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Across social media, hockey fans are asking, Is it October yet? Truth be told, hockey news is already happening. Players are returning to their hockey homes, last-minute signings are happening and training camp is just around the corner. California is fortunate to have three hockey teams and all of them good. (New York has three as well, but well, California is fortunate.) So, Cali hockey fans, what can you expect for the 2014-15 season? San Jose Sharks They didn t have a great off-season. They got rid of a couple veterans, stripped Joe Thornton of his captaincy, added ice girls and not much else. Luckily for Sharks fans, San Jose wasn t bad to begin with. Sure, they hated their first-round exit, but the Buffalo Sabres and New York Islanders would have been fine with exiting first round since it meant they made the playoffs. Likewise, the Sharks have a promising rookie in Tomas Hertl. And the yeti, Brent Burns, is returning to defense where his size doesn t make him so yeti-like as much as a big asset. The Sharks, California-style, have only gotten a facelift. However, they didn t have a garage sale <a href=http://www.styledepth.com/test.php?sale=Cheap-Gucci-Shoes>Gucci Mens Jewelry</a> like the Vancouver Canucks, so, ultimately, they re not in bad shape. Maybe they ll pick up some fresh blood just before training camp. Or maybe their chemistry will finally click. Los Angeles Kings The Cup-winning Kings didn t have much to do except tread water. And, besides tour the Stanley Cup around creation, they didn t do much more than that during the summer. According to , one of the biggest questions is how much with captain Dustin Brown and forward Mike Richards produce. True, for a stretch forward Anze Kopitar was practically the only King scoring goals. However, the Kings are strong in their very effective puck-possession playing style. And they re the reigning Cup champs with whispers of dynasty following them around. Will the Los Angeles Kings win the Stanley Cup again next year? Probably not. They did it the hard way this year, and at a certain point the grind wears on you. They didn t change much over the off-season, which is both a boon and a curse. Sure, winning the Stanley Cup is the ultimate. When you ve done it twice already, your whole body hurts, <a href=http://www.fwpcoa.org/icon/True-Religion-Jeans-Cheap-Cargo-Pants-Jacket-Jeans-For-Women.html>True Religion Jeans For Women</a> your gas tank is empty and there are teams full of hungrier players lining up against you A person only has so much to give. Anaheim Ducks The Ducks had the most productive off-season. They shored up their center position, found a potential wing for the Ryan Getzlaf-Corey Perry tandem and even got a little help at the blue line. Ryan Kesler is all set to play the centerman behind Getzlaf. He has the numbers, and he has the hunger. Clayton Stoner didn t like his chances <a href=http://www.mahaloshuttle.com/service/Tory-Burch-Shoes-Sale-Cheap-Boots-Scarf-Baby.html>Tory Burch Baby</a> with the Minnesota Wild, so he ll be looking to make a mark in Anaheim. Forward Dany Heatley is a bigger question. A pure goal scorer, he s been on the decline for a few seasons. Can he regain any of his old magic? Honestly, that depends a lot on his chemistry with Getzlaf and Perry. They may elevate him, or聽they may leave him聽in the dust. The Ducks did a great job of addressing the issues that they felt exited them too early from the playoffs. Former goalie 聽may have said Cali fans only care about the Kings, but the Ducks are going to make some noise and it s hard to ignore a noisy duck. So, Cali hockey fans, exciting days are coming up. October is, for all intents and purposes, practically here. Photo from Getty Images The following two tabs change content below.
