ANAHEIM DUCKS: Missed the addition of Andy Sutton, which gives the Ducks some of the defensive prowess lost when Francois Beauchemin and Chris Pronger left before last season.
ATLANTA THRASHERS: Dustin Byfuglien is now a defenseman, which should help the Thrashers' blue line.
BUFFALO SABRES: Went back to their old logo, with an updated look, as well as unveiled a new third jersey. The unofficial obituary is posted on the Hockey Blog in Canada page, but an official eulogy will be posted here, as well as an induction of the Buffaslug into the "Weird" jersey collection.
CAROLINA HURRICANES: Named Tim Gleason and Brandon Sutter as alternate captains.
CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS: Placed Cristobal Huet on waivers, meaning that he will be playing in Switzerland next season.
EDMONTON OILERS: Placed Sheldon Souray and Martin Gerber on waivers. Expect Souray to be traded, since the New York Islanders may be looking at a defenseman (more on this later).
MINNESOTA WILD: Lost Josh Harding for the season due to injury. If Nicklas Backstrom goes down, the Wild are really screwed.
MONTREAL CANADIENS: Named Brian Gionta the captain for this season. No surprise, really, as he has experience in the big games, and it showed last playoff season.
NEW YORK ISLANDERS: Lost Kyle Okposo for 4-6 weeks and Mark Streit for possibly the season. Do you think the Islanders are on the horn for Souray or Kevin Bieksa?
NEW YORK RANGERS: Placed Wade Redden on waivers. What idiotic contract do you think they replace that with?
PHILADELPHIA FLYERS: Ian Laperriere and Michael Leighton are out for at least a month due to injury. Great, just what the Flyers need, more injuries to their goaltenders.
TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS: It looks like Nazem Kadri may be starting the season in the AHL. Don't worry, he'll be in the NHL before long, if only because the Maple Leafs need a center. The real worry is what effect the fans will have on him.
And now, the moment of truth: which two teams I think will make the Stanley Cup Finals. Before I do announce the two teams, let's run down the teams that will likely fall short of the goal. In the East, the Flyers will fall short for as long as their goaltending situation is unstable. Then again, these are the Flyers, and anything can happen. Just ask the Bruins. Washington will still light up the scoreboard, but without a second line center and stability in goal, don't expect them to make the Conference finals. Boston and Buffalo have goaltending to lean on, and that should serve them well. However, both teams' mental toughness is in question, so counting on them to make a deep run would be foolish at this point. The Lightning has the offense, but not the experience in the big games. So, in the East, the representative will be Pittsburgh. A better balance between offense and defense should really help here, and it doesn't hurt to have Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, either.
In the West, the Blackhawks are the champions until they are unable to defend their title. That may be before the Conference Finals, as a good part of their grit left this offseason, and questions of whether Marty Turco has anything left remain until he proves otherwise. Phoenix and Los Angeles have good teams, but too much youth to really make that deep playoff run. San Jose has all the tools, but until they actually make the Stanley Cup Finals, the whispers of the team's past will continue to haunt them come playoff time. Last year, injuries derailed Detroit's chance of making it three in a row for the Finals. And as much as Detroit should be in the Finals this year, what Jimmy Howard does will determine the Red Wings' fate. That leaves Vancouver, and before you think of calling me a Homer, understand that Vancouver is the most balanced of all the teams. Offensive firepower on the top two lines, a defense that offers as much offense as it does defense, and when it's on, a stellar goaltender. If the stars align as they should, the Canucks will be the West's representative.
Stanley Cup Finals prediction: Vancouver beats Pittsburgh 4-3
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