spezza legit #1
Alfredson if he can defy age again is legit #1

Michalek is a good top 6 but i wouldnt say top end talent

kovalev is washed up IMO

Fisher is an elite 3rd liner IMO. He can play 2nd but i dont know if he is. I mean great pk, great shutdown, heard he is a great leader (basically how the pens have used staal).... but I dunno top 6 he just doesnt have the offensive side to help run the 2nd powerplay unit. But hes an asset to the team no doubt.

Without having an elite goaltender, or elite defence (while they could surprise).... i just dont think the offensive core is strong enough to pull them to great heights


IM not saying Ottawa's offense is crap because its not, i just dont think they have 6 legit top 6 forwards, which can be viewed as thin when compared to the detroit, chicago, washingtons..
- nightmare3020

OK, so there's Spezza, Alfie and Michalek. Then Kovalev and Fisher are potentially 50 point guys, Foligno and Regin both have 20 goal potential, and the RKN line is fairly productive. That's 10 forwards who to a varied extent can provide offence, and Z. Smith had a hattrick last night and then there's Butler in the AHL who can step into a scoring role in a pinch. With Gonchar, Karlsson, Kuba and Campoli on the blue-line the offensive numbers of many of the players should rise because the puck-movement will be better and the point-men are bigger scoring threats.

Yeah, it's maybe thin compared to Washington but the 2009-2010 Caps were the best offensive team ever post-lock-out. Thin in comparison to that and thin in an objective sense are totally different.

rask had some impressive numbers last year, and thomas has shown he can step up his game if need be

i still say boston has depth at every position.... their d could use another offensive guy thats about it
- nightmare3020

Checking out the other eastern divisions, where are all the great goalies there? In the southeast, Cam Ward seems to be the best of the lot there. In the Atlantic, you have Lunqvist with the Rangers and Brodeur with the Devils. Brodeur is not the Brodeur of 5 years ago. At least the northeast has Rask, on the rise, with Tim Thomas in reserve. Buffalo has Ryan Miller. The Leafs have Guigure, 3 years removed from a Con Smythe trophy. Ottawa has a decent tandum and Montreal, well, they better hope that the ghost of Jauques Plante decides to take up residence inside of Carey Price.

Ottawa has a decent tandum
- PrinceLH

Doesn't look that way right now.

After Miller there aren't many great goalies in the Northeast, just a lot of possible good goalies who are unproven or that have to build on past success.
- JordanLee5

Tim Thomas won the 2009 Vezina Trophy and was named to the NHL First All-Star Team in 2009 as well
He also was on the USA Olympic Team for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Although he seems to has lost his starters position to Rask, I would suggest that both Buffalo and Boston have "elite" goal tending in the North East Division.