Great expectations

Hockey Digest, Dec, 2000 by Tom Worgo

Risebrough worked as assistant general manager and general manager for the Calgary Flames before being fired in 1996. For the past three seasons, he served as the Edmonton Oilers' vice president of hockey operations.

King served as Calgary's head coach from 1992-95, twice leading his team finished with 97 points and division titles, but never getting them past the first round of the playoffs. King then spent two years as an assistant in Montreal before working the past two years as director of European pro scouting for the Canadiens. A tremendous teacher, King has conducted more than 100 coaching clinics and published hundreds of articles and manuals about hockey.

"We want to be a competitive team and win our share of games," King says. "But more important is determining if these guys can or can't play [at this level]. You want to [immediately] determine which guys will fit in in the long term, and which guys won't, so that in Year Two, you can begin to tailor [a winning] team."

Of the two teams, Columbus has better goaltending. The franchise signed free agent Ron Tugnutt, a 1999 All-Star to a four-year, $10-million contract. The 32-year-old Tugnutt had a standout postseason this year with Pittsburgh, going 6-5 with a 1.77 goals-against average and two shutouts. He has a 59-38-24 record over the past three seasons with a 2.20 GAA and .916 save percentage. Columbus wants him to work with future netminder Marc Denis, acquired from Colorado in a trade, although they expect Tugnutt to be the starter for the season.

"Tugnutt was one of the best goalies in hockey over the past two years," Poile says. Tugnutt will have a solid veteran-laden defense in front of him, highlighted by Lyle Odelein--who was signed as a free agent to a three-year, $7.2-million contract--Jamie Pushor, Mattias Timander, and Jamie Heward.

King also likes the potential of defensemen Jean-Luc Grand-Pierre, Frantisek Kucera, and Rostislav Klesa, the fourth overall pick of the 2000 NHL entry draft. "Our defense will be big and physical," Kings says. "Overall we are pretty happy with what we got."

The Blue Jackets will probably experience problems scoring, however. Two forwards picked up in the expansion draft, Robert Kron and Geoff Sanderson, each scored 13 goals last year, the most of anyone on the roster. Kron also had 27 assists. Steve Heinze and gritty center Tyler Wright are coming off 12-goal seasons, although Heinze had 26 goals in 1997-98 and 22 the following year.

The Blue Jackets also have 37-year-old Kevin Dineen, (a four-time 20-plus goalscorer) and tough guy Krzysztof Oliwa on the roster. "I think our forwards are fairly quick and the speed we have there is a good asset," King says.

Minnesota is hoping goaltender Manny Fernandez, acquired in the expansion draft from Dallas, can have the same type of immediate success that Roman Turek did in St. Louis. Both are former backups to Ed Belfour. Another expansion draftee, Jamie McLennan (St. Louis Blues), will compete with Fernandez for the No. 1 job. The Wild feature reliable players such as Curtis Leschyshyn, J.J. Daigneault and Scan O'Donnell on the blue line.