NHL Predictions 2011: Picking the Contenders and Pretenders for This Season

Every year NHL teams enter the season with expectations.

For some, like the Boston Bruins and Vancouver Canucks, they will be expected to either repeat or redeem themselves.

For others, like the San Jose Sharks or Washington Capitals, their fans expect a breakthrough season like the Canucks had last season. Both teams are due for a Stanley Cup Finals appearance.

Finally, there's those teams, like the Colorado Avalanche or Ottawa Senators, that enter the season with nothing to lose, but will have to instantly generate interest in order to fill up their building and generate revenue to pay their prospects.

The following are all 30 teams placed in one of three categories:

Contender. Expect this team to make the playoffs and eye a spot on top of the hockey world.

Bubble. Expect this team to fight for a playoff spot all season long.

Pretender. This team will test your mettle and separate the fair-weather fans from the diehards.

Anaheim Ducks

Last Season: Fourth in the West

Status: Bubble

Last season, the Ducks gave the upstart Nashville Predators a run for their money.

Teemu Selanne had a great season last year (31 G, 80 PTs), but may retire or, if he comes back, will not likely repeat his performance.

The Ducks, however, are in good hands without their long-time superstar. Emerging stars in Bobby Ryan and Cam Fowler are great complements to veterans Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry.

This team will be on the playoff bubble all season and should be a dangerous late-rounder in next year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Boston Bruins

Last Season: Third in the East

Status: Contender

The Bruins are returning most of their Stanley Cup Champion team.

As long as the team remains healthy, the defending champs are in a good position to repeat.

Buffalo Sabres

Last Season: Seventh in the East

Status: Contender

It may seem far-fetched to call the Sabres a contender, but Buffalo added Christian Ehroff from the Canucks, and have Thomas Vanek, Drew Stafford and Derek Roy, who are capable of scoring by committee.

The bottom line, however, for this team is that they have one of the best goaltenders in the game, Ryan Miller, who can help the team make up for the lack of a superstar scorer.

Calgary Flames

Last Season: 10th in the West

Status: Pretender

To be honest, the Flames were lucky to finish 10th in the West last year.

This year could be a disaster for them; they are in great need of a youth movement.

Carolina Hurricanes

Last Season: Ninth in the East

Status: Bubble

The Hurricanes have made the postseason once since winning the Cup, but have built a team that came inches away from a playoff berth last season.

With star power in front with Jeff Skinner and Eric Staal, and solid defensemen Tim Gleason and Jamie McBain on the blue line, the ‘Canes are capable of being that late-round threat they always are.

Chicago Blackhawks

Last Season: Eighth in the West

Status: Contender

The Hawks have suffered through the cap casualties they endured after winning the Cup and should be back at it next season.

Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith, Jonathan Toews and co. have established themselves as bona fide stars, and the Blackhawks faithful should expect more from up-and-coming youngsters Michael Frolik and Nick Leddy next season.

Colorado Avalanche

Last Season: 14th in the West

Status: Bubble

The Avs flamed out in the latter half of the season last year, but are closer to the team that gave the Sharks a scare in the first round in 2010.

Matt Duchene, Ryan O’Reilly and Erik Johnson are among the greatest young players in the game, and much will be expected of Peter Mueller, T.J. Galiardi and Seymon Varlamov next season.

If Colorado’s youngsters play to their potential, this could be a dangerous late-round playoff team.

Columbus Blue Jackets

Last Season: 13th in the West

Status: Pretender

Bringing over Jeff Cater was huge for a team that is do-or-die.

The Blue Jackets have not won a playoff game since their inception in 2000. That kind of futility was detrimental to the Atlanta Thrashers, who were established in 1999 and became the Winnipeg Jets this season.

There’s overlooked talent in Columbus, especially in Derick Brassard, Matt Calvert and Steve Mason, but not enough to win in the Central Division.

Dallas Stars

Last Season: Ninth in the West

Status: Pretender

The Stars will take a year or so to recover from losing Brad Richards.

They still have Jamie Benn, Loui Eriksson, Trevor Daley and co., and one of the best leaders in the league in captain Brenden Morrow, but the post-Modano (and now post-Richards) era has been tough on the Dallas Stars.

Detroit Red Wings

Last Season: Third in the West

Status: Contender

Until the Red Wings miss the playoffs,—Detroit has made the last 20 in a row, the longest current streak of postseason appearances in all of North American professional sports—they deserve to be considered contenders.

However, their corps is getting older, and the Wings are going to need to make a serious push to get young blood into red sweaters while maintaining their winning ways.

Most people in the NHL community are certain they will do that.

Edmonton Oilers

Last Season: 15th in the West

Status: Pretender

Edmonton is not a playoff team yet, but expect the Oil to emerge from the Western Conference cellar.

They should be better than the Flames this year in their own division and should give their loyal fanbase hope that the playoffs are coming sooner than later.

Florida Panthers

Last Season: 15th in the East

Status: Pretender

The Panthers still have a few years before they will emerge from the Eastern Conference cellar.

Expect little spurts of greatness during the season, but, overall, this team needs time before they become a playoff-caliber team.

Los Angeles Kings

Last Season: Seventh in the West

Status: Contender

Assuming Drew Doughty signs, which he will, the Kings will not only get past the first round this season, but will also make a serious run.

Last year, many experts had L.A. passing their NorCal rivals in the Pacific Division. Expect the Sharks and Kings to duke it out at the top this year.

Minnesota Wild

Last Season: 12th in the West

Status: Bubble

It is overly-ambitious to think the Wild will suddenly be a contender by adding two much-needed scorers in Devin Setoguchi and Dany Heatley from the Sharks in the offseason.

However, both players will play better now that they are the focal points, in terms of scoring, for a Minnesota team that has great setup men in Mikko Koivu and Pierre-Marc Bouchard.

The Wild should be on the Western Conference bubble and have the potential to bring the Stanley Cup Playoffs back to the Twin Cities for the first time since 2008.

Montreal Canadiens

Last Season: Sixth in the East

Status: Bubble

Montreal is always good, not great.

They should play solid defense once again and be a tough playoff team, but they might give their fans a little bit of a scare as the season dwindles down.

There are a lot of teams on the Eastern Conference bubble this year.

Nashville Predators

Last Season: Fifth in the West

Status: Bubble

There is a lot of young talent in Nashville.

The big question for the Preds is, can the team capitalize on their recent success knowing they probably are not the best (or really, the second-best) team in their division?

Past precedent indicates they can.

New Jersey Devils

Last Season: 11th in the East

Status: Bubble

Martin Brodeur and Patrik Elias are aging, Ilya Kovalchuk is underachieving and Zach Parise is an unrestricted free agent next year.

The Devils are a talented team, but a giant question mark in a strong division.

New York Islanders

Last Season: 14th in the East

Status: Pretender

This is both a team and a franchise that hangs in limbo.

There is young talent on the Island, especially Jon Tavares, Kyle Okposo and Michael Grabner.

Much is expected of Nino Niederreiter as well.

However, the Islanders play in a tough division, and fans are losing interest, especially as the odds of the Lighthouse Project happening becomes less and less likely.

New York Rangers

Last Season: Eighth in the East

Status: Contender

The Rangers have a chance to capitalize on the implosion of their bitter rivals, the Philadelphia Flyers, and contend for second place in the Pacific (Pittsburgh, if they stay healthy, should take it.).

Things appear to be crystallizing in the Big Apple, and if the youth (Michael Del Zotto, Derek Stepan and Ryan McDonagh) steps it up for the Blueshirts, the Rangers are a bona fide contender this year.

Ottawa Senators

Last Season: 13th in the East

Status: Pretender

Ottawa will probably be worse than the Panthers this year.

Everyone except Erik Karlsson should be expendable.

Philadelphia Flyers

Last Season: Second in the East

Status: Bubble

James van Riemsdyk and Claude Giroux are incredible talents, and Ilya Bryzgalov is the goaltender they have been looking for, but the question is whether dealing Jeff Carter and Mike Richards is worth the risk.

Also, nobody knows how well Jaromir Jagr will play. He’s 39 and last played NHL hockey in 2008.

Phoenix Coyotes

Last Season: Sixth in the West

Status: Pretender

The Coyotes are bankrupt and standing on thin ice.

Fortunately, they were able to re-sign Keith Yandle, they have a great leader in Shane Doan, and Martin Hanzal and Kyle Turris have great upside, but the Pacific is getting tougher, and the Coyotes are not getting better.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Last Season: Fourth in the East

Status: Contender

Assuming Sidney Crosby overcomes his post-concussion symptoms and Evgeni Malkin remains healthy, the Penguins will contend for the Stanley Cup once again.

San Jose Sharks

Last Season: Second in the West

Status: Contender

A big offseason puts a lot of pressure on the Sharks, but Brent Burns is the guy they need on defense, and Dany Heatley was becoming a clubhouse poison.

Logan Couture has already proven he’s going to be a superstar, and Jamie McGinn and James Sheppard have a lot of potential.

St. Louis Blues

Last Season: 11th in the West

Status: Bubble

St. Louis blew up their corps last season.

Now it is do-or-die for the Blues, who have restored a fanbase that was upset about the lockout.

David Backes (recently named team captain), T.J. Oshie and Kevin Shattenkirk are now the face of the franchise, and they have veterans Jamie Langenbrunner and Jason Arnott to help a young team get into a playoff spot despite playing in a tough division.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Last Season: Fifth in the East

Status: Contender

With Martin St. Louis, Vincent Lecavalier and Steven Stamkos leading the way, the new-look Lightning should vie for the Southeast Division title next season.

The Bolts got a taste of the playoffs last season; expect them to capitalize on their recent success as they usher in a new era in Tampa Bay.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Last Season: 10th in the East

Status: Bubble

The Leafs have the pieces they need to make the playoffs for the first time since the lockout.

Assuming Dion Phaneuf, Phil Kessel and Luke Schenn play to their potential, and either Jameis Riemer or Jonas Gustavsson can hold down the goaltending position, Toronto should be in good shape to reward their fans this season.

Vancouver Canucks

Last Season: First in the West

Status: Contender

Losing Christian Ehrhoff in the offseason is tough, but Vancouver will put a similar team on the ice once again this season.

They will be expected to take the West once again and have a good chance of redeeming themselves after a heartbreaking Game 7 loss last year.

Washington Capitals

Last Season: First in the East

Status: Contender

The Hockey News picked the Caps as the Stanley Cup favorite.

That may be a little overboard, knowing their propensity to flame out in the playoffs.

However, Washington should once again vie with the Lightning for the Southeast Conference with added superstar powers Troy Brouwer and Joel Ward, who have thrived in the postseason, and a solid goaltender in Tomas Vokoun.

They also have solid young players in John Carlson and Marcus Johansson.

Any team with names like Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and Mike Green on their roster will always be considered Stanley Cup contenders.

Winnipeg Jets

Last Season: 12th in the East (as the Atlanta Thrashers)

Status: Pretender

The former Atlanta Thrashers have a lot of work to do in order to scrape off the tarnish left from a moribund organization.

First priority for the Jets will be getting up-and-coming defenseman Zach Bogosian to sign.

After that, the team will rely on youth like Evander Kane, Blake Wheeler and Andrew Ladd to maintain interest in the team long after they are no longer a novelty in Manitoba.