Atlanta Thrashers

SHAUN SAYS:

What I Like:

• The Offense. Led by Ilya Kovalchuk and a supporting cast of Bryan Little, Nik Antropov and Slava Kozlov, putting the puck in the net won't be a problem for the Thrashers
  
• Improved D. Insert a Stanley Cup winner like Pavel Kubina, a healthy Zach Bogosian and the gigantic Boris Valabik (6'7" 240 pounds) and the Thrashers may actually be able to punish some teams this season.
  

What Scares Me:

• Kari Lehtonen. Since he was drafted, we have heard that he is the real deal. To date, he has proven nothing except he is petulant and has a history of groin problems. The Thrashers absolutely need Lehtonen to be on top of his game or they can score as many goals as they want and it won't matter in the least.
  
• Forward Depth. While they can score, it's not possible for their top 2 lines to play 30 minutes per. The fall-off from lines 1-2 and 3-4 is too dramatic for success. Bless Jim Slater, Eric Boulton and Chris Thorburn, but they are AHL players on any other mediocre team.
  

WAYNE SAYS:

What I like…

• A captain with a chip on his shoulder. Kovalchuk got the "C" last year and returned to his elite sniper level. That's bad news for goalies.
  
• Colby Armstrong. He's the ultimate role player. He can score, hit, defend, lead and even fight on any of the four lines.
  
• Bona fide #1 goalie. Kari Lehtonen has all the tools to be a star and if he's finally healthy, this could be the year he becomes a reliable game stealer.
  

What Scares Me…

• Defence. While it improves with large prospects Zach Bogosian and Boris Valabik, they allowed the third most goals in the league last season and will struggle this year to get out of the bottom third of the league in that category.
  
• 
  Don Waddell. He's a GM with a mediocre record and a history of bad moves. It leaves you wondering what could have been. They traded young talents away for expensive veterans twice in the last three seasons with Garnet Exelby out for Pavel Kubina and Braydon Coburn out for the disastrous Alexei Zhitnik.
  

Season Overview

The Thrashers have an exciting team to watch. In fact, it led Steve Kouleas to call them the most entertaining team in the league to watch. There's no doubt they can score, but despite Lehtonen and the improved defence under coach John Anderson, they with struggle to keep it out of their net and move up in the standings.

Boston Bruins

SHAUN SAYS:

What I Like:

• Commitment to Detail. The Bruins are a systems-oriented team under Claude Julien. While I find it to be largely boring to watch, it is successful. With two capable checking lines, and the Big Z (Zdeno Chara) on the back end, the Bruins won't be giving up a lot of goals this season
  
• Peter Chiarelli. He could be one of the brightest minds in the league and has a tremendous eye for talent. Finding role players like Byron Bitz is a particular strength of Chiarelli's and is a big reason for the Bruins' turnaround.
  

What Scares Me:

• Trading Phil Kessel. On the one hand, I compliment Chiarelli as a genius, and then I turn around a question a deal he made. What I really don't understand is why a team built to win right now trades away their #1 goal scorer for draft picks.
  
• Expectations. Are the Bruins capable of repeating last year's performance, or do they read their own press clippings? Some teams can handle the pressure, and some teams cannot. I'm sceptical that guys like David Krejci and Blake Wheeler can repeat last season, which is more important than ever with the loss of Kessel.
  

WAYNE SAYS:

What I like…

• Balance. The Brown Bears have a solid mix of scoring depth, grit, defence, goaltending and toughness.
  
• Claude Julien. He does nothing but wins in convincing fashion and finally found a team smart enough to recognize it.
  
• Milan Lucic. Not only does he play the power forward role perfectly, his hard work path to the NHL makes for great character and an even better story.
  

What Scares Me…

• For a team built to win now, trading goal scoring machine Phil Kessel off passing guru Marc Savard's wing doesn't make the Bruins a better team than last year.
  
• Expectations. The Bruins have several players expected to repeat their good years last season and if they can't, the Bruins could fall from contender to good team.
  

Season Overview

If they stay healthy and nobody regresses, the Bruins have all the pieces to lead the Eastern Conference. Tim Thomas makes goaltending look like a circus but he stops pucks, so with him manning the crease behind Zdeno Chara, the Bruins should remain a stingy defensive squad.

Buffalo Sabres

SHAUN SAYS:

What I Like:

• Lindy Ruff. After 11 seasons on the job, the message still gets through. Lindy Ruff gives players a role in which they have the best chance to succeed, and in turn, the Sabres are competitive on a nightly basis.
  
• Ryan Miller. With a goalie like Ryan Miller, the Sabres' forwards can focus on being aggressive and have the confidence that Miller will bail them out of any mistakes they make. A confident group of forwards in Buffalo could be a scary sight for the opposition.
  

What Scares Me:

• Who Moves The Puck? The Sabres' defence is basically 6 of the same player. There is no one to move the puck to the forwards, or quarterback a power play. At the end of the day, letting Jaroslav Spacek go to Montreal could be a colossal blunder.
  
• Thomas Vanek. Normally 40 goal scorers aren't a concern, but at the risk of sounding like Mike Brophy, Vanek needs to be more consistent. Two years ago it was his new contract, and last season it was a nagging injury. Eventually the excuses have to stop, or the expectations for Vanek have to be lowered.
  

WAYNE SAYS:

What I Like…

• Resiliency. Despite constantly losing their best players to ridiculous free agency payouts, the Sabres always ice an exciting roster capable of playing an uptempo game. The Sabres draft and develop skill very well.
  
• Thomas Vanek. About as pure a goal scorer as they come. Absolutely lethal on the powerplay and shoots from anywhere.
  
• Goaltending. Ryan Miller is one of the best in the game and a lot of fun to watch. He's a strong possibility to start for Team USA at the Olympics.
  

What Scares Me…

• The blue line is thin. Really thin. Any team leaning on an aging (and expensive) Craig Rivet along with Steve Montador, Toni Lydman and Henrik Tallinder as a top four is in for a rough year.
  
• Grit …or lack thereof. For all their skill, the Sabres are shy on toughness up front. They need a bruiser or two.
  

Season Overview

It's a little disappointing to watch how fast the Sabres went from Conference Finals to also ran. They still play the exciting style, but losing their best players really hurt the team a couple years ago and weren't able to replace them all. Without a better defence, the Sabres are stuck on the outside looking in.

Carolina Hurricanes

SHAUN SAYS:

What I Like:

• Chemistry. From top to bottom, chemistry might be the best word for the Hurricanes. The 'Canes will never be mistaken for the most talented team in the league, but the sum of their parts is outstanding. GM Jim Rutherford has done his homework in setting this team up.
  
• Big Names in Big Games. I'm proud of that little tag-line. Seriously though, Eric Staal and Cam Ward are serious big game players. That bodes well for the Hurricanes for at least the next 6 years.
  

What Scares Me:

• The Whalers Curse. That's the name I've given the Hurricanes because seemingly every other year, the Hurricanes tank and miss the playoffs. I can't foresee it this year, but no one could in 2007, the year after they won the cup either.
  
• Getting Old? The Hurricanes made very few moves in the offseason. As a result, they aren't getting younger and with guys like Ray Whitney, Rod Brind'Amour and Scott Walker, the time has come to get some kids in there. Sadly, outside of Brandon Sutter, the cupboards seem bare.
  

WAYNE SAYS:

What I Like…

• Cam Ward. He's a big game goalie entering the prime of his career and already in the elite class of goaltenders. He's also likely to make the Canadian Olympic team.
  
• Style. The Hurricanes are a skating team from top to bottom and that makes them entertaining to watch. They also have a few bangers and crashers in Erik Cole and Tuomo Ruutu.
  
• Their division. The South Least is slowly improving, but there are still a lot of holes in any team not located in Washington.
  

What Scares Me…

• Age. Some of their key players grow grey beards. Relying on them to produce is a risky proposition and you never know when they're going to fall apart.
  
• Streaky. The Hurricanes go on long streaks of good and bad hockey. You never know which they're going to deliver from month-to-month.
  

Season Overview

The Hurricanes are going to ride their horses as far as they'll take them. When those horses are Cam Ward, Eric Staal and Tim Gleason, along with their second tier players, they could challenge for the playoffs. But if Rod Brind'Amour plays like last season and Ray Whitney declines, they're in trouble.

Florida Panthers

SHAUN SAYS:

What I Like:

• Young Nucleus. The Panthers are quietly setting up a group of young forwards that, given some seasoning, could be in the realm of Chicago in a year or two. Weiss, Booth, Horton, Frolik, Olesz all have the potential to be 20, 30, even 40 goal scorers, but knowing the Panthers, they will give them away in 2-3 years.
  

What Scares Me:

• The General Manager. If you don't know, the General Manager is nobody. That's right; the Panthers' ownership is so committed to winning that they didn't hire a GM. Assistant GM Randy Sexton is going the job, which I guess makes him the actual General Manager, but who am I to argue?
  
• The Defence. Anytime Bryan McCabe is number 1 on your defensive depth chart, you have problems. The Panthers had a stud defenseman once, but he was traded away by the non-existent General Manager.
  

WAYNE SAYS:

What I Like…

• Young skill. The Panthers have a core of young high-end players in David Booth, Michal Frolik, Nathan Horton, Shawn Matthias and Steven Weiss. However, they need to step forward from good young players to stars.
  
• Peter DeBoer. A great technical coach out of the OHL is perfect for this young team.
  

What Scares Me…

• Goaltending. Thomas Vokoun is a good goalie, but you never know what he's going to give you. He's either the star stopper or the dud. Big question mark.
  
• Defence. They have a blue line build of cast offs from other teams. Keith Ballard has huge shoes to fill with Jay Bouwmeester gone. Bryan McCabe is injury-plagued and mediocre defensively. They have several puck movers, but no real good shut down pair.
  

Season Overview

In the last year and change, the Panthers lost their top line centre and franchise defenceman. They have young talent but it's too soon to say any of them replace the defected stars. Outside of David Booth, nobody really stepped up and broke out. They need a lot to go right to get in the playoffs.

Montreal Canadiens

SHAUN SAYS:

What I Like:

• The Power Play. If teams want to get into penalty trouble against the Canadiens, they may quickly find themselves down a goal or three. Mike Cammalleri is a power play specialist and with a bomb from the point from Andrei Markov, Roman Hamrlik and even Jaroslav Spacek, teams would be wise to keep things on the level against Montreal.
  
• A Fresh Start. It's also something that scares me, but Montreal needed to get fresh blood on the ice. Adding a guy like Scott Gomez could go either way, but if he has a chip on his shoulder to prove he's better than he played in New York, the Habs could benefit in a big way.
  

What Scares Me:

• Jacques Martin: Bob Gainey has made some weird moves in his time. Remember when he traded Cristobal Huet away at the trade deadline for a draft pick, effectively hanging Carey Price out to dry? This move has to be the strangest one to date. Martin prefers to play a defence-first system. With the addition of offensive players like Cammalleri and Brian Gionta, how does that relationship work?
  
• Size. Half of the Canadiens' forwards are less than 6 feet tall. Playing in the Northeast division against particularly large, physical defensemen is a recipe for disaster.
  

WAYNE SAYS:

What I Like…

• Change. Bob Gainey was not happy with his team last year and decided to blow things up in an attempt to improve a club in a rabid hockey market.
  
• Skill. The Habs brought in players (Mike Cammalleri, Brian Gionta, Scott Gomez) with histories of big numbers. Adding that to their returning players and they could be a fun team to watch.
  
• Goaltending. Even with his implosion last season, they have one of the best young goalies primed to redeem himself in Carey Price.
  

What Scares Me…

• Small forwards. The Canadiens got smaller in an offseason when they probably should have gotten bigger. They didn't take a step forward, just sideways.
  
• Contracts. Gainey had a high profile summer, but at first glance, it wasn't money well spent. On top of that, taking Gomez from the Rangers salary dump, Gainey also gave New York a lot in return.
  
• Defense. Losing tough defenceman Mike Komisarek to division rival Toronto and replacing him with cement footed Hal Gill, Paul Mara and Jaroslav Spacek gives the Canadiens an old group on D.
  

Season Overview

The Canadiens are a lot like the Sabres. They went from contender to pretender in an awful hurry. Unlike Buffalo, the Habs spend a lot of money on overrated players. They will need pretty much everyone to play their absolute best hockey just for the team to make the playoffs.

New Jersey Devils

SHAUN SAYS:

What I Like:

• Martin Brodeur's Motivation. Wait a second. I'm doing a likes and dislikes for the Devils and the first thing I mention is Martin Brodeur? Really? Obviously being the best goalie ever is a start, but this year there's something different; Brodeur wants to be the starting goalie for Canada at the Olympics and he has about 5 months to show he is the guy. A motivated Brodeur in a Jacques Lemaire system could spell trouble for a lot of teams...and a lot of people's sleep patterns.
  

What Scares Me:

• Stifling of Zach Parise. Jacques Lemaire's system, while advantageous for Martin Brodeur, what does it mean for Zach Parise? Parise is a top 5-7 talent in the NHL today, and has the potential for score 50 goals and 100 points. I'm only being slightly facetious when I say that the Devils might not score 100 goals this season.
  
• Parise And??? The Devils are aging quickly. They were dealt a bonus when Brendan Shanahan walked away, but Elias, Langenbrunner, Rolston, and Zubrus are all over 30. The big question is, who is coming to take their place?
  

WAYNE SAYS:

What I like…

• Zach Parise. Despite playing for the historically dull Devils, Parise flourished with 46 goals and 94 points last season. He's likely to regress with Jacques Lemaire's return, but not too much.
  
• Patrick Elias. He looked dead in the water, but is over his injuries issues and works great with Parise.
  

What Scares Me…

• Boring hockey. The Devils brought back the defensively-obsessed Jacques Lemaire to coach, and despite talk they're focused on offence, there is no way Lemaire is suddenly a different coach than what he's been for 15 years.
  
• Secondary scoring. Outside of Parise and Elias, it's hard to believe the Devils will score a lot of goals. They have a lot of aging veterans with injury concerns and a no-name defence without a powerplay QB.
  

Season Overview

The Devils still have Martin Brodeur as the cornerstone of the franchise, but how much more does he have? With Lemaire back they shouldn't allow too many goals, but won't score much either. Not exactly the best way to fill that brand new stadium. The Devils could be a playoff team, but they are far from a contender.

New York Islanders

SHAUN SAYS:

What I Like:

• The Young Corps. While there's not a lot to like about the Islanders, the addition this week of Rob Schremp adds another young, skilled guy to their roster. Adding Schremp to Tavares, Okposo and Josh Bailey and the future might not be so bleak.
  
• Their 3^rd Jersey. Like I said above, there isn't a lot to like about the Islanders this season...
  

What Scares Me:

• Rick DiPietro's Contract. I remember the day I read about DiPietro signing a 15 year contract and I tried to defend it. I said he was durable and injuries wouldn't be a concern. Several years later, guess who has serious knee problems??? It looks like that contract could be a noose around the Islanders' neck for years to come.
  
• The No Name D. "Ladies and gentlemen, starting on defence, number 44, Freddy Meyer!!!!" And with that, the hopes of the Islanders are shot. Not only are they anonymous outside of their own homes, four of them are over 31 years old. That can't be good.
  

WAYNE SAYS:

What I Like…

• Young talent. With Josh Bailey, Blake Comeau, Bruno Gervais, Kyle Okposo, Jeff Tambellini, John Tavares and even waiver pick up Rob Schremp, the Islanders have several key players to build around. And with Garth Snow having more patience than Mike Milbury ever did, they'll have a chance to stay together for a few years.
  
• Mentorship. Scott Gordon is a coach who cut his teeth in the AHL is perfect to groom the young talent into NHL talent. Doug Weight is well beyond his prime as a point producer, but the consummate professional is a perfect role model for this team.
  

What Scares Me…

• Weak Defence. The Islanders have two decent-to-good defencemen in Bruno Gervais and Mark Streit. After that, it's slim pickings with slow old players and retreads. They aren't going to be able to stop the good teams in the East with this crew.
  
• Goaltending. Their franchise player with the 15-year contract is out indefinitely with laundry list of injuries. They gave a two-year deal to 40 year old Dwayne Roloson then signed Martin Biron too. If and when Rick DiPietro gets back this year, they're stuck with three goalies who all see themselves as starters.
  

Season Overview

This team is virtually guaranteed to be in the bottom few teams of the east. They will experience a ton of growing pains and their goalies will face plenty of shots. They're a few years from getting near the playoffs.

New York Rangers

SHAUN SAYS:

What I Like:

• King Henrik. Anytime you have Henrik Lundqvist in net, you have a chance to win. And the Rangers should thank their lucky stars that they have him because they might be in for a long year. Lundqvist had a bit of a down year last season and should get himself back into the Vezina conversation this year.
  
• John Tortorella. If there are two things we know about Torts, it's that he won't put up with any players who don't play within the system and if things start to go bad, we will be in for one hell of a good quote. Players will be held accountable one way or the other.
  

What Scares Me:

• Glen Sather. At the risk of going on a Dennis Miller type rant, how does this man still have a job? Last year he signs Wade Redden, a player who is on an obvious decline, and this offseason, it's Marian Gaborik. Here's a guy who hasn't played a full season in how long due to groin problems? And Sather gives him a huge 5 year contract to play on the worst ice in the NHL for 41 games a year? Way to use that precious cap space Glen. At least Gomez would show up for his money.
  
• Gaborik's Groin. I think I mentioned above that I have concerns about Gaborik. If he doesn't play, the Rangers have absolutely no hope.
  

WAYNE SAYS:

What I Like…

• John Torterella. Whether the Rangers win or lose, their coach will be entertaining to watch on the bench and at press conferences. He's a good coach with a mediocre team to work with.
  
• Goaltending. Henrik Lundqvist is quite possibly the most consistent goaltender in the league since the lockout.
  
• Young Defencemen. Shutdown star Mark Staal, Dan Girardi and Boston University star Matt Gilroy will help Lundqvist immensely. And Glen Sather isn't paying them like kings…yet.
  

What Scares Me…

• The forwards. Marian Gaborik essentially replaces Scott Gomez at $7.5 million per year and has major health issues. The inconsistent, high-priced forward group isn't deep or immensely skilled.
  
• Sean Avery. Does anyone think he can get through a full season without going bat**** crazy at least once? Torterella has his hands full with the pest.
  
• Glen Sather. Before he left Edmonton, the talk was about how great he would be if given some money to work with. Well, over the last decade, he proved out of touch as an NHL general manager with awful big money deals to just about every free agent signing.
  

Season Overview

Their success will depend on how much Torterella can get out of the forwards. If they can get health from Gaborik, some form of production from Chris Drury, Brandon Dubinsky and Chris Higgins, the Rangers might challenge for a bottom playoff spot.

Ottawa Senators

What I Like:

• A Motivated Kovalev. The knock on Alex Kovalev from the moment he came into the league has been that he only plays when he wants. I have a feeling that playing for a divisional rival of the Montreal Canadiens will be enough motivation for Kovalev to replace a good portion of Dany Heatley's points.
  
• The Heatley Trade. Normally when a team trades a multiple time 50 goal scorer, it's not a good thing. I think in this case, it was for the best for the Senators. Obviously I have no inside information, but if a guy wants a trade because his ice time drops, he's not a guy you will ever win with. If Johnathan Cheechoo can get back to a 25-30 goal guy, the Senators will have the last laugh.
  

What Scares Me:

• The Defence. It seems to be a common theme in my predictions, but defence is a concern in Ottawa. They need to have bounce back years from both Chris Phillips and Anton Volchenkov. If they don't get them, the Senators literally have no way to shut down opposing teams.
  
• Pascal Leclaire's Health. He's never been a pillar of health, so what makes anyone think this year will be any different. He said he feels good in the pre-season, but honestly, after 4 months off, who doesn't?
  

WAYNE SAYS:

What I Like...

• Newfound depth at forward. With Dany Heatley gone, and Alex Kovalev, Milan Michalek and Jonathan Cheechoo in, the Senators finally have more than one dangerous line.
  
• A Potential #1 Goalie. For the first time in franchise history, the Senators go into the season with a legitimate starter between the pipes and no controversy at the position with Pascal Leclaire…as long as he stays healthy.
  
• Cory Clouston. The coach added late last year should end the ridiculous coaching carousel experienced in Ottawa.
  

What Scares Me…

• The sad decline of the defence. The Senators of a few years ago were a defenceman factory. But after choosing to keep Wade Redden over Zdeno Chara started a snowball effect of losing good players and replacing them with mediocre guys.
  
• Brian Murray. It's tough to believe that Murray built the Ducks team that won Brian Burke's Stanley Cup ring. He over-manages this team…but at least listening to his interviews is entertaining.
  

Philadelphia Flyers

SHAUN SAYS:

What I Like:

• The Pronger Trade. No transaction this summer will have more impact than the Flyers trading to acquire Chris Pronger. He instantly adds a presence which other teams should fear. Combine that with the likes of Kimmo Timonen, Braydon Coburn and Ryan Parent and the Flyers have a top 3 defence in the league.
  
• All-Around Depth. General Manager Paul Holmgren should be applauded for compiling this roster in a salary cap system. This is the deepest team in the league, and if there were no such thing as injuries, they would run away with the President's trophy.
  

What Scares Me:

• Raymond Emery. The single biggest question the Flyers have is which Ray Emery they are going to get. Do they get the guy who took the Senators to the Cup Finals in 2007, or do they get the Emery who crippled the Senators with his attitude in 2008?
  
• Injury Problems. The Flyers are going to have to fight through some serious injury concerns this season. Daniel Briere tears his abdominal wall if he gets caught in a stiff breeze, Simon Gagne has concussion and/or groin problems, and their captain Mike Richards is returning from having both shoulders operated on in the off-season. Other than that, they are a healthy bunch...
  

WAYNE SAYS:

What I Like…

• Virtually everything. This may be the most complete team in the NHL. They have skill, toughness, goal scoring, defence, depth, grit and perhaps goaltending with wild card Ray Emery. Hard to believe they were so bad in 2006 to be able to select James van Riemsdyk second overall.
  
• Forwards. For all the talk about how deep the Penguins are down the middle, the Flyers have the deepest three lines in the league. They have skill throughout, yet still have more toughness than most teams.
  
• Chris Pronger. They traded a lot to get him, but an elite, nasty defenceman is the missing piece that puts the Flyers into the elite class.
  

What Scares Me…

• Potential penalty trouble. The aggressive nature of this team could lead to being on the penalty kill with alarming regularity.
  
• The Wild Cards. Between Scott Hartnell and Ray Emery, the Flyers have two skilled players with a penchant for stupidity. If they can't keep cool heads, this team could have some issues.
  

Season Overview

They made the biggest trade of the offseason with the acquisition of Chris Pronger and made a clever signing of Ray Emery as the starting goalie. They challenged the Penguins last season in a great playoff series, and got better. Mike Richards may be the most complete forward in the game and could lead the team deep into the playoffs.

Pittsburgh Penguins

SHAUN SAYS:

What I Like:

• Geez, I Wonder. What could there be to like about the defending Stanley Cup Champions. I guess they have two of the three best players in the NHL. We could start there. Their entire forward group is talented and well balanced. Much like Lindy Ruff in Buffalo, Dan Bylsma has put players in a role to succeed (see: playing with Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin)
  
• The Emergence of Fleury. Marc-Andre Fleury has taken the next step and has become a top-flight goalie in the NHL. Winning the Stanley Cup can only do wonders for his confidence and as such, we should expect to see Fleury take another leap forward and contend for a Vezina this season.
  

What Scares Me:

• Where's the D(eef). The big part of the Penguins winning the Stanley Cup was having significant contributions from Hal Gill (I can't believe I typed that) and Rob Scuderi. Both guys have move on to greener pastures (and bank accounts) and the question is, who can replace them? Brooks Orpik is still there, and they signed Jay McKee in the off season. I don't know how much gas is left in the McKee gas tank these days, so that may be something to watch.
  
• Sidney's Groin. It's not a red flag quite yet, but Crosby has been dinged up a lot in the past couple of seasons. This pre-season it's a groin problem that he says is okay, but I'll take a wait and see approach toward him in hockey pools this season.
  

WAYNE SAYS:

What I Like…

• Star power. The Penguins have two of the three best players in the league, along with Jordan Staal down the middle. In net, Marc-Andre Fleury finally showed consistency to go with high end talent.
  
• Dan Bylsma. The coach who looks more like an accountant than former hockey player understands his roster's strengths and plays to them rather than getting players to play a stock style.
  
• Ray Shero. The general manager was lucky enough to inherit a team with early draft picks, but his other picks and trades worked out perfectly. The Penguins develop talent very well.
  

What Scares Me…

• Lost players. With Rob Scuderi gone to the Kings, it's hard to believe the Penguins will get the shutdown minutes out of replacement Jay McKee.
  
• Wingers. For all the depth at centre with Crosby, Malkin and Staal, the Penguins don't really have much to flank them. Outside of Chris Kunitz and Bill Guerin, the wings are thin.
  

Season Overview

Coming off the Cup win, the Penguins are in tough this year. Every team in the league will ramp up to play the Penguins. With Bylsma at the helm and Crosby and Malkin leading the charge, the Penguins should be ready for the challenge. Defending, on the other hand, is a tall order.

Tampa Bay Lightning

SHAUN SAYS:

What I Like:

• An Offensive Charge. The Lightning have the potential to score a lot of goals this season. Lecavalier, St. Louis, Stamkos, Tanguay, and Malone all know how to pass and put the puck in the net. I'm sure Rick Tocchet isn't going to try playing a 1-2-2 system in Tampa, so the horses will have a chance to run.
  
• A Much Improved D. I won't do this often, but Brian Lawton deserves credit. He realized that Mike Smith can get the job done in net this season, but can't face 40 shots a night. Insert Mattias Ohlund, Kurtis Foster, Matt Walker and the draft of potential stud, Victor Hedman and that problem seems to be solved.
  

What Scares Me:

• Ownership. There is nothing I find more annoying in the operation of a professional sports team than when an owner thinks he's a General Manager. Tampa Bay has not one, but two of those owners. They also hate each other, and have differing opinions on which direction the team should go. All of the work that Brian Lawton has done to improve this team could be flushed down the drain if one of these two idiots suddenly have a change of heart.
  
• Mike Smith's Health. If Mike Smith goes down with another concussion, or ankle problem, the backup is Antero Nittymaki. I reckon that could pose a problem.
  

WAYNE SAYS:

What I Like…

• The Top Six. With Vicent Lecavalier, Ryan Malone, Vaclav Prospal, Martin St Louis, Steven Stamkos and Alex Tanguay, the Lightning should have no problem filling the net.
  
• Mike Smith. The acrobatic goalie put up great numbers on an atrociously bad team last year.
  
• Viktor Hedman. The #2 overall pick is likely to be better than the guy that went ahead of him in the draft (John Tavares). He's a complete package D-man.
  

What Scares Me…

• The rest of the team. There is a big drop off from the top six to the bottom six forwards and their defence has a lot of new faces to go with several underachievers.
  
• Ownership saga. The constant stories of Sun Belt teams having shoddy ownership are getting very old, but the morons running the Lightning take the cake.
  
• Steve Downie. Quite possibly the dumbest hockey player on the planet. No offence to Sean Avery and Jordin Tootoo.
  

Season Overview

The Lightning should be better than last year based on their top two lines and another season of good goaltending…although, they have a few players who are notorious for disappearing in that group. Their defence should be better but you never know with this weird, weird franchise. They also need to turf those awful third jerseys.

Toronto Maple Leafs

SHAUN SAYS:

What I Like:

• I Can't Think Of The Word...TRUCULENCE. I swear if TSN or Sportsnet plays the clip of Brian Burke saying truculence or belligerence one more time, I will puke. With that said, there is no doubt the Leafs are going to be tougher to play against. With the beefed up defence, a lot of opposing forwards are going to leave the rink in ice packs.
  
• Brian Burke. I don't always agree with Burke's "look at me" attitude, but if there's one thing we know, it's that no one in the media is going to bully him into making a move he doesn't want to make. Burke is stubborn enough to do it his way, and that is exactly what that team needs.
  

What Scares Me:

• Who's Going to Score? With all due respect to Matt Stajan and Lee Stempniak, they aren't exactly snipers. Granted, the Leafs were top 5 in the league in goals for last year, but with the newly formed defence, there will probably be more of a system in place this year. Expect both goals for and against to drop this season.
  
• Vesa Toskala. There was a time when Toskala looked like he was the best of the San Jose three, along with Kiprusoff and Nabokov. Those days have seemingly passed and Toskala looked lost for much of last season, and again in the preseason. If Jonas Gustavsson can't step up and take the #1 job, maybe the goals against actually won't drop in Toronto.
  

WAYNE SAYS:

What I Like…

• The improved defence. For a team that allowed a truck load of goals, they improved immensely on the back end.
  
• The Monster. Despite the annoying constant rumours of where he'd end up, Jonas Gustafsson is a good young goalie and a great, low-risk signing for a guy that could steal the starter's job.
  

What Scares Me…

• Brian Burke and Ron Wilson. They are quite possibly the worst press conference tandem in the league's media capital. They may know hockey, but both are pompous jerks.
  
• Their forwards. Despite scoring a lot of goals last year, it's a stretch to expect this team to repeat that gaudy number.
  
• Media love in. Everything starts and ends with the Leafs on National networks, no matter how lousy they are.
  

Season Overview

The Maple Leafs are an intriguing team. They could be anywhere from a low seeded playoff team to a low seeded team, period. Either way, we'll hear about them non-stop.

Washington Capitals

SHAUN SAYS:

What I Like:

• The Emergence of Backstrom. Forgive me for the sacrilege, but I wouldn't be shocked if Nicklas Backstrom scored as many points as Sidney Crosby this season. Take a second to collect yourself, but it's not as crazy as it initially sounds. I don't think anyone would be shocked to see him score 100 points this year, especially as Alex Oveckin's wingman.
  
• Bruce Boudreau. When you look at the Capitals on paper, outside of the top line, they look soft. Yet, no one talks about a lack of scoring, and that is to the credit of Bruce Boudreau. He dares to let lesser-known players go out and play an offensive style, and they get the job done. What a crazy concept.
  

What Scares Me:

• Mike Green and Who? I'm getting sick of cutting down every other team because of their poor defence, but these guys are particularly bad. Here's a fun stat for you. Mike Green has 38 power play points last season. The rest of the defensive corps combined for 4.
  
• Is Varlamov For Real? Simeon Varlamov looked like the real deal last post-season, but how many times have we seen a goalie play well early in their career then faulter? Patrick Lalime, I'm looking at you. I liken it to a rookie pitcher, who is untouchable in his first few starts, but then coaches get his scouting report and it's the jig is up. That is a real concern for Washington.
  

WAYNE SAYS:

What I Like…

• Offence. If you're looking for a high-octane, highlight reel scoring team…this is it. They have scoring from all positions and arguably the best player in the league in Alex Ovechkin.
  
• Powerplay. Is there any bigger deterrent to taking penalties than facing Ovechkin, Alex Semin, Nicklas Backstrom and Mike Green?
  
• Goaltending battle. Who's going to be the main man in the mask? The playoff rookie sensation Semen/Simeon/Symeon Varlamov or Jose "Propecia" Theodore? Both proved capable in short stints, and it'll be interesting to see who grabs hold of the job for the long haul.
  

What Scares Me…

• Second and Third Centres. For all the good moves George McPhee makes, adding Michael Nylander at big money was a head scratcher and Brendan Morrison hasn't been close to a good player since before playing on the big line in Vancouver…and his linemates from that team are either retired or awful too.
  
• The defence. They aren't terrible by any stretch, but they could use a shutdown guy to complement Mike Green.
  

Season Overview

The Caps are a scary good offensive team and if they get the goaltending, they could make hay. Bruce Boudreau is one of the brightest coaches in the game and knows exactly how to use his stars. With Boston, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, the Capitals form an unbelievable top half of the East playoff picture…and any of them could not only win the conference, but the Cup too.

SHAUN SAYS:

WAYNE SAYS:

1. Philadelphia Flyers

1. Philadelphia Flyers

2. Washington Capitals

2. Washington Capitals

3. Boston Bruins

3. Boston Bruins

4. Pittsburgh Penguins

4. Pittsburgh Penguins

5. New Jersey Devils

5. Ottawa Senators

6. Carolina Hurricanes

6. Carolina Hurricanes

7. Ottawa Senators

7. New Jersey Devils

8. Toronto Maple Leafs

8. New York Rangers

9. Tampa Bay Lightning

9. Montreal Canadiens

10. Montreal Canadiens

10. Toronto Maple Leafs

11. Buffalo Sabres

11. Tampa Bay Lightning

12. Atlanta Thrashers

12. Atlanta Thrashers

13. Florida Panthers

13. Buffalo Sabres

14. New York Rangers

14. Florida Panthers

15. New York Islanders

15. New York Islanders