Ottawa Senators

The 2006-07 season hardly started well for the Ottawa Senators. During the off-season, financial constraints caused them to part ways with two of their best players, behemoth blueliner Zdeno Chara and dynamic scorer Martin Havlat. And when the season opened, their absences were clearly felt, as the Sens struggled through some early inconsistencies before righting the ship and finishing the season strong, eventually reaching the Stanley Cup Finals. Rarely does a team improve after subtracting two stars, but the Senators seemed to become a true team, rallying together and getting improved performances from guys like Chris Phillips and Anton Volchenkov to soften the blow of losing Chara, while balanced scoring throughout the lineup helped fill the void left by Havlat's departure.

It will take similar efforts to guarantee success in 2007-08. While the Sens didn't lose any marquee names from their roster, they didn't add any, either, returning virtually the same club that lost to the Anaheim Ducks in the Finals. The offense will once again be carried by the talented trio of Jason Spezza, Dany Heatley, and Daniel Alfredsson. But if they don't get the job done this year, they may never get another chance. Heatley will become an unrestricted free agent following the season, while Spezza is scheduled to hit restricted free agency. Re-signing both could test the bounds of the salary cap, not to mention Ottawa's beleaguered budget.

Goaltender Ray Emery was rewarded for his strong play last season with a new three-year, $9.5-million contract, putting even more pressure on his shoulders to be a legitimate No. 1 netminder. How he handles the stress of beginning the season as the top guy will go a long way to determining Ottawa's fate.

But in a watered-down Eastern Conference, the Senators have to be considered a clear Cup contender.