The NHL season is less than a week away and training camps have officially opened. One of the most interesting divisions in the league is the Southeast Division. Once looked upon as lopsided, the division has filled out and every team has the potential to be a major contender.
Florida Panthers
Last year's division winners face a harder battle to lock up a second straight playoff berth. The Panthers surprised the world when they won the Southeast crown on the strength of 38 victories and 94 points. They lost in the first round of the playoffs to eventual Eastern Conference winners NJ Devils.
One of the major reasons for the team's success was the rejuvenation of goalkeeper Jose Theodore who won 22 games with a 2.46 goals against average and a 91.7 save percentage. The goalie also pitched three shutouts. He will be back this season, but will be joined by top goalie prospect Jacob Markstrom who will push Theodore for the starting job.
The team will debut top prospect Jonathan Huberdeau who is coming off a solid World Juniors performance and has been an elite player in the CHL. The team was relatively quiet in the off-season but will hope to get repeat performances from Kris Versteeg, Stephen Weiss, and Brian Campbell. The biggest loss in the off season was Jason Garrison who went to Vancouver.
Florida is a wild card in this division. Tampa Bay should bounce back and Carolina has improved tremendously. Washington should also battle for the crown.
Washington Capitals
The Capitals once held a stranglehold on this division but the decline of star winger Alex Ovechkin has made this team look weak. They managed a first round playoff victory over the defending champions, but are in a tougher division this season.
The addition of Adam Oates as head coach will hopefully propel Ovechkin to new offensive highs and the addition of Mike Ribeiro should give this team the second line center they desperately need, Washington remains a bit top heavy and still lacks a solid defense. John Carlson and Karl Alzner will do the majority of the heavy lifting on the backend, but the rest of the team will need to pitch in to help this team regain its division crown. Goalie Braden Holtby will be counted on to perform as he did in the playoffs.
Tampa Bay Lightning
The lone bright spot in Tampa Bay's dreadful 2011-12 season was the 60 goal season from Steven Stamkos. The star center should close in on 30-plus this season but the rest of the team will also need to contribute offensively. Vincent Lecavalier is the team's captain and highest paid player and must regain his offensive form. He had just 49 points in 64 games last season and hardly resembles the all-star he was a few seasons ago.
Last year, the Lightning allowed a league-high 281 goals despite posting a winning record. To cure those problems, general manager Steve Yzerman brought in Matt Carle, Sami Salo, and Dmitry Korobov to fill out the weak defense. Anders Lindback was also signed to start in goal for the team.
This team stands to do better than it did last season, but defense and goalkeeping remain major question marks.
Carolina Hurricanes
The Hurricanes went from being the worst team in this division to having a chance at winning the crown. Over the summer the team made the big trade for Penguins center Jordan Staal and subsequently signed him to a 10-year extension. The team also brought in enigmatic winger Alex Semin to round out what could be a dynamic offense.
On the defensive side of the puck, the team signed Joe Corvo and Marc-Andre Gragnani. Goalie Cam Ward will be expected to carry this team as he has in years past, but the he may get more offensive support this time around. Expect the Hurricanes to compete for the division title this season.
Winnipeg Jets
The Jets are easily the weakest team in the division and have some serious troublemakers in their locker rooms. Days after getting a massive five year contract extension, Pavelec was arrested for drunk driving. Star winger Evander Kane is also reviled in the city and defenseman Dustin Byfuglien has been questioned over his discipline and conditioning.
The team should benefit from the addition of Mark Schiefele who had a solid run at the World Juniors, but this team does not have enough to be a top contender in this division. Pavelec has yet to prove himself as an elite goalie and that is where the biggest hole could be this season.
Predictions
1. Tampa Bay Lightning
2. Carolina Hurricanes
3. Washington Capitals
4. Florida Panthers
5. Winnipeg Jets
- Contribute to this Story:
- Send us a tip
- Send us a photo or video
- Suggest a correction
