2010-2011 Montreal Canadiens Preview

The Montreal Canadiens

The Jonestown of the NHL

If you **** up at your job, do you have 20,000+ angry French people threatening to kill you?

Last Year's Results

39 wins, 33 losses, 10 OTL, 88 points, 18th overall

Team Analysis

The Habs surprised the league with a deep run through three rounds of the playoffs last season riding a spectacular performance from goaltender Jaroslav Halak upsetting arguably the two best teams in the league. This off-season the Canadiens made the controversial decision to trade Halak and deciding to entrust former 5th overall pick Carey Price as their goaltender of the future. The Canadiens boast one of the more balanced teams in the league with adequate top end players and solid depth in every position. However the question for this team is will 23-year old Carey Price who's been inconsistent so far in his NHL career be able to survive playing in arguably the most pressure filled job in all of hockey?

Leading the Habs up front is center Tomas Plekanec who had a career year with 70 points last season. Plekanec is something of a streaky scorer but boasts a solid two-way game and will be given some talented wingers to play with this season. The possibly the leading goal scorer for the Habs will be winger Michael Cammalleri who's one of the most underrated players in the league. Cammalleri had a fantastic playoffs while being one of the biggest heroes on this club last year. Look for Cammalleri to eclipse 30 goals if he can stay healthy. Challenging Cammalleri to be the leading scorer on the Canadiens is venerable veteran and new captain Brian Gionta who is also a strong candidate to break 30 goals. Gionta is a small feisty goal scorer with a flair for clutch scoring who's become this team's leader and a fan favorite. 

Scott Gomez was acquired in a highly controversial trade to be the top six playing making center the Canadiens had lacked since the departure of Saku Koivu. While Gomez hasn't played up to one of the largest contracts in the league, he has been the offensive pivot the Habs were seeking. Gomez has found a home in Montreal clicking with long-time linemate Brian Gionta. Andrei Kostitsyn has been the very stereotype of the streaky Russian scorer. The inconsistent winger has shown absolute flashes of brilliance while also showing flashes of lousy work ethic and prima donna mentality. Kostitsyn is one of those players who could be so much more yet will probably remain enigmatic through this career. Even with the question marks surrounding him, Kostitsyn will still knock down a point every other game. Filling out the top six will be Benoit Pouliot who came to life after a win-win change of scenery trade. Pouliot scored 24 points in 39 games after the trade and for the first time in his career looked like a legit top six player. Look for Pouliot to carry that momentum into this season.

Filling out the bottom six will be 21-year old Lars Eller who was acquired from St. Louis in the Halak trade. Eller is a former 13th overall pick and is a playmaking forward that can play both wing and center. Eller will be baptized in fire in his rookie campaign this season as he'll be heavily relied upon for offensive production in the Hab bottom six and could very well find himself rising up the depth chart. Also playing significant minutes on the third line will be agitating energy player Maxim Lapierre who will look to have a career defining year. Lapierre is at a bit of a crossroads right now as he's shown the potential to be a top checking player but has lacked the consistency. Lapierre is definitely the best candidate on the Habs to have a career year. The Habs acquired talented grinder Dustin Boyd this off-season from the Predators. Boyd is a talented penalty killer and will contribute a respectable amount of points.

Rounding out the forward core is recent UFA signee Jeff Halpren who will contribute in a defensive center role. Gritty grinder and PKer Travis Moen will likely shift between the bottom two lines. 23-year old defensive forward Tom Pyatt will see significant time on the fourth line. Depth winger Mathieu Darche will be the 13th forward. 21-year old former 22nd overall pick Max Pacioretty will likely bounce between the AHL and the Habs.

The defense is led by one of the most talented defensemen in the league Andrei Markov who can excel in all three zones and any situation. Markov is somewhat brittle and unfortunately will begin the season on the injured reserve list with no real timeline on his return. However Markov has one of the highest points to game ratios of any defensemen in the NHL. Likely playing with Markov on the first pairing this season will be crafty veteran Jaroslav Spacek who's been one of the most consistent defensemen since the lockout. Spacek is one of the better second tier defensemen in the league as he's been a solid point producer from the backend and can also play penalty kill minutes. Look for Spacek to log number one minutes for several games this season. 

Roman Hamrlik is another versatile defenseman who excels in the defensive end but can also rack up a respectable amount of points from the blueline. Hamrlik was the subject of many trade rumors this off-season however Hamrlik will be a stabilizing influence on the Habs' second pairing. Likely playing with Hamrlik on the second pairing will be talented 21-year old offensive defenseman PK Subban. Already a fan favorite in Montreal, Subban had a coming out party in last season's playoffs scoring 8 points in 14 games. Subban is a going to be in the running for the Calder this season if he can carry his play and momentum from last season into this year. 

Rounding out the defensive core is 6-7 giant defensive defenseman Hal Gill who's one of the better penalty killing defensemen in the league. Gill is the type of player who's derided for 82 games in the regular season and then becomes a folk hero in the playoffs. Gill doesn't have much use in the offensive zone but he'll be the de facto shutdown defenseman in Montreal. Likely playing with Gill on the third pairing will be defensive defenseman Josh Gorges who's developed quite nicely into an integral part of Montreal's defensive group. Look for Gorges to get substantial minutes on the penalty kill. Filling in as the seventh defenseman will be physical defensive defenseman Ryan O'Byrne.

The Canadiens have an interesting situation in net with three potential goaltenders. Likely to get the bulk of starts in Montreal will be 23-year old former fifth overall pick Carey Price who's had a rough ride so far in his pro career. Price has all the potential in the world but unfortunately hasn't been able to put it together in the most intense job in hockey. The organization is banking huge on Price to be able to live up to his fifth overall tag and become their franchise goaltender however Price has cracked in the past and should be considered fragile. The Habs signed dependable 1B goaltender Alex Auld this off-season to back up Price. Auld is a big positional goalie who could get as many as 40 games this season if Price collapses. Also in the mix is 24-year old Karri Ramo who was acquired in a strange trade with Tampa Bay this off-season. Ramo will likely start in the AHL this season but will look to factor into the Habs' long term plans and could see games in the NHL this season if something kooky happens. 

Team Trending

A lot of things are going to have to go right for the Canadiens for them to make the post season. The biggest question mark is of course Carey Price whom I personally feel will fall apart before January. The Habs also have several key players who are fairly injury prone. However the Habs have one of the most experienced and crafty coaches in the league in Jacques Lemaire and a competent general manager in Pierre Gauthier. Look for the Habs to be a bubble playoff team and come in somewhere between 16th-21st in the league. 

BVB's Opening Night Line-Up

Pouliot-Gomez-Gionta

Cammalleri-Plekanec-Kostitsyn

Eller-Lapierre-Moen

Boyd-Halpren-Pyatt

Hamrlik-Subban

Spacek-Gorges

Gill-O'Byrne

Player Projections

Forwards

Benoit Pouliot - 26 G/20 A 46 P

Scott Gomez - 14 G/45 A 59 P

Brian Gionta - 30 G/24 A 54 P

Michael Cammalleri - 30 G/31 A 61 P

Tomas Plekanec - 23 G/36 A 59 P

Andrei Kostitsyn - 18 G/22 A 40 P

Lars Eller - 16 G/21 A 37 P

Maxim Lapierre - 12 G/15 A 27 P

Travis Moen - 9 G/9 A 18 P

Dustin Boyd - 10 G/10 A 20 P

Jeff Halpren - 6 G/10 A 16 P

Tom Pyatt - 2 G/5 A 7 P

Defense

Andrei Markov - 8 G/31 A 39 P

Jaroslav Spacek - 6 G/23 A 29 P

Roman Hamrlik - 5 G/26 A 31 P

PK Subban - 9 G/29 A 38 P

Hal Gill - 1 G/10 A 11 P

Josh Gorges - 2 G/10 A 12 P

Ryan O'Byrne - 0 G/6 A 6 P

Goalies

Carey Price - 23-23-7 | 2.93 GAA | .907 Sv% 

Alex Auld - 13-12-4 | 2.72 GAA | .909 Sv%

2010-2011 Minnesota Wild Preview

The Minnesota Wild

The American Siberia 

He's got the whole world in his hands... well not the world, just a basement hockey team

Previous Year's Team Stats

38 wins, 36 losses, 8 OTL, 84 points, 20th overall in the league

Team Analysis

The Minnesota Wild enter this year searching for an identity in the organization's 10th year in the NHL. Entering their second season with the team is general manager Chuck Fletcher and head coach Todd Richards who are trying to restructure the Wild's playing style from eight years of being the most defensive focused team in the league to an up-tempo offensive focus. The team struggled mightily last season to adapt to this approach and has suffered quite a few growing pains since the organization's revamp. The Wild lack top tier offensive talent and are a team that's not going in any particular direction at the moment. What the Wild do have is a collection of solid players who could surprise if everything goes right this season. 

The Wild are led up front by captain Mikko Koivu who's developed into one of the best two-way centers in the game. Koivu had a career year last season with 71 points and is one of the finest puck distributors today. Look for Koivu to improve upon his previous year's totals. The Wild signed venerable scorer Martin Havlat to a fat contract last off-season and will expect him to be a significant contributor on offense. Havlat is close to a consistent PPG player when healthy while displaying a solid two-way acumen and bit of a dark side to his game. If Havlat can stay healthy the Wild's offense will get a significant boost from last season. Complimenting the offense is dependable veteran Andrew Brunette who's become a fixture in Minnesota. Brunette has a reputation for performing in the clutch and has become a lock to score 20 goals each season. Look for him to shift between the Wild's first and second line and put in a strong effort as this is a contract year for him. Likely sticking with Koivu is talented two-way winger Antti Miettinen. The Finnish winger has found a bit of a scoring touch since arriving in Minnesota two seasons ago eclipsing 40 points in both campaigns. While Miettinen isn't the most talented offensive player on the Wild the team feels he clicks with Koivu, so he'll likely be getting first line minutes. 

Centering the second line will be recent UFA signee Matt Cullen who was partially brought in for his veteran experience. Matt Cullen is a capable two-way center who will knock down a point every other game and can play on both special teams. Likely playing the opposite wing will be surprising 23-year old Guillaume Latendresse who blossomed with the Wild scoring 37 points in 55 games after a desperately needed change of scenery trade from Montreal. It will be interesting to see if he can keep his momentum from last season and be the go-to goal scorer the Wild desperately need.  Rounding out the top six will talented playmaker Pierre-Marc Bouchard who unfortunately was rocked with a season ending concussion after only one game last season. Bouchard will likely miss a few games to open the season but at the time of this writing he is skating and working out with the team. 

Centering the third line will be former Selke winner John Madden who's coming to the Wild fresh off the third Stanley Cup win of his career. Madden has one of the finest pedigree in the league and has earned a reputation as one of the finest shutdown centers in the game. However Madden is getting a little long in the tooth and showed himself to a lose a step or two in his campaign with Chicago last season. Madden will be looked upon to contribute his veteran experience and to fill the defensive gaps up front. Playing on third line with Madden will be hard working depth scorer Chuck Kobasew who struggled last season with scoring inconsistencies and injury woes. Kobasew is a three time 20-goal scorer and will look to have a bounce back season. Likely playing the opposite wing will be recent UFA signee Eric Nystrom who's another hard working player. Nystrom is being brought in for his untapped offensive potential and to add some grit into the Wild's bottom six. 

Rounding out the forwards group will be a wrecking ball on skates Cal Cutterbuck who's already gained a reputation as one of the most proficient hitters and pests in the league. Centering the fourth line will be Kyle Brodziak who's found a niche for himself as a depth center. Likely playing the opposite wing will be middleweight enforcer Brad Staubitz who was brought to the Wild to fill the pugilistic gap. 

Former ninth overall pick James Sheppard will miss up to four months with a knee injury. Sheppard who has played 224 games with the Wild since breaking into the NHL has his future in doubt right now. 

Role player Robbie Earl, scorer Casey Wellman, Czech depth player Petr Kalus and grinder Colton Gillies could all see games with the Wild this season. 

The Wild are led on the backend by offensive defenseman Marek Zidlicky who scored 43 points last season. Zidlicky has been one of the most consistent point producing defensemen since entering the league however Zidlicky has never been that great in his own zone. Likely playing with Zidlicky will be the Wild's de facto shutdown defenseman Greg Zanon who got the most penalty kill minutes on the blue line in Minnesota last year. Zanon has quietly developed into a very good stay at home defenseman and will once again be counted upon to take the bulk of defensive minutes. 

Wild fans are very intrigued by 25-year old Brent Burns who's developed into a very respectable three zone minute eating defenseman. Burns was another Wild player who struggled through an injury filled campaign last year but has quietly blossomed into a potential top defenseman. If Burns can stay healthy look for him to become Minnesota's top defenseman this year while posting over 30 points. Playing with Burns will likely be capable minute eating defenseman Nick Schultz who averaged over 20 minutes a game last season. Schultz has never really found his offensive game in the NHL but will play on both the power play and penalty kill for Minnesota.

The third pairing will likely see former third overall pick Cam Barker get significant playing time. Barker has the potential to be a first tier offensive contributor but has some serious holes in his defensive game. Look for Barker to be one of the main contributors on the Wild's powerplay and to have his role slowly expanded. Playing with Barker will likely be gritty defensive defenseman Clayton Stoner who has the finest last name in all of hockey. Stoner was yet another Wild to have injury woes last season but will be the Wild's sixth defenseman.

Niklas Backstrom had a very pedestrian year by his standards last season in his fourth year as the Wild's number one goaltender. The team's shift in emphasis from defense to offense significantly hurt Backstrom's numbers and served to cause an inconsistent season for a goalie who had been a perennial name on top ten goalie lists. Backstrom is one of the highest paid goalies in the league and has a NTC so the Wild are stuck with him and can only hope that he'll bounce back. Backing up Backstrom will be 26-year old Josh Harding who's been the subject of trade rumors in virtually all of his five years in the NHL. Harding is an extremely talented goalie who has number one potential if he can get an opportunity and stay healthy. Look for Harding to play 25-30 games.

Team Trending

The Wild seem to be trying to institute a rebuild on the fly that they haven't seen any dividends from yet. While this team had a woeful streak of injuries and adjusting to a new system last year, it lacks the top end talent necessary to become a playoff threat. This season for the Wild will be about GM Chuck Fletcher continuing to add pieces to the core of his team and hoping his team can get hot. Look for the Wild to come in somewhere between 19th-23rd in the league. 

BVB Opening Night Projected Line-Up

Brunette-Koivu-Miettinen

Latendresse-Cullen-Havlat

Nystrom-Madden-Kobasew

Staubitz-Brodziak-Clutterbuck

Zidlicky-Zanon

Burns-Schultz

Barker-Stoner

Backstrom

Harding

Player Projections

Forwards

Andrew Brunette - 27 G/32 A 59 P

Mikko Koivu - 24 G/55 A 79 P

Antti Miettinen - 22 G/21 A 43 P

Guillaume Latendresse - 32 G/26 A 58 P

Matt Cullen - 14 G/35 A 49 P

Martin Havlat - 23 G/36 A 59 P

Eric Nystrom - 13 G/13 A 26 P

John Madden - 11 G/14 A 25 P

Chuck Kobasew - 19 G/15 A 34 P

Brad Staubitz - 2 G/4 A 6 P

Kyle Brodziak - 7 G/20 A 27 P

Cal Cutterbuck - 12 G/10 A 22 P

Defense

Marek Zidlicky - 7 G/30 A 37 P

Greg Zanon - 1 G/15 A 16 P

Brent Burns - 4 G/24 A 28 P

Nick Schultz - 3 G/15 A 18 P

Cam Barker - 7 G/21 A 28 P

Clayton Stoner - 0 G/9 A 9 P 

Goalies

Niklas Backstrom - 24-24-8 | 2.80 GAA | .906 Sv%

Josh Harding - 11-13-2 | 2.97 GAA | .905 Sv%