So, while it still may be a little too early to start making preseason predictions due to teams still signing significant free agents (such as LA signing Willie Mitchell and Vancouver signing Raffi Torres today), I think that most teams are pretty much set or at a point where their rosters can be guessed. So I'll start my predictions, with who I think will be 15th in each conference.
Western Conference: Edmonton Oilers
While I think the Oilers will finish last this year, it's a very exciting time to be an Oilers fan. They drafted Taylor Hall first overall this past draft, who will likely be a dynamic scoring winger. They also have Jordan Eberle and Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson signed to contracts, both of who are also rookie forwards that are expected to become premier scorers. The team will also boast the return of Ales Hemsky who missed most of last year due to injury. And as long as Dustin Penner can keep his rediscovered scoring touch from last year, this should be a fun team to watch on any given night.
However, the team still lacks depth at center. Neither Gilbert Brule or Shawn Horcoff can be expected to be top line centers, while it's also hard to pencil in a rookie into that position. Also the young guns are bound to go through stretches where they struggle to put points on the board, as all rookies not named Crosby and Ovechkin do. Resigning Mike Comrie (who recently married Hilary Duff) for another year could help provide a little more depth.
Yet, the team has bigger questions at defense and goaltending. The Oilers have been trying to move defenseman Sheldon Souray all summer, and have so far been unsuccessful. Due to his hefty contract for the next two years, it seems unlikely any team will be willing to take him on. This is a problem because Souray has expressed his dismay with the way the organization has treated him since he suffered an injury. This is also a black mark on the organization because the team has enough trouble luring in big free agents - in fact Souray was the only big name they've been able to acquire the past few summers. Ryan Whitney, Kurtis Foster, Tom Gilbert, Ladislav Smid, and Jim Vandermeer make up the rest of the defensive corps, and none of them can really be considered a top pairing defenseman.
Meanwhile, the team has three signed goaltenders. Nikolai Khabibulin was decent before he got hurt last year, but he's been injured quite often the past few years so his health is a concern. He is also battling a DUI which may lead to a lack of focus. Jeff Deslauriers showed some promise, but isn't a number one goalie yet while Devan Dubynk seems to project as a back-up.
Of course, a lot of things could go right for the Oilers that could lead them to having a good season. But, every other team in the Western Conference has legitimate hopes of making the playoffs, whereas the Oilers are content to start building through youth. I'm thinking the Oilers will keep rebuilding this year and finishing last in the conference will help them do just that as they'll be assured a lottery pick.
Eastern Conference: Florida Panthers
The Panthers are similar to the Oilers. They had a top three pick this past draft (Erik Gudbranson), and are a team that is definitely rebuilding. There is reason to be excited as current GM Dale Tallon is the man who built the Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks. He worked quickly to acquire a plethora of picks in this past draft, and acquired a solid NHL ready prospect in Michael Grabner from Vancouver.
In the process of acquiring the aforementioned assets though, he gave up power forward Nathan Horton and possibly the clubs best defenseman in Keith Ballard. Tallon will likely continue to pursue making trades that benefit the team in the future and could be very busy at the trade deadline as the Panthers will have a great deal of players who could be useful rentals in: Tomas Vokoun, Bryan McCabe, Cory Stillman, Steve Bernier, Radek Dvorak, Chris Higgins, and Marty Reasoner. While unlikely, it wouldn't entirely surprise me to see most of those players dealt at some point this year for draft picks and prospects.
With the Panthers obviously in just the beginning phases of their rebuild, it's hard to see them anywhere besides the bottom of the standings this year.
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