Unfortunately for the playoff-famished Blackhawks, the two teams with perhaps the most incentive to win the Stanley Cup are St. Louis and Detroit, their bedfellows in the Central Division. St. Louis has something to prove. The Blues finished last season with the best record in the NHL, but were embarrassingly evicted from the playoffs in the opening round by unheralded San Jose. After winning the Stanley Cup in 1997 and ’98, Detroit was ousted in the Western Conference semifinals each of the past two years. The clock is ticking on Scotty Bowman’s aging but still talented team. Steve Yzerman, Chris Chelios and associates realize this is their last hurrah. In addition to St. Louis and Detroit, four other teams appear to have the right stuff to contend for the Cup: New Jersey, Dallas, Colorado and Toronto.
— Neil Milbert
EASTERN CONFERENCE
By Bob Foltman
Atlantic Division
NEW JERSEY DEVILS
1999-2000: 45-29-8-5 (103 pts.)
Playoffs: Won Stanley Cup.
Key changes: Vladimir Malakhov left via free agency and Claude Lemieux is expected to follow.
Outlook: Goaltender Martin Brodeur and a solid defense led by playoff MVP Scott Stevens will keep the Devils in the hunt. Scott Gomez and John Madden, beginning their second seasons, are a year older and playoff-tested, but restricted free agents Scott Niedermayer and Jason Arnott have yet to sign. The last time the Devils won the Cup, after the lockout-shortened 1995 season, they failed to make the playoffs the following season.
PHILADELPHIA FLYERS
1999-2000: 45-25-12-3 (105 pts.)
Playoffs: Lost in conference final.
Key changes: Craig Ramsey begins his first full season as head coach. Eric Lindros is an unsigned free agent with a future very much in doubt. Added Paul Ranheim, Derek Plante and reclamation project Kevin Stevens.
Outlook: It didn’t take General Manager Bob Clarke long to find another superstar to alienate. Contract talks with John LeClair, the Flyers’ best player, have broken down and LeClair has vowed not to negotiate during the season. The Flyers enter the season with rookie goaltender Brian Boucher as their No. 1.
NEW YORK RANGERS
1999-2000: 29-41-12-3 (73 pts.)
Playoffs: Did not qualify.
Key changes: Signed Mark Messier. Named Ron Low coach and Glen Sather general manager.
Outlook: The highly paid Rangers have been the league’s most underachieving team the last three seasons. Bringing Messier back after a three-year absence, in which the Rangers failed to make the playoffs each year, should provide a shot of adrenaline. Theo Fleury (15 goals, 64 points) was a disappointment last season after he collected big free-agent money. The Rangers still have plenty of talent and Sather is one of hockey’s savviest minds.
PITTSBURGH PENGUINS
1999-2000: 37-37-8-6 (88 pts.)
Playoffs: Lost in second round.
Key changes: Ivan Hlinka is the second European head coach in the NHL.
Outlook: Despite being a European and having a team that plays a finesse, European-style of hockey, Hlinka wants more toughness from the Penguins. Pittsburgh needs to do a better job of protecting its stars and playmakers–namely Jaromir Jagr and Alexei Kovalev. Both took a beating last season in the rugged Eastern Conference. Restricted free-agent goalie Jean-Sebastien Aubin missed 17 days of camp before reporting.
NEW YORK ISLANDERS
1999-2000: 24-49-9-1 (58 pts.)
Playoffs: Did not qualify.
Key changes: Acquired forwards Mark Parrish and Oleg Kvasha, goaltender John Vanbiesbrouck and defenseman Roman Hamrlik.
Outlook: For the first time in many seasons, there is optimism on Long Island. The Islanders think they can contend for the final playoff spot in the East. Parrish and Kvasha, acquired from Florida for goalie Roberto Luongo, will help. Rookie goalie Rick DiPietro, drafted first overall, injured his groin and will start the season with the Wolves in the IHL, but Vanbiesbrouck is a steady veteran who can fill in.
Northeast Division
TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS
1999-2000: 45-30-7-3, 100 (pts.)
Playoffs: Lost in second round
Key changes: Signed free-agent forwards Gary Roberts and Shayne Corson and defenseman Dave Manson. Defenseman Bryan Berard is out indefinitely with an eye injury.
Outlook: The Leafs added toughness with Corson and Manson and a former 50-goal scorer with Roberts, who they still has something left at age 34. He’ll be given a shot on the top line with leading scorer and captain Mats Sundin. The Leafs can score, but they’ll go only as far as standout goaltender Curtis Joseph takes them.
OTTAWA SENATORS
1999-2000: 41-30-11-2, (95 pts.)
Playoffs: Lost in first round
Key changes: Alexei Yashin returns, against his will, after sitting out all of last season in a contract dispute. Veterans Joe Juneau, Kevin Dineen and Tom Barrasso were lost to free agency.
Outlook: In the team’s first exhibition game, Yashin was booed every time he touched the puck–at home. Still he scored the only two goals of the game for the Senators. If Ottawa is going to repeat its regular-season success of last year, it will need Yashin to play at his MVP-like level of two years ago. His scoring was sorely needed in last season’s playoffs.
BUFFALO SABRES
1999-2000: 35-36-11-4 (85 pts.)
Playoffs: Lost in first round.
Key changes: Added veteran forward Dave Andreychuk.
Outlook: Dominik Hasek can win games by himself, but the Sabres need some help from the offense. Their power-play percentage was the league’s lowest. Two ex-Hawks, Doug Gilmour and J.P. Dumont, are being counted upon to help veterans Chris Gratton and Miroslav Satin increase the scoring output. The new ownership group headed by John Rigas reportedly has deeper pockets than past Buffalo owners and may be willing to make a splash at the trade deadline.
MONTREAL CANADIENS
1999-2000: 35-38-9-4 (83 pts.)
Playoffs: Did not qualify.
Key changes: Shayne Corson, Scott Thornton, Turner Stevenson and Jim Cummins, all character-type grinders, left either through free agency or trades.
Outlook: Alain Vigneault was a serious coach-of-the-year candidate for getting an injury-plagued team into the final week of the season with a chance at the playoffs. Still, in the last two seasons combined, the Canadiens rank dead last in goals scored, a stunning statistic for a franchise once known for its offensive prowess. Fortunately, defense and goaltending have been rock solid.
BOSTON BRUINS
1999-2000: 24-39-19-6 (73 pts.)
Playoffs: Did not qualify.
Key changes: Signed defenseman Paul Coffey and forward Brian Ralston as free agents.
Outlook: Bruins coach Pat Burns is one of the best in the business, and now that Sergei Samsonov and Joe Thornton have signed new three-year deals, he’ll have a chance to prove it. Anson Carter, a restricted free agent, remains unsigned. A strong finish last season in Carolina got Coffey a contract with the Bruins. GM Harry Sinden thinks Coffey will be one of the Bruins’ top three defenseman, a lot to ask of a 39-year-old.
Southeast Division
FLORIDA PANTHERS
1999-2000: 43-33-6-6 (98 pts.)
Playoffs: Lost in first round.
Key changes: Signed center Igor Larionov and traded for goalie Roberto Luongo.
Outlook: Larionov could be a major coup for the Panthers. The classy veteran will center a line featuring fellow Russian Pavel Bure, last season’s goal-scoring champion. Bure should get even more chances to score with the passing talents of Larionov alongside him. The battle for the No. 1 goalie should be heated between veteran Trevor Kidd and the highly touted Luongo. Florida has plenty of firepower but needs to shore up its back line.
WASHINGTON CAPITALS
1999-2000: 44-26-12-2 (102 pts.)
Playoffs: Lost in first round.
Key changes: No significant ones.
Outlook: The Caps have one bona fide sniper–Peter Bondra–and he wants to be traded. Washington put together a fine regular season last year with Bondra having a subpar year. Much of the credit has to go to All-Star goalie Olaf Kolzig and coach Ron Wilson’s defensive philosophy. If the Caps are going to contend for more than a division title, they’ll have to find more scoring punch. Twelve-year vet Craig Billington will likely open the season as the No. 1 goalie while Kolzig recovers from minor knee surgery.
CAROLINA HURRICANES
1999-2000: 37-35-10-0 (84 pts.)
Playoffs: Did not qualify.
Key changes: Added defensemen Sandis Ozolinsh and Kevin Hatcher.
Outlook: Ozolinsh is one of the game’s more exciting players and isn’t shy about jumping into the attack. The `Canes will still rely on veterans like 37-year-old center Ron Francis and diminutive goalie Arturs Irbe, who played in 75 games last season. But Young players such as Bates Battaglia, Sami Kapanen and Jeff O’Neill will need to continue to develop if the ‘Canes want to grab a playoff spot. They pressed hard for one but fell short last season.
TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING
1999-2000: 19-54-9-7 (54 pts.)
Playoffs: Did not qualify.
Key changes: Added goaltender Kevin Weekes.
Outlook: The Lightning should be improved if for no other reason than it can’t get much worse. The future still revolves around potential star Vincent Lecavalier, who had 25 goals and 42 assists as a 20-year-old last season. Tampa is hoping that another year of seasoning for its other young players, such as Todd Warriner and Frederick Modin, will add up to a playoff spot. Despite being awful for most of its history, the Lightning increased its season-ticket base this season, from 5,500 to 8,000.
ATLANTA THRASHERS
1999-2000: 14-61-7-4 (39 pts.)
Playoffs: Did not qualify.
Key changes: Added defenseman Adam Burt.
Outlook: The Thrashers scored a league-low 170 goals last season and struggled defensively, not a good combination. Any improvement on offense will depend on second-year player Patrik Stefan and Donald Audette, who was acquired late last season from the Kings. The Thrashers thought they would win more than 14 games last season and may have to add another year to their playoff plans. Goaltender Damian Rhodes was hurt most of last season.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
By Neil Milbert
Central Division
ST. LOUIS BLUES
1999-2000: 51-20-11-1, (114 pts.)
Playoffs: Lost in first round.
Key changes: General manager Larry Pleau shelled out more than $21 million to acquire three unrestricted free agents–defensemen Mike Van Ryn and Sean Hill and right wing Dallas Drake.
Outlook: The Blues are expected to have the NHL’s best record again this season. But don’t look for them to repeat last season’s playoff debacle. Chris Pronger was voted the league’s MVP and best defenseman, and goaltender Roman Turek had the lowest goals-against average (1.95). Pavol Demitra and center Pierre Turgeon a potent offensive attack.
DETROIT RED WINGS
1999-2000: 48-24-10-2 (108 pts.)
Playoffs: Lost in second round.
Key changes: No significant ones.
Outlook: Last season’s 108-point performance was second best the league and second best in the history of this original Six franchise. But the Red Wings’ elimination in the second round of the playoffs may be the handwriting on the wall for the veteran team that won the Stanley Cup in 1997 and 1998. Scotty Bowman arguably is the greatest coach in NHL history, but his best players–forwards Steve Yzerman, Sergei Fedorov and Brendan Shanahan and defenseman Niklas Lidstrom–are all in their 30s.
CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS
1999-2000: 33-39-10-2 (78 pts.)
Playoffs: Did not qualify.
Key changes: New coach Alpo Suhonen is trying to bring a free-flowing hybrid strain of the European game to a team with a tradition of dump and chase. Free-agent left wing Valeri Zelepukin might thrive under Suhonen.
Outlook: There are a lot of ifs. If GM Mike Smith can make some meaningful trades; if the Hawks can improve their record at the expense of the Columbus and Minnesota; if Eric Daze can regain his 30-goal touch; and if the players can play the transition game that Suhonen has in mind, they might sneak into the playoffs.
NASHVILLE PREDATORS
1999-2000: 28-47-7-7 (70 pts.)
Playoffs: Did not qualify.
Key changes: GM David Poile is sticking to his plan of building the three-year-old franchise with young players and staying away from free agents for now.
Outlook: Only negligible improvement can be expected from the conference’s weakest offense and most vulnerable defense. Nine games against Columbus and Minnesota may be the prescription for progress point-wise. The return of talented defenseman Kimmo Timonen, who missed 31 games last season because of a fractured wrist and ankle, also will help.
COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS
(First season)
Familiar names: Goalies Marc Denis and Ron Tugnutt, forwards Geoff Sanderson, Krzysztof Oliwa and Kevin Dineen, defensemen Frantisek Kucera and Radim Bicanek.
Outlook: Dave King, who had three successful regular seasons in Calgary and did a fine job with the Canadian national team, looks like a good fit as the coach of an expansion team. The signing of free-agent wings David Vyborny and Martin Spanhel, who helped their Czech national team win this year’s World Championship, bolsters the nucleus of castoffs acquired in the expansion draft.
Northwest Division
COLORADO AVALANCHE
1999-2000: 42-29-11-1 (96 pts.)
Playoffs: Lost in conference final.
Key changes: David Aebischer, a rookie from Sweden via Hershey of the American Hockey League, will be workaholic Patrick Roy’s new backup in goal.
Outlook: Having Ray Bourque, the rejuvenated 39-year-old-Hall-of-Fame-defenseman-in-waiting, for an entire season could be enough to enable the Avalanche to win the Stanley Cup. Last season injuries to two of the best centers in the game–Joe Sakic and Peter Forsberg–kept coach Bob Hartley’s team from achieving its potential. Forsberg played in only 49 games last season.
EDMONTON OILERS
1999-2000: 32-34-16-8 (88 pts.)
Playoffs: Lost in first round.
Key changes: GM Glen Sather, who took the Oilers from the World Hockey Association into the NHL and made them the team of the ’80s, departed for New York and was replaced by Kevin Lowe.
Outlook: Ironman goalie Tommy Salo makes a team with one of the NHL’s smallest payrolls a tough opponent. But the departure of defenseman Roman Hamrlik, whom Lowe traded to the Islanders for defenseman Eric Brewer, left wing Josh Green and a second-round pick, means the Oilers will have a tough time staying close to Colorado.
VANCOUVER CANUCKS
1999-2000: 30-37-15-8 (83 pts.)
Playoffs: Did not qualify.
Key changes: Captain Mark Messier returned to the Rangers. The Sedin twins, left wing Daniel and center Henrik, will be given a chance to produce and could turn out to be a dynamic rookie duo.
Outlook: The Canucks made a 25-point jump last season. If they improve their power play and penalty killing, if the Sedins are as good as advertised, if goalie Felix Potvin regains his form and if defenseman Mattias Ohlund continues his comeback after a serious eye injury, they’ll make more headway. They might even make the playoffs.
CALGARY FLAMES
1999-2000: 31-41-10-5 (77 pts.)
Playoffs: Did not qualify.
Key changes: Don Hay has replaced Brian Sutter as coach. Goaltender Mike Vernon is back with the team he starred for in the 1989 Stanley Cup championship season.
Outlook: “Win Now!” is the Flames’ new marketing slogan. “But how?” is the question. The first thing Hay has to do is try to plug the leaks in one of the NHL’s most porous defenses. And, except for the productive power play (fifth-best in the league), the offense wasn’t very good either although Sutter’s emphasis on defense may have cramped its style.
MINNESOTA WILD
(First season)
Familiar names: Ex-Hawks Sergei Krivokrasov and J.J. Daigneault, defensemen Sean O’Donnell and Curtis Leschyshyn, goalie Jamie McLennan.
Outlook: The norm for expansion teams is a last-place finish. The Wild is bringing hockey back to the Twin Cities for the first time since the 1992-93 season after which the North Stars took off for Dallas. General manager Doug Risebrough and coach Jacques Lemaire were part of the Montreal Canadiens’ dynasty, and they have no illusions about making the playoffs.
Pacific Division
DALLAS STARS
1999-2000: 43-29-10-6 (102 pts.)
Playoffs: Lost in Stanley Cup final.
Key changes: The team that won the Cup in 1999 and was runner-up in 2000 lost contributors, if not stars, in forwards Guy Carbonneau, Brian Skrudland and Scott Thornton and defensemen Sylvain Cote and Shawn Chambers.
Outlook: Often-spectacular goaltender Ed Belfour returns along with top four defensemen and the multi-talented forwards Mike Modano, Brett Hull and Joe Nieuwendyk. This group still has what it takes to make another serious run at the Stanley Cup.
SAN JOSE SHARKS
1999-2000: 35-37-10-7 (87 pts.)
Playoffs: Lost in second round.
Key changes: Scott Thornton, a free agent from Dallas, gives the Sharks the banger they lacked last season.
Outlook: The Sharks have shown steady improvement under coach Darryl Sutter and his defensive-oriented system. Their victory over St. Louis in the opening round of the playoffs is indicative of how far they’ve come. But their captain and top scorer Owen Nolan is holding out. Whether San Jose progresses or regresses probably hinges on his status, and the continued improvement of goalie Steve Shields.
LOS ANGELES KINGS
1999-2000: 39-31-12-4 (94 pts.)
Playoffs: Lost in first round.
Key changes: Sean O’Donnell, a workhouse stay-at-home defenseman for the past three seasons, was lost to Minnesota in the expansion draft.
Outlook: After improving by 25 points last season under new coach Andy Murray and making no significant additions in the off-season, the high-scoring Kings probably will have the same kind of year. Forward Luc Robitaille and Ziggy Palffy and defenseman Rob Blake need a little help from their friends in order for the Kings to make continued progress.
PHOENIX COYOTES
1999-2000: 39-35-8-4 (90 pts.)
Playoffs: Lost in first round.
Key changes: Steve Ellman and Wayne Gretzky are on the verge of taking over the Coyotes from lame-duck owner Richard Burke. When they gain control, General Manager Bob Smith and coach Bob Francis are expected to join the unemployment ranks.
Outlook: If goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin and center Robert Reichel finally return after being AWOL all of last season, the Coyotes could give their fans something to howl about. Forwards Jeremy Roenick and Keith Tkachuk can make opposing goalie’s lives miserable.
ANAHEIM MIGHTY DUCKS
1999-2000: 34-36-12-3 (83 pts.)
Playoffs: Did not qualify.
Key changes: Signed free-agent center German Titov, traded with Ottawa for physical defenseman Patrick Traverse and acquired goalie Sebastien Giguere from Calgary.
Outlook: Two of the NHL’s finest wingers, Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne, and a pair of splendid young defensemen from Russia, Oleg Tverdovsky and Vitaly Vishnevski, provide the nucleus for a potentially outstanding team. But if the Ducks stay in or near the bottom of the division, coach Craig Hartsburg probably will lose his job.
