The Southeast Division is looking to bounce back after a poor 2009 season.
Carolina came into the year with big expectations after advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals the year before, Tampa Bay was in playoff contention through March, and Atlanta looked like they may make a run before dealing Kovalchuk.
However, none of those three teams advanced to the playoffs.
The East-leading Capitals, who won the Conference by 18, we ousted in the first round by the Montreal Canadiens.
Many changes took place during the offseason.
The Panthers, who have been irrelevant since advancing to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1996, hired former Chicago GM Dave Tallon to turn the team around.
While retaining experienced veterans, Carolina has put their youth movement in full throttle under recently-anointed captain Eric Staal.
Steve Yzerman has made a major impact since taking over Tampa as GM. By adding players like Simon Gagne the team is ready to compete again in the Eastern Conference.
Desperate to build a fanbase and turn around their fortunes, the Thrashers took advantage of Chicago's cap situation and broug ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Tom Schreier
Steve Yzerman’s Impact, Alex Ovechkin’s Style and Other Southeast Concerns
August 25th, 2010 by Tom Schreier Leave a reply »
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