At the start of the KHL: SKA

CHL

Regular Season

Prior to the start - 2 days

Each year Petrograd recorded in the main contenders for the Gagarin Cup.

Moreover pronounced same compliments caused shiny terms loud names selection.
In this off-season SKA bosses already killed a high bar to the skies. Why is only one transition Kovalchuk, who returned to Russia in full bloom. Yes, there is, if regularly called to the national team for Euro Hockey Tour newcomers Shipachev and Kets, who came out of "Severstal", on the banks of the Neva have every chance to start the season only in the third link! In Russian history steeper transfer company was probably only at the time of the lockout in enhaelovskih sezone-2004/05 at "Ak Bars".The moral side of the question - how was it possible in the present circumstances to assemble a team, where even members of the fourth level have an average of one million dollars per season - aside. It is in this scenario does not change anything. There is no doubt that the regular season again SKA will be a breeze. The depth and quality of the team will easily win most of the matches and joy-filled "Ice" plenty of goals. However, it is unlikely that all will suit Peter. City needed the Gagarin Cup. The main question remains, is it possible to make St. Petersburg millionaires die for the result as it is done in the "Dynamo". After all, white and blue are seen in the "West" the only force able to leave Petrograd with his nose. Already Jukka Jalonen has imposed with video recordings of the final matches of the sample series last spring and puzzle over how to beat a team of Oleg Znarka.

Loss of off-season
n.Evgeny Artyukhina (Atlanta)

It is difficult to tell which cat ran between Yalonenom and Artyukhin. After all, in the playoffs as opposed to the regular season enforcer looked bad. And in the series against the Moscow "Dynamo" coaching staff for some reason did not use the best aspects of this giant, which to some extent predetermined the defeat of the SKA. Taken in its place Ponikarovsky did not stronger.

TRANSFER the offseason
n. Ilya Kovalchuk (New Jersey Devils, NHL)

This transition was the loudest in the current season, vskolyhnuv hockey world on both sides of the Atlantic. In the prime of Russian NHL star of this level has never left. In St. Petersburg, still believe that tighten the lock-out for the entire season, in the finals of the Gagarin Cup would have been just their team - so cool rallied collective Kovalchuk mere presence in the locker room.

Key players
in the. Alexander Salak

You can talk about coaching talents Znarka and the nature of his "Dynamo", but the fact remains. Two consecutive years in the playoffs SKA summed first goalkeepers. In general, they played well, but for big wins to give matches a lifetime.By default, Salak looks good candidate for this role, but how many goalies have varying degrees of talent grew on the banks of the Neva scapegoats ...

PROBABILITY resignation of head coach
Jukka Jalonen (5%)

It is difficult to imagine that with such a powerful lineup Finn did not live up to the playoffs. He needs only to correctly form the majority of the five and the team, and then reap the benefits of standing on the bench. But its real level Yalonenu have already shown in the drawing of the Gagarin Cup, where he almost certainly will have a chance to take revenge from the Moscow "Dynamo".