Andrew Raycroft is an awful backup goalie and hasn’t put up any close to decent numbers since his rookie campaign. Peter Budaj will not be able to handle the net by himself, which means Colorado is in for one long season.
14. St. Louis Blues
Brad Boyes had a great goal-scoring year last season, and will need to keep it up if the Blues want to make any kind of noise.
Even though he is coming off a bad season, picking up goalie Chris Mason was definitely a step in the right direction. He can play 50-55 games and give the rest to backup Manny Legace. If the goalie-combo puts up decent numbers, then St. Louis might be able to crawl up the conference standings.
In his first full season, Erik Johnson produced good numbers. If he improves at the expected rate, then the Blues will have a very bright future—but give it a couple more seasons.
15. Los Angeles Kings
The Kings are a very young team and still have much to learn. Jason LaBarbera was good last season, but was inconsistent at times and with a goals-against average of 3.00, gave away a lot of wins.
Anze Kopitar is becoming a lethal scorer, but has to learn how to play on both sides of the ice.
Teddy Purcell and Brian Boyle will both see more time in the NHL this season after playing last season with the Manchester Monarchs in the AHL. Purcell has a great shot and was named MVP at last year’s AHL All-Star game. The potential is definitely there, but it needs a few more seasons to develop.
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