- The Blackhawks appear better prepared to repeat than any recent NHL champion
- Tim Thomas will make the Panthers competitive but probably not a playoff team
- Thomas Vanek and Ryan Miller could be traded as the deadline approaches
USA TODAY Sports hockey columnist Kevin Allen provides answers to eight pressing questions as the NHL season opens Tuesday:
1. What are the Chicago Blackhawks’ chances of repeating?
They have a better chance than any team in recent years. No team has repeated since the 1997-98 Detroit Red Wings. The Blackhawks have won twice in the last four seasons. They experienced the Stanley Cup hangover in 2010-2011 and believe they learned from that experience. Additionally, their two best players, Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, are entering the prime of their careers. Their core (Toews, Kane, Marian Hossa, Patrick Sharp, Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Bryan Bickell and Corey Crawford) remains intact.
2. Can Tim Thomas make an impact on the Florida Panthers?
He will make them more competitive, but probably not a playoff team. After taking a year off, his game will have some rust. Thomas was among the league’s most efficient goaltenders in his final game in 2011-12. Florida fans wanted Roberto Luongo, but Thomas has the potential to be just as good, if not better. It also helps that general manager Dale Tallon has improved his team with the recent free agent signings of center Brad Boyes and defensemen Tom Gilbert and Ryan Whitney.
3. How long will winger Tomas Vanek and goalie Ryan Miller be with the Buffalo Sabres?
Until just before the trade deadline. The Sabers are trying to renovate on the fly and both players will be unrestricted free agents. Vanek’s cap hit is $7.1 million and Miller’s cap hit is $6.25 million. Many teams that would like these players have to wait until later in the season when their cap hit will be less stressful on their budget. It’s far too early to pick a favorite to land either player, but Vanek, who played at the University of Minnesota, has a home in Minnesota, so the Wild might be interested. The Sabers would like to re-sign Vanek, but does he want to be part of this rebuild?
4. Do the Pittsburgh Penguins have a goaltending problem?
They won’t know until April, and that’s the problem. Marc-André Fleury’s coach likes him. His teammates have confidence in him. He was solid during the 2012-13 regular season. But he hasn’t played well in the playoffs since the Penguins won the Stanley Cup in 2009. No one really knows why. He just doesn’t look like the same goalie. It’s like he’s got the hockey version of playoff “yips.” Fleury could win 45 games in the regular season and face questions in the playoffs. 1. Backup Tomas Vokoun, who replaced Fleury in the last playoffs, is on the shelf with a blood clot. If his absence looks like it will last a long time, the Penguins can sign a veteran replacement, like Johan Hedberg, or go after Miller.
5. How much will the realignment affect the playoff picture?
Dramatically, especially when it comes to the playoffs. The addition of traditionally strong Detroit and the surging Columbus Blue Jackets makes it more difficult to make the Eastern Conference playoffs. The Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens made the playoffs last season, and probably won’t this season. Because the Pacific Division is so strong, the Vancouver Canucks and San Jose Sharks seem more likely to miss the playoffs than in recent years. The wild card races will create buzz because it’s possible that five teams from one division could make the playoffs and only three from the other.
6. Will participation in the Sochi Olympics have an impact on NHL competitions?
It is difficult to draw conclusions. In 2010, six of the Blackhawks’ best players (Toews, Kane, Seabrook, Keith, Hossa and Tomas Kopecky) reached the medal games and won the Stanley Cup. But this tournament took place in Vancouver. In 2006, when the Olympics were in Italy, which meant time difference was a factor, the champion Carolina Hurricanes had a player in the medal games. The Detroit Red Wings had five players on the gold medal-winning Swedish team and were the best team in the regular season, but they were upset in the first round of the playoffs.
7. Should we care about the new rules on hybrid icing and mandatory visors?
You should do this if you care about player safety. The NHL has required all players to wear visors for years, but players resisted, mainly because they felt it was harder to see the puck. Veterans are grandfathered and can play without a visor. But all new players must wear one. If you don’t see the need for hybrid icing, ask a Hurricanes fan. Defenseman Joni Pitkanen will be out the entire season because he fractured his heel while chasing the puck under the old no-clearing rules. Now, players will run towards the faceoff spots, instead of the goal line, preventing serious injury if a player is knocked down.
8. Is there a downside to the 2013-14 season?
Fans have to say goodbye to Teemu Selanne and Jaromir Jagr. Selanne said it was her last season. Jagr said that was probably the case. They are one of the top five European players in NHL history, entertaining on and off the ice.
