What about the champs?

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 17/09/2015 (3873 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It was back on June 15 when Chicago Blackhawks captain and proud native son Jonathan Toews shook hands with Gary Bettman and hoisted the Stanley Cup above his head, the NHL commissioner’s words still ringing through the United Center:

“Well Chicago, that’s three Cups in six seasons. I’d say you have a dynasty.”

No argument here, especially in this day and age of constant roster turnover due to salary caps and free agency.

The Blackhawks capped off a 2014-15 NHL season that served up more than its share of memorable moments — including the Winnipeg Jets’ return to the playoffs — and stretched out over 250 days. A marathon? Heck, yeah. Just to put that in perspective, Joe Clark’s minority government lasted just 273 days in 1979-80 and Kim Campbell was prime minister for an even shorter time — 132 days — back in 1993.

The point here is this: after another intriguing off-season of coaching changes, of player movement and juicy trades, the NHL is back — after just 125 days off — with the opening of training camp all over the league’s map.

And hockey fans, frankly, can’t wait.

Let’s get to it here with a handy-dandy guide to some of the stories expected to grab headlines over the next few days, weeks and months before the Cup is lifted again:

 

Five tasty storylines

1. How good is the next ‘next one’?

The Edmonton Oilers have undergone another makeover with a new boss pulling the strings in GM Peter Chiarelli, a new man behind the bench in Todd McLellan and the latest generational talent in Connor McDavid, the first-pick overall in the 2015 draft. Chiarelli is trying to temper expectations for the kid — he recently told TSN’s Bob McKenzie, with a chuckle, that a reasonable goal for McDavid’s production would be 20 goals and 40 points — but most observers’ over-under on that is substantially higher. That’s what happens when a guy is compared to the likes of Mario Lemieux and Sidney Crosby.

A couple of things to consider here: 1. Mark Stone and Johnny Gaudreau tied for the rookie scoring lead last year with 64 points, one more than Filip Forsberg. McDavid should exceed that, but by how much? And, 2, from the strange-but-true department — no Oilers player has ever won the Calder Trophy.

 

2. A size-large distraction

The Hawks will open camp at the University of Notre Dame with Patrick Kane, under investigation for sexual assault, on the ice with his teammates. Debate all you like his rights until this plays out in the justice system or the absolutely horrible optics of it but, for the Hawks, this is going to be the kind of camp sideshow that will draw publicity for all the wrong reasons.

 

3. A champ dismantled?

A lot of the guys who swilled bubbly from the Cup with Toews in June are gonzo, including Patrick Sharp and Johnny Oduya (Dallas), Brandon Saad (Columbus), Brad Richards (Detroit) and Kris Versteeg (Carolina). And Kane’s future remains very much in limbo.

Coming aboard are Artem Anisimov, Trevor Daley, Mark Dano and Ryan Garbutt. That’s a whole pile of change to the champs, but they’ve managed to win before after dealing with a salary-cap crunch and remain the favourites by Vegas oddsmakers.

 

4. The power of Mike

An old joke about the Toronto Maple Leafs…

Q: What do a recent high school dropout and the Toronto Maple Leafs have in common?

A: They’re both young, have no goals and no good prospects.

Ba-dum, dum.

It’s been many, many moons — 1967, to be exact — since the Maple Leafs last won a Cup. Every fan of the blue and white is painfully aware of that. Mike Babcock, the former Detroit Red Wings and Team Canada boss, is the latest in a long line of coaches being trumpeted as the man who can lead the franchise out of this quagmire, but the work will be arduous.

Babcock takes over a team that went 11-35-5 from Dec. 18 to the end of the season and then traded its leading scorer in Phil Kessel. Nice gig. And good luck, Mike.

 

5. The Sabres rebuild

This from Jon Vogl of the Buffalo News and The Hockey News: from 1979 to 2009 there were 10 teams who drafted in the top two overall in back-to-back years (including the 1980 and ’81 Jets, who landed Dave Babych and Dale Hawerchuk). Five of them reached the final within eight seasons with three teams (Pittsburgh, twice, and Quebec/Colorado) winning a championship. The Sabres have picked second overall in the past two drafts, landing Jack Eichel this June and Sam Reinhart last year. They join a crew that also now includes former Jets Evander Kane and Zach Bogosian along with Ryan O’Reilly, Robin Lehner, David Legwand and Jamie McGinn. But there’s a lot of heaving lifting to do in upstate New York just to get the Sabres back to respectability: they had a measly 52 and 54 points over the last two years — losing 102 games along the way.

 

Seven new faces in new places

NHL players pick up and move — or are forced to move — every off-season. Here’s a look at seven players with new addresses that could be fascinating to track all year:

1. Phil Kessel, right-winger

The move: from Toronto to Pittsburgh

He needed out of The Big Smoke and what a landing place: with the Penguins on a line with Crosby. Kessel can fill the net — he’s had five 30-plus goal seasons — and his arrival in Pittsburgh might help the Pens, who have been playoff disappointments since winning the Cup in 2008-09, take a critical next step.

2. Evander Kane, left-winger

The move: from Winnipeg to Buffalo

Remember, he hasn’t taken a shift in a real game since being injured and shipped to the Sabres. His speed and shot makes him an intriguing fit with either Jack Eichel or Ryan O’Reilly. To that end, he told reporters in Buffalo this week: “If I can ever play 82 games… obviously I can score 30 goals. Will I is more the question. I hope to score as many goals as possible. Thirty is just kind of a set number. I’ve already scored 30. So maybe I want to score 40 or 50.”

Say this about Kane: the dude has never been short on bravado.

3. Dougie Hamilton, defenceman

The move: from Boston to Calgary

Drafted as a potential franchise D-man, Hamilton wore Bruins colours for just three years before being dealt to Calgary for three draft picks. He know joins a solid D corps that includes Mark Giordano, T.J. Brodie, Kris Russell, Dennis Wideman and Ladislav Smid gives the Flames a fantastic defensive foundation.

4. Brandon Saad, left-winger

The move: from Chicago to Columbus

The Hawks needed to move bodies because of a cap crunch and the Blue Jackets got a budding star in Saad (23 goals, 29 assists last year) who figures to slot in on the left side of the top line with Ryan Johansen and Nick Foligno. The Jackets suffered a ton of injuries last year, but are a sexy pick right now to challenge for the Metro Division title.

5. Cam Talbot, goaltender

The move: from New York Rangers to Edmonton

Lost in all the McDavid hype was the Oilers dealing with the Rangers to fill a gaping hole in the crease. Talbot popped off the page when Henrik Lundqvist was injured last year, going 21-9-4 with a .926 save percentage and 2.11 goals-against average. The Oilers will score, but still need to keep the puck out their net (their 3.37 GAA was last in the NHL a year ago).

6. Carl Hagelin, left-winger

The move:from New York Rangers to Anaheim

The Ducks have been contenders for the past few springs, but have not been able to finish the deal when it matters most. They’ve made some changes this off-season — gone are Matt Beleskey, Kyle Palmieri, Emerson Etem, Francois Beauchemin and James Wisniewski — but Hagelin is expected to add some punch to a crew that has also brought aboard Chris Stewart, Shawn Horcoff, Kevin Bieksa and goaltender Anton Khudobin.

7. Milan Lucic, left-winger

The move: from Boston to Los Angeles

His numbers have been in decline since potting 30 goals in 2010-11, but the change in scenery might breathe some life back into his career. He’s got a style of game that fits the banging in the Western Conference and could see his offensive totals grow if he lines up with Anze Kopitar.

ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca
Twitter: @WFPEdTait