European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 1, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday october 1, 1991 the stars and stripes c Page 21 National hockey league preview ready or not 75th season arrives by Ken Rappoport / a hockey writer anything that could go wrong for the nil in the off season did go wrong. An unsettled collective bargaining agreement an unsettled television contract a couple of expansion franchises in financial trouble uproar Over free agents and a celebrated no. 1 draft pick snubbing the league. The players contract could be the leagues biggest continuing headache As the nil opens its 75th season thursday with the original six teams a new York rangers Boston Bruins Detroit red wings Chicago Blackhawk Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal canadians a playing each other wearing replicas of their earlier uniforms. Owners and players met several times Over the summer sometimes acrimonious by in an attempt to fashion a new collective bargaining agreement by the time the old one expired on sept. 15. No agreement was reached and nil president John Ziegler was not hopeful of a Quick settlement although he did say substantial Progress had been made since the talks began last june. If no agreement is reached the players have the option of a strike and the own ers of a lockout. To the owners horror the players have called for abolition of the entry draft for amateurs and removal of All restrictions on free Agency. Eric Lindros for one would approve wholeheartedly of the abolition of the draft. The celebrated no. 1 pick of this years draft by the Quebec Nordques has made an Issue of his individual rights. The 18-year-old Lindros who made a Strong showing for team Canada in the Canada cup tournament has made no secret about his objections to playing in Quebec. He has followed through with his announced intention to go Back to juniors rather than play for the Nordques. The free agent situation meanwhile came to a boiling Point Over the summer Evhen an arbitrator awarded High profile defens Eman Scott Stevens to the new Jersey devils As compensation for the St. Louis blues signing Forward Brendan Shanahan. Stevens of course was a big name free agent himself the year before. When he left Washington to sign an unprecedented contract for a defens Eman with St. Louis it Cost the blues five future first round picks As compensation. Prince of Wales conference Outlook by Tim naw Lofti ilm Mpatrick division new Jersey devils last season 32-33-15, 79 Points fourth in division. Playoffs lost in seven games in 1st round. Strengths. Scoring potential from Stephana Richer toughness and leadership from Scott Stevens and a better than average goalie in Chris Terrell. Weaknesses. As a general manager Lou Lamoriello is from the old school a everybody knows who s Boss but a heavy handed touch sometimes backfires. After All the shuffles it s time for results. Miscellaneous. A puzzling frustrating team. The language differences in the locker room Are symbolic of other fissures. Outlook. Devils should win the  penguins last season. 41-33-6, 88 Points. Won division seventh Overall. Playoffs won Stanley cup. Strengths Mario Lemieux Back permitting remains one of the game s Best three. Jaromir jagr displays Edge of your seat Talent. Weaknesses. This team was slightly better than average in an average division giving up 305 goals in regular season fewer than Only Quebec Vancouver and Toronto. But pens got hot at the right time. The illness of coach Bob Johnson presents uncertainty. Miscellaneous. Can the team minimize the negative effects of Johnson s health problems and the possible Sale of the franchise Outlook. A slip Back to .500 and a Rod of the Dice in the  York rangers last season. 36-31-13, 85 Points second place. Playoffs lost to Washington in first round. Strengths. Mike Richter is one of the Best Young goalies in the league. Ditto for Brian Leetch on defense. Weaknesses. Two upper management positions Are vacant. This can t inspire Confidence. Miscellaneous. Major turnover of personnel on the Forward lines. How will it shake out a healthy Tim Kerr would help. Adam Graves won t Hurt. Outlook. The usual wailing and gnashing of  flyers last season. 33-37-10. 76 Points fifth place. Playoffs did t qualify. Strengths. Rick Tocchet is a Grade a Wing. Center Mike Ricci should continue to improve. Steve Duchesne can help the defense and Power play. Weaknesses. Age. Injury and bad chemistry have sapped a once ferocious franchise. Miscellaneous. If Ron Hextall is healthy and Happy he is a goalie who can spark a team. He Hasnal been much of either in the last two seasons. Outlook. Back in the  capitals last season. 37-38-7, 81 Points third place. Playoffs lost to Pittsburgh in second round. Strengths. Kevin Hatcher leads the offence from a defensive position which is Good for him but not an indication of team scoring Power. Weaknesses. No big gun on the Forward line. The years the injuries and the off Lee escapades Nave taken a toll on Dino Csc Carlell. Miscellaneous. Good coaching and Good goal ending got the maximum from this mediocre team last season. General manager David Poile likes to make deals can he find the sniper and the setup Man he needs Outlook. At least better than the  York islanders last1 season. 25-45-10. 60 Points sixth place. Playoffs did t Ness is yet another  Mike Milbury \ i to the front office. Still up new who Poi Moi strengths. Pat Lafontaine and Brent Sutter Are top notch centers who could find work with other teams. Both would like to. Weaknesses. Little scoring from the wings Little firepower from the Blue line. Miscellaneous. The owner wants to sell the team. It could be Best for All concerned. Outlook. Bleak. Could Challenge san Jose for worst record in  division Montreal canadians last season. 39-30-11, 89 Points second place. Playoffs lost to Boston in second round. Strengths. Pat Burns is a Good coach who has quickly become a senior Man in continuing service with the same dub. Patrick Roy his goalie has something to do with that. Great checkers. Weaknesses. French names alone Don t give an offence flair or explosiveness. Can Kirk Muller be the Loose Cannon the habs need or will disciplinarian bums allow anyone to be miscellaneous. Matt Schneider Petr Svoboda and Eric Desjardins might Ripen into a defensive troika in the Mold of Larry Robinson Serge Savard and Guy Lapointe who anchored the cup dynasty from 1976 through 1979. Outlook. It has been five years since the canadians won a Stanley cup a a Long time by their standards. Cup in t out of the  Bruins last season. 44-24-12, 100 Points first place. Playoffs lost to Pittsburgh in third round. Strengths. Andy Moog is a steady established Star in the r a so is Ray Bourque on defense. Steady established Star in the net. Is Ray l _ a weaknesses. Lack of size among the forwards. Center Craig Janney is plenty Slick but not a Leader in the Gretzky Messier Mold. Miscellaneous. Rick Bow the players were already chafing under the no la a Tough free Agency rules and the Shanahan ruling Only increased their bitterness. St. Louis Brett Hull suggests that the decision to award Stevens to new Jersey As compensation for Shanahan was punishment for the blues audacity in signing Stevens and Shanahan. A Uttie message was Clear done to sign free agents a Hull said. While there Wasny to much movement of free agent players  off season there were plenty of trades involving such Well known names As Grant Fuhr Glenn Anderson Kirk Muller Stephan Richer Doug Wilson and Tim Kerr. Another big name player in a new City was Jari Kerri the former Oiler who joined the los Angeles Kings after a year in Europe. That reunited him with Wayne Gretzky his former Lin mate on the great Oiler teams of the 1980s. With Gretzky and Kerri together again the Kings Are regarded As one of the pre season favourites for the Stanley cup. Along with the 75th anniversary this will be a unique season for the nil in another Way for the first time the league will use video replay cameras to Settle arguments Over goals. Aflfe no. 1 pick Eric Lindros. Pondering Choice Clarence Campbell conference Outlook coach moves there on top is Harry Sideri whose teams just keep making the playoffs and making Money. Outlook. If Cam Neely does t fully recover from his thigh injury the Bruins could plunge to the Middle of the  sabres last season. 31-30-19, 81 its third place. Playoffs lost to Lontreal in first round. Strengths. Aleksandr Mogil no one of the second generation of soviets in the nil seems More settled after a rough adjustment. Dale Hawer Chuk Dave Andreychuk and Pierre Turgeon Are proven Point producers. Weaknesses. No superstars on defense or in the net. Not a Superior skating team. Like the rangers this team lacks a certain steel. Miscellaneous. John luckier moves Over from coaching Edmonton to take a front office position. If team gets off to a bad Start coach Rick Dudley or general manager Gerry Meehan might be looking Over their shoulders. Outlook. A puzzling team that underachieved last season. A playoff berth is Likely. Goalie Daren Puppa needs a return to  whalers last season. 31-38-11, 73 Points fourth place. Playoffs lost to Boston in six games in first round. Strengths. Zarley a Lapsky and his Zalyap shot Jimmy Roberts starts As coach with a successful background in the minors. Weaknesses. Trade of Ulf Samuelsson left Gap on defense. Offence and goal ending so so. Misc Vaneous. Of the nil were a neighbourhood the whalers would be a garage Sale. A Lapsky John Cullen Pat Verbeek Rob Brown and Andrew Cassels Are All trying to prove their former teams were wrong about them. Outlook if the recession continues on both the ice and in the regional Economy this could become a troubled franchise at the Box  Nordques last season. 16-50-14, 46 Points last place. Playoffs did t qualify. Strengths. Some of the Best Young Talent in the sport with Joe Sakic Mats Sundlun Valeri Kanensky Owen Nolan Kip Miller and a rehabilitating Bryan Fogarty. Weaknesses. Porous defense and weak special teams. If talented soviet defens Eman Mikhail tatar nov has such potential Why did Washington give up on him so quickly miscellaneous. The Eric Lindros question overshadows everything. His an Val or Trade would reshape the team for the better. Outlook a rebuilding team that will leave the nil cellar and contend for a playoff berth. Poll Mir by the new York time Norris division Chicago Blackhawk last season. 49-23-6, 106 its first place. Playoffs lost to Minnesota in the first round. Strengths. De Belfour in goal probably deserved most of those awards he received after last season. Chris Chelios is Chicago s Best defens Eman and one of Hock-0v�3 finest. Weaknesses. Defense thinned is bit by loss of Doug Wilson. Could use another offensive minded Center. Miscellaneous. Sometimes when the Best team in the regular season gets embarrassed in the first round of the playoffs the players Are sending a signal to management. Mike Keenan is a great coach who has been known to Wear on his players and to Wear out his Welcome. Outlook. Sound and fury not All of it  red wings last season. 34-38-8, 76 Points third place. Playoffs lost to St. Louis in first round. Strengths. Sergei Fedorov is the Best soviet yet to play on this Side of the world. He and Steve Yzerman make up the Best Center tandem since Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier led the oilers. Weaknesses. Not enough scoring from the wings. Average at Best on defense and in net. Too Many Good shooters to have such a bad Power play. Miscellaneous. Coach Bryan Murray brought Detroit Back to respectability last season but the next step up will be even harder. Outlook. The right Trade for a goalie or a top defens Eman could put Detroit Over the . Louis blues last season. 47-22-11, 105 Points second place. Playoffs lost to Minnesota in six games in second round. Strengths. Adam Oates and Brett Hull Are the league s Best Center Wing duo for setting up and finishing off. Brendan Shanahan could produce a Point total in triple figures. Weaknesses. The departure of Scott Stevens leaves a huge Gap on the defense. Miscellaneous. Goal ending not necessarily a strength will be tested More without Stevens. Outlook. A fun team to follow because the coach demands Effort and the general manager is willing to pay the Price to build. But blues should fall Back just a Little in a Tough Norris  North stars last season. 27-39-14, 68 Points fourth place. Playoffs lost to Pittsburgh in six games in Stanley cup finals. Strengths. Mark ten Oft has emerged As a respected defens Eman and May get even better. Jon Casey May be the Best goalie . Weaknesses. Lota of Nell Wilkinson to san Jose in the expansion draft we Hurt the defense. Miscellaneous. New uniform logo new fabric on the seats Many new fees on the roster. After a stunning run to the Stanley cup finals what do the stars do for an encore Outlook strange As it seems a .500 record would be a huge improvement but when it happens it May seem like a step  Maple Leafs last season. 23-46-11, 57 Points fifth place. Playoffs did t qualify. Stre strengths. Grant Fuhr probably past his prime is an established goalie of exalted reputation. Weaknesses. Leafs Lack big scorers and they traded their Best Vincent Damphousse. From top to Bottom this franchise is a mess. Miscellaneous. With Cliff Fly Fefer now leading the front office the team could turn Over a new Leaf if Given time. Outlook. Leafs could be respectable and interesting a a major change a but will be fortunate to qualify for Post season  division los angelas Kings last season. 46-24-10, 102 Points first place. Playoffs lost to Edmonton in the second round. Strengths. The reunion of Wayne Gretzky with Jari Kerri maxes for a Nice Story. With Omas Sandstrom on their line they could be the nil s most productive Trio. Weaknesses. A team that must rely on 20-year vet or an Larry Robinson to play a big role is thin on defense. Miscellaneous. Kings might be another Trade away from their final form. Could Eric Lindros be the Guy Outlook Showtime Calgary flames last season. 46-26-8, 100 Points second place. Playoffs lost to Edmonton in the first round. Strengths. The flames have a balanced and productive attack led by Theo Fleury Al Macon nos Doug Humour and Joe Nile Owen Dyk if healthy. Macon nos and Gary Suter Anchor one of the league s Best defences. Weaknesses. Goal ending could become a problem if Mike Vernon in t Happy. Miscellaneous. Doug also Brough is now general manager As Well Sis coach. Quite a bit of responsibility for a Young Man with limited experience. Outlook a contender for first place but a stiff Challenge again in the  oilers last season. 37-37-6. 80, third place. Playoffs lost to Minnesota in five games in the third round. Strengths. A president and general manager Glen Sather who knows How to shuffle the deck and Deal himself a winning hand. Esa Tikkanen is a Premier two Way Forward. Weaknesses. Depth in t what it once was even in the coaching ranks with the loss of John luckier to the Buffalo front office. Miscellaneous. For a team that made it to the final four there have been plenty of salary disputes and personnel changes with maybe More on the Way. Outlook. They tend to treat the regular season As an 80-game training Camp before getting serious in the  jets last season. 26-43-11, 63 Points. Fifth Placo. Playoffs did t qualify. Strengths. Phil Housley is one of those attack oriented do Fen semen whom every modern coach comets. A Good goalie in Bob Essensa weaknesses. The Quot fab four Quot on defense Aren t As rugged As Thoy Are skilled. Miscellaneous. Winnipeg is the Buffalo of West. Like the sabres the jets play in an old building. Both have rosters that Lack Pizazz. Outlook. A Little improvement a playoff berth a round or two of  canucks last season. 28-43-9, 65 Points fourth place. Playoffs lost to los Angeles in first round. Strengths. Cliff Ronning brought a needed spark late last season. Trevor Linden is their Best player. Weaknesses. Not enough skill on defense. Front line lacks a True top gun. Miscellaneous. Pat Quinn the coach and general manager moves from team to team pulling rebuilding programs out of his briefcase. Outlook. North of san  Jose Sharks strengths. Kolly Kisio Brian Mullen and Tony Hrkac could generate enough offence to keep some games respectable. Weaknesses. Uko any expansion team the Sharks Are a collection of spare parts. Miscellaneous with Craig Cox and link Gaetz the Sharks have two of hockey s More notorious fighters Goon hockey both attracts and repels people while it establishes an identity for an expansion team. Outlook. Last Overall. Playing the Sharks seven times will help inflate the records of divisional foes