The best of the Northeast, the Boston Bruins, have been backed by the stellar play of goaltender Tim Thomas. After an erratic season in 2009-10 that saw him lose the starting job to rookie Tuukka Rask, Thomas came into training camp ready to claim back the crease. Thomas is currently 26-6-6 with a 1.81 GAA and a .940 Sv%. He leads the NHL in both GAA and Sv%, which proves how important he is to the team. Offensively, the Bruins are led by a plethora of forwards having career years. Versatile centers Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci, power forward Milan Lucic and the ageless wonder Mark Recchi currently are at the forefront of the B's attack. They are aided by off-season acquisition Nathan Horton, sniper Michael Ryder and rookie Brad Marchand. The second overall pick of the 2010 entry draft Tyler Seguin has seen his ups and downs, yet is being eased into the lineup instead of forcing him to perform. This method worked wonders for All-World talent Steven Stamkos, and it is becoming more commonplace in NHL organizations. Marc Savard has officially been shut down for the season due to his second major concussion in two years, and his future is in doubt. Hopefully he can fully recover in time for training camp next year, as he is one of the premier centers in the NHL. On the back end, Zdeno Chara headlines the defensemen, supported by veterans Andrew Ference and Dennis Seidenberg. Rookies Stephen Kampfer and Adam McQuaid along with youngster Johnny Boychuck round out the group in front of Thomas.
The Bruins are primed to make a deep playoff run behind their impressive goaltending and strong offensive game. They have an incredibly deep forward group, as third-liners Michael Ryder and Blake Wheeler have top-6 talent. They could be interesting trade pieces to get another veteran defenseman into the mix, more specifically a target like the Leafs' Tomas Kaberle. The Bruins have been linked to Kaberle for years, and it seems as though they could put a serious package together for the talented powerplay quarterback. GM Peter Chiarelli could also target a lesser known commodity which would not cost as good of players, prospects or draft picks.
The Montreal Canadiens currently sit in second place in the Northeast Division and hold the sixth seed in the East. They have been carried by the stellar play of goalie Carey Price, the leadership of veterans like Brian Gionta and Tomas Plekanec, and the excellent awareness of their defensemen such as Hal Gill and rookie sensation P.K. Subban. After signing a five-year contract with the Habs, Brian Gionta was named the captain during this past summer. His veteran leadership and 20 goals on the season have aided the Canadiens in working towards a playoff spot. Tomas Plekanec currently leads the team with 45 points, and sniper Michael Cammalleri has 31 points while playing in only 44 of the games so far. Rookie forwards Max Pacioretty and David Desharnais have been offensive spark plugs since being called up, providing offense, creativity and energy in their respective games. Defender P.K. Subban has been known to be a very aggressive player, and is excellent at being an agitator and getting under the opponents' skin. He happens to also be good at scoring, as he has seven goals and 25 points in 50 games from the blueline. With injuries to premier defensemen Andrei Markov and Josh Gorges, Montreal acquired James Wisniewski from the New York Islanders. He has a hard shot and aids on the powerplay. Rookie Yannick Weber has 10 points in 26 games, and is showing the offensive potential he had while performing in the minors. Hal Gill continues to be a rock in the defensive zone, as he has 55 hits and 109 blocked shots on the year so far. Carey Price has reassured Habs fans that he was the right choice after the Canadiens traded playoff hero Jaroslav Halak to the Blues over the summer. Price sports a 26-18-5 record to go along with a 2.43 GAA and a .920 Sv%.
The Canadiens are relying on rookies to aid in their attack, and perennial disappointment Scott Gomez (and his giant contract) is not getting it done as a second line center behind Plekanec. Prospects like Weber, Mathieu Carle, Desharnais and Ryan White could be on the block to upgrade their center depth, as rumors have surfaced throughout the season that the Canadiens want to go after Stephen Weiss and even Brad Richards. The Habs shouldn't have any problems making the playoffs, yet I do not expect them to have another magnificent run like last year.
The Buffalo Sabres are in the middle of the pack in both the Eastern Conference and the Northeast Division. Without point-per-game player Derek Roy (35 points in 35 games before a season-ending injury), the Sabres have had to rely on players such as Thomas Vanek and Drew Stafford playing up to their full potential. Ever since signing an offer sheet and the Sabres matching it to keep him, Vanek has not looked like the superstar that he was in 2006-07. He had 84 points that year, and is finally starting to put his elite skills to their intended use again this year. Through 52 games, Vanek leads the Sabres in goals (21), assists (26) and points (47). After him, the scoring is very thin as no other player has passed Derek Roy's mark. Rookie Tyler Ennis has shown flashes of brilliance, and Drew Stafford is finally starting to realize his potential as a scorer with 20 goals already on the season. What makes that even more impressive is that he has only played in 34 games. Jason Pominville has missed some time this season, but along with the oft-injured Tim Connolly and Jochen Hecht, has provided secondary scoring for the squad that so desperately needs it. On the blueline, it seemed that Tyler Myers had taken a step back when he struggled out of the gate. Now, he has seemed to gain some of the poise he lost over the summer after winning the Calder Trophy as the best rookie. He sits with six goals and 22 points overall on the season. Jordan Leopold is having the best offensive season of his career and is only two points behind his career high with 30 games left to go. Steve Montador and Shaone Morrison have provided defensive stability for the Sabres who need to be excellent in their own zone with the struggling offense. Ryan Miller continues to take the brunt of the starts in Buffalo, as he has started in 43 games so far this season. He is 23-15-4 and has a .910 Sv% and a 2.70 GAA.
The Sabres are four points out of a playoff spot, but do not seem to be in any position to contend for the final spot against such teams as the Hurricanes, Thrashers or Rangers. If they choose to be buyers and go for a playoff spot, they will need to add scoring depth up front. A team that cannot score will not be successful in the post-season, and the Sabres have had trouble scoring since the departures of Chris Drury and Daniel Briere. If the Sabres brass decides to do some selling as well, they can dangle defensive veterans Craig Rivet (their captain) and Steve Montador, as both are on expiring contracts and offer a boost to any team's defense. Unless the Sabres plan to rebuild, they do not have many other players to offer. Tim Connolly may draw interest from teams looking for help at center, but his lack of durability will hinder any value he may have. The Sabres are a fringe team, and could benefit from selling instead of going for the playoffs.
Toronto currently sits eight points out of a playoff spot, and GM Brian Burke has already started moving veteran players in an attempt to rebuild the core of this team. Yesterday, Burke traded Francois Beauchemin to Anaheim for forward Joffrey Lupul and prospect Jake Gardiner. The team has had surprising offensive contributions from the line of Mikhail Grabovski, Clarke MacArthur and Nikolai Kulemin. Grabovski leads the team with 22 goals, and also has 19 assists and a +7 rating. Clarke MacArthur leads the team in points with 44, while Kulemin has 20 goals and 40 points. Phil Kessel has been a disappointment in his first healthy season in Toronto, as he currently has 19 goals, 35 points and has a -19 rating which is second lowest on the team to Tyler Bozak. Speaking of Bozak, he has been another disappointment after he had the potential to be the first line center for the team. He has 20 points in 54 games with underwhelming play. Tomas Kaberle has had a good season offensively from the blueline, as his 33 assists lead the team. Young defenseman Luke Schenn has been good on the defensive side of the game with 164 hits and 108 blocks. Captain Dion Phaneuf has had yet another disappointing offensive season, as he only has two goals and 13 points. Rookie netminder James Reimer has taken the reigns in net over the last month, with a 6-4 record, .930 Sv% and a 2.44 GAA. Veteran J.S. Giguere has been mediocre, only playing in 26 games. Jonas Gustavsson has not been good, as he sports a 6-13-2 record and is currently on a conditioning stint in the AHL.
The Maple Leafs are most definitely sellers at the deadline, having already traded veteran defenseman Beauchemin. Kaberle looks to be a sure bet to be traded even with his no trade clause, as he is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. Kris Versteeg has been rumored to be part of several deals, most recently to Atlanta. He is a top-6 forward that is no longer needed in Toronto with Joffrey Lupul in the mix. If a team needs goaltending, not many available have a better pedigree than J.S. Giguere. He has won the Playoff MVP trophy against the Devils, and also won a Stanley Cup with Anaheim in 2006-07. Jonas Gustavsson is also a candidate to be traded, as he is young and has lots of potential as an NHL starter. A team such as the Devils could grab him up in case Brodeur's injuries continue. New Jersey also does not have a starter being prepped for when Brodeur retires, and could suffer from weak goaltending for the first time since the early 90s. Brian Burke will be looking for picks and prospects in exchange for his players, as he does not currently have a 1st round pick in this year's draft.
The Ottawa Senators have had a dismal season, to say the least. With an Islanders' win tonight against the Canadiens, the Sens are currently last in the East and are the second-worst team in the NHL to the Edmonton Oilers. Between the offense and the goaltending, the Senators have struggled in many aspects of the game. Owner Eugene Melnyk has already announced to the media that coach Cory Clouston and GM Bryan Murray will not be in their respective positions after this season. It is expected that Clouston will be fired and Murray will be moved to an advisory role. The troubles start in net with the Sens, as Pascal Leclaire has faced injuries yet again and Brian Elliot has been shaky at best. Elliot is 12-19-7 with a 3.21 GAA and a .890 Sv%, while in limited action (14 games) Leclaire has posted a record of 4-7-1 with a .910 Sv% and a 2.83 GAA. The future in net, Robin Lehner, has somewhat been thrown into the fire due to Elliot's shortcomings. Lehner has started four NHL games, and has looked good with a weak team in front of him. Protecting the net, the Sens have had a rough time. Erik Karlsson, Chris Phillips, Sergei Gonchar and Chris Campoli headline the back-end for the Sens, and have not played well enough to help their goaltenders out. Gonchar was signed to a big contract over the summer and was expected to mentor the young Karlsson, yet it seems as though the younger player has performed better. Karlsson is second on the team in points with 30, and was the lone All-Star representative. On the other end, Gonchar has only 22 points though at least 17 have been on the powerplay. Up front, Jason Spezza and Daniel Alfredsson are the main men for Ottawa. Both have (or currently are in Alfredsson's case) missed time with injuries. Alex Kovalev, Milan Michalek, Chris Kelly and Nick Foligno have provided secondary scoring up front, if one can even call it that.
The Senators started selling early this year, and just this morning Mike Fisher was traded to the Nashville Predators for a 2011 1st round pick and a conditional 2012 2nd rounder. That is very good return for a player who has only scored 24 points this season. There are many other players on the block and one may be safely assume that the only truly untouchable player on the team is Karlsson. UFAs-to-be Alex Kovalev and Chris Phillips are sure to be on their way out, and the same could be said of pest Jarkko Ruutu. Gonchar could also be traded, and Jason Spezza could fetch a very large return. GM Murray will be sure to make the most of the deadline, as he has started the rebuild that Ottawa so badly needs.
The Northeast is definitely all over the place in terms of the level of immediate success for the teams. Boston and Montreal will make the playoffs, while the Sabres and Maple Leafs will finish outside of the playoffs yet not in the cellar of the conference. Ottawa will blow things up in an attempt to jumpstart a rebuild that has been years coming. It should be interesting to see which players are brought in, as there are certainly many to be sent out. Comments? Questions? There's a section below for that! AW over and out.
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