The Hockey News recently published its annual NHL yearbook and as usual one of the notable features is its Top Fifty NHL Players listing for the upcoming season.

Although I’m now a free-lance contributor to THN.com that won’t prevent me from critiquing this list, and no, this isn’t a free plug for The Hockey News on my part as I reviewed their rankings last summer prior to contributing to their site.

Anyway, here’s how THN ranked their top fifty players for the upcoming season:

1.       Sidney Crosby
2. Alex Ovechkin
3. Henrik Zetterburg
4. Pavel Datsyuk
5. Vincent Lecavalier
6. Niklas Lidstrom
7. Roberto Luongo
8. Jarome Iginla
9. Evgeni Malkin
10. Dany Heatley
11. Chris Pronger
12. Daniel Alfredsson
13. Marian Gaborik
14. Henrik Lundqvist
15. Brendan Morrow
16. Evgeni Nabokov
17. Marian Hossa
18. Ilya Kovalchuk
19. Eric Staal
20. Zdeno Chara
21. Joe Thornton
22. Dion Phaneuf
23. Martin Brodeur
24. J-S Giguere
25. Martin St-Louis
26. Scott Niedermayer
27. Brian Rafalski
28. Sergei Gonchar
29. Marty Turco
30. Ryan Getzlaf
31. Andrei Markov
32. Zach Parise
33. Ales Hemsky
34. Jason Spezza
35. Vesa Toskola
36. Rick Nash
37. Joe Sakic
38. Scott Gomez
39. Ryan Miller
40. Jonathan Toews
41. Daniel Sedin
42. Daniel Briere
43. Anze Kopitar
44. Miika Kiprusoff
45. Paul Statsny
46. Shane Doan
47. Derek Roy
48. Mark Savard
49. Mike Richards
50. Patrick Kane

If we’re going by last season’s performance I’d rank Ovechkin over Crosby but they’re definitely 1-2 in my estimation and the case can be made for either to be ranked as the league’s top player.

Lidstrom should’ve been ranked higher, perhaps 3rd or 4th, but he’s definitely the league’s best defenseman.  

As for Luongo, he’s a great goaltender and perhaps will justify that higher ranking this season but I’d swap Brodeur for Luongo if we’re basing this on last season’s performance. I know Brodeur’s getting older and he’s fast approaching his best before date but until he does in my opinion he’s still the league’s best goaltender.  Nabokov, Luongo and Lundqvist are nipping at his heels though.

I would also rank Malkin higher than Iglinla and Lecavalier, ranking him no lower than 6th.

Pronger’s ranking will likely draw some criticism given his penchant for dirty play but he’s still among the game’s elite defensemen and every team (yes, even the Oilers) would love to have him on their roster.

Morrow deserves to be on this list but I wouldn’t rank him above Kovalchuk, Staal, Thornton, Brodeur and Nash and consider him ranked far too high.

Speaking of Kovalchuk, it’s good to see him finally getting his due from THN as his ranking last season (48th) was in my opinion an insult.

And why is Thornton, who was again among the league’s leading scorers, not in the top ten? Or even the top 15? Sorry, but this is far too low for a player of his caliber. Sure, the case can be made that he struggles in the playoffs, but there’s no denying his obvious talent and skills. I certainly wouldn’t rate Alfredsson, Heatley, Kovalchuk, Morrow, Gaborik, Hossa, Staal and Chara above Thornton.

Lundqvist is a terrific goalie but I don’t believe he ranks higher than Nabokov. If it were up to me, I’d rank Brodeur, Nabokov and Luongo over Lundqvist.

I also disagree with Phaneuf dropping in the rankings compared to last season and I’d give him a slight edge over Chara in ranking defensemen.

Niedermayer missed most of the first half of last season before deciding to return to action and that cost him in the rankings. Had he played a full season his ranking likely would’ve been higher.

And Toskala ranked higher than Nash, Sakic, Gomez, Toews, Kopitar, Richards and Kane?  Gimme a break!  In fact, why is Toskala even on this list? Mats Sundin or Tomas Kaberle would’ve been better choices if one is seeking decent Leafs (or former Leafs) to be on this list.

I would also rank Richards higher than where he placed (probably about ten spots higher), but there’s no question he deserves to be on this list and his stock will continue to rise.

As for the rest of this listing, I really don't have much of a quibble over where most were ranked. Some could probably be moved up or down a spot or two but for the most part I have no real argument over the rest of these rankings.

That’s my two cents, folks.  Let me hear yours in the comments, and remember, this is THN’s listing, not mine, so don’t complain to me about where they placed these players as I had no input in this.

Nearly two weeks into the NHL’s UFA pool and the depth is getting shallower.

The biggest free agent signing of note over the past several days was that of former Chicago Blackhawks forward Jason Williams, who after several days of speculation out of Ottawa had him signing with the Senators (“Done Deal” according to some internet sites) would up inking a one-year, $2.2 million contract with the Atlanta Thrashers.

Williams, 27, is coming off an injury-shortened season which saw him net 13 goals and 36 points in 43 games (four of those goals game-winners), leading the Blackhawks in power-play ice time until a sports hernia sidelined him for 35 games.

This is a good signing for a Thrashers team thin on offense heading into next season. He can play center or right wing and it’s possible he might be placed on the same line as star left wing Ilya Kovalchuk, especially on the powerplay.

In a move suggesting a trade is in the offing the Anaheim Ducks signed former Florida Panthers defenseman Steve Montador to a one-year, $800K contract.

Montador, 28, had a career year with the Panthers last season, with 23 points in 73 games and plus-minus of +1.

The Ducks are expected to dump some salary to free up valuable cap space before the start of next season with Mathieu Schneider and his $5.75 million contract for next season considered the likely candidate and Montador filling his spot on the Ducks blueline.

Tampa Bay Lightning ownership continue to load up at forward, re-signing veteran center Chris Gratton to  a one-year contract.

With seventeen forwards currently on the roster (including 2008 first overall pick Steve Stamkos) it believed the Bolts will soon shop one or two forwards for some much needed veteran depth on their blueline.

Frequently suggested trade candidates include Jussi Jokinen and Michel Ouellet.

The Toronto Maple Leafs addressed a need for more toughness, acquiring checker Ryan Hollweg from the NY Rangers for a fifth rounder in 2009.

Hollweg’s aggressive style should make him a good fit on the Leafs fourth line.

As expected former Vancouver Canucks forward Brendan Morrison was signed on Monday, and stayed on the West Coast, joining the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.

Terms have yet to be disclosed but it’s reportedly either a one or two year contract.

It’ll be interesting to see what Morrison’s new contract will be, given the Ducks are currently sitting around $54 million in cap space.

Of course the Ducks coud get some additional cap relief if as rumored they end up peddling Mathieu Schneider’s $5.75 million contract for next season.

Morrison’s performance has been hampered by injury over the past three seasons, two of which he played through nagging pain which clearly affected his play. If he can stay healthy this season however he could be good for 55-60 points this season and provide valuable offensive depth to a Ducks club lacking scoring punch last season.

The Tampa Bay Lightning meanwhile continued to add to their forward depth by signing veteran forward Mark Recchi to a one-year, $1.25 million contract.

For those wondering why the Bolts are loading up at forward at the expense of their defense, it’s believed they’re planning to shop a forward (possibly Jussi Jokinen or Michel Ouellet) for a defenseman.

Recchi had a rough start to last season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, netting only 8 points in 19 games and becoming a healthy scratch, but rallied after being dealt to the Atlanta Thrashers with 40 points in 53 games.

If Recchi can manage that same pace for a full season with the Bolts he could be a good, affordable addition.

The Atlanta Thrashers lost out in the bidding war for Brian Campbell but managed to find a good puckmoving defenseman on the second day of the NHL’s UFA market, signing Ron Hainsey to a five-year, $22.5 million contract.

Hainsey will earn $4.5 million per season over the next five years against the Thrashers cap, a considerable raise over the $900K he earned last season with the Columbus Blue Jackets and about $1 million more than he was anticipated to make in this year’s UFA market.

It was a move GM Don Waddell desperately needed to make after having deal away promising Braydon Coburn in February 2007 for a fading Alexei Zhitnik whom in turn Waddell recently bought out of the remainder of his contrat.

The Thrashers have lacked a blueliner to anchor their powerplay and jump-start their offensive game for some time and Hainsey should be capable of filling that role and play big minutes on the Atlanta blueline.

He really thrived over the past two seasons in Columbus for head coach Ken Hitchcock and the skills he learned there should make him a worthwhile addition in Atlanta.

Six years ago Bobby Holik left the New Jersey Devils to sign with the New York Rangers, the Devils arch-rivals.

Today, he’s returned to the Devils, signing a one-year, $2.5 million contract.

It’s like old home week in New Jersey what with the Devils earlier signing today of Brian Rolston.

Unlike Rolston Holik is no longer at the top of his game, never scoring more than 34 points per season in each of the last three, all spent with the Atlanta Thrashers.

At this point in his career the 38-year-old Holik is a third line checking center but he provide welcome depth at that position for a Devils team considered thin down the middle.

The Nashville Predators made their second significant re-signing of the off-season on June 16th while the Atlanta Thrashers made their first.

The Preds announced the re-signing of defenseman Ryan Suter to a four-year, $14 million contract whilst the Thrashers re-signed veteran backup goaltender Johan Hedberg to a two year deal.

Financial terms weren’t immediately available on Hedberg’s new contract but he said it was for "about the same" as the $1.15 million he made last season. As for Suter his new contract will count as $3.5 million per season against the Predators cap.

It’s not surprising the Predators retained 23-year-old Suter, whom they drafted seventh overall in the 2003 entry draft.

He’s gone on to become an integral part of the Predators defense corps in his first three NHL seasons, making steady improvement with each passing year and earning more ice time and responsibility as he does.

It was rumored that Suter, who was due to become a restricted free agent on July 1st, might become a target for an offer sheet this summer but Predators GM David Poile made it clear months ago that the young blueliner would be off the market by then.

The only bad sign in all this for Predators fans is this deal will take Suter up to age 27, when he’ll be eligible for unrestricted free agent status, and should he continue his development Suter could by that point be among the league’s top defensemen.

In which case, the Predators, a perennially budget-conscious franchise, might not be able to afford to retain him come 2012, unless the NHL can somehow negotiate another CBA that attempts yet again to corral rising salaries or improves the revenue sharing system to allow struggling clubs like the Predators to retain their best players.

For the immediate future Suter will be staying with the Predators, and Poile will turn his efforts now to re-signing RFA blueliner Shea Weber and UFA goaltender Dan Ellis.

Hedberg’s re-signing could be considered as the Thrashers making a save choice by sticking with the reliable backup to starter Kari Lehtonen.

Over the past two seasons the popular Hedberg has come through when called upon by the Thrashers whenever the injury-plagued Letonen has been sidelined or in need of a rest.

His stats for last season (14-15-3,3.46 GAA and .892 SP) aren’t particularly impressive until one remembers that the Thrashers team defense was among the worst in the league last season and on many nights their goaltenders, who combined faced nearly 2800 shots, were left to fend for themselves.

That Hedberg managed to win almost half of his games last season behind that porous defense is a noteworthy accomplishment.

It also suggests that management aren’t ready yet to elevate Ondrej Pavelec, who went 3-3-0 with a 3.11 GAA and a .905 save percentage in 7 games last season with the Thrashers.

Pavelec did have a strong performance this season with the Thrashers’ AHL affiliate in Chicago, where in his rookie professional season he backstopped the Wolves to the 2008 Calder Cup championship.

The young Czech netminder is only one year removed from Junior A hockey so management may be leery of rushing him too quickly, thus necessitating the need to keep Hedberg in the fold.

In a recent Foxsports.com column I wrote about what Atlanta Thrashers general manager Don Waddell needs to address this summer in order to return his club to playoff contention next season.

The Thrashers suffered a disappointing follow-up season to last year’s first-ever playoff appearance in franchise history, falling out of the playoff race after trading Marian Hossa in late February.

I suggested that Waddell’s job could be in jeopardy by this time next season if the team fails to improve, but it could have potentially more serious consequences than that.

Franchise player Ilya Kovalchuk is currently signed through to the end of the 2009-10 season, but if the Thrashers have any hopes of retaining him beyond then, they must make significant improvement next season.

Kovalchuk recently netted his 50th goal of the season, the second time in his career he’s done this, as well as making him only the second player this season to do so. Unfortunately this scarcely raised much attention with the hockey media more focused on playoff bound teams and the performances of Kovalchuk’s dazzling younger countrymen, Washington’s Alexander Ovechkin and Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin.

Kovalchuk has had difficulty garnering the respect of the hockey media in recent years. Last summer, despite a 42-goal performance, The Hockey News’ 2007-08 Yearbook ranked him 48 in their Top 50 Players heading into this season.

“There is no denying this guy’s offensive prowess”, the article said. “But he remains a one-dimensional player who has been unable to lead his team”.

That criticism seems unfairly harsh, given the lack of defensive depth on last season’s Thrashers, the lack of depth on Kovalchuk’s line and whispers of his clashing with former head coach Bob Hartley.

The magazine rated Kovalchuk lower than aging stars like Brendan Shanahan, Ryan Smyth and Dominik Hasek. It ranked him lower than players who’d slumped last season, like Scott Gomez, Zdeno Chara,  Rick Nash, Jonathan Cheechoo, Eric Staal, and Patrik Elias.

It questioned his leadership when ranking Tomas Kaberle and Simon Gagne above him, both of whom he out-performed last season and whose abilities did little to get their respective teams into last year’s playoffs.

This season, on a clearly worse team, with teammates Marian Hossa and Slava Kozlov having poor performances compared to last season, Kovalchuk is on pace for the best goal-scoring performance of his career and second-best single season point total.

On a better team, Kovalchuk would not only perhaps contend for the Art Ross and Rocket Richard trophies this season, he’d probably garner the respect he deserves.

Instead, critics will again blame him for not carrying a weakened Thrashers team into the playoffs, question his leadership and his overall skills.

Kovalchuk is being well paid by the Thrashers, averaging $6.332 per season and he’ll earned $7.5 million per season over the next two years. He’s holding up his end of the deal, but frustration has to be setting in seeing his team decline only a year after finally making the playoffs.

It has to be frustrating to have his heart, ability and leadership questioned, to have his impressive offensive prowess so blithely dismissed and overlooked.

It has to wound his pride to be singled out for fault when the supporting cast gives him very little to work with, let alone lead.

The Thrashers must make substantial improvement next season, because another season of mediocrity could push Kovalchuk out the door by 2010, if not sooner, as surely as it pushed Hossa away.

In an unexpected turn of events, the Pittsburgh Penguins have acquired Marian Hossa and Pascal Dupuis from the Atlanta Thrashers in exchange for forwards Colby Armstrong, Erik Christensen, prospect Angelo Esposito and a first round pick.

The Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens were believed in the bidding war for Hossa, so this move by the Penguins comes as a huge shock, the biggest of this year’s deadline.

It’s a huge move by the Penguins, who weren’t expected to make any major moves at the deadline, and it’s also a puzzling one.

While there’s no question Hossa adds another big gun to the Penguins offensive arsenal, he’s only expected to be a playoff rental player. The Penguins cannot possibly hope to re-sign him and still have cash available to re-sign rising superstar Evgeni Malkin at the end of next season.

With the Penguins playing so well despite losing Sidney Crosby and Marc-Andre Fleury to injuries, it’s odd as to why GM Ray Shero would make this move. The Penguins have no problem in the scoring department, indeed, with Crosby expected back very soon they’d be getting a significant offfensive boost.

Bringing in Hossa makes no sense other than the Penguins are going for it this season, loading up for a Cup run.

However, by bringing in Hossa, it’s possible Shero may have upset his team’s chemistry. Armstrong was close friends with Crosby and along with Christensen were considered valuable members of the rising young Penguins.

And if the Pens fail to re-sign Hossa after this season, they’ll have parted with significant assets with nothing to show for it this summer.

The Thrashers won’t be able to replace Hossa’s offense this season, but Armstrong and Christensen could become valuable additions both now and for the future, while Esposito has the potential to become a scorer in the NHL with more seasoning.

It’s that time of year again, folks, when the rumor mill goes into overdrive churning out all sorts of speculation as the NHL trade deadline nears.

And as always, a lot of what’s being spewed out is downright wacky.

Montreal trading Michael Ryder to Calgary for Alex Tanguay or to Atlanta for Marian Hossa?

Sure, if one overlooks the fact Tanguay has no desire to waive his “no-trade” clause to play in Montreal and that Thrashers GM Don Waddell isn’t an ####.

The Los Angeles Kings trading Rob Blake to the Anaheim Ducks?

As if Ducks GM Brian Burke’s blueline isn’t deep enough! Besides, Burke’s interest is in bolstering his offence, not adding another big-name defenseman to an already loaded defense corps.

Tampa Bay trading Brad Richards to Chicago for Nikolai Khabibulin?

Look, I know the Bolts desperately need a quality starting goaltender, but Khabibulin isn’t one anymore, and his salary ($6.75 million) is almost as pricey as Richards’ ($7.8 million), and oh yeah, Richards has a “no-trade” clause and no intention of waiving it.

Dallas trading Marty Turco to Tampa Bay for Martin St. Louis?

Which part of “no-trade clause” did you not understand?

The Carolina Hurricanes trading Eric Staal to the Edmonton Oilers?

I didn’t realize Hurricanes GM Jim Rutherford wanted to get out of his contract to sign with the Toronto Maple Leafs that badly.

Maybe these trades happen if you’re in a fantasy league or playing NHL 2K8. They don’t happen in today’s NHL.

Expect more wild and wacky rumors between now and the trade deadline on February 26th, which is now mercifully close meaning we won’t have to hear these nonsensical speculations for much longer!

With the NHL’s trade deadline fast approaching here’s my take on some players thought to be possible trade bait and who might be on the move by February 26th:

Mats Sundin: As long as the Toronto Maple Leafs have a shot at a playoff berth, he won’t waive his “no-trade” clause.

Marian Hossa: The Atlanta Thrashers are trying to re-sign him leading to speculation that if he’s not re-signed by the deadline he’ll be shopped. If the Thrashers are still in the playoff chase I suspect GM Don Waddell won’t move him, but if not, he could indeed hit the trade block.   

Alex Tanguay: His name’s popped up this past week due to media concerns about the Calgary Flames off-season cap issues, but he’s denied seeking a trade or being asked to waive his NTC. I suspect Flames GM Darryl Sutter could retain him for the upcoming playoffs and perhaps consider shopping him in the off-season.

Olli Jokinen: Ever notice that it’s Canadian-based media outlets that often report the Florida Panthers captain could be traded? Ever notice that to date they’ve yet to be right?

Rob Blake: He says he hasn’t agreed to waive his NTC or asked to waive it, but the possibility exists that this LA Kings blueliner could be playing elsewhere by February 26th.

Jaromir Jagr: If the NY Rangers were to shop him I have my doubts there’d be many takers given his low production this season and his reputation for moodiness.

Patrick Marleau: A fixture in the rumor mill since last April, his below-average stats and the expensive ($12.6 million) two year contract (with a no-trade clause) beginning next season should keep him in the Shark tank.

Dan Boyle and Vaclav Prospal: Tampa Bay Lightning GM Jay Feaster suggested that if the club fails to make a playoff push he could be forced into making some cost-cutting moves, leading to speculation impending UFAs Boyle and Prospal could be part of those moves.

Brian Campbell: He’s postponed his contract talks with the Buffalo Sabres until the off-season. That’s led to trade speculation that Sabres GM Darcy Regier rejected, claiming he hopes to re-sign Campbell. I believe him.  

Maxim Afinogenov and Dmitri Kalinin: The former has struggled offensively this season and the latter’s eligible for UFA status this summer. I wouldn’t rule out the possibility of the Sabres trying to move either guy by the deadline.

J.P. Dumont: The Nashville Predators might not have enough money available this summer to re-sign him and if they’re out of the playoff race in a month’s time could consider shopping Dumont.

Michael Ryder: The Montreal Canadiens aren’t expected to re-sign him after this season and could try to move him in the coming weeks. His sub-par production this season however could hurt his trade value.

Nikolai Khabibulin: I wouldn’t doubt Chicago Blackhawks management would love to dump the remaining year and $6.75 million on his contract, but that and his poor performance this season won’t make him enticing to anyone at this year’s deadline.  

Yanic Perreault: The Chicago Blackhawks could try to peddle this faceoff specialist to a Stanley Cup contender.

#### Tarnstrom: He’s been considered the odd man out on the Edmonton Oilers blueline, and with some teams seeking a veteran puck-moving defenceman Tarnstrom could attract some attention leading up to the deadline.

Keith Carney: This blueline veteran was a frequent scratch in the first half of this season, and he could end up shopped by the Minnesota Wild in the coming weeks.

Christian Backman: Plenty of speculation the St. Louis Blues could shop a defenceman for depth elsewhere in the roster, and Backman’s name has been floated as part of those rumors.

Bear in mind, folks, that this is only a quick observation of who might or might not be dealt. There are likely to be players that no one suspected as trade bait who could be traded by February 26th, and that most of the above-mentioned players could end up staying with their respective teams.

Feel free to chip in with names you think might be on the move by the deadline. It'll be interesting to review this list and your takes after February 26th.

Reports out of Pittsburgh today claim the Penguins will place Mark Recchi on re-entry waivers only one day after demoting him to their minor league affiliate after he cleared waivers at noon ET on Thursday.

The demotion was done merely as a "procedural move" according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Given how quickly the Pens have placed Recchi on re-entry waivers, it would indicate there is interest in Recchi provided he's recalled, as any team claiming him now would only have to pick up half of his remaining salary.

**UPDATE** The Atlanta Thrashers claimed Recchi Saturday off re-entry waivers from the Penguins.

Recchi will bring considerable veteran experience to the Thrashers lineup, and if he can rediscover his scoring touch that appeared to elude him earlier this season, could provide them with some necessary second line scoring depth to perhaps take some pressure off the club's top line.

It'll be interesting to see which line he's placed on. It's possible he could be placed on the second line, possibly with Ilya Kovalchuk.

I'd love to hear the opinion of Thrashers fans on this.

With the Atlanta Thrashers off to an 0-6 start to this season changes were bound to happen.

On Wednesday the Thrashers announced the firing of Bob Hartley as head coach. GM Don Waddell is expected to take over on an interim basis until a permanent replacement is found.

The Thrashers have been terrible thus far this season, particularly their defensive game. Granted, Hartley bears some responsibility but I can’t help but feel however that Hartley is merely the convenient fall guy.

Atlanta lost several key players during the off-season that were partially responsible last season for the club’s first post-season appearance.

Keith Tkachuk, Andy Sutton, Eric Belanger, Greg de Vries, Shane Hnidy and Jon Sim all departed via free agency and management (Waddell) did little to adequately replace them.

Waddell’s hands might’ve been tied in that regard, given the infighting for sole control of the Thrashers (and the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks) between Steve Belkin and the rest of the ownership might be putting some limitations on the Thrashers budget.

Still, with a payroll currently sitting at over $44 million for this season, Waddell hasn’t gotten a lot of #### for the buck and ultimately he bears the responsibility for the club’s poor start.

There's scoring punch in Marian Hossa, Ilya Kovalchuk and Slava Kozlov, but they can't be expected to also kill penalies, patrol the blueline or playing a checking role against their rivals' top lines.

Waddell still hasn't found a quality first line center since Marc Savard departed via free agency in 2006, and too much money is tied up in aging players like Bobby Holik and Alexei Zhitnik.

Their blueline depth is this club’s Achilles heel, for beyond Zhitnik and Nicolas Havelid there’s little else of note besides an aging and slow Ken Klee. That’s made it tough for netminders Kari Lehtonen and Johan Hedberg, although they too have been guilty of uninspired play thus far this season.

Worse, a struggling season could have an adverse effect upon Waddell's efforts to re-sign Hossa, who's an unrestricted free agent this year.

A return to mediocrity so soon after making their first post-season appearance could also hurt them at the gate this season, which could stoke speculation that this franchise is in serious trouble.

Hartley did the best he could this season with the roster Waddell gave him. Good luck finding a new head coach that can make a silk purse out of this sow’s ear.

With most NHL teams making their final training camp cuts in preparation for the full start of the 2007-08 season, here’s the latest free agent news. I’ll be updating this as further cuts and signings occur during the first week of October 2007.

- Defenseman Brent Sopel staged a bit of a surprise late last week, leaving the Detroit Red Wings training camp to sign a one-year, $1.5 million contract with the Chicago Blackhawks.

The Wings invited Sopel to training camp for a tryout where he found himself battling for a job. While the Wings coaching staff liked his offensive game they apparently weren’t impressed with his defensive play in pre-season.

Blackhawks GM Dale Tallon had been seeking a veteran blueliner for several weeks and obviously isn’t as concerned over Sopel’s defensive game as the Wings.

Tallon’s search for veteran depth also led him to claim defenseman Karel Pilar off waivers from the Atlanta Thrashers but in the aftermath of Sopel’s signing the ‘Hawks GM placed Pilar on waivers once again, where he was reclaimed by the Thrashers on October 2nd.

- Another training camp invitee defenseman who failed to stick with the Wings was Jassen Cullimore, who was cut by the club last week.

It’s still possible however that Cullimore could land a spot with an NHL team as injuries start to take its toll. One possibility could include his former club, the Tampa Bay Lightning, who lost Dan Boyle for six weeks to a freak off-ice injury and could use some extra depth.

Cullimore obviously won’t replace Boyle’s offence but given some of the concerns about the overall depth of the Lightning’s blueline he might be of interest to them.

The Red Wings have also demoted highly-touted forward Igor Grigorenko, demoted Mark Hartigan and offered enforcer Aaron Downey a two-way contract.

It was thought Grigorenko would earn a roster spot to start the season but given their other areas of concern it was easier to demote him as he doesn't have to pass through waivers. Don't be surprised if he returns to the big club later this season.

- The Montreal Canadiens demoted goaltender Jaroslov Halak and center Maxim Lapierre as part of their final three roster cuts.

Demoting Halak and Lapierre comes as a bit of a surprise, as it was expected the club would demote Carey Price rather than having him perhaps cooling his heels backing up starter Cristobal Huet. Lapierre meanwhile impressed down the stretch last season with his pesky style and was a key factor in the Hamilton Bulldogs (the Canadiens farm team) winning the AHL Calder Cup last spring.

Halak's demotion will undoubtedly give rise to speculation of the Canadiens shopping him or entertaining offers but I'm of the opinion the Habs might keep him in the system and possibly recall him at some point this season.

Huet's on the final year of his contract, and if Price outplays him or the Canadiens are out of playoff contention by the February trade deadline they could shop Huet instead and recall Halak to back up Price.

As for Lapierre, he may not be on the Habs farm club for long this season, especially if injuries take a toll on the forward lines as the season progresses.

- The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed training camp invitee forward Adam Hall to a one-year contract. Financial terms weren't disclosed.

Hall has struggled in recent seasons to stick with any one team, bouncing from Nashville to the NY Rangers to Minnesota since the summer of 2006 before becoming an unrestricted free agent this summer.

He'll likely see third or fourth line duty with the Penguins this season.

- A radio report out of Edmonton claims the Oilers have released winger Anson Carter, who was invited to training camp but saw little action due to a concussion suffered in a pre-season game.

- The St. Louis Blues have reportedly placed winger Petr Cajanek on waivers and are apparently waiting for him to clear (by 11 pm ET Tuesday) to decide on signing forward Mike Johnson.

The Blues have also released defenseman David Tanabe, who like Johnson was a training camp invitee.

- The Toronto Maple Leafs have placed goaltender Scott Clemmensen and forward Tony Salmelainen on waivers.

Both were signed as unrestricted free agents during the off-season but are destined to begin this season with the Leafs farm club.

The New York Rangers have place defenseman Andrew Hutchinson on waivers. If he clears he'll be demoted to their farm team.

Hutchinson was acquired by the Rangers this summer as part of the deal that sent forward Matt Cullen back to the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Washington Capitals reports defenseman Ben Clymer has cleared waivers and was demoted to the Capitals farm team.

- The Vancouver Canucks have released defenseman Dan McGillis, who was invited to their training camp nearly two weeks ago.

It was erroneously reported McGillis had signed with the Canucks but it's been since confirmed he was merely invited to camp on a tryout basis but was not signed.

- The Edmonton Oilers have demoted defenseman Ladislav Smid to their minor league affiliate.

Smid was acquired by the Oilers in July 2006 as part of the return in the Chris Pronger trade with the Anaheim Ducks. Smid played in 77 games with the Oilers last season.

- Several veterans NHL’ers who didn’t make the cut: Joel Bouchard (released by Columbus), Toby Petersen (demoted by Dallas), Jon Klemm(demoted by the LA Kings), Mike Weaver (demoted by Pittsburgh, must clear waivers first).

Florida Panthers. If the Panthers had a strong starting goalie they would’ve made the 2007 playoffs, and having acquired Tomas Vokoun in the off-season their playoffs hopes receive a significant boost. Combine that with what should be an improved team defense and a strong offensive attack led by under-rated Olli Jokinen and emerging star Nathan Horton and the Panthers should not only make the post-season but could also take the division title. This is a team that has made steady improvement over the past four seasons and now appear poised to break out in a big way.

Carolina Hurricanes. Expect the Hurricanes to rebound from their lackluster 2006-07 performance. Goaltender Cam Ward and forwards Eric Staal, Cory Stillman and Erik Cole are capable of much more and should make the ‘Canes a playoff contender this season. The blueline is a potential problem spot, where there’s concern over the health of regulars Bret Hedican and Frantisek Kaberle. If they should miss considerable time again this season to injury the Hurricanes lacks the depth to adequately replace them and that could prove a serious problem as the season goes on.

Tampa Bay Lightning. With the offensive punch of Vincent Lecavalier, Brad Richards and Martin St. Louis, backed by defenseman Dan Boyle’s contributions, the Lightning won’t have much trouble scoring. Having bolstered their team defense by adding Chris Gratton and Michel Ouellet the Bolts should also be a more physical team this season. The main area of concern however remains the goaltending, where the Bolts have yet to find a quality starter. Unless Marc Denis or Johan Holmqvist step up or management lands a netminder via trade or free agency, the Lightning could be in a real fight for one of the final playoff berths in the East.

Washington Capitals. Management finally brought in some veteran help for superstar Alexander Ovechkin, signing Michael Nylander, Viktor Kozlov and Tom Poti this summer. With the improvement of Alexander Semin, the anticipated debut of rookie Nicklas Backstrom and the usual solid netminding of veteran Olaf Kolzig the Capitals should be a much-improved team this season. Still, the overall team defense has to get better and several other young Caps must improve this season if they’re to challenge for a playoff berth.

Atlanta Thrashers. While the other teams in this division bolstered their rosters, the Thrashers were unable to adequately replace departed veterans like Keith Tkachuk, Eric Belanger and Andy Sutton. Todd White is penciled in to center their first line of Marian Hossa and Slava Kozlov and could be in over his head, whilst star forward Ilya Kovalchuk will have to make do with an aging Bobby Holik centering his line. The defense corps is average at best, while goalie Kari Lehtonen's confidence may have been shaken by his sub-par playoff performance. After making the playoffs last season for the first time in franchise history, the Thrashers could be in danger of missing the 2008 post-season.  

MSG Network’s Stan Fischler recently cited Anaheim, Pittsburgh and Buffalo as examples of struggling US-based hockey markets that have recently rebounded:

“The good news, crowd-wise, is that three teams once in financial distress now are doing splendidly. Anaheim, Pittsburgh and Buffalo each capped its season tickets thanks to the huge demand. Which proves that once-faltering American markets can be revived despite what some Canadian media cynics opine”

Well, yes and no, Stan.

Those three are doing so well of late because their respective on-ice performances have improved. The Ducks were being shopped in 2004, the Sabres had the year prior gone into bankruptcy thanks to their crooked previous ownership and faced relocation, whilst the Penguins had hit rock bottom by 2004 and had faced relocation more than once in their history.

 If the Ducks, Penguins and Sabres were still wallowing as they were in 2003-04 I doubt we’d see significant improvement in those markets.

It’s also worth noting that the Ducks, Penguins and Sabres have had various degrees of success in their respective markets over the years, which still gave them a solid foundation upon which to rebuild.

The success of those three is notable, as it that of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Carolina Hurricanes, whose  respective rises to Cup championships worked wonders at their own box offices.

That doesn’t, however, take away from the fact that there are some American-based teams that have been struggling for some time, with no immediate hope for revivals on the horizon.

The Nashville Predators immediately spring to mind, a team that has steadily improved over the years into a legit playoff contender (which in my opinion they still are this season), yet they’ve struggled at the gate despite their winning ways and already gone through a change of ownership.

Other struggling markets include the Florida Panthers, Phoenix Coyotes, Atlanta Thrashers, Washington Capitals and New York Islanders.

Even the Chicago Blackhawks and Boston Bruins, two Original Six franchises, can be included in that group due to a decade of inept management and moribund performances.

The St. Louis Blues, not too long ago considered a big market Cup contender, have fallen on hard times since the lockout and are in the midst of a rebuilding program.

Even the New Jersey Devils, a model of consistent success for nearly 15 years, failed to pack ‘em in at the Meadowlands, although it’s expected attendance could improve with their new Newark arena.

Winning could certainly help revive the fortunes of most of those teams, but as noted with the Predators and even the Devils, that’s not necessarily a guarantee.

The Ducks, Penguins and Sabres are shining examples of how once-struggling American franchises can rebound, but only if there’s ownership truly committed to improvement, smart management at the helm and strong coaching to develop the team into a winner.

But again, as with the Predators, that’s not necessarily enough. There still has to be a strong enough interest in the market to support that franchise.

And in the case of a team like the Predators, their new ownership will have to pull out all the stops to improve interest in the franchise in the Nashville area otherwise the specter of relocation will hover over them.