a bit of preview of each division to get things started:
==========
2001-02 NHL Atlantic Division Preview
October 2, 2001
-- The Pittsburgh Penguins traded "J.J." The Philadelphia Flyers signed "J.R." and traded "The Big E" to the New York Rangers. And the New Jersey Devils' "A-Line" looks to dominate the league again.
Following the Atlantic Division this season will be as easy as ABC.
The trades of two of the NHL's biggest stars dominated the news over the summer, but the fact that several Atlantic Division teams improved themselves through free agency was somewhat overlooked.
Jaromir Jagr knew the 2000-01 season would be his last in Pittsburgh. And on July 11, it became official. The former Hart Trophy winner was shipped to the Washington Capitals for three prospects -- Kris Beech, Michal Sivek and Ross Lupaschuk -- with a combined four games of NHL experience.
That's not exactly the package one would expect the best player in the league to command, but Pittsburgh's financial woes tied the hands of general manager Craig Patrick.
Even without the NHL's leading scorer for the past four seasons, the Penguins boast a potent offense. Team owner and Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux returned last season after a 3 1/2-year absence and had 35 goals and 41 assists in just 43 games. The unit of Martin Straka, Robert Lang and Alexei Kovalev combined for 103 goals and 270 points and earned the nickname "Arbitration Line" in the offseason as a result of their collective contract status.
Despite the lack of a top-flight defenseman, the Penguins performed admirably before being overmatched by the Devils in the Eastern Conference finals. Hard-hitting Darius Kasparaitis returns to lead the underrated group, but the loss of workhorse Bob Boughner via free agency and a knee injury to Janne Laukkanen will force others to fill the void.
The biggest surprise for the Penguins last season was not the return of Mario but the emergence of goaltender Johan Hedberg. The 28-year-old Swede played just nine regular-season games before leading the Pens to the conference finals. It will be interesting to see how Hedberg handles a full season it the NHL.
The Eric Lindros saga finally is over in Philadelphia. After years of concussions and a bitter feud with general manager Bob Clarke, Lindros will suit up for the team he was thought to have been traded to in 1992 -- the Rangers.
Following a third concussion in four months in the 2000 conference finals, Lindros sat out the 2000-01 campaign while vowing never to play for the Flyers again. Months passed before Clarke received an offer he couldn't refuse from Rangers general manager Glen Sather, and Lindros was headed to the Big Apple.
Many say the price Sather paid for a player whose next shift could be his last was too steep -- and extraordinarily more than the Capitals gave up for Jagr. On paper, they're right.
The Flyers add Jan Hlavac, a 25-year-old left wing who scored 28 goals last season; Kim Johnsson, a 25-year-old defenseman who showed he can be a solid contributor; and Pavel Brendl, a 20-year-old right wing oozing with potential but seemingly lacking discipline. If Brendl blossoms into the player most think he can be, this trade will be more lopsided than it already looks.
Philadelphia strengthened itself well before the Lindros trade, however. Center Jeremy Roenick was signed away from Phoenix to give the Flyers two top-flight scoring lines, and veteran Eric Weinrich was brought in to help take some of the defensive load off captain Eric Desjardins.
Jiri Dopita, considered the best player outside North America, was acquired from Florida and signed to a two-year contract. He never played for the Panthers, opting to remain in his native Czech Republic. The fact that his and Flyers goaltender Roman Cechmanek's wives are best friends was instrumental in his decision to finally come to the NHL.
After leading the league with a 2.01 goals-against average, Cechmanek had a less than stellar postseason, causing some concern. The 30-year-old will have to carry the Flyers deep into the playoffs to avoid more criticism. With players like Roenick, Keith Primeau, John LeClair, Mark Recchi and Simon Gagne supplying the offense, Cechmanek shouldn't worry about putting up double-digit shutouts, as he did last season.
After years of futility, the New York Islanders appear on the verge of respectability.
Having missed the playoffs every season since 1993-94, general manager Mike Milbury pulled the trigger on two major draft day deals, acquiring established centers Alexei Yashin and Michael Peca. Some of the team's youth was sacrificed in the deals, with the likes of defenseman Zdeno Chara and forwards Tim Connolly, Bill Muckalt and Taylor Pyatt leaving town. But they were moves Milbury had to make to show Islanders' fans he was serious about building a contender.
If the Isles really expect to even sniff the postseason, their goaltending will have to improve dramatically. While 20-year-old Rick DiPietro shows signs of being a top-notch netminder, he may not be ready to shoulder the load. Enter Chris Osgood.
Milbury claimed Osgood in the waiver draft and expects him to help lead the Isles to the playoffs. Free agent Garth Snow also was brought in and gives first-year coach Peter Laviolette depth should DiPietro need more seasoning in the minors.
The defense is solid, if not spectacular. Roman Hamrlik is entering his 10th season and still may not have shown his best. Kenny Jonsson and newcomer Adrian Aucoin are offensive complements while Eric Cairns hits anything that comes his way.
Right wing Mariusz Czerkawski should improve on his 30-goal season with Yashin as his center, and left wing Brad Isbister looks for an injury-free campaign after missing 31 games last season.
If acquiring Lindros does anything for the Rangers, it proves that Sather is still unsure about which way to steer his team.
It seemed the Rangers were headed toward a youth movement. But after shipping three of their bright young players to Philadelphia, one wonders where Sather is headed. While he contends he could afford to trade Hlavac, Johnsson and Brendl, the risk still seems high.
If Lindros plays concussion-free hockey for several years and performs at a high level, and if Hlavac, Johnsson and Brendl don't turn into major stars, the risk was worth it. But those are big ifs.
And if acquiring the oft-injured Lindros wasn't enough, Sather signed defenseman Bryan Berard to a tryout contract on the eve of the regular season. Berard was forced into retirement 18 months ago after suffering a serious eye injury and losing much of his vision.
Another area that must be addressed is goaltending. Mike Richter appears healthy again after season-ending knee surgery. But who will back him up? Are youngsters Johan Holmqvist or Dan Blackburn ready? Is retread Peter Skudra capable if Richter goes down again?
The Rangers also are hoping that right wing Theo Fleury is able to pick up where he left off. Fleury was enjoying a comeback season with 74 points in 62 games before checking himself into a substance abuse rehabilitation program. Skating alongside Lindros should open more ice for him. Petr Nedved, who led Rangers' forwards with 32 goals and 78 points, may move to left wing with Lindros and Fleury.
The rest of the Rangers' offense is riddled with question marks. Does 40-year-old Mark Messier have anything left? Can Zdeno Ciger perform in the NHL after being out of the league for five years? Can Radek Dvorak score 30 goals without Czech linemates Hlavac and Nedved? How much will the Rangers miss Adam Graves' grit and leadership? Who will play on the third and fourth lines?
And the question all Rangers fans will ask on a daily basis -- how long will it be before Lindros suffers another concussion?
While the other four Atlantic Division teams have made trades to improve themselves, the Devils have done very little.
One could argue that a team that has reached the Stanley Cup Finals two years in a row has no need to improve. But with the already formidable Flyers getting better and the Islanders moving forward for a change, the Devils' big offseason acquisition was 37-year-old defenseman Tommy Albelin.
Adding Albelin to a defense that features fellow 37-year-olds Scott Stevens and Ken Daneyko could mean that goaltender Martin Brodeur will have to be on top of his game at all times.
Brodeur has played 87 percent of New Jersey's games over the past six years, a number that could increase this season. With no established backup, the Devils must choose from a pool of rookies consisting of Ari Ahonen, Scott Clemmensen, J.F. Damphousse and Frederic Henry.
Replacing Alexander Mogilny's 43 goals also is a concern for coach Larry Robinson. Mogilny signed with Toronto over the summer, leaving a major void on the second line. Robinson may look to rookies Pierre Dagenais and Jiri Bicek to step up.
The loss of Mogilny also will put more pressure on the "A Line" of Patrik Elias, Petr Sykora and Jason Arnott. Elias was third in the league with 96 points and Sykora added 81. Arnott played just 54 games after holding out but still managed to average a point per contest. The trio will be together from the start of the season for the first time.
The Devils pride themselves on a workmanlike attitude, discipline and an ability to come through when the chips are down. Whether it's Scott Gomez, Randy McKay, John Madden, Sergei Brylin, Sergei Nemchinov, Bobby Holik or Turner Stevenson, New Jersey always seems to get the big goal when needed.
2001-02 NHL Northeast Division Preview
October 2, 2001
-- One season after finishing second in the Eastern Conference and suffering yet another early playoff exit, the Ottawa Senators look to exorcise their postseason demons.
But in one of the NHL's tightest divisions, Ottawa may not find the going so easy this season.
The Senators led the division last season with 274 goals and cruised to the Northeast title. Optimism in Canada's capital quickly dissipated thanks to a listless, four-game sweep at the hands of the Toronto Maple Leafs in the conference quarterfinals. It was Ottawa's third straight first-round exit.
Now the Senators are without Alexei Yashin, who owns franchise records in virtually all offensive categories but was traded to the New York Islanders on draft day. In return, Ottawa used the second overall draft pick on potential franchise center Jason Spezza. It also got hulking defenseman Zdeno Chara and pesky forward Bill Muckalt.
The 18-year-old Spezza may get a chance to contribute immediately. Marian Hossa and Shawn McEachern each scored 32 goals and captain Daniel Alfredsson and Radek Bonk added 24 and 23, respectively. Look for a big season from Martin Havlat, the 20-year-old Czech winger who was a Calder Trophy finalist after collecting 42 points.
Ottawa's defense, which allowed the third-fewest goals in the conference last season, is one of the steadiest in the NHL and got stronger with the acquisition of the 6-9 Chara. Wade Redden, 24, is one of the best two-way defenders in the league.
Patrick Lalime was brilliant between the pipes last season and was rewarded with a three-year contarct. The 27-year-old Quebec native shattered team records for wins and shutouts and will be backed up by Jani Hurme, who was 12-5-4 as a rookie last season.
The Buffalo Sabres will begin life without Dominik Hasek. Arguably the world's best goaltender, the 36-year-old Hasek was shipped to Detroit over the summer for left wing Slava Kozlov, a first-round draft pick and future considerations after the small-market Sabres elected not to pick up Hasek's $9 million option.
Trying to fill Hasek's enormous -- and unorthodox skates -- is 24-year-old Martin Biron, a former first-round pick and four-year veteran. Mika Noronen lost the battle to serve as backup to journeyman Bob Essensa, but Hobey Baker Award winner Ryan Miller is waiting in the wings.
The offense will be revamped after the offseason trade of former captain Michael Peca to the New York Islanders. One of the game's best defensive forwards sat out all of last season but fetched playmaking center Tim Connolly and rugged left wing Taylor Pyatt.
Buffalo figures to struggle for goals, with Miroslav Satan, Stu Barnes and J.P. Dumont counted on to carry the load. Pyatt, 20, a consistent goal-scorer in junior hockey, had 18 points in 78 games as a rookie.
The Boston Bruins were two different teams last season, going 22-14-7 when Byron Dafoe was in the net and just 14-16-1 when he wasn't. It was the lack of a reliable backup for the oft-injured Dafoe that doomed Boston's playoff hopes.
When healthy, the 30-year-old Dafoe is one of the best goalies in the league. His backup will come from among John Grahame, Andrew Raycroft and newcomer Tim Thomas.
Another huge factor in determining the Bruins' postseason fate is center Jason Allison, whose 95 points last season ranked fifth in the league. But his salary demands had Boston thinking trade around draft day. Even though the Bruins are loaded up front with Joe Thornton, Bill Guerin, Sergei Samsonov and free-agent sogmee Martin Lapointe, Allison would give them two lethal line combinations.
Carrying the bulk of the goal-scoring load will be Guerin, the Massachusetts native who scored a career-high 40 last season. Thornton added 37 and Samsonov and Lapointe flirted with 30.
The defense remains thin, however. Kyle McLaren, already in his seventh season at just 24, is steady and Hal Gill continues to develop. Sean O'Donnell was brought in as a free agent and will add veteran leadership to a group that includes youngsters Nick Boynton and Jonathan Girard.
After an unimpressive regular season and surprising playoff run, the Toronto Maple Leafs appear ready to return to the kind of wide-open style they employed in 1999-2000.
Alexander Mogilny was signed as a free agent after scoring 43 goals for New Jersey last season and Mikael Renberg and Robert Reichel return to the NHL after being acquired in separate trades with Phoenix.
They join an offense anchored by Mats Sundin, who is coming off his sixth straight 70-point season. Gary Roberts and Jonas Hoglund also topped the 20-goal mark.
Led by goaltender Curtis Joseph, Toronto swept favored Ottawa before losing to the Devils again in seven games in the conference semifinals. Joseph, 34, faced the second-most shots of any NHL netminder last season and won 33 games. The Canadian Olympian figures to work even harder in 2001-02.
An already-thin defense corps was reduced by the trade that sent Danny Markov to Phoenix. Dmitry Yushkevich, preseason holdout Tomas Kaberle, Bryan McCabe and Aki Berg do not exactly instill confidence.
As if the Montreal Canadiens' outlook was not bad enough, the once-proud franchise learned over the summer that captain Saku Koivu was diagnosed with non-Hodkin's lymphoma, putting his career in doubt.
Montreal, which has missed the playoffs an unprecedented three straight seasons, is in serious danger of extending that streak. In Koivu's absence, the Canadiens are expected to go with a No. 1 line of Europeans Jan Bulis, Martin Rucinsky and Richard Zednik.
Veteran Joe Juneau was acquired from Phoenix, Yanic Perreault signed as a free agent and Brian Savage will try to stay healthy and improve on a team-best 21 goals. But only two Eastern Conference teams scored fewer goals than Montreal.
The defense is an unimpressive group led by veteran Patrice Brisebois, who can become a free agent at the end of the season. His minus-31 rating was worst in the NHL and made him a whipping boy for fans of the bleu, blanc et rouge. Stephane Robidas had a solid rookie campaign and Craig Rivet is coming off an injury-plagued season.
With Jeff Hackett injured most of 2000-01, Jose Theodore proved he can handle the pressure that goes with being the Canadiens' No. 1 goalie. Mathieu Garon, a 23-year-old prospect, played 11 games and could get a shot if Montreal unloads Hackett.
The 2001-02 season shapes up as question-filled in the Northeast Division. Will Yashin be missed in Ottawa? Can Biron make western New York forget "The Dominator?" Will Allison survive the whole campaign in Boston? How will the Maple Leafs adapt to another change in style? And can the Canadiens overcome the loss -- emotionally and on the ice -- of Koivu?
2001-02 NHL Southeast Division Preview
October 2, 2001
-- The division known as the "Southleast" last season has undergone some radical changes for 2001-02 with the addition of a couple of big-name players.
The Washington Capitals have emerged as legitimate Stanley Cup contenders with the acquisition of Jaromir Jagr. The five-time NHL scoring champion adds the kind of offensive stability that the Capitals have failed to achieve.
Jagr not only will provide goals, but he'll occasionally help less talented teammates blossom.
The Capitals' three leading goal-scorers -- Peter Bondra, Steve Konowalchuk and Jeff Halpern -- return with few complaints. And strong seasons by Chris Simon, Dainius Zubrus and Trevor Linden would help Washington establish itself as an offensive force.
The Caps should have few worries on defense. Their blue line don't have a lot of flashy names, but it usually gets the job done. Joe Reekie, Brendan Witt, Sylvain Cote and Rob Zettler are solid behind the blue line and Sergei Gonchar and Calle Johansson are just as talented in front of it.
Olaf Kolzig strung together another solid late season, finishing 37-26-8, and there is no reason to think he won't do it for a third straight year.
The Florida Panthers look to rebound from a horrid 66-point season in which they underwent several changes on and off the ice.
Coach Duane Sutter, who took over late in 2000-01, is focused on getting the Panthers back to their Stanley Cup Finals form, a group with both skill and grit.
The biggest offseason additions to Florida's roster came in a draft day trade that sent original Panther Rob Niedermayer to the Calgary Flames for Valeri Bure and Jason Wiemer.
Sutter is expected to start Bure on the second line. However, if the team struggles offensively -- a common ailment last season -- Sutter may decide to reunite the 2000 All-Star Game's most dominant line of Bure, older brother Pavel and Viktor Kozlov.
Wiemer is one key to Sutter's plan to add more grit. The other is Bill Lindsay, one of Florida's few free agent acquisitions.
Also returning are a capable group of youngsters that includes Marcus Nilson, Denis Shvidki and Ivan Novoseltsev.
The Panthers also plan to debut Kristian Huselius, who has emerged as a top European prospect. Huselius captured all six offensive scoring titles in the Swedish Elitserien last season, a feat believed to be a first.
Florida improved its defense by subtracting slow, mistake-prone players. But other than that, the Panthers did little to upgrade a squad that gave up an average of three goals per game.
Paul Laus will move back to defense to provide some much-needed leadership and physical play a young group. Unless someone else emerges as a solid offensive defenseman, Bret Hedican and Robert Svehla will be looked to for the occasional offensive spurt.
Unlike 2000-01, Florida's goaltending situation is clear heading into the season. Roberto Luongo is the No. 1, having survived his rookie season with a 2.24 goals-against average and sparking .920 save percentage in spite of a porous defense.
Tampa Bay Lightning general manager Rick Dudley has constructed a team with talent and desire to play in a traditionally weak market. But he could start the season without the key that makes the machine run -- Vincent Lecavalier.
Tampa Bay's captain and emerging superstar, Lecavalier is a restricted free agent who had not re-signed as opening night approached.
The Lightning still has some talent up front in Calder Trophy finalist Brad Richards, All-Star Fredrik Modin and free agent pickup Dave Andreychuk. Dudley also is hoping that newcomers Juha Ylonen, Vaclav Prospal and prospect Jimmie Olvestad can provide a spark.
Dudley solved his goaltending problem late last season by acquiring Nikolai Khabibulin. The Russian missed nearly two years during a contract holdout in Phoenix and showed some signs of rust. But he's a workhorse and combined with Kevin Weekes to form a solid 1-2 tandem.
The Lightning finally may get a chance to see if their young defense can evolve into one of the NHL's best. The group includes Pavel Kubina, Andrei Zyuzin, Sergey Gusev, towering Kristian Kudroc and Cory Sarich.
Still, Tampa Bay's success weighs heavily on whether management can re-sign Lecavalier. Without the 21-year-old on the ice and in the locker room, the Lightning go from playoff contender to bottom feeder.
The Carolina Hurricanes returned to the playoffs last season but have done little to improve since.
The offseason brought only three new faces to Raleigh -- winger Chris Dingman, defenseman Aaron Ward and goaltender Tom Barrasso. None of them give Carolina enough to contend for the division title.
To make back-to-back playoff appearances for the first time in a decade, the Hurricanes will rely on the core they've put together over the past few years.
Carolina's 20-goal scorers -- Jeff O'Neill, Sami Kapanen, Rod Brind'Amour, Martin Gelinas and Shane Willis -- will continue to shoulder the offensive load.
If the Hurricanes are to see any improvement, youngsters Josef Vasicek and Tommy Westlund will have to improve on rookie seasons that featured mixed results.
Carolina's defense has undergone some slight changes with the departure of Kevin Hatcher and the emergence of youngster David Tanabe, who had 29 points as a rookie and excelled in the postseason.
Defenseman Sandis Ozolinsh was a disappointment in his first season on Tobacco Road and quickly became the subject of trade rumors. The underachieving 29-year-old could snap out of his funk this season, but he could be playing elsewhere if he doesn't.
The presence of Barrasso, who was out of hockey last season, should reduce the workload on goaltender Arturs Irbe. The diminutive Lativan played 77 games last season and was third in the NHL with 37 wins.
The Atlanta Thrashers showed signs of tremendous improvement early last season, but don't expect the same in 2001-02.
Atlanta's top scoring line of Andrew Brunette, Donald Audette and Ray Ferraro systematically was dismantled through trades and free agency to make way for youngsters Dany Heatley and Ilja Kovalchuk.
Heatley and Kovalchuk both were rated at the top of their respective draft classes in 2000 and 2001 and look ready to move into the Thrashers' lineup. If both don't come undone by pressure like former No. 1 pick Patrik Stefan has, they can contend for the Calder Trophy.
While Ferraro will assume the role as Atlanta's third team captain, he cannot be expected to reproduce a 76-point season at the age of 37. Tomi Kallio, Hnat Domenichelli and Stefan must fill the voids left by Brunette and Audette.
The addition of free agents Tony Hrkac and Bob Corkum should provide veteran leadership for the plethora of youngsters expected to pass through the Thrashers' locker room.
Atlanta's defense should receive a big boost from the return of former All-Star Petr Buzek, who missed all but five games last season. He and Frantisek Kaberle should comprise one solid pairing, but more is expected from veterans like Jiri Slegr.
Milan Hnilicka appears to have secured the starting role in net after a gold medal performance for the Czech Republic at the 2001 World Championships and a solid preseason.
2001-02 NHL Central Division Preview
October 2, 2001
-- With last season's painful first-round playoff exit still fresh in their minds, the revamped Detroit Red Wings look primed to claim their sixth division title in nine years.
The offseason additions of snipers Brett Hull and Luc Robitaille (1,239 career goals combined) to an attack that already features Steve Yzerman, Brendan Shanahan and Sergei Fedorov gives the Red Wings one of the league's strongest group of forwards.
But it was the acquisition of world-class goaltender Dominik Hasek from Buffalo that will put Detroit atop the list of teams favored to dethrone the Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche.
After winning his sixth Vezina Trophy to move within one off Jacques Plante's record, the 36-year-old Hasek needs only a Stanley Cup ring to complete a resume that will land him in the Hall of Fame.
The arrival of "The Dominator" and the emergence of backup Manny Legace spelled the end of the Chris Osgood era in "Hockeytown." An eight-year Red Wing who backstopped the club to the Stanley Cup in 1998, Osgood was claimed in the waiver draft by the New York Islanders.
Playing in front of Hasek is a defense led by Norris Trophy winner Nicklas Lidstrom, a group of 30- and 40-somethings that includes Fredrik Olausson, Steve Duchesne and Chris Chelios, and unproven youngsters like Jiri Fischer.
Another team that was busy in the offseason was the St. Louis Blues, who reached the Western Conference finals before losing to Colorado in five games, three of which were decided in overtime.
After capturing the Presidents' Trophy with a team-record 51 wins in 1999-00, the Blues fought off injuries to key players last season and finished second in the division.
With defensemen Chris Pronger and Al MacInnis both healthy after missing a combined 54 games and the arrival of playmaking center Doug Weight, St. Louis should remain strong enough to challenge Detroit.
Acquired from Edmonton on July 1, Weight replaces Pierre Turgeon between fellow Americans Keith Tkachuk (35 goals) and Scott Young (career-high 40 goals) to form of hockey's top lines. Tkachuk, however, scored just two goals in 15 playoff games.
Also returning from injury is speedy winger Pavol Demitra, who had 20 goals in just 44 games. Cory Stillman, Dallas Drake, Scott Mellanby and Mike Keane provide veteran leadership and a lot of grit.
The biggest question mark for St. Louis will be in goal. Although the team was ecstatic with Brent Johnson's solid season -- 19 wins and a 2.17 goals-against average -- the playoffs convinced the Blues to part with Roman Turek.
After recording 66 wins over two seasons, Turek was dealt to Calgary on draft day for Fred Brathwaite, a soon-to-be 29-year-old who has yet to appear in a postseason contest.
The Nashville Predators are entering their fourth NHL season and appear ready to challenge for a playoff spot.
Thanks to the goaltending tandem of U.S. Olympian Mike Dunham and the maturing Tomas Vokoun, the Predators set team records in wins (34), points (80) and goals-against (200) last season. Nasdhville also was one of only three teams that had eight players appear in at least 80 games.
In only three seasons, the Predators have become of toughest teams to play against -- at home or on the road. One of the reasons is the defense-oriented system incorporated by coach Barry Trotz, who has been with the club since its inception.
Playing within the system are speedy two-way forwards like Cliff Ronning. One of the NHL's most underrated players, he enters his 15th season after leading Nashville in scoring with 62 points. With 31 power-play points, Ronning served as the catalyst for a unit that scored a team-record 51 times with the man advantage.
Right wing Scott Walker was the team's biggest surprise, netting a career-best 25 goals and leading the Preds with nine power-play tallies and three shorthanded goals. Nashville is hoping for more from youngsters David Legwand, Marian Cisar and Scott Hartnell.
A solid if unspectacular defense corps was bolstered in the offseason with the acquisition of Andy Delmore from Philadelphia. A postseason hero in 2000, the 24-year-old Delmore joins Kimmo Timonen and veterans Bill Houlder and Cale Hulse.
While things seem to be looking up for Nashville, the future of the Chicago Blackhawks remains clouded. The Hawks enter the 2002 season with Brian Sutter, their seventh coach in eight seasons, and have missed the playoffs each of the last four years.
Sutter replaces Alpo Suhonen behind the bench and inherits a roster that performed with little or no regard for the defensive zone. Once considered one of the NHL's toughest teams to play against, Chicago surrendered a conference-worst 246 goals.
Despite their shortcomings, the Blackhawks still boast a solid offense, which used to begin and end with right wing Tony Amonte. Although Amonte scored 35 goals last season, Chicago got career efforts from a trio of other players.
Amonte, Steve Sullivan (34), Eric Daze (33) and Michael Nylander (25) accounted for more than 60 percent of the team's production. All remain key cogs in Chicago's attack, although the 31-year-old Amonte -- an unrestricted free agent at season's end -- could be moved before the trade deadline.
Veteran winger Steve Thomas and center Igor Korolev both were acquired from Toronto over the summer and could help at both ends of the ice.
Sutter received some good news when defenseman Jon Klemm was signed as a free agent after winning another Stanley Cup with Colorado. The 6-3 Klemm adds experience to a largely untested unit.
If Chicago has any chance of competing for a playoff spot, it needs strong seasons from defensemen Alexander Karpovtsev and Boris Mironov and center Alexei Zhamnov. The trio of Russians suffered through miserable campaigns in 2000-01.
Goaltender Jocelyn Thibault had the unenviable task of playing behind a porous defense and often performed better than his 2.81 GAA. Entering his eighth season and still just 26, he has proven capable of handling the No. 1 job.
Like most young franchises, the Columbus Blue Jackets head into their second season with one simple wish -- to improve on what they accomplished as an expansion team.
Columbus again will have a problem scoring goals. Aside from signing veteran center Mike Sillinger, the Blue Jackets did little in the offseason to improve on an offense that ranked 26th with 190 goals.
Sillinger's two-way play should benefit left wing Geoff Sanderson, who led the team with 30 goals and 56 points. It was the smooth-skating forward's fifth season with 30 or more goals but his first since 1997. Columbus is hoping for more from Ray Whitney, who is coming off a injury-plagued season.
Norwegian center Espen Knutsen established career highs in virtually every offensive category with 11 goals, 42 assists and 27 power-play points.
General manager Doug Maclean is committed to building through defense and goaltending, which is evident in his drafting of prized prospect Rostislav Klesla with the first pick in 1999 and promising goalie Pascal Leclaire with the eighth overall selection last June.
All eyes will be on Klesla, the 19-year-old who made an impression during an eight-game stint last season and is expected to quarterback the power play. Deron Quint, Mattias Timander, Jamie Pushor and captain Lyle Odelein return for a team that allowed 2.84 goals a game in 2000-01.
The goaltending tandem of Marc Denis and Ron Tugnutt is a solid one.
2001-02 NHL Pacific Division Preview
October 2, 2001
-- The Pacific Division is more like two sub-divisions, with the Dallas Stars, San Jose Sharks and Los Angeles Kings fighting at the top and the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and Phoenix Coyotes wallowing at the bottom.
The Stars have a different look as they seek their sixth consecutive division title. After getting swept by the St. Louis Blues in the Western Conference semifinals for their earliest playoff exit since 1997, Dallas allowed veterans Brett Hull, Mike Keane and Grant Ledyard to leave as free agents.
Few executives have mastered free agency the way general manager Bob Gainey has. With his team moving into the new American Airlines Center, he wasted no time adding playmaking center Pierre Turgeon and scrappy left wing Rob DiMaio. Donald Audette was brought on to replace Hull, Pat Verbeek returned from Detroit and Gainey took a chance on Valeri Kamensky, who returns to the Western Conference after two dismal seasons with the New York Rangers.
Turgeon, Mike Modano and Joe Nieuwendyk give Stars coach Ken Hitchcock three top offensive centers. The beneficiaries should be wingers like Audette, Jere Lehtinen, Brenden Morrow and Jamie Langenbrunner.
Jyrki Lumme was acquired from Phoenix and joins Derian Hatcher, Sergei Zubov, Darryl Sydor and Richard Matvichuk on a defense that does a great job of limiting the shots faced by goaltenders Ed Belfour and Marty Turco.
To call the relationship between Belfour and Hitchcock strained would be putting it mildly. Belfour left the team briefly last season, but the two have been able to co-exist for four years, during which Dallas has won no fewer than 43 games.
Turco impressed as a rookie, going 13-6-1 with three shutouts, a 1.90 goals-against average and .925 save percentage.
Goaltending also is not a concern in San Jose, where Evgeni Nabokov went from backup to Calder Trophy winner in less than a year. The 26-year-old from Kazakhstan won 32 games, recorded six shutouts and posted an impressive 2.19 GAA.
Miikka Kiprusof moves into the backup role and got a taste of playoff pressure when he spelled Nabokov in Games Four and Five of the Western Conference quarterfinals.
Ironically, the Sharks took a deeper, stronger squad into the playoffs, only to lose to the same Blues' team it eliminated a year earlier.
San Jose was stronger because it acquired sniper Teemu Selanne from Anaheim last March, adding him to a roster that has a solid mix of veterans and youth. Unfortunately for coach Darryl Sutter, captain Owen Nolan saw his production drop by 20 goals and center Vincent Damphousse missed nearly half the season with a shoulder injury.
Patrick Marleau, a 22-year-old center entering his fourth season, appears on the verge of stardom. The Sharks cannot ask for more from Mike Ricci, but the same is not true for wingers Marco Sturm and Alexander Korolyuk.
Defenseman Brad Stuart slumped offensively in his second season, but 21-year-old Jeff Jillson figures to join the blue line mix after starring at the University of Michigan. Veterans Gary Suter, Bryan Marchment and Marcus Ragnarsson comprise the rest of a solid unit.
While San Jose was a postseason disappointment, Los Angeles exceeded anyone's expectations. The team that had not won a playoff series since 1993 rallied for an emotional victory over Detroit in the opening round, then extended the eventual Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche to seven games.
A major reason was goalie Felix Potvin, who was cast off by the Vancouver Canucks but recorded five shutouts in 23 regular-season games with the Kings and two more in the conference semifinals.
Should "The Cat" falter, Jamie Storr and Stephane Fiset are still around.
Kings coach Andy Murray was able to get his team to compensate for the loss of Rob Blake down the stretch and into the postseason. Doing it over an 82-game season is another story.
Lubomir Visnovsky won a spot on the NHL All-Rookie team, Mathieu Schneider quarterbacked the power play and Aaron Miller, Mattias Norstrom and Jere Karalahti are steady if unspectacular. But a player as good as Blake will be missed over the long haul.
The same can be said for Luc Robitaille, who took his 37 goals to Detroit as a free agent. Steve Heinze signed with Los Angeles after combining for 27 goals with expansion Columbus and Buffalo.
Ziggy Palffy remains a legitimate sniper, although his production slipped in the playoffs. While Bryan Smolinski may have overachieved last season, No. 1 center Jozef Stumpel underachieved. Acquired in the Blake deal, Adam Deadmarsh almost instantly became a locker room leader. Eric Belanger enjoyed a stellar rookie season and is part of Los Angeles' contingent of role-players.
By reaching the Western Conference semifinals, the Kings won as many playoff series as the Ducks have in their eight-year history. And Anaheim's prospects of returning to the postseason appear bleak.
Paul Kariya remains one of the NHL's elite players, but the Ducks never have been able to supply him with an adequate supporting cast. The team waited too long to trade Selanne and is hoping Jeff Friesen bounces back from a disappointing 14-goal season.
Anaheim's No. 1 center, Steve Rucchin, missed all but 16 games with a broken cheekbone and post-concussion syndrome. His return will help, but the Ducks never have boasted much scoring depth. Left wing Mike Leclerc showed potential and Matt Cullen collected 30 assists in his third NHL season. But he must improve an alarming minus-23 rating.
Anaheim's strength will be inside its own blue line. Veteran defensemen Keith Carney and Jason York were added in the offseason and Oleg Tverdovsky was one of few bright spots in 2000-01 with his second straight 50-point campaign.
The Ducks appear set in net with Jean-Sebastien Giguere splitting time with Steve Shields, who came over with Friesen in the Selanne deal. Giguere made 23 straight starts down the stretch and posted four shutouts and a .911 save percentage.
Goaltenders Sean Burke and Robert Esche are two of very few familiar names in Phoenix, where Coyotes co-owner Wayne Gretzky began his rebuilding program last season by trading away captain Keith Tkachuk. Jeremy Roenick jumped to Philadelphia as a free agent and Lumme and Carney also moved on.
Michal Handzus and Ladislav Nagy were acquired in the Tkachuk trade, sniper Sergei Berezin and defenseman Danny Markov came over in separate deals with Toronto and Daymond Langkow was obtained from Philadelphia.
Superpest Claude Lemieux and Shane Doan are the best of the Coyotes' holdovers. Lemieux played just 46 games after signing late, but Doan is coming off back-to-back 26-goal seasons. How he fares without linemates Tkachuk and Roenick remains to be seen.
It should be an interesting season for Burke and Esche as they play behind a defense anchored by new captain Teppo Numminen. Markov and Ossi Vaananen are the best of the rest.
2001-02 NHL Northwest Division Preview
October 2, 2001
-- Ray Bourque has retired and Peter Forsberg is not ready to return to hockey. But the Colorado Avalanche should have no trouble repeating as Northwest Division champions.
Colorado capped a run of seven consecutive division titles last season with a second Stanley Cup championship. Just over two weeks later, Bourque ended his 22-year career. In mid-September, Forsberg -- still recovering from an emergency splenectomy -- surprised teammates and Avalanche executives when he announced he was taking a leave of absence.
Make no mistake, however, Colorado is loaded and faces little opposition as it tries to remain the only team to win the Northwest Division since the NHL switched to its current divisional format four years ago.
The Vancouver Canucks pose the most serious threat to the Avalanche's dominance but head into the season with a big question mark in the net. After trading away captain Doug Weight, the Edmonton Oilers are regrouping.
The Calgary Flames are breaking in another new coach and have not reached the playoffs since 1996. And the Minnesota Wild are taking baby steps in just their second season.
Not long after winning the Stanley Cup, Colorado general manager Pierre Lacroix acted swiftly to retain three blocks in the team's foundation. Just before the start of the free agent signing period, Lacroix re-signed Hart Trophy winner Joe Sakic, Conn Smythe Trophy winner Patrick Roy and former Norris Trophy winner Rob Blake to multi-year contracts.
Sakic may have had better statistical seasons but 2000-01 was the finest of his career. He was second in the NHL with 118 points while leading the league with 12 game-winning goals and a plus-45. And for the first time, he was a finalist for the Selke Trophy as the NHL's best defensive forward.
More importantly, he helped turn young linemates Milan Hejduk and Alex Tanguay into budding stars.
The 2000-01 season put an exclamation point on Roy's Hall of Fame career. At the age of 36, he broke the NHL record for regular-season victories, recorded 40 wins for the first time and posted a career-best 2.21 goals-against average. And Roy went on win his third Conn Smythe Trophy as most valuable player of the postseason.
Retaining Blake took on increased urgency after Bourque retired. Acquired last February from Los Angeles, Blake tied for third among NHL defensemen in scoring with 19 goals and 40 assists and remains a physical force in his own zone.
Martin Skoula figures to see more playing time and the Avs will work some youngsters into the lineup after defenseman Jon Klemm left via free agency.
There are not many spots open up front, where familiar names like Chris Drury and role-players Dan Hinote, Eric Messier, Stephane Yelle, Shjon Podein, Steven Reinprecht and Ville Nieminen hold down spots.
Vancouver was swept in the opening round of the playoffs but gave Colorado all it could handle, losing the first three games by one goal. And that was without key contributors Markus Naslund and Andrew Cassels, both of whom sat out the series with injuries.
Naslund scored a career-best 41 goals despite missing the final 10 games of the season with a broken leg. Cassels was on pace to rank among the league leaders in assists before he went down.
Todd Bertuzzi is a legitimate power forward who should reach the 30-goal mark for the first time, but the Canucks could use more scoring from players like Brendan Morrison and the Sedin twins.
Like Naslund, defenseman Ed Jovanovski had a breakout season and looked every bit like a former top overall draft pick. The rest of the Vancouver defenseman is unspectacular, but the key to the Canucks' season will be goaltending.
Dan Cloutier never has had a winning record and Vancouver already is the third NHL stop for the 25-year-old. Worse, coach Marc Crawford has no legitimate backup after Felix Potvin was run out of town and Bob Essensa was allowed to leave via free agency.
Goaltending is the last thing on the mind of Oilers coach Craig MacTavish.
Tommy Salo put himself among the NHL's elite last season with 36 wins and a 2.46 GAA. Only one goalie saw more action that the 30-year-old Swede, who figures to be Edmonton's most valuable player this season.
Financial constraints forced Edmonton to trade All-Stars Bill Guerin and Doug Weight in a span of less than eight months. In return for Weight, their former captain, the Oilers got young forwards Jochen Hecht and Marty Reasoner from the St. Louis Blues.
But a huge void remains and MacTavish is going to have to rely on scoring by committee. That places the pressure on players like Ryan Smyth, Anson Carter, Mike Grier and 21-year-old Mike Comrie, whose playmaking abilities most closely resemble Weight's.
Even with Weight -- and Guerin before him -- Edmonton routinely struggled to make the playoffs. That makes missing them this season a distinct possibility.
The Flames have undergone a dramatic turnover after their playoff drought reached five seasons. Gone from a team that finished nine games under .500 are right wing Valeri Bure, goalie Fred Brathwaite, physical center Jason Wiemer, perennial prospect Daniel Tkaczuk and aging defenseman Phil Housley.
New faces include underachieving center Rob Niedermayer, goalie Roman Turek, hard-hitting defenseman Bob Boughner and role-playing center Dean McAmmond. The Flames probably don't care that Turek was a postseason bust with St. Louis since they haven't won a playoff series since capturing the Stanley Cup in 1989.
Coach Greg Gilbert, who took over last March, was a tenacious worker during a 15-year playing career. He expects no less from his team, which helps explain why Bure was shipped to Florida.
Gilbert has some building blocks in power forward Jarome Iginla, playmaker Marc Savard and defenseman Derek Morris. There's some depth on the blue line but not nearly as much up front. Like its provincial archrival in Edmonton, Calgary is limited financially, so it's up to blue collar players like Craig Conroy, Dave Lowry, Clarke Wilm, Jeff Shantz and Robyn Regehr to turn things around.
While Flames' fans are getting restless, the opposite is true in Minnesota. The Wild played before enthusiastic sellout crowd at the Xcel Energy Center, where fans did not seem to mind that their team was shut out 14 times.
Despite possessing the NHL's worst offense, Minnesota often was competitive thanks to coach Jacques Lemaire's smothering defensive system. Goalie Manny Fernandez was the team's MVP after setting an expansion record with a 2.24 GAA and tying a mark with four shutouts. Somehow, he went 19-17-4 on a team that lost 14 games more than it won.
Marian Gaborik surpassed everyone's expectations by leading the Wild in scoring as a rookie with 18 goals and 18 assists. Lemaire cannot ask for much more from players like Wes Walz, Darby Hendrickson and Antti Laaksonen. So general manager Doug Risebrough added left wing Andrew Brunette, who totaled 15 goals and 44 assists while playing on the Atlanta Thrashers' top line.
There's a lot of potential on defense, where 32-year-old Lubomir Sekeras and Brad Bombardir provide leadership for youngsters like Filip Kuba and Willie Mitchell.
