Opinion: There's little to be said about this Edmonton team. Fans of the Oilers are in for a long year. Pauly Shore's acting career has more life at the moment. Line 1 through 4 is filled with grinders and checkers. Steve Ott should be no where near a starting lineup. He is the Oilers 2nd line center. There is 0 offence up front or from the back end. Barret Jackman is impersonating a number 1 defenceman. Jean-Sebastien Aubin and Sebastien Caron will try to keep the team gaa under 4. They will reach that goal but fall short of everything else.

 

Outlook: If this team wins 15 games i would consider that a success.

Key players for the future: Barret Jackman, Brent Burns and Josh Harding.

 

Goaltending D
Defensive Defenseman C-
Offensive Defenseman D
Scoring Forwards D
Playmaking Forwards D
Checking Forwards C-
Experience and Leadership C-

 

 

 

Opinion: The Rangers are a slight step up from the Oiler ranks. They have a legitimate top 6 forward in Michael Nylander. And even though he had a bad year, Kristian Huselius will put up some points. The other 10 forward spots up for grabs will be occupied by plugs. Chris Therien and Aki Berg will serve as the teams 1,2.
Up and commer David Hale will be a good defenseman but his inexperience and lack of a supporting cast will spell disaster. If there is a plus it is the starting goalie this team has. Mathieu Garon should have a solid season and be the team MVP. He won't get this team anywhere near the playoffs but neither would Martin Brodeur.

 

Outlook: Broadway will match the French army's success in WWII.

Key players for the future: Anton Babchuk, Steve Bernier and Alex Auld.

 

Goaltending C-
Defensive Defenseman C+
Offensive Defenseman D
Scoring Forwards D
Playmaking Forwards C-
Checking Forwards D
Experience and Leadership C-

 

 

 

Opinion: After just missing the playoffs by a wisker last year this Florida team has done a complete 180. Gone are a lot of the vets and in come the kids. Players like Jason Pominville and rookie Milan Michalek will skate this year.
Alyn McCauley and Mark Parrish should led this team in points. Todd White will keep the penalty kill respectable. The supporting cast is seriously lacking though. The defence is very average. Bet on both Eric Weinrich and Jason Woolley to be moved by seasons end. Aging Felix Potvin will do his best to try and keep the team out of the Eastern Conference basement.

 

Outlook: One of 4 teams with an exellent shot at Crosby

Key players for the future: Braydon Coburn, Milan Michalek and Zach Parise

 

Goaltending C
Defensive Defenseman C
Offensive Defenseman D
Scoring Forwards c
Playmaking Forwards C-
Checking Forwards C+
Experience and Leadership C-

 

 

 

Opinion: Ottawa's strength is it's goaltending. Manny Legace will turn in a solid season. Back up Johan Hedberg should perform well. That is pretty much where the party ends in Canada's capitol. The team will struggle to score goals. Aleksey Morozov could have a 25 goal season while registering a -25. There are a few solid checkers. Wayne Primeau, Eric Messier and Ian Laperriere could from a solid 3rd line to give the goalies a solid 45 second break from the action. The defence will try to put up a fight. Curtis Leschyshyn, Stephane Quintal and Darius Kasparaitis have all mastered the penalty kill. With no offence from the D and little up front Legace will have to stand on his head just to earn a tie.

 

Outlook: Nothing short of a miracle will get this team into the playofs.

Key players for the future: Anton Volchenkov, Ladislav Smid and Marc-Andre Fleury

 

Goaltending B
Defensive Defenseman C
Offensive Defenseman D
Scoring Forwards D
Playmaking Forwards C-
Checking Forwards C-
Experience and Leadership C+

 

 

Team 26: Dallas Stars 

 

 

Opinion:This Dallas team has taken a step backwards. They're not on the same page as last year. The team is very solid at center but it's depth on both wings (or lack there of) will damage the teams goal potential. The Dallas connection, Bill Guerin and Mike Modano will lead this team. Joe Nieuwendyk still has a couple seasons left in him and will ride shotgun. Guerin aside the wingers are mostly AHLers and journeymen. The defence is not bad 1 though 6. Mathieu Schneider has Norris Potential. Kenny Jonsson and Drake Berehowsky will log important ice time behind Schneider. Tough guy Jimmy Vandermeer will make sure the goalies vision is clear. Most of the pucks will be stopped by Dwayne Roloson. He will keep the team in most games and may even win a dozen on his own.

 

Outlook: Dallas is a longshot for a playoff spot.

Key players for the future: Vitaly Vishnevski, Jim Vandermeer and Konstantin Glazachev

 

Goaltending B+
Defensive Defenseman B-
Offensive Defenseman C+
Scoring Forwards C
Playmaking Forwards C
Checking Forwards B-
Experience and Leadership B

 

 

 

Opinion: This Anaheim team is pretty decent at every position. There's not one star on the team however The offence will be led by Daniel Briere. Up front should be fine if Martin Rucinsky, Ruslan Fedotenko, Henrik Sedin and Ryan Malone all come to play. There won't be much offence from the defence in 04-05. There's little skill back there. There will be a lot of tough play and hits. Chris Phillips and Sami Salo will be a good pairing. Jiri Fischer and Brad Ference will be tough to play against. The one position that gives this team a chance is goaltending. Martin Biron is a very good starter and Pasi Nurminen could start on some GMHL teams.

 

Outlook: The Ducks will live and die with their goaltending.

Key players for the future: Shawn Belle, Alexander Ovechkin and Andrew Ladd

 

Goaltending B+
Defensive Defenseman C+
Offensive Defenseman D+
Scoring Forwards C-
Playmaking Forwards C+
Checking Forwards C-
Experience and Leadership D

 

 

Sadly, Atlanta took a step back this year. They have a chance to do things but it's slim. Defence will not be a problem. Dan Boyle and Brian Rafalski are both top pairs and can play on the pp or pk. Teppo Numminen and Sean O'Donnell are both experienced defenders. The offence is lead by superstar Vincent Lecavalier. He will lead this team in points and be the MVP for a 2nd straight year. It gets a little thin after that but nothing too serious. The team still has the passing skills of Jason Allison. Mariusz Czerkawski and Tyler Arnason will help Captain Vinny with the scoring. Left wing is a serious problem though. The goaltending could be better. With only a decent starter and a rookie backup it could be a long year for the Thrashers.

 

Outlook: Can Vinny do it all again and get the team back in the playoffs?

Key players for the future: Ryan Suter, Dan Fritsche and Maxime Ouellet

 

Goaltending C+
Defensive Defenseman B-
Offensive Defenseman C+
Scoring Forwards B-
Playmaking Forwards B
Checking Forwards D+
Experience and Leadership C+

 

 

 

Opinion: Phoenix is another team that will be hampered by it's goaltending. Martin Prusek and Ty Conklin could both be considered backups. They'll have to play over their heads for the team to have a shot. Offence will be coming from the desert. Saku Koivu should have no problem leading this team in assists. Dany Heatley should have no problem leading this team in goals. Young gun Alexander Frolov should surpass his 26 points from last year with ease. Other support players include Sami Kapanen, Teemu Selanne and Martin Gelinas. The defence is average at best. Sean Hill provides plenty of leadership and hopfully young, Joni Pitkanen can feed off that. Niclas Havelid is a good all around defenseman. Christian Backman and Tom Preissing have a way to go before they're considered top 4 material.

 

Opinion: If the goaltending doesn't fall apart Phoenix has a shot at the playoffs.

Key players for the future: Lauri Korpikoski, Rob Schremp and Ari Ahonen.

 

Goaltending C
Defensive Defenseman C-
Offensive Defenseman C-
Scoring Forwards C+
Playmaking Forwards C+
Checking Forwards C
Experience and Leadership C+

            
Last year 29: This year 22

 

Opinion: Vancouver made it to 22 on the strength of it's goaltending. Jose Theodoe will once again be the rock that decides games for the Canucks. It looks like he'll have to do it himself cause this defence is bad. There is no clear cut number 1 on this team and the top pair is Bret Hedican and Bryan Allen.
Reserves Kristian Kudroc and Maxim Kuznetsov will pose as the teams 5th and 6th defenseman. The offence shows signs of life. Ryan Smyth the teams goals, assists, points, hits and shot leader in 03-04 is back. He'll need to have another fabulous season. The scoring will be much improved with a few of the young kids having good seasons. Daniel Sedin, Joffrey Lupul and Milan Kraft will all take on more responsibilities up front. John Madden will be counted on to kill the majority of the penalties.                                                                    
                         
Outlook: The playoffs are a possibility if Theodore plays out of this world, again.

Key players for the future: Danny Richmond, Konstantin Koltsov and Devan Dubnyk

 

Goaltending A
Defensive Defenseman D
Offensive Defenseman D
Scoring Forwards C-
Playmaking Forwards B-
Checking Forwards C-
Experience and Leadership D

 

 

 

Opinion: Boston is another team that will be counting heavily on it's goaltending. Chris Osgood and Vesa Toskala form a very solid tandem. The teams defence is semi solid but not without it's holes. Brad Lukowich and Marcus Ragnarsson will be excellent penalty killers. Radoslav Suchy and Alexander Khavanov will probably be playing more minutes than they can handle and could struggle. The core of the offence is gettin up there in age but still has a couple solid seasons left. Alexei Zhamnov should lead the team in assists with linemates Andreas Johansson and Jason Blake battling it out for the goal lead. Shawn McEachern and Nik Antropov will try to help get this team into the playoffs.

 

Outlook: If the defence holds up Boston could find themselves in the playoffs.

Key players for the future: Mike Egener, Steve McCarthy and Alexander Svitov

 

Goaltending A
Defensive Defenseman B-
Offensive Defenseman D
Scoring Forwards C
Playmaking Forwards C+
Checking Forwards B
Experience and Leadership B-

 

Team 20: Minnesota Wild
                      
Last year 16: This year 20

 

Opinion: Minnesota will come after every team with 3 solid lines. There's good depth up front but left wing could be a bit stonger. Miroslav Satan and J.P. Dumont are the go to guys. The team is filled with good scorers like Mike Comrie, rookie, Nikolai Zherdev and Stephen Weiss. Leading the patrol along the blueline are two players that know how to get the job done. Rob Blake and Pavel Kubina can play even strength, on the pp and the pk. Bryan Marchment and Colin White will keep the infirmary jam packed. Complementing them will be Jaroslav Spacek and Fin, Toni Lydman. Getting the puck stopped shouldn't be a problem. David Aebischer is quite capable. He could get some Vezina votes.

 

Outlook: The Wild are one of many teams vying for a spot in the playoffs.

Key players for the future: Cam Barker, Jeff Carter and Pascal LeClair.

 

Goaltending A
Defensive Defenseman B-
Offensive Defenseman B
Scoring Forwards B-
Playmaking Forwards B-
Checking Forwards C-
Experience and Leadership C+

 

 

 

Opinion: Calgarys 3rd line is hurting but other than that the team looks solid. Penalty killing could be Calgays strength. The top 4 blueliners will have a big impact on the team. Derek Morris, Scott Hannan, Rhett Warrener and Nick Schultz can play in your face or an up and down style. The majority of points will be scored by 3 players. Brenden Morrow, Mark Bell and superstar Brad Richards. Jay Pandolfo will kill penalties and Jarkko Ruutu will make you want to kill him.
The forward group lacks in leadership and right wing is a problem. The Flames have outstanding goaltending. Roberto Luongo probably won't let in more than 2 on most nights. He could lead the league in shutouts and star points.

 

Outlook: Richards and Roberto will try to take the Flames to the playoffs.

Key players for the future: Trevor Daley, Ryan Whitney and Dan Blackburn.

 

Goaltending A
Defensive Defenseman B
Offensive Defenseman C
Scoring Forwards C
Playmaking Forwards C+
Checking Forwards B-
Experience and Leadership C-

 

 

 

Opinion: Buffalos strength is also it's weakness. They're young. The legs will be fresh but unexperienced. The 2 goalies have the most experience and that's not nessessarily a bad thing. Cujo and the Dominator will be solid all season long. If one of them isn't playing well Jocelyn Thibault can step in. The defence is decent will no real stand outs. They have two pp qbs in Jordan Leopold and Anders Eriksson. They'll also be counted on to kill penalties. Ruslan Salei and Ossi Vaananen are two bruisers capable of bringin the other teams trainer on the ice. Super sophomore Rick Nash will burry a truck load of rebounds this year. Jonathan Cheechoo and Shane Doan should finish 2,3 in goals. Could pivot David Legwand lead the GMHL in assists?
 
Outlook: Despite the fact that it looks like Buffalo just robbed a World Junior roster, they should contend for a playoff spot.

Key players for the future: Boris Valabik, Nathan Horton and Kari Lehtonen.

 

Goaltending A
Defensive Defenseman C-
Offensive Defenseman C
Scoring Forwards A-
Playmaking Forwards B
Checking Forwards C
Experience and Leadership C-

 

 

 

Opinion: Carolina is a pretty well balanced team. Olaf Kolzig can still be counted on to stop pucks. He's sure to have a good season. Like Buffalo, Carolina also has two pp qb's. Dmitri Kalinin and Richard Jackman will produce from the point. The Cannes don't boast any stalwart defenseman. It's more like a "solid core" if anything. Cale Hulse and Jason Doig bring some grit and work ethic. Unlike most teams, left wing is a bit of a problem. Other than that the forwards will do the job. Steve Yzerman, Luc Robitaille and Alexander Mogilny are all experienced forwards who can handle any situation. Center is very strong. Yzerman aside, the Cannes will count on Petr Nedved and Patrik Stefan. Richard Zednik could pot 30 goals and 100 penalty minutes.

 

Outlook: The Hurricanes have the tools to make the playoffs.

Key players for the future: Eric Fehr, Rostislav Olesz and Konstantin Pushkarev.

 

Goaltending B+
Defensive Defenseman C
Offensive Defenseman C+
Scoring Forwards B-
Playmaking Forwards B
Checking Forwards C+
Experience and Leadership B

 

 

 

Opinion: The name of the game in LA is defence. The Kings defence is top heavy and bottom thin. Adrian Aucoin, Adam Foote and Greg deVries can smack around even the toughest of forwards. Aucoin and Foote will be counted on to run the pp and pk. After that it gets thin. Like Calista Flockhart thin without the pretty face. Luckily there are 2 solid goalies behind them. Dan Cloutier is a proven number 1 and Sean Burke, despite getting older can still carry a heafty work load. They are one of the leagues best duos. Mario Lemieux, might be counted on to play on a couple lines. Center is Calista thin after him. He will still put up great numbers because Martin Havlat and Jaromir Jagr are his linemates. Nils Ekman is a great checking presence and Scott Mellanby can be counted on for experience. Mike Eastwood brings a little bit of both. Team fave Jason Podollan will try his best not to look stupid.

 

Outlook: With it's star studded lineup, L.A's chances of a playoff spot are good.

Key players for the future: Sergei Zinovejev, Gregory Campbell and Josh Hennessy.

 

Goaltending A
Defensive Defenseman A
Offensive Defenseman C+
Scoring Forwards B
Playmaking Forwards B
Checking Forwards B
Experience and Leadership B

 

 

 

Opinion: After a disappointing year in Nashville the Predators will be looking for their first playoff birth. The Preds are a young team and that might hurt come playoffs. The chances are strong to get there if the forwards can fulfill their potential. They're lead by Scott Gomez. He should be leathal on the powerplay. Speedy, Sergei Samsonov will have a good season goal wise. Petr Cajanek is an excellent checking center and Jason Spezza will be given 2nd line duties and time on the powerplay. Defence might be the teams bread and butter. Wade Redden is a Norris candidate. His +/- will be great and it should lead the team. Tomas Kaberle is no slouch. His all around game will make the team that much stronger. Mike VanRyn and Martin Skoula will play steady but unspectacular. If there's a problem on the ice, policeman, Garnet Exelby is just a line change away. The goaltending sould be enough to get more wins than loses. Jean-Sebastien Giguere is a capable starter. When he needs a rest Jussi Markkanen will hold the fort.

 

Outlook: The Preds have their eyes on the playoffs.

Key players for the future: Thomas Vanek, Marc-Antoine Poulite and Lauri Tukonen.

 

Goaltending B
Defensive Defenseman B+
Offensive Defenseman B+
Scoring Forwards B-
Playmaking Forwards A
Checking Forwards C+
Experience and Leadership D-

 

 

 

Opinion: The Islanders have a good core of all around forwards. Most noteably Todd Marchant, Simon Gagne and Oleg Kvasha. Alexei Kovalev might be the only superstar up front but that's not a problem because the players surrounding him are solid. Good things will come from rookie, Patrice Bergeron. Petr Sykora and Radek Bonk are 2/3's of a menacing 2nd line. The forwards will be free to wheel and deal because giant, Peter Worrell can be called upon.
The defence isn't as solid as the forwards but that won't slow this team down. Big, Paul Mara will anchor the back end. Rookies Marc-Andre Bergeron and Paul Martin form a trio of offence with Andrei Markov. Karel Rachunek is a good option for the penalty kill. The defence lacks a little toughness though. Long Island have two capable goalies. Young, Rick DiPietro will be paired with Cristobal Huet. Huet should be counted on for 20-25 games with DiPietro getting the bulk of the starts.

 

Outlook: Without question the Islanders will be in the playoffs.

Key players for the future: Travis Zajac, Jeff Woywitka and Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers.

 

Goaltending B
Defensive Defenseman B-
Offensive Defenseman B
Scoring Forwards B
Playmaking Forwards B+
Checking Forwards C+
Experience and Leadership C

 

 

 

Opinion: The Red Wings have 3 superstar forwards, one of them could get Hart Trophy votes at seasons end. Jarome Iginla leads this team. He'll be centered by Doug Weight. Cory Stillman rounds out the first line that will score in bunches. The offence doesn't end there. Kris Draper aka D-raper will check the hell out of the other team. Paired with Draper will be Jochen Hecht and Dainius Zubrus. When the first line isn't going these three can pick up the slack. Overall the forwards will satisfy the coach. Eric Desjardins is a good player to have leading your defence. His defence and experience qualities are vital to this team.
Nathan Dempsey will have a hard time duplicating last seasons performance. He will be played on the pp and the pk putting up solid numbers but nothing like last year. Little, Lubomir Visnovsky could lead the defence in points if he can stay healthy. In goal, Kevin Weekes is the man. His intensity and will to win are an added bonus to his strong play. Rookie, Phil Sauve shouldn't be given too many games.

 

Outlook: Detroit will see their first playoff action this year.

Key players for the future: Alexander Semin, Steve Eminger and Marek Schwarz.

 

Goaltending B
Defensive Defenseman B
Offensive Defenseman B
Scoring Forwards A
Playmaking Forwards A
Checking Forwards B+
Experience and Leadership B-

 

 

 

Opinion: Montreal's defence is top 5. Philippe Boucher, Patrice Brisebois, Jaroslav Modry, Kimmo Timonen and Alexei Zhitnik form a dynamite cast. Fin, Kimmo Timonen is the best of the bunch. He leads the attack and defends well.
The offence is very experienced. Captain Daniel Alfredsson will frighten opposing netminders with his skill. The Habs have 2 great checking centers in Michael Peca and Bobby Holik. Both will put up their fair share of points while keeping the +/- solid. Peter Bondra still has enough in the tank. His speed and shot will amaze. Magnus Arvedson and Mike Johnson will play the role of checkers.
Roman Cechmanek may be bored at times because of this defence. His numbers will be inflated because of the strong all around play of the team.

 

Outlook: The Habs will be in the playoffs and will go only as far as Ceckmanek can take them.

Key players for the future: Marcel Goc, Jani Rita and Stefan Liv.

 

Goaltending B
Defensive Defenseman B+
Offensive Defenseman B+
Scoring Forwards B-
Playmaking Forwards B+
Checking Forwards A-
Experience and Leadership B+

 

 

 

Opinion: San Jose's strength is their goaltending. Marty Turco won't let in too many soft goals. He'll put up stellar numbers and could garner Vezina votes.
Like most teams right wing is a problem. Zigmund Palffy should lead the team in several offensive categories. His skating and speed are all world. Gary Roberts can hit, fight and score. He also brings leadership and experience. The Sharks will let lose a pair of older checking centers. Bryan Smolinski and Steve Rucchin will do their job but could get run down as the long season wears on. Ray Whitney will rack up assists on the power play. Bryan Berard will lead the defence and the power play. If things go right he could be a GMHL all-star. Sheldon Souray has a cannon of a shot with that bionic wrist. 20 goals isn't out of the question. Eric Cairns and Rob Davison will be put in the lineup against tougher teams. They both hit like tanks, tanks that take penalty minutes.

 

Outlook: San Jose is aiming for the first round and beyond.

Key players for the future: Evgeni Malkin, Blake Wheeler and Teemu Lassila.

 

Goaltending A
Defensive Defenseman C+
Offensive Defenseman B
Scoring Forwards B
Playmaking Forwards B+
Checking Forwards B
Experience and Leadership A

 

 

 

Opinion: Toronto's loan weakness is at left wing. Antti Laaksonen is a good checker but shouldn't be played on the top 2 lines. Robert Lang is the centerpiece of the teams offence. Lang along with scoring threats, Glen Murray and Pavol Demitra can break a game wide open with one shot. This might be Mark Messier's last kick at the can. He's hoping to go out with a bang. Jamie Langenbrunner is a very good checking line player. The penalty kill should be solid if he can stay healthy. T.O is filled with right handed shots which is a bonus.
Roman Hamrlik is a bonefied number one defenseman. He'll be pivotal to the Leafs success. Backing him up is defensive defenseman, Richard Matvichuk and offensive defenseman Frantisek Kaberle. Fiesty, Craig Rivet will no doubt make more than a few forwards pay the price. As will Brendan Witt. Look for steady play from goaltender, Marc Denis. Steve Passmore shouldn't be counted on for a lot of work.

 

Outlook: Langs Leafs are pushing for the middle rounds.

Key players for the future: Andrej Meszaros, Ryan Kesler and Jonathan Boutin.

 

Goaltending B+
Defensive Defenseman B
Offensive Defenseman C+
Scoring Forwards B+
Playmaking Forwards A
Checking Forwards B+
Experience and Leadership A

 

 

 

Opinion: Columbus should be a very high scoring team. They have some exciting offence from the blueline starting with Scott Niedermayer. He might be the favourite for the Norris. Brian Leetch and Marek Zidlicky are also terrifying. Look for a hundred points between them. Kyle McLaren is the rowdy of the group. He'll play the role of bruiser and play it well. Pass first shoot second, Marc Savard leads the team up front. He'll form a line with goal scorer Ladislav Nagy and rookie favourite Michael Ryder. Injury prone, Eric Lindros can still hammer people. The Big E will also add a few points pending his next concussion. Trent Klatt and Theo Fleury bring leadership and experience to this younger forward group.
The Jackets games should be a shootout. If the team can score 5 the 4 goals the goalies let up won't be a problem. Brian Boucher and John Grahame will probably split time until a clear number 1 emerges.

 

Outlook: High flying Columbus is a playoff team but will the goaltending hold up past the first round?

Key players for the future: Carlo Coliacovo, Marek Svatos and Brian Finley.

 

Goaltending C+
Defensive Defenseman A-
Offensive Defenseman A+
Scoring Forwards A-
Playmaking Forwards A
Checking Forwards C
Experience and Leadership B

 

 

 

Opinion: The Caps have three superstars up front. Jeremy Roenick, Todd Bertuzzi and captain, Joe Sakic. All will burn teams if given too much space. Sakic could challenge for the Art Ross Trophy. The attack doesn't tail off after that. Brendan Shanahan is gunning for a 30 goal, 100 penalty minute season. David Vyborny's all around game is an important part in this jet engine offence. Kirk Maltby and Shawn Bates will clutch and grab their way to good +/-. Mattias Ohlund is the load stud on defence. He's the number 1 option on the penalty kill and power play. Stay at home guys, Denis Gauthier and Andreas Lilja will keep forwards to the outside. You can also expect some bone jarring hits from the duo. Mathieu Dandenault will be solid and the experience that Mattias Norstrom has is much needed. Patrick Lalime has a good team in front on him. His numbers will be good but he might not get that much rest. Ilya Bryzgalov is still too young to handle anything more than a handful of games.

 

Outlook: Washington has the offence to put teams away in the playoffs.

Key players for the future: Kirill Koltsov, Hugh Jessiman and David Leneveau.

 

Goaltending B+
Defensive Defenseman B
Offensive Defenseman C+
Scoring Forwards A-
Playmaking Forwards A+
Checking Forwards A+
Experience and Leadership B-

 

 

 

Opioion: Surprisingly Colorado's strength is on the right wing. Milan Hejduk as the 2004-05 Rocket Richard Trophy winner? Marian Gaborik took a little step back last season but should still be good for 60 points. Darcy Tucker will piss off a few players and pot a few goals. Ultra soft, Alexei Yashin is the teams number one center. He'll be looking for 70 points and zero penalty minutes. Swede, Henrik Zetterberg will play his strong all around style, killing penalties and seeing time on the powerplay. Nicklas Lidstrom has a strong chance to lead all GMHL defenseman in points. Ed Jovanovski will be paired with Lidstrom on the Avs powerplay. They should go one, two in scoring by defenseman on the team. Rouged defenders Andy Sutton and Chris Chelios won't take any crap from anyone. Attacking forwards better have their heads up when they cross the Avs blueline when these two are on the ice. Miikka Kiprusoff will turn in a very good season. He has everything going for him. Roman Turek will also have a solid season. The numbers from the goalies will be good.

 

Outlook: Lead by the defence and Kiprusoff, the Avs should be a top four team in the West.

Key players for the future: Ryan Getzlaf, Noah Welch and Petr Budaj.

 

Goaltending A
Defensive Defenseman A
Offensive Defenseman B+
Scoring Forwards A
Playmaking Forwards B+
Checking Forwards B
Experience and Leadership B-

 

 

 

Opinion: Pittsburg is a very well balanced team. They can role 4 very good lines. Team health might be an issue as the season goes on though.
There is no problem in goal. Evgeni Nabokov will carry most of the weight. With the overall team defence in front of him he could lead the league in shutouts.
There is a lot of good checkers on this team. Keith Primeau, Ethan Moreau, Shean Donovan and Branko Radivojevic will frustrate a lot of teams. Putting up the majority of the points will be 3 players. Brendan Morrison and Valeri Bure bring the passes while Patrik Elias brings the finish. Vincent Damphousse, Tony Amonte and Ron Francis have all been through the wars before. They'll be crutial come playoffs. The defence is rather soft. It's lead by Dick Tarnstrom. He'll make sure the Pens are a top 10 team on the powerplay. Karlis Skrastins and Scott Stevens will clear any rebounds Nabokov gives up and make sure he can see the shots. Jason Woolley brings sound defensive play and some experience when the playoffs approach.

 

Outlook: Pittsburg is looking for a top 4 seed and home ice for the first round.

Key players for the future: Kristofer Kolanos, Mike Morris and Libor Pivko.

 

Goaltending A
Defensive Defenseman B+
Offensive Defenseman B-
Scoring Forwards A
Playmaking Forwards A
Checking Forwards B+
Experience and Leadership A

 

 

 

Opinion: Philly might have the best player in the GMHL in Martin St-Louis. He is the king pin of this team. He'll lead them in almost every offensive category.
Patrick Marleau and Vaclav Prospal are his linemates. Both will feed off St. Louis and have very good seasons. Michal Handzus and Mike Ricci are two good checking centers. Opposing forwards won't have an easy time to the net with these two around. Viktor Kozlov and Marco Sturm are two thirds of a pretty good second line. They should put up honest numbers in and around 55 points.
This defence is very tough. It boosts three muckers in Jason Smith, Willie Mitchell and Robyn Regehr. They won't get too many points but they don't have to. Dan McGillis is another player who will make players pay the price.
Tomas Vokoun is in the net. With 4 big defenders in front of him look for him to have a great season. Back up, Jani Hurme will see minimal games so the spotlight is all on Vokoun.

 

Outlook: Philadelphia could challenge for the division crown.

Key players for the future: Tim Ramholt, Corey Locke and Dany Sabourin

 

Goaltending A
Defensive Defenseman B+
Offensive Defenseman C
Scoring Forwards B+
Playmaking Forwards A-
Checking Forwards B+
Experience and Leadership C+

 

 

 

Opinion: Most teams have a shot at the playoffs with Martin Brodeur in net. He can take an average team and put them in the playoffs. That's why New Jersey is a favourite to reach the Eastern Conference Finals. Steve Staios is a load on defence. He'll play his bashing style while chipping in on the score sheet. His partner, Brad Stuart will chip in on the bashing while leading the defenseman's score sheet. Complementing them are 2 defensive stalwarts, Jon Klemm and Cory Cross. Both can punish forwards and clear the zone. Eric Brewer will be counted on for his all around game. Thirty points is achievable with a good +/-. Markus Naslund is going to catapulte this offence to greatness. It's filled with a lot of great passers and a few finishers. Fredrik Modin and Naslund will put away most of the goals. Craig Conroy could lead Jersey in assists. Paul Kariya and his speed will put up good point totals. Dallas Drake is the loan pest up front. He's valuable on the penalty kill and will draw his fair share on penalties. He'll also get into the odd fight.

 

Outlook: The Devils are a Stanley Cup favourite with Brodeur and Naslund.

Key players for the future: Denis Grebeshkov, Dion Phaneuf and Cam Ward.

 

Goaltending A+
Defensive Defenseman B+
Offensive Defenseman B
Scoring Forwards B
Playmaking Forwards A
Checking Forwards A-
Experience and Leadership A-

 

 

 

Opinion: This is Peter Forsberg's team and it might be his year. He's a passing machine aiming for one hundred points. Marian Hossa is also shooting for that mark. There are some real good top 6 forwards on the Blues. Daymond Langkow, Vyacheslav Kozlov, John LeClair and Scott Walker round out the top two lines. Needless to say scoring goals won't be a problem. The 6 are all solid defensively too. Justin Williams and Shawn Horcoff are gritty all around players that every team needs to succeed. On defence is one of the scariest top 6's the GMHL has ever seen. It's rittled with stars and oozes offence. Sergei Gonchar is a Norris favourite. Danny Markov will thump players left and right. Al MacInnis and Sergei Subov add to the offence. Both are vets who will do damage on the powerplay. Nick Boynton rounds out the top 6. Expect steady numbers from the twenty-five year old. Robert Esche gets the call in goal. He could put up fabulous numbers this season. He won't have to be over played either cause Mike Dunham is a steady backup.

 

Outlook: St. Louis wants the Cup or nothing.

Key players for the future: Mike Richards, Alexandre Picard and Antero Niittymaki.

 

Goaltending A
Defensive Defenseman B+
Offensive Defenseman A+
Scoring Forwards A
Playmaking Forwards A+
Checking Forwards A
Experience and Leadership A-

 

 

 

Maybe the most veteran team in the GMHL. This team is ocean deep at every postion. Sergei Fedorov, Keith Tkachuk and Mark Recchi are all older players but will still be in the top 20 in scoring. Rod Brind'Amour is also a vet. He brings a handful of scoring and a whole lot of shut down play. There's a couple younger forwards on Tampa. Jason Arnott and Eric Cole are two power forwards with mean streaks. The defence is once again lead by field general, Derian Hatcher. He's a huge player who can man handle anyone under 6"1 200 pounds. Hal Gill is also a huge player. Like Hatcher, Gill will clear the front of the net with ease. Kim Johnsson and Ken Klee add some offence. Janne Niinimaa and Boris Mironov are a very solid 3rd pairing. The Bolts will score much more than two goals a game. That is pretty much all they'll need with superstar Nikolai Khabibulin in net. He could be one of the three finalists for the Vezina.

 

Outlook: Tampa is the favourite in the East to reach the Stanley Cup Finals once again.

Key players for the future: Vaclav Meidl, Pierre Dagenias and Cory Schneider

 

Goaltending A
Defensive Defenseman A+
Offensive Defenseman B+
Scoring Forwards A
Playmaking Forwards A+
Checking Forwards A+
Experience and Leadership A+

 

 

 

There are no weaknesses in this Chicago lineup. Ilya Kovalchuk is the favourite for the Rocket Richard Trophy because he has Joe Thornton or Mats Sundin as his centerman. Quick, Steve Sullivan will be counted on for offence and to kill penalties. Alex Tanguay has a chance to lead the team in assists. Pavel Datsyuk will provide some offence from the 3rd line. Trevor Linden will put up less points than Sullivan but will be just as valuable on the penalty kill. Rookie, Tuomo Ruutu has a shot at the Calder. There are three towers on defence starting with team captain, Chris Pronger. He's a 30 minute defenseman that can out muscle most. Big, Zdeno Chara should lead the team in plus/minus. Ass checker, Bryan McCabe will throw his weight around and should collect 45 points in the process.
Marek Malik and Mike Rathje are steady defensive defenseman. Young, Jay Bouwmeester will learn from the vets and might get some time on the powerplay.
Ed Belfour will be a rock in goal once again. He's a veteran looking for his first GMHL Vezina. Rookie, Andrew Raycroft will have a good season in a limited number of games.

 

Outlook: The Hawks will be looking to repeat as Stanley Cup Champions.

Key players for the future: Brent Seabrook, Igor Grigorenko and Hannu Toivonen.

 

Goaltending A+
Defensive Defenseman A+
Offensive Defenseman A+
Scoring Forwards A+
Playmaking Forwards A+
Checking Forwards A
Experience and Leadership A