Hurricanes fans have been given some nice price breaks by their contrite team. (Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

By Allan Muir

MacLean’s (Canada’s leading newsweekly, for the uninitiated) today offered up an interactive overview illustrating how far each NHL team was willing to go to soothe hard feelings in the wake of the lockout.

The magazine’s survey took into account the sort of offers that had an impact on how much a fan might spend to take in their team’s first home game, including ticket prices, processing fees and discounts on merchandise and concessions.

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Should he stay or should he go? Roberto Luongo is valuable to the Canucks either way. (Bob Frid/Icon SMI)

By Allan Muir

• Maybe they can get that Strombone guy in return. If Vancouver GM Mike Gillis is saying on record that there’s a provisional deal in place for Roberto Luongo, the early season’s biggest drama must be about to close. Or not. Who knows. Key point is buried at the end of the column: Luongo’s been the consummate pro during all this trade speculation, preventing the process from turning into a soap opera. This time around, being the anti-Tim Thomas is a good thing.

• Let’s not discount this free beer idea. The special warmup jerseys and pregame speeches were swell, but the healing process actually began with a competitive effort last night in Columbus. New GM John Davidson promised that his team wouldn’t be outworked, and the Jackets backed him up in theirt 3-2 shootout loss to Detroit.  A consistent, focused effort will go a long way in C-bus…at least for now…

• Must be the cooking. The Leafs have lost 12 of 14 at the ACC after being dropped 2-1 by the Sabres last night. At least it was a freebie for season-ticket holders.

• All things being equal, I’d take the blond. Ian Mendes has the scoop on the best behind-the-bench distraction since Taylor Stevens.

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Alex Ovechkin has a new coach to get used to, and the Rangers may pay a price for their reliance on blocking shots. (Will Schneekloth/Icon SMI)

By Stu Hackel

Every NHL season starts with expectations and conjures up predictions about where teams might finish, but this is a season like no other. You can’t even compare it too closely to the lockout-shortened 1995 campaign, one played with a 26-team NHL, a different conference alignment and playoff format, no shootout or “loser’s point,” and far less parity. And even in a normal season, there is so much uncertainty in sports that preseason predictions are a waste of time.

SI.com colleagues Brian Cazeneuve, Sarah Kwak and Adrian Dater have their thoughts on the upcoming season and you can find them here:

Power Rankings | Milestones | Central | Northwest | Pacific | Southeast | Atlantic | Northeast

Our favorite preseason pastime at Red Light is trying to boil down each team’s success or failure to one or a few essential themes. Each club has them and the answers to these questions, theoretically at least, should go a long way to determining if it plays up to expectations and potential. Keep in mind they all take place within the framework of the shortened season imposing its own unique characteristics on the playoff chase, which we pondered in this post.

Below are the essential questions for each team in the East and here’s the link for teams in the West:

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Current New York Rangers stars will be holding a clinic on Staten Island to benefit one of the area’s hardest hit places. (Photo by Paul J. Richards/AFP/Getty Images)

By Stu Hackel

We’ll honor Day 60 of the NHL season being held hostage by not discussing the lockout but something more important, the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. This is out of the headlines in most places, but it remains a real problem for many people and, thankfully, some in hockey continue to pay attention.

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The Hurricanes took a gamble by signing Alexander Semin to a one-year, $7 million contract. (Mitchell Layton/NHLI/Getty Images)

By Stu Hackel

It’s no surprise that the Carolina Hurricanes signed Alexander Semin; GM Jim Rutherford said three weeks ago he’d explore the possibility. And it’s no surprise he got a one-year contract; Rutherford and others acknowledged the player’s on-ice reputation and expressed reluctance to make a longer commitment. But $7 million for that one year? That’s a surprise.

The combination of the short term and high value of the contract is strange. Every GM has signed players to one-year deals, but a one-year deal at this sort of money is very unusual. If a player is worth $7 million, you typically want to lock him up for a while.

Here are some of the other players making $7 million next season, according to CapGeek.com: Jarome Iginla, Danny Briere, Mike Cammalleri, Joe Thornton, Brent Seabrook, Pekka Rinne. Semin could be, but hasn’t been, in that class of NHL performer. When Columbus signed defenseman James Wisniewski for $7 million last summer, a lot of people were aghast. They are probably equally aghast at Alexander Semin receiving that number.

We’ve discussed Semin’s situation before, as recently as two weeks ago. And Semin may have $7 million-type talent. But does he display it often enough to warrant that kind of money?

“Alex Semin is like a lot of hurricanes,” tweeted Hockey News columnist Adam Proteau. “it’s impossible to predict when he’ll show up, & his peak season is usually in early September.”

Clever, eh? Semin’s peak season may or may not be in training camp, when optimism abounds and everyone gawks at his world-class shot and puck skills, touting him as a potential game-breaker. When the puck drops in earnest, however, he turns capricious. One thing has become more certain in recent seasons: Semin tends to fade over the course of the campaign — he’s generally more productive in the first half than the second half — and he’s been pretty ineffective in the playoffs.

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Unfortunately for free agent Alex Semin, his reputation precedes his impressive statistics. (Jerome Davis/Icon SMI)

By Stu Hackel

Goal scoring in the NHL is down, the thin free agent market is depleted of top offensive talent, and the trade market seems frozen, so one name in particular stands out: unrestricted free agent Alexander Semin. Theoretically at least, he could be the solution to some team’s scoring woes, but there he sits by the phone, waiting for his agent Marc Gandler to tell him which club wants to sign a supremely talented 28-year-old who has put up seasons of 38, 34 and 40 goals during his NHL career. His numbers are comparable to Zach Parise’s, but no one is throwing a 13-year contract worth $98 million at Semin. Not even close.

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With many suitors calling, free agent Shane Doan won’t let the Coyotes’ arena hassles and cloudy ownership hold him hostage. (Christian Peterson/Getty Images)

By Stu Hackel

Perhaps some day soon, Shane Doan will decide that he’ll forgo being captain of the Phoenix Coyotes and start working his unrestricted free agent status. He wants to remain in the desert, but if and when that desire changes, the line for getting his name on a contract will form on the right. Step right up, step right up. Who will be ready with their pitch and their pen? The Blues, Sabres, Red Wings, Maple Leafs, Hurricanes, Rangers, Flyers, Sharks, Penguins, Blackhawks, Kings, Canucks, and Canadiens. Those are just the teams we know about. Doan’s agent says the number is closer to 16. Anyone else? The Stars perhaps? Or the Avalanche? How about the Oilers? A return to Winnipeg?

It might be easier to list the clubs we know won’t pursue Doan. There’s some thought that he wants to stay out West, but the Eastern teams listed above haven’t been dissuaded by his agent, Terry Bross, who seems fond of telling all who inquire that “Shane is interested” in whatever team asks about him. Except the Bruins, for some strange reason. Doan would be a great Bruin.

Everyone loves Shane Doan. What’s not to love, especially in a free agent market where the elite items have already been snapped off the shelves? At 35 years old (36 in October), Doan is a proven power forward, always good for around 20 goals. He gets his assists, too, although that number dropped from 40 to 28 last season, his lowest output since 2006-07. A rugged customer, Doan’s fine hockey IQ makes up for what he lacks in foot speed. Probably of most significance, he is a proven leader, among the best in the sport. Look at how well the Coyotes have done during the last few years, sticking together and staying competitive despite playing in the most screwed up situation in the league, if not pro sports. For their success, they have Doan’s leadership to thank as much as anyone’s.

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One to watch: hot blueline prospect Justin Schultz may dodge the Ducks by not signing with them and could be grabbed by another team without having to make a trade for him. (Brace Hemmelgarn/Icon SMI)

By Stu Hackel

We wrote late last week that the trade and free agent rumor mill was heating up. Today it is starting to boil.

There’s always talk about who might be on the move when the calendar hits June, but this gumbo of gossip has some unique ingredients. For starters, the Entry Draft starts on Friday and this year’s draft class is not considered to be particularly strong. With a number of teams holding high picks and wanting to change their fortunes sooner rather than later, dealing them for established talent might be the way to go. Throw in a few disgruntled big name players who desire new addresses and teams facing salary cap issues while trying to re-sign some of their unrestricted free agents before they hit the market on July 1, and you’ve got a buffet of  buzz.

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Both the Stars and Flames are in for some serious evaluation — in Dallas, it starts in the front office; in Calgary with a veteran roster that may require turning iconic captain Jarome Iginla into trade bait. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

By Stu Hackel

While everyone is talking playoff matchups and predicting the number of stitches that doctors will need to close the combined wounds of the Penguins and Flyers, there are 14 other clubs who are packing up for the summer and planning for next season. Here’s a roundup of the NHL’s also-rans and what might be in store for them during the offseason. We’ll start at the bottom of the league and work our way up.

Columbus – Yes, the Blue Jackets won seven of their last 11 games and ownership continues to back the hockey department, but the team’s dreadful start when so much was expected, its last place finish, the coaching change, the fan protest, and the Rick Nash mess all made for a dreadful season. The future of interim coach Todd Richards is uncertain, but the huge question mark is Nash’s fate. If he is traded — which is widely expected — what will embattled GM Scott Howson get in return? Will it be enough to reverse this club’s direction and win back the many discontented fans? Michael Arace of The Columbus Dispatch summed it all up over the weekend.

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The Rangers hold a tiebreaker advantage over the pursuing Penguins for the overall Eastern lead by having more regulation and OT wins minus shootout victories. (Scott Levy/NHLI via Getty Images)

By Stu Hackel

As the days of the regular season dwindle down to a precious few, the playoff picture has begun to get clearer, but only somewhat. Much remains undecided, including the bottom qualifiers in each conference and the first round seedings.

From a strictly mathematical perspective, only the Blues and Rangers have clinched playoff spots and only the Blue Jackets have been eliminated.

Today, let’s look at the East where, realistically, the Canadiens, Islanders, Lightning and free-falling Maple Leafs have little chance of qualifying (and here’s a look at the West). The Hurricanes, who have played well of late, remain barely alive. They are a very long shot with a tall mountain to climb and three teams to climb over.

After that, there’s still lot’s up for grabs.

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