Habs, Ducks, Hurricanes are going to fight the Blue Jackets for last

The calendar will soon change to 2012 but the same old same old will be the order of the day for some of the bottom dwellers in the NHL.  On the other end of the Bruins, Blackhawks, and Wild we have teams like the Habs, Ducks, and Hurricanes.  The Blue Jackets are a shoe-in for last but it looks like they have some serious competition from some NHL squads which just can get their footing.  The race for the bottom will be exciting and the winner will have the chance to draft like a rock star.    

The Habs are mired in a slump which has become a way of life.  The guys on the squad have zero confidence.  Trades will be needed here to shake things up.  There is also a need for a GM change.  Tough decisions are hard to take but they are eventually taken.  

We think Montreal will end up last in their division and if they can manage to slump well enough; they could have a decent draft pick come next year.

The Ducks are talent laden unlike the Habs and for some reason they still can't get a grip. The coaching change hasn't helped and just like Montreal; losing has become a way of life.  We see them making some big moves during the trade deadline.  This could advantage them during the draft process.  Bobby Ryan looks set to be traded.  The question is who wants him bad enough and how can the Ducks get better positioned for the draft.

The Hurricanes are also contenders for the best of the worst.  Staal, Skinner and Ward make a good nucleus for this team.  If they can draft decent next year; they will rebound the quickest and emerge from mediocrity.  They could be a southern version of the newly energized NJDevils.