SB Nation - Ben Guite

Mile High Mailbag

David Driscoll-Carignan — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:00:38 -0000

What's funner than a Rick Roll? Pretty much everything. Everything, that is, but another edition of the Mile High Mailbag. Since we don't get real letters here like the big boys, we answer imaginary questions based on real search words people used to get to this fine site.

"ben guite" mustache

Totally boss. Sadly, it has left the building.

french beauty

I'm a Sophie Marceau guy myself. Thanks for asking. Wait, you weren't talking about Huet, were you?

the moore brothers suck

Get the fuck away from our website, Todd

i hate avalanche

That goes for you too, Brad.

naked hot women

Another disappointed masturbater

demotivational

He signed recently with Dinamo Riga of the KHL. And boy, you should have seen his reaction!

jim carrey beard

Her name is Jenny McCarthy

darren haydar

Unfortunately, not on the radar.

ryan oreilly nickname radar

Speaking of radar.

is a zetterberg the same as a forsberg

You're joking, right?

hi she it does

I have no idea what this means, but the first result of the search (which was in TURKISH) sends you here. The second sends you to MHH. The second result sends you to a page title "High-income women get more oral sex. Maybe." I honestly have no idea how the googles made that happen, but it makes me smile.

kyle cumiskey photo

It can be done, but I recommend a really high shutter speed. Otherwise, you're just going to get a blur.

florida panthers ice dancers

Reportedly, they are quite mesmerizing.

tj hensick hockeysfuture

Let's just say, right now, it's not so bright you gotta wear shades.

how many teeth does milan hejduk have

I truly hope whomever landed here searching for the answer to that question has decided to stay. They would fit right in.

Nashville Predators assign Ben Guite to Milwaukee

Dirk Hoag — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 18:05:40 -0000

From the Nashville Predators:

Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced today that forward Ben Guite has cleared waivers and been reassigned to Milwaukee (AHL). In four games with Nashville this season, Guite averaged 9:07 per game and did not record a point.

Ben Guite

#24 / Right Wing / Nashville Predators

Height: 6-1

Weight: 211

Born: Jul 17, 1978

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Ben Guite	4	0	0	0	-1	2	0	0	0	0	4	0.0

With this move supposedly made to clear up a logjam at center, does this mean we'll see Cal O'Reilly used as a center and Legwand moved over to the wing tonight against Washington? We'll see...

Nashville's 1-0 loss to Buffalo: Inside the Numbers

Dirk Hoag — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 16:08:43 -0000

More photos » by Mark Humphrey - AP

Teemu Laakso, along with most of the Nashville Predators, spent too much of last night chasing opponents in the defensive zone.

Browse more photos »

As if last night's 1-0 loss to the Buffalo Sabres wasn't gruesome enough in real time, I thought I'd take another swing at presenting detailed stats from the Nashville perspective.

Readers with delicate constitutions may wish to avoid the horrifying details herein...

Even Strength

Even Strength		Individual Totals					Team Totals While Player Is On Ice
Player	Pos	EV TOI	Shots	Shts Blkd	Missed Shts	Blocks	SOG For	SOG Ag	SOG +/-	Tot SF	Tot SA	Corsi
Jason Arnott	C	15:06	0	2	1	0	5	8	-3	14	12	+2
Steve Sullivan	L	15:47	3	0	0	0	6	10	-4	14	14	0
Patric Hornqvist	R	13:59	2	0	0	1	8	7	+1	15	11	+4
David Legwand	C	16:14	2	0	0	1	8	15	-7	14	26	-12
Martin Erat	R	16:02	0	0	0	0	6	12	-6	14	23	-9
Michael Santorelli	C	14:57	3	1	1	1	7	8	-1	12	20	-8
Marcel Goc	C	13:52	0	0	0	0	4	4	0	12	9	+3
Joel Ward	R	13:14	0	1	2	0	3	8	-5	13	13	0
Ryan Jones	L	8:43	2	4	0	0	3	6	-3	10	10	0
Ben Guite	R	5:47	1	0	1	0	2	9	-7	3	10	-7
Jerred Smithson	R	7:59	0	0	1	0	3	9	-6	5	10	-5
Triston Grant	L	7:02	0	0	0	0	3	9	-6	5	10	-5
Shea Weber	D	21:41	2	1	3	2	8	13	-5	21	22	-1
Ryan Suter	D	19:13	0	1	1	4	8	14	-6	18	23	-5
Dan Hamhuis	D	17:15	2	0	2	0	8	7	+1	16	15	+1
Kevin Klein	D	17:29	1	1	0	2	7	7	0	13	15	-2
Francis Bouillon	D	15:40	1	1	0	0	4	18	-14	11	23	-12
Teemu Laakso	D	9:00	0	0	0	0	3	14	-11	7	17	-10

Note: Color shading highlights top (green) and bottom (red) 15% of performers, prorated for ice time. I've attempted to group players by forward line or defensive pairing.

It was a tough night across the board, as all but two players finished on the negative side of the Shots On Goal +/- at even strength (Hornqvist & Hamhuis). The defensive pairing of Bouillon and Laakso had it especially bad. One oddity found here is that Ryan Jones had 4 of his 6 shot attempts blocked, a high proportion for a forward. As for Martin Erat, it may well be milk-carton time; I agree with Brandon Felder's assertion that when J.P. Dumont returns to the lineup, #10 should be banished to the 3rd line (at least) in favor of Hornqvist and Santorelli, who show much more assertiveness offensively.

Just imagine bringing a hockey fan from another city to a Predators game, and ask them which guy they think is the highest paid player on the team. Better yet, bring 1,000. I'd bet not a single one of them would guess Martin Erat.

Power Play

Power Play				Team Totals While On Ice
Player	Pos	PP TOI	SOG	Goals For	SOG For	Tot Shots For
Dan Hamhuis	D	0:50	0	0	0	0
Teemu Laakso	D	0:20	0	0	0	0
Shea Weber	D	0:52	0	0	2	2
Kevin Klein	D	0:48	0	0	0	0
Martin Erat	R	1:08	0	0	0	0
David Legwand	C	1:08	0	0	0	0
Jason Arnott	C	0:52	2	0	2	2
Ryan Suter	D	1:10	0	0	2	2
Steve Sullivan	L	1:10	0	0	2	2
Patric Hornqvist	R	0:52	0	0	2	2
Ryan Jones	L	0:50	0	0	0	0

They only earned two minutes of power play time (a problem all its own), so there's not much here to see.

Penalty Kill

Penalty Kill				Team Totals While On Ice
Player	Pos	PK TOI	Blkd Shts	Goals Ag	SOG Ag	Tot Shots Ag
Jerred Smithson	R	4:18	1	0	3	6
Dan Hamhuis	D	3:50	0	0	3	7
Kevin Klein	D	3:08	0	0	3	7
Marcel Goc	C	2:51	0	0	2	3
Francis Bouillon	D	2:51	0	0	1	1
Ryan Suter	D	2:44	0	0	3	3
Joel Ward	R	2:36	2	0	1	3
David Legwand	C	2:30	0	0	2	3
Shea Weber	D	2:13	0	0	2	2
Ben Guite	R	2:05	0	0	3	4
Teemu Laakso	D	1:14	0	0	0	0
Martin Erat	R	1:05	0	0	1	1
Steve Sullivan	L	0:24	0	0	0	0
Jason Arnott	C	0:11	0	0	0	0

They managed to kill off a full 8 minutes of shorthanded duty without giving up a goal (due in good part, of course, to Pekka Rinne's goaltending), but most of these results aren't bad.

As always, questions or suggestions as to the presentation of single-game advanced stats are welcomed. I do plan on adding faceoff information later on (broken down by on-ice strength and zone).

Nashville Predators announce "DEX Score and Win Program"

Dirk Hoag — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 20:22:18 -0000

More photos » by LM Otero - AP

With his victory over Dallas on Saturday, Nashville Predators goaltender Dan Ellis earned $100 for Tennessee Personal Assistance under the "DEX Score and Win Program".

Browse more photos »

From the Nashville Predators:

The DEX Score and Win Program is back and now in its fifth season of lending financial support to Nashville area charitable and community service organizations. Every time a Predators player scores a goal or records a goaltending win, DEX Imaging and Mailing will make a donation to the Predators Foundation that will be given to one of 11 Middle Tennessee charities at the conclusion of the 2009-10 season. Overall, the program has raised more than $115,000 since its inception during the 2005-06 season.

Through the DEX Score and Win Program, Predators players have been randomly paired up to "score and win" on behalf of 11 area charitable/community service organizations. Beginning with Saturday's season-opener against Dallas, DEX will make a contribution to the Predators Foundation in recognition of every goal scored and every win recorded by a goaltender. At the conclusion of the season, the Predators Foundation and DEX will then make individual contributions to designated charities.

For every goal scored by a forward or a win by a goaltender, DEX will contribute $100. The contribution will be $150 for goals scored by a defenseman and there is a $200 bonus for hat tricks and shutouts.

Following is a list of player pairings with designated charities:

Jason Arnott and Wade Belak - Lifecare
Steve Sullivan and Kevin Klein - Special Olympics
Dan Ellis and Patric Hornqvist - Tennessee Personal Assistance
J.P. Dumont and Teemu Laakso - Mercy Ministries
Shea Weber and Jordin Tootoo - Boy Scouts
Martin Erat and Jerred Smithson - Rocketown
Pekka Rinne and Marcel Goc - Make A Wish
Joel Ward and Ben Guite - Lighthouse Christian Academy
Ryan Jones and Mike Santorelli - EEOG
Colin Wilson, Ryan Suter and Francis Bouillon - Boys and Girls Clubs
David Legwand and Dan Hamhuis - Wounded Warrior Transition Unit

Individual projections for the Nashville Predators

Dirk Hoag — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 21:20:13 -0000

More photos » by Karl B DeBlaker - AP

Is this the year that David Legwand takes a step forward as an offensive force for Nashville?

Browse more photos »

This might be a hair late given the fact that the Nashville Predators have already played Game One of the NHL season, but I wanted to get individual player projections cast in ~~stone~~ pixels before we got too far down the road.

Here's how my projections for last season went, and looking back I'm pretty satisfied with the results.

So check after the jump for how I think the individual offensive numbers will shake out, and tell me where I'm right or wrong in the comments...

Name	GP	G	A	Pts	Comment
Jason Arnott	70	35	30	65	Might benefit the most from Sully's presence.
Wade Belak	50	1	2	3	If he scores, it'll be a heck of a celebration.
Francis Bouillon	70	2	10	12	By the end of the year, he'll make people forget Greg Zanon.
J.P. Dumont	80	20	55	75	Has two genuine goal-scorers on his line, and lots of PP time.
Martin Erat	75	18	40	58	A career-high in points, but not enough to get excited about.
Marcel Goc	70	4	10	14	Think of him as the new Radek Bonk, but costing half as much.
Ben Guite	60	2	6	8	Think of him as the new Scott Nichol, but costing half as much.
Dan Hamhuis	80	5	20	25	Doesn't get the attention that Weber & Suter do, but he's gold.
Patric Hornqvist	60	12	20	32	2nd strong pre-season in a row, but in a battle for playing time.
Ryan Jones	65	10	15	25	Off to a slow start coming out of training camp, must earn opportunity.
Kevin Klein	80	4	12	16	Should prosper as a Top 4 defenseman after years of preparation.
Teemu Laakso	30	1	3	4	Will be eased into NHL action.
David Legwand	75	22	34	56	A healthy rebound from last season, but not quite career highs.
Mike Santorelli	70	16	20	36	Speed and chemistry with Legwand & Erat give cause for hope.
Jerred Smithson	82	1	5	6	Defensive specialist isn't relied upon for scoring.
Steve Sullivan	70	30	40	70	Offensive dynamo is the key to improved team play.
Alexander Sulzer	55	1	6	7	Must work his way back into the lineup, but skill set is valuable.
Ryan Suter	82	12	40	52	Continuing to mature as a top-level defenseman.
Jordin Tootoo	65	6	6	12	Will this be enough to earn #22 a new contract with Nashville?
Joel Ward	70	8	15	23	Expected to play major role on 3rd line and special teams.
Shea Weber	82	17	35	52	Must establish consistent performance at last year's elite level.
Colin Wilson	50	8	20	28	Can't expect everyday NHL dominance yet, but coming soon.
	GS	W	Sv %	SO	Comment
Dan Ellis	24	10	0.908	3	He will get his chance to shine, likely earning a job somewhere else next year.
Pekka Rinne	58	35	0.915	8	Will be pressed by Ellis, but appears ready for the challenge.

There are a few overall trends that guided these projections:

Top line dominance

The 2009-10 Nashville Predators should be led by production concentrated in the five-man unit of Sullivan-Arnott-Dumont up front, and Suter-Weber on the blueline. The return of Steve Sullivan to this group provides a major boost.

Young guns jockeying for position

Between Mike Santorelli, Ryan Jones and Patric Hornqvist, the Preds have three wingers who could show up anywhere from the 2nd line down to the 4th, or even watch in the press box, depending on how they're going at any given time. Barry Trotz isn't shy about juggling the lineup, and none of these three have earned a permanent job.

Rinne reigns

Although Dan Ellis earned the start in Game #1 due to his stellar pre-season work, I still expect Rinne to assume command as the regular starter. Both should be motivated to strong seasons, as they face free agency next summer.

A step towards mediocrity

As a team, this projection has Nashville potting 235 goals, a significant step up from last season's 207, but nothing too large. After all, 235 goals would have only been 17th-best in the NHL last year.

2009-10 NHL Season Preview: Nashville Predators

James Mirtle — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:00:18 -0000

More photos » by Frederick Breedon - AP

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Who's in: Marcel Goc, Ben Guite
Who's out: Radek Bonk, Greg de Vries, Vernon Fiddler, Ville Koistinen, Scott Nichol, Greg Zanon

Outlook: Life's not easy as one of the league's low budgeted clubs.

The Predators watched as six role players left the roster — the most glaring loss being useful stay at home defender Greg Zanon — and no free agents of note were added to the mix as the team's payroll sunk down close to the $40.8-million salary floor. The only good news in free agency was that GM David Poile was able to lock up Steve Sullivan and Joel Ward, both of whom should play bigger roles this season.

With Alex Radulov committed to staying in Russia another season, the Predators are going to have to get more offence from within and there aren't a lot of scoring options in the system. Cal O'Reilly, who had a decent 11-game audition at the end of last season, may be an option on a scoring line, as will NCAA standout Colin Wilson, but for the most part, it's going to fall to the incumbents like Jason Arnott, J.P. Dumont and Martin Erat to drive the offence.

Other causes for concern come on the blueline, where the losses will mean a promotion from the AHL for Cody Franson and far bigger roles for players like Alexander Sulzer and Kevin Klein. Poile will likely opt to bring in another veteran defender at some point, but for the most part, huge minutes will continue to fall on the trio of Shea Weber, Ryan Suter and Dan Hamhuis. Nashville very likely has the youngest defence core in the NHL this season.

Even so, this is an underrated group, and if Pekka Rinne can turn his star performance in a half season into more of a full-time showing, the Predators do have a chance to return to the playoffs. Everyone will be betting against them, but when hasn't that been the case?

X-factor: Colin Wilson

For a more in-depth Preds preview, visit On The Forecheck
For more NHL analysis, check out the McKeen's Hockey Yearbook

Poll

Where will the Preds finish in the Western Conference this season?

1

4 votes

2

0 votes

3

0 votes

4

2 votes

5

5 votes

6

5 votes

7

11 votes

8

26 votes

9

19 votes

10

25 votes

11

13 votes

12

16 votes

13

16 votes

14

3 votes

15

9 votes

154 votes | Poll has closed

2009-2010 Nashville Predators Season Preview

Dirk Hoag — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 12:26:20 -0000

More photos » by Frederick Breedon - AP

Can Steve Sullivan, Martin Erat, and Ryan Suter return the Nashville Predators to the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2010?

Browse more photos »

After a four-year run of playoff appearances, the 2008-9 Nashville Predators fell to 10th in the Western Conference, due to a rash of injuries late in the season combined with a dearth of secondary scoring. After a summer of relative quiet on the free agent front, and a failed attempt to trade for Phil Kessel, is there reason to believe things will turn for the better in 2009-10?

Follow after the jump for your Nashville Predators season preview...

Who's In

GM David Poile brought in a collection of depth forwards via free agency in Ben Eaves, Marcel Goc, Ben Guite and Peter Olvecky. Eaves will likely act as a playmaker in Milwaukee with the Predators' AHL affiliate, while Goc, Guite and Olvecky will round out the checking lines in Nashville. On defense, Francis Bouillon should add experience on the 2nd or 3rd pairing.

There are also a few younger players stepping up onto the NHL stage this season. On defense, Alexander Sulzer should see regular duty, while a 7th roster spot might remain open for either Cody Franson or Teemu Laakso. Up front, Mike Santorelli (a point-per-game player in the AHL last season) gets the early nod as the 2nd-line winger on the Legwand/Erat line, while Cal O'Reilly and Colin Wilson will likely split time as the 3rd-line center. Ryan Jones, with his new one-way contract, should enjoy his first full NHL campaign. It will be interesting to see how much his crease-crashing abilities are used on the Nashville power play.

Who's Out

Radek Bonk (KHL), Vernon Fiddler (Phoenix), Scott Nichol (San Jose), Jed Ortmeyer (San Jose), Ville Koistinen (Florida), Greg de Vries, and Greg Zanon (Minnesota).

Strengths

The top five of Steve Sullivan, Jason Arnott and J.P. Dumont up front, with Ryan Suter and Shea Weber on defense, compares favorably to just about any team in the NHL. If the Preds can get into the third period with the game on the line, they have the talent and experience necessary to pull out their share of victories. Nashville's goaltending has also typically been excellent, despite annual turnover in the #1 spot.

The coaching staff is often lauded for maximizing the performance of the talent they're given, but perhaps Barry Trotz's greatest achievement is how he maintains team unity and persistent effort during times of crisis, both within an individual game and over the course of a season. Down by a score of 5-0 after the first period in Calgary last November, the Preds fought back to make it a 7-6 game, and were firing pucks at the Flames' net in the final seconds in a bid to tie it up. Down 3-0 at home against Pittsburgh in January, the Preds rallied for a pivotal 5-3 win. Later in the season, as the team lingered on the brink of playoff elimination and had to skate without three key forwards (Jason Arnott, David Legwand, and Martin Erat) due to injury, the Preds still gave a strong account of themselves down the stretch.

The Preds may not always triumph, but they can be counted on to fight hard and fight as a group, and that deliberate attitude starts with the coaching staff.

Weaknesses

In case you have heard, scoring depth is a bit of an issue with this team. The dropoff after the Big Five is precipitous, as the 2nd line anchored by David Legwand and Martin Erat has struggled to provide consistent offense in the past. The hope this year is that Mike Santorelli's move from center to left wing will give them some help, but it remains to be seen how much of his AHL success will translate to the NHL level.

Experience on defense could also be a concern, if Francis Bouillon proves unable to play due to his slow recovery from injury. Surely Nashville would want to avoid dressing two rookies back there on a nightly basis.

Depth Chart

(updated based on the Sep. 29 cuts)

Left Wing	Center	Right Wing
Steve Sullivan	Jason Arnott	J.P. Dumont
Mike Santorelli	David Legwand	Martin Erat
Joel Ward	Marcel Goc	Ryan Jones
Jerred Smithson	Ben Guite	Jordin Tootoo
Peter Olvecky	Colin Wilson	Wade Belak
Nick Spaling	Cal O'Reilly	Patric Hornqvist

Defense
Ryan Suter	Shea Weber
Dan Hamhuis	Kevin Klein
Teemu Laakso	Francis Bouillon
Alexander Sulzer	Cody Franson
Jonathan Blum

Goal

Pekka Rinne

Dan Ellis

Mark Dekanich

Prediction

Most observers fail to appreciate the impact that Steve Sullivan's return should have on the top line and the power play, and there's good reason to believe the 3rd line should be improved as well. The turnover from players like Radek Bonk, Vernon Fiddler and Scott Nichol to Mike Santorelli, Cal O'Reilly, Ryan Jones and (as seems likely at some point) Colin Wilson marks the first time since 2006-7 that the Predators have offered much offensive threat outside of the Arnott & Legwand lines.

Similarly on defense, the expanded role for Kevin Klein in place of Greg Zanon, and the addition of Alexander Sulzer for Greg de Vries, offers similar hope for improved two-way play rather than the "block a shot and chip the puck out" seen all too often last season.

The goaltending should be a source of strength, especially in a division where the two favorites (Chicago and Detroit) have perhaps the shakiest situations in net. The Central should be a fascinating dogfight this season, particularly when you consider the experience and quality of the coaches involved - Barry Trotz, Mike Babcock, Joel Quenville, Andy Murray and Ken Hitchcock are all savvy and experienced bench bosses.

In the end, I expect the Preds to return to the playoffs with the #8 seed, as last year's Goals For/Against figures of 207/228 balance more closely around 235/230. Given the way the race has gone down to the wire the last few seasons, earning points in the standings will be critical right from Game #1 all the way through Game #82, and it promises to be a white-knuckle ride the whole way.

But then, the fans in Nashville just wouldn't have it any other way:

Poll

Where will the Nashville Predators finish in the Western Conference?

1st

2 votes

2nd

1 votes

3rd

3 votes

4th

2 votes

5th

10 votes

6th

21 votes

7th

35 votes

8th

30 votes

9th

13 votes

10th

13 votes

11th

3 votes

12th

4 votes

13th

1 votes

14th

0 votes

15th

3 votes

141 votes | Poll has closed

2009-10 NHL Season Preview: Colorado Avalanche

James Mirtle — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 22:30:15 -0000

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

Joe Sacco, left, new coach of the Colorado Avalanche, and new general manager, Greg Sherman.

Browse more photos »

Who's in: Craig Anderson, David Koci, Tom Preissing, Kyle Quincey
Who's out: Tyler Arnason, Ben Guite, Ian Laperriere, Cody McCormick, Andrew Raycroft, Joe Sakic, Ryan Smyth, Daniel Tjarnqvist

Outlook: The fallout from Colorado's worst season since the move to Denver came swiftly, as amid rumours Patrick Roy had been offered the coach and GM duties, the Avs brass instead went with a pair of unknowns in Joe Sacco and Greg Sherman and fired GM Francois Giguere and coach Tony Granato.

The low profile front office should mirror the team on the ice, as this will be one ugly period of rebuilding for a franchise not exactly accustomed to it.

On the way out are Joe Sakic — who retired rather than returning to shepherd third-overall draft pick Matt Duchene through what should be a tough rookie season should he make the team — Ryan Smyth, Andrew Raycroft, Ian Laperriere and Tyler Arnason, an exodus that leaves Paul Stastny, Milan Hejduk, Wojtek Wolski and Marek Svatos as the only proven offensive players on the roster. As a result, the Avs will easily be one of the lowest scoring teams in the league.

On a positive note, however, Colorado's begun the rebuild the right way in goal and on defence, signing Panthers backup Craig Anderson to a bargain contract in free agency, and then dealing Ryan Smyth to the Kings for useful defender Kyle Quincey and spare part Tom Preissing.

Amid rumours Hejduk and a few of the veteran defenders could also be on the way out, it's difficult to forecast much more than a last-place finish in the Western Conference again this season. And that might not be such a bad thing given how far they've got to go.

X-factor: Craig Anderson

For a more in-depth Avs preview, visit Mile High Hockey
For more NHL analysis, check out the McKeen's Hockey Yearbook

Poll

Where will the Avs finish in the Western Conference this season?

1

10 votes

2

0 votes

3

1 votes

4

0 votes

5

0 votes

6

1 votes

7

4 votes

8

7 votes

9

3 votes

10

15 votes

11

12 votes

12

15 votes

13

26 votes

14

73 votes

15

97 votes

264 votes | Poll has closed

2009-10 Colorado Avalanche Season Preview

David Driscoll-Carignan — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 12:01:44 -0000

2008-2009 Recap: Summarily awful. The team finished with the 3rd worst record in the league (32-45-5) and finished in the bottom 3rd in all the major statistical categories: 30th in goals scored (190), 26th in goals allowed (269), 25th in powerplay efficiency (15.7%) and 21st on the PK (79.9%). The team's leading scorer had just 59 points, the lowest number since the franchise joined the NHL in 1979. The bright spots? The team was 9-4 in shootouts and an inexplicable 20-0-2 when leading after two periods.

Who's In: The Avalanche were all about cutting payroll this summer, and didn't go hog wild in free agency market. The only two notable free agent signings were goalie Craig Anderson from Florida and enforcer David Koci from Tampa. New GM Greg Sherman also acquired defensemen Kyle Quincey and Tom Preissing from the Kings in a trade for Ryan Smyth. Oh, and they drafted some kid named Matt Duchene.

Who's Out: Joe Sakic, Ryan Smyth, Ian Laperriere, Ben Guite, Tyler Arnason, Cody McCormick, Daniel Tjarnqvist, Andrew Raycroft, GM Francois Giguere and the entire coaching staff.

Team Strengths: [This space intentionally left blank]

Team Weaknesses: Offense, defense, goaltending, faceoffs, special teams.

Depth Chart: best guess:

Galiardi - Stastny - Hejduk
Wolski - Duchene - Stewart
McLeod - Hensick - Svatos
Tucker - Willsie - Jones

Hannan - Foote
Liles - Quincey
Clark - Salei

Anderson
Budaj

Also in the mix: F Ryan Stoa, F David Koci, D Tom Preissing

Prediction: On paper, the Avalanche haven't done much to improve the team. If Anderson is the real deal, the goaltending should be greatly improved, but it still won't be on par with other superb goalies in the NW (Khabibulin, Luongo, Kiprusoff and Backstrom). Kyle Quincey is a nice addition on the blueline, but he joins a squad that underperformed badly last season; hopefully new assistant coach Sylvain Lefebvre can turn what should be a deep squad around. Up front, question marks abound. Only one forward has ever scored 80 points in the NHL (Hejduk, once) and only 3 have ever cracked the 60-point mark (Hejduk, Stastny and Tucker). There is potential; Chris Stewart, T.J. Galiardi, Wojtek Wolski and David Jones have all shown flashes at time and, of course, Matt Duchene is hopefully ready to burst onto the scene.

There's no other way to spin it; the Avalanche are in rebuilding mode. Look for Greg Sherman to try to move more veterans this year, acquiring picks while trimming payroll. Scott Hannan and new captain Adam Foote may very well be on the move at some point, and don't be shocked if the team trades upcoming UFA Hejduk (who has a NTC...but also a cap friendly salary). If the Avs can get some picks for some older players and if the youngsters show progress, the season will likely be considered a success no matter how dismal their final record is.

I hope I'm wrong about this, but I figure the Avs finish near the bottom of the conference this year. I'm guessing 14th, one spot ahead of Phoenix.

Poll

In 2009-2010, will the Avalanche be able to improve on last year's 69-point effort?

Yes

176 votes

No

50 votes

226 votes | Poll has closed

A Quick And Early Look At The Northwest Division Rivals

Sean Zandberg — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 07:59:19 -0000

NHL.com has just listed the Canucks as one of their top 10 teams on the rise, saying:

Losing Mattias Ohlund could hurt, but that was buried under the important re-signings of the Sedin twins. Roberto Luongo is at the top of his game and will be motivated by the opportunity to get hot and start for Canada in the Olympics. Alex Burrows, Ryan Kesler, Kevin Bieksa and Alexander Edler only are getting better. Mikael Samuelsson, signed away from the Detroit Red Wings can make the power play better.

Convincing, huh? No not really. However, are the Canucks really worse off on paper than last year? Not really. I just find it odd that the writer calls them a team on the rise when they already won the Northwest Division title. Alas, you never know what can happen, and so many variables are involved (like what division rivals are doing in the off season).

Note: No other Northwest Division teams made the list.

Here's a quick look at how the other teams in our division are shaping up this summer. NOTE: **Yes, every other team in the NW has made a coaching change, as the guys quickly reminded me)** But I'm just focusing on the player additions.

CALGARY FLAMES

IN: D Jay Bouwmeester, F Fredrick Sjostrom

OUT: D Adrian Aucoin, F Todd Bertuzzi, F Mike Cammalleri, D Anders Eriksson, F Jamie Lundmark, F Warren Peters, F Andre Roy, D Rhett Warrener

Cap Spending: $54.29 million

Adding the coveted Bouwmeester meant that the Flames had to part ways with Mike Cammalleri. They have so much money invested in Bouwmeester, Phaneuf, Jokinen, Iginla and Kiprusoff that they can spend no more. They are now thick on D and more shallow up front. I still think the addition of Olli Jokinen at the deadline was a joke, yet he may rack up the points this year as he plays more with the team. Who knows. Glad they have him and not us.

Better or Worse? Potentially worse. Secondary scoring may be quite tough to come by beyond Iginla, Jokinen and Langkow.

EDMONTON OILERS

IN: G Nicolai Khabibulin

OUT: F Ales Kotalik, G Dwayne Roloson, G Dany Sabourin, D Jason Strudwick

Cap Spending: $51.40 million.

Not much change here except between the pipes, where Khabibulin may be an upgrade over Dwayne Roloson. I say "may be" because the Oilers are a run and gun team. Khabby is going to see a lot more quantity and quality shots in Edmonton. Let's see how he fares with that.

Edmonton's fate lies with the health of Sheldon Souray and Lubomir Visnovsky. They have over $13 million invested in those 2 defencemen. Madness I say. Up front they have a lot of young guys who may find their stride after sophomore seasons and what-not.

Are they going to add Dany Heatley or not? He could change the Coilers' fortunes.

Better or Worse? About the same.

MINNESOTA WILD

IN: F Martin Havlat, potentially F Kyle Brodziak (RFA), D Greg Zanon, G Wade Dubielwicz

OUT: D Marc-Andre Bergeron, D Kurtis Foster, F Marian Gaborik, F Krys Kolanos, F Corey Locke, F Bryan Lundbohm, D Tomas Mojzis, G Nolan Schaefer, D Jesse Schultz, D Martin Skoula, F Stephane Veilleux,

Cap Spending: $51.43 million

I am still laughing at the Wild letting injury-prone Marian Gaborik go and then acquiring injury-prone Martin Havlat. I don't care if Havlat played 81 games last season. Look at his track record. Plus it was a contract year. Let's start placing bets on how many games he plays this year. I'll start the betting with 55 games.

The Wild need more help up front, and they may just get that as trading Josh Harding is imminent.

Better or Worse? Worse

COLORADO AVALANCHE

IN: D Tom Preissing, D Kyle Quincey, G Craig Anderson, and Potentially 1st Round Draft Pick Matt Duchene

OUT: F Tyler Arnason, F Jesse Boulerice, F Ben Guite, F Ian Laperriere, F Matt Hendricks, F Per Ledin, D Aaron MacKenzie, D Lawrence Nycholat, G Andrew Raycroft, F Joe Sakic, F Nathan Smith, D Daniel Tjarnqvist, F Brian Willsie, F Cody McCormick

Cap Spending: $49.71 million

It's all about rebuilding for the Avalanche. especially up front. The goaltending and defence are set and more experienced. Canucks fans may get a good look at Matt Duchene, a former teammate of Cody Hodgson. It will be a mighty surprise if the Avalanche make the playoffs this year, but at least they are taking the right steps. Losing Sakic's presence will hurt, just as it did last season, but at least they have an upgrade in goal adding Craig Anderson.

Better or Worse? A bit better. They can't be any worse than last year's 69 points.

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Considering how often we play these teams each year I'm feeling optimistic. But you can never take any of these teams for granted. The Canucks are going to have to play better against lesser teams than they did last year.

Like I said, this is a quick and early look at these teams. They still have lots of summer left to tinker with their rosters.