Summer ESPN Power Rankings

Welcome back to all of my loyal readers. I've taken the last few weeks off for some well needed rest and relaxation!!

ESPN has released their Summer Power Rankings courtesy of Scott Burnside:

here

As expected the Penguins are in the top spot in the East. What really catches my eye though is not where the Pens are ranked, but is actually how many teams from the Atlantic Division are in the top 6. Yep - 4 out of 5. Obviously there is some carry over here from last years playoff rankings - I don't think that the Rangers or Devils should be ranked that high - but that speaks volumes for the level of competition in the division.

And then there's the Islanders. Not at the bottom spot, but at 14 only surpassed in futility by the Thrashers. Somewhere, this morning, Garth Snow is weeping in his Wheaties. That is a team that is in disarray. A new coach and a roster that could probably lose regularly to many AHL teams. Hmmmmm.

Tampa Bay being ranked an 8 is mostly believable. They were, however, dead last at the end of the previous season and with a new coach behind the bench - MELROSE! - could have a tough time out of the gates. I think they will hit their stride and probably make the playoffs but it may be a struggle with a long streak needed to wrap it up.

Burnsy didn't go out on much of a limb with any of these. But I'm going to. Here is my Eastern Power rankings:

1. Pittsburgh - I am a yinzer!
2. Montreal
3. Washington
4. Philadelphia
5. New York Rangers
6. Carolina
7. Tampa Bay
8. Buffalo
9. New Jersey
10. Boston
11. Toronto
12. Ottawa
13. Florida
14. New York Islanders
15. Atlanta

That's right. New Jersey out of the playoff picture. I don't believe that their defense first strategy has room in this NHL any longer. They will need to produce offense to win games and will be hard pressed to do so.

Free Agency Analysis

I won't bore all of you loyal readers with a recap of what has happened so far in free agency as all of you probably are well aware. I will, however, add some analysis and how I feel the changes to the team are going to play out.

First and foremost I do not think the Penguins are a less explosive, talented team than they were on the day the season ended. Losing Hossa was not the outcome that many Pens fans wanted to see but in the end it was not a shock. Think about it. When Hossa was acquired at the trade deadline, all speculation pointed to the fact that he was a rental player added to the roster for a playoff push. And that is exactly what he was. And he performed admirably in that role.

The signing of Fedotenko and Satan more than makes up the goals that were lost when Hossa and Malone signed elsewhere. Both are proven team players that can provide goals when most needed. Jordan Staal is more than capable of taking Malone's spot on the power play by providing traffic in front of the net.

The Pens have been able to wrap up their core players, with the exception of Jordan Staal, with long term deals at less than market value. Is this not what was most expected by the majority of fans before the team made their spectacular playoff run? It seems as if expectations were raised by their appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals.

And who is to say that the current roster is going to be the same roster that takes the ice in October? It probably won't be. And it can be guaranteed that it is not the same roster that will exist the day after the trade deadline in 2009 either. That is how the current NHL works. Teams change yearly and will be doing so as long as the current CBA is in place. Besides, isn't this what we all wanted anyway??

The Pens are still an elite team in the East. With or without Hossa that is a fact. They will still contend for the Conference Title and if they come together and play as a team on a mission as they did this past spring, no one really knows the potential.