Mike Richards's adjustment to life in the City of Angels will be something to keep an eye on.
So, the week is finally here. The week that teams finally shake off the offseason rust and hit the ice and play games that actually count in the standings. Unbelievable that it's been almost half a year since all 30 teams have been playings hockey, but boy are we glad that it's 3 days away! I will be posting something every day in order to get everyone hyped for the season opener on Thursday, not that any hype is needed anyway. Many teams will be in action and there will be many storylines depending on what team you root for, but in my opinion these 5 players will be the most interesting to watch this season for all kinds of reasons. See who you should keep an eye on and why after the jump.
1. Sidney Crosby- After battling concussion issues the entire second half of the season, it's been revealed that Crosby will miss the season opener because he is still not ready. Pens fans can take solace in the fact that they have a deep team even without him, but they can only be without Sid the Kid for so long before the pressure on Malkin and co. becomes too great. Jordan Staal and Chris Kunitz will especially have to pick up the slack considering Pittsburgh runs the risk on becoming too reliant on Malkin. It looks like Crosby won't miss the whole season, but nothing indicates him being ready anytime soon. Crosby's injury and what it may do to the Penguins and the NHL as a whole is something that will be a discussion topic all season long. \
2. Ryan Miller- After a horrendous defensive playoffs where the upstart Sabres took the formidable Flyers to 7 games, Buffalo's new owner decided to supplement his world class goaltender with a new and improved world class blueline. Along with the incumbent bruiser Tyler Myers, Buffalo picked up Jordan Leopold, everyone's favorite Brazilian hockey player Robyn Regehr, and Christian Erhoff, scoring against Buffalo seems to be one of the hardest tasks for the opposition this coming season. Miller has always been considered one of the top goalies in the NHL, and with this revamped Buffalo squad Miller has a chance to win the Vezina and maybe even lift the cup.
3. Brad Richards- For a team that many are saying is Stanley Cup caliber, the Rangers are a team that in my opinion rely far too heavily on their top 2 lines. I know it sounds crazy, but if you look the champions of the past years, it can be concluded that teams need 3 lines with scoring pop, not just 2. That being said, putting Richards on a line with Gaborik has the potential to be one of the best 1-2 punches in the NHL right up there with the Sedin twins. But what if Richards can't live up to the hype? He's never played in a town where hockey looms so large, and if he lets the press and the pressure get to him, the Rangers could turn out to be one big blue disappointment. The performance of Richards will most likely be an indicator of the performance of the Rangers; If he prospers, they will win. If he struggles, they will lose.
4. Mike Richards- The second of the two Richards on this list, the issues with Richards are more behavior-related than performance related. The whole dry island drama that surfaced after they left Philadelphia will likely plague him in Los Angeles. In a city where the spotlight is bigger and the parties more plentiful, will Richards be able to put his hard-partying ways behind him and focus on hockey? If he can find a good balance, the Kings, regarded as one of the best teams in the west, have the potential to go far in 2011-12.
5. Jaromir Jagr- One of the biggest surprises this offseason was the Czech wonder Jaromir Jagr donning a black and orange sweater. After playing for so long for the in-state rival Pittsburgh Penguins, this season Jagr will make his return from Europe where he spent the past 3 seasons. What kind of player will Jagr be? His performance in the preseason thus far has been impressive, but the regular season will be the real test. How will he put up with the grind of an 82 game season plus all of the extra games of the playoffs (which the Flyers are almost a lock to make)? J-squared is an important piece to Philly's championship puzzle, and much like Richards, if he performs up to expectations, Philadelphia will go far.
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