Three Sleeper Teams for 2010 Season

Adam Steevens is a student, author and blogger who has semi-coherent thoughts about the NHL

Montreal Canadiens

Last season, the Habs were widely considered Cup-contenders until they thoroughly collapsed in the second half of their season. After dropping deep in the standings, they got bounced in the first round, and it was clear that the team needed a near-total retooling. Both Saku Koivu and Alex Kovalev found new teams through free-agency, and Bob Gainey was left trying to replace 115 points between the two star forwards. The Canadiens wasted no time bringing in fresh talent up front, and acquired Scott Gomez, Mike Cammaleri, and Brian Gionta. Adding these three forwards brings immense depth to a team that desperately needed it; and with two capable net-minders in Price and Halak, the Habs could sneak into a high seed in the East. Both Price an Halak have proven that they are capable of a starting job; I wouldn’t be surprised to see Gainey deal one of the two in exchange for some more depth at the deadline.

New York Rangers

The Rangers picked up one of the biggest names in the NHL, landing Marian Gaborik to a one-year deal. There’s no doubt that Gaborik has been injury-prone, but if he can return to his 2007 form (scoring 83 points over 77 games), he could help push the Rangers over the top in their highly competitive division. Don’t forget about the stellar goaltending the Blueshirts have in Henrik Lundqvist; he pretty much pushed the Capitals to a game seven single handedly last year. The Rangers have taken chances with other star players, (Lindros, Bure) and been burned before, but Gaborik could be the exception; he looks poised for a breakout year, not to mention the Rangers are deep in solid forwards (Dubinsky, Higgins, Drury, Kotalik) that will serve as a great supporting cast. Don’t be surprised if the Rangers can keep up with the big guns in the East; a solid season from both Gaborik and Lundqvist will easily put them in contention for the Cup.

St.Louis Blues

The Hockey News predicted that the Blues would miss the playoffs in their 2009 Yearbook; but this team is capable of much more. St. Louis could have a formidable offense if their younger forwards (Berglund, Oshie and Perron) all put up decent numbers. Combine that output with the experienced talent up front (Boyes, Kariya, Tkachuk, Mcdonald) and suddenly the top six look much more dangerous. There are some question marks surrounding the blue-line; Johnson is unproven at best, and Eric Brewer has been hit and miss throughout the previous two years. Barrett Jackman is a dependable upside for the Blues’ defense, but he’s prone to taking bad penalties. Look for Alex Peirtrangelo and Brendan Bell to make a push to sneak in the lineup; Peirtrangelo played a handful of games in 2009, but his performance wasn’t enough to earn him a starting spot. Just this week, the Blues invited Darryl Sydor to training camp, and if he makes the squad, he could help shore up this often-problematic defense. In net, Chris Mason has been a dependable keeper that has given the Blues the chance to win more times than not, and the front office even brought in more depth behind Mason when they acquired Ty Conklin from the Wings. St.Louis could quickly turn into a Western conference powerhouse if the pieces start to fall in place this season.

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