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Pre-season Conference rankings are coming soon! I have developed what I think to be quite a scientific method for ranking teams, and while I don’t want to give it completely away, I’ll let you in on some of the factors. There are, of course, the obvious considerations – offence, defence, and goaltending – but there is much more to be measured. It doesn’t suffice to simply compare team rosters in those three categories [...]

How well a team played in the previous season is usually an important consideration, and how they’ve changed in the off-season can be even more significant. It’s always important to look at the quality of a team’s youth and prospects – while it may not seem necessary for the current season, injuries and fatigue will always be a part of the game, and they will both often result in the need for teams to call up fresh skaters, sometimes early in the season. At the same time, the quality of a team’s experience cannot be undervalued – the balance of youth and experience on a team is something you can’t ignore when ranking them.

You’ve also got divisional play. Each team plays more than one quarter of their games – 24 to be exact – against only four of the other 29 teams. A certain team may be good, but if their four division rivals are all better, then they’re going to be losing games. There are also travel considerations. Some teams travel more than others do, but this changes each season. You might be tempted to think that because Team A travels more than Team B, the strain will be tougher on Team A. But if Team A is actually travelling 4000 miles less than they did last season, while Team B will be travelling 4000 more…you get the picture. For a great resource to compare team travel, check this out: How Much Does Your Favorite Team Travel?


I tend to give important NHL updates much quicker on twitter, and wait a while to analyze the events over here. So if you’re in need of quick updates, be sure to follow here: LindHockeyFile on Twitter – just don’t forget to come back here for the analysis. For a rundown of some of the bigger stories:

Patrick Kane was able to arrange a plea bargain, whereby the larger charge of felony robbery was dropped. Now, my understanding of the way a plea deal works is that you either plead guilty for a reduced sentence, or you plead guilty to lesser charges and have the larger charges dropped. But the day after having the felony robbery charge dropped, Patrick Kane proceeded to plead not guilty to the misdemeanour robbery and theft charges. Some people think it’s all over, but I have doubts about this one…

Dany Heatley finally addressed the media Friday, via telephone conference. He reiterated his desire to be traded, but still left fans hanging as to why, citing a perceived “diminished role on the team”. He did say, however, that he was prepared to report to camp if a trade wasn’t made by that time. Don’t expect it to happen. You can check out the press conference here: Heatley Conference Call.


There have also been updates here! Aside from changing the layout to feature the expandable articles, Twitter updates are now displayed on the sidebar and updated automatically, and the site log and disclaimer have both been updated (you can find them at the bottom of either column). Social bookmark buttons have been added for Delicious, Facebook, StumbleUpon, and Technorati, so give them a click if you’re on those networks! Also, a pretty nifty animated 3D tag cloud has been added, clicking the tags allows you to find the topics that interest you most.

And more is coming! There will soon be a contact form on the page, whereby registration for the Lind File Hockey Pool will take place. I can’t give out too many details yet, but the pool will be hosted on ESPN, so make sure to sign up for a free account at ESPN Fantasy Hockey. The contact form can also be used to ask me your fantasy questions, which I will e-mail you answers to and post in fantasy mailbags. I’ve also got plans to add games, videos, and a chat system – all hopefully before the season begins!

- Josh Lind

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