2006-2007 NHL Season Preview

Photo of Teemu Selane of the Anaheim Ducks.

Courtesy of NHL

Courtesy of NHL

The puck's about to drop on a new season of NHL hockey. Check out Kidzworld's 2006-07 season preview right here.

2006-07 NHL Preview - Stanley Cup Contenders

With a ton of trades and free agent signings in the offseason, some NHL teams have made major makeovers while others have taken big steps backwards. Here's who Kidzworld expects to be the top contenders for the Stanley Cup.

Anaheim Ducks - Anaheim ditched the "Mighty" from their name this year - but they should actually be mighter than the team which went to the Western Conference Finals last year. With Chris Pronger and Scott Neidermeyer on defence, the team from Orange County has the hottest pairing since Ryan Atwood and Marissa Cooper. Expect the Ducks to be playing deep into the playoffs next spring.

Calgary Flames - The Flames have the NHL's best goalie in Miikka Kiprusoff and a rock solid defence. With the addition of sniper, Alex Tanguay from Colorado, the Flames should also be able to win games by scoring goals. A trip to the Stanley Cup Finals is well within reach.

Ottawa Senators - The Ottawa Senators lost one of the best defencemen in the NHL when Zdeno Chara bolted to Boston for more money. But the Sens still have great forwards in Dany Heatley and Daniel Alfreddson and should be able to outscore most teams on any night. The team's goaltending is a bit questionable - but they'll be a favorite to win it all once the playoffs start.

Carolina Hurricanes - The 'Canes were surprise winners of the Cup in 2006 but they won't be flying under the radar this year. They have some of the best forwards in the league, solid goaltending from Cam Ward and will be a threat to be the first repeat champions since the Detroit Red Wings in 1997-1998.

2006-2007 NHL Preview - Players To Watch

Alexander Ovechkin - The coverboy for EA Sports NHL 2007 became an overnight NHL superstar last year after scoring the most spectacular goal of the year and leading all rookies in scoring. Expect more highlights from Ovechkin in 06-07 and don't be surprised if he keeps the Capitals in the playoff hunt early on.

Sidney Crosby - Sid The Kid received more hype last year than Tom Cruise's offspring but the teenage superstar proved he was worthy of the hype by scoring over 100 points and finishing sixth overall in scoring. Crosby should take his play to another level this year and is a favorite to lead the NHL in points.

Evgeni Malkin - The former star of the Russian Super League is the overwhelming favorite to win Rookie of the Year. Malkin is big, strong, has great hands and should help the Penguins improve on last year's last place performance.

2006-2007 NHL Preview - Did You Know?

The 2007 NHL All Star Game will be played January 24th, 2007 in Dallas.

For the 2006-2007 season, players will be allowed to use stick blades that are curved up to 3/4 of an inch - that's a 1/4 of an inch more than last year. This extra flex on the stick should mean nastier wrist shots and more goals.

The Anaheim Ducks and Buffalo Sabres both have new uniforms and logos to start the 2006-2007 season. The Ducks' new duds look pretty sharp while Buffalo's new logo has been ridiculed for looking more like a slug than a buffalo.

Who do you think's gonna win the Stanley Cup in 2007? and predictions to Kidzworld.

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