Eastern Conference:
1) Boston Bruins: If Marc Savard returns, they will have unparalleled depth. If not, look for them to drop to the middle of the pack.
2) Washington Capitals: While Semyon Varlamov is an upgrade over Jose Theodore in theory, look for some growing pains in practice.
3) New Jersey Devils: No one can deny that Ilya Kovalchuk will have a positive effect on the Devils’ regular-season hopes after last year’s transitional period.
4) Pittsburgh Penguins: Sidney Crosby can’t do it all, but he can do a lot. With Jordan Staal injured, the Pens will struggle out of the gate.
5) Philadelphia Flyers: Their defense is the best in the league and will limit the ineffectiveness of their second-rate goaltending.
6) Atlanta Thrashers: Solid, underrated depth from top to bottom. The Thrashers will finally win a playoff game this year.
7) Ottawa Senators: Jason Spezza and Daniel Alfredsson should do some damage to offset that done by an overhyped defensive corps.
8) New York Rangers: Even though their defense took an admitted hit with the departure of Wade Redden, they have solid depth up front to successfully push for the last playoff spot.
9) Montreal Canadiens: A disappointing finish is in the cards for Habs fans after an appearance in the Eastern Conference finals last year. Carey Price just won’t get it done.
10) Buffalo Sabres: Ryan Miller will have a sub-par season and the Sabres don’t have the offense to consistently bail him out.
11) Tampa Bay Lightning: The Lightning have a solid top one-and-a-half lines, but not much beyond and their goaltending has a history of being inconsistent. Look for that history to continue,
12) Toronto Maple Leafs: Improvement is likely. Baby steps, Leafs fans... baby steps.
13) Carolina Hurricanes: The Hurricanes have the depth to make the playoffs, but won’t be able to find the right chemistry. Supposed superstar Eric Staal will struggle to be a point-per-game player once again.
14) New York Islanders: Too many injuries will take their toll. Mike Mottau is no Mark Streit.
15) Florida Panthers: Dale Tallon has not worked his magic yet. Patience is required... a great deal of patience.
Western Conference:
1) Detroit Red Wings: A full year of Jimmy Howard, Jiri Hudler, and Johan Franzen will do wonders for the closest thing to a dynasty the NHL has.
2) Los Angeles Kings: Last year was a major step forward for the Kings. Look for that progress to continue with Drew Doughty leading the charge.
3) Vancouver Canucks: Probably the most overrated team in the NHL, the Canucks will win their division out of lack of formidable competition.
4) San Jose Sharks: The Sharks haven’t taken a step back, the Kings will just be that much better in the Pacific Division.
5) Chicago Blackhawks: Much has been made of the Blackhawks’ dismantling, but their demise has been greatly overstated.
6) Phoenix Coyotes: The Coyotes still have the makings of a solid team, but there should be doubts as to whether or not goalie Ilya Bryzgalov can hold the fort as strongly as he did last year.
7) Saint Louis Blues: Solid depth on offense and Jaroslav Halak in nets will serve as the needed crutch to mask the team’s defensive deficiencies.
8) Calgary Flames: Alex Tanguay and Olli Jokinen make the Flames a playoff team... this year.
9) Anaheim Ducks: A somewhat re-tooled defensive corps over the past few months won’t be enough to get the Ducks over the hump.
10) Colorado Avalanche: The book will be out on goalie Craig Anderson and the Avalanche following a surprising rebound campaign last year.
11) Nashville Predators: The presence of too many holes on defense will take its toll.
12) Dallas Stars: Goalie Kari Lehtonen has never lived up to his potential, so there’s little reason to think he will start now.
13) Edmonton Oilers: The Oilers and their fans have reason to be optimistic, but not this season. They’re just too young to be able to make a noticeable impact each and every game.
14) Minnesota Wild: When Guillaume Latendresse is your top goal-scorer, you have problems.
15) Columbus Blue Jackets: Management’s complacency has hurt this team too much for them to stand a realistic chance at competing.
And, one final prediction: The Boston Bruins will defeat the San Jose Sharks in the Stanley Cup Final. If Savard misses the entire season, make it the Philadelphia Flyers over the Sharks.
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