Huh. Somebody apparently thinks the Blackhawks are better off with Turco rather than Niemi in the cage!

Bodog still lists the Hawks as the favorites to repeat as Stanley Cup champions next season.

They rank the top ten teams like this:

Chicago Blackhawks- 6:1
Pittsburgh Penguins- 13:2
Washington Capitals- 13:2
Vancouver Canucks- 10:1
Detroit Red Wings- 12:1
San Jose Sharks- 12:1
Boston Bruins- 14:1
New Jersey Devils- 15:1
Philadelphia Flyers- 15:1
Los Angeles Kings- 16:1

Agree or disagree- and I'm unfortunately somewhat skeptical about ranking the Hawks so highly, even though I think they'll still be among the contenders next season despite all the key players they've lost to the salary cap- I'm fascinated that the Bodog people apparently think that the Hawks have improved their chances of repeating by substituting Marty Turco for Antti Niemi.

Turco, of course, does have both more experience than Niemi, and a decent track record. And as somebody in my Blackhawks group pointed out in response to the decision to let Antti go, puck possession teams like the Hawks really don't need a great goalie to win. The success of the Detroit Red Wings- who, except for the period when they had Dominic Hasek between the pipes, have been distinctly mediocre in the cage in recent years- is a case in point.