Bleacher Report - Articles by Alex Chidester

Three Reasons Why 2009 Won't Be Like 2005 For The Utah Utes

Alex Chidester — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 04:54:53 -0400

It's hard to avoid comparing the two best teams in Utah football history.

Both the 2004 and 2008 teams had strong senior leadership, a favorable schedule that featured Utah's toughest opponents at Rice-Eccles Stadium, clutch special-teams play, a head coach whose stock is skyrocketing, an offense that put up points in bunches, and a defense that made it look easy at times.

Of course, Ute fans will reluctantly recall what that 2005 Utah team provided as an encore: a lack of team chemistry, toughness, and consistency, punctuated by a nightmare three-game stretch mid-season that included losses at Chapel Hill against the Tar Heels, a goal-line failure at Fort Collins against the Rams, and a mystifying loss to the Aztecs at home.

Redemption eventually came in the form of a lightly-regarded JC transfer by the name of Brett Ratliff, who led the Utes to exciting victories over BYU and Georgia Tech.

There are scary similarities between post-2004 and post-2008: new, inexperienced players at QB, kicker, punter, and two spots on the offensive line, new coordinators on offense and defense, the burden of high expectations, and a tough schedule that includes having to travel to Forth Worth and Provo.

However, here are the three reasons why 2009 will turn out better for the Utes:

1. Kyle Whittingham
Entering his fifth year at the helm of Utah football, he's experienced a variety of hardships and adversity.

He's seen his team play too tight and too lose. He's dealt with injuries and bad attitudes. He's been in games where the calls didn't work in his favor. He's been in games where his team needed one more play to win, but came up short.

He's learned what makes this team tick, and has provided a steady hand in leading the Utes through this current 14-game winning streak.

This has also allowed him to keep the coaching staff intact, as he promoted coaches from within to fill the vacant coordinator positions to maintain continuity.

2. Recruiting
Urban Meyer took the Utah program to a level it would've never achieved under Ron McBride during his two-year stint.

He also recognized how close they were to being an elite team, so instead of building a team for the long term, he used his 2003 and 2004 recruiting classes to bring in players that could help sooner rather than later.

This worked great while he was in Salt Lake, but it left the Utes short-handed in 2005.

Coach Whittingham, on the other hand, has built a sustainable program ever since he took over, and his recruiting classes are proof of that.

Look at any position on Utah's roster, and you won't find a lack of athleticism or talent anywhere. Even at quarterback, where there's little FBS experience, all three players who are competing for the job are very capable individuals.

3. 2005
Perhaps the most important reason why 2009 won't be a repeat of 2005 is that this group of seniors have already experienced 2005, and they realize it requires even more preparation and hard work to defend the title than it required to earn the title.

They acquired that bitter taste of how it feels to underachieve and disappoint the Ute faithful has motivated them since the start of winter workouts in late January.

There is nothing easy about Utah's schedule in 2009. Oregon is a darkhorse to win the PAC-10, while UNLV, Air Force, and Colorado St have something to prove, and TCU and BYU are hungry to build on their recent success—Nothing would please them more than to knock Utah off their perch atop the MWC.

But even though Utah won't be able to march through their schedule undefeated to another BCS bowl game, they're in far better shape to be in contention for back-to-back MWC titles.

Erik Johnson out 6-9 Months with Torn ACL

Alex Chidester — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 17:16:26 -0400

Following a freak injury during a team golfing event last week, Erik Johnson received the devastating news Tuesday that he'll be out 6-9 months with a torn ACL.

This will prematurely end the sophomore campaign for the No. 1 overall pick of the 2006 NHL Draft. He had five goals and 33 points in 69 games last season, which led all Blues' defensemen.

He was projected to be paired with Jay McKee on the second defensive unit for the Blues, but more importantly he was expected to quarterback the power play that finished dead last in the NHL last season.

The news is extremely unfortunate for the future cornerstone of the Blues franchise, but the Blues aren't expected to contend for a playoff spot, and more importantly, are very deep on the back end.

The move will likely mean a promotion for Jeff Woywitka, who played 27 games with the Blues last season. He could be replaced on the power play by Steve Wagner, who surprised many people last year with his offensive skill. In 24 games, he had two goals and eight points, all on special teams.

This could also lead to the Blues making a move for Mathieu Schneider. St. Louis was expected to claim him off of waivers before the Johnson injury and now they may be more tempted to acquire him.

Eastern Conference: What To Watch For in The 2008-09 NHL Season

Alex Chidester — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 19:18:11 -0400

Yesterday I wrote about what excites me for each team in the Western Conference. Today, it's the Eastern Conference.

Atlanta Thrashers

Can Ilya Kovalchuk carry this team to the post-season? The Thrashers made the playoffs for the first time in franchise history in 2007, only to get swept by the Rangers. They regressed last season, and now new head coach John Anderson will try to get them back. Outside of Kovalchuk there isn't much to work with, but Zac Bogosian could provide hope for the future.

Boston Bruins

Can the B's build off of their surprising 2007-08 campaign? With the exception of signing Michael Ryder, Boston made no changes to their line-up from a year ago. If Patrice Bergeron can return healthy, and Milan Lucic can continue to improve, the Bruins should be very good again.

Buffalo Sabres

While the Sabres should be good, I always love Sabres games because of Rick Jeanneret. I also love watching Tim Connolly and how he plays the game.

Carolina Hurricanes

Will the changes on defense be enough? The Canes acquired Joni Pitkanen, Josef Melichar, and Anton Babchuk to replace Glen Wesley and Bret Hedican. If they show enough improvement, Eric Staal and Cam Ward should be able to shoulder the load in Carolina.

Florida Panthers

What will happen with Jay Bouwmeester? He's quickly becoming one of the best defensemen in the league, but is entering the final year of his deal. The additions of Keith Ballard and Nick Boynton will help protect the battered Tomas Vokoun, but it could be offset if the Panthers decide to trade Bouwmeester to a contender.

Montreal Canadiens

How will they deal with increased pressure? Between overachieving a year ago and holding the top spot in the conference, to the organization celebrating 100 years throughout the year, the Canadiens have much higher expectations and attention this season. The difference between a good and great Habs team is the play of Carey Price.

New Jersey Devils

Can Martin Brodeur and the defensive system continue to succeed? We're watching an all-time great approach the twilight of his career, and he'll get some offensive help with the acquisitions of familiar faces Brian Rolston and Bobby Holik.

New York Islanders

Kyle Okposo and Steve Tambellini are the only bright spots on this awful team. Rick DiPietro's health is a major question entering the season.

New York Rangers

How will the team mesh? Gone from last season is Jaromir Jagr and Sean Avery, two players that had very important roles on this team. It will be very intriguing to see if the players the Rangers brought in (Markus Naslund, Nikolai Zherdev, Wade Redden, and Dmitri Kalinin) can shoulder the load in front of Vezina front-runner Henrik Lundqvist.

Ottawa Senators

Which team will show up? The Senators got off to a blistering start last season, only to implode and get swept out of the playoffs. There is no better line in the NHL than Heatley-Spezza-Alfredsson, but Martin Gerber needs to prove he's an NHL-caliber goaltender.

Philadelphia Flyers

Will this team emerge as the favorites in the East? The Flyers saw a lot of players emerge and step up during their exciting playoff run last season, and if Martin Biron and Mike Richards can continue to play at that level, there's a lot of young talent that will ensure a high-quality product in Philadelphia for this season and beyond. I'm excited to see Braydon Coburn make the next step to becoming a borderline elite defenseman in the NHL.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are bona fide elite talent, but the Pens lost some quality forwards in the off-season. It will be very interesting to see if Sid the Kid can make the players around him better, because Miroslav Satan and Ruslan Fedotenko don't excite me.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Easily the story of the 2008 off-season, the Lightning will look nothing like the team that was horrible a season ago. I'm very interested to see how the young defense will look, because the forwards appear to be very solid, especially the top line of Vinny Prospal, Vincent Lecavalier, and Martin St-Louis.

Toronto Maple Leafs

You'd have to be a big Leafs fan or a masochist to watch Toronto this year. Vesa Toskala is underrated, but this is a team full of grinders that wouldn't be anywhere near the top six forwards on any other team in the NHL. Let the rebuilding begin.

Washington Capitals

Under the direction of Bruce Boudreau, this was last year's Cinderella story, barely sneaking into the post-season. Alex Ovechkin is a joy to watch, and Karl Alzner is a rookie to keep an eye on.

Western Conference: What to Watch for in the 2008-09 NHL Season

Alex Chidester — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 17:56:01 -0400

Baseball is over (my Cards checked out from the season three weeks ago), my fantasy football season is already lost (Curse you, Tom Brady!), and the air has gained an unmistakable crispness. Training camps are just around the corner, and that means NHL hockey is drawing near.

Here is what I'm excited to see from the Western Conference teams:

Anaheim Ducks

The continued progression of one of the up-and-coming lines in the NHL in Chris Kunitz, Corey Perry, and a player I fell in love with during their Cup run in 2007—Ryan Getzlaf. (Side note: I can't help but imagine Donald Duck saying "Getzlaf". Tee hee.)

Calgary Flames

The Flames in the Pengrowth Saddledome. One, I'm absolutely in love with those home jerseys; and two, I've never seen a team or a city so consistently and so avidly sport the team colors. You see it in the postseason all the time, but you can watch a Flames game on a weeknight in January and still see the arena in solid red. Beautiful.

Chicago Blackhawks

How can you not be excited to see this team? They're young, they finally have a competent management group behind them, and their jerseys are the best in sports. It will be interesting to see how the Huet-Khabibulin situation works out, because while it's never bad to have a competent back-up goaltender, $6 million is a lot to pay a guy who's riding the pine. Kane and Toews are superstars in the making.

Colorado Avalanche

How will they play with an unusual mix of youngsters and seasoned veterans, including Toronto castoffs Darcy Tucker and Andrew Raycroft? Joe Sakic is always a wonder to watch, and Paul Stastny is becoming a very solid goal scorer in the league.

Columbus Blue Jackets

How will the Jackets look after shaking up the roster, which includes shipping off disappointing youngsters like Nikolai Zherdev, and Gilbert Brule and bringing in R.J. Umberger, Kristian Huselius, Raffi Torres, and Fedor Tyutin? I'm also interested to see how rookies Derick Brassard and Jakub Voracek perform, and if Pascal Leclaire can build on his impressive 2007-08 season.

Dallas Stars

Can the Stars keep the Red Wings from repeating as Stanley Cup champions? Adding Fabian Brunnstrom and Sean Avery will only help a team that made it to the conference finals last year. You'd be hard-pressed to find a better trio of centers in the league on one team than Mike Ribeiro, Brad Richards, and Mike Modano—and Marty Turco also played very well last season.

Detroit Red Wings

It's rare that the defending Cup champions get better the next season, but with the signings of Marian Hossa ($7 million for one year? Holy smokes!) and Ty Conklin, the Wings have improved on last year's President's Trophy campaign.

I'll be watching with my mouth agape as Nicklas Lidstrom, Brian Rafalski, Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, and Marian Hossa suffocate teams on the defensive end, slice them up in the offensive end, and make a beautiful goal look routine. I'll also watch to see if Johan Franzen and Niklas Kronwall build off of impressive postseason performances.

Edmonton Oilers

Can Mathieu Garon play well enough for this team to make the playoffs? There's a lot of well-deserved excitement surrounding this team, and the acquisitions of Lubomir Visnovsky and Erik Cole will only make them better. The pieces are there if Garon holds up in net.

Los Angeles Kings

Patrick O'Sullivan, Anze Kopitar, Jack Johnson, Drew Doughty, and Alexander Frolov are great building blocks for a franchise, and it will be interesting to see if the Kings can start to play competitively with these talented youngsters.

Minnesota Wild

What will happen with Marian Gaborik? Entering the final year of his deal, it appears he's not happy in Minnesota. He's unquestionably the go-to guy for the Wild, and Doug Risebrough may be forced to deal him for something to avoid the risk of losing him for nothing. I still expect the Wild to be very strong in their end of the ice.

Nashville Predators

Will there be another soap opera-worthy event in Graceland? Between a potential relocation, the purchase of the team by a local group headlined by disgraced William "Boots" del Biaggio, and the controversy surrounding Alexander Radulov, it's easy to forget about the on-ice product.

Despite not having won a playoff series yet, Barry Trotz should be safe behind the bench based on the wonderful job he did last year.

Phoenix Coyotes

Will the desert dogs take the next step? Coach Wayne Gretzky has possibly the most exciting team in the league—and one that got a lot better with the trade for Olli Jokinen, who has toiled in mediocrity with the Panthers. I'm giddy to watch the best collection of young kids in the league (Peter Mueller, Martin Hanzal, Daniel Carcillo, Kyle Turris, and Mikael Boedker).

San Jose Sharks

How will the team play under new head coach Todd McLellan? The talent, experience, and hunger is in place at the Shark Tank, but can the success Coach McLellan brings from Detroit translate to this group of perennial underachievers? Dan Boyle should help to offset the loss of Brian Campbell.

St Louis Blues

Are the kids any good? The Blues are my team, and I'm hoping to see the whippersnappers like Patrik Berglund and T.J. Oshie can pick up some of the scoring load. It would also be really nice to see Lee Stempniak and Jay McClement provide more of a scoring touch to complement the top line of Paul Kariya, Andy McDonald, and breakout star of 07-08, Brad Boyes.

Oh, and the power play has to improve from their last-place finish last season.

Vancouver Canucks

How will this revamped team look? New GM Mike Gillis inherits a team that will be very different from any Canucks team in recent memory, as franchise standouts Brendan Morrison and Markus Naslund moved on to different teams and Trevor Linden hung up the skates. Roberto Luongo is still one of the best goaltenders in the league, and will keep Vancouver in a ton of games this season.

Mountain West Football Week Two: Previews, Picks, and Power Rankings

Alex Chidester — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 20:47:46 -0400

Week One record: 6-2

Week Two

The Yawners

Stephen F. Austin @ TCU: Sep. 6, 5:00 pm Mountain Time; TV: none

Winner: TCU

Following a convincing victory over the Lobos in Albuquerque, the Frogs get to flex their muscles against the FCS Lumberjacks in their home opener.

Sacramento St. @ Colorado St.: Sep. 6, 1:30 pm Mountain Time; TV: none

Winner: Colorado St.

The Rams will coast in their home opener against the FCS Hornets.

Could Be Mildly Intriguing

San Diego St. @ Notre Dame: Sep. 6, 1:30 pm Mountain Time; TV: NBC

Winner: Notre Dame

The Fighting Irish open the season against the dreadful Aztecs. It's nice to see a Mountain West team on national TV—usually.

Plan on Tuning In

UNLV @ Utah: Sep. 6, 6:00 pm Mountain Time; TV: the mtn

Winner: Utah

Head coach Kyle Whittingham called last year's 27-0 drubbing at the hands of the Rebels "the lowest point of his coaching career." In front of a rabid and energized Ute fan base, expect to see a lopsided Ute victory.

Air Force @ Wyoming, Sep. 6, 1:30 pm Mountain Time; TV: CBS C

Winner: Wyoming

Look for the home field advantage and an opportunistic defense to give the Cowboys a close victory over the overmatched Falcons in Laramie.

Edge-of-Your-Seat Action

Texas A&M @ New Mexico: Sep. 6, 3:00 pm Mountain Time; TV: VERSUS

Winner: Texas A&M

The Aggies will come out and play inspired football after losing to Arkansas St. at Kyle Field in week one, but the Lobos won't go down without a fight.

Game of the Week

BYU @ Washington: Sep. 6, 1:00 pm Mountain Time; TV: Fox Sports Net

Winner: BYU

Head coach Bronco Mendenhall is one of the hottest coaches in the nation, having swept through the conference undefeated two consecutive years and finishing with a pair of 11-win seasons.

The one thing that has eluded him is an out-of-conference road win, suffering close losses at Notre Dame in 2005, at Arizona and at Boston College in 2006, and at UCLA and at Tulsa in 2007. A vulnerable Husky team is just what the doctor ordered, although the health of Max Hall could be a concern.

Mountain West Power Rankings

1. BYU

2. Utah

3. TCU

4. Wyoming

5. Air Force

6. New Mexico

7. UNLV

8. Colorado St.

9. San Diego St.

Mountain West Conference: Week One Picks

Alex Chidester — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 06:43:38 -0400

The Yawners

Southern Utah @ Air Force: Aug. 30, 12:00 pm Mountain Time; TV: none

Winner: Air Force

Troy Calhoun did a fantastic job with the Falcons in his first year. That success will carry over in an easy win over the FCS Thunderbirds.

Northern Iowa @ No. 16 BYU: Aug. 30, 4:00 pm MDT; TV: The mtn.

Winner: BYU

The Cougars begin their highly-anticipated 2008 campaign by extending their 12-game home win streak against the FCS Panthers.

Could Be Mildly Intriguing

Cal Poly @ San Diego St.: Aug. 30, 6:30 pm MDT; TV: Channel 4 in San Diego

Winner: SDSU

The Aztecs could be the worst team in the MWC, and some publications have picked the FCS Mustangs to pull off the "upset" in San Diego. I think the Aztecs win, but there will be some tenuous moments.

Utah St. @ UNLV: Aug. 30, 7:00 pm MDT; TV: none

Winner: UNLV

Two of the worst teams in FBS last season face off. Brent Guy and Mike Sanford both became head coaches at their respective schools in 2005, and they've combined for 12 wins during that time.

Plan on Tuning in

Ohio @ Wyoming: Aug. 30, 12:00 pm MDT; TV: The mtn.

Winner: Ohio

The Frank Solich-led Bobcats look to avenge a tough one-point loss to the Cowboys last season against Joe Glenn and the Cowboys in Laramie.

Colorado St. @ Colorado: Aug. 31, 5:30 pm MDT; TV: Fox Sports Net

Winner: Colorado

The last six meetings have been decided by seven points or fewer, and I expect another tight matchup at Invesco Field in Steve Fairchild's debut as the Rams head coach.

Edge-Of-Your-Seat Action

TCU @ New Mexico: Aug. 30, 4:00 pm MDT; TV: Versus

Winner: TCU

This should be a great matchup of second-tier MWC title contenders. Look for Gary Patterson and the Horned Frogs to emerge victorious in a tight battle of two good football teams.

MWC Game of the Week

Utah @ No. 24 Michigan: Aug. 30, 1:30 pm MDT, TV: ABC

Winner: Utah

"Hail to the Victors." The maize and blue. The Big House and 106,000 screaming fans. The Utes face a tall order starting the season against the Wolverines and new head coach Rich Rodriguez, even though Michigan only returns one starter on offense.

The key to a Utes victory is establishing the run game and putting points on the board against a Wolverines defense that will be the best Utah will see all season.

Top 10 Biggest Games for the Mountain West

Alex Chidester — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 14:53:24 -0400

As a "non-BCS" conference, the Mountain West is always looking to garner nationwide respect and credibility. Winning big games and producing a quality champion are the two biggest ways to increase respect and credibility.

Here are the top 10 games for the MWC conference this season:

10. Colorado State vs. Colorado, Sunday, Aug. 31

The last six meetings between these teams were all decided by seven points or less. The Rams aren't expected to make much noise this year, but it would be a great start for new head coach Steve Fairchild to pull off the upset in this bitter rivalry.

9. Wyoming at Tennessee, Saturday, Nov. 8

A rare SEC match-up, the Cowboys will go into Neyland Stadium hoping to carry the same magic that earned them a surprise victory against the Virginia Cavaliers last year in Laramie.

8. Utah at New Mexico, Saturday, Nov. 1

The Utes' conference title hopes may be dashed by a New Mexico team that has played very well against them in recent history, winning four of the last six.

7. BYU at Washington, Saturday, Sept. 6

Bronco Mendenhall has a long list of accomplishments as BYU's head coach, but winning a non-conference game on the road is not among them. He will get his first chance at Husky Stadium against Jake Locker and the Huskies in what may be BYU's biggest roadblock to BCS bowl aspirations until November.

6. TCU at New Mexico, Saturday, Aug. 30

Thanks to a scheduling quirk, one of these second-tier title contenders will be behind the 8-ball after the first week.

5. TCU at Utah, Thursday, Nov. 6

In a game that could very well determine the conference champion, the Horned Frogs and the Utes renew what has become a competitive series in the three short years TCU has been a member of the conference.

4. BYU at TCU, Thursday Oct. 16

BYU's in-conference win streak should be at 18 games when the Cougars go into Fort Worth. The Horned Frogs have every reason to believe they can end it there.

3. Utah at Michigan, Saturday, Aug. 30

There's been a lot of hype surrounding the Utes during the off-season, and there's no better litmus test than The Big House and the Michigan Wolverines. Under Rich Rodriguez, they face some early growing pains because of graduation and defections, including implementing a new offense with few returning starters.

The defense will still be very good, though. Expect a tight defensive struggle that will be won in the trenches.

2. TCU at Oklahoma, Saturday, Sept. 27

TCU scored one of the biggest upsets of the 2005 season when they began what turned out to be a magical season with a 17-10 victory over the then-No. 7 Sooners in Norman.

1. BYU at Utah, Saturday, Nov. 22

One of the most intense and passionate rivalries in the nation, it will have more than bragging rights riding on the result this season. The MWC title and even a BCS bowl bid could be awarded to the Holy War victor.

Over the last 10 meetings, only the 2004 match-up wasn't decided in the fourth quarter, and this year promises to provide the same excitement.

Open Mic: My All-Time St Louis Cardinals Team

Alex Chidester — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 14:23:40 -0400

Ten World Series titles. Sixteen Cooperstown residents. Seventeen pennants. There's a ton of history for this storied franchise, and many great players have stepped into the batter's box in the Gateway City.

My all-time Cardinals team (in batting order):

1. SS Ozzie Smith

2. 2B Rogers Hornsby

3. 1B Albert Pujols

4. LF Stan Musial

5. RF Lou Brock

6. 3B Ken Boyer

7. CF Enos Slaughter

8. C Tim McCarver

9. P Bob Gibson

Manager: Red Schoendienst

Assessing the State of the St. Louis Blues

Alex Chidester — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 14:28:13 -0400

My earliest complete Blues memory is when I was 13. Before that, I remember cheering for the Blues and watching them when they were on ESPN, but my first real recollection is the 2000 playoffs.

Chris Pronger had won the Hart, the Blues had won the President's trophy, and everything looked solid for the Blues to make their deepest run in the playoffs, since a man named Scotty Bowman was at the helm.

The Sharks had other plans, taking a 3-1 series lead, including an excruciating Game 4 victory over the Blues. The Blues managed to force a Game 7, only to inexplicably lose at home. Roman Turek giving up the goal on the shot from the neutral zone is still seared into my memory.

In 2001, St Louis made it to the conference finals and forced overtime in Game 4 against the Avalanche. Colorado and the Ray Bourque Express managed to win that game and Game 5, on their way to winning the Cup.

Since then, the Blues have lost every player from that club except for Keith Tkachuk—the day we traded Pronger was a dark day—have gone through a handful of head coaches, and changed ownership.

It appears that Kekalainen, Davidson, Pleau, and Murray are building the right way and wisely using all of the high draft picks we've acquired from our poor play. Erik Johnson had a good rookie campaign and David Perron was a pleasant surprise, while T.J. Oshie, Patrik Berglund, Lars Eller, Ian Cole, and Alex Pietrangelo are not far behind.

I'm also excited to see the continued development of Lee Stempniak, Jay McClement, Brad Boyes, and David Backes. It will be interesting to see how these younger players will fit in with veterans Paul Kariya, Andy McDonald, Jay McKee, Eric Brewer, and Barret Jackman.

However, my biggest worry in the Blues organization is goaltending. It's crazy to imagine that this organization once had Curtis Joseph and Grant Fuhr in net—how that 1995-96 Blues team didn't go to the Finals, I'll never know—because since then, it's felt like they've been scraping by with Brent Johnson and Curtis Sanford.

And it's really disappointing to see Chris Osgood and Patrick Lalime, who had good track records before donning the Blue Note, turn into busts. Manny Legace appears to be a solid netminder, but not good enough to carry the team. The signing of Chris Mason will hopefully provide him some rest, and he may be the best backup we've had since the lockout.

The biggest roadblock to feeling optimistic about the Blues' chances of winning a Cup anytime soon is what's going on around the Central division. The Detroit Red Wings have an embarrassment of talent that they've deftly managed financially, and they won't be going away anytime soon—especially if they can continue to develop guys like Valteri Filppula, Johan Franzen, and Niklas Kronwall. The

Chicago Blackhawks are experiencing a revitalization with Rocky Wirtz at the helm, and with Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane as uber-young building blocks, their future is bright.

Barry Trotz continues to lead the Nashville Predators in the right direction. How they were able to make the playoffs and give the Red Wings the biggest scare they faced after losing all the talent they did is a testament to how that organization is run.

Even the Columbus Blue Jackets had a better offseason than the Blues, inking star goalie Pascal Leclaire, getting rid of dead weight in Nikolai Zherdev and Dan Fritsche, and welcoming R.J. Umberger, Kristian Huselius, Raffi Torres, and Jakub Voracek (their No. 1 draft pick in 2007) to the club.

I'm excited to see how the Blues respond this season to everything that's transpired around and within the organization, and I'll also likely end up predicting that they'll sneak into the playoffs as the eighth seed—but I fear visions of bearded Blues bouncing around the Scottrade ice with Lord Stanley will not be realized anytime soon.