ANAHEIM DUCKS
Roster Movement
Notable Duckie departures include Marc Andre Bergeron, Todd Bertuzzi, and Doug Weight. Brendan Morrison is the key addition. With the exception of last year, in which he only played 39 games, he is an Iron Man, having played every game for the previous six full NHL seasons. Don't look for him to tear up the scoring race; he'll be lucky to get more than 60 points with his younger wingers.
Preliminary Line Combinations
Kunitz-Getzlaf-Perry
Moen-Morrison-Ryan
Carter-Pahlsson-Niedermayer
May-Marchant-Parros
Probable First Power-Play Unit
Kunitz-Getzlaf-Perry
Pronger-Niedermayer
Sports
Battle for Jobs
Anaheim has a log jam down the middle with seven centers. Solid third and fourth lines pivoted by Pahlsson and Merchant will make it tough for Sutherby, Ebbett or Wirtanen to crack open a regular roster slot. Josh Green and Drew Muller should have an easier time at left wing. Ryan Carter needs to show Coach Randy Carlyle consistency, and Brad May is a niche player. If you've got room for a bit of a gamble, pick Carter.
Injuries
Knock on wood, Brian Burke. There are no major injuries known at this time.
Player to Watch
In Junior, Bobby Ryan was a high scoring left winger with the OHL's Owen Sound Attack. Last season he managed a respectable 59 points in 71 games, split between AHL and NHL. With an experienced and selfless center like Brendan Morrison, he could be a steal.
Roster Movement
The departure of defense-first coach Ron Wilson to the Toronto Maple Leafs bodes well for new Shark, Dan Boyle. Fourteen of the offensive minded D-man's 25 points last season came on the power play. Rob Blake also brings firepower to San Jose's man advantage. He notched five power-play goals and 10 power-play assists with the Kings last season - almost half of his total 31 points. Short-term Shark Brian Campbell has headed to the Blackhawks. Sandis Ozolinsh and Alexei Semenov are gone, likely headed for retirement or Russian leagues.
Preliminary Line Combinations
Marleau-Thornton-Cheechoo
Michalek-Pavelski-Setoguchi
Cloew-Mitchell-Grier
Shelley-Goc-Roenick
Probable First Power-Play Unit
Marleau-Thornton-Cheechoo
Blake-Boyle
Battle for Jobs
Unless a rookie has a supernova style burst in training camp, most positions in San Jose have already been predetermined.
Key Injuries
Chalk it up to the California sunshine: the Sharks head into the 2008 season free from major injuries.
Player to Watch
Right winger Devin Setoguchi was a decent scorer during his junior stints with Saskatoon and Prince George of the WHL. While that didn't come through during his rookie NHL season (17 points in 44 games) he picked it up with San Jose's AHL affiliate. Setoguchi had 19 points in 23 games with the Worcester Sharks. The confidence boost could see him hit 50-plus points.
DALLAS STARS
Roster Movement
They say everything is bigger in Texas, so left winger Sean Avery's ego should feel at home, now that he's in the Lone Star State. He added grit, energy, and clutch scoring during his stint with the New York Rangers. Avery was hospitalized in April for an injured spleen but is good to go. Dallas signed much hyped Swedish sensation Fabian Brunnstrom to two years at $850, 000 per. That's the maximum a rookie can earn. A gamble for a player to whom scouts never paid much notice before last season. Brunnstrom can play any forward position.
Preliminary Line Combinations
Brenden Morrow - Mike Ribeiro - Jere Lehtinen
Sean Avery - Brad Richards - Loui Eriksson
Fabian Brunnstrom - Mike Modano - Steve Ott
Joel Lundqvist - Toby Petersen - Chris Conner
Probable First Power-Play Unit
Brenden Morrow - Mike Ribeiro - Jere Lehtinen
Stephan Robidas - Sergei Zubov
Battle for Jobs
The battle for fourth line RW is one of few on this veteran team. With a couple seasons of AHL conditioning, RW Chris Conner gets the nod over gritty B.J. Crombeen. With a depleted D corps, Niklas Grossman and Mark Fistric will see more ice time over the season.
Key Injuries
Injuries hit the Dallas blue line hard last season. Phillipe Boucher was out half a season recovering from shoulder surgery, then missed most of the playoffs courtesy of a torn hip flexor. He's on target to start the season, but at 35 he's a health risk. Sergei Zubov suffered a foot injury in the second half of the season, robbing the Stars of his usual playoff presence. Jere Lehtinen isn't officially listed as injured, but he has been injury prone the last few seasons. Sean Avery has recovered from a ruptured spleen.
Player to Watch
Right winger Chris Conner and center Toby Petersen are worth keeping your eyes on. Petersen is a frequent flyer between the AHL and NHL. He's starting the season on a high note after a solid season with the Iowa Stars - 51 points in 63 games. Conner also had a successful campaign in Iowa posting 39 points in 55 games. Expect them to work well together in the bigs.
LOS ANGELES KINGS
Roster Movement
The Western conference cellar dwelling Los Angeles Kings sparked an exodus on the California Freeway. Gone to greener pastures are D-men Rob Blake and Lubomir Visnovsky, G Dan Cloutier, and forwards Mike Cammalleri, Ladislav Nagy, and Scott Thornton. The addition of beefy D Matt Greene's 6'3" 223 pound frame automatically makes the young Kings a tougher team to face.
Preliminary Line Combinations
Alexander Frolov - Anze Kopitar - Parick O'Sullivan
Kyle Calder - Jarrett Stoll -Dustin Brown
Brad Richardson - Derek Armstrong - Teddy Purcell
Raitis Ivanans - Michael Handzus - John Zeller
Probable First Power-Play Unit
Patrick O' Sullivan - Anze Kopitar - Alexander Frolov
Drew Doughty - Tom Preissing
Battle for Jobs
The biggest dog fight is in - no surprise here - net. Last season Los Angeles went through goalies the way the mockumentary band Spinal Tap went through drummers. Jason LaBarbera, Erik Ersberg, and rookie Jonathan Bernier are this years crop of net contenders.
Key Injuries
Right winger Dustin Brown isn't down and out, but his Wendel Clark-esque style is an injury waiting to happen.
Player to Watch
The Kings have many young players worth keeping tabs on. Drew Doughty was selected with the highest pick ever used by the Kings to draft a defenseman. It is the team's hope that he will soon replace the void left by Blake's departure. Rearguard Jack Johnson is itching to get in the NHL, and could break in via training camp. Goalie Jonathan Bernier has matured a bit with some AHL and NHL time. RW Teddy Purcell is worth a gamble. Lean at 6'3" and 177 pounds, he's finally grown into his frame. Purcell blazed through the AHL, earning 25 goals and 58 assists with the Manchester Monarchs.
PHOENIX COYOTES
Roster Movement
Nick Boynton and Keith Ballard were sent to the Florida Panthers in exchange for flashy Finn Olli Jokinen. No doubt Shane Doan will appreciate the scoring touch Jokinen brings. Also new in the desert, right winger Todd Fedoruk and defenseman Kurt Sauer. Noteworthy departures: Radim Vrbata, Marcel Hossa, and Brendan Bell.
Preliminary Line Combinations
Shane Doan - Olli Jokinen - Peter Mueller
Daniel Carcillo - Martin Hanzal -Kevin Porter
Steve Reinprecht - Viktor Tikhonov - Mikkel Boedker
Daniel Winnik - Kyle Turris - Brian McGrattan
Probable First Power-Play Unit
Shane Doan - Olli Jokinen - Peter Mueller
Ed Jovanovski - Keith Yandle
Battle for Jobs
Kyle Turris and Viktor Tikhonov are two rookies battling it out for third and fourth line pivot prowess. The nod goes to Tikhonov, due to his versatility. He can play well down the middle and on either wing. Right wing is another interesting spot. Rookie Mikkel Boedker tore up the OHL and there's no reason why he shouldn't do the same on a high scoring young Coyotes team.
Key Injuries
One of the bright spots in a young team is the lack of wounded warriors. Nothing to see here, move along.
Player to Watch
The Coyotes have several. Right winger Mikkel Boedker, centers Mikkel Boedker, and Viktor Tikhonov will blossom in the Arizona heat.