NHL Southeast Preseason Rankings

We whip out the ol' crystal ball to look at what lies ahead for the teams of the Southeast Division. By Bryan Rubin

Flickr/Keith Allison

1. Washington Capitals 
Led by Alexander Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, and Alexander Semin, the Capitals expect to once again have one of the most explosive offenses in the league, but uncertainty still lies with goaltending. Washington acquired veteran goaltender Tomas Vokoun during the offseason, but his age, 35, may catch up to him. The Caps will go however far Vokoun takes them. The franchise has had only one Stanley Cup Finals appearance (1997-98) in its 36-year history, and if Ovi and company fail to take them there in 2012, expect major changes in Washington (cough*bye Boudreau*cough).


2. Tampa Bay Lightning
Although it will be hard to repeat last year’s dream season, Tampa made it to the conference finals, the Lightning are hands down the second best team in the Southeast Division. Steven Stamkos returns after a somewhat chaotic offseason to lead the young, but experienced team. The Bolts had 10 different players score at least 10 goals last season. If role players such as Teddy Purcell and Simon Gagne continue to provide support for the top line, the Bolts should go far yet again.


3. Florida Panthers
The Florida who? Trust me, you’ll know by March. Though the Panthers haven’t made the postseason since 2000, that all should change this season. Yes, I said it. After having one of the busiest offseason’s in the league, the Florida Panthers have finally put the pieces in place to make some noise in the East. The mix of veterans like defenseman Ed Jovanovski and goaltender Jose Theodore along with young skilled players like Tomas Fleischman and Kris Versteeg give the Panthers a legitimate chance to contend in the Eastern Conference. Anybody ready for some playoff hockey in south Florida? 


4. Winnipeg Jets
The Jets are back in Winnipeg, but still in the Eastern Conference for the ime being. Formerly the Atlanta Thrashers, the Jets hope to revitalize a city that has been without hockey since 1996. It would be a great feel-good story to see the Jets do well in their first season back in the league, but in a competitive East, I just don’t see the Jets finishing in the top eight. EP is a huge fan of defenseman in Dustin Byfuglien and a veteran captain in Andrew Ladd. Some would call our obsession with Buffy unhealthy. Those people would be right.  


5. Carolina Hurricanes
The Hurricanes improved in the offseason  by signing defenseman Thomas Kaberle and Joni Pitkanen. But Cam Ward and the defense alone can’t take the Canes to the Promised Land in the post-lockout NHL. Outside Eric Staal and Jeff Skinner, Carolina doesn’t have the firepower to keep up in a division with the likes of Ovechkin and Stamkos. Carolina will win some games, but the playoffs are a long-shot.