The Dogs - Offseason Review

The Dogs:

L: Tanguay-Cgy FP, Picard-Cbs P2

Rating: 3

Tanguay is going to get everything he ever dreamed of, the uncontested spot of #1 centre, an elite winger who can score, and a team that is built for the playoffs. I'm thinking career year. Picard is a slightly built skill winger who may not have the speed for the new game. Bears watching as he develops, because his skill level is so high.

C: Sundin-Tor FP, Stumpel-Fla P2

Rating: 3

Sundin is a machine virtually guaranteed to go for a ppg. However his lack of firesupport is nothing short of criminal. Stumpel is now a fringe forward in Fla, and is a likely release.

R: Hemsky-Edm P4

Rating: 2.5

Hemsky is now Edmonton's most dangerous player, but can he crack 80 pts without shooting more? A solid #2 with upside.

D: Preissing-Ott RFA, Barker-Chi P2, Tyutin-NYR P2

Rating: 2.5

Preissing came out of nowhere to have a career year, and now that he is in Ottawa, he'll have every opportunity to prove it wasn't a fluke. Over 40 pts is a possiblity. Barker has come along a little slower than expected but there is definitely space for him on the Chicago blue-line, and he has a terrific set of offensive tools when he arrives permanently. Could be a top 4 this year. Tyutin cemented himself a spot on the Rangers blue-line, but it remains to be seen what his offensive ceiling is. He doesn't run the pp yet, but as he gets more comfortable, he might.

G: Fleury-Pit P3, Biron-Buf P2

Rating: 2

Fleury may have a starting role in Pittsburgh, but he'll be suffering from Luongo syndrome for a while as the defense corps is rebuilt and aged into a cohesive unit. Even if his numbers are good early on, I'd be scared to promote him. Biron has lost his job with Buffalo, but as yet not landed anywhere. He'll compete for a starting job, but won't have one handed to him.

Overall: 13