Eastern Conference ;
Atlanta Thrashers - Winger Jason Williams was back at practice Wednesday . He skated alongside Ilya Kovalchuk and Todd White on the team's top line according to the Atlanta Journal - Constitution.18 year old 2008 draftee Zach Bogosian has wowed the team in training camp and has cemented his spot on the club . The goaltending depth chart is set with Kari Lehtonen in the top spot and Johan Hedberg holding down the backup role after a challenge from Ondrej Pavelec in training camp . At the time of this writing Pavelec had refused his assignment to the clubs AHL affiliate and was looking to either be traded or possibly get on a plane and take a job in Europe .
Boston Bruins - The team waived F Peter Schaefer on Tuesday and have elected to keep 22 year old University of Minnesota product Blake Wheeler . Wheeler has been too good in camp for the team to demote him to the AHL and after looking to make a trade of one of the teams veterans (Axelsson, Schaefer) , the move was made Tuesday . Prospect Carl Soderberg who will turn 23 next week, was reassigned to Malmo in Sweden and the team hopes when he returns for next years training camp that he'll be more ready to grab a roster spot .
Buffalo Sabres - F Tim Connolly is healthy and is set to play in the opener Friday . Coach Lindy Ruff is not sure which line he'll start on according to WGR 550 . Ruff also named the team captain Wednesday deciding on defenseman Craig Rivet . Training camp sensation Nathan Gerbe did not make the team but will probably dominate the AHL and force his way back onto the big club sooner rather than later .Forward Drew Stafford suffered a minor ear injury in the preseason but is expected to be fine for Friday's opener .Forward Paul Gaustad will miss most of the first month after rupturing a ligament in his right thumb .
Carolina Hurricanes - The team is short up front with injuries to Scott Walker (4-6 weeks torn ligament hand) and Justin Williams (likely done for the year with torn achilles) . The Canes have kept Dan Lacouture who came into camp on a tryout . One story to watch early on will be the health of Rod BrindAmour . He had knee surgery only a few weeks ago and is ready to go . The knee has swelled some though so he may be slowed when the intensity picks up some .
Florida Panthers - No suspension for F Rostisalv Olesz for hitting Islanders blueliner Chris Lee from behind and injuring him Monday .Olesz should have been looking at some punishment but will obviously be in the opening night lineup . As of Wednesday morning the team was still deciding among Anthony Stewart , Shawn Matthias , and Michael Frolik for the last spot on the roster among the forward group . If Frolik makes the club he has the kind of ability to win the Rookie of the Year .
Montreal Canadiens - This team is set to celebrate it's 100th anniversary and expectations have never been higher . Goaltender Carey Price has a lot of eyes on him and his performance in the preseason was a mixed bag . F Max Pacioretty was sent to Hamilton (AHL) last week but will be back later in the year after getting some pro experience .
New Jersey Devils - Free agent acquisition Brian Rolston looks to be a perfect fit for this team on his second go around .He'll lineup alongside Patrik Elias and Brian Gionta on the Devils top line . Watch for finnish blueliner Anssi Salmela who not only has made the team, but has a pretty good chance to give the team some "Rafalski like" skills when running the powerplay .I also liked what I saw of 13th forward and fellow rookie Petr Vrana (23) . If he can carve out a role on this defense first club, he could surprise .
New York Islanders - The Islanders got goaltender Rick Dipietro back just this past Monday and he had a disastrous game against Florida . The team is content for him to "play his way into shape" which should lead to some ugly moments early on . The Isles lost defenseman Chris Campoli, a longtime hockeyobserver favorite , to a shoulder injury and he's out indefinitely having been put on IR on Monday evening .Watch rookie Kyle Okposo as he's a definite top 6 forward on team that will need all the scoring it can muster .F Mike Sillinger was placed on IR with a hip injury . This is a long term problem so don't look for any impact from Sillinger this season .Joey Macdonald won the backup goaltending job over Yann Danis and based on Dipietro's health, he might be a decent last round pickup if you have the roster space .Playmaking center Josh Bailey has made the opening night roster but in all likelihood will only play the first 9 games before being sent back for another year of junior .
New York Rangers - The Rangers started their season Saturday with the first of two games in Prague against the Tampa Bay Lightning . The team appears to be very healthy and that sets up some rotation at the forward spots among Petr Prucha , Patrick Rismiller, and Dan Fritsche . One player to watch that the club has been very pleased with is Finn Lauri Korpikoski a 2004 draftee who has started the year as the third line center and looks to be capable of more than that .
Ottawa Senators - Martin Gerber is the #1 goalie and Alex Auld will likely push him for that spot all season long . Forward Mike Fisher has a groin injury that cost him the first 2 games in Sweden but the club is hopeful that he'll be ready to play Saturday evening .
Philadelphia Flyers - Defenseman Luca Sbisa (2008 draftee) appears to have made the team . Fellow defenseman Ryan Parent requires shoulder surgery for torn cartilage in his left shoulder and will miss at least the next 3 months . F Mike Richards is the new team captain .
Pittsburgh Penguins - The team started it's season in Sweden and other than forward Petr Sykora, there is not much to report with the roster . Sykora is day to day with a groin problem . One of the stories of the early season will be how 21 year old Kris Letang will handle the powerplay duties from the blueline with both Sergei Gonchar (disloacted shoulder - surgery) and Ryan Whitney (foot) missing for large chunks of the season - Gonchar is out until February or March and Whitney's best case scenario would be a return around Christmas .
Tampa Bay Lightning - New head coach Barry Melrose was pretty unhappy after a pair of 2-1 losses to the Rangers in Prague . The goaltending was not an issue this past weekend as both guys (Mike Smith and Olaf Kolzig) were outstanding and gave the team a chance to get it's first points of 08/09 . Rookie Steve Stamkos saw his first NHL action and looks as though he will be worked in slowly as his minutes were limited in the opener(s).
Toronto Maple Leafs - Defenseman Luke Schenn (doesn't turn 19 for another 3 weeks) has made the opening night roster for the Leafs . The team was pleased with his training camp performance and so he'll get another 9 games to show that he's ready to be a full time pro .Forward Mikhail Grabovski looks to continue his strong play as the season kicks off . Grabovski scored 5 goals in the preseason .
Washington Capitals - F Alexander Ovechkin left practice with an undisclosed problem Tuesday but will be fine to play Friday eve . F Alex Semin (flu) also missed practice Tuesday but will be in lineup Friday evening according to the teams official website . Defenseman Kyle Alzner was sent to the AHL on Tuesday in a move that was more cap related than anything else . He had a good camp and is no doubt among the top 6 blueliners on this club . Veteran C Michael Nylander is back after missing much of last season with an injury . He's at full strength and ready to go .Defenseman Sami Lepisto will start the year in the AHL, but he's a guy I grabbed in each of my drafts and I expect his offensive skills will get him back up on the big club not long after the season starts .
Western Conference ;
Anaheim Ducks - The Ducks are pretty healthy and ready to roll for Thursday evening . The team named blueliner Scott Niedermayer team captain Tuesday . Forward Ryan Getzlaf and defensman Chris Pronger were named alternates . Prospect Bobby Ryan was demoted to the AHL on the weekend but should be up at the first sign of injuries . Veteran Teemu Selanne is back having signed a 2 year contract and should be a safe play for fantasy leaguers out of the gate.
Calgary Flames - The team returned F Mikael Backlund to Sweden electing for him to get another year experience in his home country before turning over a top 9 forward spot to him . F Dustin Boyd had 7 points in 5 games and appears to have made the team .
Chicago Blackhawks - It appears that the team will start the year with #2 goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin on the roster having sent Antii Niemi to the AHL Tuesday . They would like to trade Khabibulin or have him leave for the KHL (Russia) but to this point they're stuck with him. One surprising cut was defenseman Cam Barker who was sent to the AHL Tuesday after spending 45 games with the Hawks in 07/08 and 35 games there in 06/07 . His role is too similar to that of free agent acquisition Brian Campbell so for the time being he'll continue his apprenticeship in the "A" . Forward Jack Skille was pressing for a roster spot and looks to have made it as a 21 year old . Both Akim Aliu and Kyle Beach were sent back to junior later Tuesday .
Colorado Avalanche - The Avalanche have Joe Sakic back for one more season and he'll be the headliner and probably still be good for 65-70 points . Forwards David Jones and TJ Hensick should be on the opening night roster . Jones in particular has been strong in camp .Milan Hejduk has a bit of a knee issue and may start slowly ...something that bears watching.
Columbus Blue Jackets - Both Derick Brassard and Jakub Voracek have made the squad and will be in the opening night lineup . For the moment it appears both will play together with Jason Chimera . 2008 draftee Nikita Filatov was sent to the clubs AHL affiliate in Syracuse on Tuesday . Filatov has tremendous offensive ability, but will need some refining of his play without the puck if he's going to play on a Ken Hitchcock coached club . Goaltender Pascal Leclaire has been slowed by an ankle injury but is ready for Opening night having practiced Wednesday .Raffi Torres starts the year on Injured Reserve .
Dallas Stars - Sergei Zubov is out for at least the rest of October after mid September hip surgery . With hip and shoulder trouble he can no longer be counted on as a #1 fantasy blueliner . Free agent signee Fabian Brunnstrom has made the team but more on promise than anything he's flashed to this point . He was promised a top 6 forward spot when the Stars were recruiting him and so he'll likely start there . Fellow forward James Neal actually had a better camp but was assigned to the AHL Tuesday .The team also sent Ivan Vishnevskiy to the AHL and let 23 year old Konstantin Pushkarev return to Russia to play in the KHL .
Detroit Red Wings - F Marian Hossa who has a slight groin pull, was at practice on Wednesday and is set to play in Thursday's opener against the Leafs . Defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom broke his nose last week in a preseason game but is expected to play Thursday . Fellow blueliner Chris Chelios broke his tibia and will miss all of October .The team sent F Ville Leino to the AHL Tuesday but he'll be back . Defenseman Jonathan Ericsson is an organization favorite and he stuck around until the very end and will see time with the big club this season as well .
Edmonton Oilers - The Oilers demoted F Gilbert Brule Tuesday deciding to keep Steve Macintyre as the 13 forward . as the 13th forward . 2004 draftee Robbie Schremp has been away from the team to attend a family funeral .Once he returns he will be assigned to the AHL to start the season but one has to think he'll either get a chance with the big club soon or may be traded . The team has elected to start the year with 3 netminders as they had feared losing #3 goaltender Jeff Drouin- Deslauriers on waivers had they tried to get him back to the American Hockey League . Watch this situation as they may look to trade Roloson if some team should suffer an injury in net early on .
Los Angeles Kings -F Patrick O'Sullivan signed his new 3 year deal Tuesday . Dustin Brown will be named the captain on Wednesday according to the LA Times . 18 year old defenseman Drew Doughty has made the opening night roster and will get the 9 game tryout to see if he's ready to be a significant contributor on the King blueline . The team also elected to keep 19 year old swedish forward Oscar Moller . Highly touted prospect Teddy Purcell, 23 from the University of Maine will start in the AHL but probably won't be down there long .Jason Labarbera is the starting netminder with Erik Ersberg backing him up . The long term answer will be Jonathan Bernier but the team wants him to play plenty of minutes in the AHL before he gets the chance to be the #1 stopper . Jonathan Quick will back up Bernier at the AHL level .
Minnesota Wild - Marian Gaborik is ready to go for the season opener after having some hip troubles early on . I don't see a trade coming anytime soon as teams just don't have the flexibility with the salary cap to upend their roster days before the season starts . Goaltender Niklas Backstrom has elite level talent and he'll need to be even stingier this year with the loss of Brian Rolston (NJ) taking away from an offense that wasn't prolific to begin with . Defenseman Marek Zidlicky has not been placed on IR, but will miss at least the first 1-2 games of the season with a sprained ankle .
Nashville Predators - F Patrick Hornqvist has made the roster and as of Wednesday morning may have done enough to land on the top line alongside JP Dumont and Jason Arnott . Dan Ellis is the #1 netminder but watch for backup Pekka Rinne to push him for that job .Radek Bonk has been slowed by a sore hip flexor muscle but will be ready for Friday night .Forward Antti Pihlstrom was reassigned Wednesday to the AHL but should get a look when the first injury strikes up front .
Phoenix Coyotes - This should be a fun team to watch . Rookies Kevin Porter , Viktor Tikhonov, Mikkel Boedker , and Kyle Turris all will be on the opening night roster . If he's up with the big club all year Turris will garner some Rookie of the Year votes . Boedker gets the plum assignment at the start of the season as it looks like he will line up on the top line with Olli Jokinen and Peter Mueller .
St Louis Blues - Two significant young players should have opportunities to produce right out of the chute . Patrick Berglund is expected to open the season playing alongside veterans Paul Kariya and David Perron . TJ Oshie will line up alongside Keith Tkachuk and David Backes . That gives the team more offensive skill on two lines than at any point in recent memory . The worse news is on the blueline where Erik Johnson is out for the year after losing a fight with a golf cart (ahem!) and Jeff Woywitka will miss at least the 4-6 weeks after breaking his foot in a preseason game blocking a shot .18 Year old Alex Pietrangelo will open the season with the Blues . He had a very uneven preseason and probably will go back to junior for one more year . With the losses of Johnson and Woywitka he gets an opportunity he otherwise might not have .
San Jose Sharks - The team waived defenseman Kyle Mclaren on Tuesday . They are obviously in great shape on the back end if a guy like Mclaren can be sent out for no compensation . F Torrey Mitchell broke his leg in camp and will start the year on the IR. Watch for forwards Ryane Clowe and Joe Pavelski to be big contributors on the Sharks this season .
Vancouver Canucks - The plum assignment of playing with the Sedin brothers will go to Steve Bernier at least at the season's outset . That should give him a nice bump in value if he's better than he was night in and night out at the end of last season in Buffalo . Mason Raymond and Jannik Hansen had great camps and will have prominent roles among the top 9 forwards on this team that should struggle to score .Forward Jason Krog was demoted to the AHL and is apparently contemplating heading to Russia to play in the KHL this season .