So what are my predicitions for how the season will turn out?

This is what I think will happen before even a single preseason game's been played.

Western Conference; Central Division
1. Chicago Blackhawks
2. Detroit Red Wings
3. Columbus Blue Jackets
4. St. Louis Blues
5. Nashville Predators

Western Conference; Northwest Division
1. Vancouver Canucks
2. Minnesota Wild
3. Calgary Flames
4. Edmonton Oilers
5. Colorado Avalanche

Western Conference; Pacific Division
1. Anaheim Ducks
2. San Jose Sharks
3. Phoenix Coyotes
4. Dallas Stars
5. L.A. Kings

Eastern Conference; Northeast Division
1. Boston Bruins
2. Montreal Canadiens
3. Buffalo Sabres
4. Toronto Maple Leafs
5. Ottawa Senators

Eastern Conference; Atlantic Division
1. Philadelphia Flyers
2. Pittsburgh Penguins
3. New Jersey Devils
4. NY Rangers
5. NY Islanders

Eastern Conference; Southeast Division
1. Washington Capitals
2. Carolina Hurricanes
3. Atlanta Thrashers
4. Tampa Bay Lightning
5. Florida Panthers

Western Conference Overall:
1. Vancouver Canucks
2. Anaheim Ducks
3. Chicago Blackhawks
4. Detroit Red Wings
5. Minnesota Wild
6. San Jose Sharks
7. Columbus Blue Jackets
8. Phoenix Coyotes
9. St. Louis Blues
10. Calgary Flames
11. Dallas Stars
12. Edmonton Oilers
13. L.A. Kings
14. Nashville Predators
15. Colorado Avalanche

Eastern Conference Overall:
1. Boston Bruins
2. Philadelphia Flyers
3. Washington Capitals
4. Pittsburgh Penguins
5. Montreal Canadiens
6. Carolina Hurricanes
7. New Jersey Devils
8. Atlanta Thrashers
9. Buffalo Sabres
10. Toronto Maple Leafs
11. NY Rangers
12. Tampa Bay Lightning
13. Ottawa Senators
14. Florida Panthers
15. NY Islanders

Preseason Preview: Washington Capitals

This is it folks, the last Preseason Preview for the 2009-10 season. Thank you to those of you who took the time to check these out. I sincerely appreciate it.

Now, the Washington Capitals.

Team M.O.: These guys are young, skilled, and dangerous from just about every position. That's a stark contrast to the fact that they spend the better part of the decade as a team that was barely competitive. They made some smart draft decisions, they made some smart moves, and in the end, the team flourished again in Washington, possibly stronger than ever.

Last Season: They lost in the Conference Semifinals to the Pittsburgh Penguins, but considering that the Pens were the eventual Stanley Cup Champions that's not the worst thing in the world. They'll probably use that as motivation to be better because they hate the Pens almost as much as the Philadelphia Flyers do.

Offense: A line that features Nicklas Backstrom centering Alexander Ovechkin and Alexander Semin is one that every coach wishes they could put on the ice. Brendan Morrison and Mike Knuble were brought in to provide veteran scoring presence and will likely be on a line with Brooks Laich. Tomas Fleischmann is starting to make noise worth giving him a look as a top-six winger while captain Chris Clark plays a solid, if not offensively-limited, two-way game. Disgruntled Michael Nylander may not be putting up the numbers expected of him, but can still do well to center a third unit. The fourth line will likely be composed of Matt Bradley, Eric Fehr, David Steckel, and Boyd Gordon, with the odd man out acting as a reserve. That leaves an open spot for an enforcer, which the team will need to protect their star talent.

Defense: The defense on this team is a primarily defensive unit housing an offensive-minded jewel. Mike Green took his game up another season, scoring 73 points in 68 games... as a defenseman! However, that wouldn't have been possible without the solid defensive play of guys like Milan Jurcina and Shaone Morrisonn. Injuries limited games for guys like Tom Poti and John Erskine, but they were each effective in their respective roles while in the lineup, so they'll need to remain healthy to take that next step forward. Injuries also kept Brian Pothier out for almost the length of the season, so he'll be hoping for a stronger return campaign as well. Jeff Schultz has earned the right to round out the defense out of camp, and the rest of their depth looks good for them.

Goaltending: Now, I can't even comment on Jose Theodore after hearing about the loss of his child. I just hope he and his family recover from that. I wouldn't be surprised if the team but him on the inactive list and brought a number three guy in so he can grieve. My thoughts and prayers go out to him and his family.

Simeon Varlamov proved to be a very effective goaltender in the post season and will definitely be in the position to start commanding starting time. The more he learns English, the more he'll improve. I know the team is hot on Michal Neuvirth, but he didn't fare as well in his NHL audition as he should have so the team should find a spare goaltender if Theodore isn't ready for the start of the season.

Expectations: I like them a great deal and think they'll be every bit as competitive as Boston, Philadelphia, or Pittsburgh. These guys are one of the top-caliber teams in the Eastern Conference and a few more slight additions would make them complete.

Preseason Preview: Vancouver Canucks

We're heading down the stretch as it's time for another Preseason Preview. This is where we check out the teams going into the season.

Now, the Vancouver Canucks.

Team M.O.: These guys have a couple of finesse players and a whole lot of toughness. A lot of teams have scoring by committee, but this team has fighting by committee. They lost a little bit of toughness in trading Mike Brown and losing Rob Davison to free agency, but they still got more grit that a lot of other teams without them.

Last Season: They made it to the Western Conference Semifinals, where they were eliminated by the Blackhawks in six games. Considering they missed the postseason the year before, it's at least a step in a better direction.

Offense: The team locked up the Sedin twins again and will rely on them to provide a high level of first line offense. Ryan Kesler is constantly and consistently improving his game and could reasonably start breaking the 60 point barrier as long as his play continues to elevate. Alexandre Burrows took a huge step forward himself last season and may provide the team a top-six agitator, which is pretty valuable considering there aren't many who can fill that role, or at least well. Pavol Demitra still battles injuries more than the team would like to see, but when he's in the lineup, he's as good as gold. Mikael Samuelsson, who was acquired from the Detroit Red Wings, could easily round out the top six lineup with his play, which was rather productive despite limited ice time.

Looking further down the depth chart has us looking at guys who are still trying to take their game up that extra notch. Kyle Wellwood showed a lot of promise after the lockout, but has settled into a third line role as his conditioning is constantly being called into question. Steve Bernier has the tools to be one of the best power forwards in the league, yet is still trying to figure out how to put it all together. The same applies to Mason Raymond and his aspirations to start playing on the top lines. Ironically, if the three of them can form up a line together, I bet they could be good for at least 40 points if not more.

The fourth unit looks properly fortified, as veteran checking center Ryan Johnson can pivot the agitating Rick Rypien or the enforcing Darcy Hordichuk. Jannik Hansen looks to factor into the teams plans, leaving an extra spot on the roster for the team to fortify with either a depth forward, free agent, or trade/waiver wire pick up of their choice.

Defense: Mattias Ohlund left the team, meaning that someone's going to have to step up as the new go-to guy. Enter Kevin Bieska, who looks poised to be that guy. Willie Mitchell and Sami Salo return and provide solid top-four level defense for the squad. Alexander Edler may be on the younger side, but his numbers justify him having the right to compete for a high pairing spot. Shane O'Brien is one of the toughest defensemen in the league, but he has to start avoiding the bonehead plays and bad penalties if he's going to be an asset to his club. The last two spots will be decided by the guys they have going into camp. Nathan McIver has the best odds of getting a spot, followed by Lawrence Nycholat, Aaron Rome, Nolan Baumgartner, and Michael Funk

Goaltending: When Roberto Luongo's your goaltender, you don't have to worry much because you have the best goaltender in the Western Conference, possibly the league. Andrew Raycroft will act as the backup, which is slightly unfortunate when you consider he was once a promising starter. Meanwhile, Cory Schneider will be working the minors, toiling away at putting his game together so that if one of those two guys go down, he can take over. I like how this looks.

Expectations: These guys will likely take their division and will be a strong playoff team. It depends on the advancement of their players, but they have a squad that commits to their system, so I have to like the direction that they're headed in.

Preseason Preview: Toronto Maple Leafs

We're heading down the stretch as it's time for another Preseason Preview. This is where we check out the teams going into the season.

Now, the Toronto Maple Leafs

Team M.O.: *Sigh* When I was a kid, I loved the Detroit jersey, but I was always jealous whenever Toronto came to town because their jersey was sweet. Same with the Minnesota North Stars.

Anyway, these guys were heading in the wrong direction until Brian Burke came along and started to manage the team the way he wanted to. He built the Canucks up to being a playoff team when he was their G.M. and delivered a Stanley Cup to the Anaheim Ducks his second year as an executive for the team. He didn't jettison everyone, but he's going to do his best to built a skilled offense, a strong defense, and have two solid netminders that can step in at moment's notice.

Last Season: Last in their division and 12th overall. Not exactly close to playoff contention. Looks like Toronto will draft high and make some aggressive moves during free agency...

Offense: The offense has the tools but they need one of their young centers and step up to take the first-line spot. Jason Blake and Alexei Ponikarovsky have been as productive as they can be on a non-playoff team, and that may fall on whether or not Matt Stajan has the ability to take his game up another notch or if Mikhail Grabovski can demonstrate the maturity on and off the ice to make him an effective top-line center. Lee Stempniak and Nikolai Kulemin have done admirably in the top-six winger role, but are going to want to step it up this season, especially if they want more bargaining power for when their contracts are up at the end of the season.

As far as the bottom-six goes, I like it, but it could stand to be better fortified, if even only slightly. Niklas Hagman can serve as a top-six winger in a pinch while John Mitchell has provided a creative two-way presence that can even get a few extra points for the team. Wayne Primeau, and Jamal Mayers are household names as far as third liners go, but Primeau needs to stay healthy and Mayers needs to find a bit more to his game. Colton Orr was brought over to police the team and was undoubtedly the most valuable enforcer available through the free agency season, so kudos to Toronto for picking him up. Now, the team has Ben Ondrus and Rickard Wallin as two veteran options that could fill out the lineup, but then there would still be an extra spot for another forward, it may not be wise to have youngsters Jiri Tlusty or Tyler Bozak filling that vacant spot. They have some cap space and should go after a checking-line forward who could fit in with the team. I like Blair Betts myself.

Defense: Brian Burke was absolutely aggressive in rebuilding the blue line and now has a defense that's as good as any other team's in the league. Mike Komisarek was lured away from Montreal and and will provide the team with a monstrous defensive presence. Francois Beauchemin was brought over to provide the team with a strong two-way offensive presence on the back end while Garnet Exelby was brought over to give the team that depth defenseman with the quintessential mean streak that makes a squad valuable.

What's more is Tomas Kaberle will be returning (despite persistent trade rumors) as one the team's best puck moving defenders. Ian White has proven that he can be use effectively in a top-six defender role and has earned a spot on the squad with his excellent work ethic. This leaves Mike Van Ryn, Jeff Finger, and Jonas Frogren to figure out who will be the guys that round out the Maple Leafs. It could be two of them or just one of them if the player they're building around makes the team out of camp...

... All of this seems to be for the youngster Luke Schenn. Burke has come out and said that every player was available but him. He's going to be entering his second year now, but needs to take the steps forward for a player who's essentially having a team built around him. That's a lot to ask for, but if Brian Burke sees that in you as a hockey player, you have the ability to play at that level, whether you realize it or not. It may seem like much, but if he's capable of it, what it will mean for Toronto could mean their first Cup in a generation.

Goaltending: Vesa Toskala may not have had the best individual numbers, but he either won or got the team to overtime more than he lost in regulation, so he really works out for a Number 1A goaltender at worst. The competition's going to be on for the second spot though. On one hand, Jonas "The Monster" Gustavsson is signing on the team after an absolutely dominant season in the Swedish Elitserien. At the same time, Joey MacDonald put up some respectable individual numbers on a poor New York Islanders team. Expect the competition to be fierce.

Expectations: Burke really fortified the blueline, has an interesting goaltending situation on his hands, yet has a somewhat below-average group of forwards. The guys slotted for the top-six need to take a big step in their development while Burke should still acquire another bottom-six centerman. If that happens, the Leafs could make the playoffs. Otherwise, there are stronger teams in their conference that they'd have to constantly overcome to make that happen.

Preseason Preview: Tampa Bay Lightning

We're heading down the stretch as it's time for another Preseason Preview. This is where we check out the teams going into the season.

Now, the Tampa Bay Lightning

Team M.O.: This guys are in a transition state where they're a few pieces short of haivng a decent rebuild. In the past the squad was a finesse-based club that didn't have much toughness. It was fine when they were Stanley Cup Champions back in 2004/ But five years and an ownership fiasco later, they're starting to carve out a team that focuses more on being well-rounded.

Last Season: Second to last in the conference and in the league overall. This is the second poor finish they've had in two seasons and if it weren't for the Islanders, they would have finished last again. Oren Koules and Len Barrie co-owned and operated the team. The team brought on a whole slew of forwards in the off-season and didn't pay much attention to adding quality defensemen. As a result, their forwards didn't perform nearly as well as they could have while the defensive injuries mounted up to such a point that the Lightning roster had the dubious honor of having dressed the most NHL defensemen of any team in history. It didn't help when Mike Smith and Olaf Kolzig went down with injuries, leaving Karri Ramo (who retreated to Europe) and Mike McKenna (who projects to be a career minor leaguer) were left carrying the torch. They did get a high draft pick though, so let's see what the team looks like.

Offense: Vincent LeCavalier's no-trade clause kicked into effect and now he must reward the team with at least a point-per-game production while they get through this. Martin St. Louis, despite his small stature and the team's rebuilding process, has managed to remain one of the most dominant scoring wingers in the league. Steven Stamkos may not have been ready for the NHL last season, but he was still able to get production consistent for a second-liner so he may as well dig his heels in and go for the ride for his sophomore campaign. Ryan Malone did well during his final season in Pittsburgh, but he needs to prove that the Tampa Bay organization didn't overpay him when they gave him a contract for his services. After that though, the forward depth gets a little thin. They may lean on newly acquired Drew Miller to take a top-six spot on the team, but they'll definitely need someone else as well, so they better hope that they acquire someone in the likes of Alex Tanguay, Petr Sykora, or Maxim Afinogenov.

Their bottom-six depth though has a lot of contenders to fill those roles up fast. The newly acquired Stephane Veilleux will be expected to fortify the checking units while Steve Downie will likely graduate to the NHL this season... but has to avoid his antics if he wishes to avoid getting a suspension or demotion. The trio of Jeff Halpern, Adam Hall, and Ryan Craig will notch another year of experience playing a defensive role for the Lightning while newcomer Todd Fedoruk will provide the sandpaper and strong "team first" presence. Veterans like Brandon Bochenski or Zenon Konopka could round out the line up as could youngsters like Paul Szczechura or Martins Karsums (RFA).

Defense: The defense has improved on this team and could be a strong point for the group going forward. Mattias Ohlund was brought on-board to mentor new defenseman and second overall draft pick for 2009 Victor Hedman. Hedman himself will be looking to break into the league fast and bolster the Lightning blueline with his strong two-way play. Paul Ranger and Andrej Meszaros are two young and upcoming blueliners, but they'll each need to have a healthy season if the Lightning are to have any chance of success this season. Lukas Krajicek was a bright spot on the club last year and could potentially break into the top four should things not work out with the people they project on going in with. The last two defensive spots are up for grabs and expect competition to be fierce for it. The team has to chose from Kurtis Foster, Matt Smaby, Matt Walker, Matt Lashoff, and David Hale. Someone will emerge from that, though it's unlikely it will be Hale or Lashoff.

Goaltending: The goaltending is young and talented, but is far from being proven. Mike Smith has done excellent for both the Dallas Stars and the Tampa Bay Lightning, but concussion problems have given some serious doubt as to whether or not he'll be a capable NHL starter. Antero Niittymaki is great when he's on his game, but is more sup-bar when he isn't. I like it better than the goaltending tandem they went in with last season, but I'll like it better when they prove they can effectively platoon together.

Expectations: Given that they have a weak offense, an inexperienced defense, and an inconsistent goaltending tandem, I can't say these guys have a chance at making the playoffs. Instead I'll wait to see who they sign and how everyone develops before I can consider these guys a playoff team. Right now, it's just a bit too early.

Preseason Preview: St. Louis Blues

We're heading down the stretch as it's time for another Preseason Preview. This is where we check out the teams going into the season.

Now, the St. Louis Blues.

Team M.O.: This is a team where a few guys are expected to contribute more than the rest, but everyone by and large scores by committee. Coach Andy Murray leaned into a few players, maybe a bit harder than he should have, but he did it because he saw overwhelming potential in them and found a way to get them to extract it. They're a smaller fish in the pond that is the Central Division, but they showed they have just as much fight as anyone else.

Last Season: The Blues were the Cinderella team of the season, going from supposed basement dwellers to grabbing the sixth seed in the playoffs. Murray applied the pressure and guys who responded (like David Perron) made the team better while guys who moped (like Manny Legace) were banished to the minors and never seen again. They're looking to keep the positive vibes up so that a healthy Paul Kariya and Erik Johnson can step in and make this team even more dominant.

Offense: Paul Kariya and Andy McDonald, who were teammates for the then Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, are providing the Blues with the kind of offense they had in Anaheim and would be absurd if they could stay healthy. Brad Boyes had a career season in point production last year and would be an elite winger if he could tighten up his defensive play. Young guys like Perron, David Backes, Patrik Berglund, and T.J. Oshie were leaned into in order to provide scoring and they were definitely up to the challenge. Keith Tkachuk is 37 yet provides another scoring score, not to mention serious leadership and toughness. The rest of their depth is very respectable. Alexander Steen, B.J. Crombeen, and Jay McClement should provide strong third-line or checking presence and should be fortified with either agitator Cam Janssen, checker Brad Winchester, or enforcer D.J. King. Put it all together and the Blues' offense is as competitive as any other team in the league.

Defense: The defense on this team looks legitimate, but needs to clear the injury issues that have affected it and subsequently their performance. Eric Brewer appeared in 28 games before missing the rest of the season and playoffs due to back surgery. Erik Johnson, who had a promising rookie campaign, missed the entire season, including the playoffs, due to an accident involving a golf cart and may need some time getting his game back when the season begins. Barret Jackman provides the team with a top-four defensive presence, but he doesn't seem as aggressive as he used to. Roman Polak, however took some serious steps forward last year and has earned a right to play with the big club while Carlo Colaiacovo seemed to avoid the injury bug for the first time, coincidentally enough playing with an entirely different team after being traded away by the Toronto Maple Leafs. The team seems set to have Brendan Bell, Steven Wagner, and Mike Weaver battle it out for the final two spots, though it's not unheard of to think that Alex Pietrangelo could steal a spot from that trio if he himself has an excellent camp.

Goaltending: The goaltending on this team isn't so much as spectacular as it is just deep overall. Chris Mason took over the starting role from Manny Legace and has demonstrated the maturity to act effectively in a goaltending tandem. He's going to get a partner of similar talent and mindset in the newly-signed Ty Conklin, who left the Detroit Red Wings after putting up some excellent numbers in the regular season. However, Hannu Toivonen decided to come back to the system and Ben Bishop's been making noise himself. So if if the elder goaltenders should falter, expect these guys to do everything possible to kick the door down and be impossible to send down.

Expectations: I like the offense and goaltending alot, but I'm not entirely sold on the defense. These guys could do it again, but they're going to have to battle at maximum capacity to make that possible. Can they do it again?

Preseason Preview: San Jose Sharks

We're heading down the stretch as it's time for another Preseason Preview. This is where we check out the teams going into the season.

Now, the San Jose Sharks.

Team M.O.: This is a team that's build to blend finesse and toughness along with a balanced team to go out and win games. There's a lot to like about the Sharks and from top to bottom, they can be a team to be dealt with...

Last Season: ... but they aren't impervious. After winning the President's Trophy for the 2008-03 season, they were eliminated in the Western Conference Quarterfinals by the Anaheim Ducks. A few players were let go at season's end and Coach Todd McLellan made the decision to remove the captaincy from Patrick Marleau and instead have the players battle for it in camp. Hopefully that fares well with the rest of the group, including Marleau.

Offense: Joe Thornton may be the most dominant center in the Western Conference while Marleau rebounded from a disappointing season. The team benefited from Ryan Clowe's emergence as one of the better power forwards in the league along with Milan Michalek's efforts to generate excellent secondary scoring. Devin Setoguchi and Joe Pavelski continued their development upward and provided San Jose with firepower when their first-unit guys may have had an off night.
Their bottom six, however, isn't as impressive. Jonathan Cheecho was a promising top-six forward who's lack of production has forced him to try and adapt to a depth role, something he hasn't done entirely well. Torrey Mitchel missed all of last season and was a non-factor in the playoffs, so he may need a minute to catch up with the speed of the game. The team did well to add agitator Scott Nichol to go along with enforcer Jody Shelley, but Shelley hasn't exactly been on the winning side of a lot of fights lately. The rest of the squad are prospects and fringe players, and San Jose will have to make due with that unless they can make a trade due to cap issues.

Defense: I'm willing to bet these guys have the most expensive defensive squad in the NHL but you know what, they're all great at what they do. The team traded for Dan Boyle and in turn he's provided the team with top-pairing defensive scoring. Marc-Edouard Vlasic is a young budding defensemen who more than doubled his point total from the year before under McLellan's system. Rob Blake might be up there in age, but he can still fill a top-four role and leadership. Christian Ehrhoff is an excellent power play quarterback who's worth giving top four minutes, but he really needs to tighten up his defensive play a bit more. Douglas Murray has unfortunately turned down the aggression a bit, but he still provides the team with an excellent defensive presence. Kent Huskins seemed to rebound from his foot injury with giving San Jose a performance that was so impressive they rewarded him with a two-year deal to play for them. Brad Lukowich seems like a viable option to pick up the remaining games. Some prospects might get calls up if injuries persist, but they have enough established presence to deal with that.

Goaltending: Evgeni Nabokov is one of the best goaltenders in the league, but I always worry about if he can provide solid and consistent goaltending for the duration of the season without it being interrupted by injuries or slumps in his play. The team's going to go with Thomas Greiss as the backup and while he's been steady in the AHL, he hasn't exactly dominated the league. Due to cap issues, however, the team cannot afford to bring in an experienced backup. Henrik Karlsson is coming over from Sweden, most certainly on a two-way agreement, and will probably challenge Greiss for that backup spot. Alex Stalock signed a contract too in the offseason, but you can expect him to go to the minors out of camp.

Expectations: They aren't as good as they were a season ago but they're still a legitimate team if they remain healthy. If the injury bug affects the wrong people, though, they may suffer a season similar to what the Dallas Stars suffered during the past season.