NHL Predictions 2012: 4 Unlikely Teams That Will Make Playoff Run

Each season, there are a handful of teams that exceed expectations and end up much higher in the league standings than anyone could have possibly anticipated. 

Whether it's dumb luck, unexpected improvements made by a club's key players or a variety of other reasons, some underdogs manage to prove the naysayers wrong and turn some heads in the process. This happens year in and year out but is almost impossible to predict.

I'll give it a try, though. 

Here are four teams that have been cast out as non-factors by many in the hockey world but that, in my opinion, have a good shot at making the playoffs this season. 

Colorado Avalanche

The Colorado Avalanche had a down year in 2010, failing to make the playoffs despite doing so the previous season. 

Recognizing that his club was in need of a legitimate starting goaltender, Colorado general manager Greg Sherman traded the team's first-round choice in next summer's draft to the Washington Capitals in exchange for 23-year-old Russian Semyon Varlamov. Varlamov has been rendered expendable in the eyes of the Capitals thanks to strong netminding from Michal Neuvirth last season.

To provide additional stability between the pipes, the Avalanche signed veteran Jean-Sebastien Giguere to back up the young Varlamov. Now, they have one of the league's best goalie tandems.

Colorado also improved their defense, which has been considered another area of weakness in recent years, by signing veteran rearguards Jan Hejda and Shane O'Brien. These two defensemen will provide a steady and calming presence on the back end and play a physical shut-down game, allowing their younger and more offensively gifted blueliners to be more involved in the play. 

Having filled the gaping holes in their roster and adding some depth up front, with two-way forward Chuck Kobasew and recently drafted power winger Gabriel Landeskog, the Avalanche now boast a lineup rich in both offensive and defensive talent. Don't be shocked to see them sneak into the playoff picture this year. 

Columbus Blue Jackets

There are two things the Columbus Blue Jackets have been in desperate need of since their introduction into the NHL: a first-line center and a power play quarterback. The absence of two such players has made life difficult for the franchise, which has struggled to earn a playoff berth, let alone make a deep run for the Stanley Cup. 

Now, the prayers of Blue Jacket fans have finally been answered. Just prior to the draft, Columbus dealt their first-round pick and winger Jakub Voracek to the Philadelphia Flyers for center Jeff Carter. Carter's 46-goal campaign in 2008-09 has solidified his reputation as one of the NHL's elite snipers. 

Soon after, general manager Scott Howson inked two-way defenseman James Wisniewski to a lucrative long-term deal. 

The Blue Jackets now have their first-line center to play with captain Rick Nash and their minute-eating power play quarterback to spark some offense from the blue line. This could very well be the year they make a deep playoff run. 

New York Islanders

The New York Islanders are home to a dynamic unit of young forwards who appear poised to finally break out and propel the team to its first playoff appearance since the 2006-07 season. 

Headlined by John Tavares, this talented young core consists of power forward Kyle Okpso, winger Matt Moulson, two-way pivots Frans Neilsen and Josh Bailey, recently drafted Nino Niederreiter and sniper Michael Grabner. Together, they make up the best up-and-coming offensive unit in the NHL. 

Tavares and Grabner broke out last season and will play huge roles this year as the catalysts of New York's offense. Okposo, who was sidelined for the entire 2010-11 season, looks ready to pick up where he left off and provide physicality and secondary scoring. Moulson and Nielsen have proven to be dependable forwards for the Islanders over the course of the last two years and Bailey and Niederreiter have established themselves as NHL-ready players. 

Backed by two goaltenders, who have displayed signs of big-time potential, in Al Montoya and Kevin Poulin, as well as the oft-injured but supremely talented Rick DiPietro and reliable veteran Evgeni Nabokov, the Islanders will be pushing hard for a playoff spot this season and may sneak in as a low seed in the East. 

Toronto Maple Leafs

After years of mediocrity, the Toronto Maple Leafs aggressively retooled their roster over the offseason to gear up for a playoff run. 

General manager Brian Burke pulled the trigger on two separate deals with the Colorado Avalanche and the Nashville Predators this summer, addressing some of the pressing needs of his club in the process. He dealt a second-round pick in the the 2012 entry draft to the Avalanche for smooth-skating defenseman John-Michael Liles, whose poise with the puck should make him an effective replacement for long-time Leaf Tomas Kaberle. Weeks later, Burke sent veteran rearguard Brett Lebda and prospect Rob Slaney to Nashville and received promising defenseman Cody Franson and two-way forward Matt Lombardi in return. 

The addition of these players, as well as talented playmaker Tim Connolly, who signed with Toronto as a free agent in early July, will provide the Maple Leafs with the depth and versatility they have been sorely lacking for the past few seasons. With James Reimer entering the season with some valuable experience under his belt, a balanced and talented group of defensemen patrolling the blue line, and a shiny new set-up man for sniper Phil Kessel, look out for the Toronto Maple Leafs this year.