Goalie Martin Brodeur used his athleticism to lead the Devils to victory in the Stanley Cup.
[Times photo: Dan McDuffie]
The Capitals’ Olaf Kolzig is one of the league’s top goalies.
[AP photo]
The Leafs added center Joe Nieuwendyk to increase their scoring potential.
When was the last time the Stanley Cup landscape was so wide open? This has to be the Senators' year, doesn't it? But don't forget the ol' (or is that old) Red Wings who, with the return of Dominik Hasek and addition of Derian Hatcher, have plenty for another run. And how about the high-flying Canucks, the Kariya-Selanne-Forsberg-Sakic Avalanche and the Prospal-Fedorov-Giguere Ducks? And never count out the Devils. You might as well throw darts. We hope Times staff writer Damian Cristodero did a little research as well before picking Ottawa to win it all.
1. OTTAWA SENATORS
COACH: Jacques Martin (11th season, ninth with Ottawa).
LAST SEASON: 52-21-8-1, 113 points. Lost to New Jersey in East final.
WHO'S IN: No key additions.
WHO'S OUT: LW Magnus Arvedson.
FINALLY: Ottawa went farther in the playoffs than ever last season. New owner Eugene Melnyk has given the franchise a shot of adrenaline, not to mention cash. Martin Havlat still is unsigned, but with right wings such as Marian Hossa and Daniel Alfredsson, his absence will not derail the train. A strong defense, a willingness to play at both ends of the ice and an evolving toughness sets the team up nicely. Goalie Patrick Lalime's 2.16 goals-against average was fifth best and his 39 victories were second. Add wunderkind Jason Spezza and the Senators seem to have it all.
PROJECTED PAYROLL: $40-million.
WEB SITE: ottawasenators.com.
2. DETROIT RED WINGS
COACH: Dave Lewis (second season).
LAST SEASON: 48-20-10-4, 110 points. Lost to Mighty Ducks in West quarterfinals.
WHO'S IN: G Dominik Hasek, D Derian Hatcher, LW Ray Whitney.
WHO'S OUT: C Sergei Fedorov, C Igor Larionov, LW Luc Robitaille, D Jesse Wallin.
HE'S BAAAACK: How much difference will Hasek make? If he returns to form and defuses the tension with Curtis Joseph, a lot. Detroit is aging (don't we say that every year). But with the addition of Hatcher to a blue line that already boasts Nicklas Lidstrom and Chris Chelios, and with Brett Hull still a threat to score 40, the team is loaded ... and mad after last season's collapse. With the loss of Fedorov and Larionov, the big question is, how much does captain Steve Yzerman have left?
PROJECTED PAYROLL: $70-million.
WEB SITE: detroitredwings.com.
3. VANCOUVER CANUCKS
COACH: Marc Crawford (10th season, sixth with Vancouver).
LAST SEASON: 45-23-13-1, 104 points. Lost to Wild in West semifinals.
WHO'S IN: LW Magnus Arvedson, G Johan Hedberg, D Jiri Slegr.
WHO'S OUT: D Murray Baron, RW Trent Klatt, RW Trevor Letowski, G Peter Skudra.
DAN'S TIME TO SHINE: The Canucks always have enough offense. The top line of Markus Naslund, Brendan Morrison and Todd Bertuzzi had 119 goals and 272 points. What they need is more consistent goaltending. Former Lightning Dan Cloutier can be mesmerizing, but he can melt down at the worst times such as when Vancouver lost a three games to one lead to Minnesota. If Cloutier can play as he did in November (11-1-0) rather than in the postseason (3.24 goals-against, .868 save percentage), the Canucks can win it all.
PROJECTED PAYROLL: $42-million.
WEB SITE: canucks.com.
4. NEW JERSEY DEVILS
COACH: Pat Burns (14th season, second with New Jersey).
LAST SEASON: 46-20-10-6, 108 points. Beat the Mighty Ducks in Stanley Cup final.
WHO'S IN: C Igor Larionov, C Erik Rasmussen, D Sean Brown.
WHO'S OUT: D Tommy Albelin, D Ken Daneyko, C Joe Nieuwendyk, LW Jim McKenzie, D Oleg Tverdovsky.
REPEAT: The Devils rode goalie Martin Brodeur to a third Cup in nine years, and are trying to be the first team to win four in 10 since the Oilers won five in seven from 1984-90. Larionov, 42, is the league's oldest player. Scott Stevens anchors the defense that allowed a league-least 166 goals (tied with the Flyers), and Scott Niedermayer is one of the league's most underrated players. New Jersey plays the trap as if it invented it. Go figure: The Devils had the league's worst power play last season at 11.9 percent.
PROJECTED PAYROLL: $50-million.
WEB SITE: newjerseydevils.com.
5. COLORADO AVALANCHE
CAOCH: Tony Granato (second season).
LAST SEASON: 42-19-13-8, 105 points. Lost to the Wild in West quarterfinals.
WHO'S IN: LW Paul Kariya, C Andrei Nikolishin, RW Teemu Selanne, LW Peter Worrell.
WHO'S OUT: D Greg de Vries, D Bryan Marchment, D Bryan Muir, RW Scott Parker, C Steve Reinprecht, G Patrick Roy.
RESURGENCE: For all the excitement surrounding the free agent acquisitions of Kariya and Selanne, all eyes are on goaltenders David Aebischer and rookie Philippe Sauve who will try to fill Roy's shoes. If they stumble, look for a trade. Phoenix's Sean Burke has been mentioned and Lightning goalie Nikolai Khabibulin, though that rumor was more prevalent last summer. But back to the offense. Milan Hejduk was the league's only 50-goal scorer. And the top six forwards, including Peter Forsberg, Joe Sakic and Alex Tanguay have 1,688 career goals.
PROJECTED PAYROLL: $52-million.
WEB SITE: coloradoavalanche.com
6. DALLAS STARS
COACH: Dave Tippett (second season).
LAST SEASON: 46-17-15-4, 111 points. Lost to the Mighty Ducks in West semifinals.
WHO'S IN: D Teppo Numminen, D Don Sweeney.
WHO'S OUT: LW Ulf Dahlen, D Derian Hatcher, C Kirk Muller, D Darryl Sydor, D Lyle Odelein.
GETTING DEFENSIVE: Acquiring Numminen and Sweeney is not going to repace Hatcher and Sydor. Richard Matvichuk also will have to overcome his worst season. But Dallas is so talented otherwise, it is difficult to look away. If forwards Bill Guerin and Pierre Turgeon stay healthy, and Marty Turco, who led the league with a 1.72 goals-against average and a .932 save percentage, can learn from a playoff disaster, the Stars will be tough to beat.
PROJECTED PAYROLL: $66-million.
WEB SITE: dallasstars.com
7. ANAHEIM MIGHTY DUCKS
COACH: Mike Babcock (second season).
LAST SEASON: 40-27-9-6, 95 points. Lost to the Devils in the Stanley Cup final.
WHO'S IN: C Sergei Fedorov, LW Vinny Prospal.
WHO'S OUT: C Marc Chouinard, LW Paul Kariya, C Adam Oates, D Fredrik Olausson, LW Kevin Sawyer.
WHAT'S NEXT?: Get on the bandwagon of an overachieving team that tried hard to make itself better with free agent acquisitions such as Prospal and Fedorov. If the Ducks get anything close to the goaltending J.S. Giguere provided in the postseason, they are sitting pretty. Kariya was an institution but failed miserably in the playoffs and won't be missed as much as anticipated. Petr Sykora might feel pressure acclimating to playing with Prospal and Fedorov instead of Kariya and old man Oates.
PROJECTED PAYROLL: $55-million.
WEB SITE: mightyducks.com.
8. PHILADELPHIA FLYERS
COACH: Ken Hitchcock (ninth season, second with Philadelphia).
LAST SEASON: 45-20-13-4, 107 points. Lost to the Senators in East semifinals.
WHO'S IN: G Jeff Hackett, D Joni Pitkanen.
WHO'S OUT: G Roman Cechmanek, C Marty Murray, D Dmitry Yushkevich.
NET RESULTS: Is Hackett really an upgrade over Cechmanek? A better question: can the Flyers advance in the playoffs with such an anemic offense. For all its firepower - Jeremy Roenick, John LeClair, Simon Gagne, Tony Amonte, Sami Kapanen, Keith Primeau - the team was ninth in the East with 211 goals. The defense was stellar, allowing 166, which tied the Devils for the league least, and it might be getting better with Pitkanen. The No. 4 selection of the 2002 draft was chosen with the pick it got from the Lightning for Ruslan Fedotenko and two lower picks.
PROJECTED PAYROLL: $58-million.
WEB SITE: philadelphiaflyers.com.
9. ST. LOUIS BLUES
COACH: Joel Quenneville (eighth season).
LAST SEASON: 41-24-11-6, 99 points. Lost to the Canucks in West quarterfinals.
WHO'S IN: D Murray Baron, C Mike Danton.
WHO'S OUT: G Fred Brathwaite, RW Val Bure, LW Tyson Nash, LW Shjon Podein, LW Martin Rucinsky, LW Cory Stillman.
JINXED: Because of illness and injuries, the Blues did not have a full roster in any game last season. Defenseman Chris Pronger (wrist) was out all year and the team went through seven goaltenders. Still, this is a talented group. Trading Stillman and Rucinsky freed up money to re-sign cornerstone Pavol Demitra, and defenseman Barret Jackman was rookie of the year. But money can't buy gumption or a penalty kill (23rd in the league). St. Louis has a pro-sports record 24 consecutive playoff appearances but founders in the biggest of games.
PROJECTED PAYROLL: $58-million.
WEB SITE: stlouisblues.com.
10. TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS
COACH: Pat Quinn (18th season, sixth with Toronto).
LAST SEASON: 44-28-7-3, 98 points. Lost to the Flyers in the East quarterfinals.
WHO'S IN: C Joe Nieuwendyk, D Bryan Marchment, D Ken Klee.
WHO'S OUT: C Doug Gilmour, C Travis Green, D Jyrki Lumme, D Robert Svehla, D Glen Wesley.
UNKNOWN QUANTITY: There is much gloom and doom predicted for the Leafs because of heavy losses on the blue line, including an injured Bryan McCabe (knee). Marchment and Klee likely won't be enough to fill the gaps. Still, goalie Ed Belfour proved he still is a Vezina candidate, the team scored 236 goals (third in the East) without Nieuwendyk or a healthy Gary Roberts, and Quinn can't make excuses about too much to do after relinquishing his GM duties. Don't count these guys out yet.
PROJECTED PAYROLL: $58-million.
WEB SITE: mapleleafs.com
11. MINNESOTA WILD
COACH: Jacques Lemaire (11th season, fourth with Minnesota).
LAST SEASON: 42-29-10-1, 95 points. Lost to the Mighty Ducks in the West final.
WHO'S IN: RW Alexander Daigle.
WHO'S OUT: C Cliff Ronning.
IN HIS IMAGE: Lemaire molded a team that stifles opponents (178 goals allowed last season) because it scores only just enough (198) to get buy. The team is feisty, works hard and plays off the emotions of its crazy fans. It also has one of the league's best goalie duos in Manny Fernandez and Dwayne Roloson. Does it all come undone if Marian Gaborik is not signed? When you score 198 goals, 30 are a lot to lose. If that happens, Lemaire, last season's coach of the year who preaches positioning and preparation, will have to be at his best.
PROJECTED PAYROLL: $23-million.
WEB SITE: wild.com
12. TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING
COACH: John Tortorella (fifth season, fourth with Tampa Bay).
LAST SEASON: 36-25-16-5, 93 points. Lost to the Devils in the East semifinals.
WHO'S IN: LW Cory Stillman.
WHO'S OUT: D Marc Bergevin, D Kristian Kudroc, LW Vinny Prospal, RW Sheldon Keefe, D Stan Neckar.
EVERYTHING MUST CLICK: Tampa Bay is coming off its greatest season, including its first division title and first 90-point finish. It did it without a stellar season from Nikolai Khabibulin. Even if the goalie rebounds, the rest of the team cannot relax. Last season's success was fueled by effort and grit, which means the team's grip on success is tenuous. Let's not sugarcoat it, losing Prospal will hurt. The defense, though underrated, must continue to grow, and players such as Vinny Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis must again have career years. Depth still is an issue so injuries must be minimized.
PROJECTED PAYROLL: $33-million.
WEB SITE: tampabaylightning.com
13. NEW YORK ISLANDERS
COACH: Steve Stirling (first season).
LAST SEASON: 35-34-11-2, 83 points. Lost to the Senators in the East quarterfinals.
WHO'S IN: RW Mariusz Czerkawski.
WHO'S OUT: C Randy Robitaile, RW Steve Webb.
ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT: The Islanders did not want to play for coach Peter Laviolette and the locker room was a disaster. So GM Mike Milbury hired Stirling, who has no NHL experience. Milbury might also have acquired wings to play alongside center Alexei Yashin. Still, the complaints about the coach and petty contract jealousies that poisoned the team had to be addressed. Defenseman Adrian Aucoin led the East with 29 minutes average ice time. Questions surround goalie Rick DiPietro. But a healthy Michael Peca is primed for a big season.
PROJECTED PAYROLL: $42-million.
WEB SITE: newyorkislanders.com
14. LOS ANGELES KINGS
COACH: Andy Murray (fifth season).
LAST SEASON: 33-37-6-6, 78 points. Out of playoffs.
WHO'S IN: G Roman Cechmanek, RW Trent Klatt, LW Luc Robitaille, C Jozef Stumpel.
WHO'S OUT: LW Ken Belanger, G Felix Potvin.
HEALTH ISSUES: Center Jason Allison and left wing Adam Deadmarsh are expected to return after injuries limited them to 26 and 20 games. If they come back strong, and Cechmanek has his usual oustanding regular season (we won't talk about the playoffs), the Kings will return to the postseason. A healthy lineup is a dangerous one with Ziggy Palffy, Stumpel and old favorite Robitaille. The solid but overlooked defense got a huge boost when the Kings committed big money to Aaron Miller before the trade deadline.
PROJECTED PAYROLL: $50-million.
WEB SITE: lakings.com
15. EDMONTON OILERS
COACH: Craig MacTavish (fourth season).
LAST SEASON: 36-26-11-9, 92 points. Lost to the Stars in West quartefinals.
WHO'S IN: LW Jamie Wright.
WHO'S OUT: RW Dan Cleary, C Todd Marchant, G Jussi Markkanen.
ONE AND DONE: The Oilers haven't gotten past the first round of the playoffs in four tries. This may not be their year either because Edmonton is going with youth, and center Mike Comrie is unsigned. Still, if players such as left wings Ryan Smyth and Mike York and defenseman Jason Smith stay healthy, there is enough talent to push for a playoff spot. Edmonton had the league's worst home power play at 11.8 percent but had a league-high 13 shorthanded goals, a testament to MacTavish, whose lack of tolerance for defensive mistakes sometimes stifles creativity.
PROJECTED PAYROLL: $32-million.
WEB SITE: edmontonoilers.com
16. BOSTON BRUINS
COACH: Mike Sullivan (first season).
LAST SEASON: 36-31-11-4, 87 points. Lost to the Devils in East quarterfinals.
WHO'S IN: LW Ted Donato, C Travis Green, G Felix Potvin, RW Sandy McCarthy.
WHO'S OUT: G Jeff Hckett, D Bryan Berard, D Sean Brown.
MANY QUESTIONS: The Bruins allowed Berard to become a free agent by rejecting an arbitrators ruling. Right wing Martin Lapointe still is recovering from knee surgery and Potvin takes over for Hackett, lost as a free agent. Sullivan's first job is to tighten the defense, which will help the transition game. Boston will get a boost from the return of left wing Sergei Samsonov (wrist), who last season played just eight regular-season games. Center Joe Thornton (101 points) and right wing Glen Murray (44 goals) are horses.
PROJECTED PAYROLL: $43-million.
WEB SITE: bostonbruins.com
17. CAROLINA HURRICANES
COACH: Paul Maurice (ninth season).
LAST SEASON: 22-43-11-6, 61 points. Out of playoffs.
WHO'S IN: D Danny Markov, D Bob Boughner, D Glen Wesley, C Marty Murray.
WHO'S OUT: F Jan Hlavac, D David Tanabe.
FIRST TO WORST: A lack of hunger and scores of injuries dropped the Hurricanes from 2002 Stanley Cup finalists to the NHL's worst team. Carolina propped up its defense over the summer and wants redemption. That means the Hurricanes return to the playoffs. How far they go rests with goalie Kevin Weekes, who can be brilliant and frustrating. Center Ron Francis returns for his 23rd and likely last season. Center Rod Brind'Amour and left wing Erik Cole are ready after injury-filled years and right wing Jeff O'Neill is a consistent 30-goal scorer.
PROJECTED PAYROLL: $33-million.
WEB SITE: carolinahurricanes.com
18. WASHINGTON CAPITALS
COACH: Bruce Cassidy (second seasons).
LAST SEASON: 39-29-8-6, 92 points. Lost to the Lightning is East quarterfinals.
WHO'S IN: No key additions.
WHO'S OUT: LW Sergei Berezin, D Calle Johansson, D Ken Klee.
MONEY WASTED: Jaromir Jagr has been such a huge bust, it is difficult to see the team improving until his $11-million salary can be applied elsewhere. Add significant questions at the blue line (aside from Sergei Gonchar) and a coach learning on the fly (and not endorsed by Jagr) and there is a recipe for disaster. That said, the Caps have one of the league's top goalies in Olaf Kolzig and a lot of firepower up front with Jagr, Peter Bondra and Robert Lang, though the loss of Michael Nylander (broken leg) will hurt.
PROJECTED PAYROLL: $50-million.
WEB SITE: washingtoncaps.com
19. NEW YORK RANGERS
COACH: Glen Sather (12th season, second with New York).
LAST SEASON: 32-36-10-4, 78 points. Out of playoffs.
WHO'S IN: G Jussi Markkanen, LW Martin Rucinsky, LW Jan Hlavac, LW Chris Simon, D Greg de Vries.
WHO'S OUT: G Mike Richter, RW Sandy McCarthy, LW Ted Donato.
OH, PLEASE: The Rangers missed the playoffs for the sixth consecutive season. Despite the talent on this team - even without Pavel Bure (knee) and Brian Leetch (ankle) - the streak is expected to continue. The defense is better with de Vries, and for that goalie Mike Dunham is thankful. But where is the leadership? Neither Sather nor the now overrated Mark Messier has been able to convince the prima donnas to play together or start grinding for the puck.
PROJECTED PAYROLL: $75-million.
WEB SITE: newyorkrangers.com
20. CALGARY FLAMES
COACH: Darryl Sutter (10th season, second with Calgary).
LAST SEASON: 29-36-13-4, 75 points. Out of playoffs.
WHO'S IN: RW Matt Davidson, RW Josh Green, C Steve Reinprecht, D Rhett Warrener.
WHO'S OUT: LW Craig Berube, D Bob Boughner, C Chris Drury, C Scott Nichol, RW Blake Sloan.
DROUGHT: The Flames have gone a league-high seven consecutive seasons without making the playoffs. Expect eight. The inconsistent Roman Turek is still in net, and only Jarome Iginla (35), Craig Conroy (22), Martin Gelinas (21) and the since-traded Drury (23) scored more than 10 goals last season. Reinprecht takes over for Drury, but with no other major additions, the Flames should struggle.
PROJECTED PAYROLL: $34-million.
WEB SITE: calgaryflames.com
21. BUFFALO SABRES
COACH: Lindy Ruff (seventh season).
LAST SEASON: 27-37-10-8, 72 points. Out of playoffs.
WHO'S IN: C Chris Dury, D Andy Delmore, D Joel Bouchard.
WHO'S OUT: D Rhett Warrener.
STABILITY: The Sabres are the boutique pick to roar to life after a season in which, for a time, they were statistically the league's worst team. But after a late-season surge and a transfer of ownership, hope is in the air. Unless the Sabres learn how to score (their 190 goals were 24th in the league), they're not going anywhere. It didn't help that leading scorer Miroslav Satan missed most of training camp because of a contract dispute. Goalie Martin Biron, criticized last season for a bad work ethic, must improve.
PROJECTED PAYROLL: $30-million.
WEB SITE: sabres.com
22. COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS
COACH: Doug MacLean (fifth season, second with Columbus).
LAST SEASON: 29-42-8-3, 69 points. Out of playoffs.
WHO'S IN: G Fred Brathwaite, C Trevor Letowski, C Todd Marchant, D Darryl Sydor.
WHO'S OUT: D Jamie Allison, RW Matt Davidson, C Mike Sillinger, LW Ray Whitney.
HOPEFUL: Columbus lost Whitney's 24 goals, but the addition of Sydor gives the team a second offensive defenseman beside Jaroslav Spacek. Marchant will center for right wing Rick Nash, who had 17 goals, 39 points as a rookie. Brathwaite should spell Marc Denis, who played 77 games last season. Good additions all. But with a league-high 263 goals allowed last season, a little team defense must emerge before big steps are taken.
PROJECTED PAYROLL: $28-million.
WEB SITE: bluejackets.com
23. ATLANTA THRASHERS
COACH: Bob Hartley (sixth season, second with Atlanta).
LAST SEASON: 31-39-7-5, 74 points. Out of playoffs.
WHO'S IN: C Jason Bonsignore, G Jani Hurme, F Randy Robitaille.
WHO'S OUT: G Milan Hnilicka, RW Jeff Odgers, C Tony Hrkac.
WHAT IF?: Atlanta, rejuvenated under Hartley, was talking playoffs before the car crash that killed center Dan Snyder and sidelined right wing Dany Heatley with jaw, shoulder and knee injuries. Heatley also faces felony charges, possibly for vehicular homicide. Losing Heatley, one of the game's best all-around players, will hurt, and the emotional scars of Snyder's death will be powerful.
PROJECTED PAYROLL: $28-million.
WEB SITE: atlantathrashers.com
24. PHOENIX COYOTES
COACH: Bobby Francis (fifth season).
LAST SEASON: 31-35-11-5, 78 points. Out of playoffs.
WHO'S IN: D Cale Hulse, LW Tyson Nash, C Mike Sillinger, D David Tanabe.
WHO'S OUT: C Kelly Buchberger, D Danny Markov, D Teppo Numminen, RW Scott Pellerin.
LOOKING BETTER: The Coyotes should improve because it can't possibly lose another 462 man games to injury. Sean Burke is a solid goalie (though rumors are he's headed to the Avalanche), and Phoenix has a half-dozen players who can score 20 goals, including former Lightning Mike Johnson. But the loss of Numminen and Markov created questions on defense. Phoenix has a new logo and new red and white uniforms, and opens Glendale Arena in December.
PROJECTED PAYROLL: $35-million.
WEB SITE: phoenixcoyotes.com
25. FLORIDA PANTHERS
COACH: Mike Keenan (17th season, third with Florida).
LAST SEASON: 24-36-13-9, 70 points. Out of playoffs.
WHO'S IN: RW Val Bure, LW Jonas Hoglund, D Kristian Kudroc, D Lyle Odelein, G Steve Shields.
WHO'S OUT: LW Peter Worrell.
HOME WORK: The Panthers won eight games at home last season. Eight. Thank goodness for goalie Roberto Luongo and center Olli Jokinen, who had 36 goals. Defenseman Jay Bouwmeester is a future star and center Stephen Weiss is a future impact player. But that is the problem with this team. All the upside points to the future. Florida is not physical and allows way too many shots (a league-high average 33.2 last season).
PROJECTED PAYROLL: $26-million.
WEB SITE: floridapanthers.com
26. CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS
COACH: Brian Sutter (13th season, third with Chicago).
LAST SEASON: 30-33-13-6, 79 points. Out of playoffs.
WHO'S IN: C Scott Nichol, F Ville Nieminen.
WHO'S OUT: C Andrei Nikolishin, LW Chris Simon.
JOCELYN'S JOB: Had not goalie Jocelyn Thibault kept his game at such a high level for so long (a .915 save percentage and eight shutouts, tied for second in the league), the Blackhawks might not have done as well as they did. The Theo Fleury experiment was a disaster and stars Steve Sullivan and Eric Daze combined for just 48 goals. Center Tyler Arnason was a bright spot as a rookie with 19 goals. It is not nearly enough.
PROJECTED PAYROLL: $39-million.
WEB SITE: chicagoblackhawks.com
27. SAN JOSE SHARKS
COACH: Ron Wilson (11th season, second with San Jose).
LAST SEASON: 28-37-9-8, 73 points. Out of playoffs.
WHO'S IN: RW Scott Parker.
WHO'S OUT: LW Adam Graves, RW Teemu Selanne.
REVAMPED: Can a team flourish after losing captain Owen Nolan at last season's trade deadline and Selanne to unrestricted free agency? It can if goalie Evgeni Nabokov regains his rookie of the year form. Nabokov missed the first month of last season because of a contract dispute and never found his rhythm. Forwards Vincent Damphousse, Patrick Marleau and Marco Sturm are solid. But the bottom drops out of the offense after that. The Sharks' playoff hopes follow.
PROJECTED PAYROLL: $38-million.
WEB SITE: sjsharks.com
28. MONTREAL CANADIENS
COACH: Claude Julien (second season).
LAST SEASON: 30-35-8-9, 77 points. Out of playoffs.
WHO'S IN: G J.F. Damphousse.
WHO'S OUT: RW Mariusz Czerkawski, RW Randy McKay.
DOWN, DOWN, DOWN: Montreal missed the playoffs for the fourth time in five seasons. With no key additions, things don't look much brighter. Much depends on goalie Jose Theodore, who took a step back last season after being named league MVP and is dealing with the arrests of his father and four half-brothers for loan sharking. Captain Saku Koivu has a tricky knee. The best thing the Canadiens have going is new GM Bob Gainey, a Habs great. His job is monumental.
PROJECTED PAYROLL: $48-million.
WEB SITE: canadiens.com
29. NASHVILLE PREDATORS
COACH: Barry Trotz (sixth season).
LAST SEASON: 27-35-13-7, 74 points. Out of playoffs.
WHO'S IN: D Jamie Allison, LW Jim McKenzie.
WHO'S OUT: D Andy Delmore, RW Brent Gilchrist, D Cale Hulse, D Bill Houlder, D Karlis Skrastins, LW Todd Warriner, LW Vitali Yachmenev.
STEP BACK: A housecleaning on defense left the Preds undersized and inexperienced on the blue line. Not good for a team that scored a West-worst 183 goals and finished last season with a 0-10-3-2 skid. Yeah, they work hard and can be pesky, but it's time players such as centers David Legwand and Denis Arkhipov, right wing Scott Walker and left wing Scott Hartnell started scoring. Goalie Tomas Vokoun can't do it all. And what is with those yellow jerseys?
PROJECTED PAYROLL: $24-million.
WEB SITE: nashvillepredators.com
30. PITTSBURGH PENGUINS
COACH: Ed Olczyk (first season).
LAST SEASON: 27-44-6-5, 65 points. Out of playoffs.
WHO'S IN: D Marc Bergevin, RW Kelly Buchberger, C Mike Eastwood, LW Reid Simpson.
WHO'S OUT: G Johan Hedberg, RW Alexander Daigle, F Ville Nieminen.
WHAT A MESS: At least Mario Lemieux doubled his salary to $10-million. That is the only good the owner will get out of this season. Left wing Martin Straka and right wing Aleksey Morozov are the only other proven scorers. The defense and goaltending are suspect and the 255 goals allowed last season were third-most in the league. Thank goodness for Bergevin and left wing Steve McKenna, the team's funny men who will make life in the locker room tolerable.
