Team Profile: London Dons

GM: Geoffrey Paul (second GM in team’s history)

Coach: Ken Hitchcock

Last season: 21st overall

Ins and Outs

(Season 3 to Season 4)

Out: Pavel Datsyuk (free agent, Stockholm), Pierre-Marc Bouchard (waived, Edinburgh), Mason Raymond (FA, Copenhagen), Derek Morris (free agent), Marek Zidlicky (retired)

In: Daniel Sedin (free agent, from Oslo), Marc-Andre Bergeron (FA, Helsinki), Mark Arcobello (FA), Martin Jones (draft), Nikita Kucherov (draft), William Nylander (draft), Sonny Milano (draft)

In Place

(Key players signed past Season 4)

Taylor Hall, LW; Jeff Skinner, C; Daniel Sedin, LW; Kevin Shattenkirk, D; Teddy Purcell, RW

Three Questions

1. How can the Dons get better? They got better from season 2 to 3, improving their goals and shots for and against numbers. Four of the top five scorers for London last season weren’t on the roster for Game 1 of the season. General Manager Geoffrey Paul traded for a handful of fresh faces and they produced for him. Centers Sam Gagner and Pavel Datsyuk, winger Teddy Purcell and defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk all scored between 54 and 57 points last year. Datsyuk is gone this season due to free agency, but in his place, Paul signed Daniel Sedin to an $8 million contract. Sedin is playing an unfamiliar position – right wing – but is on the top line with Gagner and Taylor Hall. On the topic of Hall, he is London’s key player now and in the future and his improvement last season was remarkable. With more experienced linemates, he scored 74 points, which is 2 more than he produced in the previous two seasons combined. He also raised his plus-minus from -14 and -20 to +25. Expect an even higher point total from him this season. Hall averaged 18 minutes of ice time per game in Season 3 and he has gotten 5 more minutes per game through the first three games this year.

2. What is the goalie situation? In a word, interesting. In three of the league’s four drafts, London has gone with a goalie first. Currently there are four net minders on the roster, led by the team’s first-ever pick, Marc-Andre Fleury. The former Penguin is 30 and in the final year of his current contract. He is also one of the highest-rated goalies in the EURO League. The three younger goalies below him on the depth chart are all of about the same quality and all capable backups right now, but none seems ready to challenge Fleury for several seasons. Martin Jones has the most potential so it might be beneficial for the team to get him a lot of game experience. That has to leave Steve Mason and Michal Neuvirth nervous about their long-term future in England.

3. Do they have balance? Pity the London goalies in practice because all the Dons can fire the puck. The team roster is loaded with snipers, especially on the right wing. Once they get the puck in scoring positions, London can shoot with the best of them. The question is, how can they get into scoring position more often? Paul has brought in slick passers like Purcell and Sedin, but the Dons seem a little short on players who are tenacious forecheckers and puck hounds.