Putting on the Finnish-ing Touches

 After winning last years championship, Dylan Wilson did not want to wait by as other teams got better over the Summer. "This was our last year to be really active in the free agent market, and we feel in both trades and in Free Agency, we've succeded in making this team as competitve as we were last year."

 Players leaving last years Cup winning team; Patrik Elias, David Backes, Vernon Fiddler, Matt Cooke, Jordin Tootoo, Alexei Ponikarovsky, Matt Bradley, Sami Salo and Kyle Quincey. 

 Being added to the mix this season; Jaromir Jagr, Teemu Selanne, Saku Koivu, Mark Eaton and a bevy of young talent already in the system.

 "We felt we could use our cap space this year to bring in some top level veteran talent, while shoring up other holes in the roster with some cheap but excellent talent. We didn't expect to have such a turnover in our roster, but that's just  the way it turned out."

 With just a handful of games left in pre-season, coach Marc Crawford is putting the finishing touches on the opening lineup.

 "We pretty much have 3 top scoring lines all locked up already; Crosby with Nash and Jagr, Mikko (Koivu) with his brother Saku and Teemu, while Brayden (Schenn) being complimented on the wings with Benn and Huberdeau. With of course Pietrangelo, OEL, Vlasic, Yandle, Schenn and Dillon on D, and Quick as our #1."

 What is up for grabs, is the 4th line and the 13th F. And coach Marc Crawford may be tipping his hand a little bit. 

"It's a fierce battle, we have the likes of Lewis, Emmerton, Sheppard, Beck, Sutter, Booth, Toffoli and Richardson all battling it out for those last four spots. Trevor has been great so far, ans has surely got a spot locked up, but the others will need to distinguish themselves in the next few games."

 The team also announced that taking the A's that belonged to Elias and Backes last year, will go to Jagr and Selanne this season.