The Answer Man

Everyone loves a good prediction, and in these, the days leading up to the season, there's no shortage of questions out there that need an answer. Here's my take on some of the issues dancing through the minds of NHL fans everywhere.

- Will the Leafs make the playoffs? Yes. Which rookies, apart from Stalberg and Gustavsson deserved to stay with the big club to kick off the season? None of them - Ron Wilson got it right.

- Are the Canadiens better than they were last year? No. Why not? Because Gomez and Gionta won't score at the pace they have in the pre-season.

- Dany Heatley says he did nothing wrong in asking to be traded. I disagree. Is Ottawa a better team without him? Without question. The combination of Alexei Kovalev, Jonathan Cheechoo, and Milan Michalek will produce far more collectively than Heatley ever could, which is important because for many years, finding secondary scoring in Ottawa has been near impossible.

- Did Wayne Gretzky do the right think in resigning from his coaching position with the Coyotes? Absolutely.

- How many games will Marian Gaborik play this year? I'll drink the rest of Glen Sather's Kool Aid and say more than 70.

- Who will be the starting goalie for the Anaheim Ducks? Next question.

- Who will be the starting goalie for the Washington Capitals. I can't say for certain who will enter the season with that distinction, but by the end of it, Semyon Varlamov will have played more games than Jose Theodore.

- Should Calgary have kept Theo Fleury? Yes. The Sutters dropped the ball again. Luckily, Olli Jokinen will have a tremendous bounce-back season and keep Calgary in the mix atop the Northwest division.

- Which off-season acquisition will have the biggest impact? Chris Pronger. Just think about it. Every team he's gone to since leaving St. Louis has had tremendous success with him in the line-up. Once he gets healthy, Marian Hossa will also be huge for Chicago, who in all likelihood, will make the Finals in 2010.

- Which teams are poised to fall out of the playoff picture? Montreal and possibly Carolina in the East. Enter Toronto, and Ottawa or Atlanta. If anyone in the West, it'll have to be Columbus, making way for the upstart LA Kings.

I've opened myself up (potentially) to a lot of criticism come season's end, but hey, what else is new.

Enjoy the puck drop on Thursday.