Mike Ribeiro and Brenden Morrow showed their leadership in the playoffs and the Stars put up a valiant effort against the Red Wings in the Conference Finals—those two should put up monstrous numbers this year.

Dallas also boasts a very strong defense which has won many games for the team in the past couple of season. Stephane Robidas found his form in the playoffs, scoring 11 points in 18 games. Dallas is hoping that this will production will carry over into the regular season.

If Marty Turco improves upon his numbers from last season, and everyone stays healthy, Dallas could just as easily win the conference, let alone the Pacific Division.

6. Chicago Blackhawks

Hosting the second annual Winter Classic isn’t the only thing Blackhawks’ fans should be excited about. The line of Patrick Sharp, Patrick Kane, and Jonathan Toews is not only one of the youngest lines in hockey, but one of the most-talented.

Adding Brian Campbell to a defense that already has a bright future—Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook—means that Chicago will have just a good an defense as they do an offense.

Oh, they also added All-Star goalie Cristobal Huet, and they still have Nikolai Khabibulin as a backup. Youthful scoring combined with experience in net will have the Blackhawks flying high come playoff time.

7. Vancouver Canucks

The seventh seed is where the fight for the last couple of playoffs spots begins. Several departures and several additions leave the Canucks in an interesting spot.

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