"Dropping the Gloves" w/ Andrew Bogusch

While eight teams move on to the conference semifinals, eight other teams are shifting their focus to the offseason and the 2009-10 campaign. All in the latter group have work to do this summer to setup a deeper postseason, but some more so than others. What follows is a blueprint for success for those teams.

SAN JOSE SHARKS

The head coach (Ron Wilson) has already been fired. The general manager already bolstered the lineup with playoff-battle-tested veterans (Dan Boyle, Brad Lukowich, Rob Blake, Travis Moen). Yet, the Sharks are once again on summer break way too early. So now what? Simple, a heart transplant.

Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton are the leaders of this team, but have yet to lead it anywhere significant. Marleau managed just two goals and an assist in six games against the Ducks. And while Thornton was stellar in Game 5 and TKO’d Ryan Getzlaf to give his team a boost to start Game 6, his lackluster play in the first four games (two assists, -4) was a big reason for a 3-games-to-1 hole.

One, if not both, of the veteran centers cannot be on the San Jose roster on Opening Night in October. Marleau, with one year left on his contract at $6.2 million, could be a nice fit on a contending team’s second line – no major minutes, limited leadership responsibilities. Thornton’s value is a bit more convoluted. He is owed $14.2 million over the next two seasons and still puts up numbers (in the regular season) that warrant significant assets in return. But will a general manager pay a lot for a soon-to-be 30-year-old center that is making $7m annually and lacks an impressive playoff résumé?

MONTREAL CANADIENS

The disastrous centennial season is over in Montreal, but now GM Bob Gainey must get busy repairing this esteemed franchise after an embarrassing sweep by the hated Bruins. Saku Koivu, Alex Kovalev, Alex Tanguay, and Mike Komisarek headline the Canadiens’ lengthy list of unrestricted free agents, and Chris Higgins, Tomas Plekanec and Guillaume Latendresse are due raises as RFAs. Re-signing Komisarek is a must, and Tanguay should be brought back at the right price. But it is certainly time to cut ties with Kovalev, whose season boils down to being sent home for uninspired play in the heat of the playoff race.

Gainey flirted with trading for Marian Gaborik this spring. The oft-injured winger should be under consideration this summer -- so should Martin Havlat, Michael Camalleri and Jay Bouwmeester. As daunting as the number of free agents may be to Gainey, it provides him ample flexibility to retool a roster that fell well short of expectations this season.

NEW YORK RANGERS

On paper, getting to a Game 7 against the Capitals is a moral victory for a team devoid of top level talent. But the Rangers would be preparing for round two today with even a 10% increase in skill. The hard work of Brandon Dubinsky, Scott Gomez, Chris Drury and Marc Staal was made moot by the lack of size and finishing touch up front. The Rangers’ puck control was phenomenal in Tuesday’s finale, but it did not translate into goals because no one was capable of making that one pass to create a true scoring chance. Nor was there a true sniper to finish off the play the times the puck found a stick in scoring position.

The Rangers right now are a team without a #1 line. Their wishlist should resemble the Canadiens’ – Gaborik, Havlat, Cammalleri. And Glen Sather (who won’t be fired, sadly) should call Don Waddell in Atlanta and see what Ilya Kovalchuk’s price tag is these days. No one on New York’s current roster is untouchable except Staal and Henrik Lundqvist. Anyone can and should be moved for reinforcements because the Blueshirts are not capable of much as presently constituted.

As always, please send any comments, questions and critiques to boguschhockey@gmail.com