2010 NHL Predictions

Lots of movement this offseason is sure to shake things up next season. With only 5 weeks remaining until the start of the season, its time for my predictions. I will start with my regular season standings, and will continue with the playoffs in a few days. Here it goes!

East

1. Boston
2. Washington
3. Philadelphia
4. Pittsburgh
5. Carolina
6. New Jersey
7. Tampa Bay
8. Montreal
9. New York Rangers
10. Ottawa
11. Buffalo
12. Toronto
13. Florida
14. Atlanta
15. New York Islanders

Tampa Bay? Yup, Tampa Bay

West

1. San Jose
2. Chicago
3. Vancouver
4. Detroit
5. St. Louis
6. Calgary
7. Columbus
8. Minnesota
9. Nashville
10. Anaheim
11. Los Angeles
12. Edmonton
13. Phoenix
14. Colorado

My Pick For Captain of Team Canada: Jerome Iginla

Settle down Crosby fans. I'm not just another Caps fan hating on Crosby, and I'm not saying Crosby isn't qualified to be Captain or wouldn't be a good Captain, but my pick is Jerome Iginla. I suppose there are some other potential nominees for this coveted job-- Scott Niedermayer and Joe Thornton could be tossed into the conversation. It's probably safe to say Patrick Marleau won't be in the mix after last week's events in San Jose.(Marleau was stripped of his "C") All of these players would be great picks to lead Canada into probably the most important tournament it's ever played. The Canadian press has already sent out a warning telling no players to show their faces in their home towns if they don't win gold. And I thought the New York press was tough. Surely this is sarcasm, but there has to be some truth to that. Jerome Iginla is the man Canada needs to lead them to Olympic gold.

Two things really pop out at your when thinking of Jerome Iginla. The first is leadership. Iginla is already an NHL captain so he knows the role of being a captain. Captains must motivate, lead, and set an example for others. Iginla is one of the most respected players in the NHL. Not only is he an elite goal scorer, but he always ranks high in player surveys as one of the best Captains in the NHL. He isn't afraid to drop the gloves as well, almost always in defense of a teammate. These are some of the intangibles that make a great Captain.

The next is experience. Iginla has been part of a gold medal winning team in 2002 and a team that finished in a disastrous 7th place in 2006. This will be his third Olympiad. Some of you may argue that Crosby has the same leadership ability. I most likely would not argue against that, but this will be Crosby's first Olympic experience. Playing for your country is a different beast than playing for your club team. This team will have the pressure of an entire nation on their backs. It's no question that Crosby will be the Captain in years to come, but Crosby needs to be mentored at the Olympic level just as he was when he broke into the NHL. This role was played by Mario Lemieux. I believe this is the role Jerome Iginla can play. Reports are that they may be on the same line so that provides the perfect scenario for Crosby to learn from a player who has all the intangibles of a great Captain, plus has the experience to guide Crosby.

This is my two cents. There is one rather large assumption I've made in this whole thing. I'm assuming Iginla makes the Canadian team. Barring catastrophic circumstances, he'll be there.

USA Goes Retro

You gotta love the new USA Olympic hockey jerseys set to debut next February in Vancouver. Team USA is hoping these retro jersey's, similar to those worn in 1980 during the Lake Placid games, can provide some good karma into what is going to be a very difficult tournament. We have the familiar blue jersey, a white jersey, and debuting for the first time; a third jersey, also white. I must say I prefer the blue because the white jersey's remind me to much of the Broadway Blue Shirts, a.k.a--the Rangers. (Yes I know the Rags where blue, but for some reason the white screams New York Rangers.) This tournament will be loaded with NHL superstars and talents from each team's homelands. It is sure to be an uphill climb for team USA. Perhaps these jerseys, circa 1980 will provide the same miraculous result. I think USA will need a miracle to win this tournament. So much for optimism.

Click here to see the new jerseys. Let me know what you think of them.

Thoughts and Condolences

Heavy hearts today in DC upon hearing the news the Jose Theodore's infant son passed away. Theodore's son was reportedly born prematurely two months ago, but was unable to overcome the circumstances. One thing I know for sure; children are not supposed to die before their parents. That is every parent's worst fear. Thoughts and prayers with the Theodore and Cloutier families.

Trade Proposal?

Rumor has it that a trade proposal was made today by the Colorado Avalanche in an effort to land Michael Nylander. Colorado allegedly offered Scott Hannan for Caps' center Michael Nylander. In case you haven't been following, Nylander is currently a major liability to the Capitals salary cap number. Nylander has voiced displeasure in his current role with the team, yet will not relinquish his no movement clause. It is not yet known whether Nylander put the stops to the deal, but it does make one think about reasons why the Caps would've turned this deal down. It is no secret that the Caps are trying to dump Nylander's salary. Nylander will be making over $5 million next year. Scott Hannan is a gritty defenseman who I feel would fit in well with the Caps. The reason I think this deal did not go through is because it would have been a lateral move in terms of salary. Hannan is due $4.5 million next year, not much less than Nylander. Plus, he is under contract until the 2011 season thus being on the books til then.

We will continue to wait and see how this situation unfolds.

Theodore Entering Camp As Number One

That is according to bench boss Bruce Boudreau. Boudreau is sticking up for last year's number one goaltender after speculation that Semyon Varlamov would be taking over the starting goal tending spot due to his shining performance in last year's playoffs. I will most likely be in the minority in saying that I am in complete agreement with Gabby. Is Theodore overpaid? Probably. Is Theodore the MVP he was back in 2002? Most likely not. But Theodore was one of the main reason for the Capitals' success last year. Theodore had very respectable numbers last year with 32 wins, and 2.87 GAA, and .900 save percentage. Theodore however was haunted by untimely goals at inopportune times. The so called "soft goal" was a sight to often seen by Caps fans last season. I don't think this is the picture of Theodore we should paint.

Theodore has proven to the league that he is a legitimate NHL goaltender. He is a former MVP and Vezina trophy winner. Most importantly in my mind is the fact that he won 32 games for us last season. The problem is his inconsistency at times and the amount of green he is going to make next year. Theodore is set to make upwards of $5 million next season which as we now has handcuffed management.

Don't get me wrong, one of the most exciting aspects about the Caps organization is that by no means are they short on goal tending. Three absolute studs are preparing to make huge impacts for the Caps in the coming years. Varlamov and Neuvirth have already seen time in the NHL, and have performed admirably. But are either of them ready for the grinds of an 82 game NHL season? Only time will tell. My question is if we have a 30 gamer winner ready to handle the grind of an NHL season coupled with the fact that he will be earning $5 million, let's use him. I would hate to see Varlamov or Neuvirth thrown into playing 60+ games if they aren't ready. They show to much promise for us to risk anything. If Theodore falters, we know that Varlamov is fully capable of being a dependable backup. Don't get me wrong, Varlamov was amazing last year, but I think he still needs to be nurtured into full time starter. And lastly, I believe Theodore deserves the opportunity to re-gain his starting job (if he ever lost it). If things don't go his way, we know we have able goaltenders to fill his spot.

Having three capable goaltenders is a great problem to have.

So what's your take? Who should be the starter?

Countdown to Olympic Hockey

The 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics start 6 months from tomorrow. It is unbelievable how fast time flies. It seems like yesterday Sweden was upsetting Finland for Olympic gold. Next February's tournament returns to the Great White North for the first time since 1988 when it was held Calgary. With Canada being the world's hockey mecca, anticipation and expectation are growing exponentially. Coming off a disappointing tournament in Torino, Canada is expecting nothing less than gold. However it would not be wise to assume gold for Canada, not that I'm assuming anybody is. Okay, somebody in Red Deer is, but the majority are not. There are number is impressive teams being put together.

I suppose on paper any number of teams will provide a challenge to the tournament heavyweights. But in my opinion it comes down to two teams, Russia and Sweden. Think of a team that carries the ammunition and fire power of Ovechkin, Malkin, and Semin. Now think of a team in which those three players are on the same line. Yikes! And wait, there is more. Add to that Datsyuk, Kovalchuk, and Kovalev on the second line. Now it just isn't fair. A blueline with the likes of Gonchar, Markov, and Tyutin isn't to shabby either.

Let's not diss the defending champs, they demand respect because well....they're the defending champs. Sweden has all sorts of firepower as well and most importantly the best goalie in the world. King Lundqvist will be between the pipes and is the wildcard. We already almost saw him dismantle two-thirds of Russia's potential top line during last years playoffs during the Rangers/Capitals series. More often then not elite goaltending will stifle elite offense and come out on top, but remember international rinks are bigger than NHL rinks. The last thing any goalie wants is more space for Ovechkin, Crosby, and Malkin to roam around finding seams in between defenders. All the more reason why Lundqvist will be the most important player for Sweden. This isn't to suggest Sweden lacks at other positions. This team is loaded with talent, but what Olympic team isn't? Any team in this tournament is capable up netting 4 or 5 goals. The question is which goalie is going to stand on his head. My answer is Lundqvist. I promise the home nation will have it's hands full with Russian and Sweden. I can't wait to see how it plays out.

Six months is still a long way away but with pre-Olympic camps starting at the end of August, things are starting to heat up. Once the rosters are set, I'll have my predictions.

An Expensive 20 Cents

For those who have not heard, Patrick Kane was arrested yesterday after robbing and assaulting the driver of a taxi he and his cousin were riding in.......allegedly. According to the story, Kane and his cousin were expecting some change after paying a cab fare, change the driver apparently did not have. How much change? 20 cents. Now there have been claims that the cab driver is fabricating the story. There is even a claim out there that the cab driver locked the doors anticipating that Kane would skip out on the tab. Let's assume the cab driver did do that, in no way shape or form does that justify Kane throwing haymakers. That being said, I will let the justice system takes its course. The point of this is that those 20 cents may be an expensive 20 cents for Kane.

Consider the following:

--How will this affect Kane's standing with the already mediocre team USA hockey team? USA hockey's pre-Olympic camp starts this month. Kane's court date is scheduled during camp. Does a conviction of any kind keep Kane off the team?

--Kane is the cover boy and was paid big time bucks (terms not disclosed) by EA to appear on this year's NHL video game. Interestingly enough, John Tavares, having not yet played an NHL game, was also signed on but was not placed on the cover. Does Tavares replace Kane? We have seen players set to be on the cover replaced in the past. Back in 2004, Joe Thornton was signed on to be on the cover, but a slight brush with the law prevented that. Thornton was charged with assault. Ironically enough, Thornton's replacement was supposed to be Dany Heatley, but he too was booted from the cover due to the drunk driving tragedy that claimed the life of teammate Dan Snyder.

--Kane is turning into a marketing dynamo for the NHL. Kane has been the cornerstone of the rebuilding process in Chicago. After a 13 year playoff drought, Kane has turned the Blackhawks into perennial contenders. This team is going to be around for awhile and the NHL is jumping all over this opportunity. The NHL will waste no opportunity to market an origional 6 team. How will this affect his marketability?

The long term implications of this will be the same as the majority of other athletes who have encountered brushes with the law. There won't be any long term implications. Short term implications could be far more grave. A spot on the Olympic team, missing out on a personal dream of being on the cover of a video game, and potential big time money, all for 20 cents? That's an expensive 20 cents.

Clearing Cap Space For Zherdev?

It has now been three days since the New York Rangers decided to walk on Nikolai Zherdev, who was awarded a 1-year $3.9 million contract via an arbitration hearing. I think most people agree that this was a good move. Zherdev didn't exactly wow the crowds of MSG as he did in Columbus the season before. To make matters worse, the slick skating winger scored a grand total of 0 goals during last year's postseason. To make matters even worse, he didn't register a single point and was a -13. So your probably expecting me to give a big thumbs down to this rumor. I am not ready to do that just yet.

Zherdev is an incredibly dynamic player and has shown signs of brilliance in his young NHL career. The question behind Zherdev is his heart. Is his head in the game as it should be? Zherdev looked a bit overwhelmed in my opinion playing on broadway. Let's face it, there is a big difference between Columbus and New York. Chris Drury, Wade Redden, and Scott Gomez can attest to this. All three of these players saw significant drop offs in their productivity once landing in broadway. The bottom line is that New York is a difficult city to play in and I am not ready to write a player off based on one bad season in NYC. Others have questioned Zherdev's ability to adjust to life in North America. I suppose this notion could be considered, however where were these questioners when Zherdev was in Columbus?

So what do the Caps have to do to land Zherdev? Simple, clear cap space. The obvious contract to get off the books would be Michael Nylander. Nylander is signed through 2011 with a cap hit of $4.8 million per year. Nylander's play has dropped of tremedously since Boudreau took the helm last year. Boudreau's style is run and gun. Nylander thrives in a puck possession style game. He just doesn't fit the style now being used in Washington. Nylander could be an asset to many NHL teams, but at the current price he will be tough to move.

The other bulbous contract on the books right now is our potential backup goaltender, Jose Theodore. Theodore will collect $4.5 million next year after which he will become a free agent. With the rise of Semyon Varlamov and Michal Neuvirth, one can expect Theodore's tenure in DC will come to an end after next season.

The Caps are currently over the cap by $1.7 million so clearing cap space is a premium obligation for GMGM. Assuming enough cap space is cleared to bring in Zherdev, would it be in the organization's best interest? The only worry I have is the implications this would cause next year when both Backstrom and Semin are restricted free agents. It is priority number one to have them locked up for the long term.

Zherdev is yet to prove that he was the worth the first round pick he was, but just imagine a second line consisting of Alex Semin, Brendan Morrison, and Nik Zherdev? That is frightening for just about any opposition.

Ovechkin 2, Crosby 0

Of course I would rather this be the score in terms of numbers of Stanley Cups, but at this point it is not. This is the score on the number of video game covers by Ovechkin and Crosby. That's right, Ovechkin 2, Crosby 0. I am not ready to dismiss that Canadian bias, but hey, at this point I'll take what I can get. In case some of you haven't seen the new cover to NHL 2K10, here it is.
Not only is the Great 8 on the cover, as he was on the EA version back in 2007, but two of Ovechkin's most notorious on ice moments are also captured in this game. Nobody will ever forget "the goal" scored by Ovechkin during his rookie campaign against the Coyotes. And in one of Ovechkin's more controversial moments, NHL2K10 has captured the infamous "hot hot stick" 50th goal celebration last season scored against the Tampa Bay Lightning. This is video game genius in my opinion and I can't wait to pick it up. To view the trailer, click here

The Nation's Capitals Now on Twitter

Let's be honest. We all knew it was just a matter of time before The Nation's Capitals would be live on Twitter. I will be tweeting at a rapid pace. I hope you can keep up. To view my twitter updates you can do two things; 1) look at my recent tweets on the right hand column or 2) click here.