Highlanders 2013

The Highlanders

L: St Louis-TBay FP, Hall-Edm, Marchand-Bos, Fleischmann-Fla RFA, Perron-StL P2, Kreider-NYR P2

Rating: 4

StLouis may be nearing the end-game, but despite his age he continues to put up FP worthy stats. Hall is definitely not the sharpest crayon in the box (fun fact: he failed an open-book boating exam, 3 times! And then told everybody on Twitter), but his physical tools are top of the line. He's primed for a breakout season, but, but, but, his style of play (which is always hell bent for leather), leads to him getting rocked and hammered with appalling frequency. He might score at a 40 goal pace and then plow head first into the boards at top speed. Needless to say, I love the guy. Marchand is Ken Linesman redux. An undersized nasty rat of a forward with enough skill to play a 2nd line scoring role, while causing enough havok to be worthy of a TG slot. Pat Verbeek would be proud. Fleischmann rebuilt his career into that of a replacement level forward in Florida, but I have to believe he is a place holder for Perron, whose return from concussion issues bodes well as he is a talented enough sniper that he could move easily into the space behind Hall, or take over for Hall when the latter train-wrecks. Kreider is an intriguing blend of size, speed and skill, but his breakout year is likely still a season away. Lots of upside on this wing, with only a few concerns (StLouis' age, Hall's durability, the length of the suspension Marchand will get for spearing the opposing team's mascot in the 'nads, etc.).

C: Crosby-Pit FP, H.Sedin-Vcr, M.Koivu-Min, Zajac-NJ RFA, Mueller-Col P3, Barkov-FIN P1

Rating: 5

Steep and deep. Word is Crosby has looked FANTASTIC in camp and appears completely over the devastating concussions - if so, he's inarguably the best player in the world. Sedin is capable of an MVP season in his own right, and would be the #1 guy on most FUNHL teams. Indeed, looking over other FUNHL rosters Koivu could conceivably be the #1 center for a couple, and would likely be the #2 pivot for a large majority. Zajac is a very capable pivot who could move up in a pinch (like say when Crosby goes down after a game one headshot by Claude Giroux). Mueller's career has stalled out thanks to his own concussion issues, but the strapping centerman flashed all the tools of a legit top 6 forward when he was healthy, it's just been years since that was the case. Barkov is the future, a likely top 5 pick in next years draft he's got prototypical size, speed, hands and hockey sense to a be top end guy. And he's Finnish (albeit by way of Russia) so you know Doug's wife is happy. Arguably the best set of pivots in the league, they also have more risk than most other teams as only Hank Sedin is noted for his durability.

R: Eberle-Edm RFA, Burrows-Vcr, Selanne-Ana, Hudler-Cgy RFA

Rating: 3.5

Eberle instantly slots in as the top starboard gunner based on his offense. A cerebral puck possession monster he is the straw that stirs the Oilers drink (ok, so that metaphor was both trite and gross, I'm tired). Burrows is the right side equivalent of Marchand, only slightly bigger, slightly less filthy, and a tad more talented offensively. Selanne is God. But he is also well into his 40's, and at some point the time is going to run out. Hudler left Flames camp to return home for the death of his father, and who knows how that will affect his first season in Calgary. He's a runty 2nd liner with above average skill, but unless Father Time finally notices Selanne, Hudler will be outside looking in for ice-time.

D: Yandle-Phx, Carlson-Wsh RFA, Gardiner-Tor RFA, Hamonic-NYI RFA, McDonagh-NYR RFA, Nikitin-Clb RFA, Sbisa-ana RFA, McBain-Car RFA, Larrson-NJ P3, Orlov-Wsh P2, Rundblad-Phx P2

Rating: 2

Yandle is an acceptable #1, but I have to admit I'm not sold on him being a top-end producer in Phoenix. Carlson likely slots into the #2 spot, but I have grave concerns that Washington will continue to turn him into a shutdown specialist (next to Karl Alzner), though maybe Adam Oates will take the chains off. Gardiner might be poised for a breakout year on the weak Leaf's blue-line, or he could be dealt to a deep Vancouver squad for Bobby-Lou. Hamonic is a meat and potatoes guy, whose greatest utility might lie in the role of 2nd enforcer - something the team already has. McDonagh blossomed on the Rangers, and still needs to take another step to be among the high end guys. Nikitin was outright stolen by the BlueJackets from the Blues, and is already the teams steadiest and most reliable defender - but he isn't a powerplay guy, and his offensive ceiling is limited. Sbisa should form the nucleus of the Duck's D-corp moving forward (along with Cam Fowler), but so far the Swiss kid hasn't tallied significant offense. McBain (which should ALWAYS be pronounced with a thick Austrian accent), is another up-and-comer on the Hurricane's blue, but he is in tough competition for powerplay and ice-time. Larrson is a future stud who could well rocket past many of the guys ahead of him on the depth chart. Orlov is probably better cast as a #3 or #4 D-man as his game is more all-round than offensive. Rundblad has all the tools to be a top offensive defenseman, but he is still shakey in his own end, and he plays in Phoenix where talent goes to die (and where Ekman-Larrson and Yandle gobble up the PP time).

G:  Rinne-Nsh, Lindback-TBay RFA, Schneider-Vcr P2

Rating: 4.5

Rinne has been a top five guy for several years running, and outside of the departure of Suter to Minnesota there isn't any reason to think he won't be again. Lindback is his former backup now taking over in TBay - and he could well earn the starter role and never look back. Schneider appears to be the annointed one in Vancouver, but there is that small matter of Bobby-Lou's continued presence to deal with before he is an unquestioned starter.

Overall: 19

FUNHL Week 1 Lineups

Once more into the breach! Please place your lineups into the comments section!

Edge 2013

The Edge 2013

By special request I've moved up the review of the Edge ahead of the Highlanders who would normally be next.

L: Ovechkin-Wsh FP, Ericksson-Dal, Moulson-NYI, Prust-Mtl RFA

Rating: 4.5

Ovechkin is due for a bounce back season, one where he scores at a 50 goal+ pace, and drives the Capital's offense. Ericksson is a legit (albeit low-grade) #1 FUNHL LW in his own right. He'll have some nice new toys to play with on the Big D powerplay in Roy and Jagr, and if anything his offensive pace might increase over last year. Moulson is a late-blooming sniper but there is no denying that for two years running he sniped 30+ as John Tavares wing man - expect similar results this year. Prust is a dynamic 4th line energy guy who seems to love droppign the gloves and banging with guys who outweigh him by 30lbs. Something would have to be seriously wrong for him to be dressing though.

C: Thornton-SJ FP, Bergeron-Bos, Duchene-Col RFA, Nugent-Hopkins-Edm RFA, Huberdeau-Fla P2, J.Larsson-Min P1

Rating: 4.5

Thornton is still an elite centerman, but he's no longer the same threat to finish in the top 3 in scoring he once was. Bergeron is likely to be bumped down the depth chart of the Edge, maybe even to the bench, by either Duchene or The Nuge, but he represents average or slightly better production for a 2nd line pivot in the FUNHL. Duchene and The Nuge are both quality young centers on the upswing. Duchene has a slight edge in physical play and sniping ability, but the Nuge has massive upside, and sick playmaking ability. Both have had recent injury issues but it would surprise nobody if they both passed Bergeron for active roles. Huberdeau is another high-quality pivot, albeit he floundered somewhat at the WJC when it was expected he would dominate. Florida has a spot waiting for him on their roster, but they may be tempted to continue the slow-boat development track they have started using for other prospects (Markstrom being one). Larsson was a bit of a sleeper, but has turned some heads with his play in the Swedish leagues. He has nice size and good playmaking ability, but is likely at least a year or more away from making the Wild as an active roster player, and even longer from being a top 6 forward.

R: Parenteau-Col, Simmonds-Pha RFA, Alfredsson-Ott RFA, Ryder-Dal RFA, Coyle-Min P1, Galiev-TBay P1, Palmieri-Ana P1

Rating: 2

Parenteau was the other wing-man for Tavares to suddenly show unexpected offense and he cashed in for a nice contract with the Av's. I don't see the uptick in his stats translating to his new team as Parenteau will be fighting for ice-time with wingers of a higher caliber than he had in NYI, and as such I think he is woefully miscast as a top line FUNHL option. Simmonds is a prototype bang-crash winger with some finish, but his ceiling is 40pts or so plus his minutes - making him a reliable, if underwhelming goon. Alfie is now 40+ and playing out the string for Ottawa. Health is his biggest holdback as he gets injured with clock like frequency these days, and doesn't draw much time with playmaker Spezza except on the PP. Something of a bargain as a 3rd line option, he more realistically is the Edge best starboard winger. Ryder is a rollercoaster of a winger, one year up and scoring 30, the next year down and scoring 15. He thrives on the PP with a playmaking center and a winger with size to keep the opposition from running him over. Given the injury risk of Alfie it seems likely that Ryder could draw some active lineup time at some point. Coyle is a future beast of a power forward having the size and sniping ability that define the position. Another year of seasoning to get his bearings and he'll be Hell on wheels coming off the half-wall. Galiev is the opposite of Coyle, as while he has decent size, he plays a more perimeter/finesse game. He has the skill winger tools (speed, shot, stickhandling) and was a dominant offensive producer in the Q, but Yzerman likes his prospects to take the Detroit route (the long, long way) to the NHL, so don't expect him soon. Palmieri lies somewhere in between Coyle and Galiev, he's a gritty, hard nosed guy with some scoring abilities, but isn't as much a physical terror as Coyle, or as obviously skilled as Galiev. I see his eventual upside as an NHL 3rd liner with 2nd unit PP time, but that may be selling him short. Barring a major leap from Coyle or Galiev, or Alfie finding the fountain of youth, RW is a serious weakness.

D: Byfuglien-Wpg, J.Johnson-Clb, Streit-NYI, Hedman-TBay RFA, McQuaid-Bos RFA, Souray-Ana RFA, Robidas-Dal RFA, Kulikov-Fla RFA, Ellis-Nsh P3, Beaulieu-Mtl P1, Dumba-Min P1

Rating: 3.5

Big Buff gives the team a dominant offensive and TG option to head the D, he's close to FP status given his stats the last two years. Johnson is still an enigma, he's big, strong, can run a powerplay, and can skate like a dream, but he's still and adventure in his own end, and Columbus isn't exactly scoring like Pittsburgh in the 80's. Streit should have decent production for the Islander as he continues to be their best all-round D-man, with the only risk being one his not infrequent trips to the hospital. Hedman is steadily developing into an unstoppable force as he packs muscle onto his massive frame and earns more powerplay time. As it is, he's already the Bolts best defensive defenseman, and his offense has progressed every year he's been in the league - at some point he's going to make the leap. McQuaid is a longshot +/- threat, but otherwise is a replacement level D-man. Souray could rebound for nice numbers in Anaheim, or he could get hurt yet again and return to being one of the highest paid non-performers in the league. Robidas is a solid #6 for a FUNHL team - waiver draft fodder. Kulikov is clearly slated to jump into the top 5 as his offensive ability has steadily progressed, and he frequently shows signs of being a Karlsson-like puck rusher/passer. A breakthrough offensively from him would not be surprising. Ellis is a fantastic offensive talent that Nashville has been grooming slowly. He might just be a powerplay specialist when all is said and done, but his upside is much higher if it can be reached (Rafalski). Beaulieu is Montreal's hope for a puckrushing rearguard to compliment Subban, Likely a year or more away from making the team, he has #2 defenseman upside. Dumba is a Phaneuf clone, big shooter, hard hitter, a bit reckless in his own zone. A tad undersized for the hits he likes to throw, he's something of a project for the Wild.

G: Fleury-Pit, Hiller-Ana RFA, Markstrom-Fla P4

Rating: 3.5

Fleury is a legit top 5 goaltender, albeit one with a tendency to meltdown in the playoffs, and with a team ahead of him that likes to play run-n-gun. Hiller could be a steal if he recovers from injury to take-over the Anaheim net permanently. Markstrom is Florida's goalie of the future, and this year may see him split time more less evenly in the starting role.

Total:  18

Ramapithecines 2013

The Ramapithecines

L: Vanek-Buf, Ray.Whitney-Dal, Clowe-SJ, Steen-StL RFA, Gerbe-Buf P1, Wilson-Nsh P1

Rating: 3.5

Vanek is still a top tier sniper, but average for a FUNHL #1. Whitney is older than dirt, but had a fantastic season last year, and moves to a Dallas team that has many more weapons than Phx did. Clowe is a dynamite 3rd iner because of his toughness, and is a reliable offensive producer even when shifted away from the goon role. Steen is a nice stop gap should one of the higher end guys get hurt, but isn't likely to threaten anyone's spot or create confusion about who should be dressing. Gerbe is at the age now where he should be a reliable contributer to the Buffalo offense, but unless he takes a significant step forward he'll be most useful as an injury replacement for Vanek should the big Austrian get hurt. Wilson is only an average skater, but has above average shooting abilities. If Nashville can figure out how to maximize his talents, he could turn into a top 6 forward.

C: Tavares-NYI FP, J.Staal-Car, Ennis-Buf RFA, Berglund-StL RFA, Grabovski-Tor P3, Burmistrov-Wpg P2, Bjugstad-Fla P1

Rating: 2.5

Tavares has blossomed into the all-round gunner that his junior stats predicted him to be, even flashing some unexpected speed and passing ability that wasn't there previously. Staal has a chance to be a dominant #2 pivot in Carolina, with more powerplay time than he recieved in Pittsburgh where he was blocked by Malkin and Crosby. Ennis is a waterbug scoring forward who must find a way to win puck battles despite his thin and underweight frame. Berglund is the opposite of Ennis possessing a thick and muscular frame but lacking the high-end offensive abilities of Ennis. Berglund could well be transitioned into a 3rd line shutdown pivot role as a result. Grabovski is a 'Mr.Everything' type of center, gritty, fast, and with a decent amount of skill - but he is miscast as a 1st line forward. Burmistrov flashes high-end talent, but not consistently enough to make a top line. Bjugstand is a beast of a prospect standing 6'5"  and with excellent speed and above average shot. Florida is taking their time with a large number of decent prospects though, so his development could be slow-tracked.

R: Neal-Pit RFA, Semin-Car, Ju.Williams-LA, Dorsett-Clb RFA, Stewart-R StL P1

Rating: 4

Neal is the coke to Malkin's rum, an ideal compliment. Since landing in Pitt, he's transformed into a full-blooded power forward with eilte goal scoring abilities, and he has one of the world's best players feeding him soft passes for one-timers. Semin is the ultimate 'boom-bust' proposition. He could lead the team in goals and scoring, or he could be so indifferent that he is threatened by Dorsett for a spot in the lineup. Williams is among the most injury prone players in the league having collected a Martin Straka like array of dings and nicks over the years. If healthy he's an ideal 3rd liner who scores like a 2nd liner. Doresett is a slow skating thug, one of the few heavyweights not yet purged from the league. Stewart has slid downhill rapidly since emerging as a legit powerforward two years ago. As a prospect he's perfect as you can wait for the lights to go on again before risking him in the lineup. With a wide-body powerful frame, and excellent skating and hands for a man his size, he should find his way to 30 goals again - at some point.

D: Chara-Bos FP, Edler-Vcr, Wisniewski-Clb, Timonen-Pha RFA, Boychuk-Bos RFA, Mitchell-LA RFA, Jackman-StL RFA, Del Zotto-NYR RFA, Elliot-Col


Rating: 3.5

Chara is such a statistical monster he almost single handedly elevates the D above average. Edler is an excellent #2 as his offensive abilities dove-tail nicely with the deep strong team he is part of. Wisniewski could be an excellent #3, but he needs to prove his contract year scoring wasn't a fluke, and that he can reproduce it in Columbus. Timonen is halfway out the door to a Euro scout position. He's battled several tough injuries the last few years, has seen his skillset erode markedly, and lost his partner in crime Chris Pronger permanently. He's also 38 years old, and I predict this is the last we see of him as a top 4 defender. Boychuk has a chance at putting up decent +/- if the Bruins dominate again, but otherwise will be hard pressed to be anything but a depth defender. Mitchell and Jackman are defense first guys who stand a good chance of being waiver draft fodder. Del Zotto had a breakout offensively with the Rangers, and he could easily be moved all the way up to #4 on the depth chart. Elliot stalled somewhat in his development last year, but has the talent to possibly make the Av's this year, and the Knuckledraggers next.

G: Luongo-Vcr RFA, Elliot-StL RFA, Brodeur-NJ P1

Rating: 3.5

Seems strange to give the above collection of netminders only a slightly above average rating, but the fact is that each comes with serious question marks. Luongo is a legit top 5 guy in Vancouver, but if he stays there he will split time with Schneider, and if he is moved he won't have Vcr's excellent D in front of him (and if he goes to Toronto or Florida as rumoured the D will be either mediocre or terrible). Elliot had fantastic numbers for St Louis, but he is platooned with Halak and until something is resolved there they will split games roughly evenly. Brodeur is a 1st ballot hall-of-famer, but he's now 40+ and the once vaunted NJ defense is a hollow shell of what it used to be.

Total: 17

Key NHL and FUNHL Dates for 2013 Season

Key dates for the 2013 schedule: 
Opening Day: Saturday, Jan. 19 
Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada: Saturday, Feb. 9 
Hockey Day in America: Sunday, Feb. 17 
Trade deadline: Wednesday, Apr. 3 
Regular season concludes: Saturday, Apr. 27 
NHL Draft Drawing: Monday, Apr. 29 
Stanley Cup Playoffs begin: Tuesday, Apr. 30 
Latest possible date for Stanley Cup Final: Friday, June 28 

And Here We Go...

The Great Whites to defend the Predator Cup...

An Eleven   Week Challenge Cup Regular Season; A One game Semi-Final and a Best of Three Callenge Final

And of course the Omnivore,

Week one LineUps due Friday, January 18th by  6pm MST.

After that From Week 2 on, LineUps due Monday at 6pm MST.

FUNHL Trade Deadline is Monday, April 8th by LineUps at 6pm given the NHL Trade deadline is Wed., April 3rd.

Now There will be ONLY ONE WAIVER DRAFT this year at the half-way mark.  After the WD there shall be NO penalty for prospect use via the IR.  Pre-WD there will the usual penalty if IR is used.

The Waiver Draft Date needs to Determined ASAP.  I believe either the weekend of March 23/24th or
March 30/31th would suffice but the DC and the league needs to be involved for this being made official.

Thoughts?

Otherwise, DROP THE PUCK!

BC for the DC

Great Whites 2013

The Great Whites

L: Pacioretty-Mtl, Lupul-Tor, Brown-LA RFA, Umberger-Clb RFA

Rating: 2

A lot has to go right for this collection of left wingers to be anything other than average or worse. Pacioretty is on the upswing of his career, and has 30 goal talent with a good playmaking center riding shotgun. Lupul is line-dependent, and has bounced from team to team to team because he lacks consistency in tapping his talent. Brown is the end-game product that Pacioretty could become, a gritty goal scoring forward who is hard to play against. Umberger is utility forward with a weightlifters build who can slot in to any forward spot outside of the top line. All four are high injury risk players who rarely, if ever, play a full season.

C: Giroux-Pha FP, Couture-SJ RFA, Henrique-NJ RFA, Fisher-Nsh RFA

Rating: 3.5

Giroux is a sublime offensive talent capable of leading the league in scoring. Couture has gradually developed into an above average 2nd line center, albeit one whose ceiling may have been reached. Henrique has a good base of skills to develop from, but as of yet he hasn't shown he can be a true top end producer. Fisher is a #1 center in Nsh by default, but is really better suited to a 2nd role on a deeper team. Fisher could easily take over Henrique's spot if he falters.

R: Pavelski-SJ, Doan-Phx, Neil-Ott RFA, Peverley-Bos RFA, Stone-Ott P1

Rating: 2.5

Pavelski is an all-round utility forward who can play anywhere from the top line wing to the 3rd line center. Unfortunately, he is not a powerplay specialist of any kind (not an elite; shooter, passer, or net crasher), but is a solid defensive specialist - so his ice-time tends to skew towards the non-scoring kind. Doan is playing out the string of a borderline hall of fame career, but is best suited as a depth (3rd line or lower) at this stage of his FUNHL evaluation. Neil has the ability to be an elite FUNHL enforcer, but t's been two or three years since he's produced like that - largely because of injuries and diminishing role of the fighter. Peverley is a nifty universal forward who can be spotted (like Pavelski) all over an NHL lineup. Like Pavelski though, he lacks any elite offensive gifts that would open up significant powerplay opportunities for him. Stone is a terrific gunner with an aresenal of shots, fakes, and feints. If his skating can get up to league average he could terrorize goaltenders for a long time. If the GW's could add a top end elite producer each player would slot more appropriately (Pavelski as a #2, Doan as #3), as it stands, they will likely be overmatched at each slot.

D: Weber-Nsh, Giordano-Cgy, Bogosian-Wpg, Spurgeon-Min RFA, Faulk-Car RFA, Seidenberg-Bos RFA, Klein-Nsh RFA, Brewer-TBay RFA, Depres-Pit P3, Murphy-Car P3, Murray-Clb P2, Ceci-Ott P1, Reinhart-NYI P1, Ristolainen-SEL P1

Rating: 3

Weber is simply a beast, albeit a beast with a question mark as to how he will perform without side-kick Ryan Suter. Giordano is a feisty undersized two-way defenseman with grit and energy in the mold of Kevin Bieksa. Unfortunately the arrival of powerplay specialist Wideman to the Calgary blue-line will likely steal from his ice-time there. Bogosian is tracking a similar development path to Shea Weber, big, bruising, productive defenseman who can play in all situations. May never have the offensive totals of Weber (he lacks the overpowering shot), but all the other elements are there. He's also injury prone, and is just recovered from off-season wrist surgery. Spurgeon may have already peaked as an NHL powerplay specialist (ala MA Bergeron), as the arrival of Suter in Min is likely to erase the role he is best suited for. Faulk is developing nicely in Carolina and if he stays on track could become the GW's legit #4 this year. Seidenberg is a gamble at +/-, or Chara getting hurt, but not much more. Klein has Weber's size and shot, but none of his accuracy or mobility, as such he'll likely plateau as a depth FUNHL defender. Brewer is the ultimate 'all tools, no tool box' defenseman. He's big, skates well, is physical, etc., but can't seem to ever put together anything like an elite season defensively or offensively. And then we have the prospects! No secret the GW's LOVE their D-man prospects, and why not? They have almost all of them! Depres is among a cadre of D developing in the Pittsburgh system, but unlike the others (Morrow, Pouliot, Maata, etc.), Depres is more two-way than offensive or defensively minded - which may make it easier to plug him onto the Pens sooner rather than later. Murphy and Murray are both Scott Niedermayer-lite, fast skating offensive D-men capable of playing in all situations, and likely to be screwed up permanently by their coaches from ever having a Paul Coffey like breakthrough. Ceci is a nice addition to his group, and will get plenty of time to learn his craft before Ottawa brings him up - did not make the Canadian WJC team. Reinhart did make the team, but frankly sucked after doing so. Has impressive size, skating ability and reach, but it doesn't look like he is processing the game at the right level yet as he makes bad passes, and poor defensive reads that he should be moving beyond by now. Impressive physical specimen he could be fast-tracked by the Islanders (i.e., he makes the team this year). Ristolainen is an offensive defenseman out of Finland hoping to crack the top 10 of next years ED, or to put it another way, he was the GW lock-out insurance.

G: Price-Mtl FP, Varlamov-Col RFA, Campbell-Dal P3

Rating: 4

Price is an elite netminder behind a less than elite defense that is clearly in flux. Varlamov has taken over in Colorado and appears to be the future of their goaltending. Campbell is a highly regarded prospect that has had two poor/injury filled years in a row for Dallas' farm team. Hopes remain high, but he's still a ways from cracking an NHL lineup.

Total:  15

Blade Runners 2013

The Blade Runners

L: Sharp-Chi, Heatley-Min, Foligno-Clb RFA, Sullivan-Phx RFA, Landeskog-Col P2

Rating: 2.5

Sharp always has a home on one of the top two lines in Chicago, whether it is as a 1st line LW or 2nd line C, and his ppg-ish pace rates as a solid if average 1st line winger. Heatley. Ah Heatley. The steady and unbroken decline of his game from the heights of his 50goal 100pt seasons in Ottawa continues unabated. His wheels are no longer even average, and he's rapidly becoming a spot-shooting powerplay specialist with an untradeable contract hit. If he has a 'come to Jesus' moment and takes up fitness with a religious zeal he might carve out a 3rd act to his career that mirrors Owen Nolan's or Gary Roberts, but I wouldn't hold my breath. Foligno is a rough and tumble sort with enough skills to ply his trade from the 2nd or 3rd line, as a FUNHL player though, he's bordering on merely replacement level. Sullivan's body needs constant repair, and if he didn't rebound for decent totals in Pittsburgh, he isn't going to suddenly do so in Phoenix. Landeskog should leapfrog everyone but Sharp on the depth chart and become a solid if average 2nd line winger at the FUNHL level in his sophmore year.

 C: Stamkos-TBay FP, Backstrom-Wsh FP, Benn-Dal RFA, Ott-Buf RFA, Johanssen-Clb P3, MacKinnon-OHL P2

Rating: 5

The rating assumes that Backstrom's injury isn't super serious, because if he is healthy, it's the deepest and most talented set of pivots in the league. Stamkos is a fast Brett Hull, Backstrom is a fast Adam Oates, and Benn is quickly rising into the class of big-skill 2-way pivots that includes Anze Kopitar. So, yeah, that would be 3 no. 1 pivots the roster is built around. Ott is a dirtbag, but he's never expected to dress except in case of emergency, and even then Johanssen could probably jump ahead of him. MacKinnon is the future - and despite a moderate to weak WJC performance, the future looks bright.

R: Purcell-TBay, Voracek-Pha, Jagr-Dal, Clarckson-NJ RFA, Tarasenko-StL P3, Yakupov-Edm P2

Rating: 3

If at the end of the year the order of RW's was completely reversed (Yakupov, Tarasenko, Clarckson as the top 3) would anyone be totally surprised? Purcell is something of an enigma to me, he's big, strong, and decently skilled, but I don't trust late bloomers to retain their stats year over year. Voracek is a very good possession winger guaranteed to have a decent centerman, but he often seems less than the sum of his parts. Jagr is still ridiculously skilled and dominant on the wall and half-boards, but his in-game speed has clearly declined significantly. If he can avoid another groin injury (good luck with that), he could flirt with a ppg. Clarckson is a nice hybrid goon/scorer, but his volatility (and the presence of other decent RW with more reliable offense) makes giving him a roster spot iffy. Tarasenko has immense talent and could step right into one of StLouis' top lines. Yakupov had a cruddy WJC, but he still flashes a Mogilny/Gartner skill-set that could mesh well with Edmonton's youth movement.

D: Subban-Mtl RFA, Kronwall-Det, Goligoski-Dal, Petry-Edm RFA, Quincey-Det RFA, Josi-Nsh RFA, Gilbert-Min RFA, Ekman-Larsson-Phx P3, Hamilton-Bos P2

Rating: 2.5

The top three is nice; Subban, Kronwall and Goligoski, and Ekman-Larsson could move into the top 4, but Gilbert? Quincey? Josi? Jeff Petry? Yikes. Subban is the all-round heavy minute workhorse teams love to build around, and may flirt with FP quality stats. Kronwall is not and never will be the next Lidstrom. He is however, the next Konstantinov, which is pretty good, but not great. Goligoski was the price extracted from Pitt for coughing up 40 goal scorer James Neal. He's a slick pp QB with occasional injury issues. If everything goes right in Dallas he could compete with Subban for best offensive producer on the blue. Ekman-Larrson is emerging as a monster talent with all the right boxes checked off; size, speed, wingspan, runs the powerplay, heavy shot, safe in his own zone, quick first pass, etc. But he's in Phoenix where talent goes to shrivel and wither in the sun. Hamilton is probably a year away from being a productive D-man for Boston, but he is 'toolsy' in the way Ekman-Larsson is - only he's even bigger at 6'5". The rest (Gilbert, Quincey, Petry, Josi) are a stale collection of offensive defensemen without much offense, and AHL al-stars filling out an NHL rosters bottom rungs.

G: Quick-LA, Halak-StL RFA, Bernier-LA P2

Rating: 4.5

Hard to argue with Quick being the starting netminder, but if anyone can displace him it would be Halak in StLouis (after an Elliott injury). Bernier is the perfect prospect backup for Quick should he get injured.

Total: 17.5

Challenge Cup Schedule

Hockey is back!! With the planned season start on January 19th and an end on April 27th the normal FunHL Challenge Cup schedule was not possible so I have modified things somewhat.   The FunHL regular season will begin on January 19th with a short, two day game.  Thereafter games will be held each week, Monday to Sunday, for the remainder of the 11 week regular season ending March 31st.  Including the short two day game to start the regular season, every team will play one another once with the top four teams making the playoffs.  The semi-finals will be a single-game elimination starting April 1st with the two winners to face off in the best of three final for the Challenge Cup starting April 8th.

Will the Barbarians be able to repeat after winning their first ever Challenge Cup? Finally, we will be able to find out. Drop the puck!

ESPN NHL Pop and Paupers

Bruce Bennett/Getty ImagesCan Sidney Crosby and the Penguins recapture the Stanley Cup?

Who will raise the Stanley Cup in 2013? Will the 2009 champion Pittsburgh Penguins again hoist the trophy? Or will the Boston Bruins (2011 winners), Chicago Blackhawks (2010 champion) or Vancouver Canucks (2011 runner-up) take the title?

Hockey Prospectus 2012-13

Get caught up with the NHL in time for the start of the 2013 season with Hockey Prospectus.

Those teams should be considered among this season's favorites according to VUKOTA, the projection system created by Tom Awad of Hockey Prospectus back in 2009. Named after Islanders tough guy Mick Vukota, VUKOTA is fundamentally a player projection system, and thus it projects individual statistics such as goals, assists, save percentage and games played -- summarized in another stat we callgoals versus threshold, or GVT. However, since team GVT is simply the sum of player GVTs, the sum of the VUKOTA GVT values for a team becomes our projection for the team's goal differential. On average, teams record one extra point in the standings for every three goals scored or prevented. Using this as a barometer, we're able to use that differential to project their finish in the standings. (Click here for a more detailed explanation of VUKOTA.)

VUKOTA gained credibility by correctly tabbing the up-and-coming Chicago Blackhawks as 2010 Western Conference champions. And as far as individual projections go, David Staples of the Edmonton Journal concluded that VUKOTA was the best for "predicting the point totals of Edmonton Oilers players" for the past two seasons.

The chart on the right outlines VUKOTA projections for the shortened 2013 NHL season, with its original 82-game projections and 48-game equivalents.

As demonstrated last season when the eighth-seeded Los Angeles Kings knocked off the sixth-seeded New Jersey Devils to capture the Stanley Cup, regular-season success, or lack thereof, doesn't necessarily predestine a team's fate in the postseason.

2013 NHL team projections

Rank	Team	82 games	48 games
1	Pittsburgh	104	61
2	Boston	103	60
3	Chicago	99	58
4	Vancouver	99	58
5	Los Angeles	97	57
6	NY Rangers	97	57
7	Philadelphia	97	57
8	San Jose	97	57
9	St Louis	96	56
10	Carolina	93	54
11	Toronto	93	54
12	Detroit	92	54
13	Nashville	92	54
14	Buffalo	91	53
15	Colorado	91	53
16	Dallas	91	53
17	Winnipeg	91	53
18	Calgary	90	53
19	Ottawa	90	53
20	Tampa Bay	90	53
21	Washington	90	53
22	Montreal	89	52
23	Edmonton	88	52
24	Minnesota	88	52
25	NY Islanders	88	52
26	Anaheim	86	50
27	New Jersey	86	50
28	Phoenix	86	50
29	Florida	84	49
30	Columbus	81	47

The playoffs are a crapshoot; even dominant teams shouldn't be considered to have more than a 25 percent chance of winning it all. What we can get a better handle on is how teams will do over the long haul of the regular season -- even when that "long haul" is a shorter haul of 48 games. So consider our projections more of a forecast regarding which team is likely to be the President's Trophy winner rather than the Stanley Cup champ.

Here's a look at top contenders, bubble teams and cellar-dwellers for the 2013 NHL season.

Top contenders

Pittsburgh Penguins -- Heading into the 2012 postseason, the Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin-led Penguins were installed as Cup favorites by Vegas after averaging a torrid 4.5 goals per game over the final month of the season. It didn't work out so well; Pittsburgh suffered a first-round ouster to rival Philadelphia as Marc-Andre Fleury was outplayed by Ilya Bryzgalov in an unexpected goal-fest. But with the under-the-radar summer acquisition of unappreciated goalie Tomas Vokoun, the Penguins may have fixed their only significant weakness.

Boston Bruins -- For the first time in the past few seasons, the Bruins' biggest question mark is in net, with Conn Smythe and two-time Vezina Award winner Tim Thomas stepping away from hockey, at least for the time being. The 25-year-old Tuukka Rask put up a near-Vezina season in 45 games as a younger man in 2009-10, but no one knows if he can carry the load over a full -- albeit 48-game -- season. Plus, the Bruins don't have a veteran backup as a safety net.

Vancouver Canucks -- The Canucks had the misfortune of facing a red-hot Kings team that was much better than their No. 8 seed indicated. By the time top forward Daniel Sedinreturned to the lineup and they had settled on Cory Schneider in net, it was too late to recover. It's easy to forget the Canucks were back-to-back President's Trophy winners.

Chicago Blackhawks -- The Blackhawks remain a top contender, masked by some recent playoff misfortune. Losing to a dominant Canucks squad in overtime of Game 7 in 2011 and getting stonewalled by Mike Smith despite outplaying the Coyotes in 2012 are excusable series losses. Chicago's biggest unknown is the quality of the next wave of youngsters coming up to reload the squad with more talent; depending on how they fare, the Blackhawks could remain solid or vault back up to a top contender for the next few seasons.

Los Angeles Kings -- As dominant as the Kings were in the playoffs (16-4), you might question why we don't have them installed as favorites. Aside from wondering whether they can keep up the motivation throughout another regular season (just ask the 2011-12 Bruins, who faded in the second half), the Kings' biggest question is between the pipes. As fantastic as Jonathan Quick was in 2011-12, goaltending performances are notoriously fleeting. Before last season, the soon-to-be 27-year-old hadn't proved to be anything more than a slightly above-average netminder -- and now he's coming off of back surgery. Conversely, though, one of the reasons L.A. was better than perceived going into the 2012 playoffs was its awful puck luck throughout most of the campaign, which turned around after the coaching change to Darryl Sutter, the acquisition of Jeff Carter and simply better fortune on its unsustainably poor shooting percentages.

Bubble teams

Minnesota Wild -- Even with the big free-agent additions of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, Minnesota has only risen from our 30th-ranked team from last preseason (and it played like it for the second half of 2011-12) to a fringe playoff contender this campaign. The Wild have talent coming through the pipeline, but it's likely a season or two early for Minnesota.

Carolina Hurricanes and Toronto Maple Leafs -- Other teams that may have improved enough to plan for additional dates in May include the Hurricanes -- bolstered by "possession monster" Jordan Staal and Alexander Semin -- and the Maple Leafs. If you think back to last season, Toronto was right in the thick of the hunt at 48 games before its late-season collapse sent it to the draft lottery.

Cellar-dwellers

Columbus Blue Jackets -- At the other end of the spectrum, it's no shock that we foresee the Blue Jackets as most likely to finish last. Though they have picked up some building blocks for the future, the departure of Rick Nash won't help their short-term prospects.

Florida Panthers -- How about projecting last season's third-seeded Panthers as 29th in the league? Though Florida arguably has the league's most talented farm system, VUKOTA is bearish on the Panthers' prospects in the short term. A fortunate 18-7 record in overtime and the shootout helped them overcome a negative goal differential (minus-24). Florida's luck with "loser points" was similar to that of Anaheim in 2010-11, and we saw how that worked out for the Ducks in 2011-12.

Phoenix Coyotes and New Jersey Devils -- We also peg Western Conference finalist Phoenix and Cup finalist New Jersey as likely to fall from the postseason ranks. Expected regression by last season's top goaltender by GVT, Mike Smith, explains the Coyotes' fall, while the Devils have to deal with the departure of captain and top two-way forward Parise. That said, coaches Dave Tippett and Peter DeBoer have shown their ability to lift squads of mediocre talent, so it's possible that one or both of these teams will confound VUKOTA.

Final note

In terms of the projections, clearly some teams will do better than 61 points (prorated from 104 over 82 games) and worse than 47 points (prorated from 81). Likewise, chances are also good that the best and worst teams won't be the Penguins and Jackets. Why? Because some teams will have an unfair share of good and bad fortune in terms of both injuries and action on the ice.

What you see in our above projections are the most likely outcomes for each team, which end up more bunched up than they will be in reality. But there's no telling which teams will be the recipients of what kind of fortune. That's why they play the games.