Division Analysis: Southeast

Well with less than a week before the deadline, there have already been a plethora of moves made that have and will have impacts on their respective teams. The Southeast division has the potential to send three teams to the playoffs for the first time in a while, and surprisingly Washington is not the head of the pack. The Tampa Bay Lightning, managed by rookie GM Steve Yzerman and led on the ice by Steven Stamkos and Marty St. Louis are first in the division. Washington is not far behind, only trailing by a single point. Atlanta is fighting Carolina for the 8th and final playoff spot, while Florida is having yet another mediocre season.

Steven Stamkos just seems to improve with every season he has in the league.
The third year pro is on his way to challenge his career highs set just last year. He already has 40 goals and 75 points in 59 games this season, on pace for 56 goals. Marty St. Louis is Stamkos' partner in crime and the two of them create a deadly line with Steve Downie. Ryan Malone, Vincent Lecavalier, Teddy Purcell and Sean Bergenheim add to the offensive game employed by rookie coach Guy Boucher. On the back end, the Lightning made their move by acquiring ex-St. Louis Blue captain Eric Brewer. He joins a ground that includes sophomore Victor Hedman and veterans Brett Clark, Mattias Ohlund and Pavel Kubina. In net, the Lightning also have already addressed an issue that was apparent at the start of the year. Mike Smith went down with an injury (yet again), while Dan Ellis has played to his potential as a 1B goalie: not a true starter yet not a backup. The team acquired veteran Dwayne Roloson for prospect Ty Wishart and a pick, and Roloson has been solid for the Bolts. He brings the stability of a true starter, and though he has had some excellent games and ones that he'd rather forget, he is a better option than Ellis or Smith.

The Lightning boast one of the best offenses in the league, yet have allowed six more goals than they have scored. They are the only team to lead their division and have a negative goals for/goals against rating. They added one blueliner in Brewer, yet could stand to add another to aid in their porous defense. Ryan Malone has been rumored to be a hot trade commodity, and he is signed to a very reasonable contract. The cap hit comes in at $4.5 million, yet he is signed for another four seasons and his actual dollars decrease significantly. He is currently injured, so the market for him may not be very high. The Lightning also have prospects they can dangle such as Blair Jones, as they have already traded Wishart and Brock Beukeboom to add to their team. The Lightning are poised to make a deep run in this years playoffs.

There is something off about the Washington Capitals. Perennial scoring leaders in the NHL, the Caps seem to have focused on more of a defensive game this time around. It could prove better for them, as their high scoring teams have been knocked out of the playoffs since their turnaround from disaster. Alex Ovechkin is scoring goals as usual, but not on his normal pace. He is on pace to set a career low in goals, not even cracking the 40 mark in 2010-11. Even so, Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Semin have provided excellent star power in addition to Ovechkin for the Caps. Brooks Laich, Jason Chimera, Matt Hendricks and young guns Marcus Johansson and Mathieu Perrault have provided the extra punch and grit that is now incredibly apparent in the Caps' game. Matt Green continues to improve his defensive game while till being strong on the offensive side of the puck, and youngsters John Carlson and Karl Alzner are fast becoming veteran players. Jeff Schultz, Tom Poti and John Erskine provide hard-nosed play when the main defensemen aren't on the ice. In net, the Caps have relied on their two young goalies Semyon Varlamov and Michael Neuvirth. They have played well, yet are still inconsistent and do not provide the stability that the Caps hope to have when challenging for Lord Stanley's Cup.

That brings me to the area that the Caps must address if they hope to be successful in the playoffs. Washington needs to acquire a veteran, experienced goaltender to win in the post-season. Varlamov is too inconsistent and has not had a completely healthy season in North America. Neuvirth has shown flashes of brilliance, yet is not experienced enough to carry a team to the cup. There are several options out there in Florida's Tomas Vokoun, and Toronto's J.S. Giguere. These two are veteran netminders, and Giguere especially has a winning pedigree. The price will be high for Vokoun, though Florida does have budding star Jacob Markstrom in the AHL. Giguere might be easier to acquire, though Brian Burke is a tough deal-maker and has recently been making good trades after a series of which hurt his team (see Phil Kessel for two 1st rounders and a 2nd). If the Caps do not address this need in net, I do not see them succeeding this year in yet another season to contend for the cup.

The Carolina Hurricanes are starting to produce after expelling certain veterans and allowing younger players to take roles with the team. Eric Staal is playing like his good old self, leading the team in both goals and assists. Rookie sensation Jeff Skinner may look like he's 16 years old, yet has been scoring on a pace that so few his age are able to. He became the youngest All-Star ever, and is contending for the Calder for rookie of the year. Tuomo Ruutu and Jussi Jokinen continue to add scoring punch, while young players Brandon Sutter, Zach Boychuk and Zac Dalpe have contributed up front. On the blueline, TIm Gleason and Joni Pitkanen headline a strong offensive group. Sophomore Jamie McBain continues to be a good player, while Joe Corvo and Jay Harrison round out the group. Derek Joslin was recently acquired from San Jose and is filling the sixth spot. Cam Ward is the workhorse for the Canes, and is playing well this year. He has started 54 of the team's 61 games and stands with a 25-20-8 record with a 2.74 GAA and a .920 Sv%.

The Canes are vying for the 8th seed in the East, and have a five point lead on Buffalo and Atlanta. Look for them to acquire a more veteran defenseman to take Joslin's place, while also looking to add a forward to help with the scoring depth. The Canes system is chock full of young players that can develop into NHL talent, which bodes well if they want to make a deal later in the year.

The Atlanta Thrashers started hot out of the gate, as they were one of the toughest teams to play against at the start of the season. They have not been able to stay consistent, however, as the team lost the 8th seed to Carolina and is in possible free-fall. Atlanta is led on the back end by Dustin Byfuglien and Tobias Enstrom, as they are numbers one and two in terms of points for the Thrashers. Big Buff's production has slowed down, while Enstrom went down to injury for a couple of weeks. Luckily, the team has very strong defensive depth in Ron Hainsey, Zach Bogosian, Johnny Oduya and Brent Sopel. The team recently acquired Mark Stuart from Boston, so the Thrashers are now stacked on D. In net, Ondrej Pavelec has come over a fainting spell in the beginning of the year to realize his potential that allowed the Thrashers to trade Kari Lehtonen. Pavelec has 18 wins, a .920 Sv% and a 2.62 GAA. Up front, new captain Andrew Ladd is having a career year and is on pace for between 55 and 60 points. Evander Kane continues to produce, and is looking to best the totals he produced as a rookie last year. Brian Little, Anthony Stewart and Niclas Bergfors have all had modest contributions, but need to step up and produce more if the team wants to make the playoffs. Blake Wheeler was also acquired in the Boston deal in exchange for productive center Rich Peverley and he will look to take advantage of more ice time and a better chance to be an offensive contributor versus being a third liner in Beantown.

With all of that on the table, the Thrashers may need to trade for players because of their lack of a fan base. The Thrashers are in danger of relocating due to the dismal attendance ratings, and a playoff run could help them stay put. The last thing the NHL needs is two Atlanta franchises failing, though I'm not sure if Gary Bettman would get the message even then. The team has a plethora of good defensemen, and could dangle one such as Ron Hainsey or Johnny Oduya to get a scorer from another team. The Thrashers are a team that scores by committee, and need as much help as they can get in the offensive ranks.

The Florida Panthers are playing to yet another season of mediocrity, though new GM Dale Tallon is doing his best to shake things up. With the recent trade of Michael Frolik and goaltending prospect Alexander Salak for Jack Skille and two prospects, Tallon is looking to break up the core of this team and start from scratch. Florida currently sits eight points out of the final playoff spot, yet doesn't have the offense to keep up with most teams in the league. They are led by Stephen Weiss and David Booth up front, while Mike Santorelli has broken out with 17 goals and 31 points after going up and down through the Nashville system. Perhaps Tallon is hoping the same will happen to Skille, who has one assists and 25 hits in only six games. He exhibits speed and grit while flying around the ice. Chris Higgins is trying to get his game back on track, and currently has 10 goals while Marty Reasoner is playing an expanded role and has lit the lamp 11 times. On the blueline, Dennis Wideman and Bryan McCabe provide the veteran leadership for an otherwise young group. Dmitri Kulikov and Keaton Ellerby have been mainstays. Mike Weaver and Jay Garrison are good third pairing defensemen and have played as such for most of the season. In net, the ever-steady Tomas Vokoun continues to post good numbers. Scott Clemmensen is one of the best backups in the league, while budding star Jacob Markstrom is adjusting his game to North America in Rochester of the AHL.

The Panthers are going to be sellers come the trade deadline next monday. David Booth is rumored to be on the way out, while there are also rumors of Bryan McCabe and Dennis Wideman being available. Tomas Vokoun is a UFA at the end of the season. He could be moved to a team such as Washington or Philadelphia in an attempt to shore up each team's experience in net. He has never had the opportunity to play for a good team, and next season is sure to find that when he controls his own destiny. Other players on the block include Reasoner, Radek Dvorak and Rostislav Olesz. This is a team looking to acquire draft picks and prospects to build their new core, and if Tallon decides to do so, he could get a great return for center Stephen Weiss. There are going to be many new faces for both other teams and the Panthers once the deadline is over.



That's it! My take on every division in the NHL. Let me know what you think in the comments section below. Washington, Tampa Bay and Carolina will make the playoffs. Atlanta will make a strong push but just miss out and Florida will get a top-10 pick to aid in their rebuild It will be a season on change for all teams in the NHL, but I expect there to be a lot of action in the Southeast especially. AW over and out.