[Tommy]

1 Tampa Bay Lightning -

The Stanley Cup champs get the benefit of the doubt, but losing their No. 1 goalie could be a problem.

2 Philadelphia Flyers -
If Forsberg and the key players stay healthy, this team could be too powerful to stop.

3 Ottawa Senators -
Super talent that has largely stayed together now they have Hasek, who may or may not make the difference.

4 San Jose Sharks -
They won't be below the radar forever. The Sharks are young, fast, well coached and they were really a lot closer than people realize before the lockout.

5 Vancouver Canucks -
Naslund and Bertuzzi are back along with all the other core players who have made the Canucks a powerhouse in recent seasons.

6 Calgary Flames -

Don't call them a Cinderella team anymore. With Iginla, Kiprusoff and a defense to die for, the Flames will be hot again.

7 Boston Bruins -
They had to cough up some dough, but Boston brought back critical players Joe Thornton and Andrew Raycroft and added some really fine help.

8 Detroit Red Wings -
The aging lineup still looks impressive, but will it hold up when the real season begins in April?

9 Pittsburgh Penguins -
The scariest sight in the league for goalies this year might be seeing this team's power play unit out on the ice.

10 Montreal Canadiens -
The quiet rebuilding job Montreal has undertaken in recent seasons has already paid dividends, but there is potential for much more this year.

11 Nashville Predators -
If Paul Kariya can regain his form under the new rules, the young and maturing Predators could be this year's biggest surprise.

12 Atlanta Thrashers -
Atlanta's always-lacking blue line is much improved this year and Hossa and Bondra add firepower, but if Kovalchuk stays home, it won't mean much.

13 Chicago Blackhawks -
Chicago got serious about upgrading its talents, and did so while managing to hang on to most of the good young players it has been developing.

14 New York Islanders -
The defense is no longer a strength, but if Miroslav Satan clicks with Alexei Yashin, it might not matter.

15 Edmonton Oilers -
The prettiest sight in hockey this year will be Edmonton's Chris Pronger connecting on a home-run pass.

16 Colorado Avalanche -
Joe Sakic and Rob Blake are getting the big bucks this year, and they'll really have to earn them.

17 Los Angeles Kings -
If the older guys can still find ways to score, the Kings will be a royal pain to a lot of teams.

18 Anaheim Mighty Ducks -
Their biggest concern is whether goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere can get over the one-hit wonder syndrome.

19 New Jersey Devils -
No matter how well run this organization is, losing Scott Niedermayer and Scott Stevens at the same time is a lot to overcome quickly.

20 Florida Panthers -
With a slew of new veteran leaders, Florida has created a good environment for its young talent to mature in.

21 Dallas Stars -
They're older, no less expensive and not necessarily ideally suited for the new NHL.

22 Toronto Maple Leafs -
They have money to burn and no matches. Maybe the cheap gambles on Lindros and Allison will pay off. Otherwise, watch the Leafs crumble.

23 Columbus Blue Jackets -
Adam Foote will enjoy counting his money and watching Rick Nash head a short list of great young players that is still a year or two away.

24 Phoenix Coyotes -
This is one of those rare teams where the coach is a bigger draw than the players.

25 Minnesota Wild -
They actually have some great wheels here, which is important under the new rules, but undoing the defense-first mindset could take some time.

26 Carolina Hurricanes -
For some reason, the 2002 Stanley Cup Finals seem so much longer than three years ago.

27 New York Rangers -
Normally, a show like this on Broadway would close about as quickly as it opened.

28 Buffalo Sabres -
If nothing else, the new CBA and a deep-pocketed owner means the franchise is stable.

29 St. Louis Blues -
The 25 consecutive years of playoff appearances should provide enough memories to tide over them through the absence this year.

30 Washington Capitals -
This team might be better off in the AHL, but at least Ovechkin will be worth watching.

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