The Score Sports Forecaster was first out of the blocks with their NHL Season Preview for 2008-09, and the good folks at Andrew's Dallas Stars Page has a quick review of the magazine's preview of the Stars, but also the projected playoff teams and where they'll finish the season:

Western Conference
1. Detroit Red Wings 2. Dallas Stars 3. Edmonton Oilers 4. San Jose Sharks 5. Chicago Blackhawks 6. Anaheim Ducks 7. Calgary Flames 8. Phoenix Coyotes

Eastern Conference
1. Philadelphia Flyers 2. Washington Capitals 3. Ottawa Senators 4. Montreal Canadiens 5. Pittsburgh Penguins 6. Carolina Hurricanes 7. New Jersey Devils 8. New York Rangers

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I'll have my projections by late September as we get closer to the season and we have a better idea of what the rosters will look like.

As for the Forecaster, you'll have to buy the issue (I don't get any kickbacks for this) to find out why they're ranking the teams as they have.

And since I'm going on vacation for a few days starting August 14th, this is as good a topic as any for you folks to discuss in the comments, and please, keep it clean!

- The Colorado Avalanche wasted little time finding a replacement for the departed Jose Theodore, signing former Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Andrew Raycroft to a one-year contract worth $800K.

Raycroft has experience as a starter but spent most of last season with the Leafs backing up Vesa Toskala. He’ll likely back up Peter Budaj, who inherits the Avs starting goalie job with Theodore’s departure, but this could be a good opportunity for Raycroft to regain his form and his confidence, which were badly shaken in his final season in Toronto.

-The Phoenix Coyotes were in the market for an experienced physical defenseman after trading away Nick Boynton to Florida as part of the deal for center Olli Jokinen.

They’ve found a good one in Kurt Sauer, inking him to a four-year contract (financial terms yet to be disclosed).

Sauer has plenty of experience in that role with the Ducks and Avalanche and he should be a welcome addition to the Coyotes blueline.

They’ve also added some grit up front in rugged forward Todd Fedoruk by signing him to a three-year contract (financial terms not yet disclosed), who’ll ensure rival teams don’t take liberties with skill players like Jokinen and Shane Doan.

The Tampa Bay Lightning are at it again.

Scarcely two days after signing Ryan Malone and Gary Roberts the Lightning have added another forward to their lineup, signing right winger Radim Vrbata to a three-year, $9 million contract.

Vrbata had a breakout performance in 2007-08 with career bests in goals (27), assists (29) and points (56) with the Phoenix Coyotes, who had hoped to re-sign him and may now have to look elsewhere for a scoring right winger.

This move likely means the Bolts have given up on their attempts to sign Brian Rolston, whose rights they acquired over the weekend from the Minnesota Wild.

Are the Lightning done?  Probably not, as they have to address their depth in goal and on the blueline, and persistent speculation has them shopping defenseman Dan Boyle to free up some cap space, although that’ll require Boyle’s approval as his has a no-trade clause in his contract.  

The Florida Panthers have announced placing center Jozef Stumpel on waivers in what could be a prelude to buying out the remainder of his contract.

Stumpel has one year at $2.25 million remaining on his current contract. He’d been a consistent 50-point player throughout this decade but last season struggled with injury posting his lowest offensive totals in a decade.

It’s possible he could play overseas next season but he might test this summer’s NHL UFA market where he could be an affordable depth.

The Vancouver Canucks have claimed center Kyle Wellwood off waivers from the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Not a bad move by the Canucks as this is an affordable way to bring some depth at center. Wellwood has the potential to be a second line scorer but the injury prone center must improve his conditioning to reach that potential.

The Ottawa Senators have parted ways with tough guy Brian McGratton, shipping him to the Phoenix Coyotes in exchange for a fifth round pick in 2009.

McGratton’s presence should make teams in the Western Conference think twice about taking liberties against the Coyotes best players. He’s a restricted free agent but the Coyotes shouldn’t have too much trouble getting one of the league’s best brawlers under contract.

Former NY Islanders goaltender Wade Dubieliewicz has reportedly signed a two-year contract with AK-Bars Kazan of the newly formed Kontinental Hockey League.

Dubielewicz rejected a contract offer from the Islanders and was eligible for UFA status in July.

After two years of baseless speculation, the Florida Panthers finally traded away team captain Olli Jokinen, but not to the teams he was often linked to in trade rumors.

Instead of landing in Calgary, Minnesota or Vancouver Jokinen was shipped to the Phoenix Coyotes in exchange for defensemen Nick Boynton and Keith Ballard and the second round pick (49th overall).

Panthers GM Jacques Martin wanted to bolster his defense corps and Boynton and Ballard should help in that regard, but this move also significantly depletes the Panthers offensive production. Panthers fans probably won’t be happy about this return.

Boynton was once a highly touted blueliner with the Boston Bruins but injury and contract squabble diminished his status, so much so that it was rumored throughout last season the Coyotes tried unsuccessfully to move him.

Ballard however has far more potential, a 25-year-old blueliner who can play a physical style but also contribute offensively. His offensive production has steadily dropped in his first three seasons but his defensive game has improved.  

If that 49th overall pick should blossom into a star player down the road this deal could work more in the Panthers favor. Having bolstered his defense (possibly in hopes of enticing RFA Jay Bouwmeester into re-signing a long-term deal), Martin will be hard pressed to replace the gaping hole at center.

Coyotes fans have to be thrilled about this move, as they’d now got a bona fide first line center for winger Shane Doan’s line, giving the Coyotes considerably more offensive punch than they’ve had in recent years.

Losing Ballard and Boynton bites into their defensive depth, but with Ed Jovanovski, Derek Morris and Zbynek Michalek  already on their blueline and young Keith Yandle making the team at mid-season it might not hurt them too badly.

The chance to increase the offensive firepower was obviously too good to pass up, and they’ll have Jokinen on the payroll for the next seasons, which could give him the opportunity on a more promising team to finally play on a post-season team.

In the short term, rank this deal a winner for the Coyotes.

The Dallas Stars made their second significant free agent re-signing of this spring by signing forward Toby Petersen to a two year, $1.1 million contract.

Petersen’s new salary will count as $550K per season against the Stars salary cap.

The well-travelled Petersen has spent the last eight seasons split between the Pittsburgh Penguins, Edmonton Oilers, Dallas Stars and all their respective farm teams, never seeming to stick with an NHL team for long as a marginal checking line forward.

Indeed, this past season the 29-year-old Petersen played only 8 regular season games with the Stars and appeared headed to this summer’s UFA market

His energetic play however during the Stars surprising run to the Western Conference final not only earned him playing time in all but two of Dallas’ 18 playoff games this spring but also kudos for his speed and hard work, and a new two-year contract with the Stars.

Former Star Niko Kapanen has decided to sign with Russian team AK Bars Kazan for next season.

Kapanen, 30, played last season with the Phoenix Coyotes. He began his NHL career with the Dallas Stars in 2001-02, playing four seasons with the Stars and one with the Atlanta Thrashers until he was dealt to the Coyotes in February 2007, all in checking line roles.

With the Coyotes pushing their youth movement it was unlikely Kapanen would’ve been re-signed and he’ll likely earn more money in Russia than he would’ve received in this summer’s UFA market, if there were any interest in his services.

Phoenix Coyotes GM Don Maloney stated before the deadline he would not be a deadline seller, and held true to his word, looking to bolster his roster both for now and the future.

He also decided to deal with his former employer, the New York Rangers, where he used to work as an assistant to GM Glen Sather.

The Coyotes shipped winger Fredrik Sjostrom, goaltender David Leneveu and winger Josh Gratton to the Rangers in exchange for goalie Al Montoya and winger Marcel Hossa.

Hossa has some decent offensive skills but has spent his NHL career in Montreal and New York bouncing between the scoring lines and the checking lines, along with stops to farm clubs during his NHL career. Perhaps the pressure of playing in the shadow of his more talented and famous older brother Marian Hossa has affected Marcel’s development.

He’ll get an opportunity to prove himself with a young, promising Coyotes team that has surprised many observers by battling for a playoff berth this season.

Montoya could be perhaps a key addition in the future for the Coyotes. A former first round pick of the Rangers who backstopped Team USA to gold in the 2004 World Junior Hockey Championships, Montoya has struggled to crack the Rangers lineup. With Henrik Lundqvist signed long-term with the Rangers he wasn’t likely to get an opportunity to prove himself with the Rangers.

It won’t be easy for him with the Coyotes, however, as they’ve committed to Ilya Bryzgalov, who’s perhaps the biggest reason for the ‘Yotes improvement this season. He’ll have to battle Mikael Tellqvist in training camp this fall for the backup role, but if he can get his foot in the door with the Coyotes, it could be the opportunity he needs to establish himself as an NHL goalie.

As for the Rangers, they’re getting an upgrade over the inconsistent Hossa in Sjostrom, who’s proven himself a reliable checker who can play either wing, giving the Rangers some flexibility. LeNeveu was once projected a future number one goalie for the Coyotes but at this point he appears a career minor league, as does Gratton.

The moment that perhaps saved the Phoenix Coyotes this season was plucking goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov off waivers from the Anaheim Ducks back in late-November.

Now they’ve ensured they’ll have a chance to remain competitive, re-signing Bryzgalov to a three-year contract extension worth $12.5 million.

Bryzgalov has been outstanding as the Coyotes starting goalie, giving them a chance to win in every game. He currently has a 16-10-2 record with a 2.33 goals-against average, a sparkling .933 save percentage with one shutout.

He’s provided the Coyotes with the type of goaltending they’ve lacked since Nikolai Khabibulin was in his heyday in the late 1990s.

As a result of Bryzgalov’s performance the Coyotes, written off as a non-playoff contender by most experts this season, are in the thick of the playoff race in the Western Conference. As of this writing, Phoenix is tied for 9th overall with 52 points, only three points out of the final playoff berth, and are winners of 6 of their last ten games.

Strong goaltending can do wonders for a team’s confidence, especially one in rebuilding mode, and the Coyotes have been a more confident bunch since Bryzgalov’s arrival.

Bryzgalov was eligible for unrestricted free agency this summer but it was long accepted that the Coyotes would do what it took to keep him off the market, where he certainly would’ve commanded considerably more than the $1.363 he’s presently making for this season.

Should the talented Russian backstop the Coyotes into the playoffs he’s also got the post-season experience thanks to his recent years with the defending Stanley Cup champion Anaheim Ducks to make them a very tough opponent.

With Bryzgalov between the pipes for the next three years, the Coyotes rebuilding program has taken a major leap forward.

He probably won’t get any Hart trophy consideration, but he’s clearly the Coyotes most valuable player.

It appears goaltender Alex Auld will be getting another shot at playing in the NHL this season.

The Phoenix Coyotes traded Auld to the Boston Bruins in exchange for minor league forward Nate DiCasmirro and a fifth round pick in 2009.

Auld began this season with the Phoenix Coyotes but became the odd man out on their goaltender rotation when the club plucked Ilya Bryzgalov off waivers from the Anaheim Ducks over two weeks ago. Auld is on a two-way contract and was demoted to the Coyotes minor league affiliate in San Antonio.

This could prove a good opportunity for Auld to get his once-promising career back on track. He was dealt by the Vancouver Canucks in June 2006 to the Florida Panthers as part of the return for goalie Roberto Luongo, and it was believed he'd have the chance to establish himself as a number one netminder with the Panthers.

Unfortunately Auld struggled with the Panthers and ended up as Ed Belfour's backup for the second half of last season. He signed with the Coyotes this summer as an unrestricted free agent and was part of their goalie tandem along with Mikael Tellqvist until Bryzgalov arrived.

This was a trade the Bruins were forced to make. Veteran starter Manny Fernandez remains sidelined rehabbing his surgically reconstructed knee, and Tim Thomas, who'd admirably carried the load in his stead this season, was injured in a recent game, apparently more seriously than originally believed.

It remains to be seen how long Thomas will be sidelined, but it's apparent the Bruins had no one in their system to suitably back up promising young netminder Tuukka Rask, who has played only two games thus far for the Bruins as Thomas' backup but looked sharp in those appearances.

Rask will now be thrust into the starter's role in the short term, and having Auld there should provide him with an experience backup, which should help take some pressure off the young Finn.

And with his two-way contract, Auld will be affordable to demote should Thomas return to action.

The Phoenix Coyotes are now short one goaltender.

HC Lugano of the Swiss NLA announced Wednesday signing Phoenix Coyotes goaltender David Aebischer to a multi-year contract.

Aebischer had been playing on the Coyotes AHL affiliate in San Antonio. He'd received an offer from HC Lugano a few weeks ago but had told them he wanted to consider his options.

With the Coyotes claiming Ilya Bryzgalov off waivers from the Anaheim Ducks this past weekend and with Alex Auld clearing waivers on Tuesday and demoted to San Antonio the 'Yotes were overstocked with goalies.

The club could've tried to trade Aebischer or place him on re-entry waivers to move him, but most likely he was probably told to take up the Lugano offer as there was probably no interest in him from other NHL teams.

Aebischer will probably be "on loan" to HC Lugano rather than suspended by the Coyotes, since Switzerland is part of the NHL-IIHF player transfer agreement. Under that scenario, HC Lugano will probably have to compensate the Coyotes for part of Aebischer's remaining NHL salary for this season.

His salary didn't count against the Coyotes salary cap whilst he was in the minors so it'll remain off their books for the rest of this season.

Aebischer's NHL stock has been in decline since the 2005-06 season. Once considered the heir apparent to Patrick Roy with the Colorado Avalanche, his inconsistent play in the '05-'06 season led to his trade to the Montreal Canadiens in March 2006.

He never really seemed to recover from the lack of faith shown in him by the Avs, becoming the Canadiens third string goalie late in the 2006-07 season, and failed to stick with a rebuilding Coyotes team this season, demoted last month to their AHL farm team after only one game.

It's possible Aebishcer could recover his form playing in Switzerland but most likely his once-promising NHL career, which included being part of the Avalanche's 2001 Stanley Cup championship team, is over.

TSN.ca reports this morning the Anaheim Ducks have placed goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov on waivers.

It's a curious move by Ducks general manager Brian Burke, who this summer suggested he'd eventually trade Bryzgalov after locking up starter J.S. Giguere to a long-term contract and signing Jonas Hiller.

Burke was believed shopping Bryzgalov, who earns an affordable $1.363 million contract and is eligible for unrestricted free agency next summer, to several teams. He'd recently bemoaned the fact that many clubs were unwilling to make trades due to cap constraints.

For Burke to do this now suggests he needs to move Bryzgalov in a hurry, perhaps to free up cap space for another player. This could mean either Scott Niedermayer or Teemu Selanne are returning to the team or Burke has another deal in the works.

The Tampa Bay Lightning and Pittsburgh Penguins have been oft-mentioned as needing a goaltending upgrade, so it remains to be seen which team, if any, claims Bryzgalov.

**UPDATE** As per the Orange County Register (Thanks, "Toaster"), Burke claims he's making this move both to give Bryzgalov playing time and to bring in Hiller as Giguere's backup. The deadline for claiming him is 9 AM PT Saturday (Noon eastern). Bryzgalov has about 900,000.00 remaining on his contract.

What's also interesting is the article's claim (likely based on Burke's comments) that Bryzgalov's trade value is low due to his unrestricted free agent status next summer and "a lack of goaltending need around the league".

Those are puzzling statements, as a player's UFA status generally has little bearing on his trade value, plus there are at least two teams - Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay - who obviously could use an experienced, talented netminder like Bryzgalov.

Perhaps Burke's asking price was too steep for those teams needing a netminder, or they're limited by cap constraints at this time. Bear in mind both the Penguins and Lightning have a lower, self-imposed cap ceiling, plus the Bolts are in the process of being sold.

**UPDATE** Here's a thought, folks, and I'm sure more than a few of you have considered it, but it wouldn't be surprising if Bryzgalov goes unclaimed.

That way, he'd have to report to the minors, and perhaps teams that are interested in him might be hoping Burke places him on re-entry waivers, whereby whoever claims him gets him for only half his remaining salary, leaving the Ducks on the hook for the rest.

Maybe I'm premature in stating this but thus far there hasn't been a peep or hint as to whether or not someone's gonna claim him.

**UPDATED:SATURDAY NOVEMBER 17TH** Bryzgalov's fate will be determined by noon ET today. Various reports suggest the Phoenix Coyotes could claim him, as does Anaheim GM Brian Burke. His agent expects Bryzgalov to be claimed today.

**UPDATE** The Phoenix Coyotes as anticipated claimed Byrzgalov off waivers today.

No word yet as to whether Alex Auld or Mikael Tellqvist will be demoted, although it's likely to be Auld as he's on a two-way contract which'll pay him over $100K in the minors, and Tellqvist has the better record of the two.

Bryzgalov could provide the steady netminding the Coyotes have lacked since Nikolai Khabibulin last tended goal for them several years ago. His presence could go a long way in their rebuilding process, but they'll have to pony up significant coin to keep him in Phoenix as he's eligible for UFA status next summer.

Depending on his performance this season Bryzgalov could be in position to command between $3-$4 million per season from the Coyotes, and if he doesn't get that from them he'll definitely receive it on the UFA market in July.

Still, when Burke attempted to sign him to a contract extension to enhance his trade value Bryzgalov told him he'd prefer instead to negotiate with his new team, so that's a good sign for the Coyotes heading into potential contract talks with him.

The small but steady parade of veteran unrestricted free agent NHL players heading to Europe to continue their playing careers continues.

After recently rejecting offers from Swiss league teams in hopes of landing either an NHL or Russian Super League contract, winger Anson Carter signed with HC Lugano of the Swiss NLA for the 2007-08 season and is expected to join them this week.

The Boston Globe had reported this past weekend that Carter’s agent claimed his client had fully recovered from the concussion he suffered in pre-season that effectively ended his tryout with the Edmonton Oilers. It was thought Carter might still attract interest around the league based on his 33-goal performance in 2005-06 with the Vancouver Canucks but as this signing indicates no GM in the NHL is willing to gamble their valuable cap space on him.

It’s possible Carter might find his way back to the NHL before season’s end but he’d first have to have an “out” clause and would then have to pass through waivers, which would make him further unpalatable to potential NHL suitors.

If Carter can play well for HC Lugano this season it might pique interest in him in next summer’s UFA market. If not, he’d better get used to the Swiss lifestyle because that could be the only league he’ll be able to play in.

Another former NHL forward heading to Switzerland is faceoff specialist and poker enthusiast Travis Green, who signed with EV Zug on Monday.

Green’s best season statistically was 1995-96 with 70 points in 69 games but he was probably at his most valuable during the 2001-02 season with the Toronto Maple Leafs as a faceoff and penalty killing specialist.

Sadly, his career has been on a steady decline since then. He was bought out of his contract with the Boston Bruins in 2006 and saw only 31 games split between the Leafs and Anaheim Ducks last season. His NHL playing career is probably over at this point.

Reports from Switzerland also claim Lugano made a contract offer to Phoenix Coyotes netminder David Aebischer, who’s presently toiling in the minors having failed to secure a spot on the club’s regular tandem.

The Swiss-born Aebischer has apparently told Lugano he wants some time to think about the offer, hoping he’ll get a chance to get back into the NHL either with the Coyotes or another team.

Another goalie who received an offer from a European team is Montreal Canadiens netminder Jaroslav Halak, who like Aebischer is toiling in the minors after failing to secure a roster spot with the Habs.

Halak received a contract offer from an unnamed Russian Super League team and it was rumored Halak was using this contract offer as leverage with the Habs to force the club into trading him to another NHL team but this was denied by Halak’s agent.

Former Edmonton Oilers defenseman Daniel Tjarnqvist signed with RSL team Lokomotiv Yaroslavl after spending weeks entertaining offers from various European teams, as did former Maple Leafs forward Tony Salmelainen.

For those of you interested in Peter Forsberg’s future, I’ll be touching on that in an upcoming article.

- The New York Islanders finally got Bryan Berard under contract earlier this week, signing the veteran to a one-year deal. Financial details weren’t released.

Berard’s NHL career appeared to be over after a back injury suffered in 2005 and subsequent back surgeries sidelined him to only 55 games over the past two seasons with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Berard was unable to find any takers this summer as an unrestricted free agent. He accepted an invitation to the training camp of the Islanders, the team with which he broke into the NHL with over ten years ago, winning the Calder trophy as the league’s top rookie in 1997.

The Isles were unable to replace Tom Poti’s offensive presence on the blueline when he bolted to Washington via free agency this summer and are taking a chance on Berard, but if there’s one thing about this veteran we’ve learned, it’s to never write him off.

In 2000 Berard suffered a horrific injury to his right eye during a game that left him with no peripheral vision in that eye. He missed the entire 2000-01 season and it was believed his career was over, yet Berard staged a comeback in 2001-02 with the NY Rangers, posting good numbers (23 points in 82 games) on a non-playoff club.

The Rangers inexplicably decided against re-signing him and he bounced to Boston in 2002-03 and Chicago in 2003-04, posting improved numbers with each season yet was unable to stick with either club.

If Berard, winner of the Masterton Trophy for perseverance in 2003-04, is able to overcome his back problems and return to form, he’ll be a more than suitable replacement for the departed Poti, particularly on the powerplay.

And that could put him in line to become the first two-time Masterton winner.

To make room for Berard on their payroll, the Islanders waived defenseman Freddy Meyer, who was claimed on Monday by the Phoenix Coyotes.

The more imaginative rumormongers suggest this might be a precursor of a potential trade of Ed Jovanovski to the NY Rangers. In reality, Meyer was brought in to provide depth to the Coyotes blueline corps after the club assigned Ryan Caldwell to their minor league affiliate and lost Zbynek Michalek to a broken hand.

- The Philadelphia Flyers added depth to their blueline corps by signing UFA defenseman Rory Fitzpatrick to a one-year contract. Financial terms weren’t disclosed but given the fact the Flyers have limited cap space this season it’s likely close to the league minimum.

This move likely means the Flyers could be demoting another defenseman to the minors, possibly Nate Guenin, whom one of my readers pointed out has a two-way contract and doesn’t have to clear waivers if demoted.

This’ll give the folks who tried to get Fitzpatrick voted onto last season’s All-Star game roster for the Western Conference will now have a chance to try to get him voted onto this season’s Eastern Conference lineup.

San Jose Sharks. GM Doug Wilson did a good job keeping this team together as well as establishing Evgeni Nabokov once and for all as his starting goaltender. With Joe Thornton powering the offensive attack and Jonathan Cheechoo likely to rebound into high-scoring form, the Sharks will remain a legitimate contender for the Stanley Cup. The only true concern for this team is their blueline depth, which is good but lacks a true standout defenseman.

Anaheim Ducks. On paper the Ducks look strong enough to not only win the division but also potentially repeat as Stanley Cup champions, with pretty much the same cast that went all the way last season. There’s a plethora of talent on the Ducks and arguably the best blueline corps in the league. However, the loss of Dustin Penner to an offer sheet and the foot-dragging by Scott Niedermayer and Teemu Selanne over possible retirement could affect team chemistry, plus they must overcome the dreaded “Stanley Cup hangover”.

Dallas Stars. Goaltender Marty Turco finally answered his critics in last year’s playoffs, establishing himself as an elite goalie. Their defense corps is also impressive, anchored by Sergei Zubov, Mattias Norstrom and late-bloomer Phillipe Boucher. The one big area of concern is their offensive game. Veteran Mike Modano is no longer a top scoring forward and with his skills in decline there’s no one of comparable talent to step up. The Stars will be a tough team to score against but they’ll also have a tough time scoring.

Los Angeles Kings. This club has lots of budding young talent up front, led by Anze Kopitar, Alexander Frolov and Mike Cammalleri, and off-season acquisitions Kyle Calder, Ladislav Nagy and Michal Handzus should bolster that offensive attack. Their defense corps is a very good mix of veterans (Rob Blake, Lubomir Visnovsky and Brad Stuart) plus the promising young Jack Johnson. If this team had a decent starting goaltender, they’d easily make the playoffs, but they don’t, and until this glaring fault is addressed the Kings will struggle to make the post-season.

Phoenix Coyotes: This club is once again rebuilding, this time under new management and there really isn’t much to get excited about for this coming season. There’s only one true star on this team in his prime, that being captain Shane Doan. It’s not all doom and gloom, as there are several promising young players lie Peter Mueller and Keith Ballard who could be a major part of this club’s future, but for this season Coyotes fans shouldn’t get their hopes up.  

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.