2010-11 Preseason Predictions, Eastern Conference Part I: Southeast Division
In the interest of full disclosure, I live on the Pacific Coast and my expertise lies primarily with the Western Conference.
Having already made my predictions for that conference (such as this one on the Central Division last week), I now turn my attention to the East.
The easiest division in the Eastern Conference, and perhaps the entire NHL, to project appears again to be the Southeast, where the Washington Capitals are three-time reigning champions. But their rivals have enough to make things interesting.
The Atlanta Thrashers did their best to reconstruct last year's Stanley Cup-champion Chicago Blackhawk roster and give the Caps a run for their money.
Carolina and Tampa Bay are the previous winners, with enough new talent surrounding the remaining Stanley Cup-champion players. Florida has been close so often, they should get endorsements for bridesmaids dresses.
So how will it unfold in 2010-11?
The Basement: Worst Place for Hurricanes
1 of 5
The Carolina Hurricanes are a competitive team with a solid goalie and blueline.
But they lack depth and star power: After the top-four defencemen, none of whom is outstanding, they have no experience.
Eric Staal is their only standout forward. While they are loaded with role-players and young, developing talents around him, it will not be enough.
This division has one of the best regular season teams in the league and three other pretty good teams. Carolina will be lucky to get over 75 points this season.
And We're Panthers--It's What We Do!
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Just as Cliff Clavin and Norm Peterson told Frasier Crane before pantsing him nearly three decades ago, so do the Florida Panthers say to their fans when they narrowly miss the playoffs each season. This team is just never good enough, and this year will be no exception.
With a great goalie and solid blueline in what has been a weak division, you would think they would have found their way in more than a couple times over the last decade. Unfortunately, they lack the forwards and thus the scoring to get over the hump.
Then again, there is little lost: No one near South Beach cares about summer sports that do not take place on the water, much less a winter one on frozen water.
Shouldn't Thrashers Be Found on Ceilings?
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The Atlanta Thrashers will learn the hard way that stealing several players from a Stanley Cup-winning roster will not duplicate results.
It always comes with paying individuals more than they were worth as members of a collective group.
Dustin Byfuglien made huge plays to get the Chicago Blackhawks through the Western Conference. But without Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews and the best blue line in the business, he would not have had so many opportunities.
Andrew Ladd, Ben Eager and Brent Sopel were only role players in the City of the Big Shoulders (now that the 6-foot-5, 265-pound Byfuglien has migrated Southeast, perhaps they should lose that nickname!). They will have chemistry together, but may rarely be on the ice at the same time.
However, one thing they can do is transplant championship mentality, and Atlanta is not without other talent. They have a pretty good goalie tandem, a puck-moving defenceman surrounded by a few role players, and enough forwards to contend for the playoffs.
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Watch Out Above for Lightning Strikes!
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This may be a surprise to many, but this team will return to the playoffs.
They have been trying to get by with backup goalies as their starters since letting Nikolai Khabibulin go in free agency, but Dan Ellis (seen plenty by this San Jose Sharks fan) is the genuine article.
The team also added Simon Gagne so that the entire scoring burden is not carried by one of the premier lines in the world. And as much as Maple Leaf fans may scoff, the addition of Pavel Kubina gives Tampa a pretty good defence.
He was good in the Lightning uniform before being sent to the franchise that has taken the winning out of anyone landing there for years.
All of these additions, plus the continued development of Steven Stamkos, puts this team in second place in the Southeast and makes them a legitimate threat to any first-round opponent.
Capitals Remain Upper-Case
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No surprise here: Washington will win this division a fourth consecutive time.
This article doesn't deal with the postseason, and they are at least as likely to finish atop their division as Vancouver in the Northwest.
Many fans outside the Washington base perceive this team as Alexander Ovechkin and a supporting cast, but that is far from the truth. Ovy's linemates are studs, too, and Washington may well have the best second line in hockey.
Losing Shaone Morrison from their blue line will hurt, but it is still solid, anchored by young Mike Green, who is among the best in the game.
The one question Washington may have coming into the season is in net. Semyon Varlamov appears to be a very good goalie, and Dany Sabourin and Michal Neuvirth have shown signs of being able to fill in.
However, none of the three qualify as proven quantities, and must play well for this team to win the top spot in the East again.
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