Upon Further Review

Let's continue with our look at the players on each team who have a question mark attached to their name going into the 2008-09 NHL campaign.

Detroit Red Wings: Henrik Zetterberg. The best player in the playoffs last season and for my money the player who deserved to win the Conn Smythe trophy. This could be the year Zetterberg challenges for the scoring title. Perfect timing as well as he’s a free agent at the end of the season. Detroit GM Ken Holland won’t let him get close to FA status though and the deal will be a whopper.

Also keep an eye on…Ville Leino. Ken Holland brought him in from Jokerit of the Finnish League thinking he would have an assured spot in the top six but that was before Detroit signed Marian Hossa. Does the Finnish scoring champ still have that spot?

Edmonton Oilers: Ales Hemsky. I know I say it every year but will this be the season Hemsky proves he can hang with the elite level players in the NHL? He has the entire skill set package but for whatever reason hasn’t been able to get his game THERE. Yet.

Also keep an eye on…Gilbert Brule. Injuries and inconsistent play dogged him in Columbus, perhaps a change of scenery (with a fast-paced, up tempo team like the Oilers) will get this highly skilled forward back on track.

Florida Panthers: Nathan Horton. Ollie Jokinen is finally gone and this now becomes Horton’s team. He’ll be expected to pick up the offensive slack left behind with the Jokinen departure. He’s capable of doing it and in the process become one of the premiere power forwards in the league.

Also keep an eye on… Jay Bouwmeester. If the Panthers are out of it come trade deadline expect Bouwmeester to be moved in a blockbuster because if this team doesn’t improve, he probably won’t resign and choose to go the free agent route. GM Jacques Martin will not let the big defenceman walk without getting something back.

Los Angeles Kings: Dustin Brown. He led the Kings in goals (33) and the entire league in hits (311). Is this the year the league finally notices this immense talent on the west coast? Maybe not until the Kings start winning hockey games. This throwback-type player is just flat out fun to watch.

Also keep an eye on…Drew Doughty. Like Brown, Doughty is a former member of the Guelph Storm of the OHL who comes into the organization with huge expectations. Doughty has a shot at winning the Calder and, even though he’s a rookie defenceman, will get the minutes on a team that is thin on the blue-line.

Minnesota Wild: Brent Burns. Quick and the best No. 8 in the league after that Ovechkin guy in Washington (and yes, Habs fans, you CAN make a case for Mike Komisarek). The best defenceman at last year’s world championship, Burns stepped up last year and showed that he’s close to being one of the top defenders in the NHL. This year should be another big step in that direction. Burns had off-season elbow surgery and there is a slim chance he won’t make the opener on Oct. 11 against the Boston Bruins.

Also keep an eye on… Marian Gaborik. In the final year of his contract, the Wild cannot afford to let him slip away to free agency at the end of the season for nothing in return. Blistering speed, a great shot (scored five goals in a game last season against the Rangers on Dec 20) and terrific hockey IQ, but Gaborik has never played a full season (last year he was close at 77 games) and has been plagued by groin injuries through his entire career.

Montreal Canadiens: Tomas Plekanec. Proved he was a first-line centre last season and was one of the main reasons why Alex Kovalev found his scoring touch (and love for the game) again. When clicking, the A. Kostitsyn-Plekanec-Kovalev line is one of the best in the NHL.

Also keep an eye on…Carey Price. Cucumber-cool during the regular season, Price felt the pressure towards the end of the Boston series and then stumbled a little when the Canadiens bowed out to the Philadelphia Flyers. How Price bounces back will be a big story as the Habs celebrate their 100th anniversary.

Nashville Predators: Alexander Radulov. The centre of controversy this off-season, the Radulov case will go a long way in determining how the NHL works with (or against) the KHL in the future. If he doesn’t play in Nashville this season, the franchise will have lost one of their top scorers (a very thin commodity on this team) and if he is forced to report what frame of mind will he be in? How will his teammates treat him? How about the fans?

Also keep an eye on…Dan Ellis. Came in and saved the Preds’ playoff chances late last season and was a playoff warrior for Nashville. The organization rewarded the effort with a new contract and a number one starting position (after trading Chris Mason to the St. Louis Blues).

New Jersey Devils: Brian Rolston. Originally a Devil, Rolston left Minnesota and didn’t do a deal with Tampa after his rights were traded so he could re-join Lou Lamarillo’s squad. Brought in mainly to score goals, Rolston is also a very effective two-way player and will probably end up anchoring the power play on the point (he still has one of the heaviest shots in the league).

Also keep an eye on…Martin Brodeur. The future Hall of Famer hasn’t had less than 70 starts since 1996-97. Is this the year Brodeur finally saves a little more in the tank for the playoffs? Don’t bet on it.

New York Islanders: Kyle Okposo. The Islanders haven’t been this excited about a rookie since Rick DiPietro turned pro after his nine-game audition late last season where Okposo showed flashes of a promising power forward career. The former seventh-overall pick in 2006 will be afforded huge minutes by new coach Scott Gordon as the franchise makes a serious commitment to giving their younger players a shot.

Also keep an eye on…Mark Streit. Bolted from the Canadiens in the off-season signing a five-year, $25.5 million deal. Unlike in Montreal, Streit will probably be used exclusively on the point where he’ll be expected to anchor the power play and eat up big minutes in all situations. He was a fourth-line winger and power-play specialist on defence in Montreal. Can he handle the new job description on the Island?

New York Rangers: Markus Naslund. Surprising the he signed with the Rangers after complaining about the style of hockey employed by Alain Vigneault (Tom Renney ain’t exactly John Tortorella). The Rangers have their fingers crossed that Naslund can click with Scott Gomez in a way that Jaromir Jagr couldn’t.

Also keep an eye on…Wade Redden. Was the last two seasons of sub-par play an indication that Redden’s career was already on the wane or was it a product of a poisoned environment in Ottawa? Redden has a huge chance (to go along with a huge contract) to prove that he’s one of the best defencemen in the Eastern Conference on the NHL’s biggest stage.

Up next ... Ottawa Senators, Philadelphia Flyers, Phoenix Coyotes, Pittsburgh Penguins, San Jose Sharks, St. Louis Blues, Tampa Bay Lightening, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks, Washington Capitals.

Hockey Night in Canada Radio returns to the airwaves Monday, Sept. 29 on Sirius channels 122 and 97 from 4-7 p.m. ET.

This year we’ve extended the show an hour. Same great guest lineup and more of the stars of Hockey Night in Canada including Kelly Hrudey, Ron MacLean, Cassie Campbell, Craig Simpson, Elliotte Friedman, Scott Morrison, and our new additions Marc Crawford and Mike Milbury.

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