Predicting the Record for Each NHL Team in 2012-13

For the next several minutes, forget that the NHL and NHLPA are currently butting heads while trying to iron out a new CBA. Instead, pretend that training camp is just around the corner and you are ready to see where each team in the NHL is going to finish in 2012-13.

The Hockey News released a set of prediction rankings last week, and not everyone agreed with them.

So here is a different perspective for how each NHL team will fare in 2012-13.

This slideshow will start with the Western Conference and will go in descending order starting with the No. 15 team. 

No. 15 Columbus Blue Jackets

2011-12 Record: 29-46-7; 65 points

Predicted 2012-13 Record: 25-45-12; 60 points

The Columbus Blue Jackets traded away their franchise star in Rick Nash this offseason. The loss of Nash is really going to hurt the Jackets' already-limited offense, and they are going to struggle. The additions of Brandon Dubinsky and Artem Anisimov will give the team depth, but they aren't game changers like Nash.

The Jackets' blue line and goaltending is still questionable at best, so expect the team to have one of their worst seasons in franchise history.

No. 14 Calgary Flames

2011-12 Record: 37-29-16; 90 points.

Predicted 2012-13 Record: 30-38-14; 74 points

The Calgary Flames added forwards Jiri Hudler and Roman Cervenka this offseason and offensive defenseman Dennis Wideman. However, these additions will not be enough to propel the Flames forward.

With Jarome Iginla in the last year of his contract, it is quite possible that if the Flames struggle early on, they would deal him in an attempt to receive some rebuilding blocks.

The Flames are in one of the toughest divisions in the NHL, and their additions are not better than what the Minnesota Wild did this offseason.

No. 13 Phoenix Coyotes

2011-12  Record: 42-27-13; 97 points

Predicted 2012-13 Record: 35-37-10; 80 points

The loss of top scorer Ray Whitney and the potential departure of Shane Doan leaves a lot of questions for the Coyotes' offense for 2012-13. Radim Vrbata had an amazing year, but that was partially because of the chemistry he had developed with Whitney.

Mike Smith had an amazing 2011-12 campaign between the pipes, but will he put up the same numbers in 2012-13? Before last season, Smith was a goaltender who bounced around the Dallas Stars and Tampa Bay Lightning organization so there is going to be the question of whether or not he was a one-hit wonder.

The Coyotes' fall won't be so noticeable because the Western Conference should be very tight this year in terms of point totals and competition.

No. 12 Edmonton Oilers

2011-12 Record: 32-40-10; 74 points

Predicted 2012-13 Record: 38-32-10; 86 points

There is no denying the potential and fire power of the Edmonton Oilers' top six that will boast the likes of Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Jordan Eberle and Nail Yakupov. But the Oilers blue line is an area that still needs improving.

Justin Schultz was a good acquisition, but he isn't a proven commodity at the NHL level. Devan Dubnyk will likely take over the starter's job this year, and he has a lot of potential.

If the Oilers can grow as a team this year and make some blue line improvements before the 2013-14 season, they could really rise to stardom overnight.

No. 11 Minnesota Wild

2011-12 Record: 35-36-11; 81 points

Predicted 2012-13 Record 38-31-13, 89 points

The Minnesota Wild added Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, but this is not going to be the year that they shine. Those two additions are a step in the right direction, but they are not going to propel the Wild from 12th in the conference to a playoff contender overnight.

The Wild's best days are a year or two from now when the roster is complemented with players like Charlie Coyle, Jonas Brodin and other top prospects.

A top six with forward Mikael Granlund, Devin Setoguchi, Parise, Dany Heatley, Mikko Koivu and Pierre Marc Bouchard is an impressive one. But it won't be enough to compete with teams that are more offensively and defensively sound.

No. 10 Colorado Avalanche

2011-12 Record: 41-35-6; 88 points

Predicted 2012-13 Record: 39-30-13; 91 points

The Colorado Avalanche are a team that is just on the cusp of becoming a playoff contender. They are also one of the teams that could be a surprise sleeper this year.

If you take the core of Paul Stastny, Matt Duchene, Ryan O'Reilly, Gabriel Landeskog and David Jones and factor in the additions of P.A. Parenteau and John Mitchell, you have a solid group of forwards that could fill out the top six of your lineup.

J.S. Giguere and Semyon Varlamov will still be between the pipes, but it would be nice to see the Avs add another top-four defender to put them over the top.

This year will be a step in the right direction for a young team with a lot of promise.

No. 9 Anaheim Ducks

2011-12 Record: 34-36-12; 80 points

Predicted 2012-13 Record 40-30-12, 92 points

The Anaheim Ducks made some additions to their blue line this summer, but other than that, the team has the same general makeup. The only difference is that Bruce Boudreau will have had a full offseason with the team to impart his philosophy.

Boudreau likes to run-and-gun with the Washington Capitals, so don't be surprised if he tries to do that with Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf, Bobby Ryan and Teemu Selanne.

The Ducks are in a tough division, and that will have an impact on them making the playoffs.

No. 8 Dallas Stars

2011-12 Record: 42-35-5; 89 points

Predicted 2012-13 Record 41-30-11, 93 points

The Dallas Stars are going to edge out the Colorado Avalanche by the slimmest of margins, and they will make the playoffs.

Dallas had a forward core that included Jamie Benn, Loui Eriksson, Michael Ryder and Brendan Morrow, but they added Derek Roy, Jaromir Jagr and Ray Whitney to the mix. This group doesn't include prospect Radek Faksa who could make the team out of training camp.

Although Faksa making the team isn't likely, Dallas went from a team that just missed the playoffs last year, to a team that added enough talent to just make the playoffs in 2012-13.

No. 7 Detroit Red Wings

2011-12 Record: 48-26-8; 104 points

Predicted 2012-13 Record: 42-27-13; 97 points

The Detroit Red Wings didn't make major additions this summer to compensate for their major subtractions. Nicklas Lidstrom's void on the blue line is something that not even Ryan Suter would have replaced, but it would have helped.

The loss of Brad Stuart also will hurt the Wings' backend, and for that reason Detroit will need their offense to make an impact. Jimmy Howard should be at the top of his game after recovering from a minor hand injury, and he will be a stabilizing force and that will allow the Wings to be successful.

No. 6 San Jose Sharks

2011-12 Record: 43-29-10; 95 points

Predicted 2012-13 Record 45-29-8; 98 points

This is the first bold prediction in the 2012-13 preview because the Sharks have been picked as a team that could win the Pacific division.

This season will be the year when things are shaken up for a San Jose team that has not had meaningful playoff success in quite some time. I predict the Sharks just making the playoffs, and that as a result, management will finally decide to make some significant changes.

They have a star-studded roster that should enable them to win the Stanley Cup, but if they don't win, they will start to dissemble the core in order to build around younger players like Logan Couture.

No. 5 Nashville Predators

2011-12 Record: 48-26-8; 104 points

Predicted 2012-13 Record 46-30-6, 102 points

The Nashville Predators lost Ryan Suter, but that shouldn't stop them from being a top team in 2012-13. They have a solid defense corp anchored by Shea Weber that has a balance of age, experience and potential.

The addition of Scott Hannan will help make up for the loss of Suter because Hannan is an above average defenseman who will log a lot of minutes. Jonathan Blum and Ryan Ellis also will continue to grow with more experience.

Offensively the Preds could be better, but keep an eye on Colin Wilson to impress this season. 

No. 4 Chicago Blackhawks

2011-12 Record: 45-26-11; 101 points

Predicted 2012-13 Record: 48-24-10; 106 points

The loss of Jonathan Toews late in the year had an effect on the Chicago Blackhawks. Whenever a team loses their top player and captain, it is a tough adjustment.

Toews is healthy, and his return should really give the Blackhawks a boost. Patrick Kane is a player who will look to rebound, Marian Hossa should be healthy enough to return and have an impact, and Patrick Sharp is coming off a great season.

The Hawks also have a few youngsters like Andrew Shaw and Viktor Stalberg that will make them a deeper team and an offensive threat.

No. 3 Los Angeles Kings

2011-12 Record: 40-27-15; 95 points

Predicted 2012-13 Record 46-28-8; 100 points

The defending Stanley Cup champions threaten to win their division in 2012-13 because of their improved roster and coaching from the beginning of last season. Jeff Carter is a major improvement offensively to an L.A. Kings team that had trouble scoring early on in 2011-12.

Having Daryl Sutter behind the bench should also give the team an advantage over last season because everyone can adjust to him as a coach and how he likes to train his team in the offseason.

Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown and Jonathan Quick will also look to carry over their late season success, and Mike Richards will really benefit from having his buddy Jeff Carter as his permanent linemate.

No. 2 St. Louis Blues

2011-12 Record: 49-22-11; 109 points

Predicted 2012-13 Record: 50-23-9; 109 points

The St. Louis Blues came within three points of capturing the Presidents' Trophy last season. The team rebounded after Ken Hitchcock took over, and he was awarded the Jack Adams Trophy for his efforts.

The Blues have the same makeup as last year and they could be joined by prospects like Vladimir Tarasenko and Jaden Schwartz. 

With Hitchcock back behind the bench and running training camp, the Blues are in good hands moving forward.

No. 1 Vancouver Canucks

2011-12 Record: 51-22-9; 111 points

Predicted 2012-13 Record: 50-22-10; 110 points

The Vancouver Canucks are a team that has dominated the regular season the past two seasons. They will look to complete a Presidents Trophy hat trick this season and they will feature and improved roster.

Jason Garrison's booming shot will improve their power play and will add some offensive to their back end.

The Sedin twins should continue to impress, and Ryan Kesler should bounce back in a big way after a down 2011-12 campaign.

Cory Schneider will be the Canucks' starter, and he has shown that he has the talent, potential and poise to be a successful starter in the NHL. He could contend for a Vezina Trophy this season.

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Now that the Western Conference has been ranked, here is the Eastern Conference.

No. 15 Montreal Canadiens

2011-12 Record: 31-35-16; 78 points

Predicted 2012-13 Record: 32-34-16; 80 points

The Montreal Canadiens finished 15th last season, and the same can be predicted for this year. The team has a ton of prospects in the system that are going to make the jump in the coming years so this will be a transition year for the team under new head coach Michel Therrien.

The Canadiens have some talented forwards in their ranks, but they need a little more fine tuning to become a contender.

No. 14 New York Islanders

2011-12 Record: 34-37-11; 79 points

Predicted 2012-13 Record: 34-34-14; 82 points

The New York Islanders lost P.A. Parenteau, one of their best offensive forwards from last season, via free agency, and the team didn't make any major additions.

The Isles did add Brad Boyes and Lubomir Visnovsky, but those aren't moves that will really have an impact. Matt Moulson and John Tavares will continue to step up, but until the reinforcements from the farm system arrive, the Isles don't boast a ton of talent.

No. 13 Toronto Maple Leafs

2011-12 Record: 35-37-10; 80 points

Predicted 2012-13 Record: 35-33-14; 84 points

The Toronto Maple Leafs still have some unanswered questions heading into this season, and that is why they slot it at No.13 in the conference. There is no legitimate No.1 netminder, the team lacks a No.1 center, and there are some other areas where the team could improve.

The swap of Luke Schenn for James Van Riemsdyk should inject some offense for the Leafs, but they really should have considered adding a natural center instead of another winger.

At the end of the season, Brian Burke likely will be out of a job after another playoff miss for the Leafs.

No. 12 New Jersey Devils

2011-12 Record: 48-28-6; 102 Points

Predicted 2012-13 Record: 37-32-13; 87 Points

The New Jersey Devils have had a rough summer, and the 2012-13 season doesn't look promising. The team lost Zach Parise, Alexei Ponikarovsky and have yet to re-sign Petr Sykora who was one of their better secondary scorers last season.

The team hasn't replaced any of the offense they have lost, and they could stand to lose some of their existing offense at the end of this season. Travis Zajac, Patrik Elias and David Clarkson are free agents after this season, and all three will be looking for a pay day.

Ultimately, this will be an interesting season for New Jersey. If Adam Henrique and Ilya Kovalchuk take off offensively, their fortunes could be better than predicted. 

No. 11 Buffalo Sabres

2011-12 Record: 39-32-11; 89 points

Predicted 2012-13 Record: 38-32-12; 90 points

The Buffalo Sabres made some interesting moves this summer, and they really made it a point to get tougher. The additions of John Scott and Steve Ott will make Buffalo a tougher team to play against going forward.

Buffalo drafted two quality centers in the first round of the draft, and there is a good chance that either Mikhail Grigorenko or Zemgus Girgensons could crack the lineup this season.

In addition, Cody Hogdson will also look to improve upon his 41-point season and more icetime will allow him to contribute more offense.

No. 10 Winnipeg Jets

2011-12 Record: 37-35-10; 84 points

Predicted 2012-13 Record: 38-32-12; 91 points

The Winnipeg Jets had a good return season last year, and they made some moves this summer that should enable them to improve ever so slightly. Olli Jokinen was a solid addition that will give them more offensive depth and a player to interject in their top-six.

Evander Kane is a player who could score 40 goals this season, and he is primed to have a big year. The Jets also have some defensemen like Tobias Enstrom and Dustin Byfuglien patrolling the back end so that also gives the Jets a positive heading into this season.

Overall the Jets won't make the playoffs, but they have prospects who will make an impact in the years to come.

No. 9 Florida Panthers

2011-12 Record: 38-26-18; 94 points

Predicted 2012-13 Record: 39-25-16; 94 points

The Florida Panthers will likely repeat their success from 2011-12 in 2012-13, but this time around, the Tampa Bay Lightning and Washington Capitals will be better teams so the Panthers will miss the playoffs.

Florida has a solid roster that already includes Brian Campbell, Kris Versteeg, Tomas Fleischmann and Stephen Weiss. The 2012-13 roster also will likely include Jonathan Huberdeau and Jacob Markstrom, but these additions won't be enough to put the Panthers over the top.

No. 8 Ottawa Senators

2011-12 Record: 41-31-10; 92 points

Predicted 2012-13 Record: 42-29-11; 95 points

The Ottawa Senators are a team that will make the playoffs for a second consecutive season.

This year's roster will feature players like Jason Spezza, Erik Karlsson, Daniel Alfredsson, Milan Michalek and newcomers like Mark Stone and Jakob Silfverberg.

The team has talent and now has more experience so expect them to be another tough first-round matchup in next year's playoffs.

No. 7 Carolina Hurricanes

2011-12 Record: 33-33-16; 82 points

Predicted 2012-13 Record: 43-28-11; 97 points

The Carolina Hurricanes are going to be one of the NHL's most improved teams in 2012-13. The Hurricanes added Jordan Staal and Alex Semin this offseason, a right-minded Eric Staal and a healthy Jeff Skinner.

Eric Staal's game was off early on in the year, but after his brother Marc Staal returned from his concussion, Eric was a different player.

The Hurricanes have a pretty lethal top six and a deep bottom six as well. Overall the roster is pretty solid, and there is no reason why they can't make a decent playoff run this season.

No. 6 Tampa Bay Lightning

2011-12 Record: 38-36-8; 84 points

Predicted 2012-13 Record: 44-27-11; 99 points

The Tampa Bay Lightning are one of the rare teams that took the bull by the horns and really overhauled their team this summer, and it should pay dividends this season.

The Lightning needed a goaltender, and Steve Yzerman traded for Anders Lindback who will be the No.1 netminder this season.

The Lightning also needed to shore up their blue line, and Stevie Y signed Matt Carle and Sami Salo.

With Steven Stamkos, Ryan Malone, Teddy Purcell, Martin St. Louis, Vincent Lecavalier up front, the Lightning should be able to make it back to the postseason.

No. 5 Philadelphia Flyers

2011-12 Record: 47-26-9; 103 points

Predicted 2012-13 Record: 45-26-11; 101 points

The Philadelphia Flyers biggest hole currently is their blue line, and it is something that Paul Holmgren will address if it becomes an issue early on in the season.

The Flyers still have one of the deepest offensive groups in the league, and it is led by forwards like Claude Giroux, Scott Hartnell, Sean Couturier, Matt Read and Daniel Briere.

Ilya Bryzgalov was hit-and-miss last season, but he will still keep the Flyers in their fair share of games.

Overall the Flyers are a team that you always need to be cognizant of.

No. 4 New York Rangers

2011-12 Record: 51-24-7; 109 points

Predicted 2012-13 Record: 49-25-8; 106 points

It is hard to place the New York Rangers at No. 4 in the Eastern Conference when you look at how they finished in 2011-12.

It is even harder to do so when you consider that Chris Kreider and Rick Nash are adding the group next season, and youngsters like Derek Stepan, Carl Hagelin, Ryan McDonagh and Michael Del Zotto have gained experience.

The Blueshirts have one of the league's top defense corps, and they have the NHL's best goaltender in reigning Vezina winner Henrik Lundqvist.

The Rangers also have an impressive offensive corp that features Brad Richards, Ryan Callahan and the aforementioned Nash, Kreider, Hagelin and Stepan.

Marian Gaborik is slated to miss some time, and his effectiveness could be the difference in a No. 4 and No. 1 finish in the Eastern Conference.

No. 3 Washington Capitals

2011-12 Record: 42-32-8; 92 points

Predicted 2012-13 Record: 46-25-11; 103 points

The Washington Capitals added an offensive-minded coach in Adam Oates who will be able to coach the team to a division title.

He was a power play specialist during his playing days and was the New Jersey Devils' power play coach so he will be able to draw up plays to bring the best out of Alex Ovechkin.

The Capitals also added creative centerman Mike Ribeiro, and Nicklas Backstrom will be injury free. If you pencil in Braden Holtby as the team's starter, it is easy to see how all these moves will lead Washington to a division title. 

No. 2 Boston Bruins

2011-12 Record: 49-29-4; 102 points

Predicted 2012-13 Record: 49-26-7; 105 points

The Boston Bruins still have one of the NHL's most well-rounded rosters, and they have a great blend of experience, young stars and talent.

The Bruins have an offensive group that includes Tyler Seguin, David Krejci, Patrice Bergeron, Milan Lucic and assorted others. Defensively, the Bruins have Zdeno Chara, Dennis Seidenberg, Johnny Boychuk, Andrew Ference and prospect Dougie Hamilton waiting in the wings.

In net will be Tuukka Rask, and there is no reason why his success as a backup won't translate when he takes over the starting job from the "excommunicated" Tim Thomas.

Overall, the Bruins will look to get past the fact that they were a one-and-done team in last year's playoffs.

No. 1 Pittsburgh Penguins

2011-12 Record: 51-25-6; 108 points

Predicted 2012-13 Record: 53-25-4; 110 points

Right now the Pittsburgh Penguins have one of the best rosters on paper, and they should be healthy this season. Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby and James Neal are three of the league's top forwards and they really could make a significant impact in 2012-13.

The Penguins also have a solid punch from their blue line that features Kris Letang, Deryk Engelland, Brooks Orpik, Matt Niskanen and Simon Despres among others.

The team also has a solid goaltending tandem that features Marc-Andre Fleury and Tomas Vokoun, and that will give the team the ability to rotate goaltenders with ease.

Overall, the Penguins really have a lot to look forward to in 2012-13.