NHL Eastern Conference Preview

With the season approaching more quickly than an Alexander Ovechkin wrist shot, there are lots of people making predictions on a variety of things. 

Here are my Eastern Conference predictions, based on what I have seen over the offseason:

1. Philadelphia Flyers

With a healthy Simon Gagne, a newly-appointed captain in Mike Richards, and a group of young players developing together, this club made some noise in the playoffs last year and should continue that momentum this season.  Martin Biron proved down the stretch that he is a starting goalie, and will only gain more confidence in '08-09.   

The defense is reliable, with Timonen and Jones providing the offense and Coburn and an emerging Ryan Parent being shut-down guys.  I expect breakout seasons from Jeff Carter and Joffrey Lupul, and Claude Giroux should be a Calder trophy finalist. 

Daniel Briere will be even more dynamic with a full season in Philly under his belt and a running mate in Gagne.  Mike Knuble will be his reliable self.  Guys like Hartnell, Upshall, and Downie will make this team very tough to play against. 

2. Washington Capitals

Whatever coach Bruce Boudreau is selling, it is working.  Ovechkin and the other Russians in the US Capital ended the season on a tear, and are the class team in the Southeast division.  Hopefully, for their sake, Jose Theodore has indeed returned at least close to his Montreal form, and can withstand the load of 60-65 games between the pipes. 

A returning captain in Chris Clark will add much needed grit, and there should be no shortage of offense from No. 8, second-year player Nicklas Backstrom, and a rejuvenated Sergei Fedorov. 

3. Montreal Canadiens

Although I am not completely buying into the Carey Price mania, he has won at every level and had a good rookie campaign.  Now he has to prove he can be "the Man" over 82 games at the highest level.  There is no debating the skill and the grit, but my question is—can they mesh? 

Kovalev is acknowledged as one of the games top talents, and he has a history of on-again, off-again seasons.  Is this a down season for Kovy?   Koivu is still the leader, but he isn't a top-line player any more. 

This club actually reminds me of the Senators of the pre-lockout days—minus the top-flight goaltender—and this might be another year of the young guys learning how the game is played.

4. Pittsburgh Penguins

The Stanley Cup finalist last season lost a lot of key players that led them to that spot.  However, with two of the top five players in the game, you can't bet against them. 

Replacing Hossa with Satan on Crosby's wing is a slight step down, although Satan's game might mesh better with the Kid's.  Moving Jordan Staal to a more offensive role on a line with Malkin gives the Pens two potent lines. 

The club's depth comes into question after the Hossa deal, especially on the blue line.  Being without their top two blueliners (Gonchar and Whitney) until perhaps the New Year takes them out of the running for the Atlantic Division, in my opinion.  

However, the roles that Kristopher Letang and Alex Goligoski will be thrust into will only serve to speed up their development as offensive contributors.  Marc-Andre Fleury showed flashes of what made the Pens take him first overall, and can be counted on for 35 wins.

5. Ottawa Senators

After a tumultuous season that ended in a first-round sweep at the hands of the Penguins, Brian Murray overhauled the Senators, shipping off any negative influences and dead weight.  Whether he brought enough in to replace the not so dearly departed, only time will tell—but the core is still intact and one of the top two lines in the league will be re-united. 

Alfredsson is the undisputed leader and they will go where he takes them.  Heatley and Spezza must live up to their newfound financial status and play complete games.   Fisher, Vermette, Kelly, and Neil have some things to prove this season after disappointing last year.  The blue line is solid defensively, with Phillips and Volchenkov capable of being the top shutdown duo in the league, but will not provide much offense this year. 

Will Martin Gerber be the No. 1 he was supposed to be when they signed him, or will he fade away in his contract year?  question.  My guess is that he will be fine and will have a good season supported by newcomer Alex Auld, instead of being back-stabbed by Ray Emery.  (And you thought I could get through this without mentioning his name!)

6. New York Rangers

A top-flight goaltender in Lundqvist but the departure of a pair of Czechs to the Russian league leaves a hole, and the attempts to repair it might have fallen short.  The upside is that Gomez and Drury can take over this team, and play it their way. 

Nigel Dawes will have a breakout season with fellow sophomore Brandon Dubunsky.  They will also miss the agitation of Sean Avery—although Martin Brodeur is thanking his lucky Stars—and apparently the leadership of Brendan Shanahan.

The blue line is solid, and Wade Redden will be expected to return to his Team Canada-calibre form, not continue his course of the past two seasons. 

7.  Carolina Hurricanes

Another offseason is in the books, and this team is better than the one that played last year.  If Rod Brind'Amour is healthy to start the season, I think he can singlehandedly will this club to the playoffs.  Eric Staal, Ray Whitney, and a midseason return of Justin Williams will provide the offense, and the defense is adequate and has scoring potential. 

The most intriguing story is that of Sergei Samsonov, who was left on the scrap heap but had a resurgence in Raleigh, averaging almost a point a game with the 'Canes over the final third of the season.  Here's hoping that he can continue that production over a full season.

In goal, Cam Ward will be pushed by Michael Leighton, and the duo make a solid unit that can win some games, but might not be the most consistent in the conference.

8. Buffalo Sabres

This team is small, speedy, and can play a system.  The players are so similar that they are almost "plug and play."  They can play whatever roles are assigned to them and play it well. 

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

Maybe it was Ollie Jokinen's fault they never made the playoffs?  The Panthers traded their captain—who has never been to the playoffs—to Phoenix, in exchange for a couple of solid defensemen in Keith Ballard and Nick Boynton. 

The blue line is big, mobile, and should be effective.  Offensively, the youngsters will be counted on to contribute more this season, especially Stephen Weiss, and Nathan Horton.  The duo will likely pair together on the top line, and the pressure will be on them to perform—along with veteran FA Cory Stillman, who will provide leadership and his usual point per game. 

Richard Zednik will attempt to return after a horrific injury that almost cost him his life, let alone his career.  It will be interesting to see if he can play the same game he did before the incident.

13. Toronto Maple Leafs

Without Mats Sundin, the Leafs don't have a proven scorer, and not much potential this season.  Nik Antropov figures to shoulder much of the offensive load, but he can run hot and cold. 

Youth will be served, and lots of experience will be gained by young players in the system.  They will be very solid defensively, and backstopped in net by Vesa Toskala, who will steal some games. 

The defensive corps is actually one of the more dependable in the conference, but can you really justify the salary given to Jeff Finger?  If Coliacovo can stay healthy (and that is a big IF), they will not have issues here.  The big problem will be scoring goals, and there are a lot of 1-0, 2-1 shootout games in the Leafs' near future.

14. New York Islanders

This is a team in transition.  Their leading scorer didn't even crack the 50-point mark, and that, combined with a difference in philosophies with the GM, cost coach Ted Nolan his job. 

They have built from the net out, as DiPietro is an Islander for life it seems.  The blueline is a nondescript group without any standouts, although it will be interesting to see what FA acquisition Mark Streit does.  Was the Swiss Swingman a product of Montreal's PP success, or a reason for it?  The Isles have bet a lot of money that it was the latter. 

A duo of freshmen in Kyle Okposo and Sean Bergenheim are the future of the club, and they will be pushed off the plank into the deep end this year as the Islanders are not a deep organization.

15. Atlanta Thrashers

Well, they do have Ilya Kovalchuk. 

Rookie head coach John Anderson has his work cut out for him, as this group is largely unproven and there isn't an abundance of talent.  Kovalchuk is a supreme talent, but he doesn't have the supporting cast.  Jason Williams is a good player, but should not be a top-line centre on any club. 

The defense is lacking in star power, and might be forced to rush third-overall pick Zach Bogosian into the lineup before he is really ready.  Kari Lehtonen is a talented goalie, but spends more time in the IR than between the pipes. 

They could be the top contender for the No. 1 overall selection come June.  On the bright side, did I mention they have Ilya Kovalchuk?

That sums up how I see the East Shaking down this season, but anything can happen—and in a Conference this tight, it probably will.  One key injury can sink a team's chances, and one unexpected performance by an unsung player can boost a club into the hunt.

What do YOU think?