With the playoffs finally in full swing a number of great stories and headlines have been emerging on a nightly basis—some of which may have huge implications for next season. Some players are making their teams take notice, while others are watching the soil come down on their heads as they continually bury themselves through poor performances. Off the ice, the Phoenix Coyotes and Atlanta Thrashers continue to find themselves with ownership question marks, while head-shots and suspensions continue to be a focus of fans, players and management alike. Clearly, the results (or lack thereof) of the first round will have huge implications on free agent contracts, coach and general managers futures and player movement. With all this in mind, let’s take a look at 21 predictions for the upcoming 2011-12 season. Roberto Luongo Will Be Shopped: With the Vancouver

Its official. With the Toronto Maple leafs 4-3 shootout loss to the Washington Capitals on Tuesday night our beloved Maple Leafs have now gone without a Stanley Cup victory for 44 years. While the Toronto Maple Leafs organization has had a number of bright spots along the way, the fact remains that, for the most part, the Maple Leafs have been an organization marred in mediocrity for over four decades. For many years the Blue and White ignored the NHL Entry Draft in favor of trading for grizzled veterans. Needless to say, given the lack of Stanley Cups, that philosophy never really worked, often leaving the team void of any homegrown star talent, which, in turn, was a major reason the organization has suffered for so long. Since his arrival Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke has endured an

With only a few more games to be played before the NHL starts it’s playoffs, there are a few teams that are emerging as the definitive favorites to win the Stanley Cup. Goaltending is often key to a teams playoffs success, that said, the Chicago Blackhawks took home Lord Stanley’s Cup last year—even with inconsistent goaltending from Antti Niemi. Power play and penalty kill success also comes into play, as does a teams ability to gel at the right time. With all this in mind, let’s take a look at the NHL’s eight most dangerous playoffs teams of 2010-11. Philadelphia Flyers: Key Stats: Current Record: 46-22-10 (102 points)—Second in Eastern Conference GF: 245 GA: 207 Diff: +38 PP: 16.4% (20th overall) PK: 83.8% (Ninth overall) Key Players: Mike Richards (F) Jeff Carter (F) Chris Pronger (D) Sergei Bobrovsky (G) The

For the fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs, it appears as if their beloved Buds will be on the outside looking in when the 2010-11 Stanley Cup Playoffs roll around. While a few key players stand out, there is plenty of blame to go around when it comes to determining why the Blue and White will be missing the playoffs…again! Let’s take a look at the top 10 reasons the Maple Leafs will not be playing in this years playoffs… Poor Goaltending: When the 2010-11 season began just about every Maple Leaf fan felt it was only a matter of time until Jonas “The Monster” Gustavsson would overtake J.S. Giguere as the Blue and White’s number one goaltender. Instead, Gustavsson struggled all season long while Giguere was equally inept on more nights than not. If not for the spirited efforts

With the 2010-11 NHL season winding down and with the Toronto Maple Leafs looking like they will once again miss the playoffs, Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke has some tough decisions to make with regards to the roster he wants to send over the boards for the 2011-12 season. While it is tough to speculate on which players Burke will bring into the fold via free agency this summer, there are more than a few players within the organization that appear to be on their way out. With that in mind, let’s take a look at Seven players that will not be wearing the Blue and White of the Toronto Maple Leafs next season. J.S. Giguere, Goaltender, Toronto Maple Leafs: When Brian Burke traded for J.S. Giguere it was thought that he could help bring along goaltending prospect Jonas

There has been a lot of chatter both online and in the fish wrap in regards to NHL players and the lack of respect between them these days. Gone are the days when NHL players would think twice about taking liberties with their opponent, giving way to dangerous hits and a general lack of respect for player safety. With all this in mind, let’s take a look a five ways the NHL and its players can bring back a little R-E-S-P-E-C-T to the game of hockey and its players Reduce Equipment: On the surface, reducing the equipment NHL players wear looks to be a curious way to bring back some respect. Today’s NHL player is equipped with shoulder, elbow and shin pads that could be suitable for a medieval warrior. Recent evolutions in materials and a lack of size restriction allow