The Atlantic Division isn't completely wide open. After all, the New York Islanders will be uncontested in their possession of the division cellar.

But after the woeful Isles, the Atlantic race will be as hotly contested as any in the NHL.

The storylines are numerous and varied, but as usual, discussion seems to center around the New York Rangers.

Wayne Gretzky is gone. The city doesn't tolerate losers, like last year's Rangers team which sat out the playoffs. General manager Neil Smith's job is on the line. And the franchise has a boatload of cash.

Translation: The Rangers made some major additions in the offseason, amping their payroll to around $54 million, bringing Theo Fleury, Valeri Kamensky, Tim Taylor, Sylvain Lefebvre, Stephane Quintal and Kirk McLean to the roster.

All that spending and activity begs two questions:

1. Will it work?

2. Why couldn't some of this been done when the Great One was still in uniform?

No doubt the Rangers will be more competitive this season, but they aren't without their weaknesses. For all the money spent, the Rangers are thin at center, among other things.

There's no clear-cut second-line center after Petr Nedved. The possibilities for that spot are interesting but hardly solidify any notion of the Rangers being Cup contenders. When healthy, Taylor may fill the role. Manny Malhotra or rookie Jamie Lundmark -- neither of whom is 20 yet -- are also potential candidates.

"We're all thinking about the second slot," said coach John Muckler during training camp. "As of yet, I don't think we've found a second center-ice man in this training camp. Whether we will or not, I don't know. He's obviously not going to be a playmaker if he is. He's going to be a good, solid, checking center."

Not that goaltending is a weakness with Mike Richter and new backup Kirk McLean, but Richter was inconsistent last season. He doesn't need to return to 1994 form for the Rangers to compete, but he can deflate his team too often with soft goals.

Big names are great, but don't forget that good chemistry can go a long way, and it's yet to be determined whether all the new faces will mesh into a winner.

	For the Flyers to be competitive, LeClair needs to be healthy and scoring.

Philly will fly if healthy
Next in terms of compelling stories -- and not in the projected standings -- is Eric Lindros and the Philadelphia Flyers. The pressure to win is huge in Philly, and if Lindros and John LeClair aren't healthy for most of the year, heads will roll.

Lindros, recovering from his collapsed lung, has had abdominal and back problems in camp, and LeClair has been battling back issues of his own.

There is excitement and talent on the team. But to win, the stars need to be in uniform and in not stylish suits; and John Vanbiesbrouck must play well all year for this team to make it deep in the playoffs.

Jagr, Brodeur lead their teams
For Jaromir Jagr and the Mario Lemieux-owned Pittsburgh Penguins to lie this far down the storyline is impressive, but that's the way it is in the glamorous Atlantic Division.

Put simply, any team with Jagr is dangerous. That can be banked on. But goaltender Tom Barrasso is getting on in age, and players like Alexei Kovalev have to be consistent if the Pens are going to be a force. And keep an eye on coach Kevin Constantine's relationship with Jagr, which was strained at times last season. Bad karma can result in bad losses.

Much like the Penguins, the New Jersey Devils have one player who can make a huge difference in any game: Goalie Martin Brodeur can steal one on any given night. That's a given.

Add talented forwards like Jason Arnott and Petr Sykora, and there's reason for optimism. But the lack of more proven veterans up front could hurt in the postseason, where the Devils have made a habit of following great regular seasons with early playoff exits.

"We have to look for the playoffs, and that's it," Scott Stevens told The Newark Star Ledger. "Let everything fall where it is. If we're in first place, fine. If we're in second or third, fine."

All things considered, if players like Brendan Morrison, Patrik Elias and Jay Pandolfo have big years, the Devils could boast the best depth in the division. That is, if Morrison and Elias ever end their contract holdouts.

Finally, the Islanders. It's too easy to take cheap shots at them -- like, "There's a reason they're mentioned last," -- but the ownership, dismal play and arena stuff is so boring.

In terms of hockey and talent, there actually is some on the Islanders: Jason Krog, Olli Jokinen up front and Eric Brewer and 1999 top pick Branislav Mezei on defense, for example.

But when the notoriously inconsistent Mariusz Czerkawski is the most formidable offensive weapon, it doesn't bode well.

The best thing about the Atlantic Division is that the Islanders are the only team that won't be competitive. The negative could be that the increased talent with the Rangers and increased motivation in Philly will make division play and the regular season too draining come playoff time.

Brian A. Shactman is the NHL editor for ESPN.com