The Forman Faceoff 2015/2016 NHL Season Preview - Winnipeg Jets

By: Joel Forman - The Forman Faceoff

Last Season: 43-26-13 with 99 points, 5th in the Central Division and 8th in the Western Conference

Forwards:

Andrew Ladd - Bryan Little - Blake Wheeler

Mathieu Perreault - Mark Scheifele - Nikolaj Ehlers

Alex Burmistrov - Adam Lowry - Drew Stafford

Chris Thorburn - Andrew Copp - Nic Petan

Extra: Anthony Peluso

Defense:

Tobias Entsrom - Tyler Myers

Mark Stuart - Jacob Trouba

Ben Chiarot - Dustin Byfuglien 

Extra: Adam Pardy, Grant Clitsome

Goaltending:

Ondrej Pavelec

Michael Hutchinson

2015/2016 Outlook and Prediction:

7th in Atlantic Division, 12th in Western Conference

The Forman Faceoff 2015/2016 NHL Season Preview - Washington Capitals

By: Joel Forman - The Forman Faceoff

Last Season: 45-26-11 with 101 points, 2nd in the Metropolitan Division and 4th in the Eastern Conference

Forwards:

Alex Ovechkin - Nicklas Backstrom - T.J. Oshie

Marcus Johansson - Evgeny Kuznetsov - Justin Williams

Jason Chimera - Andre Burakovsky - Jay Beagle

Brooks Laich - Michael Latta - Tom Wilson

Extra: Liam O'Brien

Defense:

Brooks Orpik - John Carlson

Karl Alzner - Matt Niskanen

Dmitri Orlov Nate Schmidt

Extra: Taylor Chorney

Goaltending:

Braden Holtby

Justin Peters

2015/2016 Outlook and Prediction:

3rd in Metropolitan Division, 5th in Eastern Conference

The Forman Faceoff 2015/2016 NHL Season Preview - Vancouver Canucks

By: Joel Forman - The Forman Faceoff

Last Season: 48-29-5 with 101 points, 2nd in the Pacific Division and 5th in the Western Conference

Forwards:

Daniel Sedin - Henrik Sedin - Radim Vrbata

Alex Burrows - Brandon Sutter - Jannik Hansen

Chris Higgins - Bo Horvat - Jake Virtanen

Brandon Prust - Adam Cracknell - Derek Dorsett

Extra: Sven Baertschi, Jared McCann

Defense:

Alex Edler - Chris Tanev

Dan Hamhuis - Yannick Weber

Luca Sbisa - Matt Bartkowski

Extra: Ben Hutton

Goaltending:

Ryan Miller

Jacob Markstrom

2015/2016 Outlook and Prediction:

5th in Pacific Division, 12th in Western Conference

The Forman Faceoff 2015/2016 NHL Season Preview - Tampa Bay Lightning

By: Joel Forman - The Forman Faceoff

Last Season: 50-24-8 with 108 points, 2nd in the Atlantic Division and 3rd in the Eastern Conference

Forwards:

Jonathan Drouin - Steven Stamkos - Ryan Callahan

Ondrej Palat - Tyler Johnson - Nikita Kucherov

Alex Killorn - Valtteri Filppula - Vladislav Namestnikov

Cedric Paquette - Brian Boyle - J.T. Brown

Extra: Erik Condra, Jonathan Marchessault

Defense:

Victor Hedman - Anton Stralman

Jason Garrison - Matt Carle

Braydon Coburn - Nikita Nesterov

Extra: Andrej Sustr

Goaltending:

Ben Bishop

Kevin Poulin

Extra: Andrei Vasilevskiy (injured)

2015/2016 Outlook and Prediction:

1st in Atlantic Division, 2nd in Eastern Conference

The Forman Faceoff 2015/2016 NHL Season Preview - St. Louis Blues

By: Joel Forman - The Forman Faceoff

Last Season: 51-24-7 with 109 points, 1st in the Central Division and 2nd in the Western Conference

Forwards:

Alex Steen - Paul Stastny - Vladimir Tarasenko

Robby Fabbri - Jori Lehtera - Jaden Scwartz

Dmitrij Jaskin - David Backes - Troy Brower

Steve Ott - Kyle Brodziak - Ryan Reaves

Extra: Scott Gomez, Scottie Upshall

Defense:

Jay Bouwmeester - Alex Pietrangelo

Carl Gunnarsson - Kevin Shattenkirk

Joel Edmundson - Colton Parayko

Extra: Robert Bortuzzo

Goaltending:

Brian Elliott 

Jake Allen

2015/2016 Outlook and Prediction

2nd in Central Division, 3rd in Western Conference

The Forman Faceoff 2015/2016 NHL Season Preview - San Jose Sharks

By: Joel Forman - The Forman Faceoff

Last Season: 40-33-9 with 89 points, 5th in the Pacific Division and 12th in the Western Conference

Forwards:

Joe Pavelski - Joe Thornton - Melker Karlsson

Patrick Marleau - Logan Couture - Joel Ward

Matt Nieto - Tomas Hertl - Tommy Wingels

Joonas Donskoi - Chris Tierney - Ben Smith 

Extra: Mike Brown, Barclay Goodrow

Defense:

Marc-Edouard Vlasic - Brent Burns

Paul Martin - Justin Braun

Brenden Dillon - Matt Tennyson

Extra: Dylan DeMelo

Goaltending:

Martin Jones

Alex Stalock

2015/2016 Outlook and Prediction:

2nd in Pacific Division, 4th in Western Conference

The Forman Faceoff 2015/2016 NHL Season Preview - Philadelphia Flyers

By: Joel Forman - The Forman Faceoff

Last Season: 33-31-18 with 84 points, 6th in the Metropolitan Division and 12th in the Eastern Conference

Forwards:

Michael Raffl - Claude Giroux - Jakub Voracek

Brayden Schenn - Sean Couturier - Wayne Simmonds

R.J. Umberger- Scott Laughton - Matt Read

Chris VandeVelde - Pierre-Edouard Bellemare - Ryan White

Extra: Sam Gagner, Vincent Lecavalier

Defense:

Mark Streit - Nick Schultz

Yevgeny Medvedev - Luke Schenn

Michael Del Zotto - Radko Gudas

Extra: Brandon Manning

Goaltending:

Steve Mason

Michal Neuvirth

2015/2016 Outlook and Prediction:

6th in Metropolitan Division, 11th in Eastern Conference

The Forman Faceoff 2015/2016 NHL Season Preview - New York Rangers

By: Joel Forman - The Forman Faceoff

Forwards:

Rick Nash - Derick Brassard - Mats Zuccarello

Chris Kreider - Derek Stepan - Kevin Hayes

J.T. Miller - Oscar Lindberg - Viktor Stalberg

Dominic Moore - Jarret Stoll - Jesper Fast

Extras: Emerson Etem, Tanner Glass

Defense:

Ryan McDonagh - Dan Girardi

Marc Staal - Dan Boyle

Keith Yandle - Kevin Klein

Extra: Dylan McIlrath

Goaltending:

Henrik Lundqvist

Antti Raanta

2015/2016 Outlook and Prediction:

2nd in Metropolitan Division, 3rd in Eastern Conference

The Forman Faceoff 2015/2016 NHL Season Preview - New York Islanders

By: Joel Forman - The Forman Faceoff

Last Season: 47-28-7 with 101 points, 3rd in the Metropolitan Division and 5th in the Eastern Conference

Forwards:

Anders Lee - John Tavares - Ryan Strome

Brock Nelson - Frans Nielsen - Kyle Okposo

Josh Bailey - Mikhail Grabovski - Nikolay Kulemin

Matt Martin - Casey Cizikas - Cal Clutterbuck

Extra: Steve Bernier

Defense:

Nick Leddy - Johnny Boychuk

Calvin de Haan - Travis Hamonic

Thomas Hickey - Marek Zidlicky

Extra: Brian Strait, Ryan Pulock

Goaltending:

Jaroslav Halak

Thomas Greiss

2015/2016 Outlook and Prediction:

4th in Metropolitan Division, 7th in Eastern Conference

The Forman Faceoff 2015/2016 NHL Season Preview - New Jersey Devils

By: Joel Forman - The Forman Faceoff

Last Season: 32-36-14 with 78 points, 7th in the Metropolitan Division and 13th in the Eastern Conference

Forwards:

Mike Cammalleri - Travis Zajac - Kyle Palmieri

Patrik Elias - Adam Henrique - Lee Stempniak

Reid Boucher - Sergey Kalinin - Jiri Tlusty

Tuomo Ruutu - Stephen Gionta - Jordin Tootoo

Extra: Jacob Josefson

Defense:

Andy Greene - Adam Larsson

Eric Gelinas - Damon Severson

Jon Moore - David Schlemko

Extra: Jon Merrill, Seth Helgeson

Goaltending:

Cory Schneider

Keith Kinkaid

2015/2016 Outlook and Prediction:

7th in Metropolitan Division, 15th in Eastern Conference

The Forman Faceoff 2015/2015 NHL Season Preview - Nashville Predators

By: Joel Forman - The Forman Faceoff

Last Season: 47-25-10 with 104 points, 2nd in the Central Division and 3rd in the Western Conference

Forwards:

Filip Forsberg - Mike Ribeiro - James Neal

Colin Wilson - Mike Fisher - Craig Smith

Viktor Arvidsson - Cody Hodgson - Calle Jarnkrok

Eric Nystrom - Paul Gaustad - Gabriel Bourque

Extra: Austin Watson

Defense:

Roman Josi - Shea Weber

Mattias Ekholm - Ryan Ellis

Barret Jackman - Seth Jones

Extra: Victor Bartley, Anthony Bitetto

Goaltending:

Pekka Rinne 

Carter Hutton

2015/2016 Outlook and Prediction:

4th in Central Division, 7th in Western Conference

The Forman Faceoff 2015/2016 NHL Season Preview - Minnesota Wild

By: Joel Forman - The Forman Faceoff

Last Season: 46-28-8 with 100 points, 4th in the Central Division and 7th in Western Conference

Forwards:

Zach Parise - Mikael Granlund - Jason Pominville

Jason Zucker - Mikko Koivu - Nino Niederreiter

Thomas Vanek - Charlie Coyle - Jordan Schroeder

Chris Porter - Erik Haula - Ryan Carter

Extra: Zac Dalpe, Justin Fontaine

Defense:

Ryan Suter - Jared Spurgeon

Jonas Brodin - Matt Dumba

Marco Scandella - Christian Folin

Extra: Nate Prosser

Goaltending:

Devan Dubnyk

Darcy Kuemper

2015/2016 Outlook and Prediction:

3rd in Central Division, 5th in Western Conference

The Forman Faceoff 2015/2016 NHL Season Preview - Los Angeles Kings

By: Joel Forman - The Forman Faceoff

Last Season: 40-27-15 with 95 points, 4th in the Pacific Division and 9th in the Western Conference

Forwards:

Milan Lucic - Anze Kopitar - Marian Gaborik

Tanner Pearson - Jeff Carter - Tyler Toffoli

Dwight King - Nick Shore - Dustin Brown

Kyle Clifford - Trevor Lewis - Jordan Nolan

Extra: Jordan Weal

Defense:

Jake Muzzin - Drew Doughty

Christian Ehrhoff - Alec Martinez

Brayden McNabb - Matt Greene

Extra: Jamie McBain, Jeff Schultz

Goaltending:

Jonathan Quick

Jhonas Enroth

2015/2016 Outlook and Prediction:

4th in the Pacific Division, 9th in the Western Conference

The Forman Faceoff 2015/2016 NHL Season Preview - Florida Panthers

By: Joel Forman - The Forman Faceoff

Last Season: 38-29-15 with 91 points, 5th in the Atlantic Division and 10th in the Eastern Conference

Forwards:

Jonathan Huberdeau - Aleksander Barkov - Jaromir Jagr

Brandon Pirri - Nick Bjugstad - Reilly Smith

Jussi Jokinen - Dave Bolland - Vincent Trocheck

Quinton Howden - Derek MacKenzie - Shawn Thornton

Extra: Rocco Grimaldi

Defense:

Brian Campbell - Aaron Ekblad

Dmitry Kulikov - Willie Mitchell

Dylan Olsen - Erik Gudbranson

Extra: Alex Petrovic, Steve Kampfer

Goaltending:

Roberto Luongo

Al Montoya

2015/2016 Outlook and Prediction:

6th in Atlantic Division, 12th in Eastern Conference

The Forman Faceoff 2015/2016 NHL Season Preview - Edmonton Oilers

By: Joel Forman - The Forman Faceoff

Last Season: 24-44-14 with 62 points, 6th in the Pacific Division and 13th in the Western Conference

Forwards:

Taylor Hall - Connor McDavid - Jordan Eberle

Benoit Pouliot - Ryan Nugent-Hopkins - Teddy Purcell

Anton Slepyshev - Anton Lander - Nail Yakupov

Matt Hendricks - Mark Letestu - Lauri Korpikoski

Extra: Luke Gazdic

Defense:

Andrej Sekera - Justin Schultz

Andrew Ference - Oscar Klefbom

Griffin Reinhart - Eric Gryba

Extra: Mark Fayne, Nikita Nikitin

Goaltending:

Cam Talbot

Anders Nilsson

2015/2016 Outlook and Prediction:

6th in Pacific Division, 13th in Western Conference

The Forman Faceoff 2015/2016 NHL Season Preview - Detroit Red Wings

By: Joel Forman - The Forman Faceoff

Last Season: 43-25-14 with 100 points, 3rd in the Atlantic Division and 6th in the Eastern Conference

In their first season back in the Eastern Conference the Red Wings went on to finish 3rd in the Atlantic Division, ultimately losing to the Lightning in a tough 7-game series in round 1. The Red Wings added veteran's Brad Richards and Mike Green to bolster their offensive attack, adding to an already potent offensive team. Perhaps the biggest story of the summer was longtime Head Coach Mike Babcock departing to Toronto in a record $50-million deal. The Red Wings didn't change much as a team but losing Babcock definitely changes the structure of the team. It will be interesting to watch how Head Coach Jeff Blashill does in his 1st year with the Red Wings, but it would be unfair to compare him to Babcock (good or bad) simply because of his lack of NHL experience.

Forwards:

Henrik Zetterberg - Pavel Datsyuk - Justin Abdelkader

Tomas Tatar - Brad Richards - Gustav Nyquist

Darren Helm - Dylan Larkin - Johan Franzen

Drew Miller - Riley Sheahan - Teemu Pulkkinen

Extra: Tomas Jurco, Luke Glendening

Health will be the biggest factor for the Red Wings, especially regarding veteran forwards Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg and Johan Franzen. The Red Wings are starting the season without Datsyuk and Darren Helm, and Franzen just returned from an 8-month absence with post-concussion syndrome. However the Red Wings have a great combination of veterans and youth, with Tomas Tatar and Gustav Nyquist seemingly ready to take over for the aging Datsyuk and Zetterberg. The interesting player to watch is Dylan Larkin, who looks way more mature beyond his age of 19. Larkin will be able to learn a lot from Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Brad Richards and shape his game to become one of the elite centers in the NHL very soon. 

Defense:

Niklas Kronwall - Jonathan Ericsson

Danny DeKeyser - Mike Green

Kyle Quincey - Brendan Smith

Extra: Jakub Kindl

The Red Wings carry 5 of the 6 D they had last year, but adding a major offensive weapon in Mike Green this summer. Green gives the Red Wings a much-needed right-handed defenseman, and a guy who will QB their PP and provide a huge boost of offense. The Red Wings D aren't flash but they get the job done, and that's part of what has made the team consistently good all these years. It will be interesting to see how the Red Wings are structured on D with Blashill as opposed to Babcock.

Goaltending:

Jimmy Howard

Petr Mrazek

Now here is where things get interesting for the Red Wings: the goalie battle between Jimmy Howard and Petr Mrazek. As the season progressed last year Babcock lost more trust in Howard and gained more in Mrazek, to the point where Mrazek was their goalie in the playoffs at the end of the season. With the hiring of Jeff Blashill, the former Red Wings AHL Head Coach, their is some familiarity with Petr Mrazek as he was his goalie in the AHL for 3 years. Howard has been the longtime starter of the Red Wings and has had his ups and downs, but he still believes hes a #1 goalie. Both guys will push for the #1 spot until Blashill likes one more than the other, and in my opinion I see Petr Mrazek as the go-to-guy going forward.

2015/2016 Outlook and Prediction:

3rd in Atlantic Division, 6th in Eastern Conference

The Forman Faceoff 2015/2016 NHL Season Preview - Toronto Maple Leafs

By: Kyle Forman (Guest Writer)

In: Zach Hyman, Kasperi Kapanen, Scott Harrington, Mitch Marner, Nick Spaling, Martin Marincin, PA Parenteau, Daniel Winnik, Mark Arcobello, Matt Hunwick, Shawn Matthias, Brad Boyes, Michael Grabner

Out: Brandon Kozun, Brad Ross, Tim Erixon, Phil Kessel, Tyler Biggs, Colton Orr, Zach Sill, David Booth, Eric Brewer, Joakim Lindstrom, Frazer McLaren, Trevor Smith, Matt Finn

Top Headlines

·         -Mike Babcock signed an 8 year $50 million contract. Babcock will have to be patient, as he transitions from a successful franchise to a struggling one.

·         -Lou Lamoriello is the new GM, but how much influence does he have as opposed to Kyle Dubas and Brendan Shanahan?

·         -Phil Kessel was traded, and the return was weak.

·         -The Leafs are taking a chance on feel-good story Rich Clune. Clune might get a chance to play if the Leafs trade their assets towards the trade deadline as they did last season. 

·         -Devin Setoguchi, Curtis Glencross, and Brad Boyes were given PTOs, despite a team already loaded with depth forwards.  Setoguchi and Glencross were cut, and Boyes will likely get a chance to play on the 1st line.

·         -Nathan Horton failed his physical, and will likely remain on long term IR for the remainder of his contract.

·         -No need to rush high end prospects like William Nylander, Mitch Marner, Kasperi Kapanen, and Connor Brown. Don't expect to see any of these guys play more than a few games in the NHL this season.

·         -Leafs likely to tear down their old core including Phaneuf, Bozak, and possibly Lupul. No one is safe except maybe JVR, Rielly, Marner, Nylander, Kadri (debatably).

·         -Will Reimer or Bernier be the starter? Both. Similar to last season, I see Bernier starting more games than Reimer, but not by much

·         -Kadri's time to step up as a #1 centre is here, under the guidance of Babcock

·         -If a rebuild is in process: the Leafs will need to rid of some bad contracts. Bozak is signed for $4.2 million for three more years, Lupul has three more at $5.25 million, Robidas has two years $3 million per left, and Dion Phaneuf is under contract until 2021 for $7 million a season. Not to mention the Leafs are still paying Phil Kessel, Tim Gleason, and Carl Gunnarsson

Opening Night Lineup

Forwards:

James van Riemsdyk -Tyler Bozak - Brad Boyes

Shawn Matthias - Nazem Kadri - Joffrey Lupul

Leo Komarov - Peter Holland - Michael Grabner

Daniel Winnik - Nick Spaling - P.A. Parenteau

Extra: Mark Arcobello, Richard Panik

Defense:

Dion Phaneuf - Matt Hunwick

Jake Gardiner - Morgan Rielly

Martin Marincin - Roman Polak

Extra: Stephane Robidas

Goaltending:

Jonathan Bernier

James Reimer

2015/2016 Outlook and Prediction:

8th in Atlantic Division, 14th in Eastern Conference

The Forman Faceoff 2015/2016 NHL Season Preview - Pittsburgh Penguins

By: Jamie Kornblum (Guest Writer)

Now or Never

After a string of disappointing playoff appearances, the Pens enter cup-or-bust mode. Do they finally have the right pieces to solidify a deep post season run?

After another early exit in the 2015 playoffs, the Penguins are poised to bring back their 4th Stanley Cup in franchise history to the steel town. With the recent off-season acquisition of superstar Phil Kessel, and adding guys like Eric Fehr, Nick Bonino, and Tim Erixon into the mix, the Penguins feel they have what it takes to come out of the Eastern Conference. The Pittsburgh Penguins have failed to reach the Stanley Cup Final since their championship in 2009 and will be relying on a youthful defensive core to get the job done.

There’s a growing sense that the window of opportunity is closing with the core of this club moving past their prime years of hockey. Will that create a sense of urgency or a great deal of overwhelming pressure? Some believe that X-factor is five-time 30-goal scorer Phil Kessel, as he finally has an opportunity to play with a world-class center. How he responds will have a big impact.

Projected Opening Night Lineup:

Forwards: 

LW- Chris Kunitz C- Sidney Crosby RW- Phil Kessel

LW- Sergei Plotnikov C- Evgeni Malkin RW- Patric Hornqvist

LW- David Perron C- Nick Bonino RW- Pascal Dupuis

LW- Daniel Sprong C - Matt Cullen RW- Beau Bennett

Extra: Eric Fehr

Defense:

Ian Cole - Kris Letang

Derrick Pouliot - Olli Maatta

Rob Scuderi - Ben Lovejoy

Extra: Brian Dumoulin, Tim Erixon

Goaltending:

Marc Andre Fleury

Jeff Zatkoff

2015/2016 Outlook and Prediction:

2nd in Metropolitan, 4th in Eastern Conference

The Forman Faceoff 2015/2016 NHL Season Preview - Ottawa Senators

By: Nick Moore (Guest Writer)

The Senators are coming off a historical run to the playoffs which was aided by the “Hamburglar” Andrew Hammond. However the run was team effort, seriously how many overtime heroes did the Sens have during the final months of the season? But the team would ultimately fall short in the playoffs. Looking ahead to this season the Senators have more or less the same core. In net expect Anderson to be the starter. Although Hammond was the hot goalie last year, he by many accounts was shaky in the playoffs. It is Hammond’s job to steal the number one spot or at least take pressure of Anderson who by NHL standards is aging. Hammond also got off on the wrong foot this season, suffering a pulled groin and is out a couple of weeks. This means that Matt O’Connor is likely to play in his first NHL game earlier than expected. It will be a good test to see how O’Connor can compete at the NHL level. This will be great to see how this plays out. On the back-end Karlsson will continue to be number one. So far in the pre-season he is looking very sharp, and if he can keep his strike-outs, ie give aways to a minimum then he has the potential for another Norris trophy. Marc Methot will hopefully stay healthy and be a solid number 2 guy for the Sens. After Methot, much like the previous of seasons, the line-up will allow for younger guys to prove that they should be getting top 4 minutes (Cody Ceci will no doubt want to be in the mix). 

As for the forwards, there does not seem like there will be many big changes. Bryan Murray has said that if need be he does have the green light from Eugene Melnyk to acquire a centre piece. When and if that happens will be anyone’s guess. In the pre-season, it has be fun to watch Lazar and Pageau who have looked hungry and have formed some chemistry, and the Sens could only hope that carries forward into the season. However for this team to be successful and go far, Mark Stone, Bobby Ryan, Kyle Turris and Mike Hoffman will have to similar seasons to what they had last year. In Ryan’s case he will need to step it. At the same time it is important to remember that he was 4th in team scoring with 54 points. The key is the Sens would like him at least a 25 goal scorer rather than the 18-goal scorer from last year. One can only assume that Ryan is aware that is where needs to be at. 

In the front office, Bryan Murray says he will stay on a general manager another year. This is an extraordinary task for a person who is overcoming cancer. Other big news in the front office is that Daniel Alfredsson is back with the team as advisor. It remains to be seen what that role will entail, and what he will actually be doing. However that one would assume that his leadership will only be a positive for the team. Without a doubt it is an exciting time for Senators fans now that Daniel is back in town, as he is a great ambassador in the community not only for the Sens but for Ottawa as a whole. David Cameron will be back be-hide the bench as the head coach as he should be. The team will need to buy into his system again for them to make another run to the playoffs. Sadly he will be without the assistance of Mark Reeds who passed away last season. Reeds, who was another successful junior hockey coach taking the Owen Sound Attack to the Memorial Cup in 2011, will missed on and off the ice. If the Sens play hockey consistently well throughout the season, they should have be able to secure a playoff spot. My prediction is that this team will either get the first wildcard spot or the 3rd spot in the Atlantic Division which seems possible as many teams in that division are the rebuilding.

Starting Night Roster:

Forwards:

Mike Hoffman - Kyle Turris - Mark Stone

Clarke MacArthur - Mika Zibanejad - Bobby Ryan

Milan Michalek - Jean-Gabriel Pageau - Curtis Lazar

Alex Chiasson - Zack Smith - Chris Neil

Extra: Matt Puempel

Defense:

Marc Methot - Erik Karlsson

Patrick Wiercioch - Cody Ceci

Jared Cowen - Mark Borowiecki

Extra: Chris Phillips, Chris Wideman

Goalies: 

Craig Anderson 

Matt O'Connor

Extra: Andrew Hammond (injured)

2015/2016 Outlook and Prediction:

3rd in Atlantic Division, 6th in Eastern Conference

The Forman Faceoff 2015/2016 NHL Season Preview - Montreal Canadiens

By: Josh Rosenberg (Guest Writer)

The Montreal Canadiens will look to build on a strong 2014-15 season that saw them losing in the second round of the Playoffs to the Tampa Bay Lightning.  The Habs finished second overall in the NHL, second to the New York Rangers with 110 points (50-22-10), and that couldn’t have happened without the help of their best player, Carey Price.  Price cleaned up at the NHL Awards in June for his accomplishments throughout the season, which included and Vezina Trophy and Hart Trophy as the NHL’s Most Valuable Player.  Price was no doubt the most important player on the Habs, ranked 20^th in goals scored last year, who relied on Price and defense every night.  His final stats saw him post a 1.96 GAA, .933 SV% with 44 wins and 9 shutouts.  There is no doubt the Habs will be looking for a strong year from Carey to help propel the team back to the top of the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference.

Canadiens General Manager Marc Bergevin wasn’t too busy in the offseason, making a few changes that were needed but ones that kept the core group of players together.  Before the offseason started, Bergevin made sure to re-sign his biggest midseason asset, Jeff Petry.  Petry fit in really well since the Habs acquired him at the trade deadline from Edmonton.  Petry’s new deal will keep him with the Habs for 6 more years at a cap hit of $5.5 million.  Petry will become very important for the Habs once Andrei Markov calls it a career.  His next move came when he acquired Zack Kassian from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for forward Brandon Prust.  Prust was the fan favourite but Bergevin wanted to send out his expiring contract for Kassian who has shown potential for offence along with the grit that will no doubt replace what Prust brought to the Habs.  The third move Bergevin made was taking a chance on Alex Semin (1 year, $1.1 million), fresh off the Carolina Hurricanes buying out his remaining contract.  Semin’s numbers have definitely dropped off in the past years, however he has shown that in a contract year he can perform, and if he can’t?  Michel Therrien has a spot for him high about the Bell Centre ice in the pressbox.  Semin could bring his potential 20 goal a year totals to a offensive hungry Habs lineup and should he fit in with his new teammates, he could be a big offensive weapon for Therrien.  Two other deals that Bergevin made was resigning Torrey Mitchell (3 year deal) and Brian Flynn (2 year deal).  They both will provide depth for the Habs, very much like they did last year after being acquired at the deadline from the Buffalo Sabres.

The biggest move that Bergevin did in the offseason that does not involve signing or trading players is moving 2012 first round pick Alex Galchenyuk from the wing to centre.  Galchenyuk has played most of his time with the Canadiens on the wing (he played a stint of games at centre last season), but the Habs feel he is ready to make the full move to centre.  Moving him to centre where he is most comfortable could be a major change in offensive production for the 21 year old. 

The Habs will be looking for the youngsters in the organization to push the current roster for a spot in the opening day lineup.  Players like Jacob de la Rose, Sven Andrighetto, Nikita Scherbak, Charles Hudon and will be fighting to crack the lineup at some point, whether it is right out of camp or to replace an injured player mid season.  Tomas Fleischmann was invited to training camp, and has looked good, fighting himself not only for a roster spot but for another opportunity in the league.

Newly signed Mark Barberio will be looking to crack Therrien’s defensive pairings along with Jarred Tinordi and Greg Pateryn.

After a full season without a player wearing the coveted ‘C’ the Habs players decided at the beginning of training camp that Max Pacioretty is the right choice for the 29^th captain in the Canadiens famed history.  Pacioretty will lead the team along with his alternatives, Andrei Markov, Tomas Plekanec, Brendan Gallagher and P.K. Subban.  Those five players along with Carey Price not only round out the leadership group of this team but the most important and the core of this team.  All six players will be relied on heavily in all situations and will lead by example for the rest of the team.

Forwards:

Max Pacioretty (C) - Tomas Plekanec (A) - Brendan Gallagher (A)

Lars Eller - Alex Galchenyuk - Alex Semin

Tomas Fleischmann - David Desharnais - Dale Weise

Jacob de la Rose - Torrey Mitchell - Devante Smith-Pelly

Extra: Zack Kassian, Brian Flynn

Defense: 

Andrei Markov (a) - P.K. Subban (A)

Nathan Beaulieu - Jeff Petry

Alexei Emelin - Tom Gilberg

Extra: Greg Pateryn

Goaltending: 

Carey Price 

Mike Condon

2015/2016 Outlook and Prediction:

2nd in Atlantic Division, 4th in Eastern Conference

The Forman Faceoff 2015/2016 NHL Season Preview - Dallas Stars

By: Joel Forman - The Forman Faceoff

Last Season: 41-21-10 with 92 points, 6th in Central Division and 9th in Western Conference

The Stars showed glimpses of a powerhouse offensive team last season, but ultimately injuries and inconsistency lead them to just missing out on the playoffs. The Stars have one of the best offensive teams in the NHL and will be a difficult group to contain this season, the key will be finding their game defensively and becoming a strong two-way team. It will be interesting to see if Antti Niemi or Kari Lehtonen runs away with the starting job or they split throughout the season, either way Lindy Ruff has a tough task at hand. 

Forwards:

Jamie Benn - Tyler Seguin - Valeri Nichushkin

Cody Eakin - Jason Spezza - Patrick Sharp

Antoine Roussel - Vernon Fiddler - Ales Hemsky

Travis Moen - Mattias Janmark - Patrick Eaves

Extra: Brett Ritchie, Colton Sceviour

The Stars have one of the deepest top-6 forwards in the NHL including the duo of Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin leading the way. The Stars added Patrick Sharp in the summer, and they hope his addition plus the return of Valeri Nichushkin (who missed all of last season) will bolster their offense. It will be interesting to see how Patrick Sharp fits in on the Stars, I see him gaining good chemistry with Jason Spezza. The Stars will have one of the best powerplays in the NHL and will be a team that will score in bunches, but it remains to be seen if they can keep goals out of the net too.

Defense:

Alex Goligoski - John Klingberg

Johnny Oduya - Jason Demers

Jyrki Jokipakka - Jordie Benn

Extra: Jamie Oleksiak

The Stars brought back 5 of 6 D from last season, only losing Trevor Daley to the Hawks in the Patrick Sharp trade. The Stars then went out and signed Sharp's former teammate from Chicago Johnny Oduya to bolster their D for the season. John Klingberg had a breakout season last year with 11 goals and 40 points in 65 games, expect a big year out of him in a full season. The Stars aren't particularly strong as a team defensively, but it will be up to defense to pick things up and improve this season.

Goaltending:

Antti Niemi

Kari Lehtonen

The Stars are faced with a classic 1A/1B situation, these are 2 guys who have been starting goaltenders for their entire careers now splitting the job. Lehtonen has been the Stars starting goaltender since 2009, but he has been inconsistent at times and really struggled last season. That lead to GM Jim Nill adding veteran Antti Niemi, a guy who won a Stanley Cup with Chicago but never found comfort in San Jose. He looks to have a fresh start with the Stars and push Lehtonen for the #1 spot, in my opinion I think Niemi will end up as the Stars goalie down the stretch. Either way it will be an interesting goalie battle to watch.

2015/2016 Outlook and Prediction:

6th in Central Division, 9th in Western Conference

The Forman Faceoff 2015/2016 NHL Season Preview - Columbus Blue Jackets

By: Joel Forman - The Forman Faceoff

Last Season: 42-35-5 with 89 points, 5th in the Metropolitan Division and 11th in the Eastern Conference

The Blue Jackets are a team on the rise and one that is expected to fight for a playoff spot this season. The same was thought about the team last year but injuries and inconsistency lead them to missing the playoffs. However their is growing optimism in Columbus with the addition of rising star Brandon Saad, and the Blue Jacket's have a strong offensive attack if they can stay healthy. A lot of pressure will be on Sergei Bobrovsky to lead the way and start a bulk of the games for the Blue Jackets this season.

Forwards:

Brandon Saad - Ryan Johansen - Nick Foligno

Scott Hartnell - Brandon Dubinsky - Cam Atkinson

Boone Jenner - Alexander Wennberg - Rene Bourque

Matt Calvert - Gregory Campbell - Jared Boll

Extra: William Karlsson, David Clarkson

The Blue Jackets boast one of the best lines in the NHL today with Brandon Saad, Ryan Johansen and Nick Foligno. Foligno had a breakout year last season and with the addition of Saad the trio is primed for a huge offensive season. It will be on the Blue Jackets forwards beyond their top line to contribute and make an impact, guys like Scott Hartnell, Boone Jenner, Brandon Dubinsky and Cam Atkinson. If the Blue Jackets can keep a consistent offensive attack going they will be a hard team to play against this season.

Defense:

Jack Johnson - David Savard

Ryan Murray - Fedor Tyutin

Kevin Connauton - Dalton Prout

Extra: Cody Goloubef

Defense remains a work in progress for the Blue Jackets, while they aren't bad defensively they aren't particularly good either. It will be important for the Blue Jackets to see Ryan Murray and David Savard grow and take bigger roles this season, they are the future of the Blue Jacket's blueline. If the Blue Jackets want to be a strong offensive team, they will need key contributions from their defenseman this season.

Goaltending:

Sergei Bobrovsky

Curtis McElhinney

Sergei Bobrovsky is the clear-cut #1 goalie and McElhinney is the backup who will play when needed. Bobrovsky had a tough year last season after winning the Vezina Trophy the year before, so a lot of pressure will be on him to regain his Vezina-form. If the Blue Jackets are to make the playoffs Bobrovsky needs to stay healthy and play consistently throughout the season.

2015/2016 Outlook and Prediction:

5th in Metropolitan Division, 8th in Eastern Conference