NHL 2010-2011 Predictions: Before Pre-Season Begins

August is nearing to an end and within a couple weeks NHL training camps finally begin. As an Oilers fan and more importantly a fan of hockey I can not wait for the season to begin.

Throughout this offseason we have seen many changes and it seems there is no clear cut favourite to win the camp as of yet as alot of teams seem to be more grouped together and I have not been able to find a team without a weakness as of yet.

Well with that stated here are my pre camp predictions for how things will play out this upcoming season.

1. Boston Bruins

Key Additions - Tyler Seguin, Nathan Horton

Key Losses - Dennis Wideman, Miro Satan

Why the Bruins will finish first - After the disappointment of last seasons playoffs the Bruins will be motivated to prove that they are an elite Eastern Conference team and should finish first again as they did two years ago. The Bruins re-loaded with Horton and the luxury of drafting 2nd overall, plus Tuukka Rask is ready for a full season's workload.

Key Player - Tuukka Rask. If Rask displays over a full season what he accomplished during half a season last year the Bruins will be the team to beat.

Roster Moves to be Made - a 5 million back up goalie is not ideal, but experience in goal is still valued. Some depth defensemen with offensive instincts would be ideal.

2. Washington Capitals

Key Additions - None at the moment, but bringing back Eric Belanger would be a good move.

Key Losses - Jose Theodore, Brendan Morrison, Joe Corvo.

Why the Capitals will finish 2nd - They can outscore any opponent with offense coming from all over the roster. Varlamov and Neuvirth battle for starters position. Other southeast division teams not yet ready to be competitive.

Key Player - Alexander Ovechkin. It all starts and ends with the Great 8. Ovechkin out to prove that even though against the Habs he put up points he is still a dominate player in the NHL.

Roster Moves to be Made - An experienced goalie might be looked at especially if Varlamov or Neuvirth can not carry the load. Could look at some much needed grit just like last season.

3. Pittsburgh Penguins

Key Additions - Paul Martin, Zbynek Michalek.

Key Losses - Sergei Gonchar, Bill Guerin.

Why the Penguins finish 3rd - playing in arguably the toughest division in the NHL the Penguins should win the Atlantic but the other divisions have weaker opponents. Crosby and Malkin have something to prove after the loss to Montreal last playoffs.

Key Player - Kris Letang. With the loss of Gonchar on the blueline, Letang will be provided to fill the offensive void left.

Roster Moves to be Made - The Pens seem to have replaced their players on the wings and defense with less offensive minded stars. More balance might be needed.

4. Philadelphia Flyers

Key Additions - Nik Zherdev, Andrej Meszaros, Sean O'Donnell

Key Lossses - Simon Gagne, Ray Emery

Why the Flyers finish 4th - out to prove last season's playoff run was no fluke the Flyers have all the making of proving they are an elite Eastern Conference power. Added depth to an already deep turn does not hurt.

Key Player - Michael Leighton. As usual the Flyer's sucess comes down to goaltending. Some say since Hextall the Flyers haven't had a goalie they can consistently rely on. Leighton wants to proves he is that guy.

Roster Moves to be Made - deep team but if their goaltending falters there are options out there.

5. New Jersey Devils

Key Additions - Jason Arnott, Henrik Tallinder, Anton Volchenkov.

Key Losses - Paul Martin, Rob Niedermayer.

Why the Devils finish 5th - goaltending and top 6 forwards. The Devils once again have proven players in those areas of their team.

Key Player - Ilya Kovalchuk. Through out the offseason the Kovalchuk saga has consumed the Devil's front office. Kovalchuk coming back (although not officially signed) must prove his worth of the massive contract he will receive and to step up because the players they will lose.

Roster Moves - lack of offense from the D. However with having to get under the cap there doesn't seem to be alot the Devils will be able to do to adress this area.

6. Buffalo Sabres

Key Additions - Rob Niedermayer, Jordan Leopold.

Key Losses - Henrik Tallinder, Tony Lydman.

Why the Sabres finish 6th - as per usual the Sabres front office stayed quiet during the offseason, but with Ryan Miller as a steadying influence on the roster they will once again contend for a postseason position.

Key Player - Ryan Miller. He is the team, without him the Sabres do nothing.

Roster Moves to be Made - an apparent lack of scoring could be a concern. Vanek needs help.

7. Ottawa Senators

Key Additions - Sergei Gonchar.

Key Losses - Anton Volchenkov, Matt Cullen, Andy Sutton.

Why the Senators finish 7th - not much of a difference from last year. Sergei Gonchar lightens the load of Karlsson. Leclaire and Elliot look to battle to become the #1.

Key Player - Jason Spezza. After a lacklustre year (yes injuries played a factor) and being outclassed by Sidney Crosby, Spezza will need to silence the critics.

Roster Moves to be Made - Bryan Murray likes to add a vetrean at the trade deadline and that seems to be the case again this year. There will be trouble if the yound d-men can not handle the workload.

8. Montreal Canadiens

Key Additions - Dustin Boyd, Lars Eller.

Key Losses - Jaroslav Halak, Marc-Andre Bergeron.

Why the Habs finish 8th - there is alot of "ifs" for Montreal to reach the postseason again. Gomez, Price and Subban play an important part. Secondary scoring needed as evidenced by their postseason play.

Key Player - Carey Price. Must proved the nay sayers wrong and show to everyone the Gauthier made the right choice in getting rid of Halak.

Roster Moves to be Made - the Habs have many unproven players up front and have to wonder where the goals will come from.

9. Tampa Bay Lightning

Key Additions - Simon Gagne, Pavel Kubina, Dan Ellis.

Key Losses - Andrej Meszaros, Kurtis Foster, Antero Nittymaki.

Why the Lightning finish 9th - it just seems to be a year too soon for Tampa. Too many questions on the roster in important positions.

Key Player - Vincent Lecavalier. Must prove he is worth his contract, too much for an unproductive second line center. If Lecavalier returns to form and Stamkos copies his recent sucess the Lightning should return to the playoffs.

Roster Moves to be Made - Yzerman looks to be getting all the right pieces in place but is their a number #1 goalie in Tampa? Is there enough defense?

10. New York Rangers

Key Additions - Alexander Frolov, Martin Biron.

Key Losses - Olli Jokinen.

Why the Rangers finish 10th - the division is too deep for the Rangers to contend. Not enough support for Lundqvist or Gaborik.

Key Player - Marian Gaborik. As always is the question with Gaborik is can he stay healthy. If not the Rangers have absolutely no chance at even finishing 10th. Can't win every game 1-0 or 2-1.

Roster Moves to be Made - Sather is looking for a big time player down the middle but he has no room beneath the cap. What if he can't get Staal signed? Who is going to get buried in Hartford?

11. Carolina Hurricanes

Key Additions - Joe Corvo.

Key Losses - Rob Brind'Amour, Ray Whitney, Manny Legace.

Why the 'Canes finish 11th - the kids replace the depth but it won't be enough for playoffs. If the Hurricanes receive injuries like last year they will be more exposed. Need Ward to stay healthy and be Cam Ward.

Key Player - Eric Staal. Everyone knows how Eric Staal can put up points but this year without Rob Brind'Amour, Staal needs to take full control of the leadership role.

Roster Moves to be Made - on a tight budget there won't be any major additions to the roster. If Ward doesn't remain healthy an experienced netminder should be in the cards.

12. Toronto Maple Leafs

Key Additions - Kris Versteeg, Colby Armstrong.

Key Losses - Viktor Stalberg, Garnet Exelby.

Why the Leafs finish 12th - can only go up from next year. Made good additions.

Key Player - Dion Phaneuf. Is he captain material or is he an ego-maniac? Possibly better, is he a top NHL defenseman?

Roster Moves to be Made - with so many NHL calibre defensemen on the roster and a lack of skilled forwards its not rocket science.

13. New York Islanders

Key Additions - Mark Eaton, James Wisniewski.

Key Losses - Martin Biron.

Why the Islanders finish 13th - not much change over from last year and continued development of the kids. Can DiPietro play goalie for the Islanders this year?

Key Player - John Tavares. The #1 pick and savior for the Islanders. Who knows what can happen if Tavares grows from year 1 to year 2 like Steven Stamkos.

Roster Moves to be Made - if DiPietro isn't healthy will leave 41-year old Dwayne Roloson as the only experienced goalie.

14. Atlanta Thrashers

Key Additions - Dustin Byfuglien, Andrew Ladd, Chris Mason.

Key Losses - Colby Armstrong, Pavel Kubina, Slava Kozlov.

Why the Thrashers finish 14th - with Ilya Kovalchuk gone a new face of the franchise is needed for Atlanta. Another year of letting the kids develop.

Key Player - Chris Mason. Can the vetrean goalie keeps the games respectable for the kids in front of him?

Roster Moves to be Made - the Thrashers have a team full of border line players. Time to find out who are the full time NHLers.

15. Florida Panthers

Key Additions - Dennis Wideman, Michael Grabner, Chris Higgins.

Key Losses - Nathan Horton, Keith Ballard.

Why the Panthers finish last - Dale Tallon is taking over. The Panther's gameplan hasn't worked for the previous years so Tallon is going to rip it apart and start over. The sun will shine in Florida but not for a couple years.

Key Player - Erik Gudbranson. He might not even play this season but Gudbranson is the cornerstone of the rebuild for the Panthers and could just go back to junior and dominate.

Roster Moves to be Made - likely all vets will be shipped out at some point this season.

1. Vancouver Canucks

Key Additions - Manny Malhotra, Dan Hamhuis, Keith Ballard.

Key Losses - Willie Mitchell, Pavol Demitra, Kyle Wellwood.

Why the Canucks finish first - the Canucks got better this offseason after a breakthrough season last year. Vancouver might have the deepest defense core in the league and with so much fire power up front they have followed through on what has become the model for winning depth winning championships. The Canucks have for now addressed their areas of need.

Key Player - Roberto Luongo. The franchise goalie must overcome a lacklustre season of last year.

Roster Moves to be Made - with Burrows and Salo starting the season on IR the newly found depth in Vancouver will be tested. With everyone healthy the salary cap becomes an issue.

2. Detroit Red Wings

Key Additions - Mike Modano, Jiri Hudler.

Key Losses - Brett Lebda.

Why the Red Wings finish 2nd - a team with such a rich history of winning, reloaded in the offseason. With Modano coming home looking for one last run, the Wings become a Stanley Cup favourite once again.

Key Player - Jimmy Howard. The sophmore goalie does not face a difficult task, "Don't Lose the Game". After a spectacular rookie season, more of the same is what the Wings not. If not proven goaltender Ozzy waits in the Wings.

Roster Moves to be Made - the Wings are deep, any moves are probably not needed unless the injury bug shows up again.

3. Los Angeles Kings

Key Additions - Willie Mitchell, Alexei Ponikarovsky.

Key Losses - Alexander Frolov, Fredrik Modin, Jeff Halpren.

Why the Kings finish 3rd - its their time. With other teams in the Pacific Division not as strong as years gone by the Kings elevate to win the divison.

Key Player - Drew Doughty. After a stellar second year, can Doughty produce better this time. A future multi time Norris Trophy winner, Doughty should only get better and that becomes a freightening thing for opposing teams.

Roster Moves to be Made - the Kings seem not to be as rich with talent as last year but are looking to add a big body scorer. A 3rd pairing defensemen would be helpful.

4. Chicago Blackhawks

Key Additions - Viktor Stalberg, Marty Turco, Fernando Pisani.

Key Losses - Dustin Byfuglien, Kris Versteeg, John Madden, Antti Niemi.

Why the Blackhawks finish 4th - the defending Stanley Cup Champions got ripped apart this offseason due to the salary cap. They received prospects and draft well once again. They may not be favourites to repeat this year but another win is in the future.

Key Player - Marian Hossa. This season Hossa doesn't start on IR and after a less than stellar first year in the Windy City, Hossa needs to live up to his contract. His play is more magnified this year without the deep supporting cast.

Roster Moves to be Made - pressed up against the cap, the Hawks will have to move more money to take on other players.

5. San Jose Sharks

Key Additions - Antero Nittymaki.

Key Losses - Evgeni Nabokov, Rob Blake, Manny Malhotra.

Why the Sharks finish 5th - losing important pieces of their "Regular Season Dynasty" the Sharks will still be competitive but need to prove they are still elite in the Western Conference.

Key Player - Joe Thornton. Going into a contract season and missing some pieces Jumbo Joe needs to "show up" and be the leader many want him to be.

Roster Moves to be Made - with depth depleted up front and lack of mobility on the back end could be areas of concern. Experience in net might become a problem.

6. St. Louis Blues

Key Additions - Jaroslav Halak, Alex Pietrangelo.

Key Losses - Keith Tkachuk, Paul Kariya, Chris Mason.

Why the Blues finish 6th - they have all the factors to prove they are ready. With some vetreans gone the young Blues have to prove themselves. So deep with young talent the Blues should return to being playoff contenders.

Key Player - Jaroslav Halak. Out to prove his postseason play was no fluke, Halak can show his skills in a smaller market that is not the fishbowl of Montreal.

Roster Moves to be Made - a team with so much youth might use some vetrean depth players to assist with their plans this season.

7. Colorado Avalanche

Key Additions - n/a

Key Losses - Marek Svatos, Darcy Tucker.

Why the Avs finish 7th - the kids are a year older and should build off of last season.

Key Player - Craig Anderson. After a spectacular season last year, Anderson will have to replicate his performance after last season. In the last year of his contract Anderson is looking to cash in.

Roster Moves to be Made - where will the goals come from? After struggling to score in the post season the Avs did nothing to address their problems.

8. Nashville Predators

Key Additions - Matthew Lombardi, Sergei Kostitsyn.

Key Losses - Jason Arnott, Dan Hamhuis, Dan Ellis.

Why the Predators finish 8th - Barry Trotz. The Predators spend to the cap floor and remain competitive. A similar season to last is predictable in Nashville.

Key Player - Matthew Lombardi. Finally given the chance to prove his skills, Lombardi is a first line center for the Predators. The addition of speed should carry the Predators.

Roster Moves to be Made - a team that struggled in the goal scoring department did little to improve this year.

9. Anaheim Ducks

Key Additions - Toni Lydman.

Key Losses - Scott Niedermayer, James Wisniewski.

Why the Ducks finish 9th - a team that just missed out on playoff contention last season, lost their captain but are banking on less injuries and improved play. A youth injection is in the process without a rebuild.

Key Players - Ryan Getzlaf. With retirement to Scott Niedermayer and Teemu Selanne not the player he once was, Getzlaf's time to step up is now. With the potential to be the top power forward in the game, the Duck's hopes are clearly on his shoulders.

Roster Moves to be Made - young on defense and with depth forwards could be a need for improvement. Question marks in net need to be stopped for the team to progress.

10. Phoenix Coyotes

Key Additions - Ray Whitney.

Key Losses - Matthew Lombardi, Zbynek Michalek, Robert Lang.

Why the Coyotes finish 10th - after a playoff series last season, I predict the Coyotes to take a step back. A loss of vetreans on the team will have the Coyotes go through some growing pains. The question is how long are they Phoenix for?

Key Players - Shane Doan. The teams hopes rest once again on the captain's shoulders.

Roster Moves to be Made - they need to decide whether to contend or let young guys play. A mix between the two might also the Coyotes returning to the playoffs.

11. Edmonton Oilers

Key Additions - Taylor Hall, Kurtis Foster.

Key Losses - Ethan Moreau, Fernando Pisani.

Why the Oilers finish 11th - they finally decided to rebuild. The kids are getting the chance to shine and the building blocks are in place. Playoffs seem to be a stretch unless some stellar play from Calder Trophy potentials.

Key Players - Taylor Hall. The hopes in Oil Country rest on the shoulders of the 1st overall pick in this years draft. With his previous record a return to playoffs should be in the near future.

Roster Moves to be Made - With the futures of Khabibulin and Souray unclear some replacements might be needed.

12. Calgary Flames

Key Additions - Alex Tanguay, Olli Jokinen.

Key Losses - Nigel Dawes, Chris Higgins.

Why the Flames finish 12th - bringing back players who did not suceed is not the ideal way to progress. The team had a hard time scoring last season and now the core is another year older.

Key Player - Jarome Iginla. Can Iginla still be an elite NHL player. He had what some consider a down season last year and will need to prove he is still the cornerstone of the franchise.

Roster Moves to be Made - more scoring and back up goaltending. Neither situation was answered during the off season and the Flames need to improve to progress.

13. Dallas Stars

Key Additions - Andrew Raycroft, Adam Burish.

Key Losses - Mike Modano, Marty Turco, Jere Lehtinen.

Why the Stars finish 13th - with all the previous eras Stars now gone its time for the young guys to step up and become NHL quality players.

Key Players - Kari Lehtonen. Can Lehtonen live up to his potential that he has had all career long and become an elite NHL goalie. Can he prove to Dallas that he is the sucessor to Marty Turco.

Roster Moves to be Made - with a team tight to a budget, some more off-loading of contracts is possible.

14. Minnesota Wild

Key Additions - Matt Cullen.

Key Losses - Derek Boogaard.

Why the Wild finish 14th - a lack of activity in Minnesota does not help the team. With the young draft picks on the horizon there seems to be brightness in the future but until than the Wild will play out the season.

Key Player - Mikko Koivu. Possibly the most underrated player in the league, Koivu stepped up last season and is the undisputed star on the team.

Roster Moves to be Made - try to move some vets that don't fit into their future plans and make space for prospects.

15. Columbus Blue Jackets

Key Additions - Ethan Moreau.

Key Losses - n/a

Why the Blue Jackets finish last - a failure to keep up with the rest of the teams in the West will see the Blue Jackets in the basement. A lack of depth in the organization sees some disappointment in Columbus.

Key Player - Steve Mason. A bounce back season is needed for Mason, although it may not make a difference for the Blue Jackets.

Roster Moves to be Made - underachieving rookies will be attempted to be shipped out and the front office will see who is in their plans moving forward.

Conclusion

Unlike previous seasons there doesn't seem to be in my opinion a clear cut favourite to win the Stanley Cup, unlike last season with Chicago. I based my predictions on club's weaknesses as every team seems to have at least one. This mediocrity could be beneficial to the league and this is what the Salary Cap Era has become.

Thank you for reading this long article and this is the first slideshow I have completed and took some time in writing.