2007-08 NHL PREDICTIONS

I'll be the first to admit that hockey is difficult to predict. When it comes to football and baseball, certain franchises either spend more or have a solid system in place. Hockey features mostly players from other countries and they draft people we in America know very little about.
The NHL has virtually zero coverage, especially on television and print. Even worse, each team depends greatly on a goalie. Think Khabibulin, J.S. Guigere, Ward or Kiprusoff in the playoffs. Basically, a hot goalie can carry a team in the regular season and playoffs. It's difficult to forecast, but I will do my best despite little insight with all the other sports ongoing. Though it may seem as a cop out, most of the teams from last year will make the playoffs again. But I'm sure even the experts would agree on that.
Eastern Conference
(Teams 1-6 are a near given but all others are a crap shoot, 7-15 is truly up in the air)

1. OTTAWA- will win conference if Emery can stay hot and healthy, a big if.
2. PITTSBURGH- young and talented, can score at will, but Fleury is a ?.
3. ATLANTA- average team wins poor division
4. BUFFALO- even with key offseason departures, loaded with talent
5. NY RANGERS- very good team on paper but defense could spell troubles
6. NEW JERSEY- brodeur can only take them so far this year
7. CAROLINA- can they stay healthy
8. WASHINGTON- young and exciting club may sneak in this year
9. PHILADELPHIA- could win southeast division if they were in it
10. FLORIDA- outside shot at division
11. MONTREAL- could challenge buffalo and ottawa if goaltending steady
12. BOSTON- if Murray stays healthy and both veteran goalies perform, look out
13. TORONTO- once again, good offense poor defense, is toskala answer?
14. TAMPA BAY- can score at will but they need a #1 goaltender
15. NY ISLANDERS- good goalie but too may questions

Western Conference

(6 awesome clubs then a slow decline, again, 7-15 are a crap shoot)

1. ANAHEIM- stacked club, won't repeat
2. DETROIT- how far can hasek take them, no cup here, can score at will
3. VANCOUVER- luongo is top tier but team can't score, much like last year
4. SAN JOSE- no better or worse than last season, should go far
5. DALLAS- turco is back but team did little in offseason to improve
6. MINNESOTA- much like last year but it's a difficult conference
7. NASHVILLE- lost forsberg, kariya and vokoun but still good enough for playoff spot
8. CALGARY- many questions remain
9. EDMONTON- like the souray signing but team may miss one of the last 2 spots
10. ST. LOUIS- young and future bright, expect to hover around .500
11. COLORADO- everyone like's em' but they need a steady tender'
12. COLUMBUS- rebuilding, but the foundation was never truly built
13. LOS ANGELES-rebuilding but need to find a goaltender
14. CHICAGO- give them one more year and they will be scary, a la st. louis
15. PHOENIX- franchise stuck in the mud, too young, need a real stopper