NHL Pre Season Predictions

Western Conference

1-Detroit Red Wings-The Wings will almost assuredly win their division even though both Chicago and St. Louis will be better this year. Call me bias but I think a repeat is inevitable. The Red Wings are the best team on paper in the NHL. Adding Hossa is huge, Filpula and Hudler should have better seasons if they continue to progress. They have a future HOF being a healthy scratch (Chris Chelios) for goodness sake.Only 3 question marks for the Red Wings and their fans this year--Will Chris Osgood have the season he had last year? And Will Johan Franzen continue what he started last year in the playoffs? And finally, will losing an assistant coach to SJ hurt?

2-San Jose Sharks-One of the best goalies in the league in Evgeni Nabakov, always play well during the season. If Joe Thornton would actually shoot the puck they would be alot better also. I look for the Sharks to have a great regular season, they have a new coach in McClellan who came over from Detroit, and added Rob Blake to boost the defense.

3-Dallas Stars-Dallas is one of the teams that often struggles in the regular season and turns it on come playoff time, although I think this year will be a bit different. They will have Brad Richards for the whole year, their young guys are showing up and producing, the vets still got it, Turco is one of the most reliable goalies in the league. Biggest pickup this offseason=Sean Avery, the fans will love him down there.

4-Anaheim Ducks-Excuse me for not being out of the box with my top 4 in the west picks but when Selanne is on he is still one of the best snipers in the game. Ryan Getzlaf will continue to progress and have a great year. Neidermayer was a Norris candidate just a few years ago and any team with Chris Pronger(Devil) will be a top 4 team. Top 5 defensemen in the NHL any day. I expect the Ducks to bounce back from last year getting rid of some stars this offseason(most notably Schneider) and getting some more role players in there!

5-Calgary Flames-I like the Flames this year, the Saddledome is rocking every game and they are one of the more physical teams in the league. I believe Kipprusoff will have a "bounce back year" even though he didn't really have a bad one and be the lights out top 3 NHL goalie he can be!

6-Chicago Blackhawks-Someone from the Central Division other than the Red Wings in the top 6 rankings in the playoffs? What? I expect big things from Chicago this year, Kane and Toews had suberb rookie years, both Calder Candidates, they should just get better and better as time moves along. Sharp is one of the most underrated players in the league. The Huet move could prove to be gold, he was a top goalie in the NHL a few years ago in Montreal, he could also be a bust but Chicago has always had young talent and always seem to muster up a goaltender. The additin of Brian Campbell was genious. I praised this move for weeks. One of the most underrated defensmen in the NHL.

7-Vancouver Canucks-Luongo=god or close to it. I think he has one of his best years ever and leads the Canucks into the playoffs. Naslund is now in NY and they added Demitra. I think the young talent and role players are what makes the Canucks have a great season though.

8-Edmonton Oilers-With Hemsky getting better every year, a trade with Carolina, Souray being Souray, and the young talent (Gagner, Gogliano) developing, I wouldn't be surprised if Edmonton was higher come playoff time. The biggest question mark is still goaltending but the best ice in the NHL is going to see some W's this year!

9-Minnesota Wild-Losing Rholston will hurt alot, once again this team will be carried by Marion Gaborik. I see Burns emerging into a top 5 NHL defensmen this year if he plays up to his potential. Other than that, not enough offensive firepower for the Wild to make the playoffs in 09.

10-Nashville Predators-Falling just short of a playoff spot, the lack there of scoring will hurt the Predators, they were a top 6 defensive team last year, I think they reached their ceiling. Not only do they have a goaltender controversy heading into the year they are lacking defensively. Not their year.

11-St. Louis Blues-Will jump up from 2nd to last in the conference this year. With a top defensemen hurt you are probably calling me crazy already but Boyes will score 50 goals this year and the rest of the team will rally around Keith Tkachuck and his bulldog self going out there on a nightly basis managing to score 30 goals. Look for St. Louis to do well within the division.

12-Phoenix Coyotes-Having Bryzgalov for an entire season will help tremendously. Olli Jokinen is a top 25 NHL player in terms of points, look for him to have great year with more than a bunch of clowns like he was surrounded by in Sunrise. The Coyotes very well could be in contention for a playoff spot come spring.

13-Colorado Avalanche-I really do not know what to expect from the Avs this year, no goaltending, Budaj? Seriously? One of the most underrated offensive teams in the land but the defense has just way too many question marks. When John Micheal-Liles gets as much time as he does, you know your team is in trouble.

14-LA Kings-Will be better than the last place team they assembled last year. Such great young talent the Kings have to decide if they want to be buyers or sellers come the deadline. Look for Kopitar, Frolov, and Johnson all to have HUGE years.

15-Columbus Blue Jackets-It goes to show you how good the Western Conference is and the depth it has when a team who could very well make the playoffs is dead last in pre season predictions. Rick Nash is a superstar, LeClaire had a coming out party the first half of last year. I think the lack there of scoring and the weak defense will hold back the Blue Jackets, they are a few years away but at least they are heading in the right direction as a young organization.

Eastern Conference

1-Philadelphia Flyers-I believe they are the only team that can match the Wings offensive firepower. Philly will have a great year with all that young talent just getting better. If their defense would stop taking dumb penalties they would be alot more successful. Who knows where that EC finals would have went last year had Timmonen not gotten hurt.

2-Montreal Canadiens-Really by default, I can't see anyone else in the division taking the torch from them and winning the Northeast, and no southern team will finish with more points than them. I like Kovalev to have another great year, Price to evolve and develop even more, and I don't think the losses in the offseason will be as big as people say. Montreal is a solid hockey club.

3-Carolina Hurricanes-Great offseason, what I'm really basing this on is that Eric Staal comes back and is just lights out. When the Canes are hoppin' and playing well, Carolina is one of the toughest places to play in the NHL, the fairweather fans hop on the bandwagon and the team plays better, more physical, and the arena is loud! I look for Carolina to have a great home record and they always seem to have a good record against the West(one of the few teams who do).

4-Pittsburgh Penguins-Losing Hossa and some other guys will hurt but they will have Sid the Kid for the entire year(barring more injuries), Malkin had a breakout year, Satan and Fedotenko are solid 2nd line guys. Fleury will be better this year. I think the Pens will have the 2nd most points in the East however Philly will have more and they will get stuck with a 4 seed.

5-New Jersey Devils-Martin Brodeur is still a top 3 goaltender and they added some guys that they know will help them in a playoff run this year, most notably Brian Rholston. Rholston will score at least 20 goals in jersey with that hard shot and one of the few teams who is 4 lines deep with Vets will have a great season this year. They have to start thinking about what they are going to do when Brodeur retires though which is sooner than people think.

6-Boston Bruins-They weren't healthy at all last year and still managed to get an 8 seed and cause riots in Montreal taking that series to 7 games. I mean they're a Boston sports team, all they have to do now-a-days is show up, right? I'm one of the few that actually likes Boston to bump up a few spots instead of droping out of playoff contention.

7-Washington Capitols-OVECHKIN. They will need more than him and get it. Whether or not Jose Theodore works out is a HUGE question mark but the offense will continue to get better and the young talent will continue to evolve. I truly believe having a veteran in Fedorov there will do wonders for them.

8-New York Rangers-Just sneaking into the playoffs. Defense will be their downfall once again, Sather gets too much money and goes and spends it on overrated forwards. Lundqvist will win them a few games. Losing Jagr, Avery, and Shanahan(as of now), will hurt them. If Sundin ends up signing with the Rangers I might switch them with Boston...I don't expect much from NY this year, not until they do something defensively.

9-Tampa Bay Lightning-New coach, a healthy Vinny L, and young talent(most notably Stamkos) will make the Lightning contend for a playoff spot come season end. Olaf Kolzig is actually an upgrade from all the clowns they've been trying out down there too. Don't be surprised to see Tampa in the top 6 in the conference, or as a bottom feeder. I would consider them and the Avalance the two biggest question marks this pre season.

10-Ottawa Senators-No problem scoring goals but they will continue to have problems letting them in. Ottawa needs to decide if they want to be buyers or sellers at the deadline, they are a goalie and a few defensmen away from making a nice playoff run.

11-Buffalo Sabres-They just don't have the talent, straight up. When I look at Buffalo I see a bunch of "B" players with an "A" goalie. They just haven't been the same team since they had 3 stars ditch down in one offseason(Drury, Briere, Campbell), I think they are a few years away...

12-Atlanta Thrashers-Its going to be hard to be as bad as they were defensively last year. They don't have the worst goaltending in the world and adding Matt Schneider is going to help tremendously. I don't see them competing for worse team in the league again like last year but I definately don't see them making a playoff run. Ilya Kovalchuck needs to learn how to play defense.

13-Toronto Maple Leafs-1967, 150 foot shots going in, more coaching carousel's, what a joke, at least Don Cherry picked you to win the east.

14-Florida Panthers-Best young talent in the league every year. Trade away best young talent in the league every year. Olli is gone and in PHX now and that will hurt them alot more than people think offensively. They will almost assuredly be sellers come deadline time and hey, atleast they know their place....which is usually last.

15-NY Islanders-Trainwreck. Bill Guerin is your best offensive player, that means your in trouble. Rick DiPietro is the only bright spot they have as far as I'm concerned. They need a whole revamp because the team hasn't been good since Trottier and company in the 80s. To be honest sometimes I forget the NYI exist.