Western Conference Rankings

(Updated - September 30, 2009)
The Western Conference rankings are in, and the Eastern Conference picks have been updated. I missed a calculation when I first published the East, a mistake that had overvalued the Maple Leafs and Devils, while undervaluing the Thrashers. In any case, the final results are now in for both Conferences. Again, teams are divided up into four different groups; Tier I - The Leaders, Tier II - The Contenders, Tier III - The Disruptors, and Tier IV - The Scavengers [...]

The Leaders are teams who are well balanced, have had recent success, and are poised to lead their respective divisions. The Contenders are teams who should push for the top, but may have a few question marks to satisfy before being promoted. The Disruptors are those teams who have had solid rosters, and could upset some of the higher-ranked teams, but have a lot left to prove and will need to to fight out each other to make the post-season. As for The Scavengers, they are the teams who will try to pick up wins however they can, but will likely stay out of the Playoff picture for most of the season.

Tier I - The Leaders
Detroit Red Wings
Vancouver Canucks
San Jose Sharks

Tier II - The Contenders
Chicago Blackhawks
St. Louis Blues
Anaheim Ducks
Calgary Flames

Tier III - The Disruptors
Columbus Blue Jackets
Minnesota Wild
Dallas Stars
Nashville Predators

Tier IV - The Scavengers
Los Angeles Kings
Edmonton Oilers
Phoenix Coyotes
Colorado Avalanche

Again, let me have it in the comments section if you disagree. I'll be reviewing each Division in-depth soon, and I'll also post up some general trends to watch for during the year. I will release updated power rankings for both Conferences at the quarter points throughout the season. Remember - you can send me fantasy questions through the contact form on the sidebar, and follow LindHockeyFile on Twitter for quick updates!

- Josh Lind

Eastern Conference Rankings

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(Updated - October 1, 2009)
With only two weeks remaining until the 2009-10 regular season opens, it's high time for Conference rankings. And yet, as DGB successfully pointed out in his article about NHL Predictions, an 82-game NHL season is almost impossible to predict with any sort of accuracy. So many factors are involved, and so much can change. Injuries, trades, breakouts, and slumps are all next to impossible to control for, and, unless you have an inside with all 30 teams, it's tough to know what the locker room chemistry is like around the league. With that in mind, I have decided to rank the teams in terms of classes, or tiers [...]

Each Conference is divided up into four different groups; Tier I - The Leaders, Tier II - The Contenders, Tier III - The Disruptors, and Tier IV - The Scavengers. The Leaders are teams who are well balanced, have had recent success, and are poised to lead their respective divisions. The Contenders are teams who should push for the top, but may have a few question marks to satisfy before being promoted. The Disruptors are those teams who have had solid rosters, and could upset some of the higher-ranked teams, but have a lot left to prove and will need to to fight out each other to make the post-season. As for The Scavengers, they are the teams who will try to pick up wins however they can, but will likely stay out of the Playoff picture for most of the season. So, without further ado:

Tier I - The Leaders
Boston Bruins
Pittsburgh Penguins
Washington Capitals

Tier II - The Contenders
New York Rangers
Philadelphia Flyers
Ottawa Senators
Carolina Hurricanes

Tier III - The Disruptors
Atlanta Thrashers
Toronto Maple Leafs
Montreal Canadiens
Tampa Bay Lightning

Tier IV - The Scavengers
New Jersey Devils
Florida Panthers
Buffalo Sabres
New York Islanders

Not happy with your team's ranking? Let me have it in the comments section! Western Conference rankings will be up later in the week, and all of the rankings will be reviewed in depth next week, starting with the Atlantic Division.

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Heatley Trade and Other News

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Dany Heatley is now a member of the San Jose Sharks. The Sharks got a pretty good deal too, though, which is a statement that makes sense if you've been following along. San Jose managed to send back a near-equal amount of salary (they got about $0.2 million more in Heatley), and they only had to give up Jonathan Cheechoo and Milan Michalek to get him. (SJ also gave up a 2010 2nd Rounder in exchange for a 5th Rounder.) Michalek and Cheechoo bring grit and determination to Ottawa, as well as offensive potential. Cheechoo certainly isn't the 50-goal scorer he once was (with emphasis on the once), but Michalek is a budding star. As for the Sharks, one thing is certain – they just became an even bigger threat to capture the Pacific, and maybe even the President’s Trophy again. Interestingly, the last team to win the President’s Trophy in back-to-back seasons also won the Stanley Cup the second time around. Can you name the team? [...]

NHL Recent Rundown:

The Vancouver Canucks found several replacements for Mattias Ohlund - they traded with San Jose for Christian Ehrhoff and Brad Lukowich, as well as signing UFA Mathieu Schneider. For the Sharks, who got back a couple minor leaguers, the deal was seen as little more than a salary dump. For the Canucks, however, the move makes their defence corps able to stand up to the re-tooled blueline of their biggest division rivals, the Calgary Flames. Vancouver also locked up star netminder Roberto Luongo, signing him to a 12-year deal worth $64 million.

The Tampa Bay Lightning signed Alex Tanguay to a one-year deal. With Tanguay on the left side of Vincent Lecavalier, and St. Louis on the right, the Lightning have an awesome first line - and they're all from Quebec.

Peter Forsberg was included on Team Sweden's 2010 Olympic roster invitation list. He plans to play this season for Modo of the Swedish Elite League, but a strong Olympic performance (and the ability to stay healthy) could mean an NHL comeback.

As the Pittsburgh Penguins await the construction of the new arena they'll be using in 2010-11, The Consol Energy Center, a couple of other teams are making pushes for new building as well. The New York Islanders are trying to get their Lighthouse project passed, and the ownership of the Edmonton Oilers have also announced plans to purchase land and build.

The Oilers also signed unrestricted free agent Mike Comrie to a one-year deal. Comrie, an underachiever last season for the New York Islanders, was traded at the deadline to the Ottawa Senators where he managed only seven points in 22 games. He's a touchy player - tons of scoring upside, but a genuine knack for inconsistency.

Eastern Conference rankings will be up by Tuesday, with the Western Conference following shortly thereafter.

Don't forget to follow on Twitter for quick NHL updates! LindHockeyFile on Twitter

- Josh Lind

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Sakic, the Hawks, and Hudler

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Sadly, Joe Sakic has retired. Sakic is an ambassador of the sport, a shoe-in for the Hall of Fame, and belongs in a class with legends like Mark Messier, Steve Yzerman, Mario Lemieux, and Wayne Gretzky. He remained a member of the same franchise for his entire career, starting as a rookie with the Quebec Nordiques and moving with them to Colorado [...]

In his 20 seasons, Sakic reached some incredible milestones. He has scored more than 500 goals (625), more than 1000 points (1641), and managed more points than games (1641 points in 1378 games). Sakic was only the eleventh player ever to reach 1500 points. He has helped Canada to a World Junior Gold medal in 1988, a World Championship Gold medal in 1994, an Olympic Gold medal in 2002, a World Cup Gold medal in 2004, and has two Stanley Cup rings.

It’s always tough to watch a player of Sakic’s calibre take his leave. It can be a painful reminder of our sport changing as it ages, and indeed a reflection upon one’s own change throughout the years of watching a player compete. But for every star who finally hangs up his skates, new legends are born – and it’s players like Joe Sakic who become idols of the future generation. Here’s to hoping Sakic stays involved with the game and remains a familiar face for years to come!


The Chicago Blackhawks looked to be in trouble when the qualifying offers they tendered to their restricted free agents were deemed invalid. It was thought that the Hawks would lose one or both of youngsters Cam Barker and Kris Versteeg. General Manager Dale Tallon managed to get them all signed without much of an issue, but for a tidy sum. Barker and Versteeg each got three-year deals locked in at $3 million per season. This makes the Hawks’ salary cap situation even more desperate. Currently, the Blackhawks sit $4.5 million over the cap. They have what looks like a Stanley Cup roster, with a bit of a question mark in goal. Cristobal Huet has never won a Stanley Cup, and has but 16 playoff appearances – 10 of which were losses. Huet’s cap hit is $5.6 million. Moving him would free up the space they need, but leave them with no replacement. Defenseman Brian Campbell has a cap hit of $7.1 million, but this makes him a very tough contract to move. Expect the Hawks to make a few moves. If they can get under the cap without sacrificing too much of the roster, and if an upgrade to Huet can somehow be had in the process, the Chicago Blackhawks will be among the best teams in the Western Conference.


The NHL makes a special announcement Wednesday, July 15 at Fenway Park. Not a very well kept secret, the announcement is expected to be the 2010 Winter Classic, between the Boston Bruins and either the Philadelphia Flyers or the Washington Capitals.


While the popular sentiment for some time has been that the Detroit Red Wings have no problem getting players to sign with them – in fact that star players would take discounts to play for them – the case of Jiri Hudler begs to differ. Hudler filed for salary arbitration about a week ago, a process that ensures his contracting rights remains property of the Detroit Red Wings…in the NHL. Reports surfaced last week of Hudler signing a contract with Dynamo Moscow of the KHL (Kontinental Hockey League). One side of the argument is that when an NHL player files for salary arbitration, he is agreeing de facto to the terms of the contract that will be awarded following the arbitration process. But since Hudler has not actually signed a new contract, and since he isn’t signing with another team in the NHL, some argue that it renders the arbitration clause a non-issue. It will be interesting to see how this one pans out.


There have been more free agent signings, some of them quite significant. I will be reviewing all of the signings a bit before the beginning of the season, when I release my Eastern and Western Conference projections. For now, here’s a summary of the most notable signings since my previous post: Saku Koivu left Montreal for Anaheim, Kurtis Foster (Minnesota) signed with Tampa Bay, Ales Kotalik, who played in Buffalo and Edmonton last season signed a deal with the New York Rangers, and center Brendan Morrison, who also played with two teams last season – Anaheim and Dallas – signed a deal with Washington. Ryan Callahan also agreed to terms with his previous club, the New York Rangers.


And in other news, the New Jersey Devils organization recently re-hired a previous coach, Jacques Lemaire. Lemaire helped New Jersey win the Stanley Cup in 1995, can he do it again?

Check back soon for an article about who’s left in the free agent market!

- Josh Lind

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