Top Story Lines Heading into Opening Night

Oct. 4, 2006 — -- Training camp has passed in a blur and the regular season is just hours away. Here are 10 intriguing story lines that developed since the opening of camp and what they mean:

Next, Lou Turns Meadowlands Swamp into Confectionary
What have we been saying? Never count Lou Lamoriello out of the game. Faced with having to play with half a team because he'd been buffaloed by the salary cap he helped create, the resourceful New Jersey GM magically made $7.1 million in debilitating salary cap money disappear in a puff of smoke.

First, he traded ghostly Vladimir Malakhov and his bloated $3.6 million salary to San Jose for a conditional first-round pick and two players who aren't likely to show up on the ice or the Devils' books. Then, he got the league to bite on the assertion that Alexander Mogilny, he of the $3.5 million salary, should be allowed to go on long-term disability, allowing the team to exceed the cap by that same amount. Then, with a flourish of his magician's cape, Lamoriello signed scoring star Brian Gionta, the team's best defenseman, Paul Martin, and a couple of other players just in time to see them play in the Devils' season opener. Lucky Lou's feats won't sit well with other GMs, who believe Mogilny's contract should count against the cap because the Russian star was over 35 when he signed his deal. Stay tuned (and as for reports that the swamp outside Continental Airlines Arena was magically turned into cotton candy, well, stay tuned for that, too).

Oh, You're "That" Guy
How is Mike O'Connell regarded by Bruins fans in Boston after trading league scoring champ and MVP Joe Thornton to San Jose? Let's just say being fired is the least intrusive of options. Well, Carolina GM Jim Rutherford is hoping he doesn't go down in history as "that" guy in Carolina after trading blue-chip defensive prospect Jack Johnson to Los Angeles on the eve of the regular season. Johnson might be Rob Blake/Scott Niedermayer/Scott Stevens all wrapped in American red, white and blue, but the third overall pick in the 2005 draft wasn't going to help the Hurricanes this season. So, Rutherford dealt him for immediate help in promising young defenseman Tim Gleason and veteran forward Eric Belanger. Now, the Carolina GM is hoping he becomes known as "that" guy who stole Gleason from the Kings.