The season kicks off tonight. Here's a couple of teams that could surprise some people this year.
Most Improved
Washington Capitals - This is a team I like to make the playoffs as the Capitals ownership opened their pocketbooks and brought in some secondary scoring signing Michael Nylander and Viktor Kozlov. They also added some offensive pop on the back end with Tom Poti who should provide All Star Alex Ovechkin with some scoring from the defense something that they haven’t had since Ovechkin has been a Capital. With Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, who had 47 goals last year and rookie Nicklas Backstrom, the fourth-overall pick in 2006 who is finally ready to make an impact this season, I like this team to sneak into the playoffs in the East.
Chicago Blackhawks - Jonathan Toews, Jack Skille and Patrick Kane. Get used to those names, because they are the future of this Blackhawks team and all should make significant contributions in Chicago this season. The Blackhawks struggled scoring beyond Martin Havlat who led the team with 25 goals last year. GM Dale Tallon made some significant moves to help the offense bringing in veterans Sergei Samsonov, Robert Lang, Yanic Perreault and Kevyn Adams which should help the Hawks finish higher then 29th in goals scored. Chicago’s defense is young with top prospects Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Cam Barker and James Wisniewski all of which contributed a season ago. They should take another step forward with veteran goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin between the pipes. The Blackhawks could sneak into the playoffs depending on how well the new players develop chemistry with the new veterans.
NHL Future Bet
Calgary Flames To Win The Northwest Division + 435
This is a great value play on the Calgary Flames and one of the biggest moves of the offseason for the Flames was hiring Mike Keenan who replaced Jim Playfair as head coach of the team. Keenan is much more like GM Darryl Suter who led this team to the Stanley Cup Finals right before the lockout and a Northwest Division title in 2005-2006. If Keenan can get the Flames to play .500 hockey on the road, the Flames should have no problem winning this division with their solid home ice advantage (60-22 over the last two seasons in the Saddledome). Take the Flames to win their division at this huge plus price.
Projected Overall Conference Standings
1. Pittsburgh Penguins
2. Ottawa Senators
3. Atlanta Thrashers
4. New York Rangers
5. Buffalo Sabres
6. Philadelphia Flyers
7. New Jersey Devils
8. Washington Capitals
9. Toronto Maple Leafs
10. Carolina Hurricanes
11. Florida Panthers
12. Tampa Bay Lightning
13. Boston Bruins
14. Montreal Canadiens
15. New York Islanders
1. Detroit Red Wings
2. Anaheim Ducks
3. Calgary Flames
4. San Jose Sharks
5. Colorado Avalanche
6. Nashville Predators
7. Minnesota Wild
8. Vancouver Canucks
9. Chicago Blackhawks
10. St. Louis Blues
11. Dallas Stars
12. Los Angeles Kings
13. Edmonton Oilers
14. Columbus Blue Jackets
15. Phoenix Coyotes
