NHL teams
John Buccigross, SportsCenter anchor 10y

Rejoice, puckheads, the bag is back

NHL, Detroit Red Wings, Buffalo Sabres

I'm always reluctant to comment on negotiations like this, because the situation can end so quickly. For those of you outside of Columbus, Ryan Johansen had a good season last year. He had 63 points in 82 games, tied for 34th in the NHL. A good year, not a great year. Bryan Little of the Winnipeg Jets had more points. Johansen's agent is Kurt Overhardt, who is referred to those around the NHL as Kurt "Overcharge." Overhardt has a history of having his players hold out of training camp.

One reason I don't have an agent is that I don't want someone else speaking for me or possibly withholding information from me. Johansen doesn't need an agent. He knows what every player in the NHL makes. He should find his comparable, sign a two-year, $7.5 million to $8 million deal a year, and get on with improving as an NHL player. The Superintendent of Danglebus has saucy paws, great reach and really showed a heightened willingness to battle and even fight last season. There is no reason he can't grow as a player, but there is also no guarantee he will. What if last season was one of his best? Jordan Staal had 29 goals as an 18-year-old. Staal is now 26 and those 29 goals remains a career high.

Johansen is fortunate that he plays on a good team with a solid organization that has helped bring him to this point. And, yes, he has helped the Blue Jackets reach this point. In this case, I believe the agent is doing his client a disservice, and the player should instruct his agent to get a two-year deal done now.

Jonathan Drouin should have an excellent chance at the rookie of the year award with Tampa Bay, because the Lightning are a good team with good forward.

Johnny Gaudreau of the Calgary Flames should also have a chance to produce since he should get opportunity to play and is 21 years old. Gaudreau is only 160 pounds, so it is still unclear if he can stay healthy and stay strong playing against such strong men for a full season, but he has one of those Mensa hockey minds that helps him survive and thrive among bigger players.

I would say a slight loss. Paul Stastny is a good player. A centerman. Two-way player. That was a great signing by the St. Louis Blues also, because he is such a great fit for them.

I was very bullish before last season on Jarome Iginla in Boston. I forecasted here that he would score 30 goals. I liked the pace that David Krejci and Milan Lucic played for Iginla. Krejci is methodical and Lucic is one of the best puck retrievers in the NHL. That was a great fit for Iginla. I don't think Colorado is as good a fit and don't think Iginla will get 30 goals in Denver this season.

There is no doubt that missing out on players such as Zach Parise, Ryan Suter or Shea Weber hurt the Detroit Red Wings in terms of Stanley Cup probability. They knew those players weren't a guarantee to get, but they put themselves in a position to get them and didn't. That meant a smaller margin for error in terms of veteran health and young players blossoming quickly.

So, yes, they need Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg to play 70-75 games this season. That will instantly help their chances. But, they also need Jimmy Howard to have a career season and for their young players to keep improving. The Red Wings are a well-stocked franchise. However, they know you win Stanley Cups with high-level, younger talent. They will need one or two players in their deep crop to grow even more than they think they might.

That's a good question. I will say Stastny, because St. Louis needs him to score. Ryan Kesler should be re-energized in Anaheim. Great weather, really good team. With Corey Perry on the first line and Kesler on the second, the Ducks will not be a fun team to play against. Kesler had a quiet 25 goals in 77 games last season. If he can duplicate and be a top-3 Selke candidate, he could be the one with the bigger impact. Kesler is also a good power-play scorer.

The Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Rangers and Columbus Blue Jackets are my top three in the Metropolitan Division. The Penguins made lots of changes, so I will say Rangers will win it. As long as Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin play 75-plus games, they will roll out of bed with 95-100 points. If things come together quickly, they will easily clear 100 and have a great chance to win the division and maybe the Eastern Conference regular-season points title.

Minnesota or Michigan, probably. Both teams have multiple players whom we will see in the NHL soon. ESPNU and ESPNEWS will once again broadcast Big Ten college hockey games this upcoming season.

Boston College would probably be the slight favorite. Providence has an excellent chance to give BC a good challenge. Northeastern should a factor again. Boston University will be very interesting to watch as Jack Eichel, a possible No. 1 overall NHL draft pick, will lead the Terriers' rebuilding to national prominence. He will be a one-and-done player and will be in the NHL next season, in all likelihood.

Columbus is set up to be a top-4 team in the Eastern Conference. The Blue Jackets were a 93-point team last season, and if things go their way with health, they could be a 100-point team this season. If they can get Ryan Johansen signed, their organizational momentum should continue. Scott Hartnell will play in his 1,000th game this season, and he's only 32. The Blue Jackets he can use that experience to score 25 greasy goals while keeping the Gong Show antics to a minimum.

Shayne Ghostisbehre, who led Union College to an NCAA national championship last season, will see some NHL action this season. The Philadelphia Flyers could follow the Torey Krug model and have "Ghost" play a full season in the AHL to get acclimated to the pro game. Now, the Boston Bruins had much more defensive depth when they were able to bring Krug along slowly. The Flyers have a more pressing need for an impact defenseman, so he might be given a chance this season, and if he steps in and produces right away, then there is no turning back.

No. But, the Sabres are slowly collecting high-end talent. Now it's just a matter of watching them get better and finding a star in the group to build around. The future is bright in Buffalo.

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