NHL Eastern Confrence

The trading deadline is long gone. It was unusually quiet in Philadelphia anyway, with the Flyers failing to make any significant moves, largely due to salary cap constraints.

But even though there are a mere seven games left in the regular season, the Flyers may still have one more move that could give them an added jolt heading into the playoffs: adding top prospect James van Riemsdyk to the mix.

With van Riemsdyk’s University of New Hampshire eliminated from the NCAA postseason on Sunday, he is free to leave college behind and join the professional ranks at any time.

Van Riemsdyk was already given a long look in training camp this past Sept. before he ultimately opted to return to UNH for his sophomore year.

The Flyers were reportedly miffed at his decision not to turn pro, but the move worked out for van Riemsdyk, as he led the Wildcats in scoring and cemented his reputation as the top prospect in college hockey.

He also starred again at the World Junior Championship for Team USA, finishing seventh in scoring after leading the entire tournament the previous year.

His recent body of work speaks for itself, and he is clearly ready to take the step to the NHL. But the decision about whether or not to ink his first professional contract within the next few weeks will rest with van Riemsdyk alone, as Flyers GM Paul Holmgren has made it clear that he will not pressure his top prospect to sign.

Not only would his turning pro give the Flyers a shot in the arm for the rest of the season, but the move makes financial sense for van Riemsdyk, whose stock will never be higher than it is now. And with the salary cap slated to go down in the coming years, he and all young players should strike while the iron is hot.

In an ideal situation, the Flyers would bring the second overall pick of the 2007 draft into the fold for the final three or four games of the regular season as a trial run.

And even if they did not have full confidence in throwing him into the playoff machine, regular practice with the team and witnessing the intensity of the games in person could only help his growth.

Getting a few games under his belt this season will speed up the process of making him a regular fixture of the lineup and the hope of ultimately seeing him develop into a premier power forward.

And given the strong likelihood of Mike Knuble leaving via free agency this summer, having van Riemsdyk get some experience now would be a great help to the team.

Van Riemsdyk was the Flyers’ reward for suffering through such an awful 2006-07 season, and the organization and its fans would like to see him in orange and black as soon as possible.

Hopefully he can see that turning pro very soon is the best decision for his personal career and for the organization that has put so much stock into him. Regardless of what happens, he figures to be a big part of the Flyers for a long time.

But there is no time like the present.

Although the prospect of the Montreal Canadiens making the playoffs this year is still very uncertain, the bigger question is how they fare against other teams in the East. 

To win the Cup, a team needs to possess certain traits.  All the top teams in the East have these characteristics; how does Montreal compare?

Grit

Determination, size, and heart can all be considered in this category.

Above all, winning in the playoffs requires determination; you want guys who play with heart on your team. Equally important is having players that are willing to take punishment, but also give it when needed.

The Canadiens lack the determination and grit on majority of nights, as seen during their recent struggles. No one is willing to step up their game when the stakes are high. The Canadiens also lack a player who is willing to carry the team on his back and change the momentum of the game. That certainly needs to change for the playoffs.

Goaltending

Cup-winning teams need hot goalies that can make big saves when needed. Sometimes the goalie needs to steal a game or two for the team.

Montreal has had spectacular, mediocre, and simply dismal goaltending over the course of this season. Which Carey Price or Jaro Halak shows up in the playoffs is a mystery—just like Montreal’s chances of making the playoffs.

The goaltending needs to be much better if the Habs have any chance of winning in the postseason.

Talent

There’s no question that talent and skill are a prerequisite to succeed in the playoffs. Whether you have proven goal scorers or shutdown defencemen, you need to be skilled.

Although there is not much to show for it, there is no doubt that Montreal has talented forwards and defencemen—but consistency is the key to success. The Habs have yet to be consistent this season and play for a full sixty minutes.

The Habs also need to play better defensively—and not get outshot every game.

Of the teams the Canadiens could play in the first round, New Jersey is probably the last team they would like to play. Martin Brodeur has been phenomenal since he has returned from injury, and he always saves his best for Montreal.

The Canadiens also don’t want the task of trying to shut down Alexander Ovechkin, Mike Green, Nicklas Backstrom, and Alexander Semin, making Washington a tough first-round opponent as well.

Philadelphia has too much depth and offensive talent. If Martin Biron plays like he did in last year’s postseason, the Flyers will be the team to beat in the East.

That leaves Boston. Although Boston has owned Montreal all season, and is on its way to finish first in the East, Montreal has the psychological edge in this matchup. The Canadiens have had the luxury of beating the Bruins in the playoffs in the last decade.

All the games between the two teams this season have been fairly close except for one, which could lead to a tight series between the two.

The best-case scenario for Montreal would be finishing where they stand today. The Boston and Montreal rivalry would be a great matchup, just like last year’s postseason. Most fans can agree how exciting it would be to watch the two teams go at it again.

The most important thing right now is for the team to push hard, fight till the end, and make it into the postseason. After that, the playoffs are a whole new season.

In my first volume of this article, I looked at the standings and playoff prospects of the Western Conference. In this one, I look at East and the Stanley Cup finals.

Eastern Conference

1. Boston Bruins (.699), nine games remaining, four at home

Boston is 4-5-1 in their last 10 games and has not looked the same since having their nine-game point streak snapped in February by the visiting Sharks, going 7-9-3 since facing off against the best of the West. Even a trade to bolster their already healthy roster has not worked out as yet.

One thing is playing in Boston's hands: of their nine games remaining, an astonishing five are against teams no longer in the playoff chase, and two more (Canadiens, Sabres) may be by the time they match up. Then again, two of those games are against the red-hot Ottawa Senators.

That may be good, because while a weak schedule can help a team get a higher seed, it does not prepare them for playing when it counts, and this team has not won a playoff series in a decade. But they do have the best goal differential in the league and thus obviously are solid in every phase of the game.

By virtue of their home victory over New Jersey, the Bruins opened up a two-game lead over their foes, all but locking up the top seed. They are two and a half games behind the Sharks for the President's Trophy, but even their easy schedule makes that mountain a tough one to climb.

Boston will be the top seed, but will not make it out of the second round.

2. New Jersey Devils (.674), 10 games remaining, four at home

New Jersey is 7-3 in their last 10 games and has won nine of 10 games record-setting goaltender Martin Brodeur has played in since his return from the injured reserve list; the team is now healthy. Three of their remaining games are against teams playing for nothing, but two of those are home games they should win anyway.

The Devils are built for the playoffs, however, with great balance, attention to detail, a veteran roster that is cohesive, and championship experience.

Brodeur has suffered in recent years in April and May, because he carried a 75-game workload during the regular season. But being out for about four months will solve that problem—he will be rested for the first time since the Devils' title run of 1995.

He will also have one thing he has not had: scoring. The Devils are one of only nine teams in the league to average over three goals per game, and yet, they have maintained their trademark defence, being tied for fourth in the league in goals against even with Brodeur's injury. They are, however, barely in the top half for power play and just under the median penalty kill, despite playing in a division with three substandard power plays.

New Jersey will hold on to the second seed and win the Eastern Conference.

3. Washington Capitals (.649), eight games remaining, four at home

Washington is 5-4-1 in their last 10 games and will be able to rest a bit down the stretch, having the fewest games remaining in the league.

They are healthy now but played through injuries earlier in the season, helping to give them meddle against adversity and broaden their number of contributors—four players have more than a point per game including Norris Trophy favourite Mike Green on the blue line, and four others have 30-plus points.

That kind of balance and last year's experience make them a threat. They are seventh in the NHL in scoring and second on the power play.

At the same time, their goaltending is mediocre, with both net minders having just over a .900 save percentage contributing to their defence ranking in the bottom half of the league and their penalty kill in the bottom third. While Jose Theodore has never lost in the first round of the playoffs, he has also never won in the second round.

Nevertheless, the Capitals are three wins away from securing their second consecutive division title and are only one point behind New Jersey for the second seed.

However, they have played two more games...they are not likely to be caught or catch anyone, even though six of their remaining games are against teams not in the playoff chase. That weak schedule is due to their weak division, and may be their undoing in the playoffs.

Washington will hold on to the third seed but be upset in the first round.

4. Philadelphia Flyers (.620), 11 games remaining, six at home

The Flyers are 6-4 in their last 10 games and have incredible forwards, with six of their seven players scoring more than a point per two team games and two more on that pace who missed time. Philadelphia is now healthy for the stretch, missing only Derrian Hatcher, who they have been without the entire season.

Obviously, their offence is top-notch, ranking sixth in the league in both goals scored and power play. What may be surprising is that they also have an exceptional penalty kill, not only ranking sixth in success but elite in terms of the threat of shorthanded goals. However, they still manage to rank in the bottom third of the league overall in goals against.

There are questions about the goaltending, but this has not been the problem in the regular season, as Martin Biron has a save percentage of .916. Their inability to stop the opposition stems from team defence: only four teams give up more shots per game than Philadelphia. This could lead one to question a blue line that produces only one scoring threat and fails to clamp down in its own end, but I believe a bigger problem is the offence-only mentality of their forwards.

Five of their remaining 11 games are against teams not in the playoff chase and four of those are on the road. This not only gives them a chance to make up ground but makes those games still competitive enough so as to avoid complacency.

Winning in Pittsburgh Sunday all but assures the home ice in the first round with a two and a half game lead. But to succeed in the postseason these days, teams need skilled defencemen and a balance between offence and defence.

Philadelphia holds on to the fourth seed but loses in the first round

5. Pittsburgh Penguins (.581), eight games left, four at home

The Penguins have been hot, since firing Michel Therrien, who at the time I thought was being made the scapegoat. But they are 12-2-3 since his dismissal (7-1-2 in their last 10).

Certainly, the return of Sergei Gonchar to the blue line shortly before the change behind the bench was also significant, showcasing the necessity of a puck-moving defenceman. Only one role-player (Michael Zigomanis) is on injured reserve now, so their roster is strong.

They feature balanced scoring, with three centres among their six players with over 40 points. Even with early struggles, this team is now eighth in scoring, although only eight teams are worse on the power play. Conversely, while they are in the bottom half of the league in goals against, their penalty kill is in the top half of the league.

While Philadelphia is almost certain to be out of reach, Pittsburgh will have to work to hold off the Carolina Hurricanes and New York Rangers who both trail them by only a half game. Two of their final three games are against non-playoff teams (one on the road), and their last is in Montreal, who may be fighting for their lives or may be out of it. But last year's conference championship should help this team in its push for both position and series victories.

Pittsburgh holds on to the fifth seed and beats their in-state rivals in the first round before going down in a tough series to New Jersey.

6. New York Rangers (.575), nine games left, four at home

Much like their division rivals, the Rangers have made great strides since firing their coach, Tom Renney, and also made themselves better at the trade deadline. They have no significant injuries and are 7-3 in their last 10 games.

Perhaps more remarkable, they have scored 34 goals in that stretch. Despite this, they remain the lowest-scoring team in the league with the second worst power play. Somehow, they still have eight players who have scored at least 30 points, although one did it in Toronto (Nik Antropov).

On the other hand, Henrik Lundqvist anchors the sixth best defence in goals against and best penalty kill; the latter may come in handy now that the team has Sean Avery back. To show how much more their offence has struggled than their defence has shown, only three players on the New York roster have a positive plus/minus rating.

Thus, if they have indeed discovered an offence, they will be dangerous with their experience and outstanding net minding. However, they will be challenged regardless, as only one of their nine remaining games is against a non-playoff contender (in Atlanta).

New York holds on to the sixth seed and upsets both Washington and Boston before falling to New Jersey.

7. Carolina Hurricanes (.574), eight games remaining, five at home 

Carolina made a move at the trade deadline to reunite them with one of the forwards who helped them to win the Stanley Cup in 2006—Erik Cole. In their last 10 games, they are 7-1-2, including the win against Washington this weekend that gives them a little breathing room—a game and a half over division rival Florida.

Carolina has balanced scoring, with an astounding nine players with 30-plus points (including two defencemen) and six with over 40. Yet somehow, they are only 15th in scoring and 19th on the power play.

They are 11th in goals against, despite being 22nd in penalty kill. With a healthy roster, easy schedule (at least two games against teams with nothing to play for, plus possibly each of its last two), and playoff experience, they will be able to make it in; unfortunately, they will have the least favourable first round matchup.

Carolina will hold on to the seventh seed but be the first team eliminated in the playoffs in either conference.

8. Les Habitants de Montreal (.563), 10 games left, six at home

Montreal is in a major skid, having lost five straight and going 3-5-2 in their last 10. Unlike New York and Pittsburgh, dismissing their coach has done them no good, as their hold on a playoff spot has dwindled to a half game. It does not help that they are missing Robert Lang and Francis Bouillion.

However, five of their last 10 are against teams not fighting for the playoffs, including two road games. Their next two games are crucial, because they are at home against teams out of the chase—if they can win them, it could help them establish confidence for the remaining eight.

On paper, this is still a good team. They are in the top half in goals scored because of balanced scoring (only seven players are even over 30 points), although only 20th on the power play.

They are in the bottom third on goals against, but their penalty kill is above average. That should be good enough with their favourable schedule, probable tie-break edge over Florida in wins, and the drive of the 100th anniversary.

Montreal squeaks in but Boston gets revenge for last year's first round loss.

The Florida Panthers still may make it in. They have 10 games left and five are at home. Three of their remaining games are against teams not in the hunt for the playoffs, and their last game is against Washington who is not likely to have anything left to play for by then. They have 10 players with 30 points and two fantastic goalies with solid defencemen ahead of them, and they are healthy.

But the bottom line is that I believe Montreal will end their free-fall, and their schedule is slightly more favourable than Florida's. Plus, they are currently ahead of Florida, making it that much easier for them. However, if they lose that lead at any point, expect Florida to swoop into the final spot, albeit only to lose to Boston themselves.

The Buffalo Sabres are two and a half games out with 10 to go, and still at least a couple games away from having Ryan Miller return from his high ankle sprain. Even though they are otherwise healthy and have three of their remaining ten games left against non-playoff opponents, including two of their five road games, they simply have too much ground to make up.

The Stanley Cup finals

San Jose actually has a better blue line and better forwards, but New Jersey is better in net. Before the season, I did a power poll in which I explained how goaltending was about 40 percent of a team's value, compared to 30 percent for the other two units.

This would seem to give the Sharks the edge. San Jose would also have home ice over New Jersey and would not have the "playoff choker" stigma once they get through the West. In fact, pressure would more likely fall on the more experienced Devils, who have more players with time running out on them than the Sharks do.

But at the same time, they have more players who have been through the fire that deep. They also will have had a much better travel schedule, since they are projected to stay within driving distance and the Sharks would have traveled to Edmonton, Calgary, and Vancouver. New Jersey will also play a game or two less in my opinion to get their 16 wins.

New Jersey beats San Jose in six.

If you asked a Rangers fan how they thought the playoff scenario would look with 10 games remaining, they probably wouldn't have said anything resembling the current Eastern Conference race.

This has been a "Jekyll and Hyde" season for the Rangers. They started off looking like a first place team, then looked like a group of incoherent peewee players. Currently they are somewhere in between, and despite all their ups and downs, have been successful...so far.

The Aaron Voros explosion came and went, Tom Renney's job went, John Tortorella came in and Sean Avery went...then came back.

The expectations on the Rangers at the start of the season were "third round or further". Anything less would have been considered a failure. As the season went abruptly downhill, the realistic expectation was that they were either a first round team, or a team who would completely miss the playoffs all together.

I personally thought the season was over. I was looking at the Rangers contracts, and who they could get rid of first over the summer. There was also speculation as to whether the current players could do better under a more offensive system.

Had Ryan Callahan, Brandon Dubinsky, and company reached their peak?

When John Tortorella was hired, that question was answered quickly. The answer was "no", they hadn't reached their peak.

Sam Rosen's catchphrase "IT'S A POWERPLAY GOAL!" has been resurrected. The players have learned to take one-timers, and have had shot totals near 40 several times since Tortorella took over.

The new expectation on the Rangers is that no one knows what to expect. They're just playing hockey, and the fans are left not knowing exactly what their team is capable of. It's certainly been fun to watch at least.

As of this moment the Rangers are in a dead heat in an extremely tight conference. The Rangers are in sixth place with 82 points. The fourth seed has 84 points and the ninth seed has 78 points.

Six points separate home-ice advantage from golf, in April.

Either way, this final set of games will yield an accurate assessment of which players work under the new system. Who can stay, and who can go, that's what should be revealed in the last part of the season.

Hopefully that's a decision that wont have to be made until mid-June, after 16 playoff victories. It's an optimistic thought, but isn't that what we're all here for? 

Barring a dismal finish to the season, the Flyers will be back in the postseason, but simply getting there means nothing in a season where expectations were so high after last year’s surprising march to the conference final. 

Having lost three of their last four contests and with a very tenuous hold on fourth place in the Eastern Conference, the Flyers have hit a rough patch heading into the playoffs.

It’s not quite the 10-game skid they were experiencing at this time last year, but it still is disconcerting. Here are the biggest concerns they face as the playoffs approach:

Third- and fourth-line play

We all know that the Flyers forward group is very deep, with six players having scored at least 21 goals at this point of the season. But are the third and fourth lines good enough to key this team to a long playoff run?

Claude Giroux is presumably the third line center for the rest of the year and will be leaned on a lot more than the Flyers would like. Arron Asham is playing well of late, but is a prototypical fourth liner, not a third liner. 

Dan Carcillo is a similar type of player as Scottie Upshall, but always leaves you with the lingering fear that a dumb penalty is just around the corner.

Darroll Powe has done a good job of proving himself as a fourth line center, but with just 47 NHL games played, he lacks the experience you would like. Losing a proven player like Glen Metropolit from this group hurt more than anyone realized it would.

Riley Cote has made no progress at all and brings little else to the lineup besides thuggery.

He spent most of last year’s playoffs in the press box but will probably be forced into action this year because the Flyers are so thin beyond their regular lineup.  But I don’t know that the team would even trust him with four minutes a night in a playoff game. 

The key to the whole forward group is Danny Briere. Will he be able to take a regular shift or will he simply be a power play specialist and fourth liner for the rest of the year? 

He has looked a little better recently but still has a long way to go to catch up to the speed of the other players.

Defensive presence

Too often there are opposing players camped out in front of the Flyers net without having to pay the price. Kimmo Timonen won’t be clearing the crease, and nobody is afraid of Randy Jones or Matt Carle. 

Ryan Parent is still finding his game, and Braydon Coburn, while possessing the tools to be a Chris Pronger-type defenseman, has regressed somewhat this season.

Andrew Alberts, as bad as he looked after initially joining the team, has actually been the most reliable physical presence on the blueline this year.

The real story here is how much the team misses Derian Hatcher. There, I said it. The guy took a beating while he was in town, but he was a lion in front of the net and you had to be aware of him at all times. His semi-retirement has left a gaping hole.

Toughness vs. recklessness

The Flyers are the most penalized team in the league, which is something you can live with if you are seemingly intimidating opponents and wearing them down the way Anaheim did when it won the Stanley Cup two years ago.

But too many of the Flyers’ penalties are for undisciplined roughing calls and retaliatory penalties. Witness the way that Sean Avery got under their skin this past weekend.

Or witness the way that teams are able to play a game of keep away long enough to force the Flyers into hooking and holding infractions like Detroit did on Tuesday.

Teams are frequently able to earn power plays against the Flyers with offensive pressure while the Flyers can’t seem to outmuscle their opponents for the puck.

The Broad Street Bullies weren’t very disciplined either, but they forced opponents into mistakes and used physical play to win hockey games.

These Flyers are now clutching and grabbing their way to the penalty minute leaderboard and don’t pick smart times to get physical.

Notice that I did not list goaltending among the list of concerns, as Martin Biron has stepped up his play recently, a bad Pavel Datsyuk goal on Tuesday notwithstanding. If Biron is able to find the kind of game he did last postseason, he can make up for many of the team’s shortcomings.

The Flyers still have 13 games to turn their bad momentum around and claim home ice for the first round. Beyond that, who knows what will happen in the playoffs.

It could be a disappointing first round exit to a hot team, but a bounce or two the other way and things could be vastly different.

In the Eastern Conference especially, teams are so tightly clumped that the Flyers could very well end up going deep again and capitalizing on their season of promise.

If the Devils played in New York City they would have statues built on the way into the Garden, yet, no matter what the Devils do, they will always be a second-class citizen to the Rangers in the Tri-State area.

The Washington Capitals scored two goals in shootout to finish off the Carolina Hurricanes at home with a score of 5-4.

Erik Cole started off the scoring in the first period with a quick slap shot goal to give the Canes the early lead. But Mike Green came back less than a minute later, to tie it up.

The penalty kill then literally killed the Canes as they allowed three straight powerplay goals to the Capitals in the second period. With ten seconds left in the second period the Canes showed hope as Ray Whitney tied it up with a delayed penalty on coming.

Halfway through the third The Secret Weapon Niclas Wallin tied it up for the Hurricanes to make the score 4-4.

Jose Theodore then showed his true colors in overtime on the penalty kill making six vital saves to keep the Capitals in the game.

In the shootout, Alexander Semin continued his scoring as he scored five hole on Cam Ward, and Alexander Ovechkin finished it off scoring five hole to give the Capitals the win in shootout.

SCORING SUMMARY:

First Period:

CAR: 9:53 Erik Cole (18) Assisted: Eric Staal

WAS 10:59 Mike Green (24) Assisted: Nicklas Backstrom, Alexander Semin

WAS: 18:01 [PP] Alexander Ovechkin (49) Assisted: Mike Green, Alexander Semin

Second Period:

WAS: 1:30 [PP] Alexander Semin (29) Assisted: Brooks Laich, Alexander Ovechkin

CAR: 5:57 Eric Staal (33) Assisted: Ray Whitney, Dennis Seidenberg

WAS: 12:27 Nicklas Backstrom (19) Assisted: Michael Nylander, Alexander Semin

CAR: 19:52 Ray Whitney (23) Assisted: Erik Cole, Eric Staal

Third Period:

CAR: 10:47 Niclas Wallin (2) Assisted: Dennis Seidenberg, Matt Cullen

Shootout:

WAS: Alexander Semin

WAS: Alexander Ovechkin

THREE STARS

First Star: Alexander Semin- powerplay goal, three assists, shootout goal

Second Star: Alexander Ovechkin- powerplay goal, one assist, shootout goal

Third Star: Nicklas Backstrom- powerplay goal, one assist

With the defense re-organized and the scorers re-energized, Tortorella's Rangers could climb out of the cellar and be the kind of Cinderella team that turns The Big Apple into a magical kingdom for hockey fans.

Twenty-two trades. Forty-five players. Twenty-one draft picks.

Those are the numbers coming out of the recent NHL trade deadline. Up until roughly 1 p.m. EST, it seemed to be a fairly uneventful day. The faithful sat tight, waiting on their favorite teams.

Eventually, something happened...for some teams at least.

Many people dub the Calgary Flames as the big winner of the deadline day, but 29 other teams spread out between two conferences taking part in the action today, so let's look at who went where with regard to the Eastern Conference.

1. Boston Bruins—93 points

Players Added
F-Mark Recchi and 2010 Second Round Pick (From Tampa Bay), D-Steve Montador (From Anaheim)

Players Subtracted

D-Matt Lashoff and F-Martins Karsums (To Tampa Bay), F-Petteri Nokelainen (To Anaheim)

The Boston Bruins have been struggling as of late, with their latest loss coming to the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday night. Many assumed the B's would be big players in the Chris Pronger market, but when Pronger was taken off the table early Wednesday, many were curious to see how it impacted the Bruins' spending.

The best news for Bruins fans is they had to part with no major young talent off their roster. They kept Patrice Bergeron, Blake Wheeler, and Phil Kessel, and added some defensive depth and experience to their forward ranks.

Boston would have been better off targeting another solid three or four defenseman, but Montador will help shore up the lower pairings. Whether they had got Pronger, Boston's current slump needs to be solved from within, not from a quick-fix trade.

2. New Jersey Devils—87 points

Players Added

D-Niclas Havelid and F-Myles Stoesz (From Atlanta)

Players Subtracted

D-Anssi Salmela (To Atlanta)

The New Jersey Devils didn't need to make another acquisition, as their biggest piece came off IR just a few games ago.

When you have Martin Brodeur coming back into your lineup, and you were already leading the Atlantic Division, you don't need to add much.

The Devils added a solid veteran presence in Havelid, and it didn't cost them much when you look at some of the other deals, and what they cost other teams.

The Devils' silence speaks volumes about how prepared they were coming into the deadline, and they're rightfully one of the favorites now to win the East.

3. Washington Capitals—85 points

Players Added

None

Players Subtracted

None

The Capitals did nothing to push them over the top at the trade deadline.

The roster is solid both up front with Alexander Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, and Tomas Fleischmann, but the Caps could've done well to add another number two or three defenseman behind Mike Green for some added depth.

You also look between the pipes, and this is a team that's going to need a solid goaltender moving forward. Jose Theodore is a good option, but will his second round collapse from last year going to haunt him?

I wouldn't have mind seeing Washington add some defensive depth and a goalie since Brent Johnson is hurt until April.

4. Philadelphia Flyers—78 points

Players Added

F-Daniel Carcillo (From Phoenix), D-Kyle McLaren (From San Jose)

Players Subtracted

F-Scottie Upshall and 2nd Round Pick (To Phoenix), 6th Round Pick (To San Jose)

Breath a sigh of relief, Flyers fans, James van Riemsdyk remains a Flyer, at least.

Daniel Carcillo is a much more complete player than a guy like Riley Cote or Aaron Asham. Not only does he have the attitude to stand up for his teammates, but as we saw late last season, Carcillo's got a ton of offensive potential if he can find a healthy balance between enforcer and scorer.

Instead of selling the farm for a guy like Jay Bouwmeester, the Flyers were able to augment what they have with the big body of Kyle McLaren for a reasonable price.

McLaren hasn't played a game for the Sharks this year, but experience-wise McLaren has over 70 games of NHL playoff experience and over 700 games of regular season experience.

While it remains to be seen what his role is going to be, McLaren will turn out to be a good addition to the Flyers; and Carcillo will pay dividends for years to come.

5. Montreal Canadiens—75 points

Players Added

None

Players Subtracted

None

The Montreal Canadiens did most of their improving prior to the deadline.

Mathieu Schneider has been a big contributor since coming to Montreal mid-February. He's infused some life into the Canadiens' power play (he's been a point-a-game player since the trade), and the experience he brought with him has been huge.

As far as what the Canadiens could have added? I think many are still under the impression that the scoring that was lost when Robert Lang went down still needs to be replaced.

They're playing hot right now with four straight wins, but they'll be an interesting team to watch offensively down the stretch.

6. Florida Panthers—74 points

Players Added

D-Steve Eminger (From Tampa Bay)

Players Subtracted

D-Noah Welch and a 3rd Round Pick (To Tampa Bay)

I think this is a move that's going to pay big dividends in the end to the Florida Panthers, but will go overlooked by many.

Eminger has been the best defenseman in Tampa Bay this season (and that's saying a lot), coming in second on the team in ice-time amongst defensemen, and first in points. He'll bring another strong offensive presence to the Florida back end, and the idea of him finding chemistry with either Bryan McCabe or Jay Bouwmeester (whom the Panthers were wise not to trade) is a positive going toward the playoffs.

Why were the Panthers wise not to trade Bouwmeester? Well, because he's the undisputed leader of the Panthers, and if they're going to go somewhere in the playoffs, they need him.

Besides, if he says he doesn't want to stay in Florida, even after a playoff run, they can always trade his rights (or a sign and trade) at the draft this June.

7. New York Rangers—72 points

Players Added

D-Derek Morris (From Phoenix), F-Nik Antropov (From Toronto), F-Sean Avery (From Dallas)

Players Subtracted

D-Dmitri Kalinin, F-Nigel Dawes, F-Petr Prucha (To Phoenix), 2nd Round pick and a conditional pick (To Toronto)

If you listen to some of the opinions floating around post-deadline, then many feel the New York Rangers made too many changes in the past few weeks.

A new coach and three new players may be too much to try to integrate at this point in the season, but Nik Antropov is going to bring this team a big-body presence down the middle with some scoring touch. Avery obviously brings the sandpaper to this equation, and Derek Morris brings scoring from the back end.

If you look at the trades, they basically were able to upgrade over Prucha, Dawes, and Kalinin today. Remember, Prucha once scored 30 goals (although he has a long way to go to get back there), and Dawes is just 24. Depending on how this goes, the Rangers may be kicking themselves in a few years, but I certainly can't blame them for trying.

Whether this works or not is a different story.

8. Pittsburgh Penguins—72 points

Players Added

F-Bill Guerin (From New York Islanders), D-Andy Wozniewski (From St Louis)

Players Subtracted

Conditional Pick (To NYI), D-Dany Richmond (To St Louis)

The Penguins needed something to turn their season around. Chris Kunitz has been a goal machine since his trade from the Anaheim Ducks, and while the Penguins couldn't reacquire some grit and leadership in the form of Chuck Norris' cousin Gary Roberts, Guerin certainly brings some valuable leadership and experience to an underachieving Penguins team.

While Chris Kunitz will ultimately have the larger impact on this team (as he already has) the Penguins did a good job of adding depth at both ends of the ice at the trade deadline.

The biggest thing this team may acquire to finish out the season though, is a healthy Sidney Crosby.

9. Carolina Hurricanes—71 points

Players Added

F-Erik Cole (From Edmonton)

Players Subtracted

F-Justin Williams (To Los Angeles)

Three-way trades are glorious, aren't they? Trying to keep every player straight and who's going where is always fun, plus they're kind of a novelty when you hear about them.

The Carolina Hurricanes really got it right. They brought back Erik Cole, who's had a tumultuous season in Edmonton, and really found his stride alongside Erik Staal in the Hurricanes' heyday. They also didn't lose much in trading the much-maligned Justin Williams (a man who's spent a saddening amount of time on the IR this season).

Jussi Jokinen (although added a bit before the deadline) is another interesting addition who's done fairly well since his trade from Tampa Bay.

If Erik Cole can rediscover his 60-point form in Carolina, then maybe the 'Canes have found that scoring depth they so desperately need.

Maybe next up they can get a purely defensive defenseman.

10. Buffalo Sabres—69 points

Players Added

F-Dominic Moore (From Toronto), 2nd Round Pick (From Edmonton), G-Mikael Telqvist (From Phoenix)

Players Subtracted

2nd Round Pick (To Toronto), F-Ales Kotalik (To Edmonton), 2010 4th round pick (To Phoenix)

The Sabres were one of the biggest, but quietest, winners on deadline day.

Dominic Moore gives them some depth at centre, another player who can score as much as those around him allow him to, and some solid two-way play, while Mikael Telqvist provides a cheap, effective solution as another option in place of the injured Ryan Miller, and someone with NHL experience if Patrick Lalime suffers a meltdown.

It's not often that a team that's buying for a playoff run, though, buys draft picks as well, but the Sabres were able to replace the second round pick they sent to Toronto for Moore.

Overall, the Sabres were one of the best teams at addressing their needs, and if the Rangers or Penguins (or both) slip up, the Sabres will be right there waiting.

11. Toronto Maple Leafs—63 points

Players Added

2nd Round Pick (From Buffalo), 2nd Round Pick and a Conditional Pick (From New York Rangers), G-Olaf Kolzig (From Tampa Bay), D-Jamie Heward (From Tampa), D-Andy Rogers (From Tampa), 4th Round Pick (From Tampa), G-Martin Gerber (Waivers-Ottawa), F-Erik Reitz (Waivers-New York Rangers)

Players Subtracted

F-Dominic Moore (To Buffalo), F-Nik Antropov (To NYR), D-Richard Petiot (To Tampa)

Toronto was a weird place to be on trade deadline day. Nik Antropov was acknowledged to be gone, Dominic Moore's departure became imminent after a contract couldn't be reached, while that fairly big trade with Tampa caught a lot of people off guard.

Eventually, it becomes a salary dump. Olaf Kolzig won't play for the Leafs due to injury, but the same goes for Vesa Toskala (who'll be undergoing season-ending surgery finally). Hence the Martin Gerber pickup (although why Curtis Joseph wouldn't start the remainder of the year being backed up by Justin Pogge is confounding).

Richard Petiot's real potential in Toronto was only as a player who's buried behind a plethora of young Leafs defenders, so a better opportunity for him comes in Tampa Bay. Jamie Heward is an upcoming free agent, while in return for taking on some extra salary the Leafs get Andy Rogers (a big, tall, young defenseman) and a fourth round pick.

Basically the Leafs did what they needed to do: Dump some unnecessary parts in exchange for any draft picks they could get.

If you ask Derek Harmsworth, though, he's still pretty sad Alex Ponikarovsky is still here.

12. Ottawa Senators—56 points

Players Added

G-Pascal Leclaire, 2009 2nd Round Pick (From Columbus)

Players Subtracted

F-Antoine Vermette (To Columbus), G-Martin Gerber (To Toronto-Waivers)

The Senators' trade deadline closely resembles that of the Maple Leafs' last year: They were able to get rid of a few players, but may not have accomplished all that they wanted to do.

Although it cost them one of their biggest sources of secondary scoring, Antoine Vermette was the most marketable piece the Senators had to sell. Then again, it's not saying much when your next highest scoring forward is a full 22 points behind third-leading scorer Jason Spezza.

The Sens were able to re-up with one of their brightest stars this season, inking Filip Kuba to a three-year extension, while they were also fortunate enough to see the Maple Leafs open up some of their cap room by taking Martin Gerber off of their hands.

Go figure. The Leafs doing the Sens a favor.

Ottawa wasn't able to get trade away Chris Neil, but that also offers them an opportunity to continue negotiating an extension with their sandpaper man.

As far as Pascal Leclaire goes, it may very well be next season before we see what kind of shape he's in, but the Sens made a smart move in acquiring a young goalie who still has some potential for improvement.

13. Tampa Bay Lightning—54 points

Players Added: D-Richard Petiot (From Toronto), D-Matt Lashoff, F-Martins Karsums (From Boston), D-Noah Welch, 3rd Round Pick (From Florida)

Players Subtracted

G-Olaf Kolzig, D-Jamie Heward, D-Andy Rogers, 4th Round Pick (To Toronto), F-Mark Recchi, 2010 Second Round Pick (To Boston), D-Steve Eminger (To Florida)

You can really tell where the Tampa Bay Lightning put the emphasis this trade deadline: Dumping salary, and acquiring some youth on the blue line.

In trading away Steve Eminger, they're lifting themselves out from under the cloud of a player who may be due a bit of a raise come restricted free agency, while they were also able to clear out the lockers of Olaf Kolzig and Jamie Heward as well, while only paying two draft picks to do it.

In return, the Lightning got three young defensemen, two of which have seen NHL time this season. Matt Lashoff played in 16 games for the Bruins, notching an assist and a plus-one rating in this season's time, while he had five points in 16 games last year.

While Noah Welch hasn't performed offensively as he has at other levels in his career, he brings Tampa another big-bodied presence on the blue line with a handful of NHL experience.

Richard Petiot is the real wild card here: He's only got two games in the NHL to his credit at age 26, so it'll be interesting to see what kind of an opportunity he gets with Tampa Bay.

14. Atlanta Thrashers—52 points

Players Added

F-Eric O'Dell (From Anaheim), D-Anssi Salmela (From New Jersey)

Players Subtracted

F-Erik Christensen (To Anaheim), D-Niclas Havelid (To New Jersey)

Aside from those who continued to fabricate rumors about Ilya Kovalchuk being dealt this season, it was hard to pinpoint who the Thrashers would be trading at the deadline after Havelid and Schneider were already dealt.

Consensus choice was that if anyone were to be dealt it'd be a depth player, with the popular idea being Colby Armstrong heading back to Pittsburgh

However, another piece acquired from last year's trade with Pittsburgh, Erik Christensen, was sent out to Anaheim for Eric O'Dell, a point-a-game player with the Sudbury Wolves of the OHL.

Depending how quickly the 18-year-old gets to the NHL, he'll provide them with an energetic presence on any line who loves to shoot the puck, while Salmela gives the back end a Finnish defender who loves to move the puck around.

15. New York Islanders—47 points

Players Added

Conditional Pick (From Penguins)

Players Subtracted

F-Bill Guerin (To Penguins)

The New York Islanders, the worst team in the NHL, were kind of stuck in a rut come trade deadline.

Bill Guerin was in limbo thanks to a "mystery team." If this mystery team were Pittsburgh and the mystery package was a conditional pick, I'd classify that under "ludicrous." Brendan Witt got suspended before the deadline, limiting his trade value, and with seven players on IR and three others out injured, the Isles were at a shortage of veterans to trade away for other team's goods.

Then again, Doug Weight and Mike Sillinger are free agents come July, so they could solve their problems that way, too.

With the rotten hand this team had to deal though, a conditional pick for Bill Guerin isn't terrible.

I guess.

Bryan Thiel is a Senior Writer and an NHL Community Leader for Bleacher Report. If you want to get in contact with Bryan, you can do so via his profile, and you can also check out all of his previous work in his archives.

As we hit the stretch drive of the NHL season, the Flyers appear to be in a good spot. 

They are solidly within the playoff picture but have been flying under the radar in the Eastern Conference thanks to the surprising success of the Boston Bruins and the continued strong play of Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals.

But while these are formidable foes, the Flyers’ focus should rest on their old nemeses up the turnpike, the New Jersey Devils. Who could have predicted that it would be the Devils leading the Atlantic Division at this point in the season? 

Not the powerful Penguins, fresh off a Stanley Cup Finals appearance and sporting the two best centermen in the game. 

Not the Rangers, with all of their offseason acquisitions and the omnipresent world-class goaltending of Henrik Lundqvist. 

Not the Islanders...ok, that part is a joke.

The point is, it would not have been a stretch just a few months ago to have the Devils pegged as the fourth-best team in this division and struggling to make the playoffs. 

After all, for years they have seemed to be doing it with smoke and mirrors. Smoke, mirrors, and a lot of Martin Brodeur. So when Brodeur went down very early this season with the first serious injury of his stellar 15-year career, the Devils were quickly written off.

But lest we forget the man who runs the show, the best general manager in the NHL, Lou Lamoriello. Don’t give me Ken Holland in Detroit. Or Doug Wilson in San Jose. Or Glen Sather...sorry, another joke.

When Lou signed former Devils Bobby Holik and Brian Rolston this past summer, everyone thought he was just giving us his best Jake Blues impression by “getting the band back together.”

Apparently Randy McKay and Neal Broten were unavailable. But Holik and Rolston have played a part in turning the Devils into serious contenders this spring.

The resurgence of Patrik Elias hasn’t hurt, either. On the cusp of stardom after a 96-point season in 2000-'01, Elias had settled into the 65-point range in subsequent years.  But this year he is back with a vengeance and should return to the 90-point level.

Still, the biggest story for the Devils among the forward ranks has been the blossoming of fourth-year wing Zach Parise, who will threaten the 50-goal and 100-point marks.  No one expected him to be this good this soon.

When it comes to defense, the Devils are their usual stingy selves, currently allowing the fifth fewest goals per game in the league. The corps itself plays well as a unit, but is unspectacular. Long gone is the intimidating physical presence of Scott Stevens and Ken Daneyko and the offensive skills of Scott Niedermayer and Brian Rafalski.

Colin White, in the mold of Daneyko, is now the veteran leader of the group. Of the rest of the blueliners, Paul Martin and Johnny Oduya are the most offensively gifted, although I use that term loosely, as neither are serious threats to score or are particularly skilled at running the point on a power play.

The remainder of the crew (Bryce Salvador, Mike Mottau, Andy Greene, etc.) are good depth players who have been surprisingly effective this year. Then again, anonymous defensemen have always seemed to thrive in the Devils’ system.

This brings us to the Devils’ scariest component: goaltending.  With Brodeur missing over half the year, Scott Clemmensen has been lights-out in his place, winning 25 games so far. Kevin Weekes, who was initially the choice to replace Brodeur, struggled at first but has now won his last five starts when he spells Clemmensen.

When Brodeur returns, look out.  Having been worked like a mule for his entire career, Brodeur has appeared to have been worn down several times in the playoffs. That will not be the case this year.

A fresh Brodeur. A backup goaltender that has proved himself to be capable. A defensive unit that lacks flair but gets the job done night after night. A breakout star leading the offense. A solid supporting cast.

A coach that has his team playing its best hockey.  The best GM in the league, probably with a trick or two still up his sleeve for the trading deadline.  Add it all up and the Devils could very well be back in the Stanley Cup Finals this year.

The rest of the conference is well aware of the facts. Since 1995, the Devils have won three Stanley Cups and made four trips to the Finals. Of the rest of the conference, only Carolina has made it there twice since then, with seven other teams making one trip apiece.

But it’s the Flyers who have been the most directly impacted by the Devils’ success.

Even though the Flyers emerged victorious in 2004, the last time they met the Devils in the playoffs, the memories of Conference Final losses in 1995 and 2000 will always weigh on the minds of the fans until the Flyers are able to beat the Devils en route to the Stanley Cup, or at least an appearance in the Finals.

So here’s to the eternal hope that this is the year. The Devils, however, will have a lot to say about whether or not it is.