30 Teams, 30 Days - Winnipeg Jets

I hope that the latter stages of last season serve as motivation for the Jets this year. The Jets were in position to win the Southeast Division and make the playoffs until Washington stormed past them. Winnipeg was the odd team out, finishing 9th in the Eastern Conference and had to watch the playoffs from home. Now they move to the Western Conference and will play in the wide-open Central Division. They removed a lot of dead weight from last year's roster, with Nik Antropov, Alex Burmistrov, and Antti Miettinen leaving in free agency. I think they'll miss Ron Hainsey, who signed with Carolina, but it will allow youngster Jacob Trouba to perhaps step in and contribute. As far as additions, the Jets traded for Devin Setoguchi and Michael Frolik in separate deals, and also signed Matt Halischuk. They're going to be an interesting team this year, I'm looking forward to seeing what they do.

Projected Forward Lines:

Andrew Ladd - Bryan Little - Blake Wheeler
Evander Kane - Olli Jokinen - Devin Setoguchi
Matt Halischuk - Mark Schiefele - Michael Frolik
Eric Tangradi - Jim Slater - James Wright
Chris Thorburn - Anthony Peluso

The Jets have a top line that quietly put together a very nice season in 2012-13. Ladd, Little, and Wheeler combined for 119 points and all of them played in every game last year. Now that they have established themselves as an upper echelon group, those three will have to produce similarly to pace this team. Kane and Jokinen was a good combination last year, and the addition of Setoguchi will hopefully give them another goal scorer on that second line. Even the third line can score; Halischuk scored 15 goals for Nashville two seasons ago and Frolik has averaged 14 goals per 82 games in his career. Schiefele has had two short stints before getting sent back to junior each time, and this year he'll look to stick.

Projected Defensive Pairings:

Zach Bogosian - Tobias Enstrom
Dustin Byfuglien - Grant Clitsome
Paul Postma - Mark Stuart
Jacob Trouba

The Jets have not been a good team defensively in recent years, even dating back to their days as the Atlanta Thrashers. They gave Bogosian a 7-year contract worth $36 million this offseason, and everyone but Stuart is signed past this season. This is going to be a gut check season for the Winnipeg blueliners. The team played well for stretches last year and was in position to make the playoffs, so they know how to get there; the challenge for the Jets' defense is now to execute and win games when the offense isn't scoring. The backend will chip in on offense, but they're defensemen by name, and it's time that they become defensemen by trade, too.

Goaltending:

Ondrej Pavelec
Al Montoya

You could make the argument that Pavelec was the worst starting goalie in the league last year. He played in 44 games last year, most in the league, and went 21-20-3 with a 2.80 GAA and a .905 save percentage. Yikes. His goals against was third-worst among goalies who appeared in at least 25 games, and his save percentage was tied for fifth-worst. He also failed to record a shutout last year. It's imperative that he gets more rest this season, which will hopefully improve his play. The numbers that Pavelec posted suggest that the team played at least token defense in front of him, and they did; Winnipeg was 18th in the NHL in shots against at 29.7 per game. He just has to be better. Montoya will see more action this year and he'll also have to do his part for this group to succeed.

Special Teams:

When looking at areas of the game that the Jets can and must improve upon this year, you can immediately point to the power play. Their 13.8% conversion rate was the NHL's worst last season, and that dipped to 11.9% when playing away from the MTS Centre. Adding depth scoring this offseason will allow the Jets to give opposing penalty kills different looks, and that might be the difference for them this season. They need to get the power play on the ice more often after finishing 25th in the league with just 145 opportunities. Thankfully, they were the second-best team at staying out of the box, their 138 times shorthanded giving them a +7 differential. However, the kill wasn't good for them last year, finishing 24th at 79.7%.

X-Factor:

Let me put it this way: if Pavelec's numbers were 2.55/.915, the Jets make the playoffs last year. It's all on him this year. Granted, there were some good offenses in the old Southeast Division, except for Florida, and the move to the Central puts the Jets with some equally iffy teams, save for Chicago and St. Louis. Based on the teams they'll be seeing more often, his numbers should improve, but is it enough to steal games, or even record a shutout? That remains to be seen, and in my mind it'll be the determining factor for whether this team is playoff-bound.

The Jets will make the playoffs if...

... Pavelec is above average, the depth scoring that they signed delivers, and the special teams rise to the league average. To think that the Jets were so close to the playoffs with such awful goaltending and special teams bodes well for this season. I doubt that those two areas of the game will be as bad in 2013-14. With that guaranteed third playoff spot in the Central being completely unpredictable, any improvements there could be enough to see them through if everything else remains the same. Just as it was last year, the opportunity is there for the taking. Hopefully the Jets learned from what happened and can close the deal this season.

The Jets will miss the playoffs if...

... we see the same Pavelec from last year, a lack of synergy causes more special teams issues, and they badly lose the turnover battle again. There are too many talented offensive players on this team to have such a failing power play this year, but if it happens again the Jets will remain grounded. Pavelec can't be the same mediocre goalie again, but I've already beaten that horse to death in this article so I'll leave it at that. As for the turnovers, there were too many by the Jets and not nearly enough forced. They need to be a more opportunistic team and capitalize on mistakes. Do those things, and they might just break the drought.

30 Teams, 30 Days - Washington Capitals

Before you read this article, I want you to think back to the beginning of last season. Try to remember the way the Capitals started the season. It may not be easy to recall the fact that Washington was a comedy of errors in their 2-8-1 start that left them in last place in the Southeast Division. They were dead in the water at that point, and lesser squads would have given up. However, the Caps stormed back after that, going 15-2-2 in their final 19 regular season games and went on to win the weak Southeast Division. They lost a hard-fought series to the Rangers that went the full seven games, but for this team, it's a building block towards potential future success. Their offseason was looking pretty dicey after losing Mike Ribeiro to Phoenix in free agency, but then they went out and signed Mikhail Grabovski in the hopes that he is a worthy replacement.

Projected Forward Lines:

Marcus Johansson - Nicklas Backstrom - Alex Ovechkin
Martin Erat - Mikhail Grabovski - Troy Brouwer
Jason Chimera - Brooks Laich - Eric Fehr
Tom Wilson - Jay Beagle - Joel Ward
Aaron Volpatti - Mathieu Perreault

That top six becomes quite a bit more dangerous when Johansson is moved from center to the left side, a position of weakness for the Caps. The addition of Grabovski means that the Capitals are very strong down the middle, and what was looking like a potential hole in the absence of Ribeiro is now filled by Grabovski. The biggest question I have regarding the Grabovski signing is whether or not he can fill Ribeiro's shoes on the power play. Man advantage situations are where Ribeiro truly excels, and it'll be interesting to see if Washington can perform well again without him. The Capitals have no shortness of tough guys in the lineup, with the third line acting as a traditional checking line and the fourth containing defensive forwards.

Projected Defensive Pairings:

Karl Alzner - Mike Green
Dmitri Orlov - John Carlson
John Erskine - Steve Oleksy
Jack Hillen

Carlson is probably the Caps' best defenseman overall, but Alzner and Green have been playing together long enough that coach Adam Oates isn't going to split them. The loss of Schultz this offseason means more playing time for somebody, and I think it'll be Orlov. Washington still believes that he can be a factor on their roster after he missed most of last season with an upper-body injury. The bottom pair will be a committee of the three men listed and Thomas Kundratek, but I believe that Oleksy and Erskine will get the lion's share of the minutes between them, due to their size.

Goaltending:

Braden Holtby
Michael Neuvirth

Is Washington finally ready to give Holtby the keys to the car after questions surrounded him heading into last year? Judging by his 23-12-1 record and .920 save percentage, I would say that answer is a resounding "yes." His 2.58 GAA was probably a bit higher than the team would like, but keep in mind that the goaltending situation was completely awful for Washington in the first quarter of last year. Neuvirth remains a capable goalie and I believe that he'll find another starting job somewhere once his contract runs out after the 2014-15 season, if not sooner via trade or something.

Special Teams:

If you wanted to watch power play excellence, all you had to do was flip the Caps games on last year. They posted an absolutely obscene 26.8% conversion rate with the man advantage, which was the best in the NHL. They didn't quite reach that number in their series with the Rangers, logging an 18.8% clip there. They had little trouble getting that unit on the ice last year, averaging a little less than 3.5 chances per game. They finished +1 on the special teams differential. However, it's the penalty kill that has to make marked improvements this year, as they finished with a 77.9% success rate, good for 27th in the NHL. Their discipline needs to be better on the road, as they were the fourth-most shorthanded team in road tilts last year. Fix that, and I believe they'll right the ship.

X-Factor:

Can Grabovski replace Ribeiro? It was really the only major development for Washington this offseason, and fans are eager to see what Grabovski can do now that he's gotten a change of scenery. I think he's capable of topping Ribeiro's goal total from last year (which projected to 22 over a full 82-game schedule), but I don't think he gets as many assists (Ribeiro was on pace for 61 last year) and I definitely don't think he matches Ribeiro's skills on the power play. It's probably an upgrade in the long run due to the ages of the players, but I'm not so sure that the move makes them better this season.

The Capitals will make the playoffs if...

... they avoid another bad start, the goalies play the way they should, and enough depth scoring is found to take pressure off of Ovechkin's line. I'll be honest, I thought the Caps had little to no chance of making the playoffs this year when Ribeiro left. Now that they signed Grabovski, they're back in the discussion. They still have to go through the rigorous Metropolitan Division; gone are the days of fattening up on the Southeast's patsies en route to bloated point totals and playoff seeds that were better than the talent on the roster. Every night will be a battle for this team and I think they're up to the task.

The Capitals will miss the playoffs if...

... we see the exact same start as last year, Grabovski doesn't pan out, and the younger defensemen show some cracks in their game. The Metropolitan Division is tough to handicap this year, because a few teams got better, a few teams got worse, and it adds up to a logjam in the standings after Pittsburgh. It's going to be a tight race all year long, and so the Caps absolutely cannot afford to come out of the gate flat again, like last year. Columbus proved a year go how an awful start can bury you, and the Caps should be counting their blessings that they had a bunch of scrubs to beat up (aside from the Jets) in their division last year. They don't have that luxury anymore.

30 Teams, 30 Days - Vancouver Canucks

Vancouver fans finally got what they wanted this offseason, which is a resolution to the goaltending saga between Roberto Luongo, Corey Schneider, and the front office. However, they didn't get the result that they were expecting, as it was Schneider that was traded, not Luongo. The Canucks sent Schneider to New Jersey for the 9th overall pick, which they used to select center Bo Horvat. There were other changes for the Canucks, as Mason Raymond, Derek Roy, and Maxim Lapierre walked in free agency. They added depth forwards Brad Richardson and Mike Santorelli. The biggest change for the Canucks is behind the bench, with John Tortorella taking over. I have to wonder if his defensive style will hinder the offensive weapons that Vancouver has.

Projected Forward Lines:

Daniel Sedin - Henrik Sedin - Alex Burrows
David Booth - Ryan Kesler - Jannik Hansen
Chris Higgins - Brad Richardson - Zack Kassian
Benn Ferriero - Mike Santorelli - Dale Weise
Tom Sestitio - Zach Hamill

One look at this group and you wonder when this team became gutted on the right side. Burrows is a talented player who will score goals, but you're going to have either a defensive forward like Hansen or Kassian, who has 11 goals in his 83-game career. Clearly not the ideal situation for the Canucks, as you expect more offensive numbers from your second right winger. Vancouver should be better defensively than last year, and they were pretty good at that end of the ice (2.40 goals against per game, tied for 9th in the NHL). Secondary scoring might be a concern for this team, but we'll have to see how they begin the regular season before raising the red flags.

Projected Defensive Pairings:

Alex Edler - Kevin Bieksa
Dan Hamhuis - Jason Garrison
Yannick Weber - Chris Tanev
Frank Corrado

John Tortorella has really taken a liking to Alex Edler's skills and style of play, and so I believe he will land on the top pairing with the bruising, plays-bigger-than-he-is Bieksa. Garrison's big shot will help the Canucks score from the back and on the power play as well. The bottom pairing could be a bit of a revolving door, with Weber, Tanev, and Corrado all deserving of playing time this year. Hamhuis is a steady, responsible player who makes smart decisions on the ice. Overall, this is a balanced, solid defensive unit that will win its share of games for the Canucks.

Goaltending:

Roberto Luongo
Eddie Lack

Here's the part where I'm supposed to say that the Canucks traded the wrong goalie, that Schneider is better, and that Lack is going to get lit up in the games he plays. I'm not going to say any of those things. Why? Well, here are my opinions: it didn't matter which goalie they traded as long as the controversy got resolved, we don't know yet if Schneider is better than Luongo in a starter role, and I don't think Lack will have too much trouble adjusting to the speed of the NHL game. I'll know after the season ends whether the Canucks made the right move, but it has to feel good for Luongo to not have to look over his shoulder anymore.

Special Teams:

Vancouver was subpar on the power play at 15.8%, which was 22nd in the NHL. I can't imagine that having John Tortorella and Mike Sullivan behind the bench will improve those numbers, but I've seen crazier things happen. Vancouver just doesn't have enough flexibility with their forward depth to give opponents different looks. The Canucks were a -4 on the differential last year, but their penalty kill was a strong suit for them. Successful 84% of the time when shorthanded, Vancouver had the 8th-best kill in the NHL. They'll need to sustain that success in order to make a better showing than last season, when they got swept out of the first round by San Jose.

X-Factor:

A coaching change is always an interesting situation for a team, because we get to see how they'll play under the new system and find out if there are players who thrive or suffer due to it. I think that will be the biggest determining factor of a successful season for Vancouver. They have to make the adjustment to Tortorella's system, and it's really the forwards who have to make the biggest commitment to it. The Sedin twins will have to play on both ends of the ice and block shots, something that was not commonplace under Alain Vigneault.

The Canucks will make the playoffs if...

... Luongo and the defense can carry the team for stretches at a time, the offense doesn't completely disappear under Tortorella, and the depth players provide enough help to keep them afloat. These aren't your older brother's Canucks anymore. They no longer can go out on the ice every night and look dominant. This is a team that has slipped back into the pack, and will have to play an elevated level of hockey to distinguish themselves again. When comparing them to the rest of the division, they're a tough team to peg. There's the potential for a high finish, but also the danger that their playoff fate will remain uncertain until the end of the year.

The Canucks will miss the playoffs if...

... the offense can't get it going, Luongo looks old, and the bottom six is a black hole when it comes to scoring. Moving into the Pacific Division has done them no favors. They'll have to face the upper crust of that division more often this year and whether they make the playoffs will be determined by their play in those games. They went 11-6-1 against their Northwest foes last year, but just 6-7-2 against the Pacific, and now the Coyotes are greatly improved from what we saw a season ago. It's going to be a fight for the Canucks this year, no doubt about it.

30 Teams, 30 Days - Toronto Maple Leafs

The Maple Leafs were only a couple of short minutes away from completely changing the complexion of last year's playoffs. They led Boston 4-2 late in the third period of their Game 7, at TD Garden, but blew the lead before losing in overtime. Toronto would have played the Rangers next, so who knows how far they might have gone? A fixture in the playoffs during the 1990s, the Leafs had fallen on hard times in recent years. Last year's playoff berth was their first since before the 2004-05 lockout canceled that entire season. This year, they're out to prove that it wasn't a fluke and reach the postseason for a second straight year.

Projected Forward Pairings:

Joffrey Lupul - Nazem Kadri - Phil Kessel
James van Riemsdyk - Tyler Bozak - David Clarkson
Mason Raymond - Dave Bolland - Nikolai Kulemin
Joe Colborne - Jay McClement - Colton Orr
Trevor Smith - Frazer McLaren

Gone are Mikhail Grabovski (bought out) and Matt Frattin (traded to the Kings), in are Bolland, Raymond, and Clarkson. Overall, Toronto's forward unit should have more offensive punch, while keeping the literal punch with Orr in the fold. I believe that Kadri is their best center, and potentially best player overall, so I've slotted him on the first line. The recent signing of Raymond was a nice get for this club; he had been sitting on the free agent market for far too long. Bolland, who was the hero of Chicago's frenzied comeback against Boston in Game 6 to clinch the Cup, should see time on special teams as well as providing depth scoring and physical play.

Projected Defensive Pairings:

Dion Phaneuf - Carl Gunnarsson
Jake Gardiner - Cody Franson
John-Michael Liles - Korbinain Holzer
Paul Ranger

You won't hear many people talking about it, but Toronto has assembled themselves a nice defensive corps. Of course, they need to improve on last year's 17th place finish in goals against, but I think they'll do better than last year, especially because Gardiner has a year of NHL experience under his belt. He's already made some highlight reel plays in this league and it's nice to seek out Toronto highlights for a reason other than "holy crap, Phaneuf just laid somebody out." Holzer is a steady player who should fit in nicely on the bottom pair.

Goaltending:

James Reimer
Jonathan Bernier

This situation simply baffles me. Reimer had a very good season and got this team to the playoffs for the first time in nine years, and so the Leafs made the obvious logical choice and traded for a backup goaltender who everyone seems to think should be a starter. I'm not sure about the rationale there. Did they want to motivate Reimer in camp to maybe get him to reach new heights? Are they that fickle with the goalie position? Do they really believe that Bernier is the better keeper? Whatever the case, get ready for a roller coaster ride in Toronto. Both are worth picking up in fantasy, but I hope that for the team's sake and for his own that Reimer wins the job and keeps it. He's earned it.

Special Teams:

Toronto was respectable on the power play last year, finishing 14th in the NHL at 18.7%. They have enough talent up front to be at least as good this season, but I wonder if there's someone to run the second unit. I have to figure that Liles will quarterback the first, as he's probably the best offensive defenseman they have, but who takes the second? Gardiner? Should be interesting to watch as the season progresses. Their +9 differential was also a nice number from last year, but here's a better one: 87.9%. That was their penalty kill percentage from last year, good enough to put them 2nd in the league, behind Ottawa. While it's tough to expect that high of a percentage again, they should still be stingy while shorthanded.

X-Factor:

How hungry is this team? Sometimes when teams end a long playoff drought, they get a bit complacent and miss the next season. For this reason, I think the roster shakeup was the best thing for this team. It brings in fresh faces, like someone who just won a Cup (Bolland), someone who played for a Cup two years ago (Clarkson), and someone whose team was a perennial upper seed entering the playoffs but couldn't get it done (Raymond). It'll be important for coach Randy Carlyle to get to the younger players and tell them that last year was good, but don't be satisfied because they didn't reach the ultimate prize.

The Maple Leafs will make the playoffs if...

... they play as well as they did last year at all positions, the newcomers mesh well with the established group, and there isn't a goaltending controversy at some point during the season. This is a critical season for Toronto. They have to prove to the doubters and naysayers out there that last year was no fluke and that they're here to stay. All of the big contributors from last season's run are back, and the new additions give them extra depth and offensive ability. It's something that they were already good at last year, as they finished 6th in the NHL in scoring, but more goals can't hurt. I don't think they'll ever separate themselves from the pack this season, but they'll be right there in the hunt.

The Maple Leafs will miss the playoffs if...

... they crumble under higher expectations, the goaltending becomes a circus, and we have more incidents like Kessel trying to chop John Scott's leg off. Steadiness is the key word for Toronto this season. They can't afford to get off-kilter and descend into chaos, because that's a recipe for failure. You can't expect the offense to go out there and score over three goals per game like they did last year, so the defense has to step it up if they're going to return to the playoffs. I like their chances of a top-four finish in the Atlantic, but whether that will be enough for a playoff berth depends on what happens in the Metropolitan Division.

30 Teams, 30 Days - Tampa Bay Lightning

Take away the fact that the Lightning had the first and second highest scorers in the league last year, and their season was pretty terrible. Martin St. Louis took home the Art Ross trophy with 60 points in the shortened season (a 102.5 point pace over a full 82 games) and Steven Stamkos was not far behind, registering 57 points. This offseason, Tampa shocked its fanbase when it bought out captain Vincent Lecavalier and replaced him with... Valterri Filppula. They also allowed backup goalie Mathieu Garon and depth forward Benoit Pouliot to walk in free agency. In a new division that will prove to be much tougher than the old Southeast was, the Lightning face an uphill battle this year. The offense can keep them in games, but they can't stop anyone, either.

Projected Forward Lines:

Ryan Malone - Steven Stamkos - Martin St. Louis
Jonathan Drouin - Valterri Filppula - Teddy Purcell
Alex Killorn - Nate Thompson - Richard Panik
Tom Pyatt - Dana Tyrell - B.J. Crombeen
Tyler Johnson - Pierre-Cedric Labrie

If Drouin winds up on the top line, it'll be a scary one for opponents to face. As it stands, I like Malone there for now due to his experience. Purcell gives the Lightning another 60-point scorer that other teams will have to respect, and pairing him with a distributor like Filppula could cause a rise in goals for him. The bottom six is sort of a work in progress, but the team likes the way Killorn is progressing and so do I. Panik begins his first full season in the NHL with raised expectations, and if nothing else his name must be fun to say for broadcast teams (I really should do an all-name team for the NHL). Crombeen and Labrie provide protection for the top guys with their toughness and readiness to drop the gloves.

Projected Defensive Pairings:

Victor Hedman - Sami Salo
Matthew Carle - Radko Gudas
Eric Brewer - Keith Aulie
Andrej Sustr

I wonder if this defense will ever get better. When your "fix" to a defense that is only that in name is to bring in more offensive defensemen like Salo and Carle in recent years, you aren't going to see improvement in the stats that matter. Tampa Bay finished 26th in the NHL in goals against per game (3.06) and 20th in shots against per game (30.2), so this defense needs to make dramatic improvements this year if they're going to have a chance to be in the playoff picture. However, this is also a work in progress, and we'll probably wind up seeing the same porous "defense" we're used to seeing from Tampa Bay.

Goaltending:

Ben Bishop
Anders Lindback

Well, at least they have two goaltenders who cover a lot of net! Bishop is 6'7", and Lindback is 6'6". Lindback didn't play very well as the starter last season, prompting the trade for Bishop that sent Cory Conacher and a 4th-round pick to Ottawa. Bishop stepped in and performed nicely, so he probably has the inside track on the starting job at the time of this post. I'm guessing we're going to see a 1A and 1B situation here, but that doesn't mean you should draft either of them in fantasy. The team in front of these guys is not nearly responsible enough defensively to provide significant help. It's going to take a Herculean effort from one or both of them to get this team into the playoff chase.

Special Teams:

The Lightning finished with a respectable 19% power play success rate, good for 13th in the NHL and that might improve with Drouin in tow. Expect Salo to shoulder much of the load when it comes to being the field general out there, and with Stamkos, St. Louis, Drouin, Purcell, Malone, and Killorn likely comprising the power play units, he has scorers to feed the puck to. The Lightning were +8 on the differential last year but were not successful on the penalty kill, finishing 19th in the NHL at 80.6%. The lower percentage can easily be attributed to a general lack of defensive skill, but we'll see if it can improve.

X-Factor:

Can one of the goalies put the team on his back and steal games? That's the burning question surrounding the Lightning. We know they'll score goals. We know they'll be awful defensively. We don't know if either Bishop or Lindback are good enough to stand on their heads when called upon. If one or both can get their numbers in line with the upper-tier goalies (not even talking about Lundqvist, more like Elliott or Hiller), then I'd consider it a success. Whether that translates to wins remains to be seen.

The Lightning will make the playoffs if...

... they discover how to play defense, the top line posts outrageous scoring totals, and the goalies play like brick walls. It's going to take a lot for this team to make the playoffs. Too many teams to climb over and there's a large gap between where I believe they'll finish and the team one spot above them. They don't have the luxury of beating up on weak Southeast Division anymore (well, they can still do that to Florida) and so they're going to have to play up to the competition on most nights. For a team that looks like it's a year or two away, this is the reality.

The Lightning will miss the playoffs if...

... their level of play is the same or close to what it was last year. It really is that simple. Too many mistakes, too many shots against, too many pucks in their net. While it would be nice to see them surprise and factor into the playoff race, I don't see it happening this year. They would be better served spending time on seeing what works and shaping their roster for the future.

30 Teams, 30 Days - St. Louis Blues

The Blues were a formidable team last year, continuing to succeed as they did in 2011-12. They played very good hockey all year long, finished second in the Central, and then were up 2-0 on the Los Angeles Kings before dropping four of the next five and getting eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. Seeing the opportunity to add more pieces in free agency, they got stronger and tougher by trading for Magnus Paajarvi and signing Derek Roy, Brenden Morrow, and Maxim Lapierre. Roy will also provide offense for a group that finished 17th in scoring last year, so they could use the boost from his talents. The two-headed monster in net is now a three-headed monster with the strong play of youngster Jake Allen stealing the show at times. The Blues appear poised to challenge Chicago for the Central Division crown and could find themselves in a conference final, or perhaps more.

Projected Forward Lines:

Patrick Berglund - David Backes - T.J. Oshie
Vladimir Tarasenko - Derek Roy - Alex Steen
Brenden Morrow - Vladimir Sobotka - Chris Stewart
Jaden Schwartz - Max Lapierre - Magnus Paajarvi
Keith Aucoin - Ryan Reaves

The Blues are fortunate in that they have a logjam at pretty much every position on the ice, from the forwards on back to the net. They could very well prove to be the deepest team in the NHL this season. None of their lines will absolutely blow teams away, but the way they can roll four and wear opponents down, that's their true strength. Each line has scorers, quick skaters, bigger guys who can bang along the boards, and good faceoff takers. You can't single out a weakness in the forward group, because with all the different types of talents and abilities this team has, I'm not sure there is one.

Projected Defensive Pairings:

Jay Bouwmeester - Alex Pietrangelo
Jordan Leopold - Kevin Shattenkirk
Barrett Jackman - Roman Polak
Ian Cole

The defense should once again be solid under coach Ken Hitchcock. St. Louis was tied for 7th in the NHL in goals against, only surrendering 2.38 per game. They would tell you that they're capable of doing better, and I can't say that I disagree. The Blues have two talented and young offensive defensemen in Pietrangelo and Shattenkirk, and the veteran leadership of the remaining players ensures that they are steady, responsible, and disciplined on the ice. Make no mistake, this is a team that starts its offense with good, strong defense, and that trend should continue in 2013-14.

Goaltending:

Jaroslav Halak
Brian Elliott

Jake Allen may be the #1 of the future, but for now Halak and Elliott each have one season left on their contracts before becoming unrestricted free agents. It's silly to think that the Blues will bring them both back next season, but how much they believe in Allen will determine if either of them return for another year in St. Louis. In effect, the two goalies who will dress every night are playing for new contracts with the Blues and auditioning for other teams at the same time. The result will be two highly motivated men between the pipes who shouldn't disappoint.

Special Teams:

The Blues used their depth and balance to turn the power play into a strength last season, finishing 12th in the NHL with a 19.5% success rate. With the ability to give opposing penalty kills many different looks, the Blues can cause chaos and unrest for other teams. The one issue the Blues had was getting the power play on the ice. They were 24th in power play opportunities with 149. Though they were a -1 in differential, their penalty kill was 9th in fewest times shorthanded (150), and 7th in efficiency (84.7%). Special teams should again be an area where the Blues excel this year.

X-Factor:

Do they have a player or line who can take over a game? If someone emerges, the sky is the limit for this team. They're very good, well-balanced, and have built themselves a hard-working, skilled group of players, but is there someone on the roster who can put the team on his back if needed? I'm not sure. Backes, as the captain, would seem to be the likeliest choice, but there's also Stewart, who led the team in scoring with 36 points last year. Maybe one of the goalies gets hot and they can ride him to the top of the standings. I'm sure that someone will carry the load for small stretches, but who will it be?

The Blues will make the playoffs if...

... everyone does their job, the Blues can dictate the pace and style of games, and the goaltending remains strong. This is a veteran team that knows how to win, and with a much weaker Central Division to deal with they seem almost assured of at least a second-place finish and therefore a trip to the playoffs. I think this team is capable of winning 50 games this year, should everything go right. I believe that they are now built for the playoffs and can go deep in 2013-14.

The Blues will miss the playoffs if...

... the wheels fall off in net. It's really the only thing that would stop this team from qualifying for the playoffs. In another division, perhaps I think twice about declaring the Blues to be a lock for the postseason. In the Central, with nobody other than Chicago on their level, I can't in good faith argue that the Blues could miss.

30 Teams, 30 Days- San Jose Sharks

I think if there's one phrase that personifies the San Jose Sharks, it's "wait 'til next year!" Every season, it seems that the Sharks are showing such great promise and skill as they charge up the conference standings, and yet once they reach the playoffs they can't finish the job and take home the Stanley Cup. Last year's version of the team played solid hockey, entered the playoffs as the 6th seed in the Western Conference, and looked like a darkhorse after they swept Vancouver in the first round. They fought valiantly in the next series but ultimately could not close out the rival Kings, losing in seven games. Changes were minor for the Sharks, who let T.J. Galiardi and Thomas Greiss go and signed Tyler Kennedy. They'll also be without top-six mainstay Martin Havlat to start the season, as he recovers from offseason surgery. The Sharks are shooting for their 10th straight playoff appearance this year, and it's going to take another solid effort to get there.

Projected Forward Lines:

Patrick Marleau - Logan Couture - Brent Burns
Martin Havlat - Joe Thornton - Tommy Wingels
Tomas Hertl - Joe Pavelski - Tyler Kennedy
Raffi Torres - Andrew Desjardins - Adam Burish
James Sheppard - Bracken Kearns

The loss of Havlat leaves the Sharks paper-thin on the wings and also necessitates secondary scoring from the bottom six. Hertl is coming over from the Czech Republic this year and could figure into the Sharks plans sooner than expected. He might have to fill an important role this season as opposed to playing on the third line and cutting his teeth, but based on his two good seasons with Slavia Praha, the 19-year old should be ready to contribute. Couture is once again going to be counted on to improve his production, just like every year in his career thus far. This is his team now, and he has to become the leader on and off the ice. Burns will begin his first full season as a winger, and it's safe to say that the Sharks are expecting at least 20 goals from him. Even with an injury to the defense, Burns should stay on the top forward line, as the Sharks defense has enough depth to withstand the loss of one player. It's crazy to say that the forward unit might be the weakest piece of this roster, but the general lack of depth and question marks on the wings are troubling.

Projected Defensive Pairings:

Matt Irwin - Dan Boyle
Marc-Edouard Vlasic - Justin Braun
Scott Hannan - Brad Stuart
Jason Demers

This unit can cover a lot of bases for the Sharks. Boyle and Irwin will work the power play, Hannan is their bruising shutdown defenseman, Vlasic is an elite skater who can make up for any lapses with his speed, Stuart brings experience, and Braun has size and can help clear the front of the net. Their 7th defenseman, Demers, would be in the lineup on most teams. This unit will be a strength for the Sharks, and they'll have to be especially stout early in the year while the forwards sort themselves out. They normally answer the bell when needed, and I think this year will be no different.

Goaltending:

Antti Niemi
Alex Stalock

Niemi had a hell of a season in 2012-13: 24-12-6, 2.16 GAA, .924 save percentage. Those numbers were enough to get him a Vezina nomination. He didn't win, but let that serve as an extra bit of motivation for the Finnish netminder heading into this season. He may have to work extra this year, because his backup (Stalock) only has three games of NHL experience. Niemi is used to a large workload, appearing in 43 out of a possible 48 games last year and starting all 11 games in the playoffs. He should play well again this season, but I wonder if he'll burn out at the end of the season.

Special Teams:

Few words go together better than "deadly" and "San Jose Sharks power play" - they finished at 20.1%, which put them in a tie for 7th in the NHL with the Oilers. They usually use four forwards on the first unit, with a front line of Marleau-Thornton-Couture and Pavelski-Boyle on the points. If Havlat is able to come back from injury and plays well, he could see time on the second unit with Burns, Irwin, and perhaps Wingels and Vlasic. The Sharks were equally good on the penalty kill, finishing 6th in the league at 85%. They were also +22 on the special teams differential, so they were trending in the right direction last season.

X-Factor:

The wing depth. How well will it hold up, if it does, and can they get scoring from the rookie Hertl and other unexpected sources? There will be a lot of pressure on the top line, Thornton, and Pavelski to steady the ship through the first couple of months. We may see the Sharks score five goals on one night but then get shutout the next. No matter how it gets done, the most important thing that this team needs to find in the early stages of the season is consistency on offense. The defense and goaltending will hold up and keep them in games, but sooner or later someone other than the big guns will have to start scoring.

The Sharks will make the playoffs if...

... they find the offense they need, the defense continues to play well, and the special teams remain lights out. This Sharks team looks vulnerable on paper. They have a good nucleus of forwards in place, they have a quality backend and a Stanley Cup winner in net, but they're an injury or two away from struggling. San Jose is really a better version of Dallas right now, with depth down the middle, a goal scoring winger, but not a whole lot else up front. They play in a tough division and they will get the best shot from opponents every night, given their success, but somehow the Sharks always seem to find a way to make the playoffs.

The Sharks will miss the playoffs if...

... the defense plays surprisingly poor, they suffer an extended slow start to the season, and Niemi gets burnt out because he isn't being rested enough. I could make a case against every team in the Pacific when it comes to making the playoffs. Well, maybe not Los Angeles. Anyway, the Sharks' window of opportunity for a Cup with this group is just about closed. They're rapidly approaching the time where they may have to blow up the forwards and rebuild around Couture, but they could also steal a page from the Red Wings' playbook and simply try to find the right guys for their system and build that way. Realignment does them no favors, with Dallas moving out and the western Canadian teams coming in. The Sharks are capable of running their streak to ten, but it certainly won't be easy.

30 Teams, 30 Days - Pittsburgh Penguins

Based on the way Pittsburgh steamrolled the rest of the Eastern Conference last year, you would think that they would have done the same in the playoffs. After getting all they could handle from the Islanders in the first round and then making short work of the Senators in the Conference Semifinals, they came into the Eastern Conference Finals against Boston on a hot streak. What happened next could not have been predicted - the Penguins scored just two goals en route to a sweep at the hands of the Bruins. There was some slight retooling done this offseason. They brought in Matt D'Agostini to bolster the forward depth and brought back Rob Scuderi to help the defense. They let a number of players walk in free agency, including Jarome Iginla, Douglas Murray, Brenden Morrow, Tyler Kennedy, Matt Cooke, and Mark Eaton. What's left is a Penguins team with the same top-tier core, but surrounding parts that might need time to take shape.

Projected Forward Lines:

Chris Kunitz - Sidney Crosby - Pascal Dupuis
Beau Bennett - Evgeni Malkin - James Neal
Jussi Jokinen - Brandon Sutter - Matt D'Agostini
Tanner Glass - Joe Vitale - Craig Adams
Dustin Jeffrey - Andrew Ebbett

Bennett is the notable addition to the top six, as he will get the first chance to play alongside Malkin and Neal. Kunitz and Dupuis will again have inflated stats from being on Crosby's line, so consider them in fantasy if you're looking for forward help. The bottom six has some depth, with Jokinen providing secondary scoring and Sutter helping with faceoffs. As always, Crosby and Malkin will drive this team's ship, and provided they remain healthy the Penguins will be a force. I have to question the defensive merits of the forward group, as their constant attacking has left them open to poor defense in years' past.

Projected Defensive Pairings:

Rob Scuderi - Kris Letang
Paul Martin - Brooks Orpik
Simon Despres - Matt Niskanen
Derek Engelland

When Letang isn't an adventure in his own end, he's a top defenseman in this league. Scuderi will go right on the top pairing and should provide more stability for a defense that finished 12th in goals against but had trouble at times and really looked bad in the playoffs. Martin rediscovered his game last year and looked much better than in 2011-12, when he was a complete disaster. Niskanen's name has come up a bunch of trade rumors, and the Penguins might deal him to get under the cap. For now, he remains in the lineup. Engelland will play when they want an added physical edge.

Goaltending:

Marc-Andre Fleury
Tomas Vokoun

This is sort of a contract year for Fleury, but not in the sense that the term usually implies. One would have to think that if Fleury's awful performance in the playoffs carries over to this regular season and he struggles, that Pittsburgh will buy him out after the season and he'll be looking for a job somewhere else. Vokoun took over during the first round series win over the Islanders and played admirably, but at age 37 he isn't likely to get the starting job here or for another contender. The Penguins are capable of playing good team defense, but Fleury has to hold up his end of the bargain too.

Special Teams:

Pittsburgh's lethality on the power play continued last year. They finished 2nd in the NHL with a 24.6% conversion rate, topped only by Washington. They can roll out a lot of weaponry on the man advantage, with Letang quarterbacking things from the point. I'm not sure they have a second defenseman who can take on those duties, so we may see them use four forwards on the other unit. Pittsburgh was +3 on the special teams differential, but they have to do better when killing penalties. Finishing 25th in the NHL at 79.6% isn't going to cut it this season. They have to be better during scrambles, because they got victimized a few times late in the season on them.

X-Factor:

It has to be Marc-Andre Fleury. How will he respond after getting blasted in the playoffs again? Will see the goalie who we know is capable of winning the Vezina Trophy? Or will we see the man who gave up multiple soft goals en route to getting benched? Pittsburgh is a playoff team no matter who is in net, the success or failure of Fleury will be what determines how far they will go in the playoffs. GM Ray Shero has put together a Cup or bust roster here, so anything less than going the distance is a disappointment.

The Penguins will make the playoffs if...

... nothing goes tragically wrong, Crosby and Malkin aren't both injured for extended periods of time, and everyone does their job. Look, the Metropolitan Division is stout. It's filled with good offenses, defenses, and goaltenders. However, the Penguins are clearly a cut above the rest of the pack. Few teams can match their skill and depth, and even fewer can keep players like Crosby and Malkin off the scoresheet. This is a strong offensive team that knows how to win, and they'll use their talents to secure a playoff spot for sure.

The Penguins will miss the playoffs if...

... good one.

30 Teams, 30 Days - Phoenix Coyotes

After the 2011-12 season, when the Phoenix Coyotes did the unthinkable - win not just one playoff series, their first since moving to the desert from Winnipeg, but two, they couldn't sustain that success amid injuries and a sputtering offense that couldn't get it going in the shortened season. They want to recapture the success from that memorable run, where they won the Pacific Division title and then knocked off Chicago in six games before dominating Nashville in a five-game series win. The run ended in the Western Conference Finals at the hands of the hated Los Angeles Kings. Now, with a true top center finally on the roster in Mike Ribeiro, a healthy Mike Smith, and most of the roster back from last year's team, the Coyotes appear poised to return to the playoffs.

Projected Forward Lines:

Mikkel Boedker - Mike Ribeiro - Radim Vrbata
Lauri Korpikoski - Martin Hanzal - Shane Doan
Chris Brown - Antoine Vermette - David Moss
Rob Klinkhammer - Kyle Chipchura - Brandon Yip
Brandon McMillan - Paul Bissonette

This is about as good a top six as Phoenix has had since Keith Tkachuk, Jeremy Roenick, Tony Amonte, and Cliff Ronning were in town. This group will be much better on offense with Ribeiro's skill and passing ability. Expect a jump in goals from the top line and power play unit and Ribeiro's presence is the reason why I believe that Boedker will have a breakout season. The second line has a good mix of size and speed with Korpikoski, Hanzal, and captain Doan. Vermette is good enough to be on the top six, and could shift to wing if the team feels they need his abilities on the second line. The fourth line is a gritty energy line that will see different players frequently, as coach Dave Tippett should rotate McMillan and Bissonette in as needed. All in all, this looks like a good forward group.

Projected Defensive Pairings:

Oliver Ekman-Larsson - Zbynek Michalek
Derek Morris - Keith Yandle
David Schlemko - Michael Stone
Rostislav Klesla

Klesla will be back in the lineup once he returns from the nasty concussion he suffered last week at the hands of Jordan Nolan of the Kings. For now, it'll be Schlemko and Stone on the bottom pair, but there is still a battle for those last to slots between them, David Rundblad, Chris Summers, and Brandon Gormley. More injuries would get them into the lineup, and they're capable players who can fill holes as needed. Ekman-Larsson has developed into a complete player and he is close to being a top-tier defenseman in the NHL. Don't be surprise if he garners some votes for the Norris Trophy this season. Michalek and Morris are the veterans of the group, and former All-Star Yandle is the best puck mover on the team and should produce offensively. This is a balanced backend that will provide quality defense and respectable offense.

Goaltending:

Mike Smith
Thomas Greiss

Based off of what he did two years ago, we all know what Smith is capable of, and his injury-riddled campaign last year saw a dip in his numbers. He needs the team in front of him to keep play in the other end and block more shots, because the Coyotes averaged 30.6 shots against per game last year, 21st in the league. They actually outshot opponents by .3 per game last year, and that number needs to increase so that Smith can stay fresh. Having a significant upgrade at the backup position will be a huge help as well. Greiss has experience at the World Championships and the Olympics for Germany, and has been a serviceable backup for the Sharks the past few years. Expect at least 20 games from Greiss this year to keep Smith from wearing down.

Special Teams:

Phoenix was once again anemic on the power play, finishing 25th in the NHL at 14.8%. They should find much more success with Ribeiro in the lineup, who helped key Washington's league-best unit last year. Having Vrbata healthy will be significant too, as he missed 14 games last year. He's their best pure shooter and should be right at home with Ribeiro feeding him. Yandle and Ekman-Larsson should also play big roles on the power play, the former with his vision and the latter with his booming slap shot. One thing that coach Tippett always preaches to his teams is discipline, and the Coyotes lacked that at times. They were even on the differential last year, but that's still 169 times shorthanded. Their usually solid penalty kill had some cracks last year, finishing 22nd at 79.9%. Bringing in Yip in free agency should help the PK, and they have capable defensemen in Michalek and Morris to fill roles when shorthanded.

X-Factor:

I think the area that would most help this team reach new heights is secondary scoring. The top line is going to be productive now that Ribeiro's in town, but what about the other units? Doan has been a model of consistency in his career and is good for 55-60 points on an annual basis, but can Hanzal and Korpikoski step up and produce more offensively? If not, can they find someone who can? Do they put other wingers with Ribeiro to try and get them going? The only thing holding them back is offense. If they find it, the sky's the limit.

The Coyotes will make the playoffs if...

... offense is found past the first line, Smith returns to the form he showed two seasons ago, and the defense continues to be stingy. The organization loves to say that they play "hockey the hard way." I can't disagree with them, as many of the Coyotes' wins involve tight, one-goal margins coupled with impressive stands by the defense late in the third period. This group is capable of lighting the lamp more often now and as we learned from their run two years ago, this is a scary team when the offense is clicking. Smith has to be better this year, and he should be as long as the forward lines drive possession. Making the playoffs is a tall order in the NHL, but this team is up to it.

The Coyotes will miss the playoffs if...

... the offense struggles again, Smith can't find his game or gets hurt again, and the special teams don't improve. Phoenix is one of those teams that can be really good but they also can't afford to beat themselves, and they did that last year by failing to capitalize on opportunities and letting too many shots through. They have to play a more opportunistic game this season if they want to return to the postseason. With Vancouver and Edmonton now in their division, the Coyotes will have to raise their game. I believe that they'll get back to the playoffs, but as they say, anything can happen.

30 Teams, 30 Days - Philadelphia Flyers

It didn't take long after the season ended for the Flyers to make changes. The embattled Ilya Bryzgalov was bought out and still has not signed elsewhere. Danny Briere was bought out and ended up in Montreal. Simon Gagne and Mike Knuble have not been offered contracts. Ray Emery was brought in to compete with Steve Mason for the starting job. They went out and got Mark Streit in free agency to give them a power play specialist. The biggest move was signing Vinny Lecavalier to a 5-year, $22.5 million contract after he had been bought out by Tampa Bay. They also locked up captain Claude Giroux with a 8-year, $66.2 million extension through the 2021-22 season. It's hard not to think that the ceiling for this team is higher than it was last year, what with all the injuries and poor defensive play, but is it enough to make the playoffs?

Projected Forward Lines:

Scott Hartnell - Claude Giroux - Jakub Voracek
Brayden Schenn - Vinny Lecavalier - Wayne Simmonds
Scott Laughton - Sean Couturier - Matt Read
Zach Rinaldo - Max Talbot - Jay Rosehill
Adam Hall - Andrew Johnston

Largely the same group from last season, but of course the notable difference is the presence of Lecavalier. The 9th ranked offense in the NHL from last year adds a piece that can still play strong minutes and be a leader on the ice. The top six should become even stronger now with Schenn shifting to left wing. Laughton will be playing his first full NHL campaign, and he looks to someday replicate the point per game success he enjoyed in the OHL. He'll be joined on the third line by Couturier and Read, making a good energy line that will chip in goals as well. The fourth unit will bang bodies and intimidate opponents with Rinaldo and Talbot leading the charge. The biggest question I have here is whether or not the guys who had horrible years last season like Hartnell and Couturier can bounce back this year.

Projected Defensive Pairings:

Andrej Meszaros - Kimmo Timonen
Braydon Coburn - Mark Streit
Luke Schenn - Nicklas Grossmann
Erik Gustafsson

The words "Philadelphia Flyers" and "defense" haven't gone together in a long time. Last year, though, it was injuries that caused the slump. Coburn missed 15 games. Grossmann missed 18 games. Gustafsson missed 21 games. Meszaros missed 37 games. It all contributed to a goals against per game average of 2.90, which was tied for 22nd in the NHL. Provided the troops stay healthy, that number has to improve this season. I don't see how they can do worse. The other dilemma for the Flyers defense is that the team has ten players signed under one-way contracts and are currently $2 million over the cap. They'll like get under once they send tow or three down to the minors, but there's an outside chance that they look to make a trade in the coming weeks.

Goaltending:

Ray Emery
Steve Mason

Next in line for the least desirable goaltending position in the NHL is Emery, who is coming off of a spectacular season as Chicago's 1B goalie behind Corey Crawford. He went 17-1-0 in 21 appearances for the Blackhawks, posting a 1.94 GAA and a .922 save percentage. He did not start in the playoffs, but his shining moments from last season were right in the thick of the Blackhawks incredible run of 24 games with at least one point to start the season. We'll see if the ghost of Hextall still haunts the Philly net. The Flyers could also go with Mason, who went 4-2-0 in seven appearances with a 1.90 GAA and a .944 save percentage. He had ten shutouts in his rookie year with Columbus, but hasn't been able to sustain good play since then. We could be looking at a 1A/1B situation here.

Special Teams:

Philadelphia pulled off a rare feat last year: they finished in the top five on both the power play and the penalty kill, and still missed the playoffs. The Flyers were #3 with the man advantage last year at 21.6%. Out of all the defensive injuries the Flyers suffered, Timonen only missed one game and so his presence was vital to their success. This year he'll have Streit with him, so the two of them should assume control of their power play units. Discipline proved to be a problem as the Flyers were shorthanded 184 times and posted a -13 differential, but they still finished fifth on the PK with an 85.9% success rate. All of the penalty killers except Briere return, but the hole that he leaves is a big one. If someone fills his shoes admirably, the Flyers should be okay there.

X-Factor:

As always, the key to success is the goalie position. Whether it's Emery or Mason in net, one of them has to emerge and play well enough to steal games when the offense isn't clicking. Those who are quick to jump on the bandwagon now that Emery is in town need to be reminded of what happened with Bryzgalov. He thrived while playing under a very defensive-minded team in Phoenix, and wound up getting exposed as a system goalie in Philadelphia when he couldn't perform under their more hectic style. In Chicago, Emery had the league's best defense in front of him, so it'll be interesting to see what happens this season. The silver lining is that Mason played well even with all the injuries to the backend, so even though it's a small sample size one can look to his numbers and have hope for this year.

The Flyers will make the playoffs if...

... someone, whether it's Emery or Mason, seizes control of the #1 job in net and plays well, the defense stays healthy, and they don't try to win every game 5-4. Flyers games are always up and down affairs, where it resembles a track meet instead of a hockey game. The high scoring is great for fans, but it causes nightmares for goalies and coaching staffs alike. They have to find a way to clamp down on opponents late in games and they have to play much better at even strength to have a chance at the playoffs this year. If they can do that, and keep the special teams numbers up, the playoffs are not out of the question for this group.

The Flyers will miss the playoffs if...

... we get the "same old Flyers" who can't stop anyone, there's another rash of injuries, and the goaltender position continues to be a black hole. Look, we know what to expect in terms of style of play from the Flyers. The question now is, can they win playing at such frantic pace? They have the skill players and offensive talent to win, but I can't help but feel that the defense will eventually wear down and crack under the pressure of always having to move the puck up ice and rushing back on turnovers. In the new Metropolitan Division, they have a few teams to climb over to get into the playoff race, like Washington, Columbus, and the Islanders. I think they'll be a bubble team. Maybe in, maybe out.

30 Teams, 30 Days - Ottawa Senators

One word can be used to classify this offseason for the Ottawa Senators: shocking. Daniel Alfredsson, the captain who had been there forever and was a key cog in many memorable seasons in Canada's capital, walked in free agency and signed with Detroit. The front office didn't wait long to replace him, however, completing a blockbuster trade that sent Jakob Silfverberg and Stefan Noesen to Anaheim for perennial 30-goal scorer Bobby Ryan. They then made a couple of smaller additions, signing forward Clarke McArthur and defenseman Joe Corvo, who is now on his second stint with the team. Some would say that the Senators overachieved last year, having been without Jason Spezza and Erik Karlsson for extended periods with injuries. I say that this is a very deep squad with a brilliant head coach in Paul McLean, who can get results no matter who is on the ice.

Projected Forward Lines:

Milan Michalek - Jason Spezza - Bobby Ryan
Cory Conacher - Kyle Turris - Clarke McArthur
Colin Greening - Mika Zibanejad - Zack Smith
Erik Condra - Jean-Gabriel Pageau - Chris Neil
Jim O'Brien - Matt Kassian

The offense was not s strength for the Senators last year, as they averaged only 2.33 goals per game (27th in the NHL). However, a lot of that drop in production can be blamed on the injuries to Spezza and Karlsson. They're the two biggest facilitators for this team and having them both back healthy this year should pay huge dividends. The right side looks revamped with Ryan and McArthur taking over the top two spots with the departures of Alfredsson and Silfverberg. The bottom six looks strong as well and should give Ottawa the scoring depth it needs to succeed, all while providing the physical aspects as well. If you don't believe me, look up their line brawl against Montreal from last year's playoffs. Definitely one of the best hockey fights I've ever seen, and the Sens went 5 for 5 on the fights. If depth down the middle is what wins in today's NHL, then I like Ottawa's chances with Turris, Zibanejad, and Pageau in tow.

Projected Defensive Pairings:

Marc Methot - Erik Karlsson
Jared Cowen - Patrick Wiercioch
Chris Phillips - Joe Corvo
Eric Gryba

The defense was almost as stingy as it gets last year, their 2.08 goals against per game ranking second only to Chicago (2.02) and this year, at full strength, they look to continue their stellar play. Cowen and Wiercioch are growing into solid players and a real formidable second pairing. Cowen's size and physicality match perfectly with Wiercioch's booming shot and puck moving ability. Phillips is the longest-tenured member of the defense, having played his entire career in Ottawa. He'll always have a spot on this team. Any questions regarding Karlsson's health were answered in the playoffs, where he posted eight points in ten games. Ottawa rarely gets stuck in its own end, which is more than can be said about most teams in the NHL.

Goaltending:

Craig Anderson
Robin Lehner

Anderson surely would have won the Vezina Trophy last year if he didn't get hurt. He was 12-9-2 in 24 games, with a 1.69 GAA and a .941 save percentage, numbers that are unheard of even in the contemporary NHL, where offense is way down from the 1980's and early 1990's. I don't think that anyone in their right mind would expect him to duplicate those numbers from last year, but expectations are now through the roof for a guy who hasn't been able to string together consecutive solid seasons. With this type of depth and potential offensive production in front of him, I don't see why he can't have another strong season. He's a very different player from the guy that broke into the NHL with Chicago and took a lot of lumps early in his career.

Special Teams:

Ottawa finished 20th on the power play last year, posting a 15.9% success rate. Having to play without Karlsson contributed heavily to that, because he is their best offensive player at times. The benefit that the Senators have over other teams is their forward depth, as it allows them to mix and match players on the power play units to see what sticks. Ottawa was -10 on the special teams differential last year, but that didn't prove to be a problem as they were the #1 penalty kill in the NHL at 88%. They were able to stifle opponents while shorthanded, even when they were without Anderson in net. With most of the team coming back from last year's success, this unit should again be an area of strength.

X-Factor:

Health is the biggest opponent of this team. They can't have Spezza, Anderson, and Karlsson getting hurt again, and really can't afford injuries to guys like Michalek, Ryan, or Methot, either. I realize that this goes against what I said before about the Sens' depth, but nobody wants to lose their best players for any games, let alone chunks at a time. If they can avoid the injury bug, they have a chance to make a real deep playoff run this year.

The Senators will make the playoffs if...

... they stay healthy, the offense improves, and the defense plays similarly to last season. Ottawa is a young team with a lot of talent on both ends of the ice, and they'll be scary if they put it all together. They're big, fast, deep, and balanced. The offensive production will pick up as long as key guys don't get hurt, and it needs to because you can't expect your defense to be as good as it was last season on a yearly basis. That would be too much pressure on the backend, and while I believe they're up to the task it's always nice to give them a breather with a 4+ goal game every now and then.

The Senators will miss the playoffs if...

... basically, the wheels fall off. Of the three Canadian teams in the Atlantic Division who will be fighting for playoff berths, Ottawa is the best of them and is therefore the best bet to at least land the third automatic bid. Injuries and regression in all areas of the game are the only things that could derail this team's playoff hopes, as they played great hockey last year even without key players. The front office's move to get Ryan was brilliant for a team that realizes that it can win now with this roster. They have a fairly big window to win, too; only five players who should make the roster are 30 or more years old, so there are years of opportunity awaiting this team.

30 Teams, 30 Days - New York Rangers

After the great success of the 2011-12 season, it's hard not to feel like last year was a bit of a disappointment. The Rangers struggled through their same old offensive and power play problems, got solid play from a defense that was without Marc Staal for a while, received the usual greatness from Henrik Lundqvist, and made the playoffs. After a thrilling seven-game series win in the first round against Washington, the Rangers looked outmatched and outcoached in the second round, losing in five to Boston. In the offseason, the Rangers weren't too busy. They decided not to buy out Brad Richards even though it probably would have been the smarter choice. They signed Benoit Pouliot and Dominic Moore, and made trades for Justin Falk and Danny Kristo. There's only one move left to make, and that's to get RFA Derek Stepan signed. Having a new coach in Alain Vigneault should bring a more offensive philosophy to this team and I'm excited to see what they can do this season.

Projected Forward Lines:

Carl Hagelin - Derek Stepan - Rick Nash
Chris Kreider - Derrick Brassard - Ryan Callahan
Mats Zuccarello - Brad Richards - Brian Boyle
Benoit Pouliot - Dominic Moore - Derek Dorsett
Taylor Pyatt - Arron Asham

Something that the Rangers lacked after trading for Rick Nash last offseason were energy players on the lower lines. The subsequent trade that sent Marian Gaborik to Columbus remedied that a bit, as Derek Dorsett has helped fill that role thus far. I'm still not sure they fully replaced what they lost, but they did get a faceoff specialist in Moore and Pouliot, who can do a little bit of everything. They still might need to make a trade to get Stepan signed, but for now Brassard looks like he can hold the fort down just fine. He was brilliant after coming over with Dorsett in the trade for Gaborik, and has looked strong so far in the preseason. Left wing is a bit weak overall, with only Kreider providing size and step up efforts needed from Hagelin and Zuccarello this year. Nash and Callahan will be called upon to score goals, and I think they'll do just fine there.

Projected Defensive Pairings:

Ryan McDonagh - Dan Girardi
Marc Staal - Anton Stralman
John Moore - Michael Del Zotto
Justin Falk

Assuming Staal is 100% and can play big minutes, this defensive unit should be fine. Though Stralman and Del Zotto are puck movers, the Rangers still lack a true power play general on the backend. Del Zotto was an adventure last year in his own end, and he needs to have a bounce back season in order to keep his roster spot. With a new coaching philosophy in place, I wonder if we're going to see the Rangers' defensemen sacrificing their bodies to block shots as often as they did under John Tortorella. Of course, when you have a guy like Lundqvist in net, I think the better option is to just let him do his job. John Moore should see more ice time this season and looks to improve on his performance from last year, which was impressive given his youth and inexperience.

Goaltending:

Henrik Lundqvist
Martin Biron

The NHL's best goaltender returns in a contract year with abundant uncertainty regarding his future in New York. I think that when all is said and done, a contract gets signed and he stays with the Rangers. As for what to expect this season, the more offensive approach should mean that the puck isn't in the Rangers' defensive zone as much, which can only mean good things for Lundqvist and backup Biron. Playing in the offensive zone means you can't get scored on. Hopefully Lundqvist won't have to play 70 games this season, as every year he's touched 70 he's either burned out in the playoffs or the Rangers failed to get there. I think that 65 would be the optimal number here, with Biron seeing the rest of the starts.

Special Teams:

I know that the Rangers don't possess the worst power play in the league, but man were they infuriating to watch under John Tortorella. Too much passing and cycling, not enough motion, not enough shooting, and not nearly enough scoring. The Rangers were 23rd in the NHL at 15.7% efficiency. That number should and must climb under Vigneault. Teams aren't afraid of taking penalties against the Rangers because they know they won't pay for it. The Rangers were also unusually average on the penalty kill, placing 15th at 81.1%. Having guys like Moore and Pouliot in the fold should help raise that number. Discipline was not an issue for the Rangers last year, as they were shorthanded the 8th-fewest times and were +5 on the differential.

X-Factor:

How will Vigneault's system work with this team? He doesn't have players like the Sedins in New York, but he does have a better version of Ryan Kesler in Nash. If there's suddenly a major offensive boost with the same level of play defensively, the Rangers might put themselves in the Stanley Cup discussion. Of course, they're going to need big seasons from Brassard, Nash, Callahan, basically the entire top six, but I believe they can thrive under Vigneault. The power play has to be better as well. They can't just whip the puck around on a cycle for two minutes and expect to succeed that way. It just won't work. As the old adage goes, good things happen when you get pucks to the net. The Rangers would do well to follow that advice.

The Rangers will make the playoffs if...

... the necessary improvements are made, the defense continues to be sturdy, and the best players play like the best players. The Rangers are a pretty safe bet to reach the postseason this year, not because they're so much better than last year but because the rest of their division didn't improve enough to surpass them. They have the best goalie in the league, a very solid defense, and enough skill players up front to make noise. This team is built from the net out, which hasn't necessarily been the Stanley Cup formula of recent years but with a guy like The King in net, you could be forgiven for structuring the team that way.

The Rangers will miss the playoffs if...

... Lundqvist doesn't get enough rest, the offense continues to struggle, and the bottom pairing regresses. I won't sit here and say that I think the Rangers will come out of the gate firing on all cylinders. They have a new coach, a new system to learn, and a nine-game road trip to start the year. They aren't going to be playing their best hockey early on. However, by season's end, I believe they'll be a force in the Metropolitan Division. They have the tools to make a deep playoff run, the only thing left to do now is put it all together.

30 Teams, 30 Days - New York Islanders

To all my friends who are reading this: I told you so. Prior to last season, I said that it would be the year that the Islanders would surprise and make the playoffs. They may not have advanced past the first round, but they put up one hell of a fight against the Penguins and took them to six games. The offseason brought some changes to the upstart Islanders. They traded disgruntled prospect Nino Niederreiter to Minnesota for forward Cal Clutterbuck and a pick, which they used to select goaltender Eamon McAdam of the USHL. They also signed Pierre-Marc Bouchard and Peter Regin to upgrade the forward unit. Brad Boyes was let go in free agency, as well as Marty Reasoner, who is believed to be retiring. They still have to make a decision on RFA David Ullstrom, too. With the NHL's lowest payroll, the Islanders believe in making the most of what they have. They'll have to repeat that performance to return to the playoffs.

Projected Forward Lines:

Matt Moulson - John Tavares - Pierre-Marc Bouchard
Josh Bailey - Frans Nielsen - Kyle Okposo
Michael Grabner - Ryan Strome - Colin McDonald
Matt Martin - Casey Cizikas - Cal Clutterbuck
Peter Regin - Anders Lee

Before I say anything else about this forward unit, I need to stress how much it annoys me that Grabner can't crack the top six on this team. He has all the offensive skills in the world, but his lack of endurance and less physical game are what keep him on the third line, I suppose. Anyway, Bouchard will immediately be the 1RW for the Islanders, and will be expected to fill the voids of Brad Boyes and P-A Parenteau before him. The second line was so good last year that I'm fully expecting head coach Jack Capuano to keep them together for opening night and beyond. Moving on down to the fourth line, it'll have three players who are probably better than their "fourth line" designation would suggest, but what it means is that Capuano can confidently roll four lines against most teams.

Projected Defensive Pairings:

Travis Hamonic - Andrew MacDonald
Lubomir Visnovsky - Bryan Strait
Matt Carkner - Thomas Hickey
Matt Donovan

Here's where things turn into an adventure for the Islanders. Hamonic just signed a fat contract this past offseason and Visnovsky is also well-paid, but the other five defensemen who are currently under contract make just over $4 million... combined. The 21st-ranked defense in the NHL has to play better this year if they're going to make progress. They lost Mark Streit this offseason when he signed with the Flyers, but that doesn't mean that all the offense from the backend is gone. Visnovsky is still around to quarterback the power play, and it's easy to forget that just three years ago he put up 50 assists with the Ducks. However, losing Streit does mean that there will be more pressure on the forwards to create their own chances, as many of the other D-men are not puck movers.

Goaltending:

Evgeni Nabokov
Kevin Poulin

Last year's playoff exit has led me to believe that Nabokov is done. He wasn't bad in the regular season, with a 2.50 GAA and a .910 save percentage, but man did he ever get shredded by the Penguins in the conference quarterfinals. He looked old, slow, and quite frankly washed up. I believe that Poulin will get more work than he did last year (he only appeared in five of 48 games for the Islanders), somewhere in the neighborhood of 20-25 games. Poulin had a poor regular season but played brilliantly off the bench in the playoffs. It is imperative that this area of the ice is no longer the biggest liability here, or else the Isles will be on the outside looking in come season's end.

Special Teams:

Last year was a good one for the Isles on the man advantage, as their 19.9% conversion rate was enough to keep other teams honest and conscious about taking penalties. The Islanders were also +14 on the differential, which is a number they should aspire to repeat this season. My question here is whether or not the loss of Streit will negatively affect the power play by more than a negligible amount. If it does, they'll have to rely more on their 5 on 5 play (which wasn't great last year) to win games. The penalty kill was iffy last year, finishing at 80.3%, good for 21st in the NHL. They also weren't as dangerous while shorthanded as we're used to seeing, only scoring twice. Clutterbuck will be a key penalty killer this year, as will Grabner. Grabner is something of a shorthanded specialist, as his presence on the ice always makes opposing power plays think twice about making those D-to-D passes.

X-Factor:

The X-Factor is whoever is in net on a given night. Nabokov and Poulin have to improve upon their outputs from a season ago. The realignment is bringing three new division rivals, all of whom have potent goal scorers. While it's true that the team defense has to be better in order to stop opportunities before they start, the men with the masks and the big pads can't be so porous again. I'm not sure this team is any better than they were last year, so it falls on them to remedy the weaknesses and turn them into strengths.

The Islanders will make the playoffs if...

... the goalies are better, the defense is better, the penalty kill is better... you get the idea. These guys can light the lamp all night long, but they have to do a better job at making sure the one behind their net stays off. The defensemen need to be more responsible. The forwards can't turn the puck over so much. The goalies have to stand tall and be a plus for this team. Their division was already tough before, but now with the additions of Washington and Columbus (not to shortchange Carolina but the Islanders have owned them lately) they're going to have an uphill battle to get back to the playoffs.

The Islanders will miss the playoffs if...

... we see the same or worse defensive numbers this year. It's weird, the more I think about this team the more I'm talking myself out of picking them to make the playoffs. Normally when I spend a long time mulling over what a team has and what I think they can do, I eventually say to myself "these guys are a darkhorse, nobody will see it coming, watch out for them." And maybe that'll be the case this year, who knows? Expectations are certainly higher out on the Island but they're not through the roof, not yet at least. This is a team that can keep themselves in games with their goal scoring but can take themselves out of them just as quickly with poor defense. I wonder which team shows up at the start of the season.

30 Teams, 30 Days - New Jersey Devils

What an offseason it has been for the New Jersey Devils. Their best player "retired" (I'm not going to rant on it; if I do it'll be a waste of everyone's time), they let arguably their second-best player, David Clarkson, walk in free agency. They made a splash at the draft when they traded the 9th overall pick to Vancouver for Corey Schneider. They went out and signed other team's throwaways, like Jaromir Jagr, Ryane Clowe, Rostislav Olesz, and Andrei Loktionov. They also got Michael Ryder in the hopes that he can replace much of all that lost scoring. Lots of questions surround the Devils this year. Losing two of the best players from an already subpar team while adding guys who either haven't panned out thus far or are on the tail end of their careers (except Schneider, who is neither of those and should do well this season) doesn't exactly sound like a recipe for success. However, I've seen quite a few mediocre teams make miracles for themselves in my years as a hockey fan, so maybe this team has one in them.

Projected Forward Lines:

Adam Henrique - Travis Zajac - Michael Ryder
Ryane Clowe - Patrik Elias - Jaromir Jagr
Stephen Gionta - Dainius Zubrus - Steve Bernier
Mattias Tedenby - Andrei Loktionov - Krys Barch
Rostislav Olesz - Ryan Carter

I like Henrique on the top line over Elias because in my mind, it's time to pass the torch. The old guard in New Jersey has had a great run, I don't think anyone in their right mind would deny that; but it's time to move on. The Devils drafted Henrique to be a top line player, and with now two full seasons under his belt, it's time to put him in that role and see how he does. He'll have talented veterans in Zajac and Ryder to work with, so Henrique will be able to fill either the sniper or playmaker role in this situation. The rest of the forward group holds many questions and few answers. What can Jagr do at 41? Can Clowe bounce back? Do the Devils have more than 1 1/2 scoring lines? How will they play defensively? Point being, I'm not sold on this group of forwards.

Projected Defensive Pairings:

Adam Larsson - Anton Volchenkov
Andy Greene - Bryce Salvador
Marek Zidlicky - Mark Fayne
Peter Harrold

The blueline is unchanged from last year, and that's not so bad considering they finished in the top half of the league in goals against last year (13th, 2.54 per game). These guys play a responsible game and rarely make egregious mistakes. This an aging group; Fayne and Larsson are the only defensemen listed here who are younger than 30. However, defensemen usually age more gracefully than forwards. One would have to wonder where the offense will come from on this unit. Zidlicky led them with 19 points last season, Greene was second with 16. Next in line? Fayne and Larsson with six apiece. Someone needs to step up, the Devils are hurting offensively enough as it is.

Goaltending:

Corey Schneider
Martin Brodeur

You're probably calling me a blasphemer for listing Schneider as the starter. He probably won't be the starter on opening night, but he's going to play more games than Brodeur and will be the #1 goalie by season's end. The Devils have 22 back-to-backs this season, and Schneider will probably play at least once during all of them. Add in instances where he gets both starts and other opportunities to rest Marty, and I believe Schneider plays more than 41 games. While it may not be the most consistent solution, it's still a better goaltending tandem than most teams in the NHL.

Special Teams:

New Jersey was tied for 20th in the NHL on the power play last season, finishing with a pedestrian 15.9% conversion rate. This year, sans Kovalchuk and Clarkson and adding Jagr and Ryder, I'd say it's a wash. This will be another season of inconsistency and dry spells from the man advantage unit. They did win the penalty battle though, going +7 last year, so that's something to try to replicate this year. The usually excellent penalty kill slipped a bit in the shortened season, finishing at 81.1%, which tied for 15th in the NHL with the rival Rangers. The Devils have historically been a good defensive team, so I'll say that last year deserves a mulligan and they'll be right back at the top of the PK charts this season.

X-Factor:

I think the answer to this category is a question. How many, if any, of the moves they made this offseason work out? I'm not just talking about the guys they signed, either. I'm also including the decision to not offer Clarkson a new contract in this section. Call me a skeptic, but I'm not sure that anyone besides Ryder pans out for the Devils. Ryder should get his usual 30 goals and be a productive player in other areas as well, but that doesn't replace Kovalchuk and Clarkson. Not even close. Here's hoping that a change of scenery is what Loktionov needs, though. He couldn't find a spot on the Kings' roster so it'll be greatly beneficial to him if he can stick with the Devils.

The Devils will make the playoffs if...

... they pull their usual "we've been written off, nobody's expecting us to get here" act. There really aren't any other conditions here. The Devils are one of those teams that have winning down to a science, no matter who is on the roster. The only difference for them from year to year is whether or not the formula works. The division gets tougher with the additions of Washington, Columbus, and Carolina, but New Jersey has a history of finding ways to win. I'm not saying they're going to make the playoffs, but don't be surprised if they sneak in.

The Devils will miss the playoffs if...

... we see a season where the most talented teams rise to the top. On paper, this is a 7th or last place team in the Metropolitan Division. I don't like them more than any other team in this division, save for possibly Carolina now that Joni Pitkanen has been ruled out for the entire season. Washington got stronger after signing Grabovski, Philadelphia can't be as injury-riddled as they were a year ago, the Isles and Jackets are in the process of establishing themselves as perennial contenders, and the Rangers and Penguins are far better in nearly every area of the game... it's going to be an uphill battle for the Devils this year. It's crazy to say that when you consider that this team was in the Stanley Cup Finals just two years ago, but that's the cyclical nature of the modern NHL.

30 Teams, 30 Days - Nashville Predators

Nashville enters this season carrying a ton of players who would be depth forwards on most teams, but instead are forced into top or second line duties due to the rest of the roster. They were quite busy this offseason, signing Matt Cullen, Viktor Stalberg, Matt Hendricks, and Eric Nystrom to contracts. They were also fortunate at the draft; consensus #1 prospect Seth Jones fell right into their laps with the 4th pick after Colorado, Florida, and Tampa Bay -- teams that could all use help on the backend -- passed on him in favor of forwards. Given the state of the team, there will be a mostly open competition for all the forward lines as well as the backup goalie spot behind Pekka Rinne. In a year where their path to the postseason is open, this patchwork forward group and stout defense might be enough to carry them into the playoffs.

Projected Forward Lines:

Viktor Stalberg - Mike Fisher - Patric Hornqvist
Colin Wilson - David Legwand - Filip Forsberg
Nick Spaling - Matt Cullen - Craig Smith
Eric Nystrom - Paul Gaustad - Matt Hendricks
Gabriel Bourque - Richard Clune

Nashville remains a team that has good forward depth in terms of two-way players, but not scoring. The Predators were tied with Florida for the fewest goals scored last season, netting only 109 in 48 games. I for one am not expecting substantial improvement in that category, but the potential is there. It's not like this is a bad group of forwards, I don't think anyone could argue that point. It's just that they lack a big time sniper, a big time playmaker, and a true power forward. Forsberg was acquired at the deadline last year from Washington for Martin Erat, and even though Forsberg has only 5 games of NHL experience, talk amongst scouts is that he's going to be a solid player in the NHL. While they did fill holes in free agency, I can't help feeling like this team would've been better served trying to get a guy like Mike Ribeiro, Mikhali Grabovski, or Michael Ryder. Quality over quantity, I suppose.

Projected Defensive Pairings:

Roman Josi - Shea Weber
Seth Jones - Kevin Klein
Ryan Ellis - Mattias Ekholm
Victor Bartley

The defense, however, is still very stingy. Bit of a down year in their first without Ryan Suter, but they should return to form this year. Josi had a stellar showing at the World Championships, scoring nine points in ten games en route to being named the tournament MVP, even though his Swiss team lost in the gold medal game to Sweden 5-1. Weber is a dangerous two-way defenseman who leads the hit parade as well as launch bombs second only to Zdeno Chara from the point. Jones should step in right away on the second pairing, and having a responsible partner like Klein will help his development. There will be a battle for the 6th slot between Ekholm and Bartley, and that'll be the one to watch in camp.

Goaltending:

Pekka Rinne
Carter Hutton

Rinne was solid yet again in net last year. There had been concerns about how he would perform after the lockout ended because he got lit up in the KHL. A 2.43 GAA and a .910 save percentage are both inferior to his NHL totals, but with an improved defense and a forward corps full of two-way players, his productivity should come back to the mean. The search for a viable backup in Nashville continues, with this season being Hutton's turn to try. I picked him over Hellberg (awesome name, by the way) to make the team because Hellberg is on an entry level contract and wouldn't have to clear waivers.

Special Teams:

Nashville wheeled out a middle of the road power play unit last year, hitting 17.1% of the time and finishing 17th in the NHL for their efforts. Their problem was that they didn't get the man advantage enough, finishing with the third-lowest opportunities (140) in the league. I have a feeling that it's going to be power play by committee this year for the Predators. As stated earlier, they lack big time threats up front. For the lack of chances the power play got, they were still +1 on the differential because they had the third-fewest number of times shorthanded. The penalty kill, however, was awful last year. A 75.5% success rate placed them 29th in the NHL, ahead of only Florida. They added enough speed up front to remedy this, and a better defense will also improve their numbers.

X-Factor:

Oddly enough, I think the biggest X-Factor this team has is one of the two pieces that has been there since the beginning. No, I'm not talking about their career leader in almost every important stat, David Legwand. I'm talking about head coach Barry Trotz. He's the only coach in Nashville's 15-year history, and while I'm not sure that he's on the hot seat this year, the poor performance last season can't be sitting well with him. However, if anyone can get the most out of this team, it's Trotz. Back in the 1993-94 season, the AHL's Portland Pirates were in their inaugural season, and Trotz coached them to a Calder Cup championship. He and Dave Tippett (Phoenix) are the best coaches that nobody has heard of.

The Predators will make the playoffs if...

... someone steps up as a go-to guy, the penalty kill is leaps and bounds better than last year, and Rinne has another Vezina-quality year. Nashville is in the Central Division, where anything can happen this year. Out of the five teams in that group who I don't consider to be playoff locks, Nashville is the most "sneaky good" team there. Allow me to explain. Dallas and Minnesota have star power at the top, with Seguin/Benn and Koivu/Parise, respectively, leading the charge. Colorado is a team who we kind of know what to expect -- good offense, terrible defense, probably not playoff-caliber yet, but they have a chance. Then there's Winnipeg, who shed some dead weight this offseason from a team that had stretches of brilliance last year but fizzled out down the stretch and missed the playoffs, so we can expect another season where they're fantastic at home but below average on the road. So that brings me back to the Predators. I'm going to be honest, I can't peg this team yet. Expectations are low but their grit and determination are what makes me apply the "sneaky good" label to them.

The Predators will miss the playoffs if...

... the defense doesn't improve, nobody emerges from the forward group, and the penalty killing woes continue. Barry Trotz's teams in Nashville rarely beat themselves, but last year was a case study in that exact practice. They were disciplined, as usual, but couldn't get big kills when they needed to and were inept on the offensive side of things. Losing guys like Sergei Kostitsyn (who was bad for the locker room, but he was the most gifted offensive talent on the roster) and Erat hurt, but if Hornqvist comes back healthy and they can major contributions from new acquisitions like Stalberg and Cullen, there's hope. Nashville's front office has assembled a veteran group here, but I'm not sure that mixing their core with multiple teams' spare parts is the right answer.