Daigle Division Preview

Boston Bruins:

Each year the Bruins seemingly get stronger during the off season. Then the season starts, and what was once a bucket of promise quickly becomes a losing record over the first ten games.

By all accounts, Boston should be battling for tops in the division, as well as the conference. The roster is strong from top to bottom, with every position littered with talent as well as prospective greatness.

Young superstar players such as Toews, Patrick Kane, John Tavares, and Jonathan Bernier are playing alongside seasoned superstar veterans such as Henrik Zetterberg and Zdeno Chara. With a core like that, most would assume this team is set, and ready to roll through the regular season and contend for the title, year in and year out.

So what is the issue here? Is it perhaps chemistry? Too many ego’s in the dressing room? One would be hard pressed to be able to put their finger on what the exact issue is here, but this reporter would assume that it needs some bottom line toughness. Regehr and Chara are tough customers, but when it comes to Boston’s bottom two forward lines, a little sand paper may just do the trick. Adding a player along the lines of Steve Ott or Raffi Torres would surely make this team tougher to play against, as well as limit scoring opportunities of other teams’ top scorers.  A Torres or an Ott would definitely be an upgrade over Burmistrov, Panik, or Beleskey. Its borderline comical to assume that a third or fourth line player can make a team a contender, but that could be exactly what this Bruins team needs to realize (and come in to) its full potential. If you need some proof on this theory, check out Max Talbot when the Penguins won the cup a few years back.

The Verdict: 2^nd in the Daigle Division, 5^th in the East

Best Player: Jonathan Toews

Best Forward: Patrick Kane

Best Defender: Zdeno Chara

Best Goaltender: Jonathan Bernier

Best Team Prospect: Mikael Granlund

Buffalo Sabres:

Albeit Buffalo has a fantastic set of young players, I fear they have been trading more assets away than they have been obtaining them.  This team is rarely bad, but the rotating door may be hindering the team from becoming great.

Lets first talk about that fantastic set of young players. It would be hard to find a better top four defense core than the Sabres throughout the entire league. Erik Karlsson, Slava Voynov, Alex Edler, and Zach Bogosian hold down the fort in Buffalo on a nightly basis. This has to be one of the best combinations or skill, youth, and affordability in the league. With the exception of Edler, they are all 23 and have yet to hit their prime. There wouldn’t be a goalie in the league that could defend against a power play run by Erik Karlsson and Slava Voynov in a few years, when each player hits their prime.

However after the defensive strength, things begin to fall apart on the forward end, which is likely where this team needs to improve if they are to take the next step. Voracek and Brown are both great assets under 30, however the only other mentionable players on the forward roster is Mike Cammalleri and Joe Pavelski. Neither are terrible players, but both are now entering the declining stages of their career and can no longer carry a team. The Sabres do have some great role players in Chris Neil, Matt Cooke, Vern Fiddler, and Travis Moen, but surely more scoring is needed on this team if they are to ever be a dominating force. Without any picks, and virtually no prospects, GM Lochy will have to make some shrewd moves to improve this roster, something that Lochy is fully capable of. If those changes happen, watch out for Buffalo. 

On the goaltending front, GM Lochy is the first to know that he will need to address this soon. Although Nabokov is still a capable number one, it remains to be seen how much he has left in the tank, and with no prospects (or even farm goalies) in the pipeline, this position will need to be addressed via trade or draft, and soon.

The Verdict: 7^th in Daigle Division, 11^th in East

Best Player: Erik Karlsson

Best Forward: Dustin Brown

Best Defender: Erik Karlsson

Best Goaltender: Evgeni Nabokov

Best Team Prospect: Alan Quine

Detroit Red Wings:

Once a consistent, dominating threat in the MRFHL, the Wings have decided to take a somewhat retooling approach over the last two (perhaps a little less) seasons to make sure they are all primed for the future, and return to a perennial contender.

Off to one of the league’s hottest starts (7-2-0 at the time of this print), it appears the retooling is working so far. Lead by Claude Giroux, the Wings are playing a team game right now that is churning out wins. Aside from Giroux, there is no noticeable superstar on the forward depth chart, however there are many players that simply “get the job done”, and without those players, your team will come out on the losing side of many close games. Players such as Hartnell, Talbot, Justin Williams, and even Troy Brouwer bring a certain element to the table, which apparently meshes real well with the offensive flare of a Giroux. As well, the defense on this team appears to be stellar, lead by vets Pronger (in his final season it seems) and Timonen, and backed up by younger albeit experiences rearguards in Giordano, Nikitin and Grossman. Not many of these names will jump off the paper for you, but the recently departed GM for the Wings has constructed a team from a group of players that have roles, and each player is fulfilling that role which is leading to this early season success.

The goaltending situation was the biggest question mark heading in to this season for the Wings. Signing free agent Ray Emery was their big move. Many question if Emery is capable of carrying a team, but with a conscious cap hit, and a solid year last season, it was surely worth the risk for the Wings to take this year.

This will be an interesting year for the Wings, who are already performing well above expectations. Even if they fall short of those expectations, the Wings appear to be in a good position to be competitive down the road.

The Verdict: 3^rd in the Daigle Division, 6^th in the East

Best Player: Claude Giroux

Best Forward: Claude Giroux

Best Defender: Chris Pronger

Best Goaltender: Ray Emery

Best Team Prospect: Nicklas Jensen / Martin Marincin

Florida Panthers:

Coming off a well-deserved league championship, GM Wilson claims this is a rebuilding year. This reported see’s it difficult to be “rebuilding” when the likes of Sidney Crosby, Rick Nash, Mikko Koivu, Alex Peitrangelo, Keith Yandle, Jon Quick, and many, many more on the depth chart.  Much like Boston, the Panthers have an elite combination of star veterans, star young players, and potential star prospects.

Amidst all the talent on this roster, this is really Sidney Crosby’s team. Regardless of who is on his flanks, he will ensure your team has a chance of the playoffs. Seeing as how Florida has Rick Nash and Jaromir Jagr flanking Sid the Kid, one would say this team has more than “just a chance” at the playoffs. Some fully expect the Panthers to repeat this season as champions.

The teams defense is set for now, and the future. Lead by Alex Pietrangelo, the Panthers also boast young, upcoming stars such as Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Luke Schenn, Brenden Dillon, and Keith Yandle, not to mention the glut of prospects the Panthers have waiting in the winds, such as Tyson Barrie and Shea Theodore.

The goaltending on this team is as sure as they come. Lead by Jon Quick, and backed up by Steve Mason and Darcy Kuemper, Florida appears to have no goaltending woe’s for what seems to be the next decade.

What can be said here that wasn’t said last year? The Panthers are loaded with depth, and have prospects ready to move in to the roster (ie: Ryan Strome) when the veterans become top pricey or move on with their careers. GM Wilson has stated this will be a rebuilding year, but it looks as though it will be the furthest thing from that, and this team will once again challenge for the league title.

Oh, and was it mentioned that this team also has top prospect Alexsander Barkov?

The Verdict:  1^st in Daigle Division, 2^nd in East

Best Player: Sidney Crosby

Best Forward: Sidney Crosby

Best Defender: Alex Pietrangelo

Best Goaltender: Jonathan Quick

Best Team Prospect: Alexsander Barkov

Montreal Candiens

At last, the Canadiens have an active General Manager, and the results are already evident. For many years the Canadiens suffered from many front office changes. They went through many managers that did absolutely nothing for the team. But now, with the return of famed MRFHL alumni GM Stephane Boudreau, Montreal appears to finally be on track and have started the season strong as a result (5-3-1 at time of print).

The Canadiens, since under Boudreau’s care, have made many changes. Usually the players involved in trade with Montreal wouldn’t be considered “big names”, but they appear to be the right ones. Eller and Hanzel appear to be solid pick-ups, Ennis for Pavelski was a solid flip, and if Zibanejad can come to form, that deal will look in Montreals favor as well. However, the largest factor in the Canadiens recent success has likely come in the form of the goaltending upgrades. Gone is Jose Theodore, in comes Ryan Miller. This is a significant upgrade, and could possibly make the Canadiens a sure-fire playoff team for the next five years.

Perhaps one flaw on this team would be its questionable defense. Upgrading Theodore to Miller will surely help any team in the goals against department, but regardless of who is in the net, a teams top priority should be keeping the puck out of their own zone, something this squad may find troublesome. Leading the way here is Matt Hunwick, Francis Bouillon, Deryk Engelland and Jamie McBain. This core doesn’t have much of a prospective future, and albeit they are getting the job done through the first ten games, one has to wonder how long that is sustainable.  Knowing GM Boudreau, it would seem he is just waiting for the right deal to come along to upgrade his defense. However as time passes, and holes begin to show on the back end, he may be forced to be a little more aggressive in his hunt. Luckily, this team has the likes of Derrick Pouliot, Ville Pokka, and David Rundblad as the teams best prospects, all defensemen.  

The Verdict:  6^th in Daigle Division, 11th in East

Best Player: Anze Kopitar

Best Forward: Anze Kopitar

Best Defender: Matt Hunwick

Best Goaltender: Ryan Miller

Best Team Prospect: Vladimir Tarasenko

Ottawa Senators

After leading the league for much of the season last year, this Senators club is poised to likely take a step back this season. This team will surely still be competitive, for it still has a good chunk of its core, but it’s likely to need a half season for the new players to gel (high end talent like the Sedin’s have been brought in) before this team starts being a dominate force again.

The forwards here are virtually as strong as they come in the league, in terms of a unit. Henrik and Daniel Sedin, Nicklas Backstrom, Joffrey Lupul, Blake Wheeler, and Pascal Dupuis round out the top two lines, but it’s the teams strong third line that will win the Sens many games this season. Hagelin/Purcell, Martin Hanzal, and Bryan Little make up this unit which can score, hit, and more importantly win faceoffs and keep the puck out of the defensive zone. The Boston Bruins top line may appear more daunting to an opposing team, but it’s a third line like Ottawa’s that will be the difference maker come crunch time.

The defense is also looking strong, with Phaneuf and Subban poised to lead this blueline for years, helped by Byfuglien and Enstrom. Beyond that though, there needs to be a little work done for now, and in the future. With absolutely no defensive prospects on the horizon, and the bottom pairing (and farm) defense looking somewhat weak, GM Bottoni could put himself in an even better position by swapping one of his many forwards for a #3-4 defenseman in order to solidify the top six corps. A move like this would put Ottawa in a prime position for a solid playoff run.

The goaltending on this team falls apart after Carey Price. Granted, Price is only 26 years old and should be able to carry the team for over another decade, however a proven veteran backup is needed here. It may also prove beneficial for Ottawa to use their upcoming 1^st round pick on a top end goalie prospect, to keep the pipeline stocked.

This team is poised to surely make the playoffs (although their current record at time of print is 3-6-1) but if they want to make some big noise during the playoffs, they’ll need to upgrade the bottom defense pairing, as well as hope the stars up fronts chemistry gel’s sooner rather than later.

The Verdict:  4^th in Daigle Division, 8^th in East

Best Player: Henrik Sedin

Best Forward: Nicklas Backtrom

Best Defender: PK Subban

Best Goaltender: Carey Price

Best Team Prospect: Jordan Caron

Tampa Bay Lightning:

Only a couple years removed from a well-deserved championship, The Lightning now find themselves in a transition year. That isn’t to say one cannot find talent on this roster, its surely there. Its just that this time doesn’t possess the same punch it did a mere couple of seasons ago.

All that will surely change in the coming years, but for now, Tampa has to groom some of its young up and comers. Sean Couturier could very well lead this offense one day, if he can find his way out of the predicament he is currently in with the NHL. Being used as a checker there, this kid has some good offensive flair just wasting in his toolbox, something GM Todd Zelichowski knew when he obtained the young forward. For Couturier’s and Tampa Bays sake, lets hope Couturier can show some of the promise that made him a top ten selection a few years ago. He is only 20 years old.   Colin Wilson also appears to be another interesting bubble piece who, if set in the right environment could reach another level. He has 40-50pt potential.  A fully rounded Wilson and Couturier would surely make this team a little stronger, but for now the forwards will have to rely on Vrbata, Laich and Legwand. While not awful, there is not a lot of offensive punch there.

The defense is looking to be in much better shape. Headed by Niklas Kronwall, its really Michael Del Zotto who will be running the back end in years to come. Already a very serviceable and useful pro defenseman at age 23, many feel MDZ has another level to hit, and with age, he should be able to fulfill that potential. The defense core on the Lightning appears to be unspectacular, yet very effective. Rounding out the bottom four is Wisniewski, Gorges, Schultz and Stone. That group is better than some teams that are deemed “contenders”.  Tampa also has the likes of Forbort, Morrissey, and Harrington in the prospect pipeline, so the d-core should be solid for years.

Craig Anderson beat out the likes of Pikka Rinne for the starting job in Tampa Bay this season. A solid veteran, Anderson provides stability to this team, and will even steal them some games. If Tampa is to make the playoffs during this transition year (which is very possible), its likely to come on the heels of Craig Andersons play. Tampa also boasts two very credible back ups in Greiss and Lindback. Greiss is a proven solid back up, where Lindback still has something to prove and still may one day be an NHL starter. Tampa also has Matthew Murray in the goalie pipeline, a very good, yet underrated goaltending prospect.

Where this team goes from here comes down to two things; 1) The play of Craig Anderson, and 2) The development of players such as Wilson, Couturier, and Del Zotto.  One or the other may suffice, but if both those points play out on the optimistic side, this team will once again be shining a championship ring.

The Verdict: 5^th in Daigle Division, 10^th in East

Best Player: Craig Anderson

Best Forward: Radim Vrbata

Best Defender: Niklas Kronwall

Best Goaltender: Craig Anderson

Best Team Prospect: Anthony Mantha

Toronto Maple Leafs

This team is leaps and bounds ahead of where it always has been, the basement. For years, too many years, the Leafs suffered from inactive and incompetent GM’s. One GM held the post for 3 or 4 years, and made maybe one trade during that entire time frame. The team had no players that were NHL caliber, no prospects, and picks that were always auto-selected. Enter Ron Dubin. The team now has players to watch, many picks and many prospects. One would never realize what peril this team was in if they were to look at the roster for the first time today. GM Dubin has definitely made something from nothing, and for once this team has a future.

However, that’s just it. The future, not the present. Although the team has players such as Marian Hossa, Van Riemsdyk, and Derek Roy, there won’t be much to cheer for in Toronto this season. Beyond who was mentioned, the forward core is made up of role players and not much else. It will take a few years for players such as Brett Connolly and Valeri Nichushkin to prove their worth, but once they do, Toronto should have quite a formidable forward core. That is all banking on the Leafs not trading away players. The Leafs do have a history of signing free agents or acquiring new players and immediately shipping them off in a trade, something that may leave the players somewhat sour and nervous. However if the core is maintained, and perhaps a free agent acquisition or two who is not shipped out immediately, this team could make some noise with its forwards in years to come.

As for the defense, GM Dubin has built quite the blue-collar group to help keep the puck out of the net. Beauchemin and Robidas are not stars, but they are far more than serviceable, and both very effective defensive-defensemen. Brewer, Meszaros and Strachan round out the rest, but after that it gets relatively weak. Luckily, GM Dubin has position this team to have such prospects as Griffen Reinhart who will soon step in to a top four roll on this team.

In the goaltending department, recently signed tender Nick Backstrom was immediately shipped to St Louis, even before the ink was dry on the contract. Going with Braden Holtby may seem like a decent choice, but perhaps a tandem would have worked better to churn out a few more wins. Holtby also has much to prove at the pro level, and isn’t a sure-bet to be a reliable future starter. The Leafs do have Laurent Brossoit in their prospect pipe, but although he is underrated, he doesn’t exactly scream starter potential.

Things look better than ever in Leaf-land, this team will surely be reckoned with in the coming seasons, but for now Toronto is likely to find themselves with a lottery pick again this year.

The Verdict: 8^th in Daigle Division, 14^th in East

Best Player: Marian Hossa

Best Forward: James Van Riemsdyk

Best Defender: Francois Beauchemin

Best Goaltender: Braden Holtby

Best Team Prospect: Griffen Reinhart

Martin Grech

Nice read once again, Thk u

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