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There's bound to be some turnover in playoff teams in 2010. There is every year. So, who's in and who's out next spring? Let's break it down in the Eastern Conference.

• Penguins, Capitals, Flyers, and Bruins are locks.
• Devils and Hurricanes are good bets.
• Islanders, Lightning and Thrashers are extreme long shots at best
• That leaves 6 teams to scrap it out for 2 spots.

Who's Out:

NY Rangers
There's little reason (outside of the crease) to believe the Rangers are legitimate playoff contenders this year. They're pinning all their offensive hopes on a guy who averages 40 games a season. Depth is not a strong point, and the defense is not among the better half in the East. So, unless Lundqvist can rack up 10 or more shutouts and win a buttload of games on his own, the Rangers will be sitting it out next spring.

Toronto Maple Leafs
Burke is well on his way to changing the destiny of the Leafs, but he's still a season a way from seeing a few extra home games in April. The Leafs will scrap their way to about 40 wins and will stay in the playoff picture all season, but they'll ultimately fall short one more time.

Montreal Canadiens
It's hard to pinpoint which of Gainey's moves in 2009 was the biggest mistake. Firing Carboneau? His own coaching performance through the round 1 sweep? $25 million to Brian Gionta? Brian Gionta??? And it won't take long for Montreal fans to realize that Gill and Spacek are no replacement for all the talent they've lost on the blueline in the past season or two. As surprising as it was to see the Canadiens fall so far so fast last season, it would be more shocking to see them turn it around with the team they've assembled. Dark days ahead for Habs fans. (Bring on the hate mail).

Buffalo Sabres
It seems like the Sabres exist solely for the excitement of the stretch drive to the playoffs. They're always right on the border, and lately, they've fallen down on the southern side. Unfortunately for Sabres fans, it may be the same song in 2010. The Sabres did next to nothing in the offseason to give this team some help to right the ship.


Who's In:

Florida Panthers
The Panthers have been knocking on the door for the past two season, and it's time for that door to open. They played incredibly well down the stretch and seem ready to be a serious contender next season. Even with the departure of Bouwmeester, the Florida defense is sound enough, while the goaltending is solid. The Panthers should be just good enough to give hockey fans in Miami their first look at the playoffs in many, many years.

Ottawa Senators
It may very well come down to the wire to decide the final spot between the Senators and the Sabres, but I'd look for the Senators to rebound and get back into the playoff picture next season. Assuming they can put the Heatley distraction behind them in the next several months, this team should pick up where they left off late last season, when they began winning again under the new coaching staff. The goaltending should be vastly improved with the introduction of Pascal Leclaire, and the team is well balanced enough to slide into the final spot.


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Filed Under:   2010 preview   playoff bubble  
August 21, 2009 8:59 AM ET | Delete
It's funny because I totally agree with your who's out and disagree with your who's in...but someone has to make it...definitely is a big jump down from the top 6 teams to everyone else. Any of these teams could make it, but OTT and FLA I just can't ever put faith in, the Panthers are the almost team and will be again!
August 21, 2009 9:00 AM ET | Delete
the panthers r in !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! hope u r kidding or at least i hope u r a panthers ' fan !!!!!!ottawa too !!i guess that everything is possible in the world where (possibly)the best player of the team do not want to be part of the team next year yet they r making the playoffs they didn't made it last year !!!guess the atmosphere is WAY better in ottawa for next season!!whar r u smoking ???
August 21, 2009 9:05 AM ET | Delete
how can u explain to me that ottawa or florida r better than tampa bay ???plesae explain this to me bcoz i don't get it !!even atlanta has a better shot than florida ......
August 21, 2009 9:34 AM ET | Delete
August 21, 2009 9:38 AM ET | Delete
You mean to tell me the Panthers are better than the Rangers... Come onEven if Gabby doesn't play the entire season and only plays 60-70 games scoring 50 in an offensive system.... having the King in net will get the rangers at least the 8 spot.....
August 21, 2009 9:53 AM ET | Delete
In general, though Buffalo, Montreal, Toronto, and Ottawa really hold each other's fates in their hands because they are all in the same division and play each other often. Whoever capitalizes within the division should come out on top in the playoff spot. That is a key factor in all of this.
August 21, 2009 10:21 AM ET | Delete
August 21, 2009 10:27 AM ET | Delete
The Rangers and Devils are the only teams in the East to make the playoffs every year since the lockout. They have Marty. We have Hank. We'll both be in.
August 21, 2009 10:41 AM ET | Delete
Don't worry, I am taking names of all the people who predict the Rangers will miss the playoffs.....I am going to have a lot of fun reminding people next April.
August 21, 2009 10:50 AM ET | Delete
August 21, 2009 11:30 AM ET | Delete
your rigth jimbo.. makes no sence.. weve made the playoffs 4 years ina row.. and weve only become a better team... we have 7 20 goal scorers.. and dubinsky will be one to, so thats 8..8 twenty goal scorers hank in net staal and girardi on D = playoffs..lmao florida and ottawa ahead of the raners.. can i have that list jimbo
August 21, 2009 11:34 AM ET | Delete
can i ask how the devils are good bets and the rangers arent? go look at their team.. its awful.. and florida got 9th last year.. and lost their best player.. so how are they gonna get 7th.. and ottawas best player doesnt wanna be there... kovalev is NO heatley.. not even close.. and for some reason eveyone thinks phillys a lock.. um.. look at their goalie... the guy blows... u cant win without a good goalie..
August 21, 2009 11:40 AM ET | Delete
August 21, 2009 11:42 AM ET | Delete
were a much better team.. we sohuld have beaten the caps.. were up 3-1 in the series.. and we have a better team than last year.. lets look at last years opening night roster...naslund gomez zherdevdawes drury callahankorpikoski dubinsky vorosorr betts sjostromfritsche pruchastaa girardiredden roszivalmara kalinin
August 21, 2009 11:43 AM ET | Delete
now this years....higgins prospal gaborikavery drury kotalikdubinsky anisimov callahanbrashear boyle byerslisin vorosredden roszivalstaal girardigilroy potter/hikkanen/sauer/delzotto/sanguinetti..
August 21, 2009 11:54 AM ET | Delete
August 21, 2009 11:55 AM ET | Delete
so we have the same goalies.. our defense.. which was one of the best in the league.. we only scorerd the league lowest 200 goals and made the playoffs.. has only gotten better... the top 4 are still there.. and kalinin was TERRIBLE last year if u watched the games.. god awful.. and mara was a typical 6th guy who could be replaced..
August 21, 2009 11:55 AM ET | Delete
August 21, 2009 11:56 AM ET | Delete
now compare the offense..dawes to avery.. i rather have averygomez to gaborik... i rather have gaborikzherdev to prospal.. pretty even.. slight edge to zherdevnaslund to higgins.. pretty even the last few years.... higgins works harderkorpikoski to lisin.. seriously.. much rather have lisin.. 13 goals in 40 games...
August 21, 2009 11:56 AM ET | Delete
prucha to kotalik.. much much much rather have kotalik.. orr to brashear.. brashears a much better enforcer..betts for boyle.. betts was cool on the PP.. but couldnt score.. boyles 6'7" and he can..sjostrom for anisimov.. anisimovs more skilled.. point per game in the ahl and is 6'3"fritsche for byers. or arnason.. much rather have byers or arnason
August 21, 2009 11:57 AM ET | Delete
voros dubinsky callahan drury are still there... so if u look at it.. were a much better team.. MUCH.. its become like the cool thing to do to predict the rangers missing the playoffs for the first time in 5 years... but u guys jsut look like fools...
August 21, 2009 12:15 PM ET | Delete
I get a pretty good feeling about the Senators... if Pascal LeClaire stays healthy, they have a game-breaker in net, which they haven't had since... well... ever. If the proposed Heatley trade with Edmonton or Minnesota actually passes then they have spread around extra talent in a lineup that has a great 'skill-disparity' and even if they don't manage to trade him, they have addressed some of their secondary scoring issues with the acquisition of enigmatic Alexei Kovalev.
August 21, 2009 4:00 PM ET | Delete
August 21, 2009 4:05 PM ET | Delete
Message Postedso now that the rangers have found out the hard way that throwing money at big time players that have no chemistry doesn't work ( drury naslund gomez redden etc.) they go sign gaborik and expect Dubinsky to feed him the puck, and then sisnce the rangers have no depth to fill in for their 7 million dollar man, they'll go trading more prospects and picks and lowers tier players to replace him, leaving them again with no depth
August 21, 2009 4:09 PM ET | Delete
Message that's y the panthers devils sabres and ottowa are all better than the rangers because they have homegrown talent and players that were raised through their farm teams and have played with eachother thief whole careeres and so they have chemistry, and that's the reason y they lost their 3-1 lead on the caps
August 21, 2009 4:11 PM ET | Delete
August 21, 2009 4:14 PM ET | Delete
Ranger fans are just like jets fans, they go sign big name all star players and then when it doesn't work they find excuses, and then they add more players and think there gonna win the stanly cup or super bowl, jets, sign farce and they say they have the superbowl locked up, then when they suck they use there excuses, then they go draft sanchez and think their good again
August 21, 2009 4:16 PM ET | Delete
Rangers sign redden drury naslund gomez and think their gonna win the cup, the. They come up with excuses, then they trade away gomez, sign gaborik and now then think there gonna win the stanly cup
August 21, 2009 4:19 PM ET | Delete
Same thing with Tampa last season and now with montreal this season
August 21, 2009 4:56 PM ET | Delete
I think it's going to be Tampa
August 21, 2009 11:05 PM ET | Delete
August 22, 2009 5:11 AM ET | Delete
Montreal and the Rangers are in much the same boat. They both finished just in the playoffs last year, dismantled their coaching staff, their entire first line and much of the rest of the team. Now, on paper they are both better this year than last year. I find it unlikely that neither team will find enough chemistry to improve on last year. And if either one does improve then they're in the playoffs.
August 22, 2009 7:41 AM ET | Delete
August 22, 2009 9:52 AM ET | Delete
You have to stop obsesing over what the teams look like on paper, cailuse the teams are practically never what they are on paper. Look at the devils. They sucked on paper last year and again this year. But they were still good last year and will be again this year
August 22, 2009 4:24 PM ET | Delete
The Sabres have done next to nothing??? We needed toughness and we added that in Mike Grier, Steve Montador and Cody McCormick. And we aren't even done adding players
August 22, 2009 4:36 PM ET | Delete
Plus, the sabres misses the layoffs by two points. A healthy point per game connaly and a healthy miller down the stretch and I can see the sabres at a 5 spot. Everyone thinks we've done nothing by adding small needs, but we also lost our dead weight in afinaganov and nummunen, now if only we could get rid of Hecht and get marleo or kabrle or sykora, I like our chances alot
August 22, 2009 4:39 PM ET | Delete
And as much as I like peters he's gone two
August 22, 2009 7:10 PM ET | Delete
If you really think the Rangers aren't going to make the playoffs, then you don't deserve anyone reading your blog. Ottawa?? Are you kidding??? Maybe you should actually watch hockey before writing a blog about it.
August 22, 2009 9:36 PM ET | Delete
the rangers suck get over it already
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