30 Teams, 30 Days - Chicago Blackhawks

You can pretty much pick and choose what you thought was the one single highlight of the Chicago Blackhawks season and have a valid claim. You could choose their epic run of 24 games, which was half of the shortened season, without a regulation loss. You could pick their regular season record of 36-7-5, getting 77 of an available 96 points (80.2%). Maybe it was their 11-point cushion on the rest of the conference, 17 on their division, and the Presidents' Trophy. Or perhaps their comeback from being down 3-1 against Detroit in the Conference Semifinals. What most people would say, including the players, coach Joel Quenneville, and the team personnel, is of course the Stanley Cup they won. Chicago defeated Boston in a thrilling six games, including their furious comeback in the third period of Game 6, scoring twice in a span of 17 seconds to win it all. Just like they did in 2010, the Blackhawks parted ways with several role players this offseason, and what's left is the same core with different supporting parts trying to repeat.

Projected Forward Lines:

Patrick Sharp - Jonathan Toews - Patrick Kane
Bryan Bickell - Brandon Pirri - Marian Hossa
Brandon Saad - Andrew Shaw - Jeremy Morin
Marcus Kruger - Michal Handzus - Brandon Bollig
Jimmy Hayes - Ben Smith

With Viktor Stalberg, Dave Bolland, Michael Frolik, and Daniel Carcillo gone, the opportunity is there for some of the younger players to step in and make an impact this season. Enter Brandon Pirri, who scored 75 points in 76 games for Rockford of the AHL. He appears ready to step into a top six role and should center Marian Hossa, so he'll have chances to fill the stat sheet on a nightly basis. The top line remains the most dangerous, though perhaps they swap Sharp and Bickell to balance them a bit better. The third line will serve as the energy line, with three kids leading the charge, and the fourth is a traditional checking line. The Blackhawks are one of the few teams that can roll four lines against any team, at any time, in any situation, and that is quite possibly the best luxury to have in hockey. The #2 ranked offense in the NHL will yet again be a force to be reckoned with.

Projected Defensive Pairings:

Duncan Keith - Brent Seabrook
Niklas Hjalmarsson - Johnny Oduya
Nick Leddy - Michal Rozsival
Sheldon Brookbank

No changes on the backend to report, and that's for the best, since they allowed the fewest goals in the league last year. Nick Leddy is a guy who has greatly improved since he came into the league. Once a liability in his own end, he has now become a responsible puck mover. Hjalmarsson just inked himself a new five-year extension worth $20.5 million. It's a small raise over what he was already making ($600K more per year), but it's well deserved for the man called "Hammer" by Chicago fans. Keith and Seabrook are the best top pair in the NHL, bar none. They got it done in their own zone every night and were impressive offensively as well. The duo combined for 47 points (11G-36A), a +28 rating, and five power play goals. They're ready to do it again, so I think it's fair to say that the rest of the league is on notice.

Goaltending:

Corey Crawford
Nikolai Khabibulin

Not to be forgotten on the extension talk, Corey Crawford recently signed a 6-year, $36 million contract that kicks in next year. He had a stellar campaign, going 19-5-5 in 30 games while putting up a 1.94 GAA and a .926 save percentage (16-7, 1.84/.932 in the playoffs). With Ray Emery now in Philadelphia, Crawford will get a bigger share of the starts. I'm expecting him to play about 65 games, with veteran backup Khabibulin getting the rest of the calls. Crawford was helped greatly by the defense last year, as the Blackhawks finished 4th in the NHL in shots against. The only question here is how the short summer will affect him and if it will cause a slow start. Either way, the Blackhawks should be fine in net.

Special Teams:

Chicago will definitely look to improve its success on the power play this season. They were 19th in the NHL last year, which means they definitely underachieved, given the talent level present. I honestly don't see a scenario where the Blackhawks aren't better on the man advantage. With Kane, Toews, Sharp, Hossa, Keith, Seabrook, Saad, Pirri, Bickell, Leddy, and whoever else they decided to roll out there, this group is too good to fail again on these opportunities. The penalty kill was a much different and better story last year. Chicago finished 3rd and with the entire defense corps coming back this season, they are poised to remain in the top five. The forward units are a bit cloudy with the departures, but they should be able to figure out who will be on the PK in training camp and the preseason. They say that your best penalty killer needs to be your goalie, and Crawford is about as good as anyone to have back there. Expect to see a good number of kills credited to his play in net.

X-Factor:

I think the X-Factor for Chicago is Bickell. He scored 17 goals in his first full season for Chicago, but that number has dipped to nine in each of the past two campaigns. He has an elevated role this year in the top six, and he has to step it up offensively and provide them with reliable secondary scoring and depth. Of course, when you want your scoring numbers to increase, you can't do much better than Kane, Toews, and Hossa as potential linemates. If his sets new career highs, then there's no doubt in my mind that the Blackhawks are the favorites to win the Western Conference.

The Blackhawks will make the playoffs if...

... they don't go down in a plane crash. Chicago is the best team in a weak division, and they along with St. Louis will have a healthy cushion on the rest of the field. As I was writing this post, I sat here and thought of possibilities that would cause Chicago to miss the playoffs... I'm coming up empty. They get to play everyone in their division not named the St. Louis Blues 24 times this year. To say they're going to fatten up on the Central Division is an understatement. Chicago is going to lay waste to the competition and win the division, and potentially more.

The Blackhawks will miss the playoffs if...

... every single star player on this team and most of the depth players gets injured, the aforementioned plane crash happens, or both... can't be too careful. Chicago is easily the biggest mortal lock to make the postseason in the NHL. I'd bet the farm on it.

30 Teams, 30 Days - Carolina Hurricanes

The Carolina Hurricanes were sitting pretty on top of the now-defunct Southeast Division on March 3rd. They entered the second half of their home and home with the Florida Panthers at 11-8-1, leading their weak division on the back of a hot offense. However, in that game against Florida, Cam Ward suffered a season-ending injury. The Canes never recovered after winning that game, going 7-17-3 the rest of the way and finishing well out of the playoffs. There were other injuries as well, Jeff Skinner went down for a while as did most of their defensemen. Their awful end to the season has made many people forget about the way they started, which means expectations will be low on Tobacco Road; just the way they like them. Carolina got bigger and stronger on defense this offseason, signing Mike Komisarek and trading for Andrej Sekera. They also signed Aaron Palushaj and Nathan Gerbe to bolster their forward unit. This year, playing in a tougher division, Carolina is out to prove they can win with their current roster.

Projected Forward Lines:

Jiri Tlusty - Eric Staal - Alexander Semin
Jeff Skinner - Jordan Staal - Patrick Dwyer
Tuomo Ruutu - Elias Lindholm - Nathan Gerbe
Zac Dalpe - Riley Nash - Drayson Bowman
Kevin Westgarth - Aaron Palushaj

Without a doubt, this team can score goals and they do so in bunches. The top six can go toe to toe with most teams in the NHL and the bottom half features some intriguing players. Rookie Elias Lindholm will be given every opportunity to make the team and play big minutes. He is ready for the NHL and should have a productive maiden voyage through the 82-game slate. The Staal brothers will once again lead the attack and with players who can put the puck in the net like Tlusty, Skinner, and Semin, the duo figure to have a large assist total by season's end. The fourth line is more of an energy line that is still developing, and they can always play Westgarth for his solid enforcer skills and gain an added edge. It could also help to discourage opposing teams from taking runs at the star players, and perhaps they will be healthier for it. The one question I have about this group centers around whether or not they can play well enough defensively to help Ward. It will be something to keep an eye on early in the season.

Projected Defensive Pairings:

Tim Gleason - Justin Faulk
Joni Pitkanen - Andrej Sekera
Mike Komisarek - Jay Harrison
Brett Bellemore

After shedding their purely offensive defensemen when they traded Jamie McBain and let Joe Corvo and Marc-Andre Bergeron walk in free agency, the Canes went with more defensively responsible players in Sekera and Komisarek. Gleason is still the leader on the backend, and Faulk will see more ice time now that he's on the top pairing. Unlike the forward group, the defense corps is not very deep. The rash of injuries that destroyed their defense last season cannot happen again if they want to contend for a playoff spot. Carolina was 29th in goals against last season, and while losing multiple top defensemen and Ward had a hand in that, they still have to play better in 2013-14.

Goaltending:

Cam Ward
Anton Khudobin

Carolina ended its revolving door situation at the #2 goaltender spot when they signed Anton Khudobin to back up Ward. Khudobin is 14-5-1 in 21 games in the NHL, with a 2.03 GAA and a .933 save percentage for his career. He will no longer have the benefit of playing with Boston's top-notch defense in front of him, so this season presents a new challenge and opportunity for him. If he excels in Carolina, he could parlay that into a starting job elsewhere once the season ends, thanks to his one-year contract. Cam Ward will make his return to the starting job after last season ended with an injury. He was a rookie back in 2006 when he took over for Martin Gerber in the playoffs and led them to the Stanley Cup and hopes to recapture that success. He and Eric Staal are the only players on the roster who were on that championship team, so they more than anyone know how to win in Raleigh.

Special Teams:

With so many talented offensive players, it seems a bit off that Carolina finished 27th on the power play last season (14.7%). That number should rise to at least the league average (18.1%), if not higher, barring injuries. Having better all-around defensemen will also help prevent them from allowing shorthanded goals. Carolina allowed four last season, which was tied for 7th-most. It's certain that Faulk and Pitkanen will quarterback the two units, but given the rest of their defensemen the Canes might consider going with four forwards on one or both units to increase scoring. The penalty kill was equally bad last year, finishing 28th in the league with a lowly 77.6% kill rate. Carolina won the penalty battle with opponents a season ago, finishing +4 in total special teams chances. This is a reasonably disciplined team overall, so expect the Canes to be smart about their style of play and not take dumb penalties in key situations.

X-Factor:

The key to this team's success is without a doubt the defense. They were both bad and prone to injury last season. The overall makeup looks different this year, with Sekera and Komisarek providing responsibility in their own zone. A season ago the Canes had too many defensemen who were focused on offense and it showed. Health is potentially a bigger concern than talent level here; for all their shortcomings last season, it was more troubling that so many of them missed action. Gleason missed six games last year, Faulk missed ten, and Pitkanen missed 26. The silver lining with the injuries is that a number of fresh faces saw time in the NHL, but none of them other than Bellemore figures to be a factor this season.

The Hurricanes will make the playoffs if...

... the defense plays much better and stays healthy, Cam Ward is lights out in net, and the offense produces better than it did last season. Make no mistake, the Canes have an uphill battle in the Metropolitan Division. The Penguins, Rangers, and Islanders all appear strong this season, and with other playoff hopefuls in Columbus, Philadelphia, and Washington, it seems that Carolina has their work cut out for them. However, they proved that when healthy, they can play with the big boys, as evidenced by their fast start last season. Their record might not reflect the quality of play this year, since they see teams like Pittsburgh and the two New York squads more often, but the Hurricanes are not to be written off. They will figure in the playoff discussion in some form this year.

The Hurricanes will miss the playoffs if...

... there are more injuries to the defense, the offense struggles, and there are a number of mistakes in their own end. Pitkanen may not be ready for opening night, as he is still recovering from the broken ankle he suffered near the end of last season. If he can't go, Carolina would have to look to the free agent market or possibly make a trade. Ron Hainsey, Ian White, and Ryan Whitney are still out there waiting to be signed. None of them are truly ideal options for Carolina, but in this particular situation beggars can't be choosers. Losing Pitkanen for an extended period would severely hinder the power play and would leave them with few options in terms of puck moving defensemen, and that spells trouble for their playoff hopes.

Buffalo Sabres Release New Alternate Jersey

The long-awaited Buffalo Sabres third jersey came out today, and, well... here are the pics. Source is icethetics.info:

Steve Ott doing the modeling work here. My reaction: Not a fan. Or rather, to be more specific, I'm not a fan of the front of the jersey. I think the back is actually pretty well done. It's a nice shade of navy, the font and number looks cool (silver is a good choice for the numbers), and I actually don't hate the yellow sleeve/underarm/sides on the back, and I'm usually against going with different colors under the arms. However, the front is pretty terrible, so I can't give it my blessing overall. I dislike the "BUFFALO" going across it, the two-tone yellow is a bit awkward, and so is the yoke extending past the collar. Kudos to the Sabres for going outside the box, though.

What do you think?

30 Teams, 30 Days - Calgary Flames

They'll never admit it, but the Calgary Flames are very clearly taking a page from the playbook of their fiercest rival, the Edmonton Oilers. The Flames have finally decided that the old guard couldn't get it done, and they have now blown some of it up and look to rebuild through the draft. They got younger at the deadline, sending Jarome Iginla to Pittsburgh for two college prospects and the #28 pick in the recent draft, which became Morgan Klimchuk, who plays for the Regina Pats. The more intriguing pick they made was at the top of the board, selecting Sean Monahan 6th overall. He scored 78 points in 58 games last year for the Ottawa 67's of the OHL and appears to be an NHL-ready prospect. The Flames again went with younger skaters during the offseason, trading Alex Tanguay and Cory Sarich to Colorado for David Jones and Shane O'Brien. They also brought in Kris Russell to help on defense and T.J. Galiardi for added wing depth. The main question for this season is life without longtime starting goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff. Karri Ramo will get the first crack at replacing him and should see the lion's share of the work.

Projected Forward Lines:

Curtis Glencross - Mikael Backlund - Mike Cammalleri
Sven Baertschi - Sean Monahan - David Jones
Jiri Hudler - Matt Stajan - Lee Stempniak
T.J. Galiardi - Roman Horak - Brian McGrattan
Corban Knight - Tim Jackman

One thing that jumps out at you with this forward group is speed. Aside from Jones, this is a fast top six, and that speed continues down to the third and checking lines. Speed (usually) kills in hockey, so the Flames can get into up and down games with teams if they choose. Most of the veteran players here are defensively responsible and will allow the burners like Baertschi and Hudler to take chances. I expect the depth chart to change frequently, possibly on a game-by-game basis or even with some line juggling in-game by head coach Bob Hartley. A general lack of NHL-proven depth is an issue for this team, especially down the middle. Stajan led the team in +/- last year but the remaining centers on the roster have not yet produced the way the front office thinks they can and should. How this group is playing at the end of the season will be telling, as it will show progress made towards the future.

Projected Defensive Pairings:

Mark Giordano - Chris Butler
Dennis Wideman - T.J. Brodie
Shane O'Brien - Kris Russell
Mark Cundari

The Flames are younger and more offensively skilled on the blueline this season. Giordano and Wideman have been producers from the point in recent seasons, and the addition of Russell should aid the power play. He was nearly a point per game player overseas during the lockout, putting up 14 points in 15 games for Turku TPS in Finland's SM-liiga. Every defenseman in the top six has had at least one season of 20+ points, so the potential is there for this group to be a considerable contributor on offense. However, with a new starter in net for the first time in ten years, they would do well to play a more stay-at-home game in the early going; they did not do well in the turnover battle and ranked 27th in the NHL in hits. This group has to play better on the road as well, as the team was outscored by 29 goals on the road last year. O'Brien gives them size and responsibility, which never hurt on defense.

Goaltending:

Karri Ramo
Joey MacDonald

Ramo will get the call on opening night for the Flames, and my has he been impressive in the KHL the last few seasons. It's taken him a few years to find his game, but whatever the coaches in Omsk did while he was there, it worked. In four KHL seasons, Ramo posted a 99-48-22 record, with a 2.01 GAA and a .923 save percentage to go along with 18 shutouts. In 50 playoff games in Russia, he is 25-23, with a 1.91 GAA, .924 save percentage, and three shutouts. He hasn't fared nearly that well in his short stints with Tampa Bay, but I expect his numbers to be closer to his KHL totals than what he posted back then. Joey MacDonald was solid after being claimed off waivers by the Flames, going 8-5-1 with a 2.16 GAA and .912 save percentage. He'll begin the season as the backup, but if Ramo struggles expect to see more of him. The Flames also have an interesting prospect on the way up in Reto Berra, who has played in his native Switzerland for his entire career. Berra will likely start the year with the Abbotsford Heat, Calgary's AHL affiliate.

Special Teams:

Calgary's power play was good enough last year to make teams wary of taking penalties, finishing 9th in the NHL at 20%. Cammalleri and Hudler tied for the team lead with five power play goals apiece, and Cammalleri added ten assists to lead the team with 15 power play points. The backend made its presence known with the man advantage as well. Wideman was second on the team with 13 power play points, Brodie chipped in six, and Giordano added three. Expect those three to take the extra minutes of ice time on the power play, along with Russell. The added pieces up front mean that the Flames can mix and match the power play units. They now have a guy who can clog the net area in Jones, as well as the young Monahan to distribute the puck to the scorers. They'll be an exciting team to watch when a man up. The penalty kill was also pretty good, coming in at 14th with an 81.5% success rate. They'd like to see that number increase a bit, and the offseason moves should help. Galiardi saw some time on the PK for the Sharks and he's going to fill holes on the shorthanded units left by guys like Blake Comeau (now with Columbus), Steve Begin (AHL), and Tanguay (Colorado). Stajan and Stempniak will remain on the top unit, with Galiardi and either Jones or Glencross pulling second-team duties.

X-Factor:

The million dollar question for Calgary is whether or not Ramo can replicate his KHL success at the NHL level. He's going to be tested frequently by the talented offenses in the Pacific Division and the Flames did not play well defensively last year (28th overall, 29th at 5 on 5). Again, he won't post the exact same statline that he did in Russia; that just isn't feasible. This is a league with greater talent in all areas of the ice and it may take him some time to readjust to the NHL pace. If he proves to be a serviceable to good starter this season, he'll be a fixture in Calgary for the next few years. He won't make people forget about Kiprusoff, but the fanbase won't be calling for his head, either.

The Flames will make the playoffs if...

... everything comes together perfectly; the younger players put up nice numbers a year or two ahead of schedule, Monahan proves that he's not only NHL-ready but capable of being the 1C of the future, the offseason moves pay big dividends and Ramo has a stellar year. The Flames are definitely a team in transition right now and their playoff chances appear dim, but then again, anything can happen in this league. There are a lot of factors and variables at play for this team and come October 1st, they have just as good a chance as anyone to make the postseason because everybody starts with a 0-0-0 record.

The Flames will miss the playoffs if...

... nothing overly unexpected happens. This team is being picked to finish last in the Pacific by just about everybody this year, and it's almost by process of elimination now that the Oilers are suddenly a trendy choice to make the playoffs and the Coyotes have retooled their roster for another deep run. It's going to be fun watching the position battles play out over the course of training camp and the early part of the season. They'll even be enjoyable while the special teams are on the ice. However, this roster as it is currently constructed is not a playoff team. I expect some trades in-season to stockpile picks and prospects. Calgary is a few years away from playoff contention.

30 Teams, 30 Days - Buffalo Sabres

Last season was an overall struggle for the Buffalo Sabres. Finishing in the bottom third of the NHL in scoring, defense, power play, and penalty kill, it's fair to say that they were a bad team in 2012-13. The Sabres were quiet this offseason, opting to make small changes to their roster. They traded Andrej Sekera to Carolina for Jamie McBain and a second round pick, which became centerman J.T. Compher. Scouts say he's a leader on the ice and has solid playmaking ability, but won't fill the net himself. It is unlikely that he'll be a factor this season, but keep an eye out down the road. Buffalo also signed defenseman Henrik Tallinder, who played for New Jersey last year. This looks like it's going to be a transition year for the Sabres, but we're also going to get a look at what the future of this franchise brings to the table.

Projected Forward Lines:

Thomas Vanek - Cody Hodgson - Drew Stafford
Tyler Ennis - Mikhail Grigorenko - Ville Leino
Marcus Foligno - Johan Larsson - Steve Ott
Patrick Kaleta - Kevin Porter - Brian Flynn
John Scott - Cody McCormick

The theme in Buffalo this year is youth down the middle. The four centers listed as being in the lineup have a combined 359 games between them, with Grigorenko and Larsson combining for just 26 of those games. Their experience on the wings is considerably better, and it behooves the Sabres' pivots to make smart decisions with the puck when they have it. Buffalo has wingers who can score, but that task will go incomplete unless the largely unproven centers can mesh with their linemates and make plays. There will no doubt be growing pains with this bunch, but all the same the scoring must improve; Scoring less than 2.5 goals per game isn't going to get it done this season. Steve Ott needs to be more of a factor as well. He agitates, draws penalties, takes a lot of penalties, and plays a good power game, but he needs to get back to the scoring form he showed in Dallas. He scored a career-high 22 goals in 2009-10 but hasn't come close to that number since. If he manages to stay on the ice more often this season, it could happen for him. The obvious drawback to having so many young players, of course, is that they can be mistake-prone. Keeping the turnovers down will be key for Buffalo.

Projected Defensive Pairings:

Christian Ehrhoff - Jamie McBain
Tyler Myers - Henrik Tallinder
Mike Weber - Alexander Sulzer
Mark Pysyk

Buffalo has opted to go a bit more offensive this year on the backend. The Sekera-McBain trade will no doubt improve the offensive potential of this group (Sekera has never scored more than four goals in a season), and Henrik Tallinder adds size to an already big blue line. Weber and Sulzer make up the third pair, and if nothing else the duo will be balanced. Weber stays at home, and Sulzer is a puck mover. He should see significant power play time for the Sabres and could see greatly improved offensive numbers by season's end. Overall, the defense should be more of a risk-reward group, but they'll also be more fun to watch. With a veteran-laden core and three players who are in contract years, effort should not be a question in Buffalo. Expect a blue collar performance from the defense night in, and night out.

Goaltending:

Ryan Miller
Jhonas Enroth

Exactly how long will Miller remain in Buffalo? His contract is up after this season and one would have to believe that he won't be back in a Sabres uniform in 2014-15. The question is, how long will GM Darcy Regier wait to deal him? Even if the Sabres surprise and are in contention this season, does he trade Miller anyway to try and get something back for him? Starting goalies rarely get traded at the deadline, so it would have to be to a team that might be in the thick of the playoff race but needs help in net. I'm thinking Philadelphia, Winnipeg, or even the Islanders. Jhonas Enroth is a capable backup who should see at least 20 games, and if Miller gets traded that number will rise over 30 and perhaps 35. If Miller sticks around the whole season, expect another solid year where he outperforms the team playing in front of him. If he doesn't, the team is in the hands of Enroth, and you can do a lot worse than having him as your backup.

Special Teams:

Buffalo was dreadful on both the power play and penalty kill last season, finishing 29th with the man advantage and 26th while a man down. It goes without saying that both of those figures need to improve for this team to have more success. Adding McBain gives them another puck mover who can run the power play, and the forward group has enough size to cause traffic jams in front of the net and win loose pucks. This is a power play unit that should be better than it is, but it just hasn't clicked for them yet. Playing in the Northeast Division last season, they saw talented goalies often in Carey Price, Tuukka Rask, Craig Anderson, and James Reimer. If the top six plays more consistently, the man advantage should be better. As for the PK, it's definitely a work in progress. Steve Ott is their best penalty killer, when he isn't in the box himself. The Tallinder signing gives them another responsible defenseman who should be a factor on the kill. The Sabres are not a very fast team, so they're going to have to survive by maintaining proper positioning and not taking too many chances when shorthanded. Drawing more penalties will help, as they were -15 in special teams chances last year.

X-Factor:

The biggest X-Factor on this team is the development of Grigorenko. He had five points in 25 games last year and will now be slotted in a top-six role. He has to essentially learn on the job because quite frankly, Buffalo has no better options. He will benefit from playing alongside Tyler Ennis, who has been productive for the Sabres even though his numbers have taken a dip the last couple of years. On the other side is Ville Leino, who has a long list of prior injuries and does not play a physical game. It all adds up to Buffalo having a soft second line, which could mean poor possession numbers. Grigorenko needs to be on the top line to have the greatest chance of success, but until he proves he can be the 1C for this group he's going to be behind Hodgson on the depth chart.

The Sabres will make the playoffs if...

... Ryan Miller turns in a Vezina-winning season, somebody else up front has a breakout season to take pressure off of Vanek, and they finish near the top of the league in puck possession. This is not a team that will win 5-4, and instead they'll want to grind out 2-1 wins. Dump and chase, slow the pace of the game down, and do just enough offensively to get two points every night. In addition to all the tough teams that the Sabres already see a lot of, now Detroit is in their division too. It's going to look like David against Goliath out on the ice on some nights, but this group just might have enough rocks to make some noise. The best players need to be the best players on a nightly basis and they have to find secondary scoring; these are the two biggest keys to Buffalo's chances.

The Sabres will miss the playoffs if...

... this team continues to play like it's on the rebuild, which is to be expected because that's exactly what they're doing. Buffalo allowed 33.5 shots on goal per game last year (they also blocked about 15 per game), which was the most in the NHL. It's attributed to mistakes, poor positioning, and an inability to maintain possession. Averaging 8 giveaways per game is too many. Miller, who is in a contract year and probably an audition for contending teams, has to be much better. The defense has to be better as well. Getting outshot so badly indicates that the Sabres were not very good in the neutral zone and they also were ineffective at clearing their defensive zone, whether by flipping it out, passing, or skating it clear. Finally, the forwards have to convert chances when they come. Buffalo only had four players who scored above a 50-point pace last season. I'm not sure we can expect Vanek to put up 88 points this year, which is what he projected to over an 82-game schedule, so the other guys who produced (Hodgson, Ennis, and Stafford) need to be either the same or better than they were last year to make up that difference.

30 Teams, 30 Days - Boston Bruins

The Boston Bruins came oh so close to a second Stanley Cup in three years, falling short in Game 6 against the Chicago Blackhawks after giving up two goals in a span of 17 seconds late in the third. That result was enough for GM Peter Chiarelli to make a handful of changes to the lineup. Gone are Tyler Seguin, Rich Peverley, Jaromir Jagr, Nathan Horton, Andrew Ference, and Anton Khudobin. New to the fold are Jarome Iginla, Loui Eriksson, Reilly Smith, and Chad Johnson. The Bruins currently are over the cap and will need to make a roster move before the season starts, but it looks as though they have reloaded and are aimed at another run to the Cup. This is a veteran group that has the right tools to get there.

Projected Forward Lines:

Brad Marchand - Patrice Bergeron - Loui Eriksson
Milan Lucic - David Krejci - Jarome Iginla
Carl Soderberg - Chris Kelly - Jordan Caron
Daniel Paille - Gregory Campbell - Shawn Thornton
Reilly Smith - Ryan Spooner

This is largely the same forward lineup that took the Bruins to the finals last season. The Bruins finished tied for 13th in the NHL with 2.65 goals per game a year ago, but given their defensive prowess they don't need to improve their scoring by much to be just as good. Probably the best part about the Bruins' style of play is that every forward is capable of playing a two-way game. Patrice Bergeron is going to win a bunch of Selke trophies in his career, Lucic and Marchand are thorns in the side of every opponent league-wide, and Krejci has some of the best hands in the league. The scoring should see a better balance now that the Bruins have fixed their "too many centers" problem and brought in depth on the wings. Even still, the Bruins will remain a team that drives puck possession, and that starts in the faceoff dots. Last year, Boston was easily the NHL's best team on the draw, winning 56.4% of the time (San Jose was second at 53.4%). You can tell that there has been a shakeup at the top of the depth chart, but Chiarelli went out and got the guys he wanted through free agency and trades.

Projected Defensive Pairings:

Zdeno Chara - Johnny Boychuk
Dennis Seidenberg - Dougie Hamilton
Torey Krug - Adam McQuaid
Matt Bartkowski

The youth movement is underway in Boston. Actually, it started during the playoffs, where Krug stole the show with four goals in 15 games. The departure of Andrew Ference opens a spot for him in the rotation, and he could potentially make an impact on the blueline this year. Hamilton enters his second full season with the Bruins after posting 16 points in 42 games last year. Matt Bartkowski should see some action as well. There is a solid core for the young guns to learn under, with Chara, Boychuk, and Seidenberg leading the way. Chara is always a game changer when he's on the ice, and as such teams will consistently try to keep their top line away from him. He's also a force on power plays, as the owner of the league's hardest shot. With all the positives in place here, the third-ranked defense in the NHL should be solid yet again. The only real concern for this unit is the short offseason that comes with playing in the Stanley Cup Finals. If they come out sluggish in the first few games, the B's might get off to a slow start this season.

Goaltending:

Tuukka Rask
Chad Johnson

Anton Khudobin signed with Carolina this offseason, so the Bruins went out and got Chad Johnson, who went 2-0-2 with Phoenix last year, posting a 1.21 GAA and a .954 save percentage. None of that impacts starter Tuukka Rask much, who was given an 8-year, $56 million contract this offseason. Rask was 19-10-5 in the regular season last year, and 14-8 in the playoffs. He has the benefit of playing behind a strong defensive unit as well as forwards who play responsible two-way hockey and centers who win lots of faceoffs. Rask was not without his hiccups though, and what happened in Games 4 and 6 of the Finals was a real shame after how well he played in the playoffs. Boston fans can expect a more driven and hungry Rask this season, as he will seek retribution for how last season ended. Thanks to that and the contract he just received, there should be no questions about Rask's job security at this time.

Special Teams:

Boston was woeful on the power play last season, tying for 25th in the NHL with a 14.8% conversion rate. The problem for them is twofold: they need to convert more of their opportunities, and they need to get more chances, period. The Bruins were dead last in the NHL with just 122 power plays, and were a -41 in total special teams chances (only Colorado was worse at -43). Boston has to reverse that statistic to improve its scoring chances and offense. The top six forwards should make up the two power play units for the Bruins, with Chara, Krug, Seidenberg, and Boychuk making up the defensive pairings. Having Krug for a full season should help boost the percentage a bit, but I'd like to see the Bruins get more chances with the man advantage first. You can't convert power plays if you never get them. As for the PK, the Bruins were 4th in the NHL a year ago at 87.1%, so nothing has to change there. Boston has the luxury of being able to use most of its bottom six forwards on the PK, along with Brad Marchand for added speed and the threat of a shorthanded scoring chance. Bergeron should also factor in on the penalty kill, as his defensive skills are most useful in that aspect of the game. I'd like to see Caron get time here as well. He's big and can win battles along the boards, which should allow a guy like Lucic to rest. The only question I have is which of the young defensemen will be called upon for PK duty, and how will he fare? Only time will tell there.

X-Factor:

The X-Factor for Boston is whether or not the new acquisitions up front can mesh well with the incumbent group, and if they can replace the production of Horton, Seguin, and late in the season, Jagr. I think they'll get it done, with some help from the rest of the lineup of course. Chiarelli is a hard man to question when it comes to roster moves, and he appears to have done well yet again in the offseason. However, if Eriksson and Iginla can't produce with their linemates, it will throw a monkey wrench into the Bruins' plans, at least for a little while.

The Bruins will make the playoffs if...

... they play the same way they played last season while fixing the disparity in special teams chances. These guys know how to win hockey games in any time of year. October, March, June, it doesn't matter to the Bruins, they can get the job done no matter the circumstances. This is a very good team that still appears ready to win another Cup and if they can resemble last year's group, they will be in contention for the division crown and potentially much more. I expect further progression from the younger players and excellent two-way play up and down the lineup. The Bruins can roll four lines against anyone they want, and that is one of the keys to success in this league.

The Bruins will miss the playoffs if...

... at least three of their top players suffer catastrophic injuries and Rask implodes, and I'm not sure that would even be enough to make them miss. There are many teams in the East that have many question marks, and with the bottom of the division being softer than a pillow I think the Bruins would be able to win enough games in the division to make the playoffs either way. Claude Julien has a way of throwing guys in the lineup and getting results out of them, so even with a bunch of AHLers in the lineup (Providence was first in the AHL with 105 points last season), this team could potentially find success. Of course, the ceiling is much higher if they're healthy, and that will need to happen in order for Boston to maintain its hopes of another deep playoff run.

30 Teams, 30 Days - Anaheim Ducks

Welcome to the very first installment of PFS's "30 Teams, 30 Days" tour. We're going to count down the days until the start of the regular season by bringing you an in-depth preview of each and every team in the NHL. To kick things off, we're taking a look at the Anaheim Ducks.

The Ducks had a fairly busy offseason, and they were part of a bombshell trade that sent Bobby Ryan to Ottawa in exchange for Jakob Silfverberg, Stefan Noesen, and a first-round pick. They also signed Mark Fistric to a one-year deal worth $900K in order to add depth to their sometimes erratic defense corps. Toni Lydman retired, Sheldon Souray is probably going to be out until January with a torn ligament in his wrist, and there aren't many other NHL-proven players on the backend, so getting Fistric may prove to be more beneficial than people think. The Ducks also brought Dustin Penner back, one of the pieces that won them a Cup in 2007. This new recipe for success hopes to build upon what was a fantastic regular season for the franchise, but also a first-round flameout.

And of course, the 800 pound gorilla in Southern California remains the fact that Teemu Selanne has not given the team a decision on whether he'll be back this upcoming season. It has long been speculated that Selanne will either come back to the Ducks or retire, and I believe that he is leaning towards coming back this year. He can still help this team; even though he turned 43 last month, he's two years removed from a 66-point campaign in 2011-12. There is still offense, and more importantly, mentoring left in him. With a young group that has now tasted the playoffs behind the top line, the usually boom-or-bust Ducks look to be more steady in 2013-14.

Projected Forward Lines:

Dustin Penner - Ryan Getzlaf - Corey Perry
Jakob Silfverberg - Nick Bonino - Teemu Selanne
Daniel Winnik - Saku Koivu - Andrew Cogliano
Emerson Etem - Peter Holland - Kyle Palmieri
Patrick Maroon - Matt Beleskey

I have a feeling that these lines are going to be moved around a bunch by Bruce Boudreau and his staff this season. Dustin Penner will have the first crack at getting top line minutes with Getzlaf and Perry, but the hands of time won't be turning back to 2006-07 this time around. I think Penner begins the season on the top line but as the kids develop he'll drop down the depth chart. Anaheim brings a good mix of speed and skill along with enough veterans who know how to win. If there were an All-Star Game this year, Emerson Etem would probably be my early favorite to win the fastest skater contest at the skills challenge. He's definitely a player to watch this season, though he may begin the year playing in the AHL with Norfolk. Nick Bonino will step into a bigger role in the top six, and I think he'll flourish as the #2 centerman. As always in Anaheim, scoring depth is a question - especially now that Bobby Ryan is gone. Size and toughness on the depth lines is another significant issue with Anaheim up front. They lack an enforcer and they are also thin on guys who get into the dirty areas and win battles consistently. One thing is for sure, though; it will be up to the young blood on the Ducks' roster to step up (or in Silfverberg's case, step in) and be consistent contributors. Their season will ultimately depend on it.

Projected Defensive Pairings:

Sheldon Souray - Francois Beauchemin
Cam Fowler - Ben Lovejoy
Luca Sbisa - Bryan Allen
Mark Fistric

Note: Since Souray might miss half the regular season, Fistric will likely start over Sami Vatanen for his experience. Vatanen should be in the lineup by the end of the season, though.

If you watched the Ducks at all last season, you'd probably agree with my sentiment that Francois Beauchemin should have been nominated for the Norris Trophy. He was brilliant in his own zone and led the backend in scoring with 24 points (good enough to tie him for 20th in the NHL among blueliners). I'm of the belief that the Norris should be given to the best all-around defenseman, and you could make the argument for Beauchemin being that man. This is not to say that Erik Karlsson didn't deserve it in 2011-12; he absolutely did, but that's another debate for another day. Anyway, Souray might be out until January, so his power play prowess and booming slapper will need to be replaced by somebody on the depth chart. Fowler will be first in line, but I wouldn't be surprised to see the Ducks turn to Sami Vatanen. He came up late in the season last year and scored twice in eight games. Oh, and don't sleep on this kid's shot, either (see below). My biggest question with the Ducks' defense is speed. Having a slow backend can oftentimes be made up for by playing a sound positional game, though, and that's something that the Ducks do well. As long as this group limits the turnovers and stays out of the penalty box, they should be adequate.

Goaltending:

Jonas Hiller
Viktor Fasth

The immediate question that pops up when looking at Anaheim's goalie situation is "how secure is Jonas Hiller's job?" Hiller appeared in 26 of Anaheim's 48 games a season ago, as well as starting every playoff game for the Ducks. Hiller's health has been a concern for the last few years, as he has suffered through vertigo and battled lower body injuries last season. I don't think we're going to see anything like what St. Louis has done with its netminders, but I expect Viktor Fasth to see about 25 games this season, between spelling Hiller and the chance that he'll be forced in due to an injury to Hiller. The Ducks' defense did a pretty good job keeping pucks away from the net, finishing 9th in the NHL in shots against, but Hiller and Fasth will need to stop more of them, as the Ducks were 14th in save percentage.

Special Teams:

Anaheim was lethal on the power play a season ago, finishing 4th as they converted 21.5% of man advantage chances last year. Losing Souray is going to cause that number to drop, unless of course somebody else steps up and replaces him. Again, Fowler will have the first crack on the top unit, with Lovejoy and Sbisa helping out as well. If I'm Anaheim, I'm taking Beauchemin off of the power play when Souray returns, as they need to keep him fresh for late-game minutes. With Ryan gone, there will be a battle to see who replaces him on the top unit. I think it will be either Silfverberg or Bonino; probably Bonino to balance the two lines with snipers. A second unit consisting of Silfverberg, Penner, and Koivu has to sound good to Ducks fans. Penner could also be swapped out for Palmieri if more shooting ability is desired. The key is going to be getting more chances. Anaheim was second to last in the NHL with just 135 opportunities, an average of 2.81 per game. On the penalty kill, the Ducks tied for 13th in the league with an 81.5% kill rate. They did better at staying out of the box than they have in the past, but they were still -27 in special teams opportunities. The PK has a chance to be nasty this year, as there are a number of players who can fill spots when the Ducks are a man down. I don't think it will be PK-by-committee in Anaheim, but the Ducks do have options to keep their players from tiring.

X-Factor:

It may be a bit unfair to call such a young player the "X-Factor" for a team with Stanley Cup aspirations, but Jakob Silfverberg is going to be that guy. Out of everyone on this roster, he will have the biggest burden to bear in terms of replacing Bobby Ryan, and not just because he was the major piece that came to Anaheim in the trade. In terms of talent and upside, Silfverberg could potentially become the Ducks' biggest offensive threat; and he might have to be, since there isn't much proven depth behind Getzlaf and Perry. The Ducks need him to produce immediately to kick start their offense.

The Ducks will make the playoffs if...

... the young guys take their elevated roles by the horns and become point producers for this team. They have to find a way to replace Bobby Ryan's production (62.7 points per 82 games over the course of his career thus far), especially Silfverberg, who needs to have at least a 50-point season to warrant top line minutes. They will also need a breakout performance from Bonino. He was impressive in the playoffs last year, scoring three goals and adding an assist in seven games. One strength that the Ducks have is their loaded farm system that appears ready to make in impact in 2013-14. It will allow them to be aggressive when making trades and it gives them options for replacements if certain players aren't producing. The other benefit to having so many young and promising players is that a few of them will stick; it's highly unlikely that all of these guys will be unproductive this year.

The Ducks will miss the playoffs if...

... they can't find secondary scoring, there are more injuries to Hiller and on the blue line, or worse yet, both. Look, it's no secret that Getzlaf and Perry are easily the two best players on the team right now. Other coaches around the league will look to stop them and as a result, they are going to play a lot of minutes against shutdown opponents. Anaheim needs to find some scoring depth, and the sooner the better. Hiller needs to stay healthy this season. This is not to say that Fasth is incapable of filling the starter role if needed; he proved that he can do it last season, going 15-6-2 with a 2.18 GAA and .921 save percentage. It speaks to the fact that the Ducks' options in net after Fasth are unproven and not ready to compete at the NHL level. The defensemen must avoid the injury bug as well. With Souray out and Toni Lydman retired, the Ducks are already pretty thin on the blue line. An injury to Beauchemin or Fowler could be this team's undoing. Sami Vatanen appears to be close, but after him the next best option is Hampus Lindholm, who has never played an NHL game and only a half season in the AHL.