CMYK

STAFF PHOTO BY CHRIS SEWARD

■
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2008

T H E
FOLLOW
Rod Brind’Amour remains the Hurricanes’
LEADERS
captain, but Eric Staal is learning fast
on the job as the captain-in-waiting
BY CHIP ALEXANDER
STAFF WRITER

RALEIGH
tanding side by side, the contrast in
their appearance is sharp, definitive.

TO PURCHASE THIS PHOTO, GO TO HTTP://GALLERY.PICTOPIA.COM/RALEIGHNO/

Rod Brind’Amour’s face has the bent
nose, broken time and again by elbows, pucks
S and sticks. It has the scar tissue, the evidence
of countless games, countless
YOUR FOUR-PAGE GUIDE TO THE 2008-09 NHL SEASON

ROD battles in the NHL.

Just look at those eyes — so wide,
BRIND’AMOUR so wise, seeing all.
The Hurricanes’
captain is entering Eric Staal’s face is unlined, nearly
his 20th season unmarked, still so youthful in coun-
THE NEWS & OBSERVER

in the NHL. tenance. And yet there’s the way he

sets his jaw, the way he squares his

1CC, Friday, October 10, 2008

ERIC STAAL shoulders.
Entering his fifth There’s this look in his dark eyes
season, he has won a
JON — 4917 — STATE EDITION — FILM 0

— confident, intense, almost preda-

Stanley Cup and been
All-Star Game MVP. tory.
Brind’Amour, 38, is the captain of
the Carolina Hurricanes and likely
GO ONLINE will be until he retires. He wears the
“C,” designating him the captain,
Watch a time-
lapse video of
proudly on his chest, as Ron Francis
Brind’Amour and Staal did, as Kevin Dineen did, as Keith
at the photo shoot. Primeau did.
newsobserver.com/ But Eric Staal is coming. Oh, man,
sports
is he coming.
■ For the latest news “When Roddy moves on to the
on the Hurricanes, greener pastures one day, this is
check out Lord
Stanley’s blog at going to be Eric’s team,” veteran
blogs.newsobserver winger Ray Whitney said.
A

.com/canes In his first three seasons with the

Hurricanes, Staal was making his
mark in the league. In 2005-06, he was a 100-

CMYK
point scorer in the regular season, then the
leading scorer in the Stanley Cup playoffs as the
Canes swept to the Cup.
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ON LEADERSHIP,
WEARING THE ‘C’

STAFF FILE PHOTO BY CHRIS SEWARD

ROD BRIND’AMOUR
(2005-PRESENT)
‘Leadership is
important. I think what
I like about this team is
it’s not about one guy.
I don’t know where
that kind of started, but
the last few years it’s
always been about the
group. One night it’s
going to be this guy
leading, then this one.
I think what’s good
is the young guys feel
they can lead as well
as the older guys.’
■ ■ ■

Eric Staal (12) picked up the slack during the absence of captain Rod Brind’Amour last season and played some of the best hockey of his career.
STAFF PHOTOS BY CHRIS SEWARD

LEADERS the room and say things. But I think that

STAFF FILE PHOTO BY CHRIS SEWARD
RON FRANCIS (1999-2004)
‘I was not barking
every day. If you bark
every day, people tune
you out. You pick your
situations wisely, so
when you speak,
people are listening
and understand the
importance of what
you’re trying to say.
At some point, it’s
more than just a letter
on your jersey. It’s
everybody in the locker
room knowing and
understanding what
you’re saying.’
■ ■ ■
STAFF FILE PHOTO BY SCOTT SHARPE
KEVIN DINEEN (1997-1998)
‘I think you put that “C”
on your chest and a lot
of times it’s something
where your teammates
feel that you have some
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1C
Brind’Amour, in turn, was the quin-
tessential captain. Many believe he
should have been the Conn Smythe
Trophy winner in 2006, although Canes
goalie Cam Ward was a deserving
winner.
“Rod is a great leader and has all the
respect in the [locker] room,” said Fran-
cis, the Canes’ captain before
Brind’Amour and now the team’s assis-
tant general manager.
But last season, the Canes lost their
leader. Brind’Amour was felled with a
severe knee injury in a Feb. 14 game
against the Pittsburgh Penguins, knock-
ing him out of the last 22 games.
A 19-year veteran, Brind’Amour was
a presence on the ice — one of the
league’s best defensive forwards, one of
the best on faceoffs, a penalty-killer and
steady scorer. He was forceful in the
locker room, stern when he had to be.
Suddenly, he was gone.
Someone had to lead. At 23, Staal was
ready.
“We needed to win games,” said Staal,
an alternate captain. “I wanted to do as
much as I could.”
With Brind’Amour out, Staal re-
sponded with perhaps the best hockey of
his young career, notching 10 goals and
22 assists (32 points) in those 22 games.
“With the injuries we had, we needed
that one big horse,” Canes coach Peter
Laviolette said. “He took control.”
But it was more than just the points.
Tall in stature at 6 feet 4, he became a
bigger man in the locker room.
“He took charge,” Whitney said. “I
think that was a good boost for the
organization, to see he’s capable of doing
that.
“For one, willing to do it. A lot of
young guys don’t necessarily want to do
that, to be that guy. A lot of guys just
want to go play. He took it upon himself
to do both — to not only play excep-
tionally well down the stretch, but to
make the other guys around him better.
“It was nice to see that he was willing
to take it on as much as he did. He’s our
future captain.”
But when? One almost could sense the
mantle beginning to be passed last
season, Brind’Amour to Staal.
“I guess the natural thing is when
they kick me out of here, if not sooner,
he’ll definitely be doing it [captain],”
Brind’Amour said. “Who knows? But
it’s almost better for him to do his
thing.
FIVE THINGS TO WATCH
1. INJURIES: The Hurricanes can’t take too many more hits after losing forwards
Justin Williams and Scott Walker.
Hurricanes captain Rod Brind’Amour, left, celebrating a winning goal
with Chad LaRose, is the quintessential leader on and off the ice.
“If you put too much on him right
away, who knows how that would work
out? ... I think it’s just better for him to
do what he’s been doing.”
But there comes a time when the older
veteran gives up the “C” to a more
accomplished player — or to a younger,
rising star.
Dineen was once the Canes’ captain,
popular and respected in the room. Yet,
he gave up the “C” in 1998 to Keith
Primeau, a younger, more productive
player.
“It’s a hard thing to do,” Dineen said.
“You know it’s the right decision. You
know you’re giving it to the right guy,
but it becomes a little part of your
identity.”
After Primeau, the “C” went to
Francis, who had been the captain of
the Hartford Whalers at 22 and later
captain of the Penguins.
Francis came to the Hurricanes as a
free agent in 1998 and was chosen
captain the next year.
“I think the most important thing is
you have to be yourself,” Francis said.
“You have to be up front and honest and
a stand-up guy. Guys appreciate that
and respect that.”
Brind’Amour thinks highly of Staal, as
a player, as a person. The two dress
next to each other in the locker room,
and their respect for each other is
evident.
“Leadership, to me, is a little bit of
everything,” Staal said. “It’s bringing
that work ethic, bringing that desire to
win every night, showing the younger
guys how to perform, how to be ready.
“Rod brings all those elements. For
me, being here the last four or five years,
just watching him, it really helped my
game and helped me as a leader to do
those same sort of things. That’s what
I’m going to try to bring the rest of my
career.”
Brind’Amour, in turn, has watched
Staal grow and mature. Staal has filled
out physically. He’s married. He’s more
experienced. Call him the “Big E.”
In four seasons with the Canes, Staal
has missed just one game — in his rookie
season. A year ago, he was voted the
MVP in the NHL All-Star Game.
“Eric leads by making great plays,”
Brind’Amour said. “He’s not one of those
guys you hear say things or stand up in
gets overdone, anyway.
“I’ve always believed, and why I think
he’s going to be great, that you lead by
the way you play. If you’re busting it
and you’re producing and playing the
game the way you’re supposed to play ...
nobody can say anything, and everyone
else will follow along.
“I think Eric’s learned that, and I think
he’ll keep doing that.”
Jim Rutherford, the team’s president
and general manager, said Brind’Amour
would remain the captain as long as he
plays for the Canes. But he does envision
Staal continuing to take on a bigger role,
as well.
“I see it more as a shared leadership,”
Rutherford said. “When Rod came out of
our lineup last year, somebody had to
step up and be the leader, and that
opened the door for Eric, and he did it
on and off the ice.
“It was really his team, and at a
young age. When Rod is done, that
will continue, but for now it will be
more of a shared leadership with Rod
and Eric.”
Francis said there is a learning curve
for all young players, even Pittsburgh’s
Sidney Crosby, who wears the “C” for the
Penguins at 21.
“They have to get their feet wet and
sort of earn their respect in the room,”
he said. “The next step is you start to
take more and more responsibility,
whether it’s the way you play on the ice
or in the room or off the ice with the
guys.
“Certainly Eric feels extremely com-
fortable here now. He’s been here awhile
and had the success, and I think last year
was a big confidence boost for him.”
Staal said he’s in no rush to wear the
“C.” It’s not something he’s seeking or
believes he now deserves.
“Right now, that’s not what I’m think-
ing about,” Staal said. “Right now, I’m
thinking about what I can do to help our
team win games, get back to the playoffs,
because that’s where we need to be and
want to be.
“Whether it be Rod’s team, my team
or anybody’s team, it really doesn’t
matter. It’s about bringing your best
game onto the ice to help your team
achieve success.”
At the end of a recent practice, the
Canes split up in two groups for some
speed skating. Brind’Amour led one pack,
Staal led the other.
It seemed picture perfect.
chip.alexander@newsobserver.com
or 919-829-8945

character attributes. It
becomes a part of your
identity. I don’t always
think the captain of the
team is always the best
player. But there are
guys who come to play,
and it is about the wins.’
2. ROD BRIND’AMOUR’S KNEE: The captain had reconstructive surgery on his
left knee last season and then additional surgery in September for a cartilage tear.
Can the knee hold up?
3. CAM WARD IN GOAL: The 2006 Conn Smythe Trophy winner needs to come
close to matching his 2006 playoff numbers (2.14 goals against, .920 save percent-
age) over the course of a season.
4. POINT-ROBBING SLUMPS: After a fast start last season, the Canes went
5-10-0 from mid-November to mid-December. There can’t be a repeat.
5. THE PENALTY KILL: The Hurricanes were 26th in the NHL (78.9 percent) last Cam Ward needs to show the skills that earned him the Conn Smythe Trophy in ’06.
season. “We have to be in at least the top half,” Brind’Amour says. STAFF FILE PHOTO BY CHRIS SEWARD

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2008 CAROLINA HURRICANES | SEASON PREVIEW A 3CC
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Canes’ first goal: playoffs CANES ROSTER

FORWARDS

Veterans know what it takes to win Stanley Cup, but Carolina must reach postseason first
BY CHIP ALEXANDER
STAFF WRITER
RALEIGH — For Ray Whitney of
the Carolina Hurricanes,
winning the Stanley Cup in 2006
was exhilarating and intoxicat-
ing.
“To be honest with you, it’s
such a high emotionally that it’s
like a drug,” the Canes’ veteran
winger said. “When you do it,
and you think back to that night,
for the players who were there
and the feeling it created, I don’t
think too many drugs would
have gotten us any higher than
that feeling.
“You want that back. When
you do it, you want to do it again
even more. It’s just an unbe-
lievable feeling, but it’s an
incredibly hard thing to do.”
A lot goes into winning “that
trophy,” as the Canes’ Eric Staal
called it.
Good talent. Good coaching.
A good, productive system.
Good health. Good goaltend-
ing. Maybe a little luck, too.
“You need that energy and
that work ethic and the chem-
istry and making sure everyone
is doing their job,” Staal said.
“All those things have to come
together.”
While winning the Stanley
Cup is the ultimate objective,
making the playoffs is a more
immediate goal. The Hurricanes
haven’t done that the past two
seasons, falling just short last
season when they were over-
run by the surging Washington
Capitals at the end and failed
to win the Southeast Division.
“It’s hard to make the play-
offs,” defenseman Frantisek
Kaberle said. “With the
The Canes will need Justin Williams to return strong in order to lift the Stanley Cup again.
economics [salary cap] in the
league, all the teams are pretty
even these days.
“You have to be at your best
throughout the whole season.
Especially in the middle, in
December and January, it’s
important you win because at
the end you need every point
to make the playoffs.”
A slide in late November and
early December last season
robbed the Canes of those
points. By year’s end, a 43-33-6
STAFF FILE PHOTO BY CHRIS SEWARD
record wasn’t good enough.
“Every team has its ups and
downs in a season. Ours was a
little too long,” defenseman
Niclas Wallin said.
The Canes also had a stag-
gering 337 man-games lost in
the season because of injuries
and illness. That was 70 more
than in the 2006 season.
The Hurricanes already have
absorbed some hits. Forward
Justin Williams tore an Achilles
tendon in September, sidelining
him for four to six months.
Forward Scott Walker had
surgery this week for a ligament
injury to his left hand and will
miss the first six weeks of the
season.
Still, the players believe
enough pieces are in place, not
just to reach the playoffs again
but to be a contender. The trade
for defenseman Joni Pitkanen
should give the Canes more
punch from the blue line. Goalie
Cam Ward has the potential
to be one of the NHL’s best
goalies. Staal is a proven scorer.
The power play should be
potent.
“I think it’s a good, well- ERIC STAAL ROD BRIND‘AMOUR
rounded team,” defenseman 6-4, 205 6-1, 205
Joe Corvo said. “I feel pretty
confident. I don’t see anybody
beating up on us.”
Williams should return at
some point, bolstering the lines
and adding a scoring threat.
“He can be back for the critical
stretch of the season,” general
manager Jim Rutherford said.
Missing the playoffs the past RAY WHITNEY MATT CULLEN
two seasons has cost the team 5-10, 180 6-1, 200
millions of dollars and left every-
one in a funk. Attendance took
a slight dip last season.
Should the Canes fail to
reach the playoffs, some tough
decisions could be made about
personnel and coaches. Man-
agement might decide to move
in another direction. The core SERGEI SAMSONOV SCOTT WALKER
group that won the Cup could 5-10, 196
5-8, 188
be dissolved.
“You’re always evaluating,”
Rutherford said.
In 2006, the Canes won 16
playoff games in a grind that
captain Rod Brind’Amour
equated to climbing Mount
Everest. There were clutch
goals, clutch victories and, in
the end, a Stanley Cup. TUOMO RUUTU PATRICK EAVES
“Our goal is to win opening 6-0, 200 5-11, 190
night, our goal is to win our
division, our goal is to win the
Stanley Cup,” coach Peter
Laviolette said. “Our job is to
get to the playoffs and compete
for that thing.
“It’s not an easy job to get to
the end of the road, but it’s
everybody’s goal, and it’s cer-
tainly ours.” CHAD LAROSE BRANDON SUTTER
5-10, 181 6-3, 183

RYAN BAYDA WADE BROOKBANK

5-11, 185 6-4, 225

DAN LACOUTURE ZACH BOYCHUK

6-2, 215 5-10, 180

DEFENSEMEN

JONI PITKANEN TIM GLEASON

6-3, 200 6-0, 217

JOE CORVO FRANTISEK KABERLE

6-0, 204 6-0, 190

Although he didn’t have an answer for the Canes’ midseason woes, coach Peter Laviolette, left, led the team to the cusp of the playoffs last season.
STAFF FILE PHOTO BY JASON ARTHURS

Laviolette deserves another chance NICLAS WALLIN

RALEIGH — After letting Peter Lavio-
lette dangle for more than a month after
the season, Jim Rutherford made sure to
underline the coach’s job security long
before this season
ever started.
“I don’t want to
enter the season with
anybody being under
the gun,” Rutherford,
the Carolina Hurri-
canes’ general man-
Luke ager, said before train-
ing camp opened. “I
DeCock don’t think that’s fair.
We made the changes
we felt were necessary in the offseason.
“If I wanted to put somebody under the
gun, I would have made whatever change
... in the offseason.”
That was the smart thing to say. Now,
Rutherford has to stick to his guns.
If the Hurricanes don’t get off to a good
start, and they face a difficult early sched-
ule, Laviolette may be shopping for
asbestos pants.
It shouldn’t be an issue.
With the talent the Hurricanes have,
a third straight season out of the playoffs
would be unacceptable. If that’s the case,
then Laviolette should go, for the sake of
change as much as anything else. But
we’re not there yet. Not even close.
While Laviolette bears some share of
the blame for the Hurricanes’ struggles
the past two seasons, he’s hardly alone
in that department. He has shown he
can win at every level, and there’s no rea-
son he can’t win again this season.
If the Hurricanes wanted Laviolette
gone, the time to fire him was the middle
of last season, when the team was strug-
gling and Laviolette appeared power-
less to change the situation.
As it turned out, he wasn’t, and the
addition of Joe Corvo and his willing-
ness to give larger roles to minor league
call-ups gave him the resources he needed
to get the Canes pointed in the right
direction (his much-debated decision to
rush Matt Cullen, Ray Whitney and Justin
Williams back into the lineup during the
final week of the season aside).
Instead, the Canes waited until after
the season to let it be known how un-
happy they were with his performance —
Rutherford practically begged a radio re-
porter to ask him if Laviolette was “under
evaluation” during his end-of-season news
conference — but the team let the issue
simmer until a meeting between Laviolette
and team owner Peter Karmanos on May
16 put the situation to rest.
Only later did we find out Laviolette
never held exit meetings with his play-
ers, a breach of protocol that could have
cost him his job. But if it didn’t then, it
shouldn’t now.
It doesn’t do anyone any good to have
Laviolette’s job status hanging over this
team. Rutherford has said the right
things so far, but it’s easy to say the
right things in September and a lot
tougher to do it when a team is strug-
gling in November.
6-3, 220
DENNIS SEIDENBERG
6-1, 210
The Canes owe Laviolette the security
to coach the team the way he feels he
needs to do it, with long-term goals in
mind instead of a must-win mentality.
Coaches worried about the next game in
November end up with tired goalies and
worn out top-line players in April. It’s a
long season.
Now, if the Canes reach January or
February mired in the same malaise that ANTON BABCHUK JOSEF MELICHAR
cost them a playoff spot last season, by 6-5, 212 6-2, 220
all means a coaching change should be
considered. But not right away.
It’s a new season. The roster, partic-
ularly on defense, is practically built from GOALTENDERS
scratch, and Laviolette deserves a clean
start as well. Holding him responsible for
past transgressions isn’t fair to him, the
players or the fans.
It was the right decision to stick with
him. Now the team needs to stick with
that decision.
luke.decock@newsobserver.com CAM WARD MICHAEL LEIGHTON
or 919-829-8947 6-1, 183 6-3, 186

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4CC A CAROLINA HURRICANES SEASON PREVIEW A TEAM-BY-TEAM LOOK AT THE NHL

| THE NEWS & OBSERVER
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2008

EASTERN CONFERENCE WESTERN CONFERENCE

SOUTHEAST DIVISION
1. WASHINGTON CAPITALS
Prognosis: Last season’s darlings may find the going
a little tougher this time around, but the Caps still have
enough talent to win the division again.
Keep an eye on: Notoriously inconsistent goalie
Jose Theodore replaces rock-solid Cristobal Huet. That’s
a potential weak link.
2. CAROLINA HURRICANES
Prognosis: After two straight playoff misses, the
Hurricanes are loaded up front and are counting on a
rebuilt defense to improve their offense.
Keep an eye on: Patrick Eaves scored 20 goals as a
rookie and could be in line to double that with top-line
playing time this season.
3. FLORIDA PANTHERS
Prognosis: Florida’s young stars (except Jay
Bouwmeester) have signed long-term deals and could
make the jump to the next level.
Keep an eye on: Wildly successful junior coach Peter
DeBoer should be able to get more out of this lineup than
safety-first predecessor Jacques Martin.
4. TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING
Prognosis: The Bolts cleaned house at every level of
the organization. Whether the wholesale changes will
prove fruitful is anybody’s guess.
Keep an eye on: The NHL has changed in the past
decade, but not Barry Melrose’s hair. The coach-turned-
analyst-turned-coach is under a lot of pressure.
5. ATLANTA THRASHERS
Prognosis: New coach John Anderson has never
coached a losing team. But he has questionable goal-
tending, a weak defense and a shortage of forwards.
New Capitals goalie Jose Theodore has
had flashes of inconsistency in his career.
GETTY IMAGES PHOTO BY ANDY MARLIN
Keep an eye on: The dwindling fan base. The Thrashers
were on their way up in Atlanta in 2007 before a playoff
collapse; now they’re totally off the radar.
CENTRAL DIVISION
1. DETROIT RED WINGS
Prognosis: The winged wheel
keeps rolling with no signs of stop-
ping. As always, goaltending is the
potential weak spot for the defending
champs.
Keep an eye on: Marian Hossa
spurned big-money, long-term offers
to sign a one-year deal with the Red
Wings in an attempt to win the Stanley
Cup.
2. CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS
Prognosis: The Blackhawks took a
big step forward last season, and now
Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews and
company should be ready for the next
one.
Keep an eye on: If he’s healthy,
and he rarely is, Martin Havlat might
be the weapon that puts the Chicago
offense over the top. Patrick Kane and the Blackhawks are coming off
an uplifting season. The challenge is to keep it going.
3. NASHVILLE PREDATORS
GETTY IMAGES PHOTO BY DAVE REGINEK
Prognosis: The Predators escaped
last year’s salary purge unscathed, Keep an eye on: In Philadelphia, R.J. Umberger was
and there’s nothing stopping them from holding onto one of many forwards, but he could be the No. 1 center
their playoff spot. in Columbus, with Rick Nash on his wing.
Keep an eye on: After Dan Ellis took over the No. 1
5. ST. LOUIS BLUES
goalie job last season, the Preds let previous starter
Prognosis: The long-term rebuilding plan continues
Chris Mason go and will rely on unproven Ellis.
in St. Louis, but it’s a long way from completion —
4. COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS especially with Erik Johnson (knee) out for the season.
Prognosis: There’s a big hole at center, but the Blue Keep an eye on: David Perron scored an unlikely 13
Jackets have some players elsewhere and could find goals as a 19-year-old rookie. T.J. Oshie has the potential
themselves in the playoff mix. to do the same this season.

ATLANTIC DIVISION NORTHWEST DIVISION

1. PITTSBURGH PENGUINS
Prognosis: The window is open for
Sidney Crosby and the Penguins. Over
the next few years, they’ll be strangled
by the salary cap. Now is the time.
Keep an eye on: Marc-Andre Fleury
matured and developed as a goaltender
last season; he’s the missing piece of the
puzzle for the Penguins.
2. PHILADELPHIA FLYERS
Prognosis: The Flyers were three
wins from the Stanley Cup finals and are
looking to build on that success.
Keep an eye on: It’s hard to believe
the Flyers got Jeff Carter and Mike
Richards out of the same draft (2003).
They’ll continue to get better.
3. NEW JERSEY DEVILS
Prognosis: The Devils went back to
Sidney Crosby and the rest of the Penguins
the future, bringing back veterans Brian
are poised to chase an NHL championship.
Rolston and Bobby Holik, but that Devils
mystique continues to slip away.
Keep an eye on: At 36, who knows
how much longer goalie Martin Brodeur can continue to
carry the Devils while playing nearly every game.
4. NEW YORK RANGERS
Prognosis: With Jaromir Jagr fleeing to Russia and
Martin Straka gone, the Rangers should play a more
direct style that may be a better fit for their roster.
Keep an eye on: Things went stale for Markus Naslund
in Vancouver. The change of scenery to Manhattan could
AP PHOTO BY NIKLAS LARSSON
shake another 40-goal season loose.
5. NEW YORK ISLANDERS
Prognosis: Ted Nolan was fired when he wouldn’t
buy into the Islanders’ rebuilding process. Scott Gordon
comes from the AHL, where he’s used to young players.
Keep an eye on: Second-year winger Jeff Tambellini,
son of former NHLer and current Edmonton general
manager Steve, will see plenty of ice time.
1. DALLAS STARS
Prognosis: The Stars rebuilt their roster on the fly,
adding Brad Richards last season and Sean Avery over
the summer. They may be Detroit’s most serious rival.
Keep an eye on: If the Stars had won the Cup, Brenden
Morrow would have been a shoo-in for the Conn Smythe.
The torch has been passed from Mike Modano.
2. MINNESOTA WILD
Prognosis: The departures of Pavol Demitra and Brian
Rolston may knock the Wild down a notch, but a division
title repeat remains possible
Keep an eye on: The Wild considered trading Pierre-
Marc Bouchard during the offseason but held onto him
in hopes he’ll improve on last season’s 13 goals.
3. COLORADO AVALANCHE
Prognosis: A middle-of-the-pack offensive team with
poor special teams, Colorado needs improvement in
those areas to make the playoffs.
Keep an eye on: Joe Sakic debated whether to return
but decided to take one more run at the Cup. The Avs
need him to contribute as well as lead.
4. CALGARY FLAMES
Prognosis: Mike Cammelleri will team with Jarome
Iginla to give the Flames more offensive punch, but will Former Hurricane Erik Cole gets
it make a dent in Calgary’s defensive mentality? a fresh start with the Oilers.
Keep an eye on: This is season No. 2 for Mike Keenan GETTY IMAGES PHOTO BY JIMMY JEONG
behind the bench. Only four of his seven coaching stints
have lasted longer. The clock is ticking. a big “if” the past few years.
5. EDMONTON OILERS Keep an eye on: Former Hurricanes forward Erik
Prognosis: If the Oilers can stay healthy, they have Cole, no stranger to the training room himself, will have
the talent to compete for the division title. But that’s been plenty to prove in his first season in Edmonton.

NORTHEAST DIVISION PACIFIC DIVISION

1. MONTREAL CANADIENS
Prognosis: As long as young goalie
Carey Price holds up his end of the
bargain, the Canadiens could be the
class of the Eastern Conference.
Keep an eye on: Quebec native Alex
Tanguay is back home and should flour-
ish after going from the defensive-
minded Flames to the run-and-gun Habs.
2. BOSTON BRUINS
Prognosis: Despite losing to Montreal
in the first round of the playoffs, the
Bruins are headed in the right direction
— if Patrice Bergeron is fully recovered.
Keep an eye on: Despite scoring
just 14 goals last season for the Cana-
diens, Michael Ryder was signed to a
three-year, $12 million contract.
3. OTTAWA SENATORS Buffalo’s Ales Kotalik appears capable of improving
Prognosis: The Senators have been on least season’s 20-goal, 43-point performance.
among the Eastern Conference powers
for a decade, but cracks have formed in
their facade.
Keep an eye on: First Zdeno Chara left. Then Wade
Redden. Could Daniel Alfredsson be the next franchise
player to depart?
4. BUFFALO SABRES
Prognosis: A real wild card, the too-young-to-know-
better Sabres could miss the playoffs, or they could
challenge for the division title. Anything is possible.
Keep an eye on: Ales Kotalik had a 20-goal, 43-point
GETTY IMAGES PHOTO BY BILL WIPPERT
effort last season, but he has the talent to double those
numbers.
5. TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS
Prognosis: Negative. Once again, Leafdom is more
likely to riot on Bay Street than see a parade — although
a playoff spot would be grounds for one.
Keep an eye on: Anaheim general manager Brian
Burke, whom the entire hockey world expects to take over
the Leafs next summer when his contract expires.
1. ANAHEIM DUCKS
Prognosis: Their title defense fizzled, but the Ducks
still have the core that won the Cup, not to mention full
seasons of Scott Niedermayer and Teemu Selanne.
Keep an eye on: Bobby “Picked After Sidney Crosby”
Ryan will start the season in the AHL, but he probably
won’t be there long.
2. SAN JOSE SHARKS
Prognosis: The NHL’s Most Frustrating Team squan-
dered its assembled talent once again last spring, costing
coach Ron Wilson his job.
Keep an eye on: If the Sharks don’t make it to the
Stanley Cup finals soon, Joe Thornton’s résumé is never
going to fill that gaping hole under “leadership.”
3. VANCOUVER CANUCKS
Prognosis: The Canucks are so devoid of offensive
talent they offered Mats Sundin $10 million a season and
appointed goalie Roberto Luongo captain.
Keep an eye on: Pavol Demitra will have to fill the
offensive void left by the departures of Markus Naslund
and Brendan Morrison.
4. PHOENIX COYOTES
Prognosis: The jury is still out on whether Wayne San Jose’s Joe Thornton is chasing
Gretzky can coach because he still hasn’t had a team good that elusive Stanley Cup championship.
enough to serve as a barometer. GETTY IMAGES PHOTO BY BRUCE BENNETT
Keep an eye on: Olli Jokinen may have been scape-
but they’ll have an easier time getting above the salary-
goated in Florida, but he isn’t likely to crack that 723-
cap floor than competing for a playoff spot.
games-and-counting playoff drought with the Coyotes.
Keep an eye on: Former Hurricanes prospect Jack
5. LOS ANGELES KINGS Johnson was minus-19 last season but had 11 points as
Prognosis: The Kings are loaded with young players, a rookie; improvement is likely in both areas.

THE N&O’S PREDICTIONS

EASTERN CONFERENCE CHAMPION STANLEY CUP WINNER WESTERN CONFERENCE CHAMPION
Pittsburgh Penguins Dallas Stars Dallas Stars

REGULAR-SEASON STANDINGS REGULAR-SEASON STANDINGS

1. Montreal Canadiens 6. Carolina Hurricanes 11. Ottawa Senators 1. Detroit Red Wings 6. Chicago Blackhawks 11. Edmonton Oilers
2. Pittsburgh Penguins 7. New Jersey Devils 12. Buffalo Sabres 2. Dallas Stars 7. Nashville Predators 12. Vancouver Canucks
3. Washington Capitals 8. Florida Panthers 13. Toronto Maple Leafs 3. Anaheim Ducks 8. Colorado Avalanche 13. Phoenix Coyotes
4. Philadelphia Flyers 9. New York Rangers 14. New York Islanders 4. San Jose Sharks 9. Calgary Flames 14. St. Louis Blues
5. Boston Bruins 10. Tampa Bay Lightning 15. Atlanta Thrashers 5. Minnesota Wild 10. Columbus Blue Jackets 15. Los Angeles Kings

4CC, Friday, October 10, 2008 CMYK