Watch out for

Who are the players you will be looking at with interest this season? My top 10 are below:

Anders Lindback, G, Tampa Bay
I wish the Leafs had traded for him. With an improved D in front of him including Matt Carle, Sami Salo, Eric Brewer and Victor Hedman the Bolts could be a force to be reckoned with in the East considering the offensive options they boast. Anders always played well in Nashville but never got more than 22 games behind Pekka Rinne. The short 44 game season might help him adapt.

Dougie Hamilton, D, Boston
A Toronto native picked 9th overall in the 2011 Entry Draft, the often forgotten pick in the infamous Phil Kessel trade. Like Tyler Seguin I will always be interested to see how his career pans out. He is being highly touted already with comparison to Rob Blake! However consider that not long ago he was playing against kids in the OHL and tonight against the likes of Brad Richards and Ryan Callaghan and it will be interesting to see if he can adapt.

Brendan Smith, D, Detroit
A one-way ticket from Grand Rapids means the 23 year old is if not the direct replacement for HHOF lock Nik Lidstrom at least indirectly filling that space on the blue line. Scheduled to play alongside Kyle Quincey, himself in need of a rebound season. The Redwings have typically made him wait 6 years for a shot at the big time and their record suggests that can only be a good thing.

Damien Brunner, RW, Detroit
Played alongside newly installed Wings captain Henrik Zetterburg in the Swiss league during the lock-out and dominated, top the scoring charts ahead of even his more illustrious partner. Head Coach Mike Babcock has already been talking positively about the 26 year old and it looks like he will get plenty of time with the man advantage and Datsyuk.

Justin Schultz, D, Edmonton
Perhaps the most highly anticipated rookie this season. The 23 year old has spent the lock-out playing with Taylor Hall and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins for the AHL Oklahoma City Barons and scored 18 goals and finished second in league scoring to fellow Baron and Oiler Jordan Eberle. If there are any worries about him it is his ability to play down low without the puck in his own zone.

Adam Larsson, D, New Jersey
There are doubts if Larsson will even make opening night with the Devils retaining eight defensemen on their roster. However it would be odd if a mega prospect like Larsson was a healthy scratch, if he isn’t going to play then why not send him back to minors? It figures therefore he will play ahead of Harrold and probably Volchenkov.

Vladimir Taserekno, RW, St Louis
34 KHL games yielded 34 points whilst 23 goals and 47 points in 54 NHL games were achieved with not much fanfare. What has been noted is how he clicked with the speedy Kovalchuk. Could he exploit Andy MacDonald’s speed in the same way?

Seymon Varmarlov, G, Colorado
Rocky first season in Denver and was lucky to be bailed out by Giguere. Excelled in the KHL first overall in save % (94.6) and goals against average (1.74). Will he be able to translate this to the NHL? The Avalanche could really do with it.

Peter Mueller, RW, Florida
Following a trade from Phoenix to Colorado in the 2009-2010 season Muller exploded for 20 points in 15 games. However injuries have always been a staple part his career with just 32 games since and 254 games in 6 seasons. Fit and healthy and playing with Huberdeau and Kovalev it will be interesting to see if he really has what it takes to be a star in this league.

Sven Baertschi, LW, Calgary
Mentored by Jarome Iginla he could have a big role to play in Calgary. Pencilled in on a line with Mike Cammalleri and Mikael Backlund he has received a lot of attention from Bob Hartley but has been told there is no pressure on him to produce, so he likely will.


Two more I will be keeping an eye out for:

Beau Bennett, W, Pittsburgh
Had been scrimmaging on Evengi Malkin’s wing before being sent back to AHL. Outside shot for a recall at some point given lack of skilled players on Pittsburgh wing.

Boone Jenner, C, Columbus
Been reassigned to his junior team but with the strength of Columbus’s roster I would not be surprised if he gets a shot at some point given his WJC performances.

Forget the rest...Tarasenko

Double bubble in his first game.

The first - one on one with Howard, cool as cucumber and only 6mins into his debut.

The second - oozed quality. Ghosting passed Wings d-men like they weren't there, before leaving Howard completely bamboozled.

The boy is Mootard and going to out Ovi - Ovi

Huberdeau looked good for Florida. Didn't see Galchenyuk but people seem to have boners for him.

I forgot about Huberdeau even though I wrote his name when talking about Mueller

Glad Huberdeau is finally getting a shot at the NHL and by looking at the highlights of floridas first game he did pretty good.

He is one of the players i am going to keep an eye on, others include:

Parise and Suter: Both big money free agents taken by Minnesotta, will be interesting to see if they can take the wild pretty far in the play-offs.

Granlund: Shot to fame with this insane goal against russia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JazGHYDwp-s and now in the big leauges, will be nice to see if he can pull some of this stuff out in Minnesotta.

Yakupov: First pick in the 2012 draft, always going to garner some attention especially playing with the likes of Hall, Eberle, Nugent-Hopkins and co.

Grigorenko: If i remember rightly this guy was ranked top 5 in the scouting charts and was taken 12th overall by Buffalo. Personal reason to watch him as there was a degree of confidence that the newly departed leafs GM Brian Burke would take him to try and solve our centre issues. If he bodes out well then thats another missed player to add to leafs history.

Galchenyuk: see above, another highly ranked centre assumed to go to the leafs.

Oh and can some one please tell me why Ryan Strome did not make the Islanders this year?

I'm looking forward to see how Parise helps Heatley too. Good start with two goals in the crease.

Strome won't get a look in at the Islanders whilst Tavares is there...I think he has a ' No one is allowed to out shine me ' clause in his contract!

Brunner



How long do you think a boner should last? I mean, I'm into hour number 6 and I'm starting to get worried...

rugby-leafhockeyrocker wrote:
Grigorenko: If i remember rightly this guy was ranked top 5 in the scouting charts and was taken 12th overall by Buffalo. Personal reason to watch him as there was a degree of confidence that the newly departed leafs GM Brian Burke would take him to try and solve our centre issues. If he bodes out well then thats another missed player to add to leafs history.

Galchenyuk: see above, another highly ranked centre assumed to go to the leafs.

Grigorenko and Galchenyuk were never going to get drafted by the Leafs while Burke was in charge - they are far to skilful, play centre where the Leafs need a decent player, and are foreign (or foreign extraction). The only player Burke wanted in the draft was Clubber Lang....

I do love Brunners SO move. Very sexy indeed!