Eastern Conference Preview (Tyler Young)

EASTERN CONFERENCE

The East has improved noticeably for this season, which means that for once two or three non-playoff teams from the West don't need to sigh and think to themselves, 'if I were in the East I'd probably have home ice.' Rather this year the TFHL's Saskatchewan (to the Western Conference Alberta) is actually showing a little gleam. The Eastern teams were very active this summer with many big names changing places.

The Conference can be grouped into 3 groups: at the top are the Bobcats, Saints, Young Guns, Spirit, Aces, Pontiacs, and Hurricanes, all of which have a decent shot at finishing at the top of the conference (depending on streaks and injuries and the like) and all of which are pretty much assured a post-season slot. In the middle are a group of three teams - the Ignite, Misconduct, and Maruaders - who will duke it out for the final playoff spot. The Owls and Rednex likely don't have the talent to make the post season and will tough it out for the 1st overall selection.

The Western Conference Preview will follow in a day or two.


(1) BOBCATS

Key Additions: Sergei Gonchar (trade)

Key Subtractions: Michael Peca (trade), Teemu Laakso (trade), Zigmund Palffy (free agency)

Offense: B+
Defence: B+
Goaltending: B
OVERALL: B+

Strengths:
The Bobcats remain one of the deepest teams in the league.

Weaknesses:
In a conference with Chris Higgins, Joe Thornton, Petr Dvorak, Joakim Lindstrom and Jason Allison, the Bobcats lack of a true #1 center is somewhat noticeable. The team also lacks leadership and experience.

Bottom Line:
The Eastern Conference is the Bobcats to lose. The team is built on a depth game, with four solid lines. Biron can be beaten if flustered, but he has a very good D core in front of him.


(2) SAINTS

Key Additions: Markus Naslund (trade), Ilya Kovalchuk (trade), Patrice Bergeron (trade), Matthew Lombardi (trade), Teemu Laakso (trade)

Key Subtractions: Ryan Getzlaf (trade), Ilya Bryzgalov (trade), Sergei Gonchar (trade), Chuck Kobasew (trade), Rob Blake (free agency), Kamil Kreps (trade), Tuomo Ruutu (trade)

Offense: A-
Defence: B-
Goaltending: B-
OVERALL: B+

Strengths:
Pulling off arguably the jaw-dropper of the off-season, the Saints acquired Markus Naslund from their arch-rivals the Calgary Hurricanes. The added addition of Kovalchuk gives the Saints probably the best group of sniping wingers in the league.

Weaknesses:
In handing over the #1 spot to Tuukka Rask the Saints better have their fingers crossed. Rask had a good winning percentage last year, but his stats were very poor. The Saint's defence was down-right horrible at times and with departures of Rob Blake and Sergei Gonchar one might wonder how it can get better.

Bottom Line:
This is a team designed to score... a lot. The star additions are an attempt to seat the Saints on top of the East and perhaps even among the league elite. They no doubt face added competition with their cross-town rivals, the Wheat Kings, being the reigning champions.


(3) YOUNG GUNS

Key Additions: Eric Staal (trade), Ed Jovanovski (trade)

Key Subtractions: Nikolai Zherdev (trade), Ivan Koltsov (trade), Anton Babchuk (trade)

Offense: B+
Defence: B
Goaltending: B+
OVERALL: B+

Strengths:
Jose Theodore was a saving grace for the Guns last season. The team also lives up to its name - it's a very young squad just entering it prime right now.

Weaknesses:
There might be a problem with having too much.

Bottom Line:
The Young Guns/Patriots/Red Army/Whalers are in solid shape for the first time in more seasons that anyone would care to recall. The team is just entering its prime and will have have a few seasons among the elite of the league. This year expect them to push the 'Cats and Saints for top spot in the East.


(4) SPIRIT

Key Additions: Tommy Salo (free agency), Aaron Rome (trade), Marty Turco (trade)

Key Subtractions: Patrick Lalime (free agency), Sami Kapenen (free agency), Alexei Yashin (free agency), Vladimir Orszagh (trade), Richard Matvichuk (trade)

Offense: B
Defence: B
Goaltending: B-
OVERALL: B

Strengths:
Finally played up to potential last year, galvanized by the addition of Daymond Langkow. A well rounded team.

Weaknesses:
The Spirit are aging and likely won't repeat last year's showing. Could rack-up a lot of time in the penalty box.

Bottom Line:
The Spirit had a great showing after years of inexplicable failure. If they simply play up to their potential they should be in the middle of the pack in the East.


(5) ACES

Key Additions: Marian Gaborik (trade), Todd Bertuzzi (trade), Erik Johnson (trade), Marc Denis (trade), Kamil Kreps (trade), Tuomo Ruutu (trade), Sami Kapanen (free agency)

Key Subtractions: Barry Brust (trade), Ilya Kovalchuk (trade), Tim Brent (trade), Paul Kariya (trade)

Offense: B
Defence: B-
Goaltending: B
OVERALL: B

Strengths:
GM Dave Walter made perhaps the gutsiest move of the summer by trading Brust to the Flames, choosing instead to go with the proven but unspectacular duo of Thomas Vokoun and Marc Denis. The trade brought him an elite scoring forward and a future #1 d-man. He then managed to acquire another elite forward in Bertuzzi for a midling Tim Brent who has yet to play up to his potential.

Weaknesses:
The loss of Kovalchuk, especially to a conference rival, may end up hurting.

Bottom Line:
The Aces keep getting better and keep acruing good, young players. What was once a relatively old team is rebuilding while at the same to improving its team overall, which is pretty impressive.


(6) PONTIACS

Key Additions: Jonas Johansson (trade), Dan Paille (trade), Chuck Kobasew (trade), Gilbert Brule (trade), Rob Blake (free agency), Danny Markov (trade), Andrei Markov (trade), Dan Snyder (trade), Teemu Hovinen (draft)

Key Subtractions: Patrice Bergeron (trade), Brock Radunske (trade), Robyn Regehr (trade), Jeff May (trade), Marty Turco (trade), Benoit Pouliot (trade)

Offense: B
Defence: B
Goaltending: C
OVERALL: B-

Strengths:
Ivan Baranka is one of the best and most underrated defensemen in the league. Jonas Johansson has all the tools to be one of the elite players in the league and in a new environment may realize the potential he gave glimpses of a few seasons ago. Dan Paille will also have a chance to prove himself after years of being buried on a deep Pain squad.

Weaknesses:
A lot has been invested in acquiring Johansson and Paille, both are flyers and if they don't work out the Pontiacs are worse off than they were a year ago, especially having dumped their own-time Face of the Franchise, Patrice Bergeron. Going with an untested rookie, Teemu Hovinen, as the #1 may also prove fatal.

Bottom Line:
There's a lot of new and interesting additions. If all the new parts come together the Pontiacs should shoot to the upper rung of the East and compete for a home ice.


(7) HURRICANES

Key Additions: Ryan Getzlaf (trade), Ilya Bryzgalov (trade)

Key Subtractions: Markus Naslund (trade)

Offense: B-
Defence: B
Goaltending: B-
OVERALL: B-

Strengths:
Won the Conference Final last year, proving again that they are a fierce squad to face in the playoffs. Well-rounded and attempting to rebuild while remaining competive.

Weaknesses:
The pieces of the past have slowly been chisled away: Sean Burke, Chris Pronger, Bill Guerin, now Markus Naslund. It remains to be seen whether the new core of Alexander Svitov, Jason King, Getzlaf and Co. can keep the Canes at the top of the league.

Bottom Line:
The Canes should make the playoffs as usual and perhaps even do some damage. But some of the lustre from this long time dominant team is certainly gone.


(8) MARAUDERS

Key Additions: Paul Kariya (trade), Robyn Regehr (trade), Scott Gomez (trade), Daniel Alfredsson (free agency), Glenn Murray (free agency)

Key Subtractions: Andrei Markov (trade), Gilbert Brule (trade), Sheldon Keefe (trade), Eric Lindros (free agency)

Offense: C+
Defence: B-
Goaltending: C+
OVERALL: C+

Strengths:
Their defence got better with acquisition of Regehr and the development of Dimitri Kosmachev.

Weaknesses:
The lack of game breakers.

Bottom Line:
The Marauders were barely eliminated from the playoffs last season, but this year they may have a tougher fight on their hands in the improved East. As usual they made a several smart but decidedly unsexy moves over the offseason, which improved their roster slightly.


(9) IGNITE

Key Additions: Filip Kuba (trade)
Key Subtractions: none

Offense: B-
Defence: C+
Goaltending: C
OVERALL: C+

Strengths:
Jason Allison and Jarome Iginla

Weaknesses:
Not a lot of depth, at any position.

Bottom Line:
Last year the Ignite managed to finish in the top 4. If the Allison-Iginla alchemy continues to turn iron into gold, then the Ignite should be in the hunt for a playoff spot. However, in the revamped East they'll need sorcery to get home ice again.


(10) MISCONDUCT

Key Additions: Alexei Yashin (trade), Matt Ellison (trade), Andy Sackrison (draft), Michael Peca (trade), Jeff May (trade), Marty Turco (trade), Vladimir Zharkov (trade), Benoit Pouliot (trade), Riku Hahl (trade) Sandis Ozolinsh (trade), Ben Ulmer (trade), Vladimir Orszagh (trade), Richard Matvichuk (trade), Anton Babchuk (trade)

Key Subtractions: Sergei Anshakov (trade), Roberto Luongo (trade), Shawn Belle (free agency), Ladislav Nagy (trade), Cam Barker (trade), Dan Bertram (trade), Chad Denny (trade), Rostislav Olesz (trade), Aaron Rome (trade), Marty Turco (trade), Jason Smith (free agency)

Offense: C+
Defence: C
Goaltending: C+
OVERALL: C

Strengths:
The Misconduct have some good prospects in the system, including 2nd overall pick Sackrison, and a team that is quite young overall.

Weaknesses:
They denuded themselves of their future first rounders to bring in Jonas Johansson and then were forced to give him up to a conference rival, leaving the team off pretty well the same as before the off-season minus the picks.

Bottom Line:
The Misconduct were so close, picking-up Ellison and Sackrison and then pulling off a wonder deal to get Johansson. With their young defence and goaltending, that group could have been something special.


(11) REDNEX

Key Additions: Tim Brent (trade)

Key Subtractions: Todd Bertuzzi (trade), Alexei Kovalev (trade)

Offense: C
Defence: C
Goaltending: C
OVERALL: C

Strengths:
This is Joakim Lindstrom's team now.

Weaknesses:
It's hard to imagine the Rednex without the Gorilla himself, Big Bert, and Alexei Kovalev.

Bottom Line:
The team can only cross their fingers and pray they got enough for their soul. Tim Brent certainly has skills, but his conditioning might prevent him from ever being a top end player. A few years of rebuilding are likely forthcoming.


(12) OWLS

Key Additions: David McIntyre (draft), Sergei Anshakov (trade), Kristian Kudroc (trade)

Key Subtractions: Chris Pronger (trade), Ryan Flinn (trade)

Offense: C
Defence: C-
Goaltending: C-
OVERALL: C-

Strengths:
Joe Thornton

Weaknesses:
Depth and Defence. One might also take umbridge with Auld, he's certainly hasn't ever performed like a #1.

Bottom Line:
Did they get enough for Pronger? The deal announced before exhibition games started was something a stunner. Anshakov will have to step-up his play to warrant being the key cog in that deal. With Joe Thornton and a supporting forward cast that is respectible, the Owls might get lucky and make a push for the playoffs (but that's a big might).