Not by division... Not by Conference... (12-13 peek ahead)

...but by caliber of team... team performance potential... team stability... coaching stability... GM stability and PERFORMANCE... injury history (age of team included)... Franchise financial stability... Drafted players impact... Additions and subtractions in the FA period...and YOUR GUT FEELING...

Who can we put on a premature list... of teams that have a serious potential to win 16 of thier first 28 game in the upcoming 2012-13 season.

Given that these teams can OPEN a season on a Cup winning type of run... and that they survive the remainder of the regular season and qualify for the playoffs... they should be mentioned in the short list of potential Cup Champs for next season.

And if they have a major shortcoming that would hinder them... List it as well (as in Kings scoring problems... which they corrected during last season prior to the run for the Cup).

1) - I'll start with the Kings who look to have the ability to field almost the exact same team as they used in these past playoffs to win it all.

They stayed injury free during the playoffs and are one of the younger teams in the NHL when compared to other serious contenders. The franchise is doing well financially and does not have major cap issues of FR issues for this upcoming season. They chould resing many of thier FR's and with Penner being thier only true question mark for now. They also learned that they don't need to worry about being at the top of the heap with a # 1 seed since they can handle the raod which is something they have done well for years now,

2) - And now I'll bring uo New Jersey who slide right on in and did what they do bext these past playoffs... they survive. The team itself is very gifted with a group of hardworking players who can disrupt and frustrate many offensive minded teams. The only down thing on the ice for them is that they must make thier gameplan work of they fall apart easy. And with Brodeur they have either a proven winning Vet in goal OR some guy who seems overwhelmed by a hard pressing offensive attack. Thier franchise is in dire need of funding and they have many big names to try and resigh with new contracts as well. If they can keep it together next season they could easily wind up back at the finals.

3) - NYRangers... Solid in goal and decent on defense they lack the ability to turn on thier offense when needed... and to keep it going that way in normal situation whithout playing from behind and needing a goal. Despite scoring problems I expect the RAgs to be alot the Atlantic again next season and just maybe with the infamous Presidents Trophy.

Phoenix Coyotes who saw Smith turn into a upper end netminder ONLY since he now had a team full of players commited to winning Coyote Ugly (unlike in TB where they atack, atack, attack... and sometimes help out on defense. The biggie in the desert is in them finding an owener and then finding out what kind of ownership they will try and become... one who simply goes throught the motions of ownership to make money marketing a team... or gathering players who can make success happen and allow marketing to just ride thier tails. Will the new owners be spenders to try and win... on thrifty and just make a buck on the season. Phoenix needs to be more consistant and learn to not depend of streaks, The should be more consistent vs each team every night and then they will get more serious consideration. You can play only so much going backwards... before you must sustain some kind of offensive attack on the other teams D&G.

In brief I've coverered all 4 conference finalist for the 2012 playoffs... Next... are the teams that lost in the conference semi's... St.Louis, Washington, Nashville... and Philadelphia.

4) - PHX aws # 4 (see above)

5 ) - Two years ago the Blues were money on the ROAD and this past season they were money at HOME... How doe's that happen to a team many considered a serious contender in 2012. Once in the Playoffs the sustained injuries to two key players and the team was NOT the same. Therefore they lack some serious depth and need to cinsider some potential FA singings after taking care of thier own FA's as well. The are decent on D&G but could always use an upgarde there... expecially one that they can rely on to carry the puck out of thier own zone and begin the attacks on the oppo's end of the rink. Adding the ability to press and forecheck coulds solve some goalscoring issues that they also have.

6) - Washington... The Caps have done a complete 180 in thier style of play over the last two seasons going from an all out offensive minded team to an all out defensive team that more resembles a soccer game style. Personally I miss the wide open offense but I can understand why they've doen this. My only question is why can't they play both ways in the same game...??? Have they completely lost the ability to play attacking offense altogether...??? One other question that I have is "If they play so well on defense now... then why are they blowing late leads so often..."? They have the talent... but are no where near having the chemistry and ability to play as a team that can change gear and style when it is needed of them to do so. They sorely lack the two-way types of players that they need.

7) - Nashville is another riddle wrapped in an inigma... They have a solid system by so many times they allowed teams to take them out of thier system and it was done so easily that it seemed to be way to easy to rock and sock em into playing confused. The frustration show by Riene in the Pred net in hese past playoffs was a result of Phoenix taking it to Nashville and taking them out of thier game. The Preds need to learn how to adapt and imporvise so they can regain control of games when thier normal style fails them. They need to get back to the basics and do the SMALL thing right throughout the game and that will lead to better success for them... It's not hard to see what needs to be done with the Preds.

8) - Philadelphia... Now here's a space case to solve. They have enough offense to compete with the best of teams... But when you keep kicking in front doors only to find the enemy having parties around you own net... it can immediately deflate any team that relies on goalscoring to win. Heck... They must feel as if the are playing with a rubber buoy in thier own net and that it might get in front of a oppo's shot OR bounce the wrong way and just let all the flood past right on by him and into the net. They inked Brysgalov to a big longterm deal and I'm sure they had written in a clause for him to get a bus ticket out of town and broke if he was gonna play as he has. The gut is one of the laziest bastard in Goal that I've ever seen... and did I forget to say that he's also overtly stupid as well.

I have now completedr the Top 8 teams from these most recent playoffs... I will continue with the remainding teams later... and after I'm done with all the teams in the NHL then I'll make the short list of eventual Cup Contenders for the 12-13 season...

PEACE

NO-thing on the Penguins? Vokoun should be an upgrade as a "backup" goalie who will hopefully "push" Fleury and can play 25% of regular season games.

we need "defensive D" and SIZE with SKILL at wing. Center is obviously set with Crosby, Malkin and Staal IF Crosby stays healthy. people might think I'm NUTS BUT I would make a play for the Hosersharks Dominic Moore and the Devils Alex Ponikarovsky. Moore is a good all-around defensive forward who can score some and I think "Pono" resurrected his career this season with New Jersey. he would look good on a wing with Geno and would add some needed size to the forwards.

btw, unless something really WIERD happens, I think the Kings repeat next year BUT hopefully play someone else besides the Devils in the finals.

My apologizes for offending anyone with these previous note that I've written in this thread... I was highly inebriated and my motor skills were highly slacking as were my eyelids at the time.

I have again ventured into the world of alcohol tonight and am about to give a hasty look at some MLB games for Sunday before I make my tickets... Then I will fight off sleep as usual and see who wins the battle of the eyelids. I have not been friends with sleep for a long time.

This has been an an enjoyable weekend for me in the natural world however the gambling world has done a number on me with some cruel tickets that failed in ways which are equivalent to getting root canal work done first thing in the morning on a Monday before going to work.

I also appreciate any and all opinions and information that are serious in nature regarding this thread... My best ever wagers were won because I was able to bounce ideas off of a friend who also benefited from our exchanges of opinions.

My intention is not to look for tips on futures for the upcoming NHL season... but rather I am looking for a better understanding of what these teams are capable of and how I can expect them to perform on a night to night basis once the blades hit the ice for real in October.

We all understand that some horses will come out of the gate on fire (I am looking for those) and some will fade away (I'd like to know which to expect to do that) and some will linger with question marks until the season is at risk in March and April (these can be gems to us all).

There is a "viral" (I dislike the term) song out these days that I think is called "Call Me Maybe"... But what we all need is an understanding of the upcoming season and "Those" teams that make us say "Call Me Crazy... but..."

IN a worst case scenario this will just be banter for the summer months that helps keep us sharp as to the onging activities of teams so that we know who to keep our eyes on come October.

I will attempt to keep this thread going in the off-season... but again... Please forgive my recent backsliding into alcohol use these past few days and the way it affects my writing here.