NHL Season Preview

Here is a breakdown of what I see happening in the upcoming NHL season. All predictions are based on some guess work and the assumption that the roster that finishes the season will be much like the one that started the season. In some cases this will obviously not be the case but trades and injuries are just about impossible to predict. I'll give a guess at the standings followed by team by team captions.

EAST WEST
1. Ottawa 1. Detroit
2. New York Rangers 2. San Jose
3. Carolina 3. Colorado
4. Buffalo 4. Anaheim
5. Pittsburgh 5. Minnesota
6. Florida 6. Calgary
7. New Jersey 7. Vancouver
8. Toronto 8. St. Louis
9. Philadelphia 9. Nashville
10. Tampa Bay 10. Dallas
11. Washington 11. Edmonton
12. Montreal 12. Los Angeles
13. Atlanta 13. Chicago
14. Boston 14. Columbus
15. New York Islanders 15. Phoenix

EAST
Atlanta: Their offense is powered by the dynamic duo of Marian Hossa and Ilya Kovalchuk and they have a decent top four defense group that includes the underrated Niclas Havelid and Garnet Exelby. They lack depth at either position though and are again without a proven offensive center since the departure of Marc Savard. There is some intriguing offensive potential in prospects Brett Sterling and Bryan Little but lingering questions about goaltender Kari Lehtonen compounded by last years playoff debacle leave Bob Hartley vulnerable and seeming to have run out of ideas.
Boston: Solidified the goaltending situation with the addition of Manny Fernandez, leaving Tim Thomas as a strong backup. Marc Savard quietly piled up points last year and Zdeno Chara, though he is starting the season hurt, has the capacity to be a difference maker on defense. Behind those two stars the supporting cast and depth is questionable and doesn't seem to have much potential to surprise. The one potential bright spot for the Bruins is the potential demonstrated by Phil Kessel at points last year. He has the potential to combine with Patrice Bergeron and take some of the pressure off Savard.
Buffalo: Despite free agent losses Buffalo still boasts impressive depth at forward, a top notch goaltender in Ryan Miller and the same solid defense core, though they will start the season without Teppo Numminen. They don't have a real number one stud on defense despite the strong play of both Henrik Tallinder and Brian Campbell. The question will be if Thomas Vanek and Derek Roy can step up and continue to play even better and whether Tim Connolly can finally play an entire season and approach the potential he has always shown.
Carolina: Like Buffalo, the Hurricanes boast probably the best top nine forward group in the league and a returning defense unit that is reliable. They are counting on Cam Ward to have a bounce back year (along with some of their forwards) but they lack offense from the defensemen and are without a strong backup if Cam Ward again falters. The question, since the lineup has changed only a little from two years ago, is which team is the true representation of the roster. The answer is probably somewhere in the middle but they play in a weak division.
Florida: Thomas Vokoun should settle last years goaltending issues and help the developing defense core. Olli Jokinen remains possibly the most underrated player in the NHL, an offensive force and all around contributor (though he needs to be better on the road). The Panthers lack scoring depth unless a couple of young players really leap forward and will have to overcome what has become a losing culture. The question will be Vokoun's health, as he has missed substantial time the past two seasons, and whether the potential that hasn't been reached since the lockout finally turns into results.
Montreal: Possibly the best goaltending tandem in the league, if Carey Price plays as well in the NHL as he has everywhere else, will be needed overcome this team's deficiencies. There is a decent defense group, though the depth is questionable, and they lack a true scoring star up front, unless Alexei Kovalev suddenly decides to play with maximum effort every night. Too much rests on things working out as well as possible for the Habs, though the potential of young players stepping up and having in impact could drastically effect where they finish. Watch Plekanec, Latendresse, Higgins, Kostitsyn and others as an indicator.
New Jersey: They still have Martin Brodeur and that gives the Devils a shot at the playoffs always. The top six forwards are solid, with Zach Parise especially demonstrating the potential to dominate, and the leadership group is unquestionable; this team will play to its potential. The defense core sustained another substantial loss with Brian Rafalski's departure and could be without Colin White for some time with his eye injury. As such that group is highly questionable. Brodeur's performance in last year's playoffs left questions about whether he is still able to play 70 plus games a year and the rest of the team may not be strong enough to make the playoffs if he can't.
New York Islanders: A solid goaltender and a great coach will be the backbone of this year's Islanders. They lack difference makers at either forward or defense and if the coach is one of the first positives, the talent of the players is highly dubious. The group is made of solid supporting pieces and they will have to hope that teamwork can trump talent and that DiPietro can jump from being excellent to being dominant.
New York Rangers: The Rangers seem to be a sexy pick to compete for the Stanley Cup after adding Chris Drury and Scott Gomez. They have an enviable top six forwards, proven scorers all, and one of the best goaltenders in the league in Henrik Lundqvist. Their defense core, however, remains serviceable but lacking real difference makers and should something happen to Lundqvist, they are in real trouble in goal. They are hoping that Marc Staal could be ready to make an impact in the NHL and there will be some question about whether Scott Gomez proves to be a real upgrade over Michael Nylander centering Jagr and Straka.
Ottawa: The big three, Spezza, Heatley and Alfredsson, have proved consistently dominant for the past two years and the Senators remain deep and strong on defense. With both Gerber and Emery they have an excellent goalie tandem. There will again be questions about the productivity of some of the secondary scorers and expectations may exceed reality for Mike Fisher, Patrick Eaves and Antoine Vermette. They will have the pressure to repeat last years performance on them and will have to focus on the present due to the possibility of change on the horizon.
Philadelphia: They made a concerted effort to improve with the additions of good players in Briere, Timonen and Hartnell. There will be a lot of internal competition among young players and the tandem of Biron and Nittymaki should be steady if unspectacular in goal. The reliance on young players to contribute could undermine their efforts this season and they will face a challenge in creating chemistry with all the new faces. The big question will be whether all the young forwards who stagnated last year can again progress and contribute.
Pittsburgh: It starts and ends with Crosby, the reigning MVP. The Penguins have surrounded him with solid scoring support and a good puck moving defense. The ability of that defense to protect the net remains to be seen and Marc-Andre Fleury has yet to prove that he can provide consistently good goaltending to a team that wants to contend. The question will be whether the offense intimidates enough to take some of the pressure off the defense and goalie.
Tampa Bay: Another team with big offensive stars and questions about the defense group and goaltenders. Dan Boyle is underrated and very effective though he will begin the season injured and will have to catch up once he's healthy. The goaltending has not improved since last year and the depth of the defense core is questionable. They will score, especially with better wingers brought in to help Brad Richards but they will need someone to come out of nowhere to keep the puck out of their net.
Toronto: A strong goaltending tandem, if Toskala can adjust to the pressure of Toronto, and strong offensive contributors on the blueline give the Leafs some hope. Sundin returns with a proven goal scorer on his wing in Jason Blake. The defensemen, especially McCabe and Kubina, will have to do a better job in their own end and the secondary scoring will have to step up when needed. Can the young players and underachievers finally contribute in a meaningful way?
Washington: They have an improved group of forwards to help Alexander Ovechkin so scoring should be less of a problem than last year. Added an experienced powerplay quarterback in Tom Poti to the defense core. They still lack depth or a dominating presence among their defensemen. They will need Olaf Kolzig to continue to steal games for them and he is not getting any younger. They are also counting on big contributions from young players like Nicklas Backstrom and that can be a risky proposition.

WEST
Anaheim: The defending champs retain an excellent goalie tandem and a strong defense core, especially should Niedermayer decide to return at some point during the season. They are some questions about their scoring depth and about the ability of Todd Bertuzzi to produce a bounce back season. Bobby Ryan seems to be getting a chance to make the team. The wildcard for them will be Ryan Getzlaf who showed flashes of dominance in the playoffs last year and led the team in scoring. If he can become an elite player, the Ducks will be very tough to beat.
Calgary: A solid top six forwards, including the ever solid Jarome Iginla and an elite goaltender in Miikka Kiprusoff should allow the Flames to challenge in the very tough Northwest Division. The bottom half of the roster is not as strong and they are taking a chance on Adrian Aucoin returning to the form he showed with the Islanders before the lockout. The introduction of Mike Keenan will be interesting and they will have to be better on the road but as long as they do not rely too much on Kiprusoff they have a chance at the division title.
Chicago: There is some raw talent at both forward and defense on this team but it remains mostly young potential rather than proven production. Khabibulin has not shown the ability to be a game changing goalie since moving to the 'Hawks and their two best players, Martin Havlat and Tuomo Ruutu have a very checkered injury history. If those two stay healthy and all their young players perform ahead of the curve, this team might be okay but that is a big IF.
Colorado: Joe Sakic remains incredibly effective on and off the ice. The Avs have added impact players in Ryan Smyth and Scott Hannan giving them solid depth at both forward and defense, including young players with the potential to excel like Paul Stastny and Wojtek Wolski. The goaltending remains somewhat questionable, though Peter Budaj played well enough last year to give them hope that he can make enough saves to allow the rest of the lineup to achieve.
Columbus: Rick Nash still has big time talent and Ken Hitchcock will instill discipline from day one but like with the Islanders, if the coach is a selling feature it does not bode well. Their goaltending is suspect enough that they are keeping young Steve Mason around to start the year. They do not have a number one center and several of their prospects seem to have stalled in their development. Even the best case scenario doesn't seem like the playoffs.
Dallas: A perennial playoff team that could end up on the outside despite the excellent goaltending of Marty Turco. Brendan Morrow and Sergei Zubov remain excellent contributors but the scoring depth seems to be getting worse, not better and they seem to be without potential young contributors. Unless Morrow finds a new offensive gear and Modano a fountain of youth Dallas looks to fall back a bit.
Detroit: They continue to have the best defenseman in the game, Nicklas Lidstorm and have given him additional help with Brian Rafalski coming in. Zetterberg and Datsyuk are a strong scoring duo and they have two veteran goalies. The scoring depth is up in the air, with several young players being counted on the contribute. Dominik Hasek's health and the continued strong play of aging veterans are variables in how good this team can be but their weak division should make them the easiest playoff qualifier.
Edmonton: They have a lot of young talent and a strong goalie tandem. The overhauled defense shouldn't have any trouble moving the puck though they will have to demonstrate that they can protect the net. Whether the talent translates into scoring depth remains to be seen and whether Roloson's play is improved by having a strong backup will also be a question. The potential to be good is there but the devestatingly tough Northwest could limit improvement.
Los Angeles: A good defense core and budding offensive talents like Mike Cammalleri and Alexander Frolov should help the Kings improve. The secondary scoring is suspect and the goaltending situation remains unresolved with nineteen-year-old Jonathon Bernier starting the season opener. The chemistry will take time with a large number of new faces and the ability of a young goalie to hold up behind a middling team remains up in the air.
Minnesota: Great defense and another strong goalie tandem combine with a couple of explosive forwards to make the Wild intriguing. Some of the talent remains unproven and as with many teams, the scoring depth is questionable. If Backstrom proves to be the real deal in goal and Marian Gaborik can stay healthy and play a full season, they could be one of the best teams in the Western Conference.
Nashville: Took a step back with the exodus of talent but the Predators remain well stocked with both top end scorers and up and comers on defense. The jump to bigger roles for many of their players may prove too much and the ability of Chris Mason to be a full time starting goaltender remains to be proven. Should be in the playoff mix if Shea Weber and Alexander Radulov can take a big steps towards being elite players.
Phoenix: Some good defensemen and Shane Doan seem to be the only positives for a team that lacks scoring talent or a starting goaltender. They have a lot of youth and it is possible someone may step up but it seems to be a long year ahead for the Coyotes.
St. Louis: A good defense core and strong top six forwards could help the Blues surprise some people this year. They lack a proven goalie but could have a decent tandem in Legace and Toivonen. Their isn't an elite scorer on the roster so some of their success will rest on how much of an impact Erik Johnson is able to have as a young defenseman.
San Jose: Great scorers up front, a solid defense core and a good goalie could make the Sharks the class of the conference. They lack an elite defender and the backup goalie options remain untested but the best one-two punch at center and a solid supporting cast should make them tough to play on any given night. The question will be the development of young defensemen Carle and Vlasic and how well Nabokov plays without someone pushing for his spot.
Vancouver: The best goalie in the league, Roberto Luongo, gives them a chance to win every night. The Sedins have become reliable scorers and Markus Naslund may have a bounce back year. They have a good defense core, though keeping the unit healthy may be difficult if the past track record is any indication. The question will be if they can score enough to make great goaltending stand up most nights.

That should be a good primer for puck drop tomorrow and we'll see how I did in April.
Thanks for reading.