2013 NHL Picks and Predictions: Eastern Conference Odds, Favorites, Dark Horses and Sleepers

2013 NHL Picks and Predictions – Eastern Conference Odds, Favorites, Dark Horses and Sleepers: With the lockout officially over and the 2013 NHL season set to begin, it is time to take a look at how the Eastern Conference stacks up. The conference has won just two of the last six Stanley Cups, but with some young stars and some offseason acquisitions, the conference should be stronger. Whether or not there is a team that will take back the Cup remains to be seen, but in the meantime, here is a look at the top contenders.

2013 NHL Picks and Predictions: Eastern Conference Odds, Favorites, Dark Horses and Sleepers

The Favorites

Most franchises would be thrilled to have one superstar player, and the Pittsburgh Penguins are lucky enough to have arguably the two best players in the entire NHL in Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. They also have two other solid scorers in James Neal and Chris Kunitz, and defenseman Kris Letang is one of the best offensive players at his position, as well. The goal tending could be better, but the offseason addition of Tomas Vokoun does provide some depth behind Marc-Andre Fleury. At the end of the day, this team is an offensive juggernaut, and with Crosby healthy to start to the year, there is no reason this team can’t be even better than the one that led the league in goals scored last season and win the Eastern Conference.

Armed with Henrik Lundqvist in net, the New York Rangers are a lock to be one of the best defensive teams in the NHL. However, an inconsistent offense has kept them from carrying great regular seasons into the playoffs. The team took a big step in correcting the problem in the offseason by adding Rick Nash to the mix and upgrading a roster that had the best record in the Eastern Conference last year. Nash will team with Marian Gaborik to provide two legitimate finishers for center Brad Richards to feed the puck to, and with Lundqvist as the last line of defense, New York may finally have all the pieces in place.

The Dark Horses

When you talk about upside in the NHL, few teams have as much as the Boston Bruins. Even with goalie Tim Thomas taking the year off, Boston is still dangerous. Tyler Seguin, Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci are just a few of the young players returning to a team that finished second in the league in goals scored last year. Meanwhile, Tuukka Rask is being touted as a future star in net. If Rask hits the ground running, the Bruins definitely have the offensive firepower to win the Eastern Conference.

Although the roster does stand out on paper, the Philadelphia Flyers are deep on offense. Center Claude Giroux is one of the best table setters in the league, and when he isn’t on the ice, Daniel Briere is. Philadelphia ranked third in the NHL in scoring last season, and the Flyers should be one of the better offensive teams once again. The real question comes between the pipes where Philadelphia has yet to find a goalie that can provide any type of support for its high-powered offense. Ilya Bryzgalov will open the year as the starter, and if he can at least have a solid season, the Flyers will be in business.

The Sleepers

Despite finishing fourth in the Atlantic Division last year, the New Jersey Devils represented the Eastern Conference in the Stanley Cup Finals. Repeating the feat in 2013 won’t be easy, but it isn’t out of the question either. Offensively, the team lost a ton of scoring when Zach Parise signed with Minnesota in the offseason, but Ilya Kovalchuk and David Clarkson are still around and center Travis Zajac is back after missing almost all of last year with an injury. More importantly, future Hall of Famer Martin Broduer is still in net, and while his best years are behind him, he showed last year that he can still get hot and carry this team within reach of the Stanley Cup.

Of the jumble of teams that will likely be fighting for the final playoff spots in the Eastern Conference, the Buffalo Sabres are the most equipped to make a special run. For starters, they have Ryan Miller in the net, giving them one of the more consistent goalies in the conference. They also have two strong lines that can produce points, including a top line of Jason Pominville, Thomas Vanek and Cody Hodgson. Throw in first-round pick Mikhail Grigorenko, and there is no reason Buffalo should underachieve for a third year in a row.

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