Two-wheel drive
The Red Wings look untouchable in quest for back-to-back titles, but superlatives abound
WHEN YOU HAVE TO SCORE THE GOAL
1. Alexander Ovechkin, Washington - A.O. runs on raw power and loves to fire from anywhere. Led league with 65 goals and 446 shots on net last season. Miffed over failure to score on the 381 that were turned aside.
2. Jarome Iginla, Calgary - Scored 50 times last season and nine were winners, tied with Thomas Vanek and Brad Boyes for NHL lead.
3. Henrik Zetterberg, Detroit - Playoff MVP, scored 43 times in regular season, and scored a league-high 12 times to open a game.
ON THE FIRING SQUAD (three coaches)
1. Andy Murray, St. Louis - Blues finished next to last in the West, and appeared to have no clue on the power play. Overall expectations are low, and Murray might get gate just to keep fans engaged.
2. Denis Savard, Chicago - Hall of Fame coach Scotty Bowman is aboard as a senior adviser, and if Savard slips on the high expectations, Bowman no doubt will have a replacement at the ready.
3. Alain Vigneault, Vancouver - Was in place when new GM Mike Gillis took the gig this summer. Vigneault's job security is directly tied to goalie Roberto Luongo's save percentage. Anything lower than .901 in December and Vigneault is gone.
GENERAL MANAGERS IN A GENERAL MESS
1. Cliff Fletcher, Toronto - Assumed the oval office last season, amid the John Ferguson Jr. firing, and figured to stay aboard until Brian Burke was hired. Burke remains in Anaheim. Fletcher remains in purgatory.
2. Mike Gillis, Vancouver - He wanted to add Mats Sundin, and offered $20 million to bring the big Swede front and center to the offense. No Sundin. And no offense.
3. Dean Lombardi, Los Angeles - Ownership says all is good, they are willing to suffer through the guaranteed growing pains of a plotted youth movement. That's what they always say when they're figuring what to tell the next GM.
OLD GUYS WHO STILL HAVE IT
1. Nicklas Lidstrom (D), age 38, Detroit - One of the game's top five all-time blue liners. Now with six Norris trophies. Maybe a Hart in 2008-09 to top it off?
2. Martin Brodeur (G), age 36, New Jersey - Hasn't played fewer than 70 games in a season since 1996-97. Makes that Cal Ripken record look like light stretching.
3. Mike Modano (F), age 38, Dallas - Attach raw scrap metal to the bottom of his boots, and he would still be one of the game's smoothest, most stylish skaters.
BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK
1. Marian Hossa (F), Detroit - Could have gone long term for a free 0agent package worth upward of $90 million. Opted for a one-year Cup run with Winged Wheels at $7.4 million.
2. Chris Osgood (G), Detroit - Two Cups with Wings, including last season, and will average a meager $1.41 million each of the next three seasons. Hockey(home)town discount.
3. Martin Brodeur (G), New Jersey - Four more years at $5.2 million for St. Martin. Will own every meaningful goalie record by the end of this season, then add icing for three more.
GUYS YOU HATE UNLESS THEY ARE ON YOUR TEAM
1. Sean Avery (F), Dallas - His dastardly ways helped whip the Rangers into Cup contenders, but now he's a Star because the Blueshirts were afraid to pay him (four years at $3.87 million per). Or were they simply afraid of him?
2. Dan Carcillo (F), Phoenix - His 324 PIMs last season led league by nearly 100 minutes, and he played only 57 games. Only 6 feet and 205 pounds, but backs up his bark.
3. Darcy Tucker (F), Colorado - Became passive in Toronto last season, leading to a buyout by the Leafs. We'll see if he reconnects with his ornery self.
GUYS WHO GET IT DONE AT THE DOT
1. Rod Brind'Amour, Carolina - Missed a big chunk in the second half because of a knee injury, but he remains the No. 1 faceoff man (851/1460, 58.3 percent last season). If healthy, he'll easily win more than 1,000 drops again this season.
2. Marc Savard, Boston - Slow start last season, but came on strong, winning 802 times for 51.6 percent. Provided Patrice Bergeron is healthy and Stephane Yelle is on target, Savard could have his workload lowered by 20-25 percent.
3. Bobby Holik, New Jersey - Back with the Devils after winning 877 times (58.4 percent) in the circle last season for the Thrashers. Could make for some long nights, and a lot of retreating, in Atlanta.
HEY, HE SET ME UP
1. Joe Thornton (C), San Jose - Finished with 67 assists last season, his third straight season atop the league after averaging 94 the previous two seasons. Long reach, soft touch.
2. Marc Savard (C), Boston - Doesn't have Jumbo's reach or ability to contain puck in offensive end, but his sublime hands find the open man (63 times last season). Imagine what he could accomplish with a consistent finisher?
3. Pavel Datsyuk (C), Detroit - Never more than the 66 helpers he had last season in his dossier, but he has never had Marian Hossa to feed on a nightly basis. This could get ugly for the opposition right from the start.
THEY'LL WISH THEY HAD GONE TO RUSSIA
1. Todd Bertuzzi (F), Calgary - Continued to freefall last season with Ducks and was bought out at end of season. Flames followed by wasting $1.95 million to keep his dying dream on life support.
2. Owen Nolan (F), Minnesota - Barely got his blades chilled (77 games/32 points) with Calgary last season, then found a taker in Minnesota (two years/$5.5 million total). Salvagemarine.com sells anchors at much greater discount.
3. Sean O'Donnell (D), Los Angeles - After 2 1/2 seasons and one Cup in Anaheim, just got moved to the Kings, where he'll rotate in pairings with
ONE YEAR (OR LESS) FROM APPEARING IN LITE BEER COMMERCIALS
1. Glen Murray (F), TBA - Ol' Muzz, bought out by the Bruins in July, has yet to find work in the Original 30. Good guy. Sad ending.
2. Curtis Joseph (G), Toronto - Back for another tour with the Leafs, after averaging just more than 10 wins the past two seasons with Phoenix (18) and Calgary (3). CuJo, less filling, or what?
3. Brad Isbister (F), Ottawa - Reported to Senators camp on a two-way deal, then declined demotion to the minors. Rumored to be looking overseas, which will prove he can't put a puck in the ocean.
GO AHEAD, HIT ME . . . AGAIN . . . AGAIN . . . AGAIN . . .
1. Dustin Brown (F), Los Angeles - Led the league with 311 hits last season, despite the sideboards falling in all season with the Kings.
2. Dion Phaneuf (D), Calgary - Among the strongest, meanest hitters in the game, delivered 194 smacks, and also led all blue liners with 263 shots on net.
3. Zdeno Chara (D), Boston - Remains the big man on campus when it comes to crunch time. New teammate Michael Ryder claims he came to Boston, in part, not to play nail to Chara's hammer a minimum six times a season.
WHAT THE BRUINS NEED TO BECOME SERIOUS CONTENDERS
1. More mobility on the blue line. Maybe Dennis Wideman can be the guy, but he is prone to big boo-boos. Right now, no alternative if he's not the guy.
2. A healthy Manny Fernandez. The veteran goalie didn't get to show his goods last season, and ultimately required knee surgery. He's good. Better than many here think. But so was the Edsel.
3. A big year from Patrice Bergeron. No better way to quiet the doubters than to have a career year. For Bergy that would be 35-45 -80. 