2012-13 NHL Regular Season Predictions: Western Conference

August is always a time of slow NHL news, especially since the free agency “frenzy” has cooled down and NHL training camps are still about a month away.

However, with a lockout looming over the league and the players—following Gary Bettman’s announcement yesterday that there will be no hockey in October if the NHLPA and the NHL don’t find a way to come to an agreement and renew the current CBA (which is set to expire on September 15, 2012)—the following rankings will most likely change or won't happen at all if the entire season is wiped out!

2012-13 NHL regular season predictions: Western Conference

15. COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS = 69 points

After a very difficult season during which the Jackets collected only 65 points, GM Scott Howson was faced with the biggest challenge of his career: trade his captain Rick Nash.

That’s what he finally did on July 23rd, sending him to the Rangers in exchange for Brandon Dubinsky, Artem Anisimov, Tim Erixon and a 1st round pick—not the kind of return Blue Jackets fans were expecting for their franchise player.

With Nash gone, only Vaclav Prospal scored more than 50 points last season among the current Columbus players. It will be hard to win games for the Blue Jackets this season, and despite improving their defensive corps with the acquisition of Jack Johnson and the drafting of Ryan Murray, the season will be very long for head coach Todd Richards.

The tandem of Steve Mason and Sergei Bobrovsky is not the solution in goal.

14. PHOENIX COYOTES = 76 points

The uncertainty regarding the team ownership has caused a lot of headaches to GM Don Maloney this off-season. Veterans Ray Whitney and Adrian Aucoin left via free agency, and support players such as Tom Pyatt and Gilbert Brule signed elsewhere.

Maloney replaced Aucoin’s veteran presence with Zbynek Michalek on the blue line, but up front, the only notable players willing to sign in Phoenix were power-play specialist Steve Sullivan, band-aid boy David Moss and journeyman Nick Johnson...not a lot of firepower.

Yet, the biggest question remains: will captain Shane Doan re-sign with the only franchise he ever played for during his career? With or without Doan, Mike Smith will not repeat last year’s performance and the Coyotes will fall in the standings as a result.

13. CALGARY FLAMES = 80 points

The Flames leaders, Jarome Iginla and Miikka Kiprusoff, are not getting any younger and Calgary still lacks a true No.1 after the departure of Olli Jokinen via free agency.

GM Jay Feaster solidified his blue line by signing rearguard Dennis Wideman, but failed to address the team’s lack of scoring of last year. He replaced Jokinen’s 61-point production with Jiri Hudler’s 56 points, which is not exactly an improvement, especially since Hudler mostly played wing last season.

Former KHLer Roman Cervenka and prospect Sven Baertschi will certainly provide more offensive support, but it will not be enough to make the playoffs in the very tight Western Conference.

12. NASHVILLE PREDATORS = 82 points

Ryan Suter’s departure via free agency will hurt the Predators more than you realize and with no notable acquisition this off-season, GM David Poile will have to find other ways to give more scoring punch to his head coach Barry Trotz.

Also not returning are troublesome forwards Alexander Radulov and Andrei Kostitsyn, as well as veteran blue-liner Francis Bouillon. Luckily for Trotz, Poile matched the Flyers’ offer sheet for Shea Weber, otherwise they would finish even lower in the rankings. Look for Pekka Rinne to keep the Predators in most games, but he will be on the losing end of them on most nights.

11. EDMONTON OILERS = 85 points

As much as we all want to see the entertaining Oilers make the playoffs and have success, their lack of defensive depth and the instability in net will hurt them this season.

While youngters such as Jordan Eberle, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Taylor Hall and Nail Yakupov will be interesting to watch and will rack up points for the young Oilers, overpaid veterans like Shawn Horcoff and Ales Hemsky keep disappointing year after year.

On defense, the signature of über-prospect Justin Schultz will certainly help on the power play, but their lack of mobility after Ryan Whitney—who missed 78 games in the past two seasons—is a detriment to the team’s run-and-gun offense. In goal, Devan Dubnyk will get the bulk of the word load while washed-out veteran Nikolai Khabulin plays the last year of his horrible contract.

10. ANAHEIM DUCKS = 88 points

Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf will rebound from subpar seasons in 2012-13, but it won’t be enough for the Ducks to make it back to the playoffs. Veterans Saku Koivu and Teemu Selanne are not getting any younger, and the Ducks are not very deep at forward.

On defense, Lubomir Visnovsky’s departure will be filled by offensive-minded defender Sheldon Souray, and Bryan Allen will also add some sandpaper on the blue line. In goal, Viktor Fasth will challenge starter Jonas Hiller for playing time.

Ultimately, the Ducks will improve under head coach Bruce Boudreau, but their evident lack of depth will be their demise.

9. COLORADO AVALANCHE = 90 points

The young Avs are certainly in the right direction with a young core of talented players such as Matt Duchene, Gabriel Landeskog and Ryan O’Reilly.

If Paul Stastny can rediscover his scoring touch and complimentary players such as David Jones, Steve Downie and Jamie McGinn score on a regular basis, the Avalanche will be in the thick of the playoff race until the end.

The team also signed UFA P-A Parenteau to provide more offense.

On the blue line, the team lacks mobility and offensive instincts after Erik Johnson. Veterans like Jan Hedja and Greg Zanon, while good defensively, have a heard time contributing offensively. The goaltending tandem of Semyon Varlamov and J-S Giguere, while good, won’t be enough consistent for the Avalanche to make it back into the spring dance.

8. MINNESOTA WILD = 93 points

With the notable signings of Ryan Suter and Zach Parise, the Wild made the biggest splash of the summer on the free agency market. The two talented players will provide a much-need offensive boost to the goal-starving Wild.

The arrival of talented prospect Mikael Granlund to the existing group of Mikko Koivu, Dany Heatley and Devin Setoguchi will give the Wild two good scoring lines. Suter’s presence will solidify a young and unproven defensive corps including Tom Gilbert, Jared Spurgeon and Marco Scandella.

In net, Niklas Backstrom and Josh Harding are one of the best goalie tandems in the league. Look for a slow start for the Wild as their new players adjust to their surroundings, which is why they will not finish higher.

7. DETROIT RED WINGS = 96 points

The Red Wings are bound to go down the standings after losing Nicklas Lidstrom (retirement) and Brad Stuart (free agency). Their departures mean that youngters like Jakub Kindl and Brendan Smith will finally get their chance on the thinnest defensive corps the Wings will use in a long time.

At forward, the Wings are still very deep with offensive dynamos like Pavel Datysuk, Henrik Zetterberg, Johan Franzen and Valtteri Filppula. Jimmy Howard will be the go-to guy in goal, with former Maple Leaf Jonas Gustavsson backing-up.

6. SAN JOSE SHARKS = 98 points

Gone are the days of total regular season dominance for the Sharks, as Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton’s performances have dwindled in the past few years.

Dynamic forwards Logan Couture and Joe Pavelski are ready to take over the challenge to lead this unpredictable team deep into the playoffs. If Martin Havlat can stay healthy and Brad Stuart gives the Sharks more stability on the blue line, there is no doubt the Sharks will finish with a similar point total than last year.

Anti Niemi and Thomas Greiss make up for a solid goaltending duo.

5. DALLAS STARS = 99 points

The revamped Stars will be interesting to watch this season with newly acquisitions Derek Roy (BUF), Jaromir Jagr (UFA) and Ray Whitney (UFA) providing much needed offensive punch to the team.

Gone are Radek Dvorak, Sheldon Souray and Mike Ribeiro.

With Ribs gone, Jamie Benn and Loui Eriksson are Dallas’ new offensive leaders and will be heavily relied upon this season. Head coach Glen Gulutzan also hopes that his veteran Brenden Morrow will be fully healed after an injury-riddled campaign in 2011-12.

The Stars can also count on a trio of steady blue liners in Stephane Robidas, Trevor Daley and Alex Goligoski. Kari Lehtonen will get the bulk of the workload in goal.

4. CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS = 103 points

The Blackhawks didn’t make any major changes in the off-season already counting on a solid team despite an early playoff exit last spring. Talented players such as Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa and Patrick Sharp lead the way offensively.

The top defensive pairing of Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook remains one of the most efficient duo in the NHL. Gone are veterans Sean O’Donnell, Brendan Morrison and Andrew Brunette. Youngters Brandon Bollig, Jimmy Hayes and Andrew Shaw are ready to step up and give the Blackhawks the depth the team has been lacking in recent years. Joel Quenneville hopes Corey Crawford will rebound from a dreadful playoff series against the Coyotes.

3. ST. LOUIS BLUES = 105 points

The Blues opted for stability this off-season, keeping fairly the same line-up other than letting go veterans Jason Arnott, Kent Huskins and Carlo Colaiacovo.

A healthy David Perron and prospect Vladimir Tarasenko will give an offensive boost to an already potent forward group composed of T.J. Oshie, Patrick Berglund, Andy McDonald and David Backes.

On defense, Alex Pietrangelo and Kevin Shattenkirk will lead the way offensively, while veteran Barret Jackman and undervalued Roman Polak will neutralize the opposing forwards.

Jaroslav Halak and Brian Elliott will continue to be brilliant as Ken Hitchcock will lead his promising team to another playoff berth.

2. VANCOUVER CANUCKS = 108 points

After a first round exit, the biggest question mark surrounding the Canucks is the status of elite goaltender Roberto Luongo.

Will the team trade him or keep him in the fold with stellar young goalie Corey Schneider?

The Sedin twins will continue to be the spark plugs of the Canucks’ offense, while Ryan Kesler, David Booth and Alex Burrows will provide Vancouver with complementary scoring.

On defense, gone are Sami Salo and Aaron Rome, replaced by power-play specialist Jason Garrison who will form a dynamic offensive trio with Alex Edler and Kevin Bieksa. Overall, the Canucks are expected to repeat last season’s performance, save for the first round exit.

1. LOS ANGELES KINGS = 112 points

The Stanley Cup champions are bound to continue rolling with their momentum and have a great season.

Almost every player from last year Cup run will be back which means that Jonathan Quick will have a very deep team in front of him.

With impact players like Anze Kopitar, Mike Richards, Dustin Brown and Jeff Carter at forward and quarterback Dew Doughty on defense, the Kings are filled with star players.

Los Angeles also relies on steady veterans like Justin Williams, Jarret Stoll and Simon Gagne to score goals, as well as unheralded rearguards such as Rob Scuderi, Matt Greene and Willie Mitchell to protect their net and prevent scoring chances. Quick should be the #1 consensus pick among goalies next season.

Do you agree to the above predictions? If not, why?

The regular season predictions for the Eastern Conference can be seen here.

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Max Pacioretty Signs Extension, CBA Update, Giguere and More

Good AM!

While we wait for P.K Subban to finally sign a new contract (or be moved), Marc Bergevin has been proactive with another one of his key players, signing Max Pacioretty to a six-year, $27 million deal.

The average cap hit will be $4.5 per season.

A more than acceptable number if Pacioretty continues to be a 30 goal, 60 point player.

If he exceeds those numbers, than his cap hit could easily be viewed as a discount. At least, in NHL terms.

What are your thoughts on the new deal?

Habs and Hockey News

- Our Kamal Panesar gives us the scoop on the Pacioretty deal and offers an update on CBA negotiations. Speaking of CBA talks, TSN is reporting that Sidney Crosby, Steven Stamkos and Alex Ovechkin attended recent talks. Things are getting serious!

- The Philadelphia Flyers got more bad news on their back end. Andreas Lilja will miss the start of the season after left hip surgery. With the losses of Matt Carle, Andrej Meszaros and Chris Pronger, the Flyers now have a serious issue to address.

- Jean-Sebastien Giguere was given a one-year contract by the Colorado Avalanche.

- THN's prediction series continue, looking at spot number ten in each conference.

- Former Anaheim Ducks GM Bob Murray is going to court. I had no idea.

(Photo by Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images North America)

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Max Pacioretty's New Contract and an NHL CBA Update

Montreal Canadiens General Manager Marc Bergevin sure seems to have a plan.

Late last night, he continued fortifying the foundation of his team by inking star winger, Max Pacioretty, to a six-year deal.

By signing Pacioretty to an extension one full calendar year before his current contract expires, Bergevin continues to show that he is night to his predecessors' day.

One of the many things that boiled fans' blood during the Bob Gainey and Pierre Gauthier years, was their unwillingness to negotiate with players during the season. That and they would almost always wait till the player's contract had expired before discussing an extension.

That is such an old school, antiquated way of running business and the result was that Montreal, more often than not, lost free agent players for nothing.

I cannot overstate how important it is to maximize all of your assets in the salary cap era, and the previous regime's strategy almost always failed at this crucial task.

This move by Bergevin shows that the new regime truly understands the modern game.

Good for you, good for me...

The deal itself is for $27 million over six seasons or an average cap hit of $4.5 million per year.

As @nickcanhaztweet said to me on Twitter:

"I love it! If Pac continues to develop, its a steal. If he plateaus as a 30/60 player, its market value! Awesome signing!"

Not only is Bergevin locking in what he's identified as a key building block for this team—as he did with Carey Price only a few weeks ago—but he is getting fair to excellent value on the contract.

Pacioretty showed last season that he was a 30-plus goal and 60-plus point player. Granted, he only did so for one season but all indications are that he is just scratching the surface of what he is capable of.

The possibility of Pacioretty being a 40-goal, 80-point man is very real and if he can hit those kind of numbers, Bergevin is going to look like a genius. The bottom line, however, is that the contract is still good value even if Patches produces at the same rate he did last season.

So while I agree with my friend, @nickcanhaztweet, I won't go so far as to say it's a steal. But it's definitely a fair deal for both sides and could end up being a great one for the Habs.

On the CBA front

32 days.

That is how long the league and the players have left to iron out a new collective bargaining agreement, before Gary Bettman and his cronies lock the players out.

Is there enough time? Sure. In theory.

But with both sides stating that there is a "meaningful" gap on the core-economic issues, it's looking more and more like a lockout is inevitable.

That said, today is a very, very important day in determining whether a lockout is ultimately in the cards or not. Why?

Because today the NHLPA finally gives their first counter-proposal to the league.

This proposal has been in the works for weeks and is sure to swing the pendulum far from where the owners want it. But more important than the PA's proposal itself will be how the league reacts to it.

If there is anything that we have learned about Gary Bettman it's that he doesn't like having terms dictated to him. Moreover, his adversarial, condescending, petulant style does not lend to smooth negotiations. Bettman's tact seems to inflame things and creates an adversarial rather than cooperative approach.

So if Bettman and co. don't like what they read—which they undoubtedly will not—we could see a sort of entrenchment by the league.

And that will not lead to anything good.

That being said, and while I am sure that Bettman's proclamation that there will be a lockout if a new deal is not in place by September 15th, you have to think this is a lot of sabre rattling.

I mean, is the league really, truly prepared to scuttle the significant in-roads they have made in the U.S. market over the last five or six years? The game is bigger and more popular in the States than it has ever been at any point in history.

Thanks for Cup winners like Pittsburgh, Boston, Los Angeles and a successful Winter Olympics on North American soil, the U.S. audience (television and otherwise) have embraced the game in droves.

So is the league really willing to thumb their nose at that success, pushing hockey back to it's spot as the bottom feeder in U.S. sports?

Time will tell. For now, however, everyone is waiting with baited breath for the PA's proposal later today.

For what it's worth, I see a lockout as unavoidable at this point because of the league's current stance. That could change, but I think losing part of the season to a lockout is a mere hop, skip and a jump away.

What about you?

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Kamal is Senior Writer/Editor-in-Chief of HabsAddict.com and Montreal Canadiens Blogger on Hockeybuzz.com. Kamal is also an on-air contributor on TSN 990, CJAD, and LiveSport New Zealand.

Follow Kamal on Facebook and Twitter

(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images North America)

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Press Release - Habs Sign Max Pacioretty to Six-Year Deal

Six-year contract extension for Max Pacioretty

MONTREAL – Montreal Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin announced Monday the signing of forward Max Pacioretty to a six-year contract extension (2013-14 to 2018-19). As per club policy, financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Pacioretty, 23, completed his fourth season in the NHL in 2011-12, leading the team in scoring with a personal career-high of 65 points. He ranked second on the team in goals (33) and third in assists (32). He finished fourth in the NHL in even strength goals (29). In 79 games last season Pacioretty scored five winning goals and totaled 286 shots on goal (tied for 10th in the NHL). The forward served 56 penalty minutes, maintained a +2 plus/minus differential and recorded 104 hits, while playing an average of 18:15 per game.

Pacioretty was the 2011-12 recipient of the Bill Masterton Trophy in the NHL, a true example of perseverance, determination and dedication to the game. He returned to action in 2011-12 after missing the team’s last 15 regular season games and the playoffs in 2010-11, with a fractured neck and a concussion suffered on March 8, 2011 against Boston. Pacioretty launched the Max Pacioretty Foundation, to help the Montreal General Hospital Foundation raise the funds needed towards acquiring a Functional MRI machine (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) for the Traumatic Brain Injury Centre at the MGH/MUHC.

Since 2008-09, Pacioretty has registered 114 points (53 goals, 61 assists) in 202 NHL regular-season games. The 6’2’’, 210 lbs left winger has recorded 142 penalty minutes. Pacioretty has scored 12 of his goals on the powerplay and added seven game winning goals.

A native of New Canaan, Connecticut, Pacioretty was drafted in the first-round, 22nd overall by the Canadiens at the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. On March 8, 2012, he became the first American-born player in team history to reach the 30-goal plateau in one season, scoring in an empty net against the Oilers in Edmonton.

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Fantasy Focus, Hockey in New Orleans, Negotiations and More

Good AM Hockey Fans!

I will keep my ramblings short this morning.

I am in Chicago visiting my two sisters and young nephews.

A treat to see my family, for sure. And Chicago is an awesome town. You should try the pizza.

But, with my very young nephews vying for attention, I feel brevity is best!

Habs and Hockey News

- HabsWorld continues its fantasy focus series, looking at Carey Price and P.K Subban.

- The Hockey News takes an interesting look back at ice hockey in New Orleans.

- Stu Hackel reflects on the possibility of a lockout and losing the Winter Classic - and perhaps a whole season. Meanwhile, USA Today looks at how supplemental discipline is an issue in current negotiations.

-  The IIHF lists the 51 champions from the various ice hockey leagues in the world. Always love reading this, just shows how international the game truly has become.

(Photo by Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images North America)

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Galchenyuk Sees Action, Eastern Conference Predictions, Huet to Swiss Club And More

Good Morning Hockey World!

With the Canada vs. Russia challenge going on and Canadiens Prospect Charles Hudon, taking part in it, not much attention has been focused on the Team USA National  Junior Evaluation Camp.

Habs fans have plenty to be interested in the Americans camp, as their number one prospect, Alex Galchenyuk, is seeing some game action.

Galchenyuk missed the entire 2011-12 OHL season before returning for just six playoff games before his Sarnia Sting were eliminated by the Saginaw Spirit.

Galchenyuk registered two goals and one assist in his five games at the camp, his first actual game play since last seasons playoff loss.

Do you think Galchenyuk will continue to build off of his performance at the evaluation camp?

Habs And Hockey News

- Our own Fred Poulin makes his Eastern Conference predictions for the upcoming season

- Former Habs netminder Cristobal Huet's return to the NHL has been put on the back burners as he heads back to Switzerland

- Carolina feels good heading in the 2012-13 season after some positive offseason moves

- With all the focus on the lack of a new CBA, the agreement between the NHL and CHL has expired without notice


(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images North America)

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2012-13 NHL regular season predictions: Eastern Conference

August is always a time of slow NHL news, especially since the free agency “frenzy” has cooled down and NHL training camps are still about a month away.

However, with a lockout looming over the league and the players—following Gary Bettman’s announcement yesterday that there will be no hockey in October if the NHLPA and the NHL don’t find a way to come to an agreement and renew the current CBA (which is set to expire on September 15, 2012)—the following rankings will most likely change or won't happen at all if the entire season is wiped out!

2012-13 NHL regular season predictions: Eastern Conference

15.NEW YORK ISLANDERS = 75 points

The lowly Islanders didn’t do much in terms of improvement in the offseason. Up front, they lost an important offensive weapon when P-A Parenteau took his talent to Colorado, and the team didn’t replace his production via free agency or trade.

On the blue line, the team is really thin after Mark Streit and Travis Hamonic, and the uncertainty surrounding Lubomir Visnovsky, who wants his trade to Long Island voided, certainly doesn’t help.

In goal, the team is counting on the veteran Evgeni Nabokov and the oft-injured Rick Dipietro to hold the fort. Worth noting is that John Tavares will continue to improve and be an offensive force for years to come despite all of the above.

14.BUFFALO SABRES = 78 points

The Sabres barely missed the playoffs last season, but GM Darcy Regier didn’t do anything to improve a team that struggled to score goals. Heck, Regier even traded inconsistent, yet productive, pivot Derek Roy in exchange for agitator Steve Ott and depth defenseman Adam Pardy.

Roy’s departure, combined with a lack of a true No.1 centre in Buffalo will hamper the Sabres’ chance at making the playoffs. Unless Cody Hodgson explodes offensively or draft picks Zemgus Girgensons and Mikhail Grigorenko make the team and provide a much-need spark, the season will be long in Buffalo.

13. TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS = 81 points

The Leafs added to an already potent offensive core of Phil Kessel, Joffrey Lupul and Mikhail Grabovski, with the acquisition of James Van Riemsdyk on their top-six. Jay McClement was also brought in to help their penalty kill. However, GM Brian Burke has yet to address the team’s goaltending woes. Unless he acquires someone like Roberto Luongo before the season starts, the team will rely on James Reimer and Ben Scrivens to win some games, which is not a good idea.

12.WINNIPEG JETS= 82 points

The Jets did not make any major improvement, other than veteran Olli Jokinen, to a line-up that failed to make the playoffs last year. While the Jets had great success at home last season, they failed to compete in most of their road games in 2011-12.

Blake Wheeler, Andrew Ladd and Evander Kane will carry the load offensively, while Dustin Byfuglien and Tobias Enstrom will provide offensive punch from the blue line. Al Montoya, who’s an improvement over Chris Mason, will back-up Ondrej Pavelec for the upcoming season.

11.MONTREAL CANADIENS = 84 points

While the Canadiens finished last in 2011-12, they have a better team than their record on paper. With the stellar play of netminder Carey Price, the Canadiens always managed to play tight games and have a chance to win. However, a lack of offensive punch cost them way too many games last year.

A healthy Andrei Markov and an improving P.K. Subban will certainly help the team improve their dismal power play, but after their first line of David Desharnais, Erik Cole and Max Pacioretty, only Tomas Plekanec represents an offensive threat.

Veteran Brian Gionta should add some scoring punch after an injury-filled season and Rene Bourque might bounce back after a lacklustre campaign, but still that won’t be enough for the Habs.

10.NEW JERSEY DEVILS = 87 points

After the departure of all-star Zach Parise for his hometown, the Devils will be hard-pressed to find goals this season when Ilya Kovalchuk, Patrick Elias and Adam Henrique are off the ice.

On defense, the team can count on steady defensemen like Henrik Tallinder, Anton Volchenkov and Bryce Salvador, but they are lacking a true offensive defenseman as Marek Zidlicky is a defensive liability.

In goal, Martin Brodeur and Johan Hedberg are one year older and their performance will falter as a result.

9.FLORIDA PANTHERS = 89 points

Despite making the playoffs last season, the Panthers had a losing record, if we account for the OTL, and they had a goal differential of minus-24.

After Stephen Weiss, Tomas Fleischmann and Kris Versteeg, the Panthers are thin up front. Talented youngster Jonathan Huderdeau will certainly make the team out of training and contend for the Rookie of the Year award. On defense, the team added steady veteran Filip Kuba to an already potent group of Dmitry Kulikov and Ed Jovanovksi.

In goal, the less than flashy duo of Jose Theodore and Scott Clemmensen gets the job done, but it will not be enough to make the playoffs this year.

8.OTTAWA SENATORS = 93 points

The Senators barely made the playoffs last season, and it will happen again this year. With the return of Daniel Alfredsson for one more season, and the emergence of Erik Karlsson, Jason Spezza will not be the only offensive threat in the national capital.

Still, GM Bryan Murray traded dynamic forward Nick Foligno in exchange of Ottawa-native Marc Methot, and replaced Foligno’s production by signing Guillaume Latendresse who missed most of last season due to injuries. Craig Anderson will be backed-up by lanky goalie Ben Bishop, which should ease his workload and allow him to perform well all-season long.

7.PHILADELPHIA FLYERS = 95 points

Look for the Flyers to have problems defensively with the departure of Matt Carle and the season-ending injury suffered by Andrej Meszaros. Couple that with Chris Pronger's unlikely return this season after suffering from concussion symptoms, and things are ugly for Philly on the back-end.

Offensively, the Flyers will still score plenty of goals despite Jaromir Jagr’s departure, with talented forwards like Brayden Schenn, Scott Hartnell and Daniel Briere. In goal, look for the most colourful goaltender (Ilya Bryzgalov) to have his ups and downs this season as he gets more comfortable to his new defensemen, most notably Luke Schenn, Bruno Gervais and Nicklas Grossman.

6.TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING = 96 points

GM Steve Yzerman addressed his team’s shortcomings during the off-season by acquired young talented netminder Anders Lindback to replace over-the-hill veteran Dwayne Roloson.

Stevie Y also added much-needed depth on the blue line with the signing of Matt Carle and Sami Salo, who will complement a solid top-four with Eric Brewer and Victor Hedman. At forward, the Bolt can count on sniper Steven Stamkos, as well as captain Vincent Lecavalier and playmakers Martin St. Louis and Teddy Purcell to carry the offensive load.

5.CAROLINA HURRICANES = 98 points

One of the most improved teams in the conference, the Hurricanes added two very talented players in Alex Semin (UFA) and Jordan Staal (PIT) to their offensive corps. They will allow Eric Staal and Jeff Skinner to finally play great offensive players and not the likes of Chad Larose and Jiri Tlusty.

The steady play of underrated goaltender Cam Ward will go a long way to the Canes’ success in 2012-13. Youngsters Jamie McBain and Justin Faulk are slowly emerging as the team’s top two offensive guys on the blue line. Their continuing development will help improve the team's defense-offense transition for their talented forwards.

4.PITTSBURGH PENGUINS = 104 points

With the return of a healthy Sidney Crosby, the Penguins will have a 100-point season for a fourth consecutive year. Despite the departure of Jordan Staal and Zbynek Michalek, the Penguins boast a group of very talented players in Evgeni Malkin, James Neal, Chris Kunitz and Kristopher Letang.

The additions of Tanner Glass and Brandon Sutter up front will give the team size, grit and depth, while Tomas Vokoun’s signature will allow M-A Fleury to get more rest during the season and perform better in the playoffs.

3.BOSTON BRUINS = 100 points

The Bruins opted for stability next season as their roster will be almost identical to last year.

The most noticeable changes will be the addition of rookie defenseman Dougie Hamilton in replacement of Joe Corvo who went back to Carolina. The other major change is Tuukka Rask being annointed the No.1 goalie, with all-star Tim Thomas taking a sabbatical year.

Because of their depth and their talent, the Bruins will win the Northeast Division for a third consecutive season.

2.WASHINGTON CAPITALS = 101 points

After a sub-par season from Alexander Ovechkin and an injury-riddled campaign for Mike Green, the Capitals are ready to bounce back under new head coach Adam Oates.

A healthy Green, the acquisition of dangler Mike Ribeiro and the emergence of stud goaltender Braden Holty will allow Oates to employ a more offensive style of play that fits his team better.

Despite the departure of Alex Semin via free agency, the Capitals are loaded with offensive weapons who will help them rank among the best teams on the power play this season. A full season of Nicklas Backstrom, now free of concussion symptoms, along with the emergence of youngster Marcus Johansson will give the Caps a very deep threesome at center with Ribeiro—a strength the team has lacked in recent years.

1.NEW YORK RANGERS = 115 points

The Blue Shirts, who finished first in the Eastern Conference last year, will still be the team to beat this season with the addition of superstar Rick Nash. The team didn’t lose any major players via free agency and Glen Sather managed to acquire Nash for depth players (Anisimov, Dubinsky and Erixon).

Sather also managed to add depth and grit up front by signing Taylor Pyatt and Arron Asham. With superstars like Richards, Gaborik, McDonagh, Staal, Girardi and King Henrik in goal, the Rangers boasts the deepest group of talented players in the conference.

Do you agree with the above predictions for the Habs? If not, why?

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