| Ranking (Beginning of Year Rank) | Team | Commentary | Record |
| 1 (12) |  | Sports Kid error number 1, I thought this division would be easy. Not so much, the Sharks earned that two seed and the season overall was a huge success, especially after adding Brian Campbell. The Flames are in big trouble as I like the Sharks to go all the way. | 49-23-10 |
| 2 (2) |  | Sports Kid correct prediction number 1, how sick is it that I nailed the Red Wings as number two in my rankings so long ago? Sure they held the number one spot more than any other team and won the President's cup, giving them a matchup against a weak Predators team. Let's see if the aged goaltending can keep up in the playoffs. | 54-21-7 |
| 3 (6) |  | I don't want to hear that no one thought the Habs would make the playoffs. Sure I didn't think they would win the Eastern Conference but I knew this was a damn good team. The Canadians have home ice throughout the playoffs which could be huge when it comes to the later showdowns. | 47-25-10 |
| 4 (14) |  | Sure the loss to the Flyers could be excused by the fact that Sidney Crosby was resting, and I hate to sound whiny but the only reason they beat the Flyers at all this week was because of favorable officiating. I would love to see a Flyers/Pens showdown in the first round but it is possible to see in the second, just not likely. | 47-27-8 |
| 5 (27) |  | Well we have our climber of the year without a doubt right here. The Ducks got off to such a slow start I thought the magic was gone. Apparently that magic was named Neidermeyer and he eventually returned for a great season that will lead to an exciting playoff run. They are the defending champs so they do have a bulls eye on them, let's see how they react against their division rival the Stars. | 47-27-8 |
| 6 (26) |  | The Devils made up for a bad start, much like last year, to get themselves home ice in the first round of the playoffs. Unfortunately for them they have the toughest matchup, they host their division rivals, the Rangers in the best showdown I see in the first round. | 46-29-7 |
| 7 (24) |  | I was all set for Ranger disappointment in the beginning of the year and I ended up being the one disappointed. They finished white hot and are a scary 5 seed going into the playoffs. | 42-27-13 |
| 8 (3) |  | The orange and black are looking incredibly strong going into the playoffs as Marty Biron did not allow a single goal all weekend against the two top teams in the Atlantic Division. I am really curious to see how much the refs favor the Caps in the first round because the Flyers have the defense to wrap him up, let's see if they call it down the middle though. | 42-29-11 |
| 9 (4) |  | An up and down season says a lot for the Wild. The division was all over the place all season long but I was always pretty confident the Wild would come out on top. That isn't exactly a good thing for them though as they are forced to meet Peter Forsberg and a flourishing Avalanche in the first round. | 44-28-`0 |
| 10 (7) |  | The Avs were part of the wild Southwest ride and they get in as a 6 seed with a brand new lineup and hopefully for them a healthy lineup in the playoffs. Ryan Smyth's first year on the squad didn't pan out quite as planned but it was still a very successful year for this club. | 44-31-7 |
| 11 (15) |  | The Stars were a number one team at one point this year, it is hard to remember, but it happened. The recent collapse is inexplicable and they are limping into a first round matchup with the Ducks. | 45-30-7 |
| 12 (10) |  | This season was near disappointing for the Flames but a playoff berth isn't horrible. Sure they don't stand a chance in the first round but at least they got there. | 42-30-10 |
| 13 (20) |  | The Caps spent a lot of time this season in the 30 hole on the Sports Kid Rankings and somehow made the playoffs. Yes, they played in a crappy division. Yes, they should be the 8th seed in the East, but they can still do some damage if they get enough power plays and Huet plays solid. | 43-31-8 |
| 14 (1) |  | Wow did the Sens ever fall apart down the stretch. At one point they were battling with the Habs and Pens for the Eastern Conference and by the last week they were battling just to make it into the playoffs. They limped into the postseason and will be limping even more when the Pens give them a beatdown and possible 4-game first round exit. | 43-31-8 |
15 (13) |  | Patty Bergeron will be back for the playoffs which is good, I know Randy Jones feels better knowing he's putting the skates back on. However, this team is by no means ready for a seven-game series with the Canadians. It was a surprisingly good year though and they should be happy they made it. | 41-29-12 | | 16 (25) |  | The biggest surprise of the year has been the Predators, I can't believe they made it to the post-season with their lack of talent and inconsistent goaltending all season long. Kudos to the Preds for a great year and good luck against the Red Wings. Don't forget about the time when the 8 spot Oilers upset the Wings when no one thought it could happen. I am not counting them out quite yet. | 41-32-9 |
| 17 (5) |  | You have to laugh at the Canes who led the division all season long, had control of their own destiny and than lost to the Florida Panthers in the last game of the season, dooming this season. A very disappointing end to a very disappointing season. | 43-33-6 |
| 18 (23) |  | The Oilers stunned everyone by finished 9th in the Western Conference, just missing the playoffs. It was a great year for the Oilers after a terrible job in the offseason. This young talent blended together well and they might just be a contender next year. | 41-35-6 |
| 19 (19) |  | Woohoo I nailed another team right on the head in my first week doing the rankings. The Sabres finished just out of the playoffs but they played meaningful games all season long and that equals a good season for a team that had low expectations coming in. | 39-31-12 |
| 20 (22) |  | Never in my life did I think I would see Roberto Luongo play on a talented offensive team and miss the playoffs. What a terrible year for the Canucks as I think they are still in shock that they did not make the postseason. | 39-33-10 |
21 (21) |  | Wow that is three teams I nailed, I didn't think I would get this many. It was a good season for the Blackhawks even if they finished in the bottom 10 of the NHL. They proved they have young players that can play in this league and they proved they can contend with the big dogs in the West. They should be in the hunt next season for a low playoff spot but they need to sure up Khabibulan or go another direction. | 40-34-8 | 22 (28) |  | The Panthers finished strong including ending the season of their division rival Carolina. They finished the season with a smile on their faces in a season filled with ups and downs and near fatal on-ice incidents. | 38-35-9 | 23 (11) |  | The Maple Leafs were another big surprise this year, I did not realize they would suck this badly. I don't think many did. They added a solid goaltender with playoffs experience but some how faltered. Let's see how they bounce back next year. | 36-35-11 | 24 (30) |  | They didn't finish 30 which is a plus and they were even a danger to make the playoffs for awhile. Not a bad year for the Coyotes who I would be concerned about next year if I was in the West. | 38-37-7 | 25 (9) |  | The Blue Jackets really started out hot and ended another bad season. This team has not had a good end of the year record since they were formed but this was their most positive season to date. Rick Nash is a legitimate star in the NHL and Pascal Leclaire is going to be good. Next year they might just finish with more wins than losses. | 34-36-12 | 26 (18) |  | It was a crappy year but no one expected the Islanders to contend for the playoffs anyway. They were in the hunt most of the season but injuries and giving up sent them to the bottom of the NHL. They are stuck with an overrated goalie and not a whole lot of offense so this team needs to look to make changes this offseason. | 35-38-9 | 27 (8) |  | All the solid offseason moves and hope this season came crashing down when everyone realized that adding older stars does not win games. This was a very bad season for the Blues and there wasn't much good to pull from this season. | 33-36-13 | 28 (16) |  | I am not quite sure what happened to the Lightning this season but they are better than the terrible season they had, much better. We will see if they can bounce back into the playoffs after such a terrible year but I guarantee this was just a fluke and they will contend next year. | 31-42-9 | 29 (17) |  | It was a pretty bad year for the Kings who finished in a tie for the worst record in the NHL but there is a lot of young talent here, plenty of future All-Stars and absolutely no goaltending. Fix that problem and you have a contender. | 32-43-7 | 30 (29) |  | There is no bright spot here. Ilya Kovalchuk will always be a top-scorer stuck on a bad team. The Thrashers will never build a solid defense and they will always throw in some schmuck who should be playing in the AHL in as their starting goaltender. Worst season by far with the least hope for the future goes to the Thrashers. And I will say it one last time this year: PLAY SOME DEFENSE! | 34-40-8 |
