Here's To Next Year

Alright, I can admit that I'm going through some withdrawals of hockey right about now.  But it's almost August, and soon pre-season and training camps will start.  It's gonna be tough to wait, especially since last season was so exciting, but hopefully I'll manage.

I'm sure I'm not the only one ready to go for next season though.  There are a few players that I think are going to have a big year next season, whether its a breakout player, or someone ready to redeem himself from a bad year, to a veteran looking for his last chance at the Cup.  These players are why I'm excited for next season, because I think they'll have a huge year.

Torey Krug - I definitely bandwagonned this guy after Boston's 2nd round victory over the Rangers.  He was a dynamite player on an already solid Bruins defence.  He was probably one of the biggest factors in the Ranger's demise.  He kind of fizzled out for the rest of the playoffs, and made some huge (if not game-changing) rookie errors, but overall he was huge for the Bruins.  I expect him to have a killer breakout season, and surprise many unsuspecting fans.

Daniel Alfredsson - I made a post about Alfredsson and his change of scenery a few weeks ago (actually it was my first non-introductory post), and I still hold true to what I said: that move was a win-win for all parties involved.  Alfredsson gets (probably) his last chance at the Stanley Cup with an annual contender like Detroit, who is retooled and one of my favourites heading into next year.  Alfredsson may not be the star that he once was, but he can play a solid game, and force opposing defences to spend more time on him and less on Datsyuk/Zetterberg.  That alone is a huge help for Detroit, as opposing teams could kill Detroit's offence by blocking those two.  Alfredsson is also going to be a mentor to a lot of young Griffins who will make the team this season, and get to play with countryman Zetterberg.  Its hard not to get excited for Alfie this season.

Jerome Iginla - Alright, you may have noticed that I like Iginla a bit, if you've read some of my other posts.  Its true, I'm a huge fan.  But all bias aside, I'm really excited for him this year.  He's on a team that fits his playing style, with a coach that will do wonders for him, and with line-mates that really complement him on the lineup.  I said before the original trade, Boston is the best team for Iggy, and (after some deadline-drama and a stint with the Penguins) it finally happened.  Boston took a bit of a hit this offseason, but Iggy paired with possibly Bergeron and Marchand?  I'm liking the Bruins odds already.

Cory Schneider - I don't know if I'm excited for him, as much as I'm excited to see the outcome of the whole Luongo-gate story.  I've said before that Schneider deserves to go somewhere else and earn his own starter role.  Still, I expected Luongo to be gone, and even less Schneider to be traded to a team like the Devils.  It looks odd at first, being backup* to Brodeur, but it makes perfect sense.  Brodeur's time in the league sadly is short, I'd be somewhat surprised if he was the starter at the end of the year, or beyond for that matter.  After him, there's zilch in the goaltending depth for NJ.  Schneider is a starter now.  Although he might not replace Brodeur, he's certainly worthy of a starting job there. At the same time, I'm excited to see if Luongo can rebuild his starting role, and if Bo Horvat was worth giving away Schneider for.  Right now, I'd be more excited to be a Devils fan than a Canucks one.

Teemu Selanne - Okay, so his NHL future hasn't been decided yet.  But judging from the fact he's accepted the invite to Finland's orientation camp for the Olympics, he will be playing, somewhere.  At 43 years old, he can still play with the best of them down in Anaheim.  He's fast, not as fast, but still has great speed and smarts in his game.  His workout ethic is legendary, and the leadership he can bring to any team is an asset all its own.  But Anaheim has almost filled it's cap space, and I have a hard time seeing him anywhere else in the NHL.  So if Anaheim doesn't pan out, then I see him playing for Jokerit in Finland.  For those that don't know, that was the team he played for before dominating the NHL.  I'd be sad if he left Anaheim for Finland, but be even more excited to see him in his 6th Olympics, unheard of for hockey (since NHLers couldn't play until 1998, so the most NHLer's since then could play was 5 Olympics).  Selanne is a lock for the HOF, but I hope he can extend his career just one more season in Anaheim, or get one more chance to win gold with Finland, who are legit contenders as always.

Sidney Crosby - What? Me excited for Sidney Crosby? Never.  Okay, maybe a little bit.

But here's the deal, this will be his 1st full season in how long?  Assuming he stays healthy, this will be his best chance to put Stamkos, Ovechkin and teammate Malkin to shame, and prove that he is the world's best hockey player.  He probably still is now anyway, but it's in doubt, considering the games he's played for the last few seasons.  And with Ovie looking as good as ever by the end of last season, maybe the biggest player rivalry since Iginla-Naslund can be newsworthy and entertaining once again.

Nino Niederreiter - I really like this guy.  The dominant Swiss forward has had some struggles in New York, but I would argue he wasn't given the chance he deserved to prove his worth.  Now he's with an upstart Minnesota team, who I believe are destined for great things this year.  I can see him being a star player in a few years, if given the opportunity too.  You'll also be hearing his name lots in the Olympics, as part of the underrated cast of Swiss players I expect will shock all and contend for a medal this year.  He's an electrifying player and I'm excited to see what a little ice-time can do for him in Minnesota.

Thats about all I got for now, see you (figuratively) tomorrow.