I contemplated a variety of options for the first post of my blog, but could find no substitute for the infamous "prediction post." Before I write, I must begin with a disclaimer: I am no fortune teller - nor an expert on hockey. I have however spent my entire life studying the game. Hockey is my true passion. I won't get sappy with an emotional story on why hockey is so spectacular because I assume if you're reading this we may share something in common. Explanations of my rankings will come later.
Let's get at it! Here are my predictions:
Eastern Conference
1. Washington Capitals
2. Pittsburgh Penguins
3. Boston Bruins
4. Philadelphia Flyers
5. Buffalo Sabres
6. Tampa Bay Lightning
7. New York Rangers
8. New Jersey Devils
9. Montreal Canadiens
10. Winnipeg Jets
11. Carolina Hurricanes
12. Toronto Maple Leafs
13. Florida Panthers
14. New York Islanders
15. Ottawa Senators
Western Conference
1. San Jose Sharks
2. Vancouver Canucks
3. Detroit Red Wings
4. Los Angeles Kings
5. Anaheim Ducks
6. Chicago Blackhawks
7. Minnesota Wild
8. Columbus Blue Jackets
9. Nashville Predators
10. Calgary Flames
11. St. Louis Blues
12. Edmonton Oilers
13. Dallas Stars
14. Phoenix Coyotes
15. Colorado Avalanche
Dark Horses:
Eastern Conference - Winnipeg Jets & Toronto Maple Leafs
Western Conference - St. Louis Blues & Edmonton Oilers
Possible Exaggerations:
Eastern Conference - Buffalo Sabres & New Jersey Devils
Western Conference - Columbus Blue Jackets & Minnesota Wild
Difference-makers
Washington Capitals
Expected Performers: Vokoun, Backstrom, Ovechkin
Supporting: Laich, Brouwer, Johansson
Stable Pieces: Ward, Halpern, Hamrlik
Surprise: Alzner
Pittsburgh Penguins
Expected Performers: Crosby, Malkin, Letang
Supporting Performers: Staal, Sullivan, Neal
Stable Pieces: Orpik, Fleury
Surprise: Kennedy
Boston Bruins
Expected Performers: Thomas, Chara, Krejci
Supporting Performers: Marchand, Bergeron, Lucic
Stable Pieces: Seidenberg, Kelly, Peverley
Surprise: Seguin
Philadelphia Flyers
Expected Performers: Bryzgalov, Giroux, van Riemsdyk, Briere
Supporting Performers: Hartnell, Jagr, Voracek
Stable Pieces: Talbot, Simmonds, Pronger
Surprises: Nodl, Schenn
Buffalo Sabres
Expected Performers: Miller, Vanek, Stafford, Ehrhoff
Supporting Performers: Myers, Leino, Ellis
Stable Pieces: Regher, Pominville, Hecht
Surprise: Gerbe
Tampa Bay Lightning
Expected Performers: Stamkos, St. Louis, Lecavalier
Supporting Performers: Purcell, Malone, Downie
Stable Pieces: Brewer, Roloson, Thompson
Surprise: Moore
New York Rangers
Expected Performers: Lundqvist, Richards, Gaborik
Supporting Performers: Callahan, Dubinsky, Anisimov
Stable Pieces: Staal, Girardi, Boyle
Surprise: Stepan
New Jersey Devils
Expected Performers: Parise, Brodeur, Kovalchuk
Supporting Performers: Elias, Zajac, Zubrus
Stable Pieces: Clarkson, Greene, Steckel
Surprise: Larsson
Montreal Canadiens
Expected Performers: Price, Cammalleri, Plekanec
Supporting Performers: Gionta, Markov, Subban
Stable Pieces: Gomez, Moen, Gill
Surprise: Cole - if healthy
Winnipeg Jets
Expected Performers: Ladd, Byfuglien, Little
Supporting Performers: Enstrom, Antropov, Kane, Pavelec
Stable Pieces: Little, Fehr, Hainsey
Surprise: Wheeler
Carolina Hurricanes
Expected Performers: Staal, Ward, Skinner
Supporting Performers: Pitkanen, Kaberle, Sutter
Stable Pieces: Larose, Ruutu,
Surprise: Jokinen
Toronto Maple Leafs
Expected Performers: Kessel, MacArthur, Connolly
Supporting Performers: Phaneuf, Reimer, Lupul, Liles
Stable Pieces: Lombardi, Grbovski, Kulimen
Surprises: Bozak, Franson
Florida Panthers
Expected Performers: Fleischmann, Weiss, Booth
Supporting Performers: Upshall, Campbell
Stable Pieces: Kopecky, Jovonaovski, Goc
Surprise: Bergenheim
New York Islanders
Expected Performers: Grabner, Tavares, Moulson, Streit
Supporting Performers: Comeau, Okposo
Stable Pieces: Reasoner, Rolston, Jurcina
Surprise: Nielsen
Ottawa Senators
Expected Performers: Anderson, Spezza, Alfredsson
Supporting Performers: Gonchar, Michalek, Regin
Stable Pieces: Philips, Neil ("stable")
Surprise: Butler
San Jose Sharks
Expected Performers: Thornton, Marleau, Havlat, Boyle
Supporting Performers: Niemi, Pavelski, Couture
Stable Pieces: Mitchell, Handzus, Clowe
Surprise: Burns
Vancouver Canucks
Expected Performers: H. Sedin, D. Sedin, Kesler
Supporting Performers: Burrows, Luongo, Raymond
Stable Pieces: Bieksa, Salo, Malhotra
Surprise: Hansen
Detroit Red Wings
Expected Performers: Lidstrom, Datsyuk, Zetterberg
Supporting Performers: Kronwall, Howard, Franzen, Filppula
Stable Pieces: Stuart, Cleary, Holmstrom
Surprise: Helm
Los Angeles Kings
Expected Performers: Kopitar, Richards, Quick, Duughty
Supporting Performers: Brown, Williams, Johnson, Gagne
Stable Pieces: Mitchell, Stoll
Surprise: Martinez
Anaheim Ducks
Expected Performers: Ryan, Getzlaf, Perry, Selanne*
Supporting Performers: Hiller, Koivu, Visnovsky
Stable Pieces: Lydman, Blake, Beauchemin
Surprise: Fowler
*if playing
Chicago Blackhawks
Expected Performers: Toews, Kane, Hossa, Sharp
Supporting Performers: Crawford, Brunette, Keith
Stable Pieces: Bickell, Montador
Surprise: Bolland
Minnesota Wild
Expected Performers: Backstrom, Heatley, Koivu
Supporting Performers: Setoguchi, Cullen, Bouchard
Stable Pieces: Brodziak, Clutterbuck
Surprise: Latendresse
Columbus Blue Jackets
Expected Performers: Nash, Carter, Wisniewski
Supporting Performers: Mason, Umberger, Prospal
Stable Pieces: Methot, Vermette, Pahlsson
Surprise: MacKenzie
Nashville Predators
Expected Performers: Weber, Rinne, Suter
Supporting Performers: Fisher, Legwand, Kostitsyn
Stable Pieces: Tootoo, O'Reilly
Surprise: Wilson
Calgary Flames
Expected Performers: Iginla, Kiprusoff, Tanguay
Supporting Performers: Bouwmeester, Bourque, Jokinen, Langkow
Stable Pieces: Giordano, Morrison, Moss
Surprise: Glencross
St. Louis Blues
Expected Performers: Backes, Halak, Stewart
Supporting Performers: Shattenkirk, Oshie, Steen
Stable Pieces: Arnott, Langenbrunner, Jackman
Surprise: Berglund
Edmonton Oilers
Expected Performers: Hall, Eberle, Smyth
Supporting Performers: Whitney, Belanger, Hemsky
Stable Pieces: Horcoff, Barker
Surprise: Omark
Dallas Stars
Expected Performers: Benn, Eriksson, Ribiero
Supporting Performers: Ryder, Lehtonen, Robidas
Stable Pieces: Ott, Morrow, Daley
Surprise: Goligoski
Phoenix Coyotes
Expected Performers: Doan, Yandle, Whitney
Supporting Performers: Hanzal, Vrbata, Korpikoski
Stable Pieces: Klesla, Stempniak
Surprise: Turris*
*if signed
Colorado Avalanche
Expected Performers: Duchene, Stastny, Hejduk
Supporting Performers: Johnson, Jones, Mueller
Stable Pieces: Kobasew, Quincey, O'Reilly
Surprises: Galiardi, Landeskog
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