OK, the NHL season is almost a week old, so I can’t really call this a Flyers preview. Let’s instead call it a preview/one-week status report combo. Basically, here’s what I have to say: The Fly Boys look very strong!

Many may recall that I have voiced grave concern over the summer about the makeup of this team. I had several worries that were leading me to believe that Philadelphia could be in for a long year. Well, so far my trepidation has been for naught. I know they’ve only played three games so far, but after three wins, the club is head and shoulders above where I thought they would be. I will now address some of these issues and then detail why they aren’t (at least currently) the problems I believed they would be.

• Ray Emery: Alright, when the Flyers eschewed the steady Martin Biron and Antero Nittymaki for the head case that is goalie Ray Emery, I wasn’t pleased. While
  

  Call me Razor... or I'll cut you.

  Emery did take the Ottawa Senators to the Finals a few years ago, he became such an off-ice problem and was so streaky that no team wanted to take a chance on him and he was banished to Russia’s KHL. However, after a full year there, Philly took a chance on him. After all, the city loves rebuilding projects (see: Michael Vick, Jeremiah Trotter, Brad Lidge, Pedro Martinez, Paul Coffey… the list goes on and on), so it made perfect sense. But who knows? Maybe the KHL did Razor some good. Through his three wins he has looked extremely sharp, quick and square to the shooter. However, most of all, he’s been incredibly composed. That’s the main thing. There hasn’t even been a hint of psychosis yet. A shutout in his first game against Carolina was impressive. Against New Jersey the other night, I thought the short-handed goal he gave up to Jamie Langenbrunner was a bit soft, and he also iced the puck on the power play (which should never happen), but otherwise he was brilliant and I can’t take anything away from him. And yes, last night against the Caps he did let up five tallies, but most of them weren’t his fault (though I didn’t love the Morrison goal. I felt rebounds were a problem for him through the preseason). So, while he hasn’t been perfect, he hasn’t needed to be and he does look solid. I may have to eat my words on this one, but then again, he IS streaky and we’re only three games in.

• The signing of Chris Pronger: Whoa, take it easy. I don’t have a problem with Pronger. He’s awesome, and a future Hall of Famer. The problem was that I thought it might leave us a little thin on D, taking into account Pronger’s salary, Luca Sbisa leaving in the deal, the subsequent demotion of Randy Jones, and the fact that the team might be relying on the aging backliner a little too much. However, Chris has only lightened the load on his fellow defensive mates and made them better. Kimmo Timonen and Braydon Coburn no longer have to shut down the opposition’s top players on their own, and they already appear much fresher with Pronger logging a ton of time. Also, Matt Carle (4 assists last night!) has been stellar alongside Pronger and is now looking like a poor man’s Scott Niedermayer. It seems that the coach, John Stevens, is using everyone properly, and with the four of them working in tandem (and not solely asking Pronger to do everything) I’m not worried anymore.

• The goon patrol: No one has any idea how elated I was to see the opening night lineup without Riley Cote and Arron Asham on the roster. While the Flyers don’t have a true heavyweight, they have plenty of toughness with Dan Carcillo and Ian Laperriere. I really thought Stevens was going to start the year with all four of these grinders on the ice (not to mention the nights when Ole-Kristian Tollefsen plays), and the resulting penalties and lack of offensive would sink the squad. Thankfully, cooler and smarter heads prevailed. And let’s give double thanks that rookies James vanRiemsdyk and Mika Pyorala were good enough to make the team (and look great). Granted, the team has still taken a ton of penalties and that’s going to continue, but the penalty kill has been fantastic and will need to continue to perform like a top-ten unit all year for the Flyers to have a chance. Sure, there will be nights when, depending on injuries and the team they’re playing, that Cote and Asham do dress, and tensions will boil over to resemble a scene from Slap Shot, but at least it will be interesting. Besides, Jeff Carter and Mike Richards look incredible right now, so maybe the team will still have enough offense on those nights to win.

It’s gonna be an interesting year, for sure, but regardless of what happens, I feel an orange and black attack coming on.

It's time for hockey, so I must break you.

Now, I know that most of the readers of this site are obviously sports fans, but I’d be willing to bet dollars to donuts that most of our coveted readers probably care more about what Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag are up to than my fantasy hockey team. However, to paraphrase Ivan Drago, “When I write, I write for me! For me!” In other words, I really don’t care, but in the interest of not alienating too many people, I will try to expand coverage of my recently-drafted ’09-’10 team to include some commentary on fantasy sports in general and the upcoming NHL season (Also, stay tuned for my upcoming Flyers preview… I know we’re a bunch of homers here). So, if all the folks out there in cyber land don’t have any interest in this piece, meh, I understand, but for anyone who does, buckle up.

Oh yeah, and I’m also well aware that many people out there consider fantasy sports to be silly child’s play, but to that I say, “I know you are but what am I?” Anyway, trust me, fantasy sports are great. For example, the fantasy version of myself is currently the proud general manager and coach of both an NHL and NFL team, and on any given night I can plan, strategize and just plain root for my favorite (and unfortunately sometimes hated, you out there Patrik Elias?) pro players to do well in order to deliver me some bragging rights and a meager cash prize. I know it may sound pathetic to some, but the reality version of myself is only going to sit around the house on a Friday night, get drunk on various leftovers of summer ale, watch reruns of Charles in Charge and contemplate the pros and cons of getting a mail-order bride over the Internet. Therefore, I might as well keep myself busy, right? Right. Don’t get me wrong, anyone losing sleep at night over who to start on Randy Moss’ bye week is a total loser and should probably be forced to smell his jockstrap, but done in moderation, there’s nothing wrong with a little fantasy. Now that that’s out of the way, let’s talk draft.

So, in the spirit of having nothing better to do, I made the hour-long trek to my commish’s

Roberto Luongo: "What do you mean I don't deserve to go #1 overall? I have great hair."

house the other night with the high hopes of acquiring a championship team. Now, I’ve been fortunate enough to finish in the money in this NHL league in five of the last six years, but I’ve only taken home the crown once, so this year I really wanted to focus and do my homework. When I got there, I drew the third pick, so I was in good shape, but I could forget about Alexander Ovechkin (Incidentally, here’s a quick scoring breakdown: goals are 2 points, 3 for D-men, with bonuses for power play, short-handed and game winners, and assists are 1 point. However, goalies are HUGE in our league with 4-5 points for a win, depending on save percentage). It’s in drafters’ best interest to grab net-minders early, but Ovie is just too good to pass up for the sheer amount of goals he scores. Surprisingly, with the first overall pick, player #1 selected Roberto Luongo! Now, while not a bad pick, I didn’t even have Luongo as the #1 goalie. I was hoping player #2 would be equally ignorant, so the prized left-winger would fall in my lap, but it wasn’t to be. I ended up taking my same starting goalie from last year, Evgeni Nabokov. Remember, wins count the most and while San Jose consistently chokes in the playoffs, they’re still going to win plenty of games in the regular season.

Let me explain this selection a bit more, as many will probably criticize me for not taking Martin Brodeur or even Evgeni Malkin. I wouldn’t blame anyone for taking either player over Nabby, but I generally don’t believe in drafting a forward first. Doing the math, as long as Nabokov stays healthy, it makes more sense to take the goalie who is almost assured 40 wins than a forward who will score 100 points. Besides, there are plenty of great centers I can draft later, and the goalie talent is somewhat thin this year, as far as fantasy goes. As far as Brodeur is concerned, I’ll admit I broke my own rule. That rule is that until he shows signs of slowing down, Marty should be the first goalie off the board no matter what. However, I’m worried about the Devils this year. They lost some players, and they’re in a tough division. Conversely, San Jose should wipe the floor with the Pacific, hence my decision.

Moving on, I also must relay that I’m in a league with a bunch of fellow homers, so it should come as no surprise that people reached a little early for Flyers, except for me, of course. However, this year was a little extra ridiculous with players such as Ryan Parent even getting picked, albeit late. The worst pick of the draft? Someone actually selected James vanRiemsdyk in the 11^th round, out of 24. Look, I really like the kid but he’s not even a lock to stay with the team all year, and he was taken over guys such as Martin Havlat and Patrick Marleau! I’m proud to report that I was able to snag Danny Briere in the middle rounds, though (he was the only Flyer to go around where he should have, except for maybe Scott Hartnell, selected by my buddy Jason in the later rounds). Please stay healthy, Danny. He looks fantastic in pre-season. He was the only Flyer was I able to get, but if anyone thinks I’m gonna sacrifice a championship season by pulling a groin reaching for Darroll Powe in the fifth round, then they’ve been watching Riley Cote get his head beat in for too long and are getting punch drunk by association.

Riley Cote: "What do I bring to this team, again?"

OK, so I’m not going to go on recounting the entire night, but I am curious to know what everyone thinks, so here’s my team:

At center (3 start) I have Ryan Getzlaf (Ducks), Danny Briere (Flyers), Derek Roy (Sabres) and Mike Ribeiro (Stars).

At left wing (3 start) I have Rick Nash (Blue Jackets), Daniel Sedin (Canucks), Chris Kunitz (Penguins) and Slava Kozlov (Thrashers).

At right wing (ditto) I have Jarome Iginla (Flames), Brad Boyes (Blues), Jason Pomenville (Sabres) and J.P. Dumont (Predators… I broke another of my rules taking him, but more on that later).

On defense (6 start) I have Jay Bouwmeester (Flames), Scott Niedermayer (Ducks), Rob Blake (Sharks), Brent Burns (Wild), Cam Barker (Blackhawks), Jaroslav Spacek (Canadiens), Tom Gilbert (Oilers) and Erik Johnson (Blues).

In goal (2 start) I have Evgeni Nabokov (Sharks), Cam Ward (Hurricanes), Cristobal Huet (Blackhawks) and… we added a new wrinkle this year. It’s called the sleeper pick. At the end of the draft each drafter can select one extra player at any position and that player who does the best gets an extra cash prize at the end of the year. This player can’t be dropped or traded. My pick? Jose Theodore (Capitals). If he can win the starting job, I’m a lock for this.

So, what does everyone think? Can I win the title this year? Does my team suck? Should I have drafted Radek Bonk instead? Let me know.

There’s one more thing I must mention. It seems that fantasy isn’t always better than reality. Our fellow colleague and friend, Brian, and his wife Allison recently gave birth to their first child. A big congratulations to them both. Let’s hope all three of them are doing well, and let’s welcome Abigail Sara into the world. Don’t worry Abby, your daddy’s fantasy football team is a lost cause, so he’ll have plenty of time to take care of you. Oh, and I’ll be sure to teach you all about Star Wars…

Ah, the season is almost upon us. Soon, the sounds of hockey will be in the air, as players will be skating, fighting, hitting, passing and shooting their way to glory. It’s a sublime time of year. However, first thing’s first: Before the puck drops, it’s time to do another (perhaps final) roundup of the league’s free-agent movement, and this week’s topic will be the interesting Northwest Division, as there’s plenty to talk about.

No, you're not seeing double. We're both equally good.

Vancouver Canucks: I hate to pat myself on the back, but at the beginning of the summer I predicted that the Sedin Twins would stay put in Vancouver, and I was of course, correct. Really, where else would they possibly go? There’s no way that the city would let them go or else they would be completely sunk. They’re the cornerstone of the franchise. Considering the frailty of Pavol Demitra, and the indecision of the now Brett-Favre-esque Mats Sundin, Vancouver needs the twins to provide the bulk of their offense. However, the team didn’t stop with the re-signing of Daniel and Henrik. They re-signed stellar goalie Roberto Luongo for twelve years, so that position is all locked up. (Incidentally, I don’t understand the new age of ridiculously long contracts. They’re recipes for disaster. Just ask the New York Islanders, but more on that later.) They also signed capable backup Andrew Raycroft just in case something happens to their franchise goalie. Additionally, they stole underrated forward Mikael Samuelsson from Detroit and re-signed D-man Shane O’Brien. O’Brien isn’t a household name, but he’s still a solid stay-at-home backliner. They did lose Mattias Ohlund to Tampa Bay, but don’t worry. Vancouver also signed the aging but still relevant Mathieu Schneider, and gave some draft picks to San Jose for Christian Ehrhoff and Brad Lukowich, so they’re loaded at defense. Including the emergence of hated forwards Ryan Kesler and Alexandre Burrows, look for the Canucks to make major noise this year. They had a nasty playoff series with Chicago last season, and while I’m sticking with my Chicago boys, anything could happen as far as who comes out of the West this year.

Calgary Flames: The Flames made their biggest acquisition at the draft this year when they made a trade with Florida for star defenseman Jay Bouwmeester. Many may be familiar with the young backliner’s offensive talent, but he never saw his full potential realized while struggling with Florida’s lackluster squad. Behind a relatively strong defense, look for Bouwmeester’s +/- to jump exponentially this year, making him a top 10 D-man. He’ll also have his former teammate in Florida, Olli Jokinen, at center for a full year to help out the offense. Jokinen looks feisty in camp this season, even engaging in a fight. It looks like linemate Jarome Iginla is rubbing off on him. Of course, the other big story in Calgary is the aging and diminutive Theo Fleury getting a second chance at life. Folks may remember Fleury getting bounced from the league a handful of years ago due to drug problems, but now at 41 years of age, is being offered another shot at making the club. Now, I’m certainly not a big believer in this move. If we’ve learned anything from San Jose’s Claude Lemieux experiment, it’s that there’s no place for geriatric forwards who haven’t played at the NHL level in years. It’s simply a much different league now. However, having said that, if there IS anyone who could make a comeback like this, it’s Theo. In his heyday, Fleury was a superstar and a fast one at that. I have my doubts, but he may just help a team that I feel is a bit limited in the depth department, but it will be in a limited capacity. However, anything is possible for the Flames when they have Miikka Kiprusoff as their goalie. He’s never mentioned in the same breath as Brodeur and Luongo, but he should be.

Edmonton Oilers: The Oilers are sporting a touch of a new look this season. They have some solid, young talent up front, and with the addition of Nikolai Khabibulin in goal, the Oil could do some damage. Even at 36, Khabibulin is an upgrade over Dwayne Roloson. Hopefully, they’ll be able to keep defensemen Lubomir Visnovsky and Sheldon Souray for a full year (one each lost to injury in the past two seasons), and they’ll also have talented forward Patrick O’Sullivan for a full year from a late-season, three-team trade with Carolina and L.A. Additionally, they recently signed Mike Comrie from Ottawa to a deal. Now, I think Comrie is a complete fraud, and I think it’s now too late in his career for the well-traveled forward to be relevant. He should just stick to carousing with Hilary Duff. However, who knows? He might be able to help youngsters Sam Gagner and Andrew Cogliano at forward who The Hockey News are predicting big point jumps from this season. Hey, the St. Louis Blues miraculously made the playoffs last season, so anything is possible.

Mike Comrie: "Please step aside. I may suck, but my wife is hot."

Minnesota Wild: The big signing for the Wild this off-season was the luring of right-winger Martin Havlat from Chicago to replace the loss of Marian Gaborik. As far as Minnesota is concerned, this move makes little sense to me. Granted, Havlat is almost a point-per-game player WHEN HE PLAYS. Considering all the problems the Wild had with Gaborik, never knowing when he was going to play, I’m dumbfounded as to why they would take a chance on the equally-made-of-glass Havlat. However, maybe it doesn’t really matter. Minnesota is primarily a defensive squad even though new coach Todd Richards has claimed he’s going to let his boys roam a little freer. Additionally, they recently acquired Petr Sykora who became an afterthought in Pittsburgh last season. Sykora underperformed last year, but he’s a good fit in Minnesota and should help their offense. They also claimed steady D-man Greg Zanon from Nashville who should bolster their already decent crew. The Wild could squeak into the playoffs this year.

Colorado Avalanche: Once upon a time, Colorado was one of the kings of the Western Conference. Now, they’re sadly in the rebuilding phase. The retirement of first-ballot Hall of Famer Joe Sakic is really going to hurt them. However, it’s time for young gun Paul Stastny to take over the team. Stastny is going to be just as good as his dad Peter was, but it’s going to be some time before he gets some help. The club started getting him assistance over the summer, trading gritty forward Ryan Smyth to L.A. for defensemen Kyle Quincey and Tom Preissing. This is a tremendous upgrade on D for the Avs, but after that there’s not much. They also snatched semi-capable goalie Craig Anderson from Florida, and he will challenge Peter Budaj for the starting job, which should light a fire under Budaj and that would be a good thing for the team… about the only good thing.

OK, the Pacific Division has probably been the quietest of the league’s six sectors, with the exception of a couple of huge developments that have just recently taken place (see San Jose), but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t anything to talk about.

San Jose Sharks: Well, the insolent Dany Heatley has finally gotten his wish. After

Dany Heatley: "Yeah, I'm a total baby, and arguably the ugliest player in the NHL, but I'm also an all-star."

demanding a trade from the Ottawa Senators because he just couldn’t get along with new head coach Cory Clouston, but yet refusing a deal that would have sent him to Edmonton earlier in the summer, Heatley has finally landed in the Shark Tank. Despite what seems to be an intense immaturity on Heatley’s part, he remains one of the most talented forwards in the NHL and has to again make San Jose a Cup contender. Of course, that has been said every year for the last several when discussing the perennial underachievers who always implode in the playoffs, including a first-round ousting last season to the eighth-seeded Anaheim Ducks. Now, everyone’s reputation is really on the line bringing in the problem child known as Heatley, as the Sharks had to sacrifice some of their depth, giving Milan Michalek and Jonathan Cheechoo to the Sens. Granted, it was the right move for the San Jose brass, and with Joe Thornton as a linemate, Heatley could conceivably challenge Alex Ovechkin for the goal-scoring title this campaign. Also remember, Cheechoo is a couple of years removed from his 56-goal season that’s looking more and more like a fluke. However, the acquisition of Dany far from makes the Sharks foolproof. They traded defensemen Christian Ehrhoff and Brad Lukowich to Vancouver to make cap space, and they lost defensive forward Mike Grier to the Buffalo Sabres. Of course, they still have a great core, and they re-signed all their really important players, such as Rob Blake and Ryan Clowe. Of course, I believe this somehow will all be for naught, as there’s a sneaking feeling that the Sharks are simply cursed and will see another first-round exit this year after finishing high.

Anaheim Ducks: At the trade deadline last season, the Ducks acquired talented young defenseman Ryan Whitney from the Penguins in exchange for forward Chris Kunitz in a move that was beneficial for both clubs (especially for Pittsburgh). This year, the Ducks will have Whitney for a full season, as well as fellow late-last-season acquisition D-man James Wisniewski to complement the signing of backliner Nick Boynton from Florida. Of course, let’s not forget that the Ducks still have future first-ballot Hall of Famer Scott Niedermayer on the blue line (I don’t care how old he is), so their D is fine. Don’t worry about the loss of Chris Pronger. Additionally, Anaheim will most likely throw out a top line of Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and Cherry Hill’s own Bobby Ryan, who was a Calder Trophy candidate last season. This could potentially be the best line in hockey this season. Their second line should consist of Teemu Selanne, Joffrey Lupul (grabbed from Philly in the Pronger deal) and the newly acquired Saku Koivu who I think still has gas in the tank… not too shabby. The Ducks are a tough team that likes to push people around (punctuated by one of my favorite goons, George Parros, who sports one of the best porn ‘staches I’ve ever seen), but can play any style, so they should be fun to watch and could be a dark horse in the West. They’ll deal with a minor goalie controversy in camp, as Jonas Hiller stole the starting job away from Jean-Sebastien Giguere last year, but that will shake itself out soon enough.

George Parros: "Hey, don't mess with Koivu, or I'll knock you out with my mustache."

Los Angeles Kings: Ah, the lowly Kings. While L.A. has largely been an afterthought in the NHL over the last couple of campaigns, they made some decent moves this off-season to add to their group of very talented young players who just haven’t completely gelled yet due to inexperience. They made a solid deal with the Colorado Avalanche to snag gritty left-winger Ryan Smyth in exchange for D-men Kyle Quincey and Tom Preissing. Then, to make up for their losses on defense, the Kings signed Rob Scuderi from Pittsburgh. He may not be a household name, but Scuderi has a Stanley Cup ring for his efforts last year, and he will provide a solid stay-at-home presence in L.A. which they’re sorely lacking. Additionally, if Justin Williams (acquired late last season from Carolina) can stay healthy for a full season, he could be a force to reckon with to go along with Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown and Alexander Frolov. However, there’s just one problem: THE KINGS DON’T HAVE A GOALIE! They haven’t had one in a very long time and seemingly still haven’t learned their lesson. I think their last good puck-stopper was Kelly Hrudey, and people really only thought he was good because of that gay blue headband he used to wear. This year, they’ll probably lean on Jonathan Quick, or maybe even Erik Ersberg, or youngster Jonathan Bernier… yeah, I don’t know about them, either. Who knows? Who cares? They may actually be better off signing Almost Athletes reader Brian Gaffney. At least he has some gumption. Maybe even my cousin Lew could take the job. He has goalie experience.

Phoenix Coyotes: Other than business turmoil over ownership and location of the team, not to mention the absence of coach Wayne “The Great One” Gretzky at camp (yeah, seriously), there’s not much to speak of here. While the Coyotes will miss the playoffs again this year, they did manage to sign D-man Adrian Aucoin from Calgary, and he will lend some stability to a group that could really use it. Honestly, Phoenix has so many backliners on their roster I have no idea who their starting six will be. Additionally, they managed to re-sign a couple of role players that they acquired last year in Scottie Upshall and Peter Prucha, and grabbed Taylor Pyatt from Vancouver. These guys could flourish under a full year of Gretzky’s tutelage (if he remains with the team), but the Coyotes have a ton of work to do… poor Shane Doan. He’s one of my favorite players and arguably one of the most underrated in the league, yet he has been toiling in the desert for years.

Dallas Stars: Um… well, they re-signed Jere Lehtinen for a year, but his best days are behind him… wow, well they’ll be happy to get Brendan Morrow back after losing him to injury last year… OK, they still have Mike Ribeiro, Brad Richards and Loui Eriksson was a nice surprise last year. However, it’s time to face facts: Mike Modano isn’t getting any younger (in fact, the whole team is somewhat old), they don’t have a ton of good depth and the loss of incredible (albeit old and injury-prone) defenseman Sergei Zubov to the KHL is really going to hurt. On a positive note, the team brought in goalie Alex Auld from Ottawa to take some of the pressure off talented starter Marty Turco, but I can’t escape the feeling that it’s going to be a really long year in Dallas.

Patrick Kane: "C'mon, I look like I'm 12. Not guilty, your honor!"

Believe it or not, puckheads, the hockey season is only about a month away, so it’s time to make a concerted effort to get through the season preview examining the free-agent market in the NHL. I’ll delve into the Western Conference with this installment and start with the beloved Central Division.

Chicago Blackhawks: Go Hawks! As I’ve stated before, I’m fully on the Chicago bandwagon right now. Anyone who watched these guys in the playoffs last season, especially in the Vancouver series, knows that they’re fun to watch, dynamic, and can play any style. It seems that their old owner (who refused to televise games because he thought fans wouldn’t come to the stadium… uh, what?) dying was the best thing that ever happened to the team. Anyway, some readers out there may remember that I predicted at the beginning of the summer that the Hawks would lose either forward Martin Havlat or goalie Nikolai Khabibulin but not both. Sadly, I was wrong, and not for the first time believe it or not. The often-injured Havlat moved to Minnesota to help the Wild replace the often-injured Marian Gaborik (Nice work Minnesota, they’re asking for trouble here), and the “Bulin Wall” took off for “greener” pastures in Edmonton (Good luck with that, though, I don’t completely hate the Oilers this year). So, what did Chicago do to remedy this loss? They signed Marian Hossa to a 12-year contract… Yeah, case closed. Hossa is ten times the player Havlat is. What many folks don’t know is that Hossa had off-season knee surgery that will keep him out of the lineup for the first few months, but the Blackhawks have more than enough talent up front to weather the storm until he’s ready, including a certain cabbie-punching phenom (allegedly, Patrick Kane). Also, in goal they still have Cristobal Huet who actually played most of last year while Khabibulin recovered from injury, so they’re fine there. Now, some may point to the loss of defensive forward Sammie Pahlsson to Columbus as a big hole to fill. So, what did the team do combat this? They went out and grabbed John Madden (no, not the football guy) from Jersey and Tomas Kopecky from Detroit. Those guys more than make up for Pahlsson. The bottom line is that Chicago only got better, and I predict a second straight final four appearance this year.

Detroit Red Wings: The perennial favorites actually took some hits this off-season. Solid contributor Jiri Hudler took off (after much ballyhoo) for the KHL and equally-solid Mikael Samuelsson landed a nice deal in Vancouver. Needing some depth at forward all of a sudden, the Wings went out and hooked the troubled and much-maligned Todd Bertuzzi. However, he’s not the player he used to be, but I still hope nobody turns their back on him or they might get paralyzed. Regardless, Detroit has an incredible farm system and they’ll still be a top-shelf squad. Anyone who saw the play of guys such as Derek Meech and Justin Abdelkader knows this. So, the big red machine will still be right where they need to be.

Columbus Blue Jackets: The Jackets have been pretty quiet over the summer, and not surprisingly. Their biggest acquisition was actually the Pahlsson deal that I already addressed. Other than that, the only really mentionable signing was that of goalie Mathieu Garon from Pittsburgh to serve as the backup to reigning rookie of the year, Steve Mason. This could arguably give Columbus the best one-two punch in the league, as Garon is capable of starting on many teams. Columbus’ disinterest in signing anyone else is understandable. Coach Ken Hitchcock preaches team defense under a tight system, and last year the squad finally seemed to gel, notching their first ever playoff appearance (though, they got clobbered 4-0 to Detroit, but there’s really no shame in that). They didn’t really lose anyone this year and will get back talented youngster Derick Brassard from injury, so it’s certain that Hitchcock will be more than happy to build on last season and ride another steady wave into the post-season, and there’s no reason why they shouldn’t.

Seriously man, where else am I gonna go? Oh, and everyone please remember, the "T" is silent!

St. Louis Blues: This team may be a different story, however. Yes, I know the Blues have some talented young and veteran players and they somehow miraculously clawed their way into the playoffs last year, but I’m not so sure I see a repeat in the parity-driven, ultra competitive Western Conference. They managed to re-sign the 100-year-old Keith Tkachuk, but let’s face it, he wasn’t going anywhere, he’s far from the player he used to be, and other than serving as a leader, isn’t the answer to all of St. Louis’ problems. The only other notable new face is goalie Ty Conklin (from Detroit), who will probably battle Chris Mason for the starting job. I’m not sure how that will pan out, and quite honestly, I have no idea what’s going on with often-injured and old UFA Manny Legace. He may not find a home anywhere this year. This may leave the Blues short at goalie. Granted, Conklin is capable, but the team has plenty of problems on defense. Letting go of veteran Jay McKee was a mistake, as I also mentioned before. Getting young upstart Erik Johnson back from his season-ending incident with a golf cart last summer (nice work, kid) will help, but I still believe the Blues have too many holes to be relevant.

Nashville Predators: … Oh boy. Well, to say things aren’t going well in Music City would be an understatement. Owner William “Boots” Del Biaggio was recently sentenced to over eight years in prison for fraud in his desperate bid to gain controlling interest of the Preds… uh, wow. Even before the final verdict came down, all the turmoil has led to a mass exodus out of town (and I don’t blame them… probably a smart move at this point), including most notably, defenseman Greg Zanon to Minnesota, Scott Nichol to San Jose and Vernon Fiddler to Phoenix. Sure, they’re all role players, but Nashville is now somewhat thin. They quietly re-signed right-winger Steve Sullivan who, when healthy is an incredibly talented player, but the problem is he’s never healthy and time isn’t on his side anymore. They still have Jason Arnott (Yes, I’m still drinking the Arnott Kool-Aid. The guy doesn’t get the credit he deserves), and they’re hoping their solid D-man crew and young goalie Pekka Rinne will get them by, but we’ll see. I have serious doubts. Folks in Nashville should just stick to country music, and go to a Conway Twitty revival or something.

OK, time for the third edition of my efforts to keep up with the NHL offseason. This week’s target will be our beloved Atlantic Division, and that will close out the Eastern Conference.

Pittsburgh Penguins: As I’ve stated before, life just keeps getting better for the current Cup Champions. There hasn’t been a lot of major movement as far as free agency, but the key is that all their major components are still in place. Readers may remember me talking about the St. Louis Blues’ buyout of defenseman Jay McKee, and how I didn’t understand it, and how he would most likely land with a struggling team willing to gamble on him. Well, where did he end up? You guessed it. I love being half-right. McKee (again, one of

Jay McKee: "You mean I don't have to play in St. Louis anymore? Sweet, I love Cup contenders."

the best shot blockers in the NHL when healthy) will more than make up for the couple of D-men the Pens lost. Signing tough guy Mike Rupp away from New Jersey was also a good move, as they need to keep up with the slew of other goon signings within the division. Additionally, the re-signings of playoff heroes Ruslan Fedotenko and Bill Guerin (yes, even at age 38) were extremely smart. The Pens should win the Atlantic this year. Also, I guess it’s time I humbly (but very begrudgingly because I don’t like them) apologize to the Pens because last year I said I didn’t think they looked that good on paper. I guess that’s why they play the games, and I guess that’s why I’m writing this blog and not coaching in the NHL.

Philadelphia Flyers: Oh boy… Well, it’s no secret that we’re a bunch of Philly homers here at almostathletes.com. Sadly, I think the Flyboys have some big questions coming into this season, and it’s proof that not only they, but the whole league hasn’t yet figured out how to manage the salary cap. I’ve already talked about the Chris Pronger deal in a previous column. Do I like it? Yes. Do I think it leaves them thin at forward? Yes, and while I like the signing of middleweight tough guy Ian Laperriere, I think they’re going to need someone else. Will a second-year Claude Giroux and a healthy Daniel Briere make up for the fifty goals they just lost letting go of Mike Knuble and Joffrey Lupul? We’ll see. However, the Flyers may have even bigger issues with which to drop the gloves. With Pronger, Laperriere, Scott Hartnell, Riley Cote, Aaron Asham and Dan Carcillo all in the mix, there’s no doubt in my mind that the Flyers will be the most penalized and most suspended team in the NHL this year, which begs the question: Will the goaltending hold up? Unfortunately, I have doubts. They’re taking a big chance on the tandem of Ray Emery (another possible penalty minutes problem who so wore out his welcome that he was relegated to Russia last year) and Brian “this is my third stint as a Flyer” Boucher. It doesn’t sound impressive, but I’m hoping the Flyers’ brass sees something in Emery that I don’t. To his credit, he did lead the Senators to the Finals a couple years ago, but that was when they had the best offense (and possibly defense) in the league. We’ll keep our skates crossed.

New York Rangers: (Pause for composure) It’s no secret that I hate the Rangers more than any other team in sports (yes, even more than the Dallas Cowboys). They’re a wretched and evil squad, and I don’t enjoy talking about them. This aside, they have made some moves that need to be discussed. Of course, their biggest move was grabbing Marion Gaborik from Minnesota for a five-year, 37 million dollar deal. Actually, I don’t have any problem with that. While that’s a nice and fair payday for a player who, when healthy, is a point-per-game guy (yeah, he’s that good and easily one of the fastest skaters in the league, but who would know because who cares about the Minnesota Wild?), Gaborik is made of glass and plays about twenty games a season. That sounds good to me. Someone tell the Rangers that I think Caspar the Friendly Ghost is also available. Anyway, the Blueshirts unfortunately also signed Donald Brashear away from the Caps, which should haunt just about everyone in the division, because he’s still a top-five pugilist. Getting Chris Higgins from Montreal in the deal for Scott Gomez will also help. However, the signing I will give them the highest marks for is the luring of Ales Kotalik from Edmonton. Believe it or not, the perennial 15-20 goal scorer could be a difference-maker. The Rangers should again be tough and talented like they always are, but for some reason this team never seems to gel properly, and that’s fine with me.

New Jersey Devils: Folks could hear a pin drop in New Jersey. There has literally been nothing going on in the Devils camp. However, when a team has the best goalie to ever play the game in Martin Brodeur, they really don’t have to do much. I often believe that Marty could play all by himself, five-on-none, and somehow still win, much like when Bugs Bunny played every position in a baseball game. Of course, the re-signings of Johnny Oduya and Travis Zajac certainly won’t hurt. The Devils will again still be good in the most competitive division in the NHL, and a team nobody wants to play in the playoffs.

Martin Biron: "Third string?... WHAT?!"

New York Islanders: Hold on, I just threw up in my mouth a little bit. I know I just stated that the Atlantic is the best grouping in hockey, but these jokers are an enormous exception. I have previously talked about what a ridiculous a franchise the Isles are, and unfortunately for them, I now have to provide further proof. It’s bad enough that they hilariously gave their franchise-and-made-of-balsa-wood goaltender, Rick Dipietro, an inflated and unprecedented fifteen-year contract. Rick is still having health issues and won’t be ready to start the season. So, what do they do to solve this problem? Yep, they signed two goalies. The Islanders took Dwayne Roloson away from Edmonton, and grabbed Martin Biron from the Flyers… Uh, what? Now, what are they going to do when Dipietro is healthy? It’s most likely going to leave someone (most likely Biron) out in the cold, or press box. Biron certainly won’t be happy being a third string (to think, he wanted big money to be a starter), and the Islanders won’t be happy when they can’t yield anything for him in the trade market. It never ends for these weirdos. Why didn’t they try to get some help for rookie and No. 1 pick John Tavares? Now, readers may ask, “Sieck, doesn’t Tavares have anyone to play with to help the Isles turn things around?” And, the answer is a resounding, “no.” Really, there’s no one. OK, there’s Doug Weight, who I think turns 100 years old this season. Yeah, Kyle Okposo is alright, but who cares? Mark my words, I know I’m not going out on a limb by guaranteeing these nerds finish dead last in the league… again.

by Sieck

Yep, it’s time for the second installment of my series that’s attempting to keep up with the revolving door of player movement that is the NHL free agency market. How about I try to tackle (or should I say check?) the Southeast Division?

Washington Capitals: Well, they lost ageless wonder Sergei Fedorov to

Mike Knuble: Hooray! This year everyone will really learn why I'm one of the most underrated players in the NHL.

Mother Russia, and it looks like Viktor Kozlov may be out of the picture, too. So, what did the defending Southeast champs do? They stole slightly younger (at 37) Mike Knuble away from Philadelphia and signed throw away forward Brendan Morrison from out of Anaheim and Dallas’ trash heap, all at a pretty inexpensive price. Are they good signings? Uh, yes. Are they upgrades over Fedorov and Kozlov? Uh, absolutely! Knuble is going to play with Alexander Ovechkin (the best player in the league, I don’t care what anyone says) and tremendous passer Niklas Backstrom. Knuble is going to present a whole different problem for defenders trying to deal with Ovie, and I’m going to guarantee at least 70 points for “Knubes” this season. I can’t stress enough how I disappointed I was to see him leave the Flyers, because he could have stayed, and wanted to stay. And Morrison? He got a raw deal last year due to injuries, but the center is still serviceable and provides Washington with a solid second-line pivot to complement Alexander Semin.

Carolina Hurricanes: The big story here is what the Canes kept. Erik Cole, Jussi Jokinen and Chad LaRose all decided to re-sign with the club, and it was a great move on everybody’s part. Give credit to the players for realizing the climate of the market and staying where their bread was buttered. Also give credit to the franchise for not over-extending themselves and offering these solid, but not star players inflated contracts. Together, this trio will keep the team very competitive, along with their core of stars, and I believe that Carolina could very well challenge Washington for the division crown this year. Besides, Cole doesn’t belong anywhere but in Carolina. He plays his best hockey there, and he’s a fan favorite. Cole leaving (despite his stint with the Oilers last year) would be like if Jesse Jane left Digital Playground. It just wouldn’t make sense.

Florida Panthers: Of course, the loss (actually trade) of top defenseman Jay Bouwmeester to Calgary is going to be tough for Florida to deal with, but they were never going to be able to re-sign him anyway. Give the club some props for at least getting something out of the deal in serviceable D-man Jordan Leopold. The highly-touted Leopold has underperformed recently but should still help a defense that also lost Nick Boynton to Anaheim, and Karlis Skrastins to Dallas. It could be another long year in Florida, but extending young star David Booth’s contract is a plus, bringing in the leadership of Steve Reinprecht from Phoenix should help a little, and signing Scott Clemmensen who almost made New Jersey Devils fans forget Martin Brodeur was hurt last season and will steal starts from Tomas Vokoun was also good. Besides, it’s sunny there, so what does anyone have to complain about? Complaining about anything in the state of Florida is like complaining about dropping a Skittle when there’s a whole bag to glom from.

Tampa Bay Lightning: Speaking of revolving doors, I don’t think I can count as high as the number of players that played for the Lightning last year. It was a brutal campaign for a team that just a few short years ago, was a world beater. I mistakenly predicted that they would have a bounce back year, but I’m going to again be bold: The Lightning will be better this year. I’ll qualify it by stating that they still may miss the playoffs, but they’ll at least be competitive. As far as signings, the luring of longtime Vancouver D-man Mattias Ohlund for seven years happened early and flew somewhat under the radar, but it’s a significant move. While his offensive numbers have dipped in recent years, he’s still one of the better defensive back-liners in the business, and he’ll help an already decent defensive core that severely underperformed last season. Adding Matt Walker from Chicago and Kurtis Foster from Minnesota doesn’t hurt, either. However, I would be remiss if I didn’t talk about one Antero Nittymaki, who the Bolts signed away from Philly for a mere $600,000. (I again curse the Fly Boys for not keeping this guy). Here’s another prediction: Nitty will eventually wrestle away the starting goaltending job from Mike Smith this year. This guy is better than people think. He’s the MVP from the last Olympics. We’re not talking about a chump here, but I’ll get off my bitter high horse. It also helps the Lightning that they still have Vincent Lecavalier, who’s always the subject of trade rumors.

Mattias Ohlund: Mmm...pixy stix and 7-year deals are delicious.

Atlanta Thrashers: Can everyone hear me laughing? Poor Ilya Kovalchuk. One of the best left-wingers in the game must continue to toil in obscurity on one of the worst franchises in the NHL. Atlanta’s big signing?… Wait for it… Nik Antropov… AHAAAHAAAAAA! Here’s my advice for the Thrashers: They might as well sign my dad. He can still throw an elbow here and there, and I guarantee he’ll play for league minimum. OK, I’ll give them some credit for grabbing Pavel Kubina in a trade with Toronto, but he’s far from the answer to their southern prayers. I even doubt that Amazing Grace could save a wretch like the Thrashers.

Reports are surfacing that the Phillies are in the Dominican Republic scouting future Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez to fill out their pitching rotation… Is Rip Van Winkle also available? C’mon, this guy’s best days are obviously behind him, and other teams have recently taken a look at him and left without offering him a contract, so that should tell everyone all they need to know. However, Philadelphia somehow never seems to learn. I’m sure they will sign the past-his-prime hurler with the hopes he’ll return to his glory days. This is unparalleled wishful thinking not unlike why the club most likely brought in Antonio Alfonseca because they thought his extra finger would give him extra velocity on his pitches. All this really serves to do is leave the rest of us exasperated.

I can still play, I swear.

Along almost the same lines, reports are also coming in that the Flyers want to again try to go after left wing Brendan Shanahan. Believe it or not, contrary to my aforementioned comments, I don’t believe this is such a terrible idea. I’m usually not in favor of inserting 40-year-old men into the lineup, but I must state that despite stints with the Devils and Rangers (and I hate the Rangers), Shanny is one of my all-time favorite players, and I believe he has something left in the tank. His one-timer from the left side, especially on the power play is still tops. He’s tough and he’s a leader. Besides, the Flyers are now thin at forward and they need a cheap option. Putting Shanahan with the likes of Giroux and Powe almost seems like a perfect combination.

When talking with the Detroit media about his possible future in the NBA, Allen Iverson stated that he just wants to go somewhere where he can “enjoy going to practice everyday.” PRACTICE?! We’re talkin’ about practice, man. Now the guy actually wants to go to practice? Well, it’s nice to see that all individuals are capable of evolving. Coming soon, the second sign of the Apocalypse. What’s next? Is Rasheed Wallace going to put out a Christmas album?

Respect the ladies, gentlemen.

Y’know, with all the recent celebrity deaths going down, the one I was perhaps most affected by was the tragic shooting of former Titans QB Steve McNair over 4^th of July weekend. Sure, the details coming out are now starting to sound more sordid than sad, but it doesn’t change the fact that this guy was tough, fun to watch, and played the game the way it should be played without acting like a complete thug and letting off-the-field antics disrupt the team. He was also thrilling in one of the best Super Bowls ever. (Super Bowl XXXIV against the Rams, which they unfortunately lost, btw). That’s certainly to be commended in this current climate, and any world where Steve McNair is senselessly gunned down, and someone like the NHL’s Sean Avery is allowed to live sounds like a world I don’t want to be a part of.

The NHL’s free agency flurry opened on July 1^st with fast and furious action. It’s tough to keep up with all the movement, but I’m going to give it the old college try and break things down by division. Maybe by the end of the summer, everything will be sorted out. How about we start with the Northeast?

I'm good.

Montreal Canadiens: It looks like I might owe GM Bob Gainey an apology… maybe. While I was not a fan of him trading for Scott Gomez (again, the most overrated player in the NHL) from the Rangers, I certainly was a fan of his slew of other signings. Pulling Brian Gionta away from New Jersey was a great move, and reuniting him with former Devils teammate Gomez (who I must begrudgingly admit, is a decent passer) might be what the doctor ordered. Equally good, if not more so, is the luring of Calgary’s Michael Cammalleri. This kid is really superb and his 39 goals last year wasn’t a fluke. Also, signing D-men such as current World Champion Hal Gill and offensive backliner Jaroslav Spacek (from Buffalo) more than makes up for the loss of Mike Komisarek. However, are the Habs really a better team now? I seem to remember them coming into the season equally stacked last year, and towards the end of their campaign, they just looked lost. Also, I still say goaltender Carey Price isn’t ready for the NHL. Good luck with all that. Like I’ve said before, it’s not easy being a Montreal fan, but it could be worse. They could be Toronto Maple Leafs fans. That brings me to:

Toronto Maple Leafs: Well, one has to hand it to the Leafs, they’re certainly trying to get tougher, but are they trying to get better? Granted, bringing in Komisarek from Montreal, Francois Beauchemin from Anaheim, and Garnet Exelby in a trade with Atlanta for Pavel Kubina certainly makes them a rough and tumble defensive squad. Couple that with the signing of resident goon Colton Orr (from the Rangers), and I wouldn’t want to mess with Toronto this year. However, offensively they gave up a lot in Kubina, and it looks like Tomas Kaberle (the best player on the team) is heading out of town, too. Up front, when one’s best forward is Jason Blake, that person has problems. Nothing against the diminutive Blake, he’s solid, but it’s kind of like having Tinkerbell without Peter Pan. My prediction: Another long year in Toronto.

Ottawa Senators: So far, other than re-signing tough guy Chris Neil, their only major move has been pulling Alexei Kovalev away from Montreal. Yes, it’s a big move, but I’m lukewarm on this. Kovalev is certainly strong (he’s closing in on 1000 points), but he’s been prone to inconsistency over the years. Considering the whole Dany Heatley situation (yes, he’s still there and he’s still unhappy), the Senators need a steady presence and lots of leadership, and I don’t think Kovalev provides either. Things are going to get really ugly in Ottawa this year, and I think it will cost them a playoff spot.

Oh man, this isn't a good situation for me.

Boston Bruins: There’s not much to talk about here. Re-signing Mark Recchi for one year was a good move. That old man can miraculously still play, and I have a soft spot for former Flyers, anyway. Signing Steve Begin from Dallas was a nothing move in my opinion, but the Bruins have a really good mix of veterans and youngsters already, and they should be good for a while. Their only problem would be the potential loss of defensive stalwart P.J. Axelsson (currently unrestricted) to another team, but they will probably win the division again anyway.

Buffalo Sabres: Does anyone care about this team? I sure don’t. I miss the days of former coach Ted Nolan when he would basically just put a goon squad out on the ice. At least that was fun. Sure, they have good players, but the franchise just seems soulless and boring to me. Oh yeah, we’re talking about free agency… Well, they signed semi-solid D-man Steve Montador away from Boston, and blah, blah, blah.

Well, the Flyers have done it again.

While team physician Gary Dorshimer might be the more well-known employee of the club, GM Paul Holmgren certainly has Dr. Emmett Brown

"Brian Boucher? Is there something wrong with the Earth's gravitational pull in the year 2009?"

on the speed dial. After extensive talks with former Vezina trophy winner Flyer Robert Esche fell through, the Flyers went back a little further in time to pluck that Brian Boucher from the scrap heap.  Last seen clapping loudly on the bench of the San Jose Sharks, Boucher’s job will be to back up Ray Emery between the pipes and at Taylor’s, McFadden’s, and Cheerleaders. Like a nincompoop, I really thought the exit of former curmudgeon/GM Bobby Clarke would usher in a new perspective that didn’t involve former players. Obviously, Homer didn’t learn much from his predecessor or from Doc Brown’s admonition to avoid interacting with people in his past.

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Anyone who sees Chase Utley play on a regular basis will agree that he is easily the best second baseman in the game right now. Much of that has to do with his business like approach to the game, his well documented preparation for opposing pitchers, and his steadfast desire to shed the word “average” from descriptions of his defensive prowess. But, let’s face it, the Phils catapulted themselves onto the national stage three years ago when Ryan Howard was launching missiles on the way to his first MVP award only to be followed by Jimmy Rollins’s freakish 2007 campaign when he hit everything in sight and still barely edged out then Rockies LF Matt Holliday. The point is the Phils commanded national attention so Utley’s exploits, and expletives, could be appreciated by the entire nation.

Kinsler is the kind of player managers love and opposing pitchers dread.

What if the Texas Rangers garnered more exposure? What if people on the east coast got to see Ian Kinsler as much as people on the west coast see Utley? This kid is every bit the defensive second baseman Utley is and is quickly, if not quietly, becoming the kind of hitter pitchers hate. Currently at .263/19 HR/51 RBI, Kinsler’s numbers don’t look too much different from Utley’s (.301/17 HR/52 RBI), who was at the top of everyone’s MVP list last year before a mid-season slump left him as an also-ran. Throw in Kinsler’s cycle in April and we’re talking about a kid who can pretty much do it all.

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Almost reader Todd P. wrote in to ask me to comment on Jimmy Rollins’s current Brady Anderson like fall from grace.  While whispers of possible HGH use, suggestions of his impending nuptials, and insistences that his bull-headedness are all leading candidates for a future Jeopardy answer on J Roll, I’m going to take this opportunity to remind some 2+ million people, like I did for my boy Lew just yesterday, where they were on Halloween 2008.

What, me worry? Parades should earn some latitude, Phils' fans.

At a parade. At the only parade most of have seen. At the kind of parade that makes strangers hug, that makes beer taste a little better, that makes us all feel like we’re best friends with the iconic figures floating by with genuine smiles on their faces (Moyer, Dobbs, Harry the K), with giant confectionary beer-holding fists (J Werth), or with their favorite bulldog, Elvis, firmly in tow (Burrell).

If this were detention, I’d write the following on the blackboard: I will not complain about J Roll. I will not question Uncle Charlie. I will not forfeit tickets to any games this year. I will not forget where I was on Halloween 2008.

I’ll wait for the fall to serve my Philly fan detention, and I’ll fill my blackboard with: Donovan McNabb is not a winner. Donovan McNabb will never win. Donovan McNabb…

Hey, Don, where were you on Halloween 2009?