With NHL free agency getting started on July 1^st, we’re going to take a quick look around the league to see who is available and who the best option is.

We’re going to start our NHL off-season talk with the goaltenders who are set to become free agents on July 1^st. There is a pretty solid list of available candidates, and by solid I mean as solid as a plate of Jell-O that hasn’t had enough time to solidify yet.

First up, we’ll rank the top 10 available unrestricted free agents.

1. Martin Biron (Philadelphia) – Biron was one regular season win short of posting back to back 30 win seasons for the Flyers. In addition to that, he led the Flyers to the conference finals in 2007-08 before being ousted by the Penguins. This year the Flyers fell to the Penguins again, this time in the first round.

After spending much of his career in Buffalo and eventually losing his starting job to Ryan Miller, the Sabres shipped him off to Philly where he signed a 2 year, $3.5 million dollar contract. With the upcoming cap situation in Philly being extremely tight and the Flyers already signing Ray Emery to a one year deal, things aren’t looking so good for Biron in Philly.

He is sporadic at times and that can hurt a team but I still feel he is the best candidate for a team needing someone to start between the pipes. He is only 31 years old and his salary is not that much compared to some of the other goalies in the league. In my mind he would actually make for the perfect backup goaltender, but after starting a large amount of games in Philly for the past two seasons, I can’t see him embracing that backup role once again (and the salary that goes along with it).

2. Nikolai Khabibulin (Chicago) – One could argue that Khabibulin was a huge disappointment in Chicago after landing his monster deal of close to $7 million per season. I would completely agree with the person arguing that point. In his four seasons in Chicago he started 50, 60, 50 and 42 games. His win-loss record was much better this season, but so was the overall team. Sorry, but for someone pulling in that kind of money, he should be starting around 70 games and leading his team to the post-season each time.

Last off-season the Blackhawks signed another somewhat shaky goaltender in Cristobal Huet, so I see no possible way that they retain the services of Khabibulin. He will no doubt need to take a pay cut if he wants another job in the NHL, but he should be able to contribute to another team. He hasn’t been nearly as good in Chicago as he was while winning the Cup in Tampa Bay, but someone will give him another shot. If not, the KHL still awaits.

3. Scott Clemmensen (New Jersey) – Most people will probably recognize Clemmensen as the guy who saved the Devils season while Martin Brodeur was out with a long term injury. Upon returning, Clemmensen was shipped back down to the AHL to finish up the season. This was more about clearing waivers than any form of respect, but I have a feeling that it didn’t sit too well with Clemmensen. He now hits the open market and has proven he can play effectively at the NHL level. While subbing for Brodeur (and Kevin Weekes), Clemmensen posted a 25-13-1 record and two shutouts. His GAA and save percentage were statistically in the top ten among league leaders. I have to assume that a team in need of goaltending will want to give him a shot seeing that he is only 31 years old, but there is always that off chance that he’ll return to New Jersey to be Brodeur’s full-time backup. There is always that chance that he was a product of the New Jersey system.

4. Ty Conklin (Detroit) – I’m actually quite fond of Conklin as a backup. Although he didn’t play very much for Buffalo in his short stint with the Sabres, he played well enough to impress me. Last season he helped carry Pittsburgh to the post-season while starter Marc-Andre Fleury was injured. This season he headed to Detroit to split time with Chris Osgood. Conklin has bounced around several teams so there must be something I’m missing, but I think he is a very suitable backup goalie. I also think he is perfect for Detroit. In 40 games for Detroit this season, Conklin went 25-11-2 with 6 shutouts. Osgood is heading into the final year of his contract and Conklin is more than capable of filling in from time to time. If I were Detroit I would look at locking him up with another one year deal and then seriously addressing the goaltending situation the following summer.

5. Manny Fernandez (Boston) – Fernandez hits the market and looks to be finished in Boston. While splitting time with Tim Thomas, there is no doubt that Thomas is the man in Boston. Fernandez started 28 games this past season with Boston posting a 16-8-3 record in the process. He definitely doesn’t deserve a contract over $4 million (what he was making in Boston) but he should be able to hook up with someone and split time between the pipes.

6. Dwayne Roloson (Edmonton) – Roloson hits the market at the ripe age of 39, which isn’t exactly a great bargaining chip when looking for a new job. It seems like a very long time ago that he led the 8^th seeded Oilers to the Stanley Cup before getting injured in Game One and watching his team fall in seven to the Hurricanes. At this point in his career he is much better suited for the backup role. He started 63 games this year for Edmonton, posting a 28-24-9 record along the way. He might possibly stick in Edmonton, although that seems somewhat unlikely.

7. Antero Niittymaki (Philadelphia) – Along with Martin Biron, Niittymaki hits the free agent market and there appears to be no room for him in Philly. His contract was considerably less than Biron (1.375 million) so the Flyers might have plans for him to split time with Ray Emery (everyone in Philly shudders). Niittymaki is only 28 years old and went 15-8-6 in 32 regular season starts last season. While those numbers aren’t necessarily great, they could be worse (see Emery, Ray). He might have to take a brief pay cut to the tune of one million per season, but it wouldn’t be a terrible investment. Now Ray Emery…well that’s another story. (Had enough yet Philly?)

8. Craig Anderson (Florida) – Last season Anderson split time with Tomas Vokoun going 15-7-5 in 31 starts. Anderson never fully got into a groove as the Panthers goaltending situation depended on whether or not the team won or loss the previous game. When he got an extended amount of playing time, he proved he was capable of winning games for the Panthers. He may not want to split time this way with Vokoun again, so look for him to test the free agent market and see what else is available.

9. Manny Legace (St Louis) – Legace posted a 13-9-2 record in 29 starts for the Blues last season. While these numbers aren’t great, either is the unrestricted class of 2009. Legace may end up staying in St Louis to serve a similar role, but one has to assume he’ll receive a significant pay cut, unless someone thinks he is worth $2.5 million per season. Seeing that someone like Ty Conklin makes much less per season, there is no way this is happening.

10. Brian Boucher (San Jose) – Boucher went 12-6-3 in 22 games with the Sharks last season. He was in a pretty good spot backing up Evgeni Nabakov for the first round chokers last season. One could argue that Boucher benefited from playing for the best team in the regular season, which is a fair argument, but I can’t ignore the stats when doing these rankings. Boucher only made $650,000 last season so I could see him getting a slight raise for a similar role. His days as a number one goalie for long gone.

The list for restricted agents is much smaller. And by smaller I mean most of the players are still playing in the AHL so I don’t know nearly enough about them to do rankings. So to keep this simple, here are the top three goaltenders that are eligible for restricted free agency.

1. Kari Lehtonen (Atlanta) – If I’m Kari Lehtonen, I’m begging my way out of Atlanta. I don’t see this franchise ever being successful in the NHL and in my opinion; they should be shipped up to Canada or eliminated completely from the league. Lehtonen played in 46 games for the terrible Thrashers earning a 19-22-3 record with three shutouts. I’ve seen him play enough games to know that he is much better than the record indicates. Like I said, Atlanta is terrible. Lehtonen is only 25 years old so I could easily see him latching on with another team and serving the role of franchise goaltender.

2. Brian Elliott (Ottawa) – Brian Elliot got the pleasure of playing for the Senators once their season was effectively over. Regardless of that fact, he quickly turned them into a much better team as Ottawa was actually one of the better teams towards the end of the season. In 31 games played, Elliot went 16-8-3 with one shutout. One would assume with him being only 24 years old, that Ottawa would lock him up and not allow anybody else to entertain offers for him. Based on what I saw last season, I’m not looking forward to seeing Buffalo face him multiple times a season.

3. Peter Budaj (Colorado) – Budaj almost single handedly killed my entire fantasy team this past season. Luckily I dumped him and squeaked into the playoffs. Nevertheless, with so few restricted free agents with NHL experience, Budaj is near the top of the list. Who knows, with him only being 26 years old maybe he’ll get much better as time goes on. He’ll need to if he wants to improve on his 20-29-5 record that he posted last season. Then again, playing for the Avalanche these days isn’t exactly the perfect scenario for a young goaltender.

Now that the trade deadline has passed, we can officially hit the stretch run to the playoffs. It was an exciting trade deadline to say the least. Even though the stars predicted to move on rumor sites didn’t move, teams made quite a few moves to beef up for the playoffs.

The Rangers picked up a few players last week, including old pal Sean Avery as they look to turn things around and make the playoffs. Pittsburgh also added veteran Bill Guerin in hopes that his leadership will provide a playoff berth. Boston tried to add Mark Recchi for the playoffs but so far it hasn’t quite worked out. Buffalo traded away shootout specialist Ales Kotalik for a 2nd round pick which turned into Toronto forward Dominic Moore. Carolina also traded away Justin Williams in a deal that had Erik Cole returning to Carolina after a few years in Edmonton. Those were just a few deals made in the Eastern Conference on deadline day.

1. New Jersey Devils (1) – Despite a horrible blowout loss to the Islanders this weekend, the Devils are still 7-3-0 in their last 10 games and my top team in the league. When looking at the conference standings, this is the one team I wouldn’t want to face in the first round.

2. Detroit Red Wings (2) – The Red Wings have also been impressive as of late going 6-3-1 in their last 10 games. I’m still not completely sold on their goaltending, but they have so much offensive firepower that it might not matter.

3. Boston Bruins (3) – I’m not sold on Boston at all. I don’t know what it is, but I don’t see them making it past the 2nd round of the playoffs. If Buffalo were to squeak into the playoffs as an 8 seed and play Boston, I would love that match-up. Let me repeat that, I would LOVE that match-up. There is nothing about Boston that strikes fear in me.

4. Calgary Flames (6) – Calgary made a few impressive moves at the deadline bringing defenseman Jordan Leopold and forward Olli Jokinen back into the fold. Although they have dropped their last two games, I don’t see the slide going on for long. One thing Calgary has going into the playoffs that works to their advantage; an elite goaltender. I would not want to face the Flames in the post-season.

5. San Jose Sharks (4) – The Sharks haven’t been sharp lately, losing their last four games. They also didn’t make their customary splash on deadline day, so who knows how far they will go. I will say this though, those moves have never worked out in the past for San Jose so maybe it’s a good thing that they stayed put.

6. Washington Capitals (5) – The Caps have also lost four in a row, but luckily they play in an easy division. With Carolina coming on strong though, they may want to get their game corrected sooner rather than later.

7. Philadelphia Flyers (8) – The Flyers made a few moves, but nothing “major” on deadline day. I thought they might move goaltender Martin Biron, but they decided to hang on to him. He will hit the market this off-season so that should be interesting. They also released two players to clear cap space for Danny Briere, only to have Briere leave the game with the same groin injury. He said he shouldn’t be out too long, but I suspect Philly fans have already lost their patience with him.

8. Chicago Blackhawks (7) – Chicago is kind of hanging around and appear to be a lock for the post-season. They were also on the list of teams that didn’t make any major moves, so we’ll see how well that works out for them. If their goaltending can get hot, or even consistent for that matter, they should make it to the second round before heading home.

9. Montreal Canadiens (9) - Montreal was suspiciously quiet on deadline day. After all this nonsense babble I read about them making a move on Lecavalier, they didn't do anything. It showed later that night when Buffalo tossed them around. They rebounded over the weekend and still maintain a slight grip on a playoff spot.

10. Vancouver Canucks (11) - Vancouver has been a tear and it continued last week. They have won four in a row and are 8-2-0 in their last 10 games. I think the Canucks fall into that area that the Flames do in terms of playoffs. Once they are there, if goaltending gets hot, look out. I don't know about everyone else, but I'd like to see a Vancouver/Calgary match-up at some point in the post-season.

11. Pittsburgh Penguins (13) - Pittsburgh got another huge victory Sunday at Washington to run their streak to six games and an 8-1-1 record in their last 10. I still don't know if firing their coach was the right idea, but apparently it was. That being said, if they are really this good and were really tanking it to get him fired, shame on them.

12. Florida Panthers (10) - Florida didn't sell on deadline day so I have to give them credit. I don't see any way possible that the Panthers will be able to keep Jay Bouwmeester, unless of course the market is hit hard with the current economic situation. Unless they collapse down the stretch, they have proven themselves playoff worthy.

13. New York Rangers (14) - The Rangers made some moves to throw themselves into the contender category. They picked up Derek Morris, Nik Antropov and Sean Avery. If they can get on a roll and get some solid goaltending from Lundqvist, they should return to the post-season.

14. Carolina Hurricanes (NR) - What is up with Carolina lately? Two blowout victories this weekend gave the Carolina fans a good weekend for hockey (assuming anybody was watching). But seriously, even through all that they are still looking up at Pittsburgh for the 8th spot as of right now. The addition of Erik Cole should definitely help but I don't know if he will push them over the top.

15. Nashville Predators (12) - The Predators are 6-3-1 and have been getting very solid goaltending from Pekka Rinne as of late. I think I've seen this before, but I see Nashville squeezing into the post-season and possibly facing Detroit in the first round.

Here we go. We're a mere two days and a few hours away from the NHL trading deadline. This will tell how bad the winners want to win, who is selling, and who is trying their best to make a playoff run. It's always a fun time and I'm looking forward to it.

This isn't for sure, but I'm planning on blogging throughout the day during the deadline with updates on rumors, completed trades, etc. Be sure to check in with us throughout the day for the latest news and headlines.

1. New Jersey Devils (5) – I had these thoughts before Martin Brodeur came back and now they have been proven true. New Jersey is the team to beat in the Eastern Conference. They held on and did well without the best goalie in the league, and now they are even better. He is healthy, rested and ready to go. Look out everybody.

2. Detroit Red Wings (3) – Despite getting blown out 8-0 at Nashville on Saturday, Detroit won two out of three games this past week including a game against San Jose, whom they are competing with for the top spot in the West. They need to solve their goaltending situation at the trade deadline, and if they do that I think they will be the team to beat in the West.

3. Boston Bruins (2) – Boston is holding on to the top spot in the East but they need to step up their game if they want to hold off New Jersey. Things that won’t help them hold on to the top spot: letting in a game winning goal from 80 feet out. I still am fully against Tim Thomas being the starter for Team USA in the Olympics next year, but that isn’t for sure.

4. San Jose Sharks (1) – San Jose split the week winning two out of four games, but losing to Detroit hurts. I don’t foresee them doing anything major at the trade deadline, but you never know. They have been known to add a piece or two for the playoff push, although it has never really worked out.

5. Washington Capitals (4) – Washington is currently tied in the East with New Jersey so if things continue with the way they are going, I see Washington finishing third in the East again. There have been a few rumors of them acquiring Bill Guerin before the deadline from the Islanders, but it’s been two days since Guerin didn’t dress on Saturday and no news, so again, who knows.

6. Calgary Flames (7) – Calgary and Chicago have been neck and neck this season in the rankings but Calgary makes the jump this week since they went 2-1 last week. Rumors are rampant that Calgary is going after Olli Jokinen but I’m hoping he lands on the other team he is rumored to be going to. Then again, these rumors I read are rarely true.

7. Chicago Blackhawks (6) – Chicago should be a buyer this week as the push for the playoffs heats up. They have a nice core but they should be looking to add at least another piece to the puzzle to ensure they survive the first round.

8. Philadelphia Flyers (8) – The Flyers have continued their steady play in the past week as they hold on to a playoff spot in the East. They had to make a few moves last week to make room for the return of Danny Briere. Assuming he can stay healthy and bring some more scoring and leadership to the Flyers, they should be fine in terms of making the playoffs.

9. Montreal Canadiens (14) – What a difference a week makes. The team went from free falling to winning all three games last week and looking like the team everyone thought they would be. I suppose this is what happens when you get solid goaltending and good play all around.

10. Florida Panthers (9) – Florida split their schedule last week but had an embarrassing loss on Saturday to New Jersey. They rebounded nicely yesterday to pick up a win which showed me that they are a real team. It’s usually a good sign when a team can come back the next day after a severe beating and get two points. I think at this point they would be crazy to trade Jay Bouwmeester unless they get some kind of amazing deal.

11. Vancouver Canucks (10) – Vancouver’s winning streak ended last week but they still won two out of three to continue their solid play. They are another team that should be buying at the deadline in hopes of making a deep playoff run. Although I don’t think the Canucks are a “great” team, you can never fully rule out a team with such a good goalie. If he gets hot in the playoffs, look out.
12. Nashville Predators (NR) – I had to do a double take this weekend when I flipped stations and saw Nashville winning 5-0 with several minutes remaining in the first period against Detroit. How does that happen? One thing is for sure, I’m very happy I picked Pekka Rinne up on my fantasy team, even though the playoffs are a long shot right now. (for me, not Nashville)

13. Pittsburgh Penguins (NR) – The Penguins finally made the leap from 10th to 8th with a victory over Dallas yesterday. It’s still a tight race so they are by no means a lock. I’m sure the execs in the NHL office are praying for a first round match-up between Pittsburgh and Washington.

14. NY Rangers (15) – The Rangers move up a spot, but mostly because Buffalo slipped so far this week. They fired their coach in a move that I disagree with, but they appear to be playing different hockey with John Tortorella now. Then again, are they? They blew a 1-0 lead in the third period against Florida that resulted in a 2-1 regulation loss. Those kinds of games are killers this time of year.

15. Buffalo Sabres (11) – The Sabres are picking the worst time to not show up in games. There is absolutely no excuse to lose a game to the Islanders, let alone get shutout. It will be very interesting to see what they do at the deadline. They are expecting Thomas Vanek back this Wednesday so that will be an addition in itself, and Ryan Miller should be back sooner rather than later.

We’re just a mere two weeks away from the trade deadline, so things will definitely get interesting as we progress through this season. Usually the trade deadline exposes teams that are willing to sacrifice a little bit now for some help at a cup, and teams that are conceding although they are still mathematically in it.

I’ve said it time and time again, but Florida is the team I’m watching. They are very much in this race and can make some real noise in the playoffs, but not without Jay-Bo. From what I’ve read, he has already turned down a 6.5 million per season deal to stay with Florida, so they may opt to trade him and get anything they can in return. If they don’t get enough, I wouldn’t be shocked to see Florida slip out and Carolina snatch up that last spot.

Pittsburgh also made the decision to fire their head coach this weekend, having him take the fall for the team’s poor performance. I wasn’t the biggest fan of this guy, but he is less than one season removed from taking the Pens to the Stanley Cup. Meanwhile, since last season, they have lost a ton of key players and replaced them with the likes of slacker Miroslav Satan. Seriously? Miroslav Satan? I think the GM should’ve fired himself.

1. Boston Bruins (1) – The Bruins retain the top spot for the third straight week, but the Devils are nipping at them. The Bruins have lost four in a row and if they continue that stretch, the Devils will not only overtake them in these rankings, but also in the standings. Boston has three winnable games this week; Carolina, Florida, and Tampa Bay.

2. New Jersey Devils (4) – The Devils continue to win and play very solid hockey.

It's week three of the NHL top 15 and as the week's progress; the rankings get a little easier. The teams are hitting that tough stretch of February hockey before they have to really bring their A game in March for the playoff push. It's going to be a tight race all the way to the end and I'm looking forward to it. In addition to the playoff push, we also have the trade deadline coming up, which is now less than a month away. I've personally read quite a few rumors, but usually those don't pan out the way it's written. We'll have to wait and see what happens, but it will be a good one.

1. Boston Bruins (1) – The B's keep chugging along and retain the top spot for the second straight week. I personally have to wonder just how far they will go in the playoffs, but it will really come down to who they play. Some teams seem to match-up very nicely with them, while most of the teams don't.

2. Detroit Red Wings (3) – The Wings jump up to the number two spot, thanks to a free fall from San Jose. The Red Wings are a team that would truly scare me in the playoffs. They have enough experience to make a similar run again and they seem just as hungry. They have currently won four games in a row and are only two points behind San Jose for the top spot in the West.

3. San Jose Sharks (2) – The Sharks have lost three games in a row for the first time all season, which explains the drop in the rankings. They have a trip out East which includes a battle against the Bruins and game against the Sabres later in the week. One thing that works in their favor, they currently have a handful of games in hand compared to the other teams near them in the standings.

4. New Jersey Devils (4) – The Devils continue to roll and have made quick work of the Eastern Conference, going from 7th to 4th in a very short time span. I've never been a fan of their style of play, but I have to give credit where credit is due. As long as they keep playing this style of hockey, they should roll with it and take the division. From that point it will be a battle between themselves and Washington for the 2nd seed in the East.

5. Washington Capitals (6) – The Capitals continue to play strong hockey, but I won't be a true believer until I see them do it in the post-season. It doesn't say a lot to win the division they are in, but regardless of that, they show flashes of being a good team. If they were to match-up with a division foe in the playoffs, I wouldn't be so quick to tally up a series win for the Caps.

6. Chicago Blackhawks (7) – The Hawks have been somewhat average in the past week but they seem to have a firm grip in the West. Like I said before, they aren't catching Detroit, but they should still get home ice in the first round of the playoffs.

7. Calgary Flames (5) – The Flames had lost four games in a row until they faced off against the lifeless Canadiens last night and got back on track with a 6-2 victory. They still have a decent lead over Minnesota in the Northwest division, but they need to get back on the right track sooner rather than later.

8. Philadelphia Flyers (10) – The Flyers have won two games in a row and now only sit four points behind New Jersey for the division lead. I still think goaltending will be the downfall for Philly, but I guess we'll just have to wait and see. One thing is for sure, the race in the Eastern Conference is seriously log jammed from spots four through seven.

9. Buffalo Sabres (11) – The Sabres came back from the west coast trip in strong fashion, dismantling the junior league team posing as the Toronto Maple Leafs. They beat the Canadiens on Friday night and stole a point in Ottawa on Saturday. If the Sabres plan on making a run, they will have to have someone step up in Thomas Vanek's absence. I've read several rumors of the Sabres making a semi-major trade before the deadline, but that really isn't Buffalo's style so they might just rely on the young guys to step up.

10. New York Rangers (8) – The Rangers have lost five games in a row and if they lose a few more, they will be on the outside of the playoff picture. I personally don't see it happening, but I'm not complaining either. I've read that they may look at bringing Sean Avery back into the fold, so I'm ready to begin my hatred of the guy again. Sad to say, he might be exactly what the Rangers need.

11. Montreal Canadiens (9) – The Canadiens are truly free falling as of late. They gave up two huge points in Buffalo on Friday night and then lost to Toronto the following night. Unless they pick it up very quickly, I can see Buffalo and either Carolina/Florida catching them in the conference race. They are currently only two points ahead of Buffalo in the division and they are barely hanging on to the 5th seed.

12. Carolina Hurricanes (13) – Carolina has won two games in a row to hold on to the 8th spot, but that doesn't look like it will hold. If Florida were to make a major trade, it would essentially take them right out of the picture, so it will basically be up to Pittsburgh. Lucky for the Canes, the Penguins have been sucking pretty bad this year and they don't appear to be getting any better.

13. Dallas Stars (14) – Dallas has been a tear lately, going 8-2-0 in their last 10 games. They finally put Sean Avery on waivers so that appears to be behind them and they are focusing on playing good hockey. With such a tight race in the West, if Dallas were to miss the playoffs by a point or two, I would get a laugh knowing that Buffalo absolutely robbed them of a point earlier this season. It doesn't make up for 'No Goal', but it's still a good feeling.

13. Anaheim Ducks (12) – Anaheim is an enigma for me. They seem to have a good team put together, but they have been struggling for better parts of the season. I really don't see them doing a whole lot once the post-season rolls around, assuming they even make it. Word on the street is that they are shopping defenseman Chris Pronger. If they end up making that trade, you can officially count the Ducks out.

15. Florida Panthers (14) – Florida has been hanging around all season making teams in the East sweat. David Booth has been a real force this season and my fantasy team thanks him. They have a pretty easy game against Toronto this week before they face off against Carolina, NY Rangers, and Washington. Those three games will be HUGE for the Panthers.

The NHL rankings are back on the D&S Sports Report and they will continue every Tuesday until the season is over. Not a whole lot has changed since the teams returned from the All-Star break. The Penguins have found more ways to lose, the Sabres just scored on Edmonton (Again!), and the battle for the top spot is being fought out between San Jose and Boston. As always, comments are welcome or feel free to send an e-mail with your thoughts. On to the rankings!

2. San Jose Sharks (1) – The Sharks haven't fallen too far, going 7-3-0 in their last ten. They still have a decent lead in the Western Conference but they have slipped up just enough to allow Boston to take over in the race for the President's Trophy (which might be a good thing).

3. Detroit Red Wings (3) – The Red Wings have been average as of late, but they still have a comfortable lead in the second spot out West. They have put plenty of pucks in the net but their goaltending has been suspect at times. It should be interesting as the trade deadline approaches and several goaltenders become available. Don't be shocked if Detroit makes a move to acquire one of them.

4. New Jersey Devils (5) – The Devils have been the hottest team in the league as of late. They are 9-1-0 in their last ten and have won their last eight games. They have quickly caught up with Washington and if Boston starts to slip, New Jersey will be right there to take away the top spot. I personally saw them steal a game against Pittsburgh where they were down 3-1 late in the third and I was very impressed with how they played when it counted.

5. Calgary Flames (7) – Calgary has been solid recently but they need to be much more consistent if they plan on catching Detroit. I caught the Calgary/Buffalo game the other night and for the first two periods, I wasn't overly impressed, but they came to play in the third and rightfully won the game 5-2.

6. Washington Capitals (4) – Washington is starting to slip up a little bit, but they don't have a whole lot to worry about right now. I guess you can chalk that up as an advantage of playing in the weakest division in the NHL.

7. Chicago Blackhawks (9) – Chicago is holding steady in the Western Conference race. I personally don't see them catching Detroit, but they shouldn't fall too much further and should definitely make some noise in the playoffs.

8. New York Rangers (8) – The Rangers have not been great lately and the standings reflect that. For a team so loaded with superstars, they really aren't as great as they would appear on paper. I could honestly see them missing the playoffs if they don't turn things around quickly.

9. Montreal Canadiens (6) – For a team that was supposed to challenge for a Cup this season, Montreal has been the opposite of dominant at times. As of late, they are 4-6-0 in their last ten games and have looked very beatable. They have several huge games, including this Friday against Buffalo, which they can't afford to lose.

10. Philadelphia Flyers (11) – The Flyers have been decent lately but nothing overly special. Much like the Rangers, I can easily see them missing the playoffs if they don't turn it around. Barring some kind of hot streak by either goaltender (like last year), I think that will be the one thing that holds Philly back this year.

11. Buffalo Sabres (10) – When you just look at the numbers, Buffalo hasn't been spectacular as of late, but they have still been pretty good. They haven't played at home in what seems like forever, and just finished a West coast swing which included stops at Edmonton, Calgary, Phoenix, and Anaheim. They went 2-2 in that stretch and now come back home to Buffalo to build on things.

12. Anaheim Ducks (13) – The Ducks have been off and on this season, but they have looked better recently. If they can get some strong goaltending, they should be able to make the post-season, but if not they will be on the outside looking in. It will be interesting to see what they do around the trade deadline, considering the amount of rumors I've read about them.

13. Carolina Hurricanes (NR) – The Hurricanes and Panthers are fighting for that last spot. The Hurricanes have looked average in games I've seen and are nothing to fear. If they were to slide into the playoffs as an 8 seed, I can see them being the first team eliminated.

14. Florida Panthers (15) – The Panthers are a dangerous team. They are fighting for their playoff lives and in my opinion, as time passes they will surpass the Hurricanes. They have several rumors flying around about trading star defenseman Jay Bouwmeester, which will be fun to follow because it will tell a lot about how important the playoffs are to Florida. If they wind up trading him, I see it as a total give up by the organization.

15. Dallas Stars (NR) – The only time the Stars have been in the news this season, it was for the antics of Sean Avery, but now they are getting headlines for their solid play. They are 6-2-2 in their last ten and have won four straight games. If a team were planning to make a post-season run, this is the perfect time to do it. The Stars don't have a terrible team, but they need much better play from Marty Turco as the season winds down.