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NHL Northeast Division Moves and Thoughts on The Coming Season.
Bob Randle
Has the Northeast division in the NHL fixed the holes that plagued them last season? During this off-season those teams have been off making trades, signing free agents, and remaking their lines to improve offence, defence,ย goaltending, and of course goal production. Lets take a look and see what each team did.
We'll start with the Buffalo Sabres analyzing what they lost, gained, and what they still might have to do. The Sabres lostย Jaroslav Spacekย who is a decentย defence manย who had 8 goals and 37 assists for 45 points which is a decent number for them, ย He went to the Montrealย Canadiens. Buffalo also gained players such as Mike Grier for enforcement purposes, Cody McCormick who is also for enforcement purposes butย doesn'tย do much else, Joeย Dipentaย who just returned to the NHL after a year withย Frolundaย HC a Swedish professional hockey team who play in the highestย Swedishย leagueย Elitserien, Steveย Montadorย who had split the season with the Anaheim Ducks and then the Boston Bruins. The Sabres also resigned Clarke MacArthur, Andrejย Sekera, andย Patrik Kaleta. I think the Sabres signed a bunch of decent players but if they get theย goaltendingย from Ryan Miller plus a little more then the Sabres will be back in the playoffs. Of course they also need the same goal production from their players they will have a playoff team here and more wins.
Next we have the Boston Bruins. The Bruins had a great year winning the Northeast Division and the Eastern Conference. Withย goaltendingย from Tim Thomas, and goal production from many of their young players such as Philย Kessel, Davidย Krejci, Marcย Savard, Michael Ryder, Markย Recchi, Blake Wheeler, and Chuckย Kobasewย who all scored 20 goals or more.The Bruins lostย Stephane Yelleย to the Carolina Hurricanes Steveย Montadorย to the Buffalo Sabres and Shaneย Hnidyย to the Minnesota Wild. The Bruins did a good job of resigning players such as Tim Thomas, Markย Recchi, Davidย Krejci, and Byronย Bitz. They acquired Steve Begin from Dallas and Derek Morris from the Rangers which is a good pick up for the D-Line. If the Bruins can maintain everything the same from last season they can be a good contender for next season.
Next we have the Ottawa Senators. The Senators have been quiet in this off-season but they did sign a quality player in Alexย Kovalevย who will add some goal production to Ottawa's lineup. The other players they got were resigned, players such as Brain Elliot and Chris Neil. They lost one player in Brendan Bell to the St Louis Blues but they can easily get by that. The only problem will theย Dany Heatleyย drama as it is heard that a few of his teammates aren't happy with him at all so we will have to see if it is a distraction during the season. But if they get by that then they will be a high scoring team. Theyย didn'tย improve onย goaltendingย although Brian Elliot is supposedly the goalie of the future but theย goaltendingย will have to be consistent in order to get a winning team from the nations capital.
Next we have the Montrealย Canadiens. They have lostย alotย but gainedย alotย in this off-season. Losing players such asย Saku Koivu, Tomย Kostopoulos, Alexย Kovalev, and Mikeย Komisarekย is losingย alotย but what they gained it will be interesting to see if it will click in the coming season. Gaining players such as Travisย Moen, Brianย Gionta, Scott Gomez, Mikeย Cammaleri, Hal Gill, andย Jaroslav Spacek. They now have more offensive power and more new faces to test out in Montreal to equal a winning team which will try to get past the first round (as they were swept in 4 games by the Bruins last season). Resigning Gregory Stewart, Kyleย Chipchura, Guillaumeย Latendresse, and Tomasย Plekanecย will hopefully equal to a better team and higher in the Eastern Conference.
Finally we have the Torontoย MapleLeafs. The Leafs had anotherย disappointingย year withย sub-parย results and missing the playoffs for the 4thย straight season. They have acquired Francoisย Beauchemin,ย Coltonย Orr, and Mikeย Komisarekย who are quality players but they need to click with the rest of the team. Plus ifย Vesa Toskalaย is consistent this year after hip surgery then the Leafs might make the playoffs but that also counts on scoring goals also.
We'll start with the Buffalo Sabres analyzing what they lost, gained, and what they still might have to do. The Sabres lostย Jaroslav Spacekย who is a decentย defence manย who had 8 goals and 37 assists for 45 points which is a decent number for them, ย He went to the Montrealย Canadiens. Buffalo also gained players such as Mike Grier for enforcement purposes, Cody McCormick who is also for enforcement purposes butย doesn'tย do much else, Joeย Dipentaย who just returned to the NHL after a year withย Frolundaย HC a Swedish professional hockey team who play in the highestย Swedishย leagueย Elitserien, Steveย Montadorย who had split the season with the Anaheim Ducks and then the Boston Bruins. The Sabres also resigned Clarke MacArthur, Andrejย Sekera, andย Patrik Kaleta. I think the Sabres signed a bunch of decent players but if they get theย goaltendingย from Ryan Miller plus a little more then the Sabres will be back in the playoffs. Of course they also need the same goal production from their players they will have a playoff team here and more wins.
Next we have the Boston Bruins. The Bruins had a great year winning the Northeast Division and the Eastern Conference. Withย goaltendingย from Tim Thomas, and goal production from many of their young players such as Philย Kessel, Davidย Krejci, Marcย Savard, Michael Ryder, Markย Recchi, Blake Wheeler, and Chuckย Kobasewย who all scored 20 goals or more.The Bruins lostย Stephane Yelleย to the Carolina Hurricanes Steveย Montadorย to the Buffalo Sabres and Shaneย Hnidyย to the Minnesota Wild. The Bruins did a good job of resigning players such as Tim Thomas, Markย Recchi, Davidย Krejci, and Byronย Bitz. They acquired Steve Begin from Dallas and Derek Morris from the Rangers which is a good pick up for the D-Line. If the Bruins can maintain everything the same from last season they can be a good contender for next season.
Next we have the Ottawa Senators. The Senators have been quiet in this off-season but they did sign a quality player in Alexย Kovalevย who will add some goal production to Ottawa's lineup. The other players they got were resigned, players such as Brain Elliot and Chris Neil. They lost one player in Brendan Bell to the St Louis Blues but they can easily get by that. The only problem will theย Dany Heatleyย drama as it is heard that a few of his teammates aren't happy with him at all so we will have to see if it is a distraction during the season. But if they get by that then they will be a high scoring team. Theyย didn'tย improve onย goaltendingย although Brian Elliot is supposedly the goalie of the future but theย goaltendingย will have to be consistent in order to get a winning team from the nations capital.
Next we have the Montrealย Canadiens. They have lostย alotย but gainedย alotย in this off-season. Losing players such asย Saku Koivu, Tomย Kostopoulos, Alexย Kovalev, and Mikeย Komisarekย is losingย alotย but what they gained it will be interesting to see if it will click in the coming season. Gaining players such as Travisย Moen, Brianย Gionta, Scott Gomez, Mikeย Cammaleri, Hal Gill, andย Jaroslav Spacek. They now have more offensive power and more new faces to test out in Montreal to equal a winning team which will try to get past the first round (as they were swept in 4 games by the Bruins last season). Resigning Gregory Stewart, Kyleย Chipchura, Guillaumeย Latendresse, and Tomasย Plekanecย will hopefully equal to a better team and higher in the Eastern Conference.
Finally we have the Torontoย MapleLeafs. The Leafs had anotherย disappointingย year withย sub-parย results and missing the playoffs for the 4thย straight season. They have acquired Francoisย Beauchemin,ย Coltonย Orr, and Mikeย Komisarekย who are quality players but they need to click with the rest of the team. Plus ifย Vesa Toskalaย is consistent this year after hip surgery then the Leafs might make the playoffs but that also counts on scoring goals also.
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