Atlantic Division Preview

The NHL’s Atlantic Division seems to be one of the weaker divisions this coming season. With aging superstars, bloated budgets and insane contracts, the Atlantic division is going to be a struggle to stomach this year. However, there are some bright spots to this division. Young stars like Sidney Crosby, Henrik Lundqvist, and R.J. Umberger, look to be key players for their respective teams this season. Let’s see how the teams will stack up.The New Jersey Devils came of a major hot streak to win the division last year, then swept the Rangers out of the playoffs before falling to the Hurricanes in five games. Already Lou Lamoriello has some cap problems, as his Devils aren’t even under the forty-four million-dollar salary cap.

Their only major signing of the off-season was that of Micheal Rupp, who is best known for his Stanley Cup winning goal in 2003. They never addressed their main problem last year, to replace stalwart Scott Stevens on the blue line. Broudeur can only do so much, and he’s not getting any younger. Also, their offense is mediocre at best.

This has always been a team that relies on defense to bail them out of games, this year, bail denied. Expect the Devils to finish in the nine to eleven range in the conference.

Disaster. Bizarre. Idiotic. This is just three of the thoughts that come to mind when the New York Islanders are mentioned. Their first move of the off-season was to fire general manager Mike Millbury, which was just about the only sane move they made, only to replace him with former goaltender Garth Snow.

When they fired their coach, almost everyone half-expected them to retire Yashin and put him there. Instead they are willing to give Ted Nolan a second chance in the NHL. Nolan, the former embattled coach of the Buffalo Sabers, stepped away from the game to battle his demons, and to head back home to help others whom are going through the same problem.

After that, the Islanders do one of the most puzzling things in the history of hockey. They signed Rick DiPietro to a fifteen-year contract (man, I wish I had that kind of job security).  More bad moves came with their signings in the off-season. They signed Tom Poti, Brendan Witt, and Rick Berry, who combined are not worth putting on anyone fourth pair. Witt is known more for taking stupid penalties, Poti is more known of being a pylon, and Rick Berry is a career minor leaguer. This team is an outright joke.

If DiPietro goes down, they will have to rely on the services of career minor leaguer Wade Dubielewicz, and Mike Dunham, who is coming off nerve damage in his catching hand. If the New York Islanders make the playoffs, it will be a massive miracle. Expect this team to be in the range of eleventh to fifteenth.

The New York Rangers had the division lead all season long, and then came the New Jersey Devils. The Devils took care of the division, and then took care of the Rangers.  Once again, Glen Slather has put a great team on paper. The main problem is, we play hockey on ice. Sure, Jagr had a great season last year, but can he duplicate that? Can Henrik Lundqvist repeat last year, and keep the scouts right as the sensational goalie that many claim he is? I would say no and yes to those questions, respectively.

Jagr is getting older and his speed is slowing down. However, he could still have a good season playing on the wing with Shanahan and Straka. The line I would look for to carry this team is the second line. Petr Prucha has great hands and can be one of the league’s top assist men soon, Nylander is a solid playmaker and looks to put many of Prucha’s passes by the league’s elite, and Hall is a solid goal scorer.

The biggest pickup for this team has to be the aging Brendan Shanahan. Once traded for guys like Chris Pronger, and then for Keith Primeau and Paul Coffey, Shanahan is not bull he once was, but he is still a powerful shot up front. Don’t let his age fool you though, he might have lost a step, but he still tallied ninety-eight points last season for the Red Wings.

The Rangers make the argument that they could be the rulers of the roost in the Atlantic, but the Flyers have something to say about that. Look for the Rangers to be somewhere between a three and six seed in the East.

The Flyers will indeed have something to say about the Rangers winning the Atlantic, that thing will be a loud “NO!” They are stacked and ready to roll. Before you go crowning them the champs just yet, they do have some problems. Their major problem has to do with that guy who wears number twenty-one, Peter Forberg. He loves the physical play, but he’s getting older, and his style of play has really made him venerable to injuries. Just in the last season, Forsberg missed games because of his knee, his ankle, and his groin. No one can doubt the heart of Peter, though. Even with the injuries, he is still an elite two-way player and a franchise center.

Other guys on this team who will have to step up is young stud R.J. Umberger, and Jeff Carter. Simon Gange will need Forsberg and his playmaking abilities to have another outstanding season. Although they didn’t shock the world this season, the Flyers were still able to make some solid pickups with Daniel Corso and Geoff Sanderson. Antero Niittymaki may make his first full season as the starter of the Fly guys, but Robert Esche will give him a huge fight for it.

This team has a defense that will flatten you, hurt you and smile about it. Expect the Flyers to end up in the one to five range in the East with a possible date with Lord Stanley to follow.

Last, but not in this division, will be the Pittsbugh Penguins. They were in the news all off-season with the Evgini Malkin saga. Malkin should pitch it to Hollywood producers; it would make an amazing movie. Malkin wasn’t the only major pickup for the Pens, as they aquired Nils Ekman from the Sharks. Ekman is a solid two-way player, better defensively than offensively, but he may have a better chance to show his offensive skills then he did in San Jose.

Although Malkin has arrived, this guy named Crosby still has some talent. He finished second last year to Alex Ovechkin in the Calder voting. This year, look for Ryan Malone to end up on the line with Armstrong and Crosby to take care of anyone trying to take them out.

On defense, they are improved. Sergei Gonchar is not just an all-star for this team, but he is the leader bar none. Just like the Flyers, these guys will beat you within an inch of your life, not to mention that their forwards will be there to take care of anyone getting in Crobsy or Malkin’s way. The Pens could make the playoffs, and they will if Jordan Staal has a great rookie campaign. Look for them to be anywhere from seven to eleven.

There it is, cut and dry. The Atlantic division has a chance, but it will still be the weakest division in the east. The way I see the Atlantic is Philly, New York Rangers, Pittsburgh, New Jersey and finally the New York Islanders. In part three, we’ll look at the Northeast. Will the Leafs be back? Are the Sabers for real? Find out in part three of the 2006 NHL Preview.