An Early Look At Next Season’s Stanley Cup Contenders
Hopefully you’ve had time to recover from what was an extremely exciting Stanley Cup finals. While Pittsburgh Penguins fans are still in the midst of celebrating the team’s thrilling seven-game victory over Detroit, it’s already time to start looking ahead to next season and who the contenders are to hoist the Cup this time next year. Sportsbooks and odds services are already putting out NHL futures odds for next season, so it’s certainly not too early.
As you would expect, the Penguins and the Red Wings are right there at the top of the list, and while a third straight Pittsburgh-Detroit showdown wouldn’t be a surprise, there are several other clubs with the talent to be there at the end.
Here’s a breakdown of eight teams I’ll have my eye on next season, and it shouldn’t be a surprise which two teams top the list.
Pittsburgh Penguins
You do have to wonder if there’ll be a Stanley Cup hangover and if the new coach smell will wear off, but the Penguins should be in contention to repeat. They’ve got the core of their team coming back, but the key will be re-signing the numerous key role players that are free agents, from Bill Guerin down to defensemen Rob Scuderi and Hal Gill.
If their roster remains mostly intact and they make a midseason move or two like they have in each of the last couple of seasons, Pittsburgh will be in an excellent position to be one of the last two teams standing for the third straight season.
Detroit Red Wings
As if they weren’t already going to be an automatic contender based on their talent, experience, and depth, the disappointment of losing Game 7 at home should serve as inspiration for the Red Wings next season.
There’s not a lot to say about this team that isn’t known already, and until further notice, they’re the team to beat in the Western Conference. The big names should all be back, including Marian Hossa, who should be signing a long-term deal soon. The key to winning a second championship in three seasons will be those key players stepping up at key times in the postseason. Pavel Datsyuk was injured, yes, but a few key players, including Hossa, were shut down for the most part against Anaheim and Pittsburgh, which was a big reason why those series panned out like they did.
Boston Bruins
The Bruins had a terrific regular season, earning the Eastern Conference’s top seed, and they breezed past Montreal in the first round. Then came the second round against Carolina, when they got into a 3-1 hole and wound up losing in Game 7 at home.
Chalk it up as a learning experience to build off of for next season, when they should once again find themselves in the final four in the Eastern Conference. It remains to be seen whether or not they will re-sign young right winger Phil Kessel, who scored more goals this season (36) than he did in his first two seasons combined (30), but judging by his production, they should tie him up, as they’ve done with goaltender Tim Thomas and center David Krejci, who were both scheduled to be free agents this offseason.
Whether or not they sign Kessel, the Bruins will be a contender, but if they don’t re-sign him, they should try to dip in the free agent market to get a quality replacement. In any event, it won’t be easy to replicate the regular-season success they had this season, but what matters most is whether or not they can take a step forward in the second season.
San Jose Sharks
After posting the NHL’s best record in the regular season, the Sharks experienced yet another playoff disappointment, as they were shocked in the first round by Anaheim. But, the Sharks should be strong once again next year, and they should contend for one of the league’s top records once again. The big question for San Jose, however, is if they can come through when it matters, and as their past postseason history has shown, that’s a lot easier said than done.
Washington Capitals
The Capitals let a golden opportunity slip away in the postseason, allowing the eventual Stanley Cup champs to overcome a 2-0 deficit in the conference semifinals and then throttle the Caps on their own ice in Game 7. There’s a good chance the Caps will have to go through Pittsburgh to win the Eastern Conference, and while they certainly have the talent to take down the champs, it’s all about the mental for the Caps. If they can avoid the meltdowns that cost them in the postseason, I like their chances.
Chicago Blackhawks
The Blackhawks might have surprised some by making the Western Conference finals, and it could be said that their appearance did come a year or two earlier than expected. But even though they were disposed of in five by the Red Wings, they acquitted themselves well against a great team and earned experience that will prove valuable come next season.
With the young nucleus the Blackhawks have, led by Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, the Blackhawks have the pieces in place to be a contender for years to come. The key for next season will be resigning coveted free agents Nikoali Khabibulin and Martin Havlat, with the priority a little more on Khabibulin than Havlat. Chicago has been linked with wantaway Ottawa Senators star Dany Heatley, and if they could land him and keep the aforementioned free agents, the future in the Central Division and Western Conference might be the Blackhawks, not the Red Wings.
Anaheim Ducks
The 2007 Stanley Cup champs had to squeak into the postseason as the West’s #8 seed, but when they got there, they showed they belonged, knocking off the top-seeded Sharks in six and then pushing the Red Wings to seven before succumbing. Anaheim has a trio of talented young forwards in Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, and Bobby Ryan, and if breakout goaltender Jonas Hiller can keep up where he left off in the postseason, I foresee a great 2009/10 season for the Ducks.
Philadelphia Flyers
The Flyers’ stay in this postseason was short-lived, as they were dumped out in the first round by the Penguins, but the talent is going to be there for a deep postseason run next season. They don’t stand to lose very much in free agency, and there aren’t very many players over 30 on their roster, which means that this could only be the beginning for Philadelphia if they can keep their core tied up.
Having Daniel Briere healthy for all of next season will be big, and it makes the Flyers’ already formidable attack all the more fearsome. The key to their championship credentials will not lie with the likes of ever-improving young forwards Jeff Carter and Mike Richards, but with what happens in net. Starter Martin Biron and backup Antero Nittymaki are both unrestricted free agents, but former Ottawa Senators goaltender Ray Emery was recently signed. Emery has the talent to be one of the NHL’s top netminders, and if he’s past the personal problems that saw him cast out of Ottawa, he could fill the void if Biron doesn’t remain in Philly.
Others to Watch For: Calgary Flames, Carolina Hurricanes, New Jersey Devils, Vancouver Canucks
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