Before Ovechkin stepped into the scene as a big force in Washington, teams usually had easy time handling teams form the Southeast. The Southeast really proved you can't be a superstar with out a partner, a Robin to Batman if you will. Lecavlier cracked 100pts once, but certainly has not lived up to his 10mil a year salary. Kovalchuck & Hossa chemisty worked well, Hossa produced 100pts with Kovy once, but of course Hossa was traded and Kovalchuck is now a free agent. (Kovalchuck should hurry up and sign with LA. I can't get over the possibilities of the line of Smyth, Kopy and Kovy). Florida, well Jokinen isn't a superstar, but he was a star in Florida, being their all time point getter. Carolina is coming off a bad season, but Eric Staal is a poster boy of a Batman in need of a Robin (Jussi Jokinen is good, but not good enough). They also would have been a lot better had Ward not been injured. And well the Capitals, they are set for years, with Ovechkin playing in Washington for the next 11 years, and don't forget his centre Backstrom for the next 10. So let's look at how the other 4 teams of the Southeast will become a competitive division as a whole.
Florida Panthers:
Florida Panthers fans (if there are any) should be getting excited for the endless possibilities Dale Tallon can create for the Panthers. Of course for there is a possible downside, should Tallon create a champion in South Beach, there could be a cap problem like the Blackhawks have. But lets not worry about that; Tallon has only been GM for the Panthers for less than a year and has already changed the Panthers drastically, in a good way. Nathan Horton , Gregory Campbell for Dennis Wideman and Boston's 1st round pick ( Nick Bjugstad). Then Tallon virtually stole Michael Grabner and Steve Bernier from Vancouver for Keith "Tomahawk" Ballard and prospect Victor Oreskovich. Tallon had one of or the most successful drafts with drafting: Erik Gudbranson, Nick Bjugstad, Quiton Howden and John Macfarland. Hopefully Jacob Markstrom can compete in training camp for the no.1 job. But Tallon has said he would like to see him get some North American hockey in him first. So probably a few games in the AHL, then we could see a Tuukka Rask type season for Markstrom where he could take the no.1 role from Vokoun by the end of the season. Erik Gudbranson has a great chance of making the team, could be Robyn Regehr type of shutdown defenseman with scoring potential as well. I expect the Panthers to have better season than last, not too much but maybe racing for the 8th seed for the playoffs by the end of the season. After next season or maybe at the trade deadline pick up a great scoring forward. Possibly signing Brad Richards next July 1st?
Tampa Bay Ligthing:
Things are looking up, way up in fact for the Lightning since they last beat my Calgary Flames in 04 to hoist the Cup (well they didn't actually win the Cup, the Flames did). That "way up" I'm talking about is the emergence of Steven Stamkos, also his chemistry with the ever producing 35 year old Martin St. Louis; who has signed a 3 year extension with the Lightning and finally the hope that Vincent Lecavalier can get back in the groove; with the blessing of Yzerman challenging him to be better rather than trading him. I shouldn't forget, Victor Hedman the 2nd overall in the 2009 Draft hopefully having a Drew Doughty sophomore season next year. We also shouldn't forget Steve Downie, the great power forward who produced an unpredicted 46pts with the Lightning this year; oh yeah, 208 penalty minutes as well. The ultimate wild card would be Brett Connolly, taken 6th overall in this past draft. Connolly was the 1st 16 year old to score 30g and 20a in the WHL since Patrick Marleau. Connolly even though coming off his hip injury; he is turning heads at the prospect camp.
The only weak part of the Lightning roster is obviously the goaltending. Mike Smith couldn't turn into the no.1 goaltender they hoped when they traded for him, and who knows with Karri Ramo going to the KHL. They do have promising prospect in former World Junior star Riku Helenius and Dustin Tokarski former World Junior Star. Yzerman and Co. hopes they can be stars in the NHL. The Lightning have recently signed Dan Ellis so the Bolts have a two no.1 goaltender, I think Dan Ellis will do better in Tampa than Nashville with more playing time. So If Smith doesn't perform; we could see him put on waivers and either Helenius, Tokarski or if Ramo decides to play in the North America; be the back-up mid-way through the season.
Stamkos can surely match and even surpass his point total last year, so can St. Louis. The player that needs to improve is Lecavalier, and if he does look out because the Lightning will have 3 players capable of scoring 100pts or more. If Hedman can have a Doughty sophomore, or just a 40 to 50pts season will help the Lightning greatly in getting back in the playoffs. Mike Smith and Dan Ellis are the only unsure parts. Smith is a quality back-up and Ellis can be better with more games. So the Lightning could end up in the same position as last year if the their goaltending produces the same numbers; but don't expect Yzerman to watch that unfold if it were to happen.
Carolina Hurricanes
The Hurricanes are tough to figure, they can be like the Calgary of the old where (when they went to the Cup Final) where their goalie steals the show often and 3-2,2-1 and 1-0 a lot. Or it could go the complete opposite and Eric Staal can kick it into overdrive and scores like a franchise player he should score. Staal had a slow start last season, but come the halfway point, he flipped his switch and scores hat tricks by the plenty. When Staal goes down so does the Hurricanes, well half of the Hurricanes; the other half depends on Cam Ward. Thanks to Rick Nash, Cam Ward season was put a on hold for many weeks. That's a lot when the other anchor to the Hurricane ship Eric Staal isn't on his A-game.
Anyways, I can get off track, but what should we see Eric Staal's 70pts seasons go away. For a few reasons, 2 great prospects and an up an coming forward will get their chance to play. Zach Boychuk has produced great numbers in the AHL, we could see him crack the roster and play with Staal on the powerplay, and if they click put the two centre on the 1st line. Brandon Sutter has great potential playing his 1st season and is set to improve, with more playing time a top 6 forward, he could end up on the line with Staal produce point. Jeff Skinner the 70 goal man from his past OHL campaign (50g in the regular season and 20g in the playoffs) could possibly be the Robin for Eric Staal (Batman). He would just need to get used to playing the wing. But the most intriguing player is Jared Staal; yes ladies and gentleman there is are FOUR STAAL BROTHERS! Not many know much about him or know he even exist because of the shadows his older three brothers have casted. Jared was on the only brother not drafted in the 1st round; but being drafted in the 2nd is bad either. He also didn't make the NHL lineup as fast as his older bros, but Jared could be playing along side his older brother. Jared is a winger so that's a perfect fit for Eric, and the only way a really telling is how Jared shows in his development and training camp. He has produced consistent numbers scoring about 50pts every season. In the end the Hurricanes are only 4 years removed from a Stanley Cup victory, last season they defeated Boston in the 7th game overtime to face the Penguins in the Eastern Confrence Final. The success of every game and every season depends on the success of Eric Staal and Cam Ward.
Atlanta Thrashers
The Atlanta Bla-Thrashers I mean, have improved this offseason, I think? The Trades Atlanta made with Chicago certainly got them more grittier with Byfuglien, Eager, Ladd and Sopel. Grit is something Atlanta lacked, and only Evander Kane brought. Eager is the pure 3rd/4th line enforcer, Ladd is a power forward, Sopel has emerged like a Rob Scuderi; being a very good underrated defensive defenseman. Byfuglien had a great post season, a real clutch performer throughout the playoffs. Some people say he won't have the regular season equivalent as his last post season. People shouldn't forget he spent the season playing on defense and forward on and off. It wasn't till the end of the season and the start of the playoffs did he play with Toews and Kane and start scoring. Now he doesn't have the playmaking ability of Toews and Kane to give him the puck, but he definitley has some guys to work with. But the other Kane in the league, Evander Kane will only be 19 by next season and should improve on his 26pts from last season. A line of Antropov, Byfugflien and Kane seem like a great dynamic line that could certainly score and crunch you in the boards. So Byfuglien numbers won't be equivialent to ones he posted in the playoffs with Toews and Kane but could be come close with Nikolai Antropov and E.Kane.
The Kovalchuck trade wasn't as bad as I first thought it was, Niclas Bergfors looks like he can be a 30 goal scorer next year. Johnny Oduya looks even better than he did before with the potential shutdown pairing with him and Sopel. Patrice Cormier obviously has issues to resolve, but could be a great powerforward and should be feared by opposing players. The Thrashers aren't new to players with problems with law, Dany Heatley was involved in a deathly car accident that killed close-friend and teamate Dan Snyder in a car crash. Some players the Thrashers have some of the great players under 21 with Zach Bogosian and Evander Kane, great coming out of nowehere player Rich Peverley, amazing late round pick Tobias Enstrom, even Alexander Burmistrov has a great chance of making the roster and a goalie in Ondrej Pavelec who could be an elite talent with a defesive team (which Sopel should certainly help). Just Look at the effort and athletisism he puts in his game. They also have a great back-up or a 1a goaltender to take the load of Pavelec in Chris Mason. The Thrashers could be really good someday, they just need a little more defensive work and they still have players that haven't reached their full potential like Kane, Bogosian, Bergfors, Bryan Little, Pavelec and even Enstrom who scored 50pts last season could be a 60-70pts defenseman; who knows Rich Peverley could score 80pts one day.
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I give it 2 years time for the entire division to be competitive. Dale Tallon himself said it is his goal for teams not to think their on "vacation" when they come to Sunrise. With new GM and head coach in town, the Thrashers are finally making trades have finally lots of players to be excited about. Lightning should be the first to get out of the Southeast "cake-walk" stigmal; with all their highend talent, it is just their goaltending to worry about. Finally the Hurricanes need what they've always needed: consistent Eric Staal and somebody to play with him, a healthy Cam Ward and come to think of it; who's the Hurricanes best defenseman? Yeah they need one of those too. All in all Tampa Bay, Carolina, and MAYBE Atalnata depending on how their former Blackhawks and defensive system plays out will contend for a playoff spot. But expect Florida to still be in contention for a lotter pick or close to it. What else does this mean? Well it could mean if they start being competitive, the whole rumours of Atlanta, Florida and Tampa Bay relocation to go out the window if the fans start noticing and show up to games.
