NHL: 2009-10 Is Here!

A new season is about to get underway tonight, and there are a number of storylines:

1. Were the Detroit Red Wings exposed in the Stanley Cup Finals as an aging team that no longer can play a 100-game season?
2. Are the Chicago Blackhawks ready to take the next step and unseat the Red Wings as the Central Division team to beat?
3. Are the Pittsburgh Penguins initiating the first NHL dynasty of this decade?
4. Did the Philadelphia Flyers take the next step by adding playoff performers to their roster?
5. Will Dany Heatley give the San Jose Sharks the scorer they have been lacking in the playoffs to get them over the hump, or do they still lack the customary grit other teams have used instead?

My answers are maybe, yes, yes, yes, yes, and yes. In other words, the Sharks did need that scorer, but still lack the grit it takes to win in May.

So how do I see the season playing out? Here are my predicted seedings in April, starting with the East:

1. Washington Capitals—because they are an exceptional team in a weak division, they will win the President's Trophy.
2. Boston Bruins—still a complete team that will dominate their division.
   
3. Pittsburgh Penguins—even in one of the toughest divisions in hockey, this is the best team and it will find a way to win it.
4. Philadelphia Flyers—this team will be nasty and have scoring punch.
5. Carolina Hurricanes—thanks to balance, experience, and a weak schedule, this team will contend for home ice in the first round.
6. Montreal Canadiens—I see them rebounding from their disappointing finish in 2009 because there is too much talent and they are in a mediocre division.
7. New York Rangers—Henrik Lundqvist will win the Vezina Trophy, and he will need to with this anemic offence in this division.
8. New Jersey Devils—lost talent from last season, and their Hall of Fame goalie is beginning to show his mileage.

In the West, a lot of people are still picking the Sharks. Considering this team has not gotten out of the second round since before the lockout and is not very deep this year, that is puzzling. In my mind, they are not even the best team in their division.

Here is how I see the West playing out:

1. Vancouver Canucks—not the best team in the West, but the most dominant within their division.
2. Anaheim Ducks—they have a better blueline than the Sharks, more depth, and better goaltending...I'll take that over better forwards any day, especially since they also upgraded there.
3. Chicago Blackhawks—Huet should be able to outplay an aging Chris Osgood, and that's the margin between the Wings and Hawks.
4. Detroit Red Wings—they are only old at key positions, but they have played over 20 percent more games than their Great Lakes' rivals since the lockout, and that mileage does more to them than their experience does for them.
5. San Jose Sharks—finishing here means a first-round win is an upset, especially against Detroit.
6. Calgary Flames—Miikka Kiprusoff is wearing down and this team lacks the scoring and discipline to win when the games get tight.
7. Dallas Stars—they will be healthy and be able to get fat off the Phoenix Coyotes, allowing them to make it back into the playoffs, even without Sergei Zubov.
8. Columbus Blue Jackets—teams will figure out how to score more on Steve Mason, whose save percentage was middle of the pack.

That leaves the playoffs. Here is a round-by-round breakdown of how they go:

1. In the East, I predict the Capitals in six, Bruins in seven, Penguins in five, Flyers in seven. In the West, I have the Canucks in six, Ducks in seven, Hawks in six, and the Sharks as the lone "upset" because of better goaltending and sheer desperation, taking the series in six.
2. In the East, the Caps will need seven to advance and the Pens only six. In the West, the Sharks are a hair better and more experienced than the Canucks, taking advantage of a favourable matchup to advance further than they have in years (six games). The Hawks are the better team and will beat the Ducks in six.
3. In the East, the Pens can overcome the Caps having home ice, and will need just six games. The Sharks stand little chance against the better Hawks with the higher seed, but can stretch it to six.
4. The Hawks will be lucky to make the Pens play six in this one—Pittsburgh is better in every unit and has the experience.