Yesterday Devin brought you a look at the upcoming season for the Western Conference. Today, I'll guide you through the East as we get ready for the puck to drop tonight on yet another year of NHL action, though if you have DirecTV, you likely won't even see it. Yes, added to the long list of problems the NHL faces in trying to remain a viable entity in the US is the fact that major TV provider is in a dispute with one of the largest providers of programming, and therefore will not be shown until a resolution is reached. But that's a story for a different time perhaps. On to a breakdown of all the teams in the East and my stab at predicting who will reach the postseason, as well as a potential Stanley Cup representative.

Atlantic Division

New Jersey Devils - The Devils won the division last year with a solid 103 points and hit the playoffs as the #3 seed, but all those happy feelings vanished quickly as they were ousted in 7 games by the Carolina Hurricanes in the 1st round. Coach Brent Sutter hit the bricks and headed out to Calgary to lead the Flames this season. The Devils then brought back former coach and 1995 Stanley Cup Winner Jacques Lemaire from Minnesota to try and rekindle their winning ways. That likely means the trap will be back in it's full glory, making the Devils almost impossible to watch on a nightly basis.

New Jersey lost star right winger Brian Gionta via free agency, but his numbers over the last 3 years were nowhere near those of his breakout season in 05-06. Long time Devil John Madden also departed the team in the offseason, taking his 10 years experience and heading to a young Chicago team. Finally, goaltender Scott Clemmensen, who did a remarkable job of filling in for an injured Marty Brodeur last year, earned himself a sizeable pay day with the Florida Panthers. In terms of additions, the Devils didn't do a whole lot with the offseason, with Rob Neidermayer coming back to New Jersey on a one year contract probably being the highlight.

The Devils were one of the best teams in the East last year, despite their all world goaltender missing significant time with a busted up elbow, but it meant nothing come the postseason. They have one of the most exciting offensive players in hockey when it comes to Zach Parise, but their offense may sputter after that. With Lemaire and the trap back, and Brodeur healthy, it's going to be a flashback to years gone by as the Devils try to use defense to their advantage and pull out low scoring games on a nightly basis. It may be successful to some extent, but I expect to see a drop off in terms of standings this year.

Pittsburgh Penguins - The defending Stanley Cup Champions return, hoping to make a 3rd straight trip to the Finals this season. Pittsburgh edged out Philadelphia at the end of last season for the #4 spot and earned themselves home ice in the first round matchup. After getting past the Flyers, they then dispatched of the Capitals in a fantastic 7 game series and finally swept the Hurricanes to meet up with Detroit in a rematch for the Cup. 7 more exciting games later, the Penguins had their first title since 1992.

The offseason didn't bring a great deal of chance as some role players left and some were brought aboard. The most notable move each was probably Rob Scuderi leaving to sign with the Kings, while veteran defenseman Jay McKee signed a modest 1 year deal to suit up in the black and gold. McKee's best years are past him and he's had a history of injury problems, but if healthy, he's a solid player at a cheap price.

The core remains solidly in tact for Pittsburgh, and all still quite young as well. Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury has thrown his name into the ranks amongst the best in the league at this point. The Penguins also have perhaps the best group of centers in the league with Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Jordan Staal, none of which are older than 23. The Pens have these three plus Fleury locked up together through the 2012-2013 season and the possibilities are scary as to how good they could be. For all the hype surrounding Crosby as the golden boy of the NHL, I still maintain that Malkin is the better player at this point. He won the Conn Smythe as the playoff MVP last year as well as the Art Ross Trophy for leading the league in points.

With a solid surrounding cast still around these 4 young superstars for the next 2 years or so, it won't be a surprise to see them take another run or two at the Cup. Pittsburgh will surely be back in the postseason this year, and will likely be playing deep in them as well.

Philadelphia Flyers - The Flyers made the postseason for the 2nd consecutive year in 08-09, finishing 5th in the East and battling in state rivals Pittsburgh in the first round of the playoffs. The Flyers couldn't hang with the eventual champs and are now looking to build on a fairly successful season as they head into 09-10. The Flyers were one of the more offensively talented teams last year, and spent their offseason trying to bolster other areas to improve their squad.

The first move Philly made was to sign goaltender Ray Emery from the depths of the Russian KHL and bring him back the NHL where he formerly played for Ottawa. Emery is a big gamble in my book, as he never showed me a ton of promise in his previous stint in the league, often looking shaking between the pipes. It's a one year deal, so it's probably all or nothing for Emery this year, perhaps the pressure will help him to excel, but I'm kind of doubting it. They signed their insurance policy soon after, bringing back Brian Boucher from San Jose, where he put up decent numbers in backup duty last year. He's never proven himself as a full time starter however.

Besides departing goaltenders Marty Biron and Antero Niittymaki, the Flyers also lost Mike Knuble and his 27 goals and 20 assists to the Washington Capitals. Gone also is Joffrey Lupul (25 G, 25 A) to Anaheim, but the Flyers brought in defensemen Chris Pronger in return. Pronger's resume is impressive, including 5 All Star Games, the 2000 Norris and Hart Trophies, as well as winning a Cup in 2007. Pronger has always been a very good scoring defenseman, but is now 34 years old and the Flyers signed him to a 7 year extension, paying him almost $5 million/year into his 40s. Pronger should fit in well and give the D a big boost in Philly, but the length of the deal seems kind of silly to me.

It all comes down to goaltending for me when figuring out how Philly will fare this year. Pronger boosts the D, while Jeff Carter, Mike Richards, and Simon Gagne are all solid up front. The Flyers are finally hoping a healthy Daniel Briere can live up to his massive contract and produce consistently in the place of Knuble and Lupul, but now in his 30s, it doesn't seem likely. If Emery can be solid for Philly, they'll find themselves in the middle of the playoff hunt yet again, but if he goes back to his shaky ways, this could be a long year in the City of Brotherly Love.

New York Rangers - The Rangers squeaked their way into the playoffs as the 7th seed last season, but were dispatched by the Capitals in 7 games. This year, they will look to make a 5th straight trip to the playoffs, and perhaps even do something once they get there. It wouldn't be a Rangers offseason without some ridiculous contracts flying around, and this summer didn't disappoint.

The Rangers started off with something that seemed rather intelligent, unloading the outlandish contract they gave Scott Gomez in 2007 at nearly $7.5 million/year to Montreal in a trade, getting quietly solid Chris Higgins in return. Brilliant right? They got rid of a huge cap hit for a guy that couldn't maintain his production from his time in New Jersey and got solid and much cheaper player in return. But then of course, this is the Rangers, a splash had to be made. Marion Gaborik was signed away from Minnesota and promptly handed a $7.5 million/year contract himself, payable for the next 5 years. No doubt Gaborik is a highly explosive offensive player, but he is also highly injury prone. He's averaged just 52 games per season over the last 4 years, though he does bring just over 57 points/season during that span as well. So, he scores more than a point a game when he's on the ice, but will he stay there?

Luckily for the Rangers, they do have one of the best goaltenders in the league in Henrik Lundqvist. He is probably the main reason the Rangers made the postseason to begin with last year, as the team scored the 2nd fewest goals in the Eastern Conference. Lundqvist had a 2.43 GAA in 70 games last season for the Rangers and will need to put up similar numbers this season. Add him to the long list of guys to watch during the Olympics this year, as the Rangers really don't have anything behind him and need him to stay healthy to have any chance at all of getting back to the postseason.

New York Islanders - Where do you even start with the Islanders? They were hands down the worst team in the league last season, which I guess can be a plus considering they got the #1 draft pick and snagged the highly coveted John Tavares from the Ontario Hockey League, where he put up numbers like 72 goals and 62 assists in 67 games in 06-07. He's clearly a talent, but he'll be drowning in a sea of awful this year. He should produce decent numbers on a team where defenseman Mark Streit lead the team in scoring last season. (at least I hope, since he's on my fantasy team!)

Beyond that, the biggest thing I can say about the Islanders is that they are approximately $19 million under the salary cap this season, in desperate need of a new arena, and average under 14k fans per game. They are a team nobody really pays attention to unless your team happens to lose to them, at which point you stop and ask yourself how? The Islanders have a fairly safe lock on the cellar again this season, which will allow them to acquire another top draft pick and little else. This franchise hasn't mattered at all since the lockout and barely mattered before that. The last time they won a playoff series was 1993 and nothing is going to change anytime soon it seems.

Northeast Division

Boston Bruins - The Bruins were the cream of the crop in the East last season, finishing with 116 points and just missing out on the President's Trophy for the best record in the NHL. After wiping the floor with Montreal in a 4 game sweep, the Bruins had their hearts broken in multiple ways, losing to Carolina in 7 games. Scott Walker of the Canes, who sucker punched Boston's Aaron Ward in Game 5, but was not suspended, scored the winning goal late in the first overtime of Game 7 and ended the Bruins' magical year. In an interesting twist of fate, Ward was traded to Carolina in the offseason and will now be teammates with Walker... should make for quite the interesting team dynamic.

The Bruins got it done with defense and goaltending primarily last season, giving up the fewest goals in the league. Goalie Tim Thomas found a new lease on life it seemed as he had what was by far a career best year, allowing just 2.10 goals/game and earning himself the Vezina Trophy in the process. The question is can he repeat the peformance? It's a bit unusual for a goaltender to wait until his mid 30s to play his best hockey, but that's what Thomas did. It doesn't hurt to have guys like Zdeno Chara and Dennis Wideman in front of you though on defense.

That's not to say the Bruins can't score either, as they netted 274 goals last season, trailing only Detroit. Guys like Marc Savard and David Krejci put up great numbers like last year, and the Bruins forward lines roll deep. The most curious move of the summer for the Bruins however is letting Phil Kessel go. The 21 year old had 36 goals and 24 assists in a breakout year last season, but was traded to Toronto after being unable to reach an agreement in Boston.

Boston should have no trouble being successful again this season, though Tim Thomas will absolutely have to stay healthy and have another solid year in between the pipes. Yet another of those goalies to look out for later in the year as he's expected to battle Ryan Miller for the spot of the United States #1 goalie for the Olympics. At 35, Thomas is no spring chicken and the added games might take a toll.

Montreal Canadiens - Les Habitants sqeaked into the playoffs last year, narrowing grabbing the last spot over the Panthers, only to be run over by a Boston steamroller in the first round. How will the Canadiens try to build on last year? By completely blowing up the team of course! I would compare Montreal's offseason to a Dr. Seuss book... It made absolutely no sense at all, but it was pretty fun to check out just the same.

Gone are: Mike Komisarek, Alexei Kovalev, Saku Koivu, Alex Tanguay, and Matthieu Schneider via free agency, as well as Christopher Higgins via trade. In now are: Michael Cammalleri, Hal Gill, Brian Gionta, Jaroslav Spacek, and Scott Gomez. Also gone is a boatload of money. Those 5 new acquisitions are on the books for just about $25 million of cap space this season. Tack on another $11.25 million for the contracts of Andrei Markov and Roman Hamrlik and you've got $36 million tied up in 7 players this season and it's the same next year. Not only is that outrageous money for a handful of players, sadly, most would concure that none of them are really worth it.

Gionta and Gomez won a Cup together in New Jersey, but their numbers have been dwindling the past few seasons. Spacek got paid $11.5 million over 3 years after 3 lackluster seasons in Buffalo where he was decent, but not to the tune of nearly 4 million a year. Gill did win a Cup last year in Pittsburgh, but only racked up 10 points on the year, his contract is not as gaudy, but considering he will be at best the #4 d-man, it's still a bit much. Cammalleri may have been the lone one to earn his payday. He put up 39 goals and 43 assists in Calgary last year and was consistent in LA before that as well.

Montreal is coming off as desperate to me. They have a rabid fan base and know they have to do something to appease them. They last won the Stanley Cup in 1993 and haven't made it past the 2nd round of the playoffs since. Throwing a ton of cash at slightly above average players isn't going to get the job done. Montreal will be lucky to make the playoffs this year in a very tough Eastern Conference where there is a ton of parity and it's going to be a scrap to find yourself in the Top 8 at the end of the season.

Buffalo Sabres - I'm not going to spend a ton of time on the Sabres as Devin fully previewed the team already, check it out HERE. I will add a few thoughts however. The Sabres likely would have made the postseason last year had Ryan Miller and Thomas Vanek stayed healthy, but came up just short instead. They addressed their main issue of a lack of toughness by bringing in guys like Steve Montador and Mike Grier, but I'm not sure it was enough. Talented young forwards like Vanek, Derek Roy, and Jason Pominville need to produce at a high rate this year as they are all being paid like top level guys.

The glaring question mark for this team remains the defense. Several youngsters are looking to prove themselves while veterans like Rivet and Montador need to be solid on the ice as well as leaders both on and off. The biggest issue falls on two heads, Toni Lydman and Henrik Tallinder. Since being perhaps the Sabres best pairing a few seasons ago, both have become major disappointments as of late. Buffalo practiced addition by subtraction this offseason when they let Max Afinogenov, Jaro Spacek, and Teppo Numminen walk, Lydman and Tallinder may be next in line with that theory.

The Sabres have what it takes to get back into the postseason this year, and as long as Miller holds up, they should find themselves in that position. My doubts lie in whether they can actually make any noise once they get there though. Miller is the key to everything as he is one of the best in the league when on top of his game. While I'd love to see him represent the US as the top goalie in the Olympics, his durability is a huge concern to me as a Sabres fan.

Ottawa Senators - Ottawa has fallen hard as of late, going from Stanley Cup finalist in 2007, to first round sweep victims in 2008, to 83 points and 11th in the Conference in 2009. If this offseason is any indication, things aren't going to get a lot better. Star forward Dany Heatley made it known he wasn't pleased with his playing time at the start of the offseason and wanted out of Ottawa. GM Bryan Murray had difficulty finding a deal to his liking for most of the offseason, but finally in mid September a partner was found.

Heatley was sent to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for Jonathan Cheechoo primarily. Officially signaling the end of the Heatley/Spezza/Alfredsson line, causing Sabres fans to rejoice. Heatley's 39 goals and 33 assists were a bit of a down year for him, and may not be entirely missed. Cheechoo's numbers have dropped off year after year since his stunning 56 goal season in 05-06, but the Senators did sign Alexei Kovalev from Montreal as well. He brings 65 points in 80 games with him at a $5 million/year for the next 2 years cost.

As is usual with Ottawa, the top line brings all the scoring and it drops off dramatically after that. Defense and goaltending has been the concern as of late. The Sens brought over Pascal Leclaire from Columbus at the trade deadline last year and he is expected to assume the role of starter this season. Leclaire had a solid run in 07-08 with the Blue Jackets but was supplanted by the top rookie in the league last year, Steve Mason. Leclaire is a big question mark in my book and if he doesn't succeed, it's going to be a long season in Ottawa, likely without a playoff berth as well.

Toronto Maple Leafs - Remember when the Maple Leafs mattered in the NHL? No... me neither. Ok, so that's only partially true. Before the lockout, the Leafs were pretty much an annual contender and made some noise in the playoffs most years. Of course, they haven't been in the Cup Finals since they last won it, which was 1967. And of course, you have to keep in mind that at that time, only 8 teams even existed, so it wasn't quite the accomplishment it is today. At any rate, since the NHL resumed play in 2005, the Leafs haven't sniffed the playoffs at all and I don't think 2009-2010 is about to change in that department.

The Leafs finished 12th in the East last year and had a pretty lousy season all the way around. You may remember their starting goaltender was Swiss Cheese... wait no, I mean Vesa Toskala, or maybe Curtis Joseph... Martin Gerber? Oh wait, it was Justin Pogge... Regardless of who was actually in the net, so was the puck more often than not. The Leafs gave up 293 goals last year, easily the worst in the NHL. So what did Toronto do to address this situation? Signed Jonas Gustavsson from the Swedish Pro League to back up Toskala. That will surely cure what ails them right?

Toronto did go out and sign Mike Komisarek from Montreal to a healthy deal to help bolster their defense and also traded for Phil Kessel from Boston. Kessel is very young and has a great offensive skill set which will certainly help a Leafs offense that averaged right around 3 goals/game last season. However, Kessel is still recovering from shoulder surgery and is likely out until sometime in December. I rip on Toronto a great deal because they're a major rival to Buffalo, and it drives me nuts that they pack so many fans into our arena all the time, but in all honesty they deserve better. The Leafs are going to have another lousy season ahead of them and have just about no chance at making the playoffs yet again. Something major needs to be done there to turn the team around and Kessel is a good first step, but he'll need plenty of help.

Southeast Division

Washington Capitals - The Capitals finished 08-09 with the best regular season in franchise history, amassing 108 points and capturing the 2nd seed in the East. They also won a playoff series for the first time since their run to the Cup Finals in back in 1998. Washington seems to be taking the approach that they were close last year and meddling with success won't do them any favors. To that end, they only had one major change in the offseason, signing free agent Mike Knuble from Philadelphia. At 37, he brings some veteran leadership to a fairly young team and in addition to his consistent scoring ability, he's a little more hard nosed than the Caps current lineup.

Washington has the single most skilled player in the NHL when it comes to Alexander Ovechkin. The 24 year old Russian is coming off back to back Hart Trophy seasons as the league's MVP as well as consecutive Rocket Richard Trophies for leading the NHL in goals. Last year he racked up 56 goals and 54 assists during the regular campaign and added another 11 and 10 in 14 playoff games. Simply put, he's worth every cent of the 13 year, $124 million contract he signed in 2008. Anybody who has seen him play cannot deny his skills, nor the passion with which he plays the game. It's the latter that gets him in a little trouble here and there and the reason Crosby is the face of the league instead, but it's also the latter that makes him so damn fun to watch.

It's not all about Ovechkin though. Last year Washington started to figure out the puzzle and show they had the right pieces around him. Guys like Nick Backstrom and Alex Semin are ultra talented as well and help the Caps light the lamp to the tune of over 3.3 goals/game, barely trailing the Bruins for tops in the league last year. Add in high scoring defenseman Mike Green to the mix as well as he contributed 31 goals and 42 assists last year. It's not the scoring that concerns me in the least with the Capitals though. They gave up goals at a pretty high clip also last year and still have questions marks in their defense, and more particularly at the goalkeeper spot.

Semyon Varlamov had his official coming out party in the playoffs last year. After going 4-0-1 in the regular season, Varlamov took over for Jose Theodore in Game 2 of the first round series with the Rangers and finished the playoffs with a 7-6 record. The 21 year old looks to take over the starting job permanently this year and if he can play solidly, the Caps will have no trouble finding themselves back near the top of the East.

Carolina Hurricanes - I think I've made it abundantly clear in the past how I feel about my adopted hometown Carolina Hurricanes, or more pointedly, their "diehard fans" who don't even sell out playoff games, so I'll try to keep my bias tucked away for the remainder of this section. The Hurricanes struggled for much of last season but got red hot down the stretch and managed to grab the 6 seed in the postseason. They continued to play extremely well all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals, where the lucky bounces ran out and a much better team swept them back to Raleigh for the summer.

Carolina didn't make much in the way of moves this offseason, but instead focused on re-signing many of their own guys, including: Jussi Jokinen, Erik Cole, Chad LaRose, and Tuomo Ruutu. They also obtained veteran defenseman Aaron Ward from Boston, bringing him back to the site of one of his three Stanley Cup titles. Also placing him on the same team as the man who sucker punched him in last year's playoffs, as I mentioned in the Boston preview. Not sure how that dynamic is going to work out, but I suppose they don't have to really like each other.

The Hurricanes have a very veteran team with a great deal of playoff experience and are lead by two star players. Eric Staal is only 24 but already has 3 All Star Games and a Stanley Cup Championship under his belt. He posted 40 goals and 35 assists last year and is solid year in and year out for Carolina. Cam Ward tends the goal for the Hurricanes and does it quite well for the most part. Only 25 himself, Ward has a Cup as well as the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP for that same year. Ward had a career best 2.44 GAA last season along with 6 shutouts and a 3rd straight season with at least 30 wins.

If the Hurricanes can avoid their usual mid season slump this year, it would do them a lot of favors in the long run. They got hot at the right time last year and made a deep run in the playoffs, but they could easily be a 4 or 5 seed in the East if they played consistently all year. At any rate, expect them to be back in the playoffs again this year, though I don't think they'll make it back to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Florida Panthers - I'm willing to bet that you don't remember that the Florida Panthers made it to the Stanley Cup Finals in only their 3rd season back in 1995-96, I know I certainly had forgotten. They were swept by the Avalanche in the Finals that year and have only returned to the playoffs twice since then. The last time they made the postseason was 2000, but they came as close as they could without getting in last year. They finished the season with an identical record to Montreal, but lost the regular season series with them and therefore were able to hit the golf course as usual.

The Panthers lone big offseason move came when they shipped star defenseman Jay Bouwmeester off to Calgary in return for Jordan Leopold and a draft pick. Florida then signed Leopold to a 1 year deal worth $1.75 million. Jordan actually played in 83 games last year between Colorado and Calgary, totaling 24 points between the teams. The injury plagued d-man had only played one full season previously in his 7 NHL seasons. Florida also signed Scott Clemmensen, who as I mentioned in the New Jersey preview, played very well in place of Martin Brodeur last season. Tomas Vokoun makes the big paycheck and figures to remain the starter, but Clemmensen could challenge him for time this season.

Florida is one of those teams where if you're not an absolute die hard fan of the sport, you probably don't recognize at least 75% of the roster... oh hell, more like 95% really. They do have some talent there however. David Booth was a 31 goal, 60 point guy last year, and Nathan Horton added 45 points and is just 24 years old. The problem is that if these guys don't start winning and soon, they could be in trouble. We've discussed at length on this site the problem with hockey teams in warm weather markets where fans don't care, and quite frankly fans in Miami don't support ANY of their teams in any sport very well. If they want to keep the Panthers, it's going to take some trips to the postseason and a buzz around the team to do it.

Atlanta Thrashers - Speaking of teams in warm weather markets with completely indifferent fans... The Atlanta Thrashers entered their 10th season in the NHL with exactly one playoff appearance and 0 postseason wins to their credit. Sadly, last season's 35 wins was good enough for 3rd best in franchise history. It was still only good enough for 13th place in the East however.

The two biggest signings for the Thrashers in the off season were Nik Antropov, who had 27 goals and 31 assists between time in Toronto and with the Rangers, at the rate of $4 million/year for 4 years, and Max Afinogenov. The player that Sabres fans universally learned to hate after years of showing so much flash and sizzle and delivering absolutely nothing. Many of us wished he would have been dealt a few years ago when he still had some value, but instead Buffalo chose to keep him until his contract finally expired and let him walk. Afinogenov hit rock bottom last year with just 6 goals and 14 assists and found himself being benched when a nagging groin injury wasn't keeping him from playing.

Atlanta essentially has 2 things going for it. One is Ilya Kovalchuck, the 26 year old Russian who has 6 straight seasons with at least 38 goals. Last year he scored 43 times and added in 48 assists. The second thing is low expectations... The offense is talented, they tied for the 8th most goals scored in the entire NHL last season with 257. The problem is they gave up the 2nd most goals in the league as well. Goalie Khari Lehtonen has showed flashes of brilliance at times, but is often highly inconsistent. He split time with Johan Hedberg last year, and you can expect more of the same this year unless one or the other steps up their game big time.

Atlanta really doesn't have anywhere to go but up. If they could solidify their defense and goaltending situation even slightly, the offense would propel them towards making the playoffs, but they seem disinterested in doing so... almost as disinterested as their fan base. In terms of arena capacity, the Thashers were the worst in the league in attendance, averaging a hair under 80% of capacity. Even Phoenix was at 85% and they truly have nothing to be excited about at this point.

Tampa Bay Lightning - Wow, this division truly is terrible isn't it? Just when you think it can't get worse, we get to the cluster... um, you know what I mean, known as Tampa Bay. Barry Melrose was brought back from obnoxious ESPN analyst land to coach the Lightning last year and made it through exactly 16 games before getting canned. Melrose's 5-7-4 record wasn't good enough, so Rick Tocchet was given the keys and managed to put up a 19-34-14 record of his own, which was apparently much better because he got himself a 2 year deal in the process.

On the ice, Tampa still has Martin St. Louis and Vincent Lecavalier, who as usual, lead the team in scoring last year with 80 and 67 points respectively. Tampa signed Alex Tanguay and Mattias Ohlund in the offseason in a feeble attempt to help out both sides of the puck. Goalie Mike Smith started half the games last year, while 4 others also saw time between the pipes. Tampa signed Anterro Niittymaki from Philadelphia, who will likely become the main backup to Smith this season.

One of the few plusses for the Lightning is the fact that they do have some solid young talent as well. Center Steven Stamkos was 3rd on the team in scoring last season with 23 goals and 23 assists and is just 19 years old. They also won the runner up prize in the John Tavares sweepstakes at the NHL draft, picking 2nd and taking defenseman Victor Hedman from Sweden. While St. Louis and Lecavalier's stats are likely in decline from here on out, both are still stolid point getters and team leaders. Tampa should have a better year this season with a little more stability and more experience for their youngsters, but they're still not playoff material at this point.

Predictions
Playoff Teams:
Pittsburgh
Washington
Boston
New Jersey
Carolina
Philadelphia
Buffalo
Florida

Eastern Conference Champion:
Pittsburgh Penguins

I can't speak for Scott, but I couldn't be more excited for hockey season to start up. With that in mind, both Scott and I are going to give a quick preview of the conferences for those who have been away all summer and need a quick refresher course. At the end of the article we'll give our predictions for who makes the playoffs and even who makes it out alive to face off in the Stanley Cup Finals. With that in mind, let's dive into this like a big bowl of macaroni 'n cheese. Enjoy!

CENTRAL DIVISON

Detroit Red Wings – The Red Wings faced Pittsburgh for the second straight year but weren't quite as successful this time around. I think everyone in Detroit has decided to blame Marian Hossa and rightfully so. In the seven Stanley Cup Finals games, Hossa chipped in a solid zero goals, three assists, and ummm… nothing else. The good news for Detroit fans is that he took off for Chicago and the ridiculous contract they gave him so he is their problem now. In typical Hossa fashion, he coincided his signing with his new team by bashing the old team. When will he learn? My guess is never.

The Wings also signed Todd Bertuzzi (why?), Jason Williams, and Patrick Eaves. Leaving Detroit this summer along with Hossa was Ty Conklin, Mikael Samuelsson, and Jiri Hudler. All of these things aside, Detroit's success is in good hands with Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, and Nicklas Lidstrom. They are basically guaranteed a spot in the postseason but once again it will depend on how effective (or ineffective) Chris Osgood turns out to be. I'd be slightly concerned about that.

Chicago Blackhawks – As mentioned above, the Blackhawks took the plunge and guaranteed themselves 12 more years without a championship. You can't totally blame them for the move though. When it comes to the 82 regular season games, Hossa is a regular performer. What? He's out until December with an injury already? Yikes. In exchange for Hossa, Chicago allowed Martin Havlat to sign in Minnesota and Nikolai Khabibulin in Edmonton. The Hawks better hope these moves pay off because they are in a world of trouble next summer when Duncan Keith, Patrick Kane, and Jonathan Toews all hit restricted free agency at the same time. I can't possibly see any way that they sign all three players in addition to the payroll they already have. Of course, if Patrick Kane keeps beating up cab drivers the Hawks might only have to worry about signing two of the three players.

St Louis Blues – St Louis surprised many teams, players, and fan as they qualified for the playoffs last season. It didn't last long as Vancouver did away with them rather quickly, but it was a mild success story anyways. The most notable Blues player in my eyes is Brad Boyes. He briefly attended my high school while playing OHL hockey for the Erie Otters. He captained the team that eventually won the championship before moving on to the NHL (and returned "home" last winter to have his number retired). After spending time with Toronto, Boston, and San Jose, it appears as if Brad has found a home in St Louis.

While scanning the list of moves St Louis made this summer, the one that jumped out at me the most was Ty Conklin. Barring any trade to Boston or Philadelphia this season, his string of consecutive appearances in the Winter Classic will finally come to an end. I liked the guy while he played in Buffalo but there must be something about him because according to my count, St Louis is the 17^th team he has played for in his NHL career.

Columbus Blue Jackets – The Blue Jackets made their first ever postseason appearance last spring before Detroit swept them out in the first round. This year the goal is simple. Make the postseason AND win a playoff game. Columbus made several solid moves that resulted in the above mentioned playoff berth, but the biggest reason of all is Steve Mason. The rookie goaltender won 33 games, had 10 shutouts, and won the Calder Trophy. Hopefully he builds on that success because he is my number one goalie in fantasy hockey this year.

Rick Nash signed an eight year extension this summer to ensure he would remain the face of the franchise. It was a smart move for both sides. Columbus should only continue to improve if they build around Nash and Mason. Will they make the playoffs again? Hard to say. They are in what appears to be the hardest division in the West so the competition will be fierce.

Nashville Predators – I really have no clue what to make of Nashville. To an outsider like myself, they strike me as a 'Carolina' type of team. You know, a team in a poor market that is still somewhat competitive. Last season they just missed out on the playoffs and what would've been a mind boggling five teams from the Central Division qualifying for the playoffs. The Predators really didn't do a whole lot during the offseason and are banking on the players from last season and young guys from the AHL for the most part.

Last season saw the emergence of goaltender Pekka Rinne who won 29 games for the Predators and posted a very respectable 2.38 GAA. He'll be the starter going into the season but former starter Dan Ellis will be looking to take over at the first sign of trouble. If Rinne can build on his success last season, the Predators could be in good shape for a postseason berth.

NORTHWEST DIVISION

Vancouver Canucks – The Canucks did one of the nicer jobs this offseason of locking up their own stars. First were unrestricted free agents, Henrik and Daniel Sedin. After signing the twins, Vancouver made sure Roberto Luongo would never see free agency with a 12 year extension. The Canucks will most likely be without Mats Sundin this season but honestly, that is probably a good thing. Probably the biggest outside addition came from Detroit in the form of Mikael Samuelsson. The Canucks are expected to be a very good team once again and it will simply be a matter of how far they go once playoff hockey starts.

Calgary Flames – I said several times during my NHL Top 15's last season that Calgary was looking very good and could even go all the way in the West. I guess that shows how much I know. Calgary was disposed of in six games by Chicago and sent home packing once again. I'd argue the Flames made some of the biggest waves this summer when they traded for the rights to Jay Bouwmeester and struck a deal with him before free agency started. Also coming to Calgary this season is Brian McGrattan, Brandon Prust, Fredrik Sjostrom, and Nigel Dawes.

The biggest mistake for Calgary in my opinion is the workload given to Miikka Kiprusoff. He has averaged 70+ games plus the postseason for the past four years. With the Olympics coming up, it may be beneficial for Calgary to rest him up more often. Of course, that all depends on what kind of play they can get from their backup. (I feel like I'm writing about this team in Western New York with this paragraph)

Minnesota Wild – The Wild were another team that ousted both their GM and coach this summer. Jacques Lemaire stepped down as coach to eventually take over in New Jersey and bring the trap back East. In other moves, Minnesota signed Martin Havlat from Chicago and allowed china doll Marian Gaborik to go cash in with the Rangers. Both were smart moves. Like most teams, the success of Minnesota will highly depend on good play from their goaltender. The Wild signed Niklas Backstrom to a four year extension and now he must prove his worth. Many hockey fans see his numbers dipping now that the trap will no longer be used in Minnesota but I'll wait and see what happens first. I hope the Wild return to the playoffs this season. I've always had a soft spot in my heart for true hockey markets that appreciate the game and their local team.

Edmonton Oilers – The Oilers were bad enough last season that Craig MacTavish was fired from his coaching duties and replaced by Pat Quinn. The next move for the Oilers was improving upon their offense, but that plan failed miserably. You see, they had a deal in place to acquire Ottawa Senators star Dany Heatley but he quickly shot down the trade by refusing to waive his no trade clause and effectively becoming public enemy number one when San Jose visits Edmonton.

Gone from the Oilers is goaltender Dwayne Roloson and in to replace him is former Stanley Cup Champion Nikolai Khabibulin. Also returning to Edmonton is Hillary Duff center Mike Comrie. If Edmonton does get to the playoffs, it won't be more than the seventh or eighth seed.

Colorado Avalanche – Wow. The Avalanche used to be the class of the West. Long gone are those days as one of the final pieces of the puzzle, Joe Sakic, called it quits over the summer. Peter Forsberg was rumored to be making a comeback but that appears to be on hold as he is injured yet again. The Avs traded Ryan Smyth to the Kings during the summer in what appears to be a complete overhaul full of young guys. Their first round draft pick Matt Duchene is expected to bring some promise along with Paul Stastny, who was productive last year until the injury bug hit.

Craig Anderson comes over from Florida to start in goal, but expect to see Peter Budaj also. Anderson was solid in Florida but never firmly held on to the job as he and Tomas Vokoun traded spots on a near nightly basis. Anderson will be the number one goaltender but if he struggles, Budaj will be right there to snatch up some starts.

PACIFIC DIVISION

San Jose Sharks – I don't know about Sharks fans, but when Buffalo won the President's Trophy and lost in the Eastern Conference Finals, I took it as a huge letdown, so I can only imagine what Sharks fans felt as they watched San Jose flame out in the first round. To make matters worse, it was at the hands of Gordon

1. New York Giants (1) – The Giants did what a good team was supposed to do; they beat an inferior team and didn't take it easy. So although it was an easy team they beat, you've got to respect that from them. There are some teams that relax against the lesser teams and those are usually the ones that flame out in the end.

2. Baltimore Ravens (2) – Did you see what I wrote above? The same exact thing applies to Baltimore. Joe Flacco continued to prove that in most cases, you either have it or you don't as a QB. I sometimes wonder why people continue to make excuses for Tony Romo and yet Joe Flacco has already won twice as many playoff games in one season as Romo has for his career. Interesting.

3. New Orleans Saints (3) – The most impressive thing about the Saints is how they won without getting a passing touchdown from Drew Brees. If anything, it just proved that they are a more complete team than people originally thought. Gregg Williams' defense also looked impressive holding the Bills to zero points (their only touchdown was a fake field goal), although one has to wonder how well they would've done against a QB who wasn't afraid to throw the ball farther than two yards.

4. Indianapolis Colts (4) – The Colts completely dominated the Cardinals and moved their early season record to 3-0. It's way too early to tell, but a Saints and Colts Super Bowl would be amazingly offensive (in a good way).

5. NY Jets (8) – I hate putting the Jets up this high but what choice do I have? They have looked pretty good (or at least their defense has) so far this season. I'm not sure if Rex Ryan will be an overall success yet since three games isn't nearly enough to judge a coach, but I have to think his early success has to do with how he runs his team. Amazing what a coach can do when he isn't a complete pushover.

6. Philadelphia Eagles (7) – The Eagles have a well timed bye week and should get Donovan McNabb back when they return. Looking ahead on their schedule, after the bye they have Tampa Bay, Oakland, and Washington. So basically, they will be 5-1 when they square off against the Giants on November 1^st.

7. Minnesota Vikings (8) – Whatever. I'm still not wearing Wranglers or shopping at Sears.

8. New England Patriots (9) – Just when the Patriots were being ruled out by just about everyone, they beat a very good Atlanta team and appear to have righted the ship. Back to back losses aren't something in New England's vocabulary.

9. San Diego Chargers (11) – The Chargers didn't put a ton of points up against Miami, but they won a hard fought game and knocked Chad Pennington out in the process. This weekend's game will be a huge test to see if San Diego is ready to take the next step forward or if they will continue to do the same old routine they've been doing.

10. Pittsburgh Steelers (5) – Two losses in a row that happened within the last minute. Last time I checked, champions were supposed to get it done in crunch time, not fold like a lawn chair. I realize he has won two Super Bowls, but at what point will people realize that Ben Roethlisberger is just an ordinary QB? Through three weeks his QB rating is 13^th in the league, he is tied for 18^th in the league in touchdowns, and he is tied for fourth in the league with the most interceptions so far. In his draft class, I'd probably rank him three out of four for the first round QBs.

11. Green Bay Packers (13) – I'm buying into the hype. I can't wait to see the Packers play the Vikings. I just wish the MNF game was at Green Bay and not Minnesota. I'm really hoping someone from Green Bay blasts Favre. I gotta imagine some players on that team aren't the biggest fans of his.

12. Atlanta Falcons (6) – The Falcons didn't look very good against New England and it makes you wonder just how good they really are. Their two victories came against teams with a combined record of 0-6. Not saying they aren't a good team, because they definitely are, but maybe I had them bumped up a little too high too soon.

13. Dallas Cowboys (15) – The Cowboys ran all over Carolina on Monday night without Marion Barber. That either says a lot about the Dallas running game being very good or Carolina's defense is even worse than we thought. Tony Romo didn't play especially good but made less mistakes when it counted.

14. Denver Broncos (17) – The Broncos are 3-0 but don't be fooled, they are not better than the teams listed in front of them. Their opponents are a combined 3-6 and the Bengals account for two of those wins. And the win against the Bengals? One of the ten luckiest plays in the history of football.

15. Chicago Bears (19) – This is probably the first time in a long time I've said this, but the NFC North is shaping up to be quite the divisional fight. Three of the four teams are above .500 and even the Lions finally got a win to make things interesting. Jay Cutler had a solid day going 21/27, three touchdowns, and one interception which just goes to prove that the Bears success lands squarely on his shoulders.

16. San Francisco 49ers (14) – Considering their best player was out for almost the entire game, the 49ers really proved their worth by almost beating Minnesota. In all actuality, they had Minnesota beat before Favre's miracle touchdown at the end. Because they allowed Favre to get that play off and open up an entire week of Farve mania, I say screw you San Francisco.

17. Cincinnati Bengals (24) – Very impressive performance by the Bengals on Sunday. I was especially impressed by Carson Palmer who led the game winning drive and converted two fourth downs with the game on the line. I'm not going to bring up the week one deal like everyone else wants to, but I will say that their two wins have come against Green Bay and Pittsburgh, two quality teams.

18. Tennessee Titans (12) – What is going on in Tennessee? They have successfully matched their loss total from a season ago and are now a full three games back in the AFC South. It's not going to get any easier as they face Jacksonville, Indianapolis, and New England in consecutive weeks before they get a bye. Secretly Vince Young must be having the time of his life.

19. Arizona Cardinals (16) – The week four bye is coming at the perfect time for Arizona. They looked like a complete mess against Indianapolis on Sunday night. No kidding, it's why I have such little respect for the NFC West. The Colts aren't even the best the AFC has to offer and they stomped Arizona in their house. It says a lot about that division.

20. Houston Texans (20) – I've decided not to move Houston because I officially don't understand them. I rank them high, they lose. I move them down, they win. So I move them up, and they lose again. They literally do the exact opposite of what I predict and I've given up trying to figure them out.

21. Seattle Seahawks (23) – The Seahawks impressed me despite losing to Chicago. I expected a blowout with Seneca Wallace starting at QB and somehow they still hung in with the Bears. He wasn't great but the overall team proved they might be better than I once thought. Still, Matt Hasselbeck needs to come back in a hurry if the Seahawks want to do anything worthwhile this season.

22. Jacksonville Jaguars (27) – I almost had the Jags written off but they came up with a big division win against Houston. I still don't see them doing much of anything this season, but it's nice to know they haven't completely given up yet in the month of September. With a loss already to Indianapolis, it would take a huge collapse from the Colts for the Jags to even sniff the postseason. Jets, Patriots, Ravens, Steelers, Chargers, Broncos…. The wild card is going to be a tough fight and the Jags aren't in it right now.

23. Miami Dolphins (18) – Miami is ranked higher than some 1-2 teams despite being winless so far. Trust me; it makes sense in my head. First, their defense is still very good and will keep them in games. Second, their opponent's win/loss percentage is the second highest in the NFL, just underneath Cleveland who has faced three undefeated teams so far this season. Third, they play Buffalo this Sunday and if I ranked Buffalo higher that would indicate that I think the Bills can win the game. And now that I've essentially defended the Miami Dolphins, I will now go douse myself with gasoline and light a match.

24. Buffalo Bills (21) – Let me explain to you just how inept Trent Edwards was on Sunday. He completed 20 of 35 passes for 156 yards. He averaged 4.5 yards per attempt. Out of 34 targeted passes for Bills receivers, Lee Evans and Terrell Owens combined for 11 of those targets. Derek Fine and Fred Jackson combined for 14. And still, with seven minutes remaining against the highest scoring team in the league, the Bills were down by only 10 points and decided to punt the ball on 4^th and 1 from the Buffalo 28 yard line. Just for clarification, last week against Tampa Bay the Bills went for it on 4^th and 1 from the Buffalo 36 yard line while leading 17-7 in the second quarter. I'm thinking that was a much bigger risk considering the fact that if Buffalo gets stopped the Bucs would have great field possession and could make it a one score game before halftime. No consistency from the QB and even less from the coach. Dick Jauron might be the worst coach in football right now.

25. Carolina Panthers (22) – The Panthers are another team with a well times bye week coming up. Jake Delhomme looks like a mess and if they don't correct their issues soon, Head Coach John Fox could be on his way out.

26. Detroit Lions (31) – Congrats to Detroit for winning a game. The players from last season deserve it and the fans deserved it. Nice job to all of those players and coaches involved.

27. Washington Redskins (25) – I'd feel good about picking Detroit to beat Washington but I'm thinking the fair majority of people got that pick right. Washington is not only bad, but they aren't going to get better anytime soon. They still have five games on their schedule that involve the Eagles, Cowboys, or Giants. I'm guessing that this is the final season for Zorn and Campbell. It will be interesting to see who gets fired first, Zorn or Dick Jauron. Scratch that, the Bills would never fire Dick Jauron.

28. Oakland Raiders (26) – I do not understand the NFL sometimes. This is supposed to be a professional football league, the most elite group of football players in the world. And yet players like Brady Quinn, Byron Leftwich, and JaMarcus Russell are starters (up until yesterday). Russell was a solid 12/21, 61 yards, and two interceptions. Really? His season stats are now 31/75, 378 yards, one touchdown, and four interceptions. How was this guy the number one draft pick? Please, enlighten me.

29. Kansas City Chiefs (29) – The Chiefs might be a on the right track but it's going to take a while. Larry Johnson ran the ball 19 times for 38 yards. I didn't see the game so can somebody help me out here… is he that bad? Or is he not trying? Or is the offensive line that bad? Or were the Eagles that good?

30. St Louis Rams (30) – The Rams are a bad team, but at least they scored 17 points on a decent defense. The two teams below them scored three combined points yesterday. THREE.

31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (28) – Well, that didn't take long. Just a few short weeks after I wondered why Tampa Bay was starting Byron Leftwich, the Bucs have already moved him to number three on the depth chart behind Josh Johnson and Josh Freeman. Not that it will matter much, but they might as well let the youngsters get their game experience because the Bucs were going nowhere with Leftwich. It was a complete waste of time.

32. Cleveland Browns (32) – I had the pleasure of watching the entire Cleveland/Baltimore game this Sunday and although Baltimore is a very good team, I can say with full confidence that Cleveland has passed the point of being horrendous. I could've sworn the Cleveland players weren't even trying at one point. I think Eric Mangini has blown out the world record of how fast he can lose a team. By the way, Cleveland has still only scored one offensive touchdown this season. At what point does their offensive coordinator become the fourth one to be fired this season?

After starting off the season with a great 13-3 start, my picks fell back to Earth in Week Two with terrible 9-7 performance. If the NFL wanted parity, they got it. Teams with very good defensive performances in Week One struggled to duplicate that in Week Two which resulted in some home losses (Green Bay, Tennessee, Jacksonville). The defending Super Bowl champions have a kicker who missed a grand total of four kicks last season, already miss two this season and both of which most likely cost them a win this past Sunday. The Titans, a team that lost only three games last season, is currently 0-2 and staring at a big hole in their division. The Jets are 2-0 with a rookie QB and rookie Head Coach. Tom Brady has thrown two touchdowns in two games, half of what Trent Edwards has thrown. The 49ers are 2-0 with Shaun Hill starting at QB. As the great Vince Lombardi once said, "What the hell is going on around here?" Now that we're clear that nothing is making sense anymore, let's get to the picks.

Washington Redskins @ Detroit Lions

It's true; the Lions haven't looked especially great so far, but nobody really expected them to. They almost shattered a ton of eliminator pools last week when they were leading 10-0 over Minnesota late into the second quarter. They did win up losing 27-13 but really, that is much better than I thought in terms of a losing margin. Matthew Stafford has looked a little rough so far, but let us keep in mind, he is a rookie QB on a winless team from 2008. Enough of all that nonsense though, let's get to the real reason why I'm picking the Lions to finally end their 19 game regular season losing streak.

The Redskins suck. Man do they suck. Speaking of shattering eliminator pools, the Redskins did their part to scare half the country before finally pulling off a 9-7 nail biter against the Rams, one of the worst teams in the league. On paper the Redskins have a ton of talent offensively, but none of it has shown so far. This game should be a slam dunk. The Redskins should crush the Lions. But after seeing Washington struggle at home to the Rams, how am I supposed to believe that they'll take on Detroit on the road? Plus I feel like picking an upset.

Green Bay Packers @ St Louis Rams

The Rams are the perfect bounce-back game for the Packers. They get to go on the road in a nice quiet dome stadium and beat up on a bad team. Perfect for those who have Aaron Rodgers, Ryan Grant, and Greg Jennings on your fantasy roster. I still can't believe Green Bay lost to the Bengals at home, but like a wise man once said, that is why they play the games. The Packers will be fine though. They are still going to win the NFC North and will still go deep into the playoffs.

San Francisco 49ers @ Minnesota Vikings

Mike Singletary is a smart guy. I've been praising him since last season ended so I would know this. So I'm sure he knows the game plan, stop Adrian Peterson and beat the Vikings. Unless Brett Favre steps into a time machine and the Brett Favre from a decade ago shows up, he isn't going to carry the Vikings to a victory anytime soon. If any fan of the Vikings is impressed with Favre or happy he joined the team, please put the crack pipe down, and feel free to contact me as to why you're happy this bum is starting.

Atlanta Falcons @ New England Patriots

New England definitely isn't who we thought they were, but this is usually when they come back with a huge statement win against a very good team, so I wouldn't be shocked if they beat the Falcons on Sunday. The addition of Tony Gonzalez has been huge for Atlanta. The added weapon for Matt Ryan has made him look so much better this year and that is bad news for those in the NFC this year. The Patriots defense allowed 90 yards rushing to the Bills in Week One and 117 last week against the Jets so look for Michael Turner to finally break loose with a potential big game. Home field advantage is completely dead for New England so I'm going with the better road team in this matchup.

Tennessee Titans @ New York Jets

I really wanted to pick Tennessee in this game but I just couldn't do it. I can't see Jeff Fisher allowing his team to start 0-3 and match their regular season loss total from a season ago in the first month, but I have a feeling it's going to happen. Last year when the Titans were booted from the playoffs far too early, it was at the hands of the Baltimore Ravens. I'm sure by now you know where I'm going with this and why I'm picking the Jets so let's just move on.

Kansas City Chiefs @ Philadelphia Eagles

Who knows if Donovan McNabb is going to be back for this game, but I'm sure glad I drafted him to be my fantasy starter in one league. The good news for Philly is that they should beat the Chiefs this Sunday with or without Kevin Kolb. I haven't been very nice about Kolb since the season started and now you know why. He was terrible last Sunday. Michael Vick comes back this week and he might get more playing time with McNabb out, but I don't think he is going to start or even play half the game.

The Chiefs on the other hand, they should be embarrassed by last week's performance. They dominated the Raiders in almost every aspect of the game and still found a way to lose. JaMarcus Russell looked so bad that I'm honestly wondering how long it will be before he is starting for the California Redwoods. Matt Cassel didn't look too good for Kansas City and that's a bad sign. They gave up a second round pick to get him and signed him to a huge deal. I know it's only one game, but could it have been the coaching/talent surrounding him last year that made him so good? Time will tell.

New York Giants @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Giants are a very good team as evidenced by my power rankings earlier this week. Ever since the Giants started their little run which resulted in a Super Bowl victory, I've looked at Eli Manning in a different light. He went from being 'Peyton's little brother' to 'Eli Manning: Real Deal QB'. His drive at the end of the Dallas game was very good and while watching it, I almost felt like he was definitely going to get them in position to win the game. Much like how I felt Monday night watching Peyton, it was basically a foregone conclusion that he was going to get it done. Very few QB's have that and Eli is one of them. I still love the "Manning Face" and refuse to give that up though.

The Bucs…what should I say that I haven't already? They are a bad team. Since I'd just be repeating myself when talking about the Bucs, I'll take this time to thank Byron Leftwich for finally allowing Donte Whitner to make an impact play for the Bills. All Bills fans have been waiting for a play like that (or any play at all) from Whitner since he was drafted, so from the Buffalo fans, THANK YOU BYRON!!

Cleveland Browns @ Baltimore Ravens

Talk about a mismatch. A top five team against a bottom five team. This game has to make Browns fans sick. There is no way Baltimore loses this game…right? No way.

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Houston Texans

I'm so close to writing off the Jaguars that it's practically already done. The only thing that can save Jacksonville from this is to beat Houston at home. Houston on the other hand, I might've been a little too harsh on them after the first week. They came back with a very impressive performance on the road as Matt Schaub went off on the Titans' defense for four passing touchdowns. The scariest part about Houston is that Steve Slaton has yet to really get going. I'm assuming he will and when he does, the Texans will be that much harder to beat.

New Orleans Saints @ Buffalo Bills

The Bills had a nice win against a team they should beat, but the Saints are not the Buccaneers. I'd tell you that this game worries me but with my expectations being fairly low for Buffalo and me already penciling in a loss this week, I'm really not worried at all. Either the Bills perform like I think and Drew Brees goes off again or the Bills pull off a huge upset and I'm a very happy boy. It's almost like a win/win scenario, except for the fact that if Brees goes off I have to watch the Bills get throttled Sunday afternoon.

Chicago Bears @ Seattle Seahawks

The Bears were going to win this game anyways, so with Seneca Wallace making the start; it's really a matter of how much Chicago is going to win by. Although the Bears were aided by two missed field goals in Week Two, it was still a nice win against the defending Super Bowl champions. Jay Cutler bounced back impressively after stinking it up on opening night and showed why the Bears wanted him so badly. Just imagine if he has some really good receivers to throw to.

Miami Dolphins @ San Diego Chargers

This is the way these types of games usually go. Miami dominates at home and still finds a way to lose in the previous week. I essentially write them off because now they've had a very difficult loss, short week, and are traveling across the country for a game against a good team. Then on Sunday afternoon I'm cursing up a storm as Miami pulls off the win.

Despite what usually happens, I'm still picking San Diego. For one, I hate picking the Dolphins. For two, the Chargers would really have to try and lose this game. Seriously, stop the Wildcat and you stop the Dolphins. It is that simple. Enough of the Wildcat. ENOUGH.

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Cincinnati Bengals

I said it after Week One and I'm saying it now, the Steelers do not look like a great team, or at least a team poised to repeat as Super Bowl champion. If there were to line up against Baltimore right now, the Ravens would win by at least 10 points. Pittsburgh's defense is hurting without Polamalu and Ben Roethlisberger has hardly looked impressive so far. Then again, he isn't going up against Shaquille O'Neal's flag football team so he can't be expected to look great.

All that being said, they should still beat the Bengals. Cincinnati should be 2-0 but they stand at 1-1 with a chance to beat Pittsburgh and knock them into third place in the AFC North. It's a nice spot for Cincy but I don't see it happening. The Steelers are the better team and haven't lost to the Bengals since September 24, 2006. Then again, I never would've thought that the Bengals would win in Green Bay so we'll have to wait until they play the game.

Denver Broncos @ Oakland Raiders

The Broncos get another easy game this week as they travel to Oakland. And before you give me this jive about how Oakland almost beat San Diego at home, I urge you to watch some of the Raiders/Chiefs game first. I'm chalking up the Monday night performance as a bad game by the Chargers and an overly good game by Oakland. I'm fairly certain the real Raiders were what we saw this past Sunday. Why else would Jeff Garcia ask for his release before the season (Or so it is rumored that he did)? He would definitely be close to starting in Oakland and is now buried in Philly with McNabb, Kolb, and Vick. If he just wanted to play, staying in Oakland was his best bet. I'm guessing he saw something that we are starting to see with the Raiders.

Indianapolis Colts @ Arizona Cardinals

If the Cardinals beat the Colts I'll have to officially take back my harsh words about how they were hung-over from the Super Bowl and should still be taken seriously. Luckily for me, it isn't happening. Sure the Cardinals throttled Jacksonville and defied my prediction of them playing on the East Coast. But it was the Jaguars for crying out loud. The Colts are not the Jaguars (obviously).

The Colts biggest problem Monday night was stopping the run, particularly the Wildcat. Arizona basically has no running game. The combination of Tim Hightower and Beanie Wells has resulted in 160 yards rushing for the first two weeks. Again, that is a combined total. So essentially it takes two players to gain 80 yards a game. Just for comparison, Fred Jackson ran for 163 yards by himself last week against Tampa Bay.

If the Cardinals hope to win, this game is going to turn into an aerial shootout. As a fantasy owner of Larry Fitzgerald, I'm all for this.

Carolina Panthers @ Dallas Cowboys

This game can go a few different ways. Both teams could play a hard fought defensive battle that comes down to the very end (15% chance). Both teams could play a mistake filled, turnover heavy game that gets ugly near the end and one team loses on a missed field goal (85% chance). ESPN could talk about the Cowboys new stadium all night and how Jerry Jones is the greatest human being on the planet (100% chance).

Here is something to think about. Dallas allowed Steve Smith of the Giants to catch 10 passes for 134 yards and one touchdown. How are they going to handle Carolina's version of Steve Smith? Easy, they won't.

Last Week: 9-7

NFL Season: 22-10

Scott's Picks:

Washington Redskins @ Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers @ St Louis Rams

San Francisco 49ers @ Minnesota Vikings

Atlanta Falcons @ New England Patriots

Tennessee Titans @ New York Jets

Kansas City Chiefs @ Philadelphia Eagles

New York Giants @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Cleveland Browns @ Baltimore Ravens

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Houston Texans

New Orleans Saints @ Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears @ Seattle Seahawks

Miami Dolphins @ San Diego Chargers

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Cincinnati Bengals

Denver Broncos @ Oakland Raiders

Indianapolis Colts @ Arizona Cardinals

Carolina Panthers @ Dallas Cowboys

Last Week: 9-7

NFL Season: 22-10