ANALYSIS: The Wild can return much the same team as last season, when they
placed third in the division, and Bruce Boudreau has a track record of success
in the regular season. So many pundits will be pencilling Minnesota into a
playoff spot again, but I'm not among that majority.

This is one of those gut feelings - a hunch without a whole lot of statistical
rationale - but I'm sensing the Wild will take a step back in 2018-19,
prompting new general manager Paul Fenton to change coaches and put more of his
 own stamp on the roster for 2019-20.

In saying that, there's no reason Minnesota can't make the postseason again.
Devan Dubnyk is still a quality workhorse in goal, the top four on defence are
a top-10 group providing Ryan Suter fully recovers from his broken ankle, and
the forwards are proven to be productive, even if there isn't much star power.
Younger players like Joel Eriksson Ek, Jordan Greenway and Luke Kunin could
also take on bigger roles up front.

However, Suter won't be ready for the start of the season and that's a massive
hole in Minnesota's lineup. Zach Parise has been battling a bad back in recent
years, and Eric Staal and Mikko Koivu are bound to slow down, so there is
certainly concern for the Wild's core. I'm anticipating a challenging season
ahead for Boudreau and Co.7) Chicago Blackhawks

ANALYSIS: The Blackhawks haven't really hit the rebuild button, and if Corey
Crawford can overcome vertigo, Chicago could finish closer to the top of the
division than the bottom. If Cam Ward has to man the crease more often than
not, Chicago will be facing an uphill battle again.

Stan Bowman isn't throwing in the towel on his core of Jonathan Toews, Patrick
Kane, Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook, along with Crawford. He's kept that
group together, while also bringing back Brandon Saad and Marcus Kruger from
past Cup-winning teams. Bowman also signed four-time champion Chris Kunitz, so
the Blackhawks seem to be going for it again.

Problem is, Seabrook has slowed from all his hard miles and Chicago's defence
as a whole isn't what it used to be, which could be a huge problem if Crawford
isn't in goal. There is youth on the way, with Gutsav Forsling, Henri
Jokiharju, Adam Boqvist and Nic Beaudin all looking promising to take the torch
 from Keith, but the current group leaves a lot to be desired.

Chicago's youth movement is already occurring up front, with Alex DeBrincat and
 Nick Schmaltz now established, while the likes of Dylan Sikura, Victor
Ejdsell, Matthew Highmore and Alexandre Fortin as potential breakout candidates
 this season, along with Euro signing Dominik Kahun. I also really liked the
Blackhawks' 2018 draft class, with Jake Wise, Niklas Nordgren and Philipp
Kurashev joining the forward prospect pool, but they are at least a couple
years away from contributing.

You can never count out Chicago, especially if Crawford is healthy, but it
seems to me that 2018-19 will be another transitional season for the
Blackhawks, who may be forced to blow it up if they bring up the rear in the
Central again.Atlantic Division1) Tampa Bay Lightning

ANALYSIS: The Lightning are still going to be the team to beat in the Atlantic,
 with or without Karlsson. Tampa Bay does strike me as the most likely landing
spot, with Mikhail Sergachev presumably the key piece going to Ottawa. Steve
Yzerman tends to get his man, but so does Nill in Dallas, so that battle
between former key figures in Detroit will be interesting to watch as the
season nears.

The Lightning have already locked up Nikita Kucherov and Ryan McDonagh this
summer, joining Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman on long-term contracts from
last summer. Andrei Vasilevskiy is living up to the hype in goal and Sergachev
is looking like a steal from Montreal if he stays in Tampa. The pieces are in
place for a perennial Cup contender and there are more than enough prospects in
 the system to sustain that success.

Jon Cooper is the perfect coach for this group and Yzerman isn't one to rest on
 his laurels, he'll keep pushing this team forward, but the competition is
getting better in the Atlantic and the Lightning may need Karlsson to stay one
step ahead in the future.2) Toronto Maple Leafs

ANALYSIS: The Leafs, with Tavares in the fold, are going to be a force for
years to come. Yes, Toronto's defence is a work in progress, but that top-nine
forward group might be the league's best and Frederik Andersen seems to thrive
with a heavier workload.

That doesn't mean Mike Babcock will encourage a run-and-gun style, but he'll
have more than enough weapons in his arsenal to outscore the opposition. The
best defence is a good offence, right? And Kyle Dubas' ability to draft and
develop - he oversaw the AHL champion Marlies last season - will ensure those
weapons keep coming.

It's too early to be talking dynasty, but this version of the Leafs definitely
has the best chance to end Toronto's Stanley Cup drought and that could happen
sooner than later. Some oddsmakers have already listed the Leafs as their Cup
favourite for 2018-19, but I'm not convinced Toronto can take out Tampa Bay in
that second-round showdown. I do think we'll get to see that matchup and I
can't wait to watch it play out over a seven-game series.3) Boston Bruins

ANALYSIS: And then there's the rest of the division, with the Bruins still a
quality team but not on the same level. Boston is going to start trending
backwards but should be a playoff team again in 2018-19.

The top line of Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak is elite,
Torey Krug and Charlie McAvoy are studs on the back end, and Tuukka Rask is a
rock in goal. Zdeno Chara is still going strong, Brandon Carlo should bounce
back, and John Moore was a solid addition to Boston's defence. The Bruins also
have young forwards like Jake DeBrusk, Danton Heinen, Ryan Donato and Anders
Bjork who will help drive the offence, but Boston just isn't as good as the top
 two teams - Tampa Bay and Toronto - or as good as last season in my opinion.

Bruce Cassidy really impressed me as a coach last season, getting more out of
the Bruins than I anticipated, so I'll give him and Boston the benefit of the
doubt as the Atlantic's third seed for the postseason.4) Florida Panthers

ANALYSIS: The Panthers are something of a tweener team, not good enough to be
considered a serious contender but too good to be overlooked in the playoff
picture. Florida has a lot of good-not-great pieces but should be in the
wild-card mix and may have a shot at overtaking Boston.

The Panthers are going to be able to score, with the addition of Mike Hoffman
from Ottawa and potential Calder candidate Henrik Borgstrom. Florida's forward
group is looking quite potent for 2018-19, and the defence was always going to
be a strength for Bob Boughner's squad. If the goaltending holds up - if
Roberto Luongo can stay healthy and if James Reimer can stay consistent - the
Panthers could surprise to some degree.

Florida came on strong in the second half of last season, gaining momentum in
Boughner's first season as coach, and some of those underlying numbers suggest
that surge could be a sign of things to come. Many prognosticators will have
five teams from the Metro making the playoffs, claiming both wild-card berths,
but I'm liking the Panthers' chances of making the cut.5) Buffalo Sabres

ANALYSIS: I was bullish on Buffalo last season, predicting the Sabres to make
the playoffs. Instead, they finished last overall and won the Rasmus Dahlin
lottery. I was wrong, but I'm still on Buffalo's bandwagon as a future
contender - led by Dahlin, Jack Eichel and Casey Mittelstadt, along with Rasmus
 Ristolainen and Sam Reinhart.

Buffalo has too many bodies on the back end, but Phil Housley and Steve Smith
are going to turn that defence around and settle on a solid group of six this
season. There is a lot of bounce-back potential among the forwards too,
starting with Kyle Okoposo providing he stays healthy. There could also be some
 breakout performances and don't sleep on rookie Victor Olofsson, who could
emerge as a legitimate scoring threat.

I do think the Sabres will take a significant step in 2018-19, but I'm not sold
 on their goaltending tandem of Carter Hutton and Linus Ullmark. I'm not sure
how much of an improvement they will be, if any, over Robin Lehner. So that
concern held me back from touting Buffalo as a playoff team again.
Realistically, the Sabres are probably still a bottom-10 team, but I wouldn't
be shocked if they exceeded those expectations and made a little noise by
hanging around in the playoff race.6) Detroit Red Wings

ANALYSIS: There will likely be a drop-off from the top four teams in the
Atlantic, with Detroit among the bottom four. Buffalo could create a bit of
separation in fifth too - if its goaltending performs adequately - but I don't
think the Red Wings will be a factor as far as the playoffs go in 2018-19.

Detroit had a terrific showing in last month's draft and could get a boost from
 its youth if top-10 picks Filip Zadina and Michael Rasmussen both prove
NHL-ready out of training camp. Ditto on defence, where Filip Hronek and Joe
Hicketts will look to make the jump.

The goaltending should be solid, but not spectacular with Jimmy Howard and
Jonathan Bernier. And Detroit has decent veterans throughout the lineup - led
by Henrik Zetterberg, assuming he's not retiring - but the Red Wings are
definitely a team in transition. Ken Holland won't be a buyer this season and
Jeff Blashill's job security is probably in question now that Dan Bylsma has
joined his staff.

I'm not expecting much from Detroit - or any of these bottom three teams in the
 Atlantic, all of whom are bottom 10 in the league for me - but I've been wrong
 before.7) Montreal Canadiens

ANALYSIS: The Canadiens also did very well in the 2018 draft as Trevor Timmins
continues to stockpile talent for an eventual rebuild. Marc Bergevin hasn't hit
 that button yet, instead trying to retool on the fly, but Montreal may as well
 move in that direction considering how stacked the top of this division is
becoming with Tampa Bay, Toronto and, in due time, Buffalo.

The Canadiens have been built around Pacioretty, Shea Weber and Carey Price.
Unfortunately, those players will no longer be effective - let alone stars - by
 the time a proper supporting cast is in place. That's why Pacioretty is soon
to be gone, and if there were any takers for the contracts of Weber or Price,
Bergevin would have to start listening at this point since the writing is on
the wall that the Canadiens won't be winning a Cup with those three in leading
roles.

It's time for a new plan in Montreal, with Jonathan Drouin, Max Domi, Brendan
Gallagher, Victor Mete and Noah Juulsen among the next wave of talent, along
with Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Ryan Poehling and a collection of other prospects
working their way up the ranks. The future could be bright - or brighter - but
the present appears quite bleak for the Canadiens. If Bergevin can get decent
returns for his aging stars and Timmins can keep up his good work at the draft,
 the Habs will have a hope again in a few years.8) Ottawa Senators

ANALYSIS: The Senators are in awful shape as it is, but could be losing
Karlsson, Matt Duchene and Mark Stone by this time next year. They need to
maximize the returns on those assets - especially Karlsson, their franchise
player - and move on with the rebuild.

Pierre Dorion has the least enviable job in hockey right now, knowing there is
no chance of re-signing Karlsson as long as Eugene Melnyk is Ottawa's owner.
There could be a mass exodus, with Duchene and Stone also eligible for free
agency in 2019. Craig Anderson is apparently on the outs too.

That would turn the team over to Brady Tkachuk and Thomas Chabot, Colin White
and Logan Brown, Jacob Bernard-Docker and Jonny Tychonick. The list of
promising prospects goes on - Filip Gustavsson, Alex Formenton, Drake
Batherson, Christian Wolanin and Filip Chlapik, to name some more - but none of
 them project as superstars.

Jack Hughes, the favourite to go first overall in 2019, has that superstar
potential, but Ottawa won't have a chance at him since the Senators traded
their first-round pick to Colorado as part of the package for Duchene. Thus
there is a possible disaster brewing for Ottawa, should Duchene end up walking
as a free agent while the Senators wind up handing Hughes to Colorado by being
as bad as most are anticipating this season.

Relocation might be the only option for Melnyk at that point. Yes, it's getting
 that bad for Ottawa.Metropolitan Division1) Pittsburgh Penguins

ANALYSIS: The Penguins are going to push back this season after being dethroned
 as two-time champions. The Metro Division might still be the NHL's toughest -
at least in the top four - but Pittsburgh is still built to win it all.

A full season of a healthy Derick Brassard will make a big difference, and Jim
Rutherford added some decent depth by signing Sidney Crosby's buddy Jack
Johnson to solidify the defence, while also bringing back Matt Cullen and
bringing in Derek Grant and Jimmy Hayes to flesh out the forward group. The
Penguins are also planning to bring up Daniel Sprong on a full-time basis,
giving their offence another boost.

Pittsburgh needs to stay healthy, particularly Kris Letang and Matt Murray, as
well as Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, but on paper the Penguins are as good as
anybody in my opinion. If Phil Kessel and coach Mike Sullivan can get back on
the same page, and if the team comes out playing with a chip on its shoulder -
driven to reclaim the Cup - then Pittsburgh could prove unstoppable in
2018-19.2) Washington Capitals

ANALYSIS: There's always a bit of a Stanley Cup hangover - maybe more so for
Alex Ovechkin - but now that the Capitals know how to win, they will have a new
 swagger and will be difficult to beat come playoff time.

Returning much of the same roster and presumably the same systems under
promoted coach Todd Reirden, the results shouldn't change much for the
Capitals. Washington's core is all in its prime, with John Carlson now locked
up long-term, and the only losses being Brooks Orpik, Jay Beagle and backup
goalie Philipp Grubauer, along with coaches Barry Trotz and Lane Lambert. Trotz
 is a proven bench boss and I think he'll be missed more than people realize,
but Reirden had been groomed to take over if Washington didn't win the Cup and
some see that as a lateral move since he was already on the staff.

Hangover jokes aside, Ovechkin and the Capitals are going to be every bit as
dangerous this season and should be considered a strong candidate to defend
their title - especially if they can defeat the Penguins in the second round
again.3) Philadelphia Flyers

ANALYSIS: The Flyers got better by bringing back James van Riemsdyk, but I
honestly don't see much changing in the Metro standings. I was tempted to rank
all eight teams in the same order that they finished last season.

Philadelphia is stacked at forward - boasting one of the best groups of 12 in
the entire league - but remains one of the weaker teams in goal and just above
average on defence. I won't say mediocre on defence because Ivan Provorov,
Shayne Gostisbehere and Travis Sanheim are anything but mediocre.

That word is better suited for the Flyers' goaltending, where Brian Elliott and
 Michal Neuvirth have been a below-average tandem, though Carter Hart is the
best prospect to come out of the WHL since Carey Price. Hart may not need much
seasoning in the AHL and could get called up to Philadelphia at some point and
perhaps be the Flyers' starter for the playoffs. That would be asking a lot of
a rookie pro, but Hart is a pretty special talent, so I wouldn't rule out that
possibility. Rest assured, Ron Hextall won't accept mediocrity again this
season.

The Flyers will be in tough regardless of who they face in the first round of
the postseason and it would only get tougher if they managed to make the second
 round of that Metro bracket. But Philadelphia is looking good to be playoff
bound again and to be improved overall with van Riemsdyk returning to the fold
and assuming Nolan Patrick takes the next step in his development.4) Columbus
Blue Jackets

ANALYSIS: This might be a make-or-break year for Jarmo Kekalainen, John
Tortorella and the Blue Jackets, with Sergei Bobrovsky and Artemi Panarin both
eligible for free agency in 2019. Columbus would like to keep both and build
around them, but those decisions may depend on how the season plays out -
assuming both are on the roster when training camp begins.

The Blue Jackets gave the Capitals a good run in the first round, so that shows
 Columbus isn't far off, but this division is full of contenders and it is
difficult to make any headway in the standings. Riley Nash and Anthony Duclair
were decent additions, and Rick Nash might still come full circle in his
career, with Columbus a reported frontrunner if he decides against retirement.
The forward group will be good and relatively deep regardless, with the defence
 and goaltending shaping up essentially the same as last season.

It does appear Kekalainen would like to take another shot with this roster and
would prefer not to trade Panarin. Bobrovsky hasn't come up in trade rumours,
but he needs to step it up in the playoffs to cement himself as Columbus'
long-term starter. First things first, the Blue Jackets need to make the
playoffs again, but they are a good bet to get in as a wild card and crossing
over to the Atlantic bracket could be in the cards for Columbus. Not that
things get any easier there, facing Tampa Bay and Toronto in comparison to
Pittsburgh and Washington.5) Carolina Hurricanes

ANALYSIS: I debated between Carolina and New Jersey for the fifth seed - and
whether either of them were better than Florida for the Eastern Conference's
second wild-card spot. Florida won out on the latter front, but the more I
looked at Carolina's roster, the more I took a liking to the group that Rod
Brind'Amour will be working with in his head-coaching debut.

Carolina will be bolstered by two top forward prospects in Andrei Svechnikov
and Martin Necas, and two new top-four defenders in Dougie Hamilton and Calvin
de Haan. The Hurricanes will also have a new goaltender, with Petr Mrazek
coming in on a one-year contract with plenty to prove, while Scott Darling will
 also be determined to rebound from a rough campaign in his first chance as an
NHL starter.

Those two should push each other, but neither of them instill much confidence
as of today. Goaltending still has to be considered a weakness for Carolina
and, like Buffalo, was the reason I resisted putting the Hurricanes into the
postseason. If Mrazek and/or Darling perform to the league's average in terms
of save percentage, that could bode well for Carolina's playoff chances, but I
wasn't willing to bet on those netminders.

I may change my mind - for better or worse - on the Hurricanes once Don Waddell
 and Rick Dudley decide what they're doing with Justin Faulk and Jeff Skinner.
Assuming they are both traded before training camp, those returns will
definitely impact Carolina's outlook for 2018-19.6) New Jersey Devils

ANALYSIS: The Devils were one of the biggest surprises last season, along with
Vegas and Colorado. Taylor Hall had a career year in winning the Hart Trophy
and Ray Shero worked his share of magic in overseeing New Jersey's turnaround.
However, of those three teams, I do feel like the Devils - more so than the
Golden Knights and Avalanche - could regress in 2018-19 and miss the
postseason.

I don't want to call New Jersey a one-year wonder, but I also wouldn't label
the Devils a perennial playoff team going forward. Shero has had a very quiet
offseason, much too quiet for a team that arguably overachieved. A lot of
things went right for New Jersey in 2017-18 and John Hynes has to hope for a
repeat performance from Hall as well as the sophomore trio of Nico Hischier,
Jesper Bratt and Will Butcher. The Devils will also need better efforts from
Pavel Zacha, Damon Severson and Cory Schneider to stay in the playoff mix.

Schneider is the key here - he's still the starter for New Jersey over Keith
Kinkaid - and, if fully healthy, could be capable of backstopping the Devils to
 the postseason again. I just feel there are a lot of "ifs" surrounding New
Jersey and a fair number of holes on the roster too, so I'm not overly
optimistic and I guess you could call me pessimistic at this point.7) New York
Islanders

ANALYSIS: The Islanders lost a lot in losing Tavares to Toronto and have thus
far failed to replace his presence. I do feel bad for Lou Lamoriello and Barry
Trotz for leaving much better situations in hopes of retaining Tavares and
taking the Islanders to another level.

That won't be happening now - at least not in 2018-19, with the Islanders
looking more like a lottery team than a playoff team on paper. Lamoriello has
been bashing the panic button by signing the likes of Jan Kovar (from the KHL),
 Valtteri Filppula, Leo Komarov and Tom Kuhnhackl, while re-acquiring Matt
Martin and locking up little-known Ross Johnston long term. Lamoriello checked
off the toughness box, but not much else with those head-scratching moves. The
goaltending might be better with Robin Lehner replacing Jaroslav Halak, but
that won't be enough to save the season for the Islanders.

I'm a big fan of Mathew Barzal, but he's not going to be the saviour either.
Barzal is going to see all the toughest matchups and top defence pairs as a
sophomore, so expect him to take a step back statistically as he adjusts to
that extra attention as the face of this franchise going forward.

The good news is the Islanders killed it in the 2018 draft and Oliver Wahlstrom
 will eventually be the perfect triggerman for Barzal. The prospect pool is
promising, but the current roster just isn't the same without Tavares. That is
the biggest hole in the league right now - Karlsson's might be bigger once he
leaves Ottawa - and the Islanders don't have much hope of filling it in the
present. Therefore, the Islanders don't have much hope of making the playoffs,
which could also lead to trading pending free agents Jordan Eberle and Anders
Lee rather than losing them for nothing like Tavares. Cue the rebuild and try
to be competitive again by the time that new rink is built.8) New York Rangers

ANALYSIS: The Rangers may bring up the rear again in the ultra-competitive
Metro, but their rebuild is already on track and they will be the better of the
 two New York teams before long. It's a fresh start for the Rangers, with
general manager Jeff Gorton and David Quinn's new-look coaching staff taking on
 the challenge of returning one of the league's flagship franchises to
prominence over the next three to five seasons.

Expectations are low for 2018-19, with most projecting the Rangers to be in the
 running for Jack Hughes, but there is a slight chance this team could
surprise. We all know Henrik Lundqvist can steal games and the rest of the
roster has a fair bit of upside. Training camp will be a proving ground as
Quinn, with the help of holdover Lindy Ruff, tries to find the right fits for
his forward lines and defence pairings. That will likely be a work in progress
over the course of the season, but Quinn has no shortage of options at his
disposal.

This should be a fun team to watch in its development - this season and going
forward - but the Rangers' fan base should brace for the worst while hoping for
 the best. Think short-term pain for long-term gain and let Gorton take his
time in putting the pieces together for a future contender. Patience is the
keyword here, though not a word that often resonates in New York.

Stanley Cup Prediction

My Stanley Cup Final pits the resurgent Pittsburgh Penguins against the upstart
 Winnipeg Jets in a battle of division winners based on my standings.

Winnipeg would have home-ice advantage thanks to a better regular-season
record, but Pittsburgh's playoff experience could tilt the ice in any series.

--- SBBSecho 3.05-Win32
 * Origin: TequilaMockingbird Online - Toms River, NJ (1:266/404)