose the turnover battle again. There are too many talented offensive players on this team to have such a failing power play this year, but if it happens again the Jets will remain grounded. Pavelec can't be the same mediocre goalie again, but I've already beaten that horse to death in this article so I'll leave it at that. As for the turnovers, there were too many by the Jets and not nearly enough forced. They need to be a more opportunistic team and capitalize on mistakes. Do those things, and they might just break the drought.

Around The World - 9/29/13

CSKA Moscow 3, Amur Khabarovsk 1

Admiral Vladivostok 3, Dinamo Riga 0

Slovan Bratislava 3, Metallurg Novokuznetsk 1

Sibir Novosibirsk 5, Lev Prague 3

Metallurg Magnitogorsk 5, Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk 4

Salavat Yulaev Ufa 3, Traktor Chelyabinsk 1

Dynamo Moscow 3, Atlant Moscow Oblast 2

Severstal Cherepovets 2, Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod 0

Ak Bars Kazan 2, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 0

SKA St. Petersburg 3, Vityaz Podolsk 2 (SO)

Karlovy Vary 5, Liberec 1

Plzen 4, Kometa Brno 1

Slavia Praha 6, Zlin 0

Sparta Praha 3, Kladno 2

Chomutov 2, Vitkovice 0

Trinec 3, Litvinov 1

Pardubice 3, Mountfield 2 (OT)

Mannheim 4, Hamburg 3

Wolfsburg 3, Dusseldorf 0

Iserlohn 4, Ingolstadt 3 (OT)

Augsburg 2, Krefeld 1

Schwenninger 6, Munich 5 (SO)

Nuremberg 2, Straubing 1

Cologne 3, Berlin 1

Kloten 4, Zurich 3 (SO)

Guelph 6, London 3

Plymouth 3, Kingston 2 (SO)

Mississauga 5, Sudbury 4 (OT)

Ottawa 3, Niagara 2

North Bay 3, Sarnia 0 (2nd period)

Kitchener @ Oshawa, 6:05 PM

Baie-Comeau 5, Charlottetown 4 (SO)

Sherbrooke 2, Halifax 1

Blainville-Boisbrand 8, Moncton 4

Chicoutimi 4, Drummondville 2

Rimouski 4, Cape Breton 3 (SO)

Lethbridge 5, Edmonton 3

Around The World - 9/28/13

Medvescak Zagreb 3, Barys Astana 2

Dinamo Minsk 2, Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg 0

Donbas Donetsk 2, HC Yugra 0

Spartak Moscow 3, Avangard Omsk 2 (SO)

Frolunda 4, HV71 0

Farjestads 2, Modo 1

Linkopings 5, Brynas 4 (OT)

Skelleftea 1, Lulea 0

HPK 3, JYP 2

Assat 4, Tappara 3 (SO)

SaiPa 3, IFK 1

KalPa 3, TPS 0

Ilves 3, Karpat 1

Kloten 3, Ambri-Piotta 1

Biel 2, Bern 1 (SO)

Davos 3, Rapperswil 1

Fribourg 3, Geneva 2 (OT)

Lugano 2, Lausanne 1 (SO)

Drummondville 4, Moncton 1

Rouyn-Noranda 5, Victoriaville 2

30 Teams, 30 Days - Washington Capitals

Before you read this article, I want you to think back to the beginning of last season. Try to remember the way the Capitals started the season. It may not be easy to recall the fact that Washington was a comedy of errors in their 2-8-1 start that left them in last place in the Southeast Division. They were dead in the water at that point, and lesser squads would have given up. However, the Caps stormed back after that, going 15-2-2 in their final 19 regular season games and went on to win the weak Southeast Division. They lost a hard-fought series to the Rangers that went the full seven games, but for this team, it's a building block towards potential future success. Their offseason was looking pretty dicey after losing Mike Ribeiro to Phoenix in free agency, but then they went out and signed Mikhail Grabovski in the hopes that he is a worthy replacement.

Projected Forward Lines:

Marcus Johansson - Nicklas Backstrom - Alex Ovechkin
Martin Erat - Mikhail Grabovski - Troy Brouwer
Jason Chimera - Brooks Laich - Eric Fehr
Tom Wilson - Jay Beagle - Joel Ward
Aaron Volpatti - Mathieu Perreault

That top six becomes quite a bit more dangerous when Johansson is moved from center to the left side, a position of weakness for the Caps. The addition of Grabovski means that the Capitals are very strong down the middle, and what was looking like a potential hole in the absence of Ribeiro is now filled by Grabovski. The biggest question I have regarding the Grabovski signing is whether or not he can fill Ribeiro's shoes on the power play. Man advantage situations are where Ribeiro truly excels, and it'll be interesting to see if Washington can perform well again without him. The Capitals have no shortness of tough guys in the lineup, with the third line acting as a traditional checking line and the fourth containing defensive forwards.

Projected Defensive Pairings:

Karl Alzner - Mike Green
Dmitri Orlov - John Carlson
John Erskine - Steve Oleksy
Jack Hillen

Carlson is probably the Caps' best defenseman overall, but Alzner and Green have been playing together long enough that coach Adam Oates isn't going to split them. The loss of Schultz this offseason means more playing time for somebody, and I think it'll be Orlov. Washington still believes that he can be a factor on their roster after he missed most of last season with an upper-body injury. The bottom pair will be a committee of the three men listed and Thomas Kundratek, but I believe that Oleksy and Erskine will get the lion's share of the minutes between them, due to their size.

Goaltending:

Braden Holtby
Michael Neuvirth

Is Washington finally ready to give Holtby the keys to the car after questions surrounded him heading into last year? Judging by his 23-12-1 record and .920 save percentage, I would say that answer is a resounding "yes." His 2.58 GAA was probably a bit higher than the team would like, but keep in mind that the goaltending situation was completely awful for Washington in the first quarter of last year. Neuvirth remains a capable goalie and I believe that he'll find another starting job somewhere once his contract runs out after the 2014-15 season, if not sooner via trade or something.

Special Teams:

If you wanted to watch power play excellence, all you had to do was flip the Caps games on last year. They posted an absolutely obscene 26.8% conversion rate with the man advantage, which was the best in the NHL. They didn't quite reach that number in their series with the Rangers, logging an 18.8% clip there. They had little trouble getting that unit on the ice last year, averaging a little less than 3.5 chances per game. They finished +1 on the special teams differential. However, it's the penalty kill that has to make marked improvements this year, as they finished with a 77.9% success rate, good for 27th in the NHL. Their discipline needs to be better on the road, as they were the fourth-most shorthanded team in road tilts last year. Fix that, and I believe they'll right the ship.

X-Factor:

Can Grabovski replace Ribeiro? It was really the only major development for Washington this offseason, and fans are eager to see what Grabovski can do now that he's gotten a change of scenery. I think he's capable of topping Ribeiro's goal total from last year (which projected to 22 over a full 82-game schedule), but I don't think he gets as many assists (Ribeiro was on pace for 61 last year) and I definitely don't think he matches Ribeiro's skills on the power play. It's probably an upgrade in the long run due to the ages of the players, but I'm not so sure that the move makes them better this season.

The Capitals will make the playoffs if...

... they avoid another bad start, the goalies play the way they should, and enough depth scoring is found to take pressure off of Ovechkin's line. I'll be honest, I thought the Caps had little to no chance of making the playoffs this year when Ribeiro left. Now that they signed Grabovski, they're back in the discussion. They still have to go through the rigorous Metropolitan Division; gone are the days of fattening up on the Southeast's patsies en route to bloated point totals and playoff seeds that were better than the talent on the roster. Every night will be a battle for this team and I think they're up to the task.

The Capitals will miss the playoffs if...

... we see the exact same start as last year, Grabovski doesn't pan out, and the younger defensemen show some cracks in their game. The Metropolitan Division is tough to handicap this year, because a few teams got better, a few teams got worse, and it adds up to a logjam in the standings after Pittsburgh. It's going to be a tight race all year long, and so the Caps absolutely cannot afford to come out of the gate flat again, like last year. Columbus proved a year go how an awful start can bury you, and the Caps should be counting their blessings that they had a bunch of scrubs to beat up (aside from the Jets) in their division last year. They don't have that luxury anymore.

Winter Classic 2015

It has been announced by the NHL that the 2015 Bridgestone Winter Classic will be held in Washington D.C. The team the Capitals will be facing is still unknown at this point but rumors and speculation points to the Penguins. This makes a lot sense since the “face” of the NHL plays for the Pittsburgh Penguins and having Sidney Crosby go against Alexander Ovechkin on a National broadcast will be huge for the NHL. The Penguins have participated in two Winter Classics, the 1^st one in Buffalo and hosting one against the Capitals a few years later. Whoever the Capitals play, the Winter Classics have been great events for the NHL and it will be fun to watch. 

Around The World - 9/26, 9/27

9/26/13

Metallurg Magnitogorsk 5, Traktor Chelyabinsk 0

Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg 2, Spartak Moscow 1 (SO)

Atlant Moscow Oblast 3, Vityaz Podolsk 1

Barys Astana 4, Donbas Donetsk 2

Medvescak Zagreb 2, HC Yugra 1

9/27/13

Amur Khabarovsk 2, Dinamo Riga 1

Admiral Vladivostok 4, CSKA Moscow 2

Sibir Novosibirsk 3, Slovan Bratislava 1

Lev Prague 5, Metallurg Novokuznetsk 3

Salavat Yulaev Ufa 2, Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk 1

Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod 5, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 0

SKA St. Petersburg 6, Dynamo Moscow 2

Ak Bars Kazan 1, Severstal Cherepovets 0

9/26/13

Lulea 4, HV71 3

Skelleftea 4, Farjestads 3 (SO)

9/27/13

Leksands 2, Vaxjo 1 (OT)

AIK 3, Orebro 1

9/26/13

IFK 4, TPS 1

SaiPa 3, Assat 2

Jokerit 2, Lukko 1 (SO)

9/27/13

Jokerit 2, Tappara 1

Lahti 2, JYP 1

Lukko 3, Espoo 1

HPK 3, Karpat 2

9/27/13

Vitkovice 6, Pardubice 5 (OT)

Plzen 4, Karlovy Vary 3 (SO)

Slavia Praha 7, Chomutov 6 (SO)

Litvinov 3, Mountfield 2 (SO)

Kladno 3, Liberec 1

Zlin 4, Kometa Brno 3 (SO)

Sparta Praha 8, Trinec 3

9/27/13

Munich 4, Straubing 3 (SO)

Schwenninger 2, Cologne 1

Iserlohn 4, Hamburg 3 (OT)

Ingolstadt 3, Krefeld 0

Wolfsburg 3, Berlin 1

Nuremberg 6, Augsburg 3

9/27/13

Zug 2, Lausanne 1 (OT)

Geneva 3, Biel 0

Fribourg 6, Rapperswil 3

Davos 4, Lugano 3

Bern 4, Ambri-Piotta 0

9/26/13

Sarnia 3, Windsor 1

Peterborough 8. Plymouth 5

Barrie 7, Owen Sound 5

9/26/13

Cape Breton 5, Baie-Comeau 4

30 Teams, 30 Days - Vancouver Canucks

Vancouver fans finally got what they wanted this offseason, which is a resolution to the goaltending saga between Roberto Luongo, Corey Schneider, and the front office. However, they didn't get the result that they were expecting, as it was Schneider that was traded, not Luongo. The Canucks sent Schneider to New Jersey for the 9th overall pick, which they used to select center Bo Horvat. There were other changes for the Canucks, as Mason Raymond, Derek Roy, and Maxim Lapierre walked in free agency. They added depth forwards Brad Richardson and Mike Santorelli. The biggest change for the Canucks is behind the bench, with John Tortorella taking over. I have to wonder if his defensive style will hinder the offensive weapons that Vancouver has.

Projected Forward Lines:

Daniel Sedin - Henrik Sedin - Alex Burrows
David Booth - Ryan Kesler - Jannik Hansen
Chris Higgins - Brad Richardson - Zack Kassian
Benn Ferriero - Mike Santorelli - Dale Weise
Tom Sestitio - Zach Hamill

One look at this group and you wonder when this team became gutted on the right side. Burrows is a talented player who will score goals, but you're going to have either a defensive forward like Hansen or Kassian, who has 11 goals in his 83-game career. Clearly not the ideal situation for the Canucks, as you expect more offensive numbers from your second right winger. Vancouver should be better defensively than last year, and they were pretty good at that end of the ice (2.40 goals against per game, tied for 9th in the NHL). Secondary scoring might be a concern for this team, but we'll have to see how they begin the regular season before raising the red flags.

Projected Defensive Pairings:

Alex Edler - Kevin Bieksa
Dan Hamhuis - Jason Garrison
Yannick Weber - Chris Tanev
Frank Corrado

John Tortorella has really taken a liking to Alex Edler's skills and style of play, and so I believe he will land on the top pairing with the bruising, plays-bigger-than-he-is Bieksa. Garrison's big shot will help the Canucks score from the back and on the power play as well. The bottom pairing could be a bit of a revolving door, with Weber, Tanev, and Corrado all deserving of playing time this year. Hamhuis is a steady, responsible player who makes smart decisions on the ice. Overall, this is a balanced, solid defensive unit that will win its share of games for the Canucks.

Goaltending:

Roberto Luongo
Eddie Lack

Here's the part where I'm supposed to say that the Canucks traded the wrong goalie, that Schneider is better, and that Lack is going to get lit up in the games he plays. I'm not going to say any of those things. Why? Well, here are my opinions: it didn't matter which goalie they traded as long as the controversy got resolved, we don't know yet if Schneider is better than Luongo in a starter role, and I don't think Lack will have too much trouble adjusting to the speed of the NHL game. I'll know after the season ends whether the Canucks made the right move, but it has to feel good for Luongo to not have to look over his shoulder anymore.

Special Teams:

Vancouver was subpar on the power play at 15.8%, which was 22nd in the NHL. I can't imagine that having John Tortorella and Mike Sullivan behind the bench will improve those numbers, but I've seen crazier things happen. Vancouver just doesn't have enough flexibility with their forward depth to give opponents different looks. The Canucks were a -4 on the differential last year, but their penalty kill was a strong suit for them. Successful 84% of the time when shorthanded, Vancouver had the 8th-best kill in the NHL. They'll need to sustain that success in order to make a better showing than last season, when they got swept out of the first round by San Jose.

X-Factor:

A coaching change is always an interesting situation for a team, because we get to see how they'll play under the new system and find out if there are players who thrive or suffer due to it. I think that will be the biggest determining factor of a successful season for Vancouver. They have to make the adjustment to Tortorella's system, and it's really the forwards who have to make the biggest commitment to it. The Sedin twins will have to play on both ends of the ice and block shots, something that was not commonplace under Alain Vigneault.

The Canucks will make the playoffs if...

... Luongo and the defense can carry the team for stretches at a time, the offense doesn't completely disappear under Tortorella, and the depth players provide enough help to keep them afloat. These aren't your older brother's Canucks anymore. They no longer can go out on the ice every night and look dominant. This is a team that has slipped back into the pack, and will have to play an elevated level of hockey to distinguish themselves again. When comparing them to the rest of the division, they're a tough team to peg. There's the potential for a high finish, but also the danger that their playoff fate will remain uncertain until the end of the year.

The Canucks will miss the playoffs if...

... the offense can't get it going, Luongo looks old, and the bottom six is a black hole when it comes to scoring. Moving into the Pacific Division has done them no favors. They'll have to face the upper crust of that division more often this year and whether they make the playoffs will be determined by their play in those games. They went 11-6-1 against their Northwest foes last year, but just 6-7-2 against the Pacific, and now the Coyotes are greatly improved from what we saw a season ago. It's going to be a fight for the Canucks this year, no doubt about it.

30 Teams, 30 Days - Toronto Maple Leafs

The Maple Leafs were only a couple of short minutes away from completely changing the complexion of last year's playoffs. They led Boston 4-2 late in the third period of their Game 7, at TD Garden, but blew the lead before losing in overtime. Toronto would have played the Rangers next, so who knows how far they might have gone? A fixture in the playoffs during the 1990s, the Leafs had fallen on hard times in recent years. Last year's playoff berth was their first since before the 2004-05 lockout canceled that entire season. This year, they're out to prove that it wasn't a fluke and reach the postseason for a second straight year.

Projected Forward Pairings:

Joffrey Lupul - Nazem Kadri - Phil Kessel
James van Riemsdyk - Tyler Bozak - David Clarkson
Mason Raymond - Dave Bolland - Nikolai Kulemin
Joe Colborne - Jay McClement - Colton Orr
Trevor Smith - Frazer McLaren

Gone are Mikhail Grabovski (bought out) and Matt Frattin (traded to the Kings), in are Bolland, Raymond, and Clarkson. Overall, Toronto's forward unit should have more offensive punch, while keeping the literal punch with Orr in the fold. I believe that Kadri is their best center, and potentially best player overall, so I've slotted him on the first line. The recent signing of Raymond was a nice get for this club; he had been sitting on the free agent market for far too long. Bolland, who was the hero of Chicago's frenzied comeback against Boston in Game 6 to clinch the Cup, should see time on special teams as well as providing depth scoring and physical play.

Projected Defensive Pairings:

Dion Phaneuf - Carl Gunnarsson
Jake Gardiner - Cody Franson
John-Michael Liles - Korbinain Holzer
Paul Ranger

You won't hear many people talking about it, but Toronto has assembled themselves a nice defensive corps. Of course, they need to improve on last year's 17th place finish in goals against, but I think they'll do better than last year, especially because Gardiner has a year of NHL experience under his belt. He's already made some highlight reel plays in this league and it's nice to seek out Toronto highlights for a reason other than "holy crap, Phaneuf just laid somebody out." Holzer is a steady player who should fit in nicely on the bottom pair.

Goaltending:

James Reimer
Jonathan Bernier

This situation simply baffles me. Reimer had a very good season and got this team to the playoffs for the first time in nine years, and so the Leafs made the obvious logical choice and traded for a backup goaltender who everyone seems to think should be a starter. I'm not sure about the rationale there. Did they want to motivate Reimer in camp to maybe get him to reach new heights? Are they that fickle with the goalie position? Do they really believe that Bernier is the better keeper? Whatever the case, get ready for a roller coaster ride in Toronto. Both are worth picking up in fantasy, but I hope that for the team's sake and for his own that Reimer wins the job and keeps it. He's earned it.

Special Teams:

Toronto was respectable on the power play last year, finishing 14th in the NHL at 18.7%. They have enough talent up front to be at least as good this season, but I wonder if there's someone to run the second unit. I have to figure that Liles will quarterback the first, as he's probably the best offensive defenseman they have, but who takes the second? Gardiner? Should be interesting to watch as the season progresses. Their +9 differential was also a nice number from last year, but here's a better one: 87.9%. That was their penalty kill percentage from last year, good enough to put them 2nd in the league, behind Ottawa. While it's tough to expect that high of a percentage again, they should still be stingy while shorthanded.

X-Factor:

How hungry is this team? Sometimes when teams end a long playoff drought, they get a bit complacent and miss the next season. For this reason, I think the roster shakeup was the best thing for this team. It brings in fresh faces, like someone who just won a Cup (Bolland), someone who played for a Cup two years ago (Clarkson), and someone whose team was a perennial upper seed entering the playoffs but couldn't get it done (Raymond). It'll be important for coach Randy Carlyle to get to the younger players and tell them that last year was good, but don't be satisfied because they didn't reach the ultimate prize.

The Maple Leafs will make the playoffs if...

... they play as well as they did last year at all positions, the newcomers mesh well with the established group, and there isn't a goaltending controversy at some point during the season. This is a critical season for Toronto. They have to prove to the doubters and naysayers out there that last year was no fluke and that they're here to stay. All of the big contributors from last season's run are back, and the new additions give them extra depth and offensive ability. It's something that they were already good at last year, as they finished 6th in the NHL in scoring, but more goals can't hurt. I don't think they'll ever separate themselves from the pack this season, but they'll be right there in the hunt.

The Maple Leafs will miss the playoffs if...

... they crumble under higher expectations, the goaltending becomes a circus, and we have more incidents like Kessel trying to chop John Scott's leg off. Steadiness is the key word for Toronto this season. They can't afford to get off-kilter and descend into chaos, because that's a recipe for failure. You can't expect the offense to go out there and score over three goals per game like they did last year, so the defense has to step it up if they're going to return to the playoffs. I like their chances of a top-four finish in the Atlantic, but whether that will be enough for a playoff berth depends on what happens in the Metropolitan Division.

Around The World - 9/25/13

AIK 2, Brynas 1 (SO)

Linkopings 6, Leksands 1

Vaxjo 4, Orebro 3

Ilves 1, Espoo 0

Lahti 3, Karpat 2

30 Teams, 30 Days - Tampa Bay Lightning

Take away the fact that the Lightning had the first and second highest scorers in the league last year, and their season was pretty terrible. Martin St. Louis took home the Art Ross trophy with 60 points in the shortened season (a 102.5 point pace over a full 82 games) and Steven Stamkos was not far behind, registering 57 points. This offseason, Tampa shocked its fanbase when it bought out captain Vincent Lecavalier and replaced him with... Valterri Filppula. They also allowed backup goalie Mathieu Garon and depth forward Benoit Pouliot to walk in free agency. In a new division that will prove to be much tougher than the old Southeast was, the Lightning face an uphill battle this year. The offense can keep them in games, but they can't stop anyone, either.

Projected Forward Lines:

Ryan Malone - Steven Stamkos - Martin St. Louis
Jonathan Drouin - Valterri Filppula - Teddy Purcell
Alex Killorn - Nate Thompson - Richard Panik
Tom Pyatt - Dana Tyrell - B.J. Crombeen
Tyler Johnson - Pierre-Cedric Labrie

If Drouin winds up on the top line, it'll be a scary one for opponents to face. As it stands, I like Malone there for now due to his experience. Purcell gives the Lightning another 60-point scorer that other teams will have to respect, and pairing him with a distributor like Filppula could cause a rise in goals for him. The bottom six is sort of a work in progress, but the team likes the way Killorn is progressing and so do I. Panik begins his first full season in the NHL with raised expectations, and if nothing else his name must be fun to say for broadcast teams (I really should do an all-name team for the NHL). Crombeen and Labrie provide protection for the top guys with their toughness and readiness to drop the gloves.

Projected Defensive Pairings:

Victor Hedman - Sami Salo
Matthew Carle - Radko Gudas
Eric Brewer - Keith Aulie
Andrej Sustr

I wonder if this defense will ever get better. When your "fix" to a defense that is only that in name is to bring in more offensive defensemen like Salo and Carle in recent years, you aren't going to see improvement in the stats that matter. Tampa Bay finished 26th in the NHL in goals against per game (3.06) and 20th in shots against per game (30.2), so this defense needs to make dramatic improvements this year if they're going to have a chance to be in the playoff picture. However, this is also a work in progress, and we'll probably wind up seeing the same porous "defense" we're used to seeing from Tampa Bay.

Goaltending:

Ben Bishop
Anders Lindback

Well, at least they have two goaltenders who cover a lot of net! Bishop is 6'7", and Lindback is 6'6". Lindback didn't play very well as the starter last season, prompting the trade for Bishop that sent Cory Conacher and a 4th-round pick to Ottawa. Bishop stepped in and performed nicely, so he probably has the inside track on the starting job at the time of this post. I'm guessing we're going to see a 1A and 1B situation here, but that doesn't mean you should draft either of them in fantasy. The team in front of these guys is not nearly responsible enough defensively to provide significant help. It's going to take a Herculean effort from one or both of them to get this team into the playoff chase.

Special Teams:

The Lightning finished with a respectable 19% power play success rate, good for 13th in the NHL and that might improve with Drouin in tow. Expect Salo to shoulder much of the load when it comes to being the field general out there, and with Stamkos, St. Louis, Drouin, Purcell, Malone, and Killorn likely comprising the power play units, he has scorers to feed the puck to. The Lightning were +8 on the differential last year but were not successful on the penalty kill, finishing 19th in the NHL at 80.6%. The lower percentage can easily be attributed to a general lack of defensive skill, but we'll see if it can improve.

X-Factor:

Can one of the goalies put the team on his back and steal games? That's the burning question surrounding the Lightning. We know they'll score goals. We know they'll be awful defensively. We don't know if either Bishop or Lindback are good enough to stand on their heads when called upon. If one or both can get their numbers in line with the upper-tier goalies (not even talking about Lundqvist, more like Elliott or Hiller), then I'd consider it a success. Whether that translates to wins remains to be seen.

The Lightning will make the playoffs if...

... they discover how to play defense, the top line posts outrageous scoring totals, and the goalies play like brick walls. It's going to take a lot for this team to make the playoffs. Too many teams to climb over and there's a large gap between where I believe they'll finish and the team one spot above them. They don't have the luxury of beating up on weak Southeast Division anymore (well, they can still do that to Florida) and so they're going to have to play up to the competition on most nights. For a team that looks like it's a year or two away, this is the reality.

The Lightning will miss the playoffs if...

... their level of play is the same or close to what it was last year. It really is that simple. Too many mistakes, too many shots against, too many pucks in their net. While it would be nice to see them surprise and factor into the playoff race, I don't see it happening this year. They would be better served spending time on seeing what works and shaping their roster for the future.

Around The World - 9/24/13

Medvescak Zagreb 4, SKA St. Petersburg 3 (SO)

Vityaz Podolsk 3, CSKA Moscow 2

Traktor Chelyabinsk 1, Sibir Novosibirsk 0

Frolunda 2, Modo 1

Jokerit 2, HPK 1

KalPa 4, Assat 0

Tappara 4, TPS 2

Litvinov 4, Plzen 1

Slavia Praha 2, Vitkovice 1

Sparta Praha 6, Karlovy Vary 1

Mountfield 2, Kladno 1

Kometa Brno 3, Liberec 0

Zlin 2, Pardubice 1

Trinec 6, Chomutov 4

Ambri-Piotta 5, Lugano 2

Lausanne 3, Biel 1

Davos 5, Bern 2

Kloten 5, Fribourg 3

Rapperswil 3, Zug 1

Geneva 3, Zurich 2 (SO)



Spokane 6, Victoria 2
Tri-City 6, Portland 2

30 Teams, 30 Days - St. Louis Blues

The Blues were a formidable team last year, continuing to succeed as they did in 2011-12. They played very good hockey all year long, finished second in the Central, and then were up 2-0 on the Los Angeles Kings before dropping four of the next five and getting eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. Seeing the opportunity to add more pieces in free agency, they got stronger and tougher by trading for Magnus Paajarvi and signing Derek Roy, Brenden Morrow, and Maxim Lapierre. Roy will also provide offense for a group that finished 17th in scoring last year, so they could use the boost from his talents. The two-headed monster in net is now a three-headed monster with the strong play of youngster Jake Allen stealing the show at times. The Blues appear poised to challenge Chicago for the Central Division crown and could find themselves in a conference final, or perhaps more.

Projected Forward Lines:

Patrick Berglund - David Backes - T.J. Oshie
Vladimir Tarasenko - Derek Roy - Alex Steen
Brenden Morrow - Vladimir Sobotka - Chris Stewart
Jaden Schwartz - Max Lapierre - Magnus Paajarvi
Keith Aucoin - Ryan Reaves

The Blues are fortunate in that they have a logjam at pretty much every position on the ice, from the forwards on back to the net. They could very well prove to be the deepest team in the NHL this season. None of their lines will absolutely blow teams away, but the way they can roll four and wear opponents down, that's their true strength. Each line has scorers, quick skaters, bigger guys who can bang along the boards, and good faceoff takers. You can't single out a weakness in the forward group, because with all the different types of talents and abilities this team has, I'm not sure there is one.

Projected Defensive Pairings:

Jay Bouwmeester - Alex Pietrangelo
Jordan Leopold - Kevin Shattenkirk
Barrett Jackman - Roman Polak
Ian Cole

The defense should once again be solid under coach Ken Hitchcock. St. Louis was tied for 7th in the NHL in goals against, only surrendering 2.38 per game. They would tell you that they're capable of doing better, and I can't say that I disagree. The Blues have two talented and young offensive defensemen in Pietrangelo and Shattenkirk, and the veteran leadership of the remaining players ensures that they are steady, responsible, and disciplined on the ice. Make no mistake, this is a team that starts its offense with good, strong defense, and that trend should continue in 2013-14.

Goaltending:

Jaroslav Halak
Brian Elliott

Jake Allen may be the #1 of the future, but for now Halak and Elliott each have one season left on their contracts before becoming unrestricted free agents. It's silly to think that the Blues will bring them both back next season, but how much they believe in Allen will determine if either of them return for another year in St. Louis. In effect, the two goalies who will dress every night are playing for new contracts with the Blues and auditioning for other teams at the same time. The result will be two highly motivated men between the pipes who shouldn't disappoint.

Special Teams:

The Blues used their depth and balance to turn the power play into a strength last season, finishing 12th in the NHL with a 19.5% success rate. With the ability to give opposing penalty kills many different looks, the Blues can cause chaos and unrest for other teams. The one issue the Blues had was getting the power play on the ice. They were 24th in power play opportunities with 149. Though they were a -1 in differential, their penalty kill was 9th in fewest times shorthanded (150), and 7th in efficiency (84.7%). Special teams should again be an area where the Blues excel this year.

X-Factor:

Do they have a player or line who can take over a game? If someone emerges, the sky is the limit for this team. They're very good, well-balanced, and have built themselves a hard-working, skilled group of players, but is there someone on the roster who can put the team on his back if needed? I'm not sure. Backes, as the captain, would seem to be the likeliest choice, but there's also Stewart, who led the team in scoring with 36 points last year. Maybe one of the goalies gets hot and they can ride him to the top of the standings. I'm sure that someone will carry the load for small stretches, but who will it be?

The Blues will make the playoffs if...

... everyone does their job, the Blues can dictate the pace and style of games, and the goaltending remains strong. This is a veteran team that knows how to win, and with a much weaker Central Division to deal with they seem almost assured of at least a second-place finish and therefore a trip to the playoffs. I think this team is capable of winning 50 games this year, should everything go right. I believe that they are now built for the playoffs and can go deep in 2013-14.

The Blues will miss the playoffs if...

... the wheels fall off in net. It's really the only thing that would stop this team from qualifying for the playoffs. In another division, perhaps I think twice about declaring the Blues to be a lock for the postseason. In the Central, with nobody other than Chicago on their level, I can't in good faith argue that the Blues could miss.

30 Teams, 30 Days- San Jose Sharks

I think if there's one phrase that personifies the San Jose Sharks, it's "wait 'til next year!" Every season, it seems that the Sharks are showing such great promise and skill as they charge up the conference standings, and yet once they reach the playoffs they can't finish the job and take home the Stanley Cup. Last year's version of the team played solid hockey, entered the playoffs as the 6th seed in the Western Conference, and looked like a darkhorse after they swept Vancouver in the first round. They fought valiantly in the next series but ultimately could not close out the rival Kings, losing in seven games. Changes were minor for the Sharks, who let T.J. Galiardi and Thomas Greiss go and signed Tyler Kennedy. They'll also be without top-six mainstay Martin Havlat to start the season, as he recovers from offseason surgery. The Sharks are shooting for their 10th straight playoff appearance this year, and it's going to take another solid effort to get there.

Projected Forward Lines:

Patrick Marleau - Logan Couture - Brent Burns
Martin Havlat - Joe Thornton - Tommy Wingels
Tomas Hertl - Joe Pavelski - Tyler Kennedy
Raffi Torres - Andrew Desjardins - Adam Burish
James Sheppard - Bracken Kearns

The loss of Havlat leaves the Sharks paper-thin on the wings and also necessitates secondary scoring from the bottom six. Hertl is coming over from the Czech Republic this year and could figure into the Sharks plans sooner than expected. He might have to fill an important role this season as opposed to playing on the third line and cutting his teeth, but based on his two good seasons with Slavia Praha, the 19-year old should be ready to contribute. Couture is once again going to be counted on to improve his production, just like every year in his career thus far. This is his team now, and he has to become the leader on and off the ice. Burns will begin his first full season as a winger, and it's safe to say that the Sharks are expecting at least 20 goals from him. Even with an injury to the defense, Burns should stay on the top forward line, as the Sharks defense has enough depth to withstand the loss of one player. It's crazy to say that the forward unit might be the weakest piece of this roster, but the general lack of depth and question marks on the wings are troubling.

Projected Defensive Pairings:

Matt Irwin - Dan Boyle
Marc-Edouard Vlasic - Justin Braun
Scott Hannan - Brad Stuart
Jason Demers

This unit can cover a lot of bases for the Sharks. Boyle and Irwin will work the power play, Hannan is their bruising shutdown defenseman, Vlasic is an elite skater who can make up for any lapses with his speed, Stuart brings experience, and Braun has size and can help clear the front of the net. Their 7th defenseman, Demers, would be in the lineup on most teams. This unit will be a strength for the Sharks, and they'll have to be especially stout early in the year while the forwards sort themselves out. They normally answer the bell when needed, and I think this year will be no different.

Goaltending:

Antti Niemi
Alex Stalock

Niemi had a hell of a season in 2012-13: 24-12-6, 2.16 GAA, .924 save percentage. Those numbers were enough to get him a Vezina nomination. He didn't win, but let that serve as an extra bit of motivation for the Finnish netminder heading into this season. He may have to work extra this year, because his backup (Stalock) only has three games of NHL experience. Niemi is used to a large workload, appearing in 43 out of a possible 48 games last year and starting all 11 games in the playoffs. He should play well again this season, but I wonder if he'll burn out at the end of the season.

Special Teams:

Few words go together better than "deadly" and "San Jose Sharks power play" - they finished at 20.1%, which put them in a tie for 7th in the NHL with the Oilers. They usually use four forwards on the first unit, with a front line of Marleau-Thornton-Couture and Pavelski-Boyle on the points. If Havlat is able to come back from injury and plays well, he could see time on the second unit with Burns, Irwin, and perhaps Wingels and Vlasic. The Sharks were equally good on the penalty kill, finishing 6th in the league at 85%. They were also +22 on the special teams differential, so they were trending in the right direction last season.

X-Factor:

The wing depth. How well will it hold up, if it does, and can they get scoring from the rookie Hertl and other unexpected sources? There will be a lot of pressure on the top line, Thornton, and Pavelski to steady the ship through the first couple of months. We may see the Sharks score five goals on one night but then get shutout the next. No matter how it gets done, the most important thing that this team needs to find in the early stages of the season is consistency on offense. The defense and goaltending will hold up and keep them in games, but sooner or later someone other than the big guns will have to start scoring.

The Sharks will make the playoffs if...

... they find the offense they need, the defense continues to play well, and the special teams remain lights out. This Sharks team looks vulnerable on paper. They have a good nucleus of forwards in place, they have a quality backend and a Stanley Cup winner in net, but they're an injury or two away from struggling. San Jose is really a better version of Dallas right now, with depth down the middle, a goal scoring winger, but not a whole lot else up front. They play in a tough division and they will get the best shot from opponents every night, given their success, but somehow the Sharks always seem to find a way to make the playoffs.

The Sharks will miss the playoffs if...

... the defense plays surprisingly poor, they suffer an extended slow start to the season, and Niemi gets burnt out because he isn't being rested enough. I could make a case against every team in the Pacific when it comes to making the playoffs. Well, maybe not Los Angeles. Anyway, the Sharks' window of opportunity for a Cup with this group is just about closed. They're rapidly approaching the time where they may have to blow up the forwards and rebuild around Couture, but they could also steal a page from the Red Wings' playbook and simply try to find the right guys for their system and build that way. Realignment does them no favors, with Dallas moving out and the western Canadian teams coming in. The Sharks are capable of running their streak to ten, but it certainly won't be easy.

Around The World - 9/23/13

Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod 3, Dinamo Riga 2

Ak Bars Kazan 2, Lev Prague 1

Dynamo Moscow 5, Slovan Bratislava 4

Linkopings 3, AIK 2 (SO)

Espoo 2, Lahti 1

Around The World - 9/22/13

Donbas Donetsk 4, SKA St. Petersburg 2

Atlant Moscow Oblast 3, Medvescak Zagreb 2

Spartak Moscow 5, Severstal Cherepovets 4 (OT)

Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 4, Dinamo Minsk 1

Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk 4, Sibir Novosibirsk 3

Barys Astana 7, Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg 2

Metallurg Magnitogorsk 6, Amur Khabarovsk 1

Salavat Yulaev Ufa 4, Metallurg Novokuznetsk 3

Traktor Chelyabinsk 3, Admiral Vladivostok 1

Yugra Khanty-Mansiyisk 6, Avangard Omsk 2

Liberec 6, Sparta Praha 5

Litvinov 3, Chomutov 2 (SO)

Plzen 3, Trinec 2 (SO)

Kometa Brno 3, Vitkovice 2

Pardubice 4, Kladno 0

Slavia Praha 2, Mountfield 1 (OT)

Zlin 3, Karlovy Vary 1

Straubing 4, Mannheim 1

Schwenninger 4, Dusseldorf 3 (SO)

Wolfsburg 3, Augsburg 1

Cologne 4, Iserlohn 3

Ingolstadt 4, Munich 3

Nuremberg 4, Berlin 1

Krefeld 4, Hamburg 3 (OT)

North Bay 4, Ottawa 3

Baie-Comeau 6, Chicoutimi 3

Quebec 6, Rimouski 2

Sherbrooke 5, Drummondville 2

Cape Breton 5, Halifax 2

Moncton 7, Acadie-Bathurst 2

Charlottetown 3, Saint John 2 (SO)

30 Teams, 30 Days - Pittsburgh Penguins

Based on the way Pittsburgh steamrolled the rest of the Eastern Conference last year, you would think that they would have done the same in the playoffs. After getting all they could handle from the Islanders in the first round and then making short work of the Senators in the Conference Semifinals, they came into the Eastern Conference Finals against Boston on a hot streak. What happened next could not have been predicted - the Penguins scored just two goals en route to a sweep at the hands of the Bruins. There was some slight retooling done this offseason. They brought in Matt D'Agostini to bolster the forward depth and brought back Rob Scuderi to help the defense. They let a number of players walk in free agency, including Jarome Iginla, Douglas Murray, Brenden Morrow, Tyler Kennedy, Matt Cooke, and Mark Eaton. What's left is a Penguins team with the same top-tier core, but surrounding parts that might need time to take shape.

Projected Forward Lines:

Chris Kunitz - Sidney Crosby - Pascal Dupuis
Beau Bennett - Evgeni Malkin - James Neal
Jussi Jokinen - Brandon Sutter - Matt D'Agostini
Tanner Glass - Joe Vitale - Craig Adams
Dustin Jeffrey - Andrew Ebbett

Bennett is the notable addition to the top six, as he will get the first chance to play alongside Malkin and Neal. Kunitz and Dupuis will again have inflated stats from being on Crosby's line, so consider them in fantasy if you're looking for forward help. The bottom six has some depth, with Jokinen providing secondary scoring and Sutter helping with faceoffs. As always, Crosby and Malkin will drive this team's ship, and provided they remain healthy the Penguins will be a force. I have to question the defensive merits of the forward group, as their constant attacking has left them open to poor defense in years' past.

Projected Defensive Pairings:

Rob Scuderi - Kris Letang
Paul Martin - Brooks Orpik
Simon Despres - Matt Niskanen
Derek Engelland

When Letang isn't an adventure in his own end, he's a top defenseman in this league. Scuderi will go right on the top pairing and should provide more stability for a defense that finished 12th in goals against but had trouble at times and really looked bad in the playoffs. Martin rediscovered his game last year and looked much better than in 2011-12, when he was a complete disaster. Niskanen's name has come up a bunch of trade rumors, and the Penguins might deal him to get under the cap. For now, he remains in the lineup. Engelland will play when they want an added physical edge.

Goaltending:

Marc-Andre Fleury
Tomas Vokoun

This is sort of a contract year for Fleury, but not in the sense that the term usually implies. One would have to think that if Fleury's awful performance in the playoffs carries over to this regular season and he struggles, that Pittsburgh will buy him out after the season and he'll be looking for a job somewhere else. Vokoun took over during the first round series win over the Islanders and played admirably, but at age 37 he isn't likely to get the starting job here or for another contender. The Penguins are capable of playing good team defense, but Fleury has to hold up his end of the bargain too.

Special Teams:

Pittsburgh's lethality on the power play continued last year. They finished 2nd in the NHL with a 24.6% conversion rate, topped only by Washington. They can roll out a lot of weaponry on the man advantage, with Letang quarterbacking things from the point. I'm not sure they have a second defenseman who can take on those duties, so we may see them use four forwards on the other unit. Pittsburgh was +3 on the special teams differential, but they have to do better when killing penalties. Finishing 25th in the NHL at 79.6% isn't going to cut it this season. They have to be better during scrambles, because they got victimized a few times late in the season on them.

X-Factor:

It has to be Marc-Andre Fleury. How will he respond after getting blasted in the playoffs again? Will see the goalie who we know is capable of winning the Vezina Trophy? Or will we see the man who gave up multiple soft goals en route to getting benched? Pittsburgh is a playoff team no matter who is in net, the success or failure of Fleury will be what determines how far they will go in the playoffs. GM Ray Shero has put together a Cup or bust roster here, so anything less than going the distance is a disappointment.

The Penguins will make the playoffs if...

... nothing goes tragically wrong, Crosby and Malkin aren't both injured for extended periods of time, and everyone does their job. Look, the Metropolitan Division is stout. It's filled with good offenses, defenses, and goaltenders. However, the Penguins are clearly a cut above the rest of the pack. Few teams can match their skill and depth, and even fewer can keep players like Crosby and Malkin off the scoresheet. This is a strong offensive team that knows how to win, and they'll use their talents to secure a playoff spot for sure.

The Penguins will miss the playoffs if...

... good one.

Around The World - 9/21/13

Lev Prague 2, Dynamo Moscow 1

Slovan Bratislava 2, Ak Bars Kazan 1 (OT)

Dinamo Riga 6, Vityaz Podolsk 1

Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod 2, CSKA Moscow 1

Linkopings 6, Frolunda 3

Brynas 3, Vaxjo 0

Leksands 3, Farjestads 2

Lulea 4, Modo 3 (SO)

Orebro 4, HV71 0

Skelleftea 5, AIK 1

Lahti Pelicans 6, SaiPa 2

Porin Assat 4, Espoo 1

HPK 6, Tappara 1

JYP 4, Jokerit 3

TPS 2, Karpat 1

Rauman Lukko 3, IFK 2 (OT)

Fribourg 3, Ambri-Piotta 2 (SO)

Rapperswil 4, Biel 3 (SO)

Lausanne 3, Bern 2 (OT)

Kloten 5, Geneva 3

Davos 4, Zug 3 (SO)

Zurich 3, Lugano 0

Blainville-Boisbrand 4, Shawinigan 2