Speedy Sabres the team to beat in NHL's tough Eastern Conference
Speedy Sabres the team to beat in NHL's tough Eastern Conference

BILL BEACON
September 27, 2006

(CP) - This could be the Buffalo Sabres' year. The Sabres look perfectly matched to the NHL's crackdown on restraining fouls, having reached the Eastern Conference final last season before losing a heartbreaker to the eventual Stanley Cup-champion Carolina Hurricanes.

Coach Lindy Ruff's club made only minor changes in the off-season and looks ready to take another step toward the Stanley Cup.

He's a prediction on what will happen this year, with teams listed in order of predicted finish (with 2005-06 rank, record and point total in parentheses):

1. Buffalo (4th, 52-24-6, 110 points): Rock-steady defenceman Jay McKee is gone but Jaroslav Spacek has arrived from Edmonton.

The Sabres are about high-tempo team play, and Daniel Briere is back to lead the charge on attack aided by emerging players like Ales Kotalik, Derek Roy, Jason Pominville and Thomas Vanek.

And Ryan Miller was spectacular in his first full year in goal, which makes Buffalo the favourite in the East.

2. Carolina (2nd, 52-22-8, 112 points): If youngster Cam Ward can do in goal what he did during the playoffs last spring, the Hurricanes are set.

If not, it's up to Tampa Bay cast-off John Grahame.

The 'Canes will also start the season without injured winger Cory Stillman and they lost centre Matt Cullen and defenceman Aaron Ward to other clubs. But they're still one of the best and deepest teams in the conference.

3. New York Rangers (6th, 44-26-12, 100 points): Landing free agent Brendan Shanahan must have made all the Rangers shout "yes."

Grabbing Cullen and Ward from Carolina didn't hurt, either.

There are concerns about Jaromir Jagr's health, but he's expected to be ready to join a stronger, deeper team.

4. Philadelphia (5th, 45-26-11, 101 points): Much hinges on Peter Forsberg's fragile health, but they still have Simon Gagne, Mike Knuble and quality young attackers in Mike Richards, Jeff Carter, R.J. Umberger and newly acquired Kyle Calder.

The only question is in goal, where Robert Esche and the injured Antero Niittymaki will battle for the No. 1 job.

5. Boston (13th, 29-37-16, 74 points): Last season's disaster got them fifth overall draft pick Phil Kessel and sparked a ton of moves, ranging from ho-hum to spectacular.

Signing towering rearguard Zdeno Chara changed the personality of the team in one shot. Grabbing sniper Marc Savard gave them an impressive second line. And young goalie Hannu Toivonen is back healthy and looking sharp. So look out for the Bruins.

6. Ottawa (1st, 52-21-9, 113 points): The salary cap made Ottawa choose between Chara and Wade Redden and, probably wisely, they kept their power-play quarterback.

Still, a team that loses Chara and Martin Havlat is not better, although their goaltending is boosted by Martin Gerber and they still have Jason Spezza, Dany Heatley and Daniel Alfredsson.

7. Tampa Bay (8th, 43-33-6, 92 points): It cost 31-goal man Fred Modin, but they fixed their goaltending by acquiring Marc Denis and signing Johan Holmqvist.

The salary cap also cost them defencemen Darryl Sydor and Pavel Kubina, but a strong power-play unit boasting Vincent Lecavalier, Brad Richards, Martin St. Louis and Dan Boyle remains.

8. Montreal (7th, 42-31-9, 93 points): Two big ifs hang over the Canadiens - if captain Saku Koivu can perform with reduced vision from a playoff eye injury and if Cristobal Huet can repeat last season's heroics in goal.

If so, Montreal will watch its quick, young team take another step forward. Adding Sergei Samsonov and Mike Johnson should help, too.

9. New Jersey (3rd, 46-27-9, 101 points): A salary cap nightmare leaves the threat of big trades hanging over a team that otherwise would be one of the league's best.

If they can retain their top line of Scott Gomez, Patrick Elias and Brian Gionta, forward depth and goaltending - hello Martin Brodeur - should land them a playoff berth. If not, it will be an early spring in New Jersey.

10. Toronto (9th, 41-33-8, 90 points): The Leafs needed help in goal and on defence, and got Boston cast-offs Andrew Raycroft and Hal Gill.

They also got the solid Kubina from Tampa Bay to go with defence stars Tomas Kaberle and Bryan McCabe. But what they really need is young forwards delivering more than hope and promise. More Kyle Wellwood and Alex Steen, less Nik Antropov.

11. Florida (11th, 37-34-11, 85 points): Losing Roberto Luongo and going with 41-year-old Ed Belfour and Alex Auld in goal is risky business.

But it's offset by the arrival of power winger Todd Bertuzzi, looking for a new start after the Steve Moore affair, and Ruslan Salei should help the defence.

12. Atlanta (10th, 41-33-8, 90 points): Losing centre Marc Savard was a blow, considering the firepower he gave them with Ilya Kovalchuk and Marian Hossa.

Can potential replacements Bobby Holik or Steve Rucchin feed the two snipers? Maybe.

13. New York Islanders (12th, 36-40-6, 78 points): Coach Ted Nolan returns from a nine-year exile from the NHL and joins a team that made the back-up goalie (Garth Snow) general manager and gave the starting goalie (Rick DiPietro) a 15-year contract.

Add in the mostly underperforming Alexei Yashin as top centre and captain and imagine what Nolan is up against.

14. Pittsburgh (15th, 22-46-14, 58 points): Evgeni Malkin's debut is delayed by an injury, but it shouldn't be long before the smooth Russian centre is making plays with emerging superstar Sidney Crosby.

With Marc-Andre Fleury looking like a future franchise goalie, the Penguins appear just a year or two away from being a very dangerous and entertaining team.

15. Washington (14th, 29-41-12, 70 points): It will be the Alex Ovechkin show again this season.

The Capitals lost Jeff Halpern and gained Richard Zednik, so not much was done to surround the Russian prodigy with better talent.