NHL Eastern Conference Preview

Pominville and Roy are the leaders, and will be counted upon heavily.  Maxim Afinogenov has Pavel Bure speed, but Valeri Bure hands.  He is an exciting player who seems to lack the finish you would expect from a player of his flash. 

Ryan Miller is a goalie who is capable of carrying a club on his back—and he has to, because his backup is the enigmatic Patrick Lalime. 

The defensivee corps seems like it is formed in the same "cookie cutter" mold as the forwards.  There isn't a standout, but Craig Rivet adds needed grit to the back end.

9. New Jersey Devils

I used to think that the presence of Martin Brodeur alone was enough to make the playoffs, and it used to be.  However, Martin isn't getting any younger, and he doesn't have Stevens, Niedermayer, Rafalski, or Daneyko in front of him any more. 

The defense is led by Paul Martin and Colin White—not exactly hearkening to the glory days. 

Up front, Zach Parise is only getting better, and Brian Gionta has to be better than he was last year. I like the addition of Brian Rolston, but the Bobby Holik signing puzzles me greatly.  They should be getting younger and faster, not older and slower. 

Brent Sutter will get the most out of this club and they will be in the running for a playoff spot—but in the ever-competitive East, they might not find a seat when the music stops.

10.  Tampa Bay Lightning

Is there a free agent out there that the the Lightning hasn't signed yet?  I am still waiting for my contract offer. 

Led by Vinnie Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis, the Bolts will score goals.  The big addition of top pick Steven Stamkos will make the club even more dynamic and deeper offensively, but the young defense might be behind on the learning curve. 

Matt Carle must shake the doldrums that came with his big contract in San Jose, and Meszaros must not become the next Matt Carle.

Goaltending may become an issue, with the unproven Mike Smith and the end of the road Olaf Kolzig perhaps being the weakest duo in the conference. 

They will be exciting this year, but whether that translates into a lot of wins remains to be seen.  They will likely have to wait until next season to return to the playoffs.

11.  Boston Bruins

I can't quite figure this team out.  Tim Thomas isn't really a number-one goalie, and Manny Fernandez has never shown that he can play as the undisputed No. 1, despite his wish to do so. 

Chara is a standout Norris Trophy candidate, but beyond that there isn't much to write home about on the blue line.  Up front, there is some sizzle in the form of Marc Savard, and if he can shake last season's incident with the boards, Patrice Bergeron. 

It is time for Phil Kessel to step up, as he showed some signs of doing in the playoffs once he was finally inserted into the lineup after being a healthy scratch. 

All in all, this club could be a top-five team or a bottom-five team, but will likely be somewhere in the middle.  They will fight to the end for a playoff spot, but I can't see them being in the top eight at the end of the day.

12.  Florida Panthers

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