|
Ek's Top 5 Most Improved Teams Heading Into the Season |
|
|
|
|
|
Always debatable, and if there is one thing we know for certain it is the teams we all think are the most improved don't always end up the most improved. What is exciting to me is this list represents 5 teams I don't believe I have ever had on "The 5 Most Improved teams of the summer." (and #6 would probably be Florida!)
But here goes...
Ek's Top 5 Most Improved Teams Heading Into the Season
5. The Wild
The most popular team without an identity traded for two big-time identity guys in Dany Heatley and Devin Setoguchi, the Wild have to give up the over-rated Brent Burns and the streaky at best Havlat to land these two, but I do believe it is worth it. If there was ever a player more primed for a huge bounce-back year it is Dany Heatley. In Minnesota Heatley has landed in the perfect spot and I truly believe we will see the player who I believe is one of the top three snipers in the game today.
Setoguchi also derives a real shot and he too will get it. For whatever reason the Sharks also saw Setoguchi as a third liner and he really isn't. He is second line spark plug who can only play his game if he plays real minutes.
4. Kings
Given the moves they made, I could see the Kings competing for the top spot in the West very easily. In saying that, don't misinterpret me calling them the 4th most improved team as anything other than my feeling that they were almost there already. The Kings have been a very competitive team over the past few seasons, and they have been competitive due in large part to goaltending and a work ethic few western teams are willing to match night in and night out.
Buy adding Mike Richards and Simon Gagne the Kings get something they haven't had and really the one thing (besides health) that has kept them from advancing in the playoffs. Depth. The Kings will come with two true NHL top lines this year and a fourth line many teams wouldn't mind calling a second line.
However the Kings still have to deal with health issues, and Mike Richards and Simon Gagne both have had their health issues over the past years...and they both play their best games "on the edge." Mike Richards isn't Mike Richards the top line guy unless he is playing like Mike Richards on fire. The problem is at times he will play hurt, and when he does you will notice he is hurt. Gagne has more natural scoring ability, but also he can tend to be tentative and slow to get back to playing his game even after he has healed from injury.
3. Blue Jackets
Sometimes trades and adding UFAs ends up doing more to the players who remain than you expect. And in my opinion, that is why the Jackets are #3 on my list. Jeff Carter is a great scorer who may thrive with a deeper focus, but it is the time and space Jeff will bring to Rick Nash that will matter the most. Not since the addition of John LeClair to Philly and the emotional lift it brought to Eric Lindros, has a move looked more perfect. Jeff Carter and Rick Nash could be the cornerstone of a new Legion of Doom line.
James Wisniewski, who I discussed at length yesterday bring the kind of swagger the jackets have lacked since the departure of Luke Richardson. He too will make everyone play bigger and be more accountable. But what Wiz also brings is a power play to a team that needs at least the Threat to keep other teams honest. Think about this. Nash and Carter when they are on top of their game are "drive to the net" machines. The only way to stop them if they play that way will be to take penalties. If teams aren't afraid of Columbus on the Power Play they won't be afraid of risking the occasional penalty. But with Wisniewski at the QB position teams will have to give more space to Nash and Carter.
Of course Mason will need to be Mason again or they aren't going anywhere. That being said, should he struggle it won't be long until we start to hear the Nabokov to Columbus rumors. Mark my words on that one.
2. Sabres
Robyn Regehr, Christian Ehrhoff, Ville Leino all have one thing in common. They are the exact kind of players Sabres fans have grown accustomed to losing on July 1, not obtaining. Also don't forget the acquisition of Boyes last deadline. It wasn't a big success last year, but the Sabres were just decimated by injury leaving Brad to play out of position 95% of the time. This year, Leino will help the power play and Regehr and Ehrhoff will make Ryan Miller a much more confident goalie.
This Sabres team could challenge for the Conference very easily. There are enough players left from last year's team who are now healthy and who learned some bitter lessons in the Philly playoff series.
Remember the last player to score a goal in Buffalo last year? Ville Leino in Game 6 forcing a seventh game the Sabres were never in due to injuries.
1. Capitals
Early pick for GM of the year... George McPhee, who FINALLY addressed why this team who can't lose in the regular season, can't win in the playoffs.
The Caps Goalies have failed them...so he made an incredible trade getting a #1 and a #2 for Varlamov which not only got him something for a goalie who may have been third on his depth chart, but also closed the market for Vokoun, enabling him to take what little space he had to get a legit #1 all star goalie. and a hungry one at that.
The Caps lacked playoff performers, and heart guys...so McPhee too the heart of Nashville and their best playoff guy in Joel Ward, the heart and soul of the Champion Hawks in Brouwer, and perhaps the gutsiest Hab in Jeff Halpern. He also addressed the power play point and experience in picking up Hamrlik.
So for almost no money, the Caps went from a great regular season team, to a great playoff team.. and they didn't lose a thing in doing so. AMAZING.
What's the Buzz....
Tell me your top 5 most improved teams this summer....
Join the Discussion:
»