THE NHL CONTENDERS

Now for the teams that made the playoffs last year; who will make a run for the cup? Which teams have acquired that special player that will take them to the finals? Which teams are perennial contenders and which teams are rebuilding or past their prime? Here's my opinion on the matter:

Chicago- Havlat out, Hossa in- Will Hossa be able to put the past two final losses behind him? The Hawks are a fast, young team, with talent on defense and offense. Provided their goaltending holds up, look out!

Pittsburgh- Crosby and Malkin....can they do it again? They should advance to the semi-finals at a minimum.

Washington- Alexander Ovechkin has a good supporting cast with Nichlas Backstrom and Alexander Semin, and Mike Green at `rover`. Goaltending with Simeon Varlamov and defense is a question mark. Semi-finals are a possibility if defensive game holds up.

Detroit- Another year older, some good young players- but are they good enough to get to the final again? Maybe...but will certainly make the playoffs.

San Jose- How many times can they go to the well and come back empty before it's time to rethink things. Heatley can score goals, if his head is in the game. Thornton and Marleau must produce in the playoffs. This may be their year, but who knows.

Boston- Strong defense, strong goaltending, but offense could use a boost especially after the trade of Phil Kessel. But this is a strong team, capable of winning it all.

New Jersey- A traditional Devils team, solid goaltending and defense. Will that be enough? To get to the playoffs, probably....but not much further.

Vancouver- too much reliance on Luongo and the Sedins. Playoff bound, but needs more depth to advance more than a round or two unless Luongo stands on his head!

Philadelphia- solid team from top to bottom. Tough, fast and deep. Chris Pronger is a major addition. They will give Pittsburgh all they can handle. Could go all the way.


Calgary- probably the best defense in the league with Phaneuf, Bouwmeester and Regehr, and strong goaltending. But can they score? Iginla and Jokinen can`t do it alone. Playoffs, yes. But how far can they go.......


Carolina- solid team will make the playoffs, but don`t expect a repeat of last year`s playoff run

Montreal- Habs have been completely rebuilt since last year. Small, quick forwards may be physically worn out by playoff time. They`ll be in the running for a playoff spot with several other teams, but do they have enough to get there                              

St.Louis- a young, developing team. Not enough depth or scoring to qualify for the playoffs again.

Columbus- Rick Nash will have to carry them to the playoffs again. Good goaltending with Steve Mason (barring a sophomore jinx), improved team defense. It`s all about scoring. They`ll make a run at a playoff spot again.

Anaheim- big, strong and good defensively. Decent scoring depth with Getzlaf, Perry, Koivu, Ryan and old reliable Selanne. Could make some noise in the playoffs.


New York Rangers- not much improvement from last year. Marian Gaborik could be a factor if he remains healthy. Otherwise, the Rangers will be in the middle of the pack fighting for a playoff spot.