By Robbie Naugle, NHLHS Pittsburgh Penguins Correspondent

Concussion are slowly becoming a part of the hockey culture in Pittsburgh these days. Superstar Sidney Crosby just returned from a concussion he suffered last season, and the Pens were without winger Tyler Kennedy for a stretch this season after he suffered a concussion.

Now the Pens will be without two of their top defensemen for an unknown amount of time due to concussions. Kris Letang and Zybnek Michalek will both be sidelined indefinitely as they recover from concussion suffered during a game against the Montreal Canadiens on Novemeber 26. The cause of Michalek’s injury is unknown but there were a few instances that night where he made contact with a Montreal player that could have caused the concussion. Letang’s, on the other hand, came from a shot to the head by Canadiens’ forawrd Max Pacioretty in the third period of that game. Pacioretty was suspended for three games as a result of making the unnecessary hit. It was originally thought that Letang only had a broken nose and was allowed to return to the game and later scored the game winning goal in overtime. Both players passed their original base-line concussion tests the next day but were experiencing some concussion like symptoms. Robert Bortuzzo, Simon Despres, and Alex Picard have all been called up from the AHL to help fill their shoes while they recover.

After the severity of what happened got out, many media outlets questioned the Penguins decision to allow Letang to return to the game after suffering the hit. This was criticized even more after what they had just gone through with Crosby being out for so long. Diagnosing concussions is an inexact science, and there is no fool proof way of doing it. Sometimes it can take days for concussion symptoms to even appear.

There are certain protocols now in place for teams where they have to run tests if they believe a player could have suffered a concussion. Going back to an earlier point, those tests won’t always yield valid answers because the symptoms of a concussion may not have begun yet. For me, I can’t really say if the team did the right thing with Letang. I wasn’t in the locker room when it happened and don’t know what they saw. I think members of the media need to get all the facts before they jump to conclusions about what the Penguins did regarding their top blueliner. You can’t hold a guy out just because he took a hit to the head. He may have suffered no injury at all. There is a thin line between right and wrong in a situation like this and I’m glad I don’t have to make the decision in this case. I believe that the team will always put the best interest of the player before the best interest of the team. I’m hoping the Penguins followed the protocols and ran all the tests before letting Letang return to the game.

In other NHL-related news, the League has approved a new realignment strategy for next season. There will no longer be any divisions and the entire league will be broken down into four separate conferences consisting of either 7 or 8 teams. The proposed realignment as the Penguins placed in a seven team conference along with the Devils, Rangers, Islanders, Flyers, Capitals and Hurricanes. So pretty much it is the entire Atlantic division plus Washington and Carolina. The playoff system is set to be voted on in March but it would set up something like this. The top four teams in each conference would all qualify, they would then have a mini-tournament within each conference. The four winners of each conference would then play out the remaining rounds for the Stanley Cup. The conferences are broken down geographically but the names have not been announced. Personally I would like to see them do away with the cheesy geographic names and go with something more original. My personal favorite would be naming them Gretzky, Lemieux, Howe, and Orr. Each name could coincide with their own team’s conference. It was also said on Twitter last night that this realignment may not take affect until the 2013-2014 season. There are still some wrinkles that need to be worked out by the League. Another idea floating around is that the League could use expansion to make all the conferences hold eight teams. I love this idea because I love seeing my favorite sport expand. If this happens, we could see two or even three new teams in the NHL in the next few years. I say three because it hinges on what plays out in Phoenix. If the Coyotes hold and would move to Quebec there would still be only 30 teams in the league so two more new teams would have to be added. If the NHL expands and keeps Phoenix I would see Quebec  as being an obvious destination and then probably Kansas City as the other option. If Quebec would get a team via Phoenix then there are other options in play along with Kansas City. Whatever the case, I think this adds some freshness to the league and may help spread the popularity to the game we love.

It should be noted that Arron Asham has been placed on IR with an upper body injury, Kris Letang will be a game time decision and will be replaced with Ben Lovejoy if he cannot play. Eric Tangradi has been recalled from Wheeling of the ECHL and will be in the starting lineup tonight. The Pens will also begin the season without forward Jordan Staal who is set to miss the start of the regular season recovering from a foot injury suffered in the playoffs.

Chris Kunitz-Sidney Crosby (C)-Pascal Dupuis

Eric Tangradi-Mike Comrie-Evgeni Malkin (A)

Matt Cooke-Mark Letestu-Tyler Kennedy

Mike Rupp-Craig Adams-Max Talbot/Eric Godard

Brooks Orpik (A)-Zbynek Michalek

Kris Letang/Ben Lovejoy-Paul Martin

Alex Goligoski-Deryk Engelland

Marc-Andre Fleury

Tonight’s game will being at 7:00 and will be the first official game at the brand new Consol Energy Center.

Robbie Naugle
NHLHS Pittsburgh Penguins Correspondent
rnaugle@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @PENSonNHLHS

After an early exit from last season’s Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Pittsburgh Penguins and their fans were left with a bad taste in their mouth. Following the bitter second round exit against the Montreal Canadiens many questions were left to be answered. What happened to the defense? Where did Malkin go? How badly does Crosby need a top-tier winger? Now, after a longer than normal offseason many of those questions are set to be answered.

Gone are the likes of Sergei Gonchar, Bill Guerin, and Ruslan Fedotenko. All key parts of their Stanley Cup run. Here to replace them now are Zbynek Michalek, Paul Martin, and Mike Comrie. They will look to fill in the holes that were left by departing free agents. Ray Shero made the moves and now it is up to the team to prove him right. Those questions will become answers over the next 82 games. Let’s take a look at the 2010-2011 Pittsburgh Penguins.

Forwards

This Pens team will once again be led by superstars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Crosby is coming off his first career 50 goal season while Malkin will be looking to rebound from a year that saw his goal total and points total drop from the previous year. It is also expected that Malkin will be moved from center to winger to help better utilize his ability as a goal scorer rather than a passer.

Jordan Staal will also be counted on to contribute to this Pens offense by being the center to Malkin. That is once he returns from injury. Staal has been ruled out for at least the first month of the season as he recovers from a foot injury which forced him to miss all of training camp.

Below the big three lies key role players like Pascal Dupuis, Chris Kunitz, Mike Comrie, and Eric Tangrai. Kunitz and Dupuis will look to shine as wingers on the top line with Crosby, while Comrie and Tangradi will be placed with Malkin until Staal returns.

Just as they have for the past few years now, the Pens will once again rely on the services of several lower line grinders and enforcers. They include, Matt Cooke, Mark Letestu, Craig Adams, Mike Rupp, Eric Godard, Arron Asham, and Max Talbot. Newly resigned Matt Cooke will be the foundation of the feared third line for Pittsburgh with the likes of Asham and Talbot joining him. Rounding out the lineup on the fourth line will most likely be Letestu and Rupp while Adams and Godard rotate the final roster spot.

The Penguins are the type of team that relies on all four of their lines to contribute to win games. This is a somewhat different look than we have seen in recent years. They will feature more speed but still pack a mighty hard punch when it comes to getting the job done.

Defense

Maybe the biggest factor that led to the Pens disappointing playoff exit last year was their weakness on defense. Well, Ray Shero effectively addressed that glaring issue this offseason with two big free agent signings. In coming defensemen Zbynek Michalek and Paul Martin are expected to help fill the holes on the blue line that cost the Penguins last season.

They will be joined on defense by Brooks Orpik, Kris Letang, Alex Goligoski, Deryk Engelland, and Ben Lovejoy. Lovejoy and Engelland will be spiltting time to start the season.

Another big question will be which guy will replace Gonchar on the point during the powerplay? Both Letang and Goligoski look to be ready for a break out season and now with Gonchar gone it could be the perfect chance or those two. Martin was also mentioned as potential point man on the top unit.

If the moves Shero made in the offseason with the signings of Martin and Michalek end up paying off, it could yet another summer with Stanley for the Pens.

Goaltending

Maybe the most clear cut portion of the Pittsburgh roster. Just like last year the primary starter will be Marc-Andre Fleury with Brent Johnson filling in as the back-up.

The main question here is whether Fleury can rebound from what many people considered only a mediocre year last season. His numbers did drop slightly, but he was let down at times but his defense and with the offense that he has in front of him he doesn’t have to be the best player every night, he just has to get away from letting in those soft goals that can be momentum killers. If he can settle in early you could see career high numbers for Fleury this season as well as a surge to the top of the division for the Pens.

Notes

The Penguins announced their captains and alternate captains on Wednesday. Sidney Crosby will once gain serve as the team’s captain with Evgeni Malkin serving as the first alternate. Brooks Orpik and Jordan Staal will rotate the third “A” throughout the season.

Prediction

With a revamped defense, a speedy offense, and a determined netminder the Penguins could very easily find themselves sitting atop the Atlantic once again. However, there will be tough competition from Philadelphia and New Jersey. If the Pens can get everything clicking and stay healthy, they should be the class of the division.

As for the playoffs…well we all saw last year how unpredictable that can be so for I’ll wait for this prediction.

Starting Thursday a new chapter will be written in Penguins’ history. A chapter that will include new faces and a new home, but the goal will remain the same. To lift the Stanley Cup when it’s all said and done. The journey beings now. Let’s Go Pens!!!!

Robbie Naugle
NHLHS Pittsburgh Penguins Correspondent
rnaugle@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @PENSonNHLHS

The season is finally upon us. After three and a half of waiting the 2010-2011 season is now here. On Friday September 17 the Pittsburgh Penguins will officially open the new campaign when players report to training camp. The first official practice will be held on Saturday September 18 at the brand new Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh. Practice on both Saturday the 18th and Sunday the 19th will both open to the public free of charge. A full training camp schedule can be found at pittsburghpenguins.com.

Going into camp this season there are a lot of intriguing headlines and position battles. News broke today that Jordan Staal will likely miss the beginning of the season do to an infection in his foot. The loss of Staal opens up a roster spot for the time being. There are many players who could step up and fill that void. Eric Tangradi, Mark Letestu, Nick Johnson, and many other will be looking for the opportunity to crack the starting in the opening line up.

A few off-season signings also added some spice to the mixture heading into camp. Arron Asham and Mike Comrie were both added in the off-season and are expected to make an instant impact in Pittsburgh. Rumors went around that Asham signed with the Pens with the guarantee that he would be placed on the third line. Comrie’s position could be decided in camp. It was expected that he would play as a winger on the top line with Sidney Crosby, however, now with the Staal injury Comrie could be used as the second line center for the time being.

Things on defense seem to be a little more settled. Five of the six spots are all but guaranteed. With the signings of Paul Martin and Zbynek Michalek along with having three other defensemen under long term contracts, barring any injury it seems there will only be one open spot. Ben Lovejoy looks to be the front runner for that spot heading into camp. I look for him to be playing along side Alex Goligoski come opening night.

With interesting position battles and a Stanley Cup caliber team there should be a lot to look forward to for Pens fans this season. One minor injury could open the door for some of the young players to make their mark. No matter what though, the goal for each player at camp is to be lacing up the skates and throwing on that jersey on October 7 and stepping onto the ice at the brand new Consol Energy Center for the opening night game against the Philadelphia Flyers.

Robbie Naugle
NHLHS Pittsburgh Penguins Correspondent
rnaugle@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @PENSonNHLHS

Goaltender Michael Leighton was brought back into the fold yesterday as he signed a two-year, $3.1 million deal.

While GM Paul Holmgren now has his two netminders from the end of last season under contract and in place (Brian Boucher is signed through 2010-11), there is much speculation as to whether or not the reigning Eastern Conference Champions are done with the crease position.

Aside from doing nothing, there is a growing sentiment that there are two highly probable routes that Holmgren will choose between when the clock strikes twelve noon.

Build a stronger defense and go for a B-tier goaltender

With Leighton re-signed, one school of thought is that Holmgren will go after one of the premier defensemen available, presumably former Ottawa Senator Anton Volchenkov.  The 6′ 1″, 227 pound rearguard plays a very physical style, and is well-suited for head coach Peter Laviolette’s type of game.

Once opposition teams got through Chris Pronger’s shifts, there wasn’t a whole lot of physicality to the rest of the Flyers defensemen’s games.  Volchenkov would change that in a big way.

After already inquiring into the contract demands of UFA goaltenders Evgeni Nabokov and Marty Turco and realizing their camps are both going for the huge pay day, Holmgren could turn his attention towards Chris Mason or Dan Ellis.

Mason won 30 games last season with the St. Louis Blues and will make any team that signs him a much better club moving forward.  Highly under-rated, the 34-year-old earned $3 million last year and should be in line for a modest raise.  This would put him in the area that Philly is looking to spend.

The 30-year-old Ellis won 15 games last year with the Nashville Predators, mostly in a backup role to Pekka Rinne.  His rights were traded to the Montreal Canadiens earlier in the week, and as of Thursday morning, no deal had been announced.

Ellis would be a great fit in Philadelphia for both sides.  As it would appear that the Habs have a more defined role in mind for him as the second string to Carey Price, the Flyers have already told Leighton that he will have a chance to compete for the starter’s position for next season.  That role is not being given to him and he was not signed as the incumbent.

This course of action is not bad at all, but can only work if restricted free agent Braydon Coburn is also re-signed.

And with the money saved on moving down a tier in the goaltender pay scale, there may be enough leftover to also sign a couple other free agent defensemen.

It was obvious that there was a tremendous drop off after the top four of Pronger-Matt Carle and Kimmo Timonen-Coburn.  It got to the point that Laviolette had no confidence in his third pairing of Lukas Krajicek (also an UFA as of today)-Ryan Parent (since traded to Nashville).  Things got so bad in the Stanley Cup Finals for Parent that he saw just 41 seconds of ice time in game one, sported a -1 rating, and was a healthy scratch the rest of the series.

Parent’s replacement was Oskars Bartulis.  The 23-year-old Latvian blue liner is a nice seventh defenseman but not a top-six,  at least not at this point of his career.

Candidates to fill the five and / or six spots are Kurtis Foster and Zbynek Michalek, both 28 years old.

At 6′ 2″, 210 pounds, Michalek is especially interesting because he would give the Orange-and-Black a right-handed shot from the point, something they did not possess last season.

Foster, 6′ 5″ and 230 pounds, was a nominee for the Masterton Trophy this past season, as he worked his way back from a horrific injury while playing for the Minnesota Wild in early 2008.  Last year in his first full season back and playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning, Foster was the best Bolts defenseman, leading the Lightning D-men in goals (8) and setting a career-high for assists (34) and points (42).

Leave the defense “as is” and go after one of the high-priced netminders

Holmgren could just re-sign Coburn and Krajicek, and then set his sights on Nabokov or Turco.

The problem with this scenario is that much of the hopes will be thrown onto one player in net, and it also sets up the top two blue line pairings for nearly 30 minutes of ice time per game.

Holmgren was not happy that Pronger played so much, especially during regular season contests midway through the season.  But in Laviolette’s defense, the Flyers had dropped to 14th place in the East and risked the prospect of missing out on the postseason altogether.

With the first route explored, the 35-year-old Pronger and Timonen could tire, especially in the playoffs.  Any scenario that saves wear and tear on their best rearguards bodies would be preferred.

And add in the fact that this option also sets up for monumental failure and disappointment if that one player that you put your hopes in suffers a long-term injury.  You will know exactly what I’m talking about if you look back at the Flyers’ injury situation between the pipes last year.

As improbable as it is that it would happen again, stranger things have happened.

And so begins the free agent frenzy at noon today.  It remains to be seen which direction Holmgren will take as he sits at the fork in the road between spending a large portion of his remaining cap money on defense or a goaltender.

But then again he probably considers this situation as a luxury, since he hasn’t had any cap space with which to deal with for a couple of seasons.

Here’s to hoping that you spend wisely, Paul.

David Strehle
NHLHS Flyers Correspondent / NHL Writer
dstrehle@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @PhilaDAVEia

Tied with the Boston Bruins as the thirteenth  oldest NHL team, the Phoenix Coyotes utilized their age this season.

Largely seen as a disastrous franchise headed out of Phoenix, the Coyotes hired a new coach this season to change the direction of the team.

Dave Tippett did just that. He changed Phoenix into a team that finished fourth in the Western Conference and made the playoffs for the first time since 2002.

Yet, the Coyotes’ success came from a new roster tune-up that Tippett instilled. Instead of a very young team like last season, these Coyotes have ages all over the board.

The oldest, Mathieu Schneider became a Coyote at the trade deadline. In eight games with Phoenix, however, Schneider registered four assists.

The second oldest player, Robert Lang, began the season with Phoenix. In 64 games, Lang only recorded nine goals and 20 assists. However, before Schneider became a Coyote, the Coyotes utilized Lang’s experience and wisdom.

In fact, Lang’s experienced helped younger players, but Shane Doan’s calming sense largely benfitted the younger players. Skaters like Martin Hanzal, Lauri Korpikoski, and Scottie Upshall experienced some up and down moments during the year, but Doan always helped them settled back down into their groove.

When Upshall went down to injury, the Coyotes suffered a huge setback. Suddenly their leading scorer would no longer play until the next season. The worries swirled around the hockey world that the Coyotes would not manage to bounce back from their forward crashing.

Yet, the Coyotes rallied. As they did throughout the year, the Coyotes became a score-by-committee team. If one hot player fizzled, then another play would step up for the time being. Then another one would take over.

Doan became one of those players. At the start of the year, he looked like a brand new player, a reliable one. Then, he went on a 23-game goal drought. He put up assists during that time, but never a goal.

During that time though, the Coyotes continued winning because other players took over (largely Wojtek Wolski and Lee Stempniak).

Despite their great start, the Coyotes became very busy at the trade deadline. Arguably the most successful team on trade day, the Coyotes acquired Wolski and Stempniak in separate trades.

Since joining the Coyotes, Wolski scored six goals and 12 assists (regular season) and two goals and one assist in the playoffs (thus far). However, Stempniak’s time in Phoenix amazed nearly everyone.

After having a disappointing season in Toronto last year and this year, Stempniak became a Coyote. He quickly made his presence known by scoring 14 goals and four assists in 18 games.

In the first two playoff games (first two of his career), Stempniak failed to register a point. Nevertheless, his time will come again.

However, the Coyotes did have successful forwards before the trade deadline. Radim Vrbata played for the Coyotes in 2007-2008 and put up his best career points. He left the following season briefly for Tampa Bay, before he joined a team in Europe.

Vrbata returned to Phoenix this time and recorded similar numbers to his previous year in Phoenix.

However, the two biggest stories in Phoenix became the career years of defenseman Keith Yandle and goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov.

Yandle became the Coyotes’ go-to guy in any situation. After largely depending on Zbynek Michalek and Ed Jovanovski for so many years, the Coyotes welcomed a new talent.

At only 23 years of age, Yandle played in his first full NHL season this year. He notched 12 goals and 29 assists (both career numbers).

Then comes Bryzgalov. As a 29 year old, Bryzgalov played in 69 games, four more than he ever played before.

His success became outstanding though. He won 42 games, lost 20 in regulation, and lost six in overtime. He also finished with eight shutouts on the year.

Many speculate Bryzgalov deserves the Vezina trophy and the Hart trophy. Whether or not he does deserve them does not translate into him winning.

With the Coyotes, not one player sticks out as the main reason behind their success. This year, the Coyotes clicked. They had the chemistry necessary, the skill, and the heart.

Phoenix really did become a team this year. Even the fans rallied behind the Coyotes, helping them to stay in Arizona.

After a terribly stressful off-season of turmoil and wonder, the Coyotes proved to Arizona that they can succeed, and can win.

Katlyn Gambill
NHLHS Feature Writer
kgambill@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @freezethepuck

After a hectic and worrisome summer, the Phoenix Coyotes came into the 2009-2010 season completely revamped.  With a new coach, Dave Tippett, and a new owner, the Coyotes have remodeled their roster, acquiring fourteen of its 25 players in the year 2009.

The new roster has proven to be a successful change, as the Coyotes with 45 games played sit fourth in the Western Conference with 26 wins, and 56 points. They are on pace to shatter the Phoenix Coyotes franchise record, of 95 points (achieved in the 2001-2002 season)*, with a total of 106 points. If the Coyotes want to establish the Coyotes fan support in Arizona, they will need to make the playoffs—and ideally, win the first round. Through half the season, the Coyotes have proven they are a new, rejuvenated team (average age of team is 27.8 years) that can win.

Though attendance has not been outstanding this season at Jobing.com Arena, the Coyotes have posted a great home record (16-6-1), and fared decently on the road (10-8-3). Hopefully the days of 5,000 fans in attendance are gone, as they will need the support to continue winning.

Though the Coyotes dropped their home opener to the Columbus Blue Jackets (2-0), bringing back the White-Out showed how great the momentum and energy can feel when the Coyotes play in front of a nearly sell-out crowd.

The recently larger crowds however are not the only reason behind their success.

Tippett, an ex-Dallas Stars head coach, brought a new look to the way the Coyotes play hockey. Wayne Gretzky, though an amazing player, was not the man to help the Coyotes make the playoffs. In Gretzky’s four years coaching since the lockout, the Coyotes finished 12^th, 15^th, 12^th, and 13^th in the Western Conference.

Their highest point totals reached 83 points in 2007-2008, but Gretzky was never able to bump the Coyotes into the playoffs. Tippett brings a defensive game to the Coyotes, backed by strong goaltending. He has proven thus far that his defense-first, offense-second strategy has been successful. The goaltending of Ilya Bryzgalov and Jason LaBarbera help Tippett’s defensive team philosophy, while the offense has not slowed down.

The Coyotes claimed Bryzgalov, a goaltender who previously won a Cup with the Anaheim Ducks, off waivers in 2007. He instantly succeeded with the Coyotes, playing in 55 games (and winning 26) in his first season.

This year is proving to be an even better season for Russian. He has 23 wins in 38 games with five of those coming by  shutouts, typing him for first in the league for with Martin Brodeur and Ryan Miller. His goals against average, 2.08, has him in third out of forty-seven goaltenders. Goaltending has been one of the biggest issues for the Coyotes over the years, but Bryzgalov looks to change that.

Recently Shane Doan played in his 1000^th NHL game, all with the Winnipeg Jets/Phoenix Coyotes franchise. The youth of the team has rejuvenated the thirty-three year old, and his leadership ability has soared. His experience speaks for itself, his point totals haven’t been outstanding in the past, but he has become the reliable, clutch player the Coyotes were hoping he would develop into when they drafted him in 1995.

The veteran sits currently tied with Scottie Upshall with 3 game winning goals. After posting a career high in goals last season (31 goals), it looks like Doan will finish with less goals than that, but fortunately, the Coyotes are no longer relying solely on him for production.

In March of 2009, the team traded Daniel Carcillo to Philadelphia for Upshall and a 2011 draft pick. Carcillo was a fan-favorite in Phoenix for his grit, energy, and dedication he gave to the franchise. The trade seemed ridiculous to both fan bases in Philadelphia and Phoenix; neither have played in a full NHL season as of now, but Upshall had never scored more than 14 goals in a year (in 61 games), whereas Carcillo, an enforcer, had scored 13 goals in 57 games in 2007-2008.

Nevertheless, the trade has proven to be a smart move for the Coyotes. Having played in 41 games this season, Upshall has already tied his career-high in goals, and is six points behind his career-high of 30. He is having a career year and seems to be finally playing to his ability under Tippett**. At only26-years-old, Upshall should have many great seasons left in him, however the left wing will be a restricted free agent at the end of the season.

Another addition in the past year, Matthew Lombardi, has been producing and adding another punch to the offense. He is on pace to finish six goals short of his career high, but his total point total (26 at the half-way point) is on track to become a new career high. Lombardi is an unrestricted free agent next season however, and the Coyotes must look to resign him.

Injuries:

Fortunately for the Coyotes, they have not been hurt by too many injuries this season. Some big name players have been injured this season, but not for long periods of time (Petr Prucha and Ed Jovanovski each missed 4 games). Avoiding injury has been helpful in the Coyotes’ quest for a playoff berth, and remaining healthy will be essential to continue with their current pace.

Olympics:

The Coyotes will have three players — Sami Lepisto, Zbynek Michalek and Bryzgalov — participate in the Olympics in February. Though these men are lucky to compete for their country, the Coyotes left off their respective country’s rosters will have a chance to recuperate, heal any nagging injuries, and relax in the middle of the season.

The first few games after the break will be critical in how each team finishes at the end of the season, but the smaller number of representatives may help the Coyotes in the end. Only three teams have less members participating in the Winter Olympics, and this may prove to be the advantage the Coyotes need.

Free Agents:

Ten players will be free agents after this season, and the Coyotes will look to resign as many as possible. Unrestricted free agents include: Lombardi, Robert Lang, Adrian Aucoin, Michalek, and restricted free agents include: Peter Mueller, Upshall, Martin Hanzal, Daniel Winnik, Paul Bissonnette, and Lepisto.

Michalek appears to be a player that will need to be signed first. He is one of the two alternate captains, one of the top two defenseman (Jovanovski the other).  In 378 games with the Coyotes he produced 26 goals and 81 assists for a total of 107 points. His experience, defensive-ability, leadership, and production cannot be replaced for less money, but his resigning may cost the Coyotes other players. On offense the biggest resigning will be Upshall, who has proven himself to be a successful Coyote. Mueller and Hanzal, both drafted by the Coyotes, have been successful in the past, but seem to be still adjusting to a new system, though the Coyotes should try to resign these two young players if possible.

Playoffs and Future:

If the Coyotes do make the playoffs, their experience may hinder them from going all the way. Between the 45 players (on the Coyotes’ roster with more than five games played this season) only 462 playoff games have been played, however fifteen have some playoff experience.

The Chicago Blackhawks proved last year playoff experience isn’t always necessary as they had 309 combined playoff games, and only ten players had previous playoff experience before making it the Western Conference Finals. The Coyotes must follow in the Hawks’ footsteps.

Ice Edge, a Canadian group that has signed a letter of intent to buy the Coyotes from the NHL, stated they are willing to keep the Coyotes in Glendale, Arizona for the long haul, but success is the only factor that will put fans in seats. Without a playoff win this year, the Coyotes may be looking at another tough attendance season next year.

Katlyn Gambill
NHLHS Writer
kgambill@nhlhotstove.com

*Winnipeg Jets finished with 96 points in the 1984-1985 season.
**On January 7, 2010, Scottie Upshall was placed on Injured Reserve.

The title says it all.  This article will be no more than a comprehensive list of NHL (and some other players owned by NHL teams) players set to participate in the 2010 Winter Olympics.

For the sake of clarity we have sorted players by team.  Minor league players in red, injured players in blue.

Anaheim Ducks (8) – Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, Scott Niedermayer, Teemu Selanne, Saku Koivu, Jonas Hiller, Bobby Ryan, Luca Sbisa

Atlanta Thrashers (5) – Ilya Kovalchuk, Maxim Afinogenov, Ondrej Pavelec, Pavel Kubina, Tobias Enstrom

Boston Bruins (6) – Patrice Bergeron, Marco Sturm, Tim Thomas, David Krejci, Zdeno Chara, Miroslav Satan

Buffalo Sabres (4) – Toni Lydman, Ryan Miller, Henrik Tallinder, Andrej Sekera

Calgary Flames (3) – Jarome Iginla, Miikka Kiprusoff, Olli Jokinen

Carolina Hurricanes (3) – Eric Staal, Joni Pitkanen, Tuomo Ruutu

Chicago Blackhawks (6) – Brent Seabrook, Duncan Keith, Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa, Tomas Kopecky

Colorado Avalanche (3) – Paul Stastny, Peter Budaj, Ruslan Salei

Columbus Blue Jackets (6) – Rick Nash, Jan Hejda, Samuel Pahlsson, Fredrik Modin, Milan Jurcina, Fedor Tyutin

Dallas Stars (4) – Brenden Morrow, Jere Lehtinen, Loui Eriksson, Karlis Skrastins

Detroit Red Wings (7) – Valtteri Filppula, Brian Rafalski, Niklas Kronwall, Nicklas Lidstrom,  Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk, Tomas Holmstrom

Edmonton Oilers (2) - Lubomir Visnovsky, Denis Grebeshkov

Florida Panthers (2) -  Dennis Seidenberg, Tomas Vokoun

Los Angeles Kings (5) – Drew Doughty, Jack Johnson, Jon Quick, Dustin Brown, Michal Handzus

Minnesota Wild (5) – Niklas Backstrom, Mikko Koivu, Antti Miettinen, Marek Zidlicky, Martin Havlat

Montreal Canadiens (6) – Tomas Plekanec, Yannick Weber, Jaroslav Halak, Andrei Markov, Sergei Kostitsyn, Andrei Kostitsyn

Nashville Predators (6) – Alexander Sulzer, Shea Weber, Marcel Goc, Ryan Suter, Martin Erat, Patric Hornqvist

New Jersey Devils (6) – Martin Brodeur, Paul Martin, Zach Parise, Jamie Langenbrunner, Patrik Elias, Johnny Oduya

New York Islanders (1) – Mark Streit

New York Rangers (5) – Ryan Callahan, Chris Drury, Henrik Lundqvist, Andres Ambuhl, Marian Gaborik

Philadelphia Flyers (5) – Chris Pronger, Mike Richards, Kimmo Timonen, Oskars Bartulis, Ole-Kristian Tollefsen

Pittsburgh Penguins (5) – Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Marc Andre Fleury, Sergei Gonchar, Brooks Orpik

Phoenix Coyotes (3) – Sami Lepisto, Zbynek Michalek, Ilya Bryzgalov

Ottawa Senators (6) – Jarkko Ruutu, Filip Kuba, Milan Michalek, Daniel Alfredsson, Kaspars Daugavins, Anton Volchenkov

San Jose Sharks (8) – Dan Boyle, Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, Dany Heatley, Douglas Murray, Thomas Greiss, Joe Pavelski, Evgeni Nabokov

St. Louis Blues (3) – Eric Johnson, David Backes, Roman Polak

Tampa Bay Lightning (5) – Antero Niittymaki, Ryan Malone, Mattias Ohlund, Martins Karsums, Andrej Meszaros

Toronto Maple Leafs (6) – Jonas Gustavsson, Mikhail Grabovski, Phil Kessel, Tomas Kaberle, Mike Komisarek, Niklas Hagman

Vancouver Canucks (7) -  Roberto Luongo, Sami Salo, Christian Ehrhoff, Pavol Demitra, Ryan Kesler, Henrik Sedin, Daniel Sedin

Washington Capitals (4) Tomas Fleischmann, Nicklas Backstrom, Semyon Varlamov, Alexander Ovechkin

-Alexander Monaghan
NHLHS Founder
amonaghan@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @NHLHotStove