NHL 2008-2009 Season

[deltachi8]

I know we have some NHL fans here, so...what is everyone's thoughts for the upcoming season?

In the East as long as Pittsburgh gets healthy by January, I have to with them although I like Montreal quite a bit as well.

the West is very deep and you can pick a number of teams to come out on top. Hard to bet against Detroit, but i like waht San Jose has done and will go with them as my pick.

I'm looking forward to the season. Having moved to Houston this summer, I had to substitute the Center Ice package for living in hockey country (though I kept my Sabres season tickets)...but i know where to buy Labatt blue for Hockey Night....

[Oxilon]

Redwings are coming off a Stanley Cup domination of the Penguins and are not only coming back with Zetterberg and Datsyuk but added Hossa as well. Oh, not to mention they added Conklin to back up Osgood. It's the Red Wings Stanley Cup to lose.

[Raisor]

Thrashers will win every game they score more goals then the other team.

[HotCorner]

I love my Caps' chances this season in the Eastern Conference. Led by the best player the league and a young and talented supporting cast, this team should be around for a while. However despite how much I dislike them, the Red Wings are the team to beat.

[M2]

I love my Caps' chances this season in the Eastern Conference. Led by the best player the league and a young and talented supporting cast, this team should be around for a while.

I suppose someone's got to win that division. Ovechkin alone ought to be enough to do the job.

[Oxilon]

I suppose someone's got to win that division. Ovechkin alone ought to be enough to do the job.

Tampa Bay may be one of the most improved teams in all of the NHL, never the less the Southeast divison. They were horrible last year, but they still have St. Louis and Lecavalier who are two of the most dominant players in the league. They added Malone from the Pens', as well as the 1st overall pick in the draft Steve Stamkos. Stamkos is just nasty and could have an impact similiar to what Patrick Kane did last year with the Hawks. With a new coach in Barry Melrose, they'll definitely be competing with the upper-tier of the Eastern Conference.

[M2]

Tampa Bay may be one of the most improved teams in all of the NHL, never the less the Southeast divison. They were horrible last year, but they still have St. Louis and Lecavalier who are two of the most dominant players in the league. They added Malone from the Pens', as well as the 1st overall pick in the draft Steve Stamkos. Stamkos is just nasty and could have an impact similiar to what Patrick Kane did last year with the Hawks. With a new coach in Barry Melrose, they'll definitely be competing with the upper-tier of the Eastern Conference.

I don't know how quick that turnaround will be. The Rangers swarmed them in the two games they just played over in Europe. Maybe the Lightning didn't travel well, but that team could lose a month or two while everyone gets used to each other.

[Patrick Bateman]

Tampa Bay may be one of the most improved teams in all of the NHL, never the less the Southeast divison. They were horrible last year, but they still have St. Louis and Lecavalier who are two of the most dominant players in the league. They added Malone from the Pens', as well as the 1st overall pick in the draft Steve Stamkos. Stamkos is just nasty and could have an impact similiar to what Patrick Kane did last year with the Hawks. With a new coach in Barry Melrose, they'll definitely be competing with the upper-tier of the Eastern Conference.

I saw a lot of roster shuffling, not a lot of high end improvement. Vrbata is way too soft and offensive minded for a guy with underwhelming point totals year in and year out. Ryan Malone is the highest paid third liner in hockey. Gary Roberts is slowing down (so is Kolzig), and Recchi was obsolete long ago. Vinny Prospal is overrated, and was with them most of last year anyways.

I liked the Meszaros and Boyle transactions, but the latter hurts them in the now. They also have to contend with a major loss in Richards this year. Stamkos will help fill that void, but through the big additions there, they come out near even.

They made plenty of action, but there just isn't enough there IMO. They got themselves from being 'the' conference dweller to a fringe playoff contender, which is a nice enough upgrade for one off season, but the same underlying defensive mess is still present.

[Patrick Bateman]

I can't tell you how anxious I am for the season to get started. My Hawks have some of the best young talent in the league, and were even big players in the free agent market. The entire organization has just made a complete 180 in just a year.

HotCorner, I like the Cap's team, but I think they made a mistake letting Huet go when the next best option was the far inferior Theodore. Other than that, they have a lot of exciting talent. I personally always liked Mike Green. I watched him a few times in Junior when he was playing with Saskatoon. That team was horridly bad, but Green always stood out, and when he went to the Caps at the end of the first round of the draft, I thought it was the biggest steal of the draft. With that said, I was surprised he made such a monumental leap forward last year.

[Sean_CaseyRules]

The Jackets are going to be strong this year! They FINALLY have a defense and I honestly look for them to gel as a team and reach the plaoffs. Getting rid of Zhardev was a great move for the CBJ. I honestly haven't been this excited for a season since their inaugural season! This should be a lot of fun!

[westofyou]

The Jackets are going to be strong this year! They FINALLY have a defense and I honestly look for them to gel as a team and reach the plaoffs. Getting rid of Zhardev was a great move for the CBJ. I honestly haven't been this excited for a season since their inaugural season! This should be a lot of fun!

Strong is OK, but they still need some offense, the Pacific division could give the league 3 of their playoff teams, the Hawks and Wings are going to push for two and the Northwest will give you their winner, leaving 2 slots for the rest of the league and that includes a declining Avalanche team and the team with the best goalie in the game.

Things to watch for

Tampa Bay - 15 new players and Barry Melrose pulling a Larry Dierker and going from broadcast booth to the bench.

The Capitals - They score like it's the 80's can they keep it up?

Toronto - They are now officially the Cubs in the 50's, a flagship team in distress

The Hawks - Young, fast and hungry, they will upset some apple carts

The Sharks - Snakebitten, they need to go the next step to become a great team

The Ducks - The loudest GM about spending in the game has pressed his cap too far north and now he's shedding d-men to accommodate offense, which there is precious little of, this should be interesting.

Dallas - Steve Avery will be on my TV more this winter, if Dallas's defense lapses I look for hi to get his butt kicked more than usual as he tries to make up for the loss of defense with some grit.

Pittsburgh - They will be good, but not as good as last season, I look for them to have a tougher time this year than last, no 100 points.

Montreal - The fans are waiting and the great Bob Gainey is working it for them off the ice like he did for them on the ice, they should be the class of the east

[M2]

The Jackets are going to be strong this year! They FINALLY have a defense and I honestly look for them to gel as a team and reach the plaoffs. Getting rid of Zhardev was a great move for the CBJ. I honestly haven't been this excited for a season since their inaugural season! This should be a lot of fun!

As a Rangers fan, I'm glad my team was able to accommodate. Now if only the Rangers can help the Wild with their Marian Gaborik problem.

[Patrick Bateman]

As a Rangers fan, I'm glad my team was able to accommodate. Now if only the Rangers can help the Wild with their Marian Gaborik problem.

No. You guys already stole one player. Gaborik is my planned replacement for Martin Havlat next year.

[NJReds]

Sharks fan here. I expect them to disappoint in the playoffs again.

[westofyou]

I never make it a habit to watch pre-season hockey, it's in the midst of the end of the baseball season and the weekend is full of football and soccer so you don't get much pre-season hockey to view, but like any other sport (especially the hard contact ones) pre-season is a bad gauge for the long season, and a total waste of time since the real energy of the regular season doesn't come to roost until December. That said many a win can be stolen early in the season as teams try and find their rhythm, but most of the hockey early on seems tentative and manufactured, and usually the more fluid teams with the good skaters look twice as fast as usual.