Philadelphia, PA (My Sportsbook) - The long journey that is the National Hockey League season is upon us, and it arrives with the typical questions and ponderings.

Can the Red Wings, who will begin the quest without their captain, defy time again and make it four Cups in seven years? Will the Avalanche, with a healthy Peter Forsberg, unseat the champions and reclaim what was theirs only two years ago? Have the New York Rangers finally solved the riddle of how to properly spend a dollar? Do Ken Hitchcock and Pat Burns, two of the sport's top coaches, have what's necessary to rejuvenate a pair of upper echelon clubs that were eliminated from the first round last spring.

What about those supposed overachievers -- like Phoenix and Chicago? Can they recapture the magic that led them to the 2002 postseason, or were they merely the product of flukes? And what clubs will surprise you in 2002-03?

These are just a few of the questions out there, and all will be answered in due time. Some maybe sooner than later, as the opening month of the season often tells us who is for real very quickly.

So without further ado, here is a team-by-team look at the 2002-03 NHL campaign, with predictions.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

1. New Jersey Devils - The East is as wide open as it has been in years, and there are a handful of clubs who can legitimately finish as the top seed come April. So why the Devils, who many have going the other direction? His name is Burns, the club's third benchman in six months. Lou Lamoriello finally got it right when he tabbed the three-time Jack Adams Award winner to right the ship, and there may not be a better choice to get the Devs to respond the way Larry Robinson and Kevin Constantine could not.

2. Toronto Maple Leafs - Ed Belfour has replaced Curtis Joseph. On the surface, the Leafs will decline between the pipes, but Pat Quinn hopes that a fresh start will help the 37-year-old recapture some semblance of his old form. And while the volatile Belfour has seen his numbers wane the last two seasons with Marty Turco breathing down his neck in Dallas, he has done one thing Cujo has not -- backed a team to a Cup. Quinn, who will be without gutsy Gary Roberts until February, still has a solid forward corps led by Mats Sundin at his disposal, and his blueline has been bolstered by the addition of Robert Svehla, who was talked out of retirement to wear Maple Leaf blue.

3. Washington Capitals - Rookie head coach Bruce Cassidy has the task of leading Jaromir Jagr and Co. back to the postseason after last year's semi- debacle. Jagr, who still finished in the top five of the league in scoring, was bothered by nagging injuries all season, as was goaltender Olaf Kolzig. Plus the club was without Calle Johansson, Steve Konowalchuk and Jeff Halpern for lengthy periods of time. All things combined for no division title and no playoff berth, and a long summer of pondering. Gone are players like Ulf Dahlen and Dmitri Khristich and arriving are Robert Lang and Mike Grier. It's hard to see things going as wrong as they did a season ago, and the Caps should raise their third division banner in four years.

4. Philadelphia Flyers - Folks in Philly are hoping to have one season without a soap opera theme, and they wouldn't mind it ending minus a first-round playoff loss as well. Hitchcock has had a full summer and preseason to get things in sync off the ice, and he now has the task of making it work on it. Many believe he will magically turn the Flyers into the juggernaut they were supposed to be, but there are too many uncertainties, beginning with the aging duo of John LeClair and Mark Recchi and ending with a shaky defense and goaltending that has been sub-par in the preseason. Hitch is one of the elite benchmen in the NHL, and his system of doing things has surely worked in the past. But ultimately it is up to the players on the ice, and those players have some proving to do before being considered legitimate Cup contenders again.

5. New York Rangers - The Blueshirts finally appear to have spent their money wisely and have assembled a mix of players that SHOULD propel them into the postseason for the first time since 1997. Eric Lindros, Pavel Bure and Co. have been joined by Bobby Holik and Darius Kasparaitis, who both addressed the grit and defensive deficiencies the club has desperately tried to fill in recent years. Of course, an injury here and there could make Bryan Trottier's first year as a turncoat a miserable one. If you recall, Lindros was playing at a Hart Trophy-caliber level early last winter before suffering yet another concussion. Sure he recovered physically, but the resulting timidness sent his game and the Rangers' season down the tubes.

6. Ottawa Senators - The Sens utilized a stern defensive game to advance to the second round of the playoffs last spring, but many discount their dangerous assembly of attacking forwards. Daniel Alfredsson, Radek Bonk, Marian Hossa and Martin Havlat helped Ottawa finish second in the East in scoring last year, and two of those skaters, Hossa and Havlat, have yet to show their best. Jacques Martin's group still lacks grit, and goalie Patrick Lalime needs to prove his playoff wasn't a fluke, but the Senators will give the Leafs a tough run for the Northeast.

7. New York Islanders - The Isles' success will depend on how well they weather the storm until captain Michael Peca returns to the lineup, which isn't likely to be until at least early December. Last season, of course, New York's resurgence was rooted in its sensational 9-0-1-1 start, so the onus will be on Mr. Alexei Yashin, who answered the call in the playoffs to an extent, to take over the team early.

8. Carolina Hurricanes - The darlings of the 2002 postseason, the Canes utilized their guts and overtime prowess to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals, and even put a tiny scare into the Red Wings. The team's summer wasn't spent improving, but simply re-signing the key pieces already there, i.e. Ron Francis, Bret Hedican, Jeff O'Neill and Sami Kapanen. Unfortunately the Capitals are primed to bounce back and unseat the Southeast champs, but if things remain calm and Carolina stays relatively healthy, Paul Maurice's squad should scare someone next April.

9. Boston Bruins - Boston was one of two clubs in the NHL to boast five 20+ goal scorers, but when the leader of the pack flees, you've got problems. Bill Guerin is in Dallas, and gone with him is his 41 goals, torrid style of play and locker room presence. Add his absence to a suspect defense corps and questionable goaltending situation, and you have a team plummeting from the cusp of contention to an early summer. That is unless netminder Steve Shields, who was obtained to replace still-available Byron Dafoe, climbs out of the hole he has been stuck in for three years.

10. Montreal Canadiens - Two years ago, Jose Theodore was solid in his first season as a regular starter. Last campaign he was dazzling enough to clean up at the NHL Awards Show. In 2002-03? We shall see, but don't expect another Hart and Vezina on his mantle. The Canadiens, backed by the inspirational story of captain Saku Koivu, earned their first playoff berth in four years and pulled an 8-over-1 upset of the Bruins in the first round. Koivu and Donald Audette are both healthy, but can Michel Therrien bank on career efforts from both Theodore and Yannic Perreault again? Montreal is definitely among the teams in the East that have the ability to qualify for the postseason, but it's tough for a team to repeat after it had to fight so hard just to barely make it.

11. Buffalo Sabres - Year two of the post-Hasek era begins with the Sabres in financial turmoil, which allowed them to do all but nothing this offseason. Martin Biron was a solid replacement between the pipes, but the club still lacks a second scoring option behind Miroslav Satan. In all, even if a player like Maxim Afinogenov continues to develop into an offensive threat, not enough has changed to suggest the Sabres can climb out of playoff exile.

12. Pittsburgh Penguins - Mario Lemieux is aiming to play between 65-70 games this season, but one wonders if a chronic hip condition will allow that to happen. And if it doesn't occur, disaster might be too weak a word to describe the Penguins' offense. Lang followed Jagr to Washington this summer, and all that remains of a once-potent attack is Lemieux, Alexei Kovalev and Martin Straka, who has injury issues of his own.

13. Tampa Bay Lightning - Rookie GM Jay Feaster accomplished his goals of acquiring a top-six forward and top-four defenseman at the draft, obtaining Ruslan Fedotenko from Philadelphia and Brad Lukowich from Dallas. Add that duo to the presence of healthy bodies like Fredrik Modin and Martin St. Louis, who were both injured last season, and the Bolts should improve. Improve enough to make the playoffs? Let's not get carried away. The x-factor remains center Vincent Lecavalier, whose underachievement is a microcosm of the team's forgettable history. Thankfully, goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin will be there to win some games that aren't deserved.

14. Atlanta Thrashers - The team's rise from nothing will continue to revolve around the growth of sophomore stars Ilya Kovalchuk and Dany Heatley, but GM Don Waddell went out and acquired some proven veterans to surround the kids with. While Richard Smehlik, Uwe Krupp, Slava Kozlov and Shawn McEachern won't propel the Thrashers into the postseason, they are all solid guys to keep things going in the right direction.

15. Florida Panthers - Like Atlanta, Florida has a plan for the future and is on the right track. The Panthers just aren't as far along on it. While the Cats will continue their familiarity to losing, young names like Jay Bouwmeester and Stephen Weiss provide a reason to keep an eye on them.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

1. Colorado Avalanche - Forsberg is back, Derek Morris has filled that all-important third spot on the defensive depth chart and, most importantly, the Avs feel the need to make amends after getting shelled by the Red Wings in Game 7 of the conference finals. And while the loss of Chris Drury tells me Colorado can't quite be the machine it was two seasons ago, Bob Hartley's troops might come darn near close. Remember, without Forsberg, the Avs proved they could win with a defense-first mentality and Patrick Roy's brilliance. If they can maintain that approach while improving on their franchise-low 212 goals, there's no reason why they can't knock the Wings off their perch.

2. Detroit Red Wings - The Red Wings won't run away with the Western Conference again, as the Avalanche will have Forsberg for the entire season, and the Stars are rejuvenated. Can they make it two consecutive Cups? Absolutely, but they've already been slammed by injury, with Steve Yzerman sidelined, and have yet to play a single match. Considering how long their playoff run was and the toll it took, it's hard to fathom age not finally catching up to them at some point.

3. San Jose Sharks - If there's a team that can see, smell and taste the promised land without actually being there, it's this one. After losing Game 7 of the West semis to Colorado 1-0, the Sharks essentially did nothing in terms of additions this summer, but were able to hold on to free agent Teemu Selanne. The bottom line is that San Jose can attack you from every angle and won the Pacific Division championship with less than spectacular years from Selanne, captain Owen Nolan and Vincent Damphousse. Big players come through at big times, and there isn't a more pivotal time for the San Jose Sharks franchise.

4. Dallas Stars - The re-tooled Stars will give the Sharks a run for their money in the Pacific, as management made all the right moves this summer after 2001's Donald Audette/Jyrki Lumme fiasco. In addition to Guerin, Dallas signed right wing Scott Young, who will be reunited with former Blues linemate Pierre Turgeon, and added Philippe Boucher to a defense corps that hopes to rebound from a lackadaisical showing. New helmsman Dave Tippett is a rising star in the coaching ranks, but a question does remain in net. Turco is getting his first shot as the true No. 1, and how he responds will make or break Dallas' chance at serious contention.

5. Vancouver Canucks - The league's most lethal offensive force last season, the Canucks return with the stigma of being a one-line team. Markus Naslund, Todd Bertuzzi and Brendan Morrison might find it difficult to put forth a repeat performance, but the goals will still come in bunches. Supporting help is needed from the likes of the Sedin twins and Jan Hlavac, but the club's biggest worry is in net. Dan Cloutier was respectable in 2001-02, but the long goal he allowed to Detroit's Nicklas Lidstrom in the third game of the opening round turned the tide in the series, and for all intents and purposes ended the Canucks' season.

6. St. Louis Blues - Much like the Islanders, the Blues' success will hinge upon how well they fare without their captain. Chris Pronger is expected to miss most of the first half after undergoing knee surgery, and his minutes have to be made up somehow. There is still plenty of talent on the roster, especially with Doug Weight healthy again, but there is also the lingering notion that Joel Quenneville's club isn't quite where it should be. And considering St. Louis has been "on the cusp" for four years now, time might be running out to get there.

7. Edmonton Oilers - Edmonton's five-year playoff run ended last spring -- by a mere two points -- and, with the late exception of Grier, the club was able to hold on to key faces. Goaltender Tommy Salo remains a workhorse and the club's anchor, but the man who will guide the Oilers back to the playoffs is tiny centerman Mike Comrie. The 22-year-old scored 33 goals and added 27 assists as a sophomore and is expected to become one of the most exciting players in the league to watch.

8. Phoenix Coyotes - Popular opinion is that the Coyotes' 01-02 run was a fluke and cannot be repeated. If they hadn't gone out and signed Tony Amonte I might have agreed, but the ironman's presence alone will allow them to reach the 90-point mark for the fifth straight season. Anything more than that is contingent upon a couple things -- Sean Burke putting together a third consecutive all-star effort, and Daniel Briere and Daymond Langkow repeating their career seasons.

9. Los Angeles Kings - LA believes it can improve from within as it continues to lose key pieces year after year, but the approach seems puzzling when you consider that its Pacific Division brethren -- San Jose, Phoenix, Dallas and Anaheim -- were all players of some sort in the summer movement market. The Kings do have a potent top line -- Jason Allison, Ziggy Palffy and Adam Deadmarsh -- to hang their hat on, but the aforementioned offseason losses have depleted the scoring depth on the roster. One player who was originally being counted on to help in that area was Steve Heinze, but after being exposed in the waiver draft, he was assigned to the club's AHL affiliate in Manchester. Not a good sign at all.

10. Mighty Ducks of Anaheim - The additions of Adam Oates and Petr Sykora not only provide Paul Kariya some top-tier help, but a player like Steve Rucchin, who was skating with Kariya, can now drop down and provide the second-line support the team has clearly lacked. The Ducks, who will be coached by rookie Mike Babcock, were solid in their own end and received top-notch goaltending from youngster Jean-Sebastien Giguere a year ago, so it seems as if every area of the club is now respectable with the offseason moves. If Oates, who notched 36 power-play assists in 01-02, can spark the Ducks' horrid man-advantage (11.5 percent) unit, a playoff berth isn't out of the question.

11. Chicago Blackhawks - The Coyotes' gain is the Hawks' loss, as Amonte fled the Windy City after 8+ seasons and left a gaping hole on the right side. Theo Fleury, who may be troubled again, and Sergei Berezin will try to fill that void, but that's just one challenge coach Brian Sutter faces as he tries to guide Chicago to the postseason for a second consecutive year. Certainly he can lead them to a low-level seed, but his motivational preachings, which ignited players like Eric Daze and Alexei Zhamnov to monster seasons, are no longer fresh and may not have the same effect. Add that to Sutter's reliance on a fast-aging blueline corps and brittle goaltending situation, and you have too many concerns for comfort.

12. Calgary Flames - The acquisition of Chris Drury will do wonders for the Flames' scoring problems -- aside from Jarome Iginla and Craig Conroy -- but the subtraction of Derek Morris from the defense spurs some worry. General manager Craig Button is confident that returnees Robyn Regehr, Denis Gauthier and Toni Lydman, and Hobey Baker Award winner Jordan Leopold, can compensate, but until one emerges as a clear-cut anchor you'd expect Morris to be missed.

13. Minnesota Wild - Development is always the key with expansion teams in their first few years of existence, and the team's young pieces -- Marian Gaborik and Filip Kuba for example -- must continue their evolution. Some teams, like Nashville, have stayed the course and avoided adding veterans, only to see prospects falter and the club drop 11 points in the standings from year-to-year. The folks in the Twin Cities love their hockey, but if the Wild backtrack they may lose interest rather quickly.

14. Columbus Blue Jackets - The third-year club took a serious dip into the free agent pool with the signings of veteran defensemen Luke Richardson and Scott Lachance, and center Andrew Cassels. The two rearguards will bolster a corps that has almost been completely revamped, and the hope is that Cassels' playmaking ability can help increase the club's league-low 164-goal total. The most excitement, however, surrounds power forward Rick Nash, the top selection in the June draft. Signed to an NHL contract Monday, Nash will be on the big club this season and is primed to make a significant impact.

15. Nashville Predators - This time a year ago the Predators seemed to hold the blueprint for building an expansion team from the ground up, as they had recorded 63, 70 and 80 points in their first three seasons. Well, that progress came to a screeching halt in 2001-02, as Nashville regressed 11 points in the standings. The Preds' progress still banks on the development of thei draft picks, while the team's first-ever choice, David Legwand, continues to cement his status as a bust. Owner Craig Leipold has guaranteed season ticket holders a playoff berth or he'll refund the amount ticket prices were raised this summer. Start writing those checks now because head coach Barry Trotz hasn't been given much to work with yet again, and year five might be the worst yet.

FEARLESS FORECAST

Eastern Conference champion - Toronto Maple Leafs; Western Conference champion - Colorado Avalanche; Stanley Cup champion - Colorado Avalanche; Hart Trophy winner - Sergei Fedorov, Detroit Red Wings; Calder Trophy winner - Stanislav Chistov, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim; Vezina Trophy winner - Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils; Jack Adams Award winner - Pat Burns, New Jersey Devils; Norris Trophy winner - Rob Blake, Colorado Avalanche.