The Blackhawks ended their Stanley Cup drought last season in thrilling fashion taking out the Flyers in six games. The price was steep though as Chicago dealt with serious salary cap issues in the offseason that resulted in many members of their Stanley Cup team being moved. Will the Blackhawks be able to repeat as champions after all of their offseason losses? Here are my predictions with each teams' playoff seeding in parentheses.
Central Division
1. Detroit Red Wings (3): Even with all of their injuries last year the Red Wings put together a fine season. Young goaltender Jimmy Howard came into his own and established himself as one of the game's best. Now that the team is healthy again, the Red Wings will be back on top of the Central Division.
2. Nashville Predators (5): The team that always seems to fly under the radar in the Western Conference won't do so this year. Nashville locked up winger Patric Hornqvist and added underrated C Matthew Lombardi to boost their offense in the offseason. Pekka Rinne will be a strong candidate for the Vezina Trophy this season.
3. Chicago Blackhawks (6): They still have their superstars, but the Blackhawks lost too much to be considered an elite team in the NHL. Many of their glue guys from last season were moved putting added pressure on Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, and Marian Hossa to light the lamp. Replacing playoff hero Antti Niemi with veteran Marty Turco isn't an improvement either.
4. St. Louis Blues (8): Christmas came early for the Blues when the Canadiens traded them G Jaroslav Halak during the offseason. He may just be the missing piece to get St. Louis back in the playoffs. If their young nucleus of forwards continues to get better, the playoffs are exactly where they will end up.
5. Columbus Blue Jackets: The Blue Jackets had many problems last season with their main one being goaltender Steve Mason. After winning the Calder Trophy in his rookie season, Mason had a dismal sophomore campaign with a GAA of 3.05. He needs to be better for Columbus to have any hope in this deep division.
Northwest Division
1. Vancouver Canucks (1): Vancouver addressed their need for a lockdown defensemen and then some by bringing in Dan Hamhuis and Keith Ballard. This team now has everything they need to take home Lord Stanley's Cup. Roberto Luongo now has his best chance to silence his critics and excel in the playoffs.
2. Edmonton Oilers: With all of their young talent, the Oilers are going to be one fun team to watch. #1 overall pick Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle, and Magnus Paajarvi represent the strong youth movement and bright future for Edmonton. The playoffs may not happen this season, but they are not far off.
3. Calgary Flames: The Flames were a major disappointment last season and really struggled to score goals. Calgary didn't do much to improve its offense either and surprised many people by bringing back Olli Jokinen and Alex Tanguay. If the Flames struggle out of the gates, don't be surprised if the Jarome Iginla trade rumors start swirling.
4. Minnesota Wild: Defense and goaltending have always been the backbone for the Wild and both underachieved last season. Much like the Blue Jackets, the Wild's success this season is greatly based on the performance of their goaltender. Niklas Backstrom must be better in 2010-11 for the Wild to contend.
5. Colorado Avalanche: Colorado defied the experts last season by making the playoffs with such a young and inexperienced team. While they definitely have the talent to do it again, the Avs fit the perfect mold of a team having a letdown season. They lack veterans, have injury-prone forwards (see Paul Stastny and Peter Mueller), and have a below average blue line.
Pacific Division
1. San Jose Sharks (2): Is Antti Niemi the missing piece of the puzzle for San Jose? Only time will tell. Until the playoffs come around, expect the same old story and another Pacific Division title for the Sharks.
2. Los Angeles Kings (4): Even with all of their cap room, the Kings were unable to lure Ilya Kovalchuk to LA. Their backup signings weren't too shabby though. Alexei Ponakarovsky is an upgrade over Alexander Frolov and defenseman Willie Mitchell brings another veteran presence to the blue line. This may be the last season the Kings look up at the Sharks in the divisional standings.
3. Anaheim Ducks (7): The Ducks are the forgotten team in this division with so much publicity going to San Jose, Los Angeles, and even Phoenix. The truth is that the Ducks have star power on offense with Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, and Bobby Ryan and a solid netminder in Jonas Hiller. Anaheim will be back in the playoffs this season.
4. Phoenix Coyotes: If the Avalanche weren't the biggest surprise in the NHL last year it was the Coyotes. G Ilya Bryzgalov came into his own last season as did many of the Coyotes. But just like the Avs, Phoenix looks like a team destined for a setback. The secret is out on the Coyotes and they won't be able to sneak up on teams this season.
5. Dallas Stars: It's a new era in Dallas now that Mike Modano is no longer wearing a Stars uniform. Unfortunately for Stars fans, the era won't begin successfully. They don't have the talent to compete with the other teams in the Pacific Division and if they get off to a poor start, there's a good chance that Mike Ribeiro and/or Brad Richards could be dealt.
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