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The Vancouver Canucks were that close to ending the reign of the Colorado Avalanche in the Northwest Division last spring. They don't figure to get that close again this season.
All Vancouver needed to unseat Colorado was a tie or overtime loss in its regular-season finale. But the Canucks, who finished second in the NHL in scoring, were shut out by the Los Angeles Kings.
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At least this season, if the Canucks don't eclipse the Avalanche, it probably
won't be because - as Vancouver captain Markus Naslund suggested - they "choked."
Instead, Colorado responded to its stunning first-round playoff loss to the Minnesota Wild with the all-time coup of free agency. On July 3, Avalanche general manager Pierre Lacroix reunited former linemates Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne in one bold step. Ticketmaster
The signings give second-year coach Tony Granato four 50-goal scorers and two Hart Trophy winners. Kariya and Selanne figure to flank Joe Sakic on the NHL's best second line. The first line features Art Ross Trophy winner Peter Forsberg, Maurice Richard Trophy winner Milan Hejduk and Alex Tanguay.
Colorado also boasts three solid defensemen in former Norris Trophy winner Rob Blake, Adam Foote and Derek Morris.
So the Avalanche should waltz to an unprecedented 10th division title, right? Probably, but not definitely.
That's because as opening night approaches, there's still a formidable set of pads to be filled. Patrick Roy retired last June and Colorado appears content to go with former backup David Aebischer and untested Philippe Sauve, the son of former NHL goalie Bob Sauve. Ticketmaster
Aebischer is unfazed by the prospect of succeeding a sure Hall of Famer.
"You still have to stop the puck," the 25-year-old from Switzerland said. "There are going to be nights when we score three or four goals, and that's going to help us. But there are going to be close games, too, and you have to stop the puck."
Who's going to be stopping the puck also is a question that will be answered over time in Vancouver.
Dan Cloutier starred early last season for the Canucks, but his playoff numbers - a 3.24 goals-against average and .869 save percentage - have created doubters on Canada's West Coast. Ticketmaster
One of them, despite his public pronouncements, appears to be Vancouver general manager Brian Burke, who acquired Johan Hedberg from the Pittsburgh Penguins in late August.
Whoever emerges as the No. 1 goalie will play behind a defense that isn't afraid to take the occasional foray into the offensive zone. Ed Jovanovski was 10th in scoring among NHL defensemen and Mattias Ohlund had a chance to crack the top 10 had he not missed 23 games due to a knee injury.
Up front, the Canucks boast a No. 1 line that rivals Colorado. Left wing Todd Bertuzzi is the league's premier power forward and was fifth in scoring with 46 goals and 51 assists. Right wing Markus Naslund nearly eclipsed Forsberg for the Art Ross Trophy, finishing a close second with 48 goals and 56 assists.
But Vancouver lacks the scoring depth of the Avalanche and will turn to youngsters to replace gritty veterans Trevor Letowski and Trent Klatt, who left via free agency. Ticketmaster
The Canucks' season ended last year at the hands of the Wild, who have their own holes to fill as they come off their amazing run to the conference finals.
Only three Western Conference teams scored fewer goals last season than Minnesota. And as the preseason wound down, the Wild were without their top three point producers.
Two-time 30-goal scorer Marian Gaborik and Pascal Dupuis were holding out for new contracts and veteran Cliff Ronning was not offered a contract after totaling 17 goals and 31 assists.
"I didn't really have the chance to think about Gaborik and DuPuis not being here," Minnesota coach Jacques Lemaire said. "I've got so many guys that I want to try and see if they can get to the next level."
The Wild are completely dedicated to Lemaire's smothering defense-first system, so much so that Burke likened it to a "cult." But some cultists are more equal than others and Lemaire will be hard-pressed to duplicate the postseason success without Gaborik and Dupuis.
Lemaire will stick with the two-goalie system that worked so well during the playoffs. Minnesota also ranked fourth defensively during the regular season, with Manny Fernandez and Dwayne Roloson combining for a league-leading .924 save percentage.
Part of that is the result of Lemaire's commitment to team defense that kept the Wild in most games, even in their first two seasons, when they combined for 51 wins. There are few stars in Minnesota, but Willie Mitchell is an emerging one on defense after helping shut down Peter Forsberg and Todd Bertuzzi in consecutive playoff series.
The Wild also will be better with a healthy Brad Bombardir, who missed the final 20 games of the season with a back injury, leaving the blue line somewhat light.
One thing Minnesota did not do last season was deviate from general manager Doug Risebrough's plan for long-term success, a plan that places a premium on developing prospects and frowns on free spending.
While the Wild avoid a high payroll as a matter of principle, the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames do so out of necessity.
Mike Comrie may become the latest in a long line of productive players who found their way out of Edmonton due to financial considerations. An Edmonton native, Comrie was second on the team in scoring in 2001-02 and fifth last season, when he missed 13 games due to a broken thumb. But he reportedly is on the trading block following an impasse over salary demands.
Somehow, the Oilers have found a way to make the playoffs six of the last seven seasons, despite trading away stars like Bill Guerin, Doug Weight, Anson Carter and Janne Niinimaa. Speedy center Todd Marchant posted career highs with 20 goals and 40 assists last season, but Edmonton could not re-sign him and he left for the Columbus Blue Jackets.
With Marchant gone, if Comrie is not in the lineup on opening night, the Oilers have just two returning 20-goal scorers in Ryan Smyth and Mike York. But they will continue to play a fan-friendly, up-tempo style that relies on overall team speed.
Edmonton also has a solid defense anchored by Olympian Eric Brewer, captain Jason Smith and Steve Staios, who enjoyed a career season in 2002-03. Cory Cross was acquired before the trade deadline and played well enough to earn a three-year contract. He and 22-year-old Alexei Semenov add size.
The Oilers could go as far as Tommy Salo takes them. He hasn't quite been the same since his Olympic disappointment against Belarus and last season was one of three playoff goalies with a save percentage under .900. Jussi Markkanen was traded, leaving the backup role to untested Ty Conklin.
Goaltending also is a concern in Calgary, where Roman Turek finished outside the top 25 in both goals-against average and save percentage. He also had a propensity for giving up goals at the wrong time.
Coach Darryl Sutter had a long meeting with Turek after the season in an attempt to set him straight. Ticketmaster
Sutter may be the Flames' biggest strength as they try to end the NHL's longest postseason drought - it's been seven years since the Saddledome hosted a playoff game.
Jarome Iginla is the Flames' best asset on the ice. He slumped to 35 goals last season but scored 20 in a 21-game span down the stretch, leaving reason to believe he can approach the 51 he netted in 2001-02.
With Iginla's production down, captain Craig Conroy's numbers experienced a similar dip. Chris Drury was traded after just one season in Calgary, leaving veteran Martin Gelinas as Sutter's only other returning 20-goal scorer.
Rhett Warrener, who came over with Steve Reinprecht in the Drury trade, will add experience to an emerging defense built around youngsters Robyn Regehr and former Hobey Baker Award winner Jordan Leopold.
One of Sutter's priorities will be re-establishing a home-ice advantage. At 14-16-10-1, the Flames were the only Western Conference team with a losing record at home.
"We have to improve intensity and be able to continually roll out four lines, similar to what we did in San Jose," Sutter said. "We need a level of intensity that doesn't waiver."