Just the fact that there's a division called "Southeast" is enough to make hockey traditionalists shudder.
Then look at the overall quality of the teams in the division, and it all seems like the foundation of any argument against expansion.
|  | | Patrik Stefan, left, may be the biggest name for the expansion Atlanta Thrashers. |
OK, so that's a bit harsh for a division that represented the Eastern Conference in the Stanley Cup finals just two years ago when the Capitals were cannon fodder for the Detroit Red Wings' second consecutive Cup.
But the point remains this: The Southeast Division is weak.
Regardless, the team that wins the division still gains an automatic playoff berth and at least a No. 3 seed.
"Every team in the league wants to win the division, irrespective of the division they are in," Capitals GM George McPhee said.
Last season's champs, the Carolina Hurricanes, were the only Southeast team to make the postseason. But the odds of repeating have been significantly reduced for two reasons:
Team captain Keith Primeau continues to hold out in a contract dispute. How can a team expect to win with its best player and leader out of the lineup?
The 'Canes don't play a home game until Oct. 29 when the team moves into a new, 17,500 seat arena. That translates into nine consecutive road games to begin the year.
"If we could play .500 hockey on the road trip to start, it would be terrific," defenseman Glen Wesley told the Raleigh News & Observer. "Do that and everyone would be excited, and we'll be going into the new building looking forward to being there almost all of November. Then we could really get things going for this hockey club."
Those nine games are crucial from the perspective of the standings but also from the stands, because a poor start might make it difficult for the team to fill its new building with fans.
"It's important to get off to a good start because we all know how easy it is to falter out of the gate and play catch-up the rest of the year," coach Paul Maurice said. "But to create excitement for the fans, we need a decent start."
Veteran wingers Ray Sheppard and Kevin Dineen are gone, so if Primeau is out for a protracted period, that's a lot of talent missing from the lineup.
Goals will be scarce, and the 'Canes had better hope goalie Arturs Irbe can repeat his performance from a season ago when he won 27 games and had a 2.22 GAA and .923 save percentage.
Bure holds key to Panthers success
The Florida Panthers should be a lot better, but it all depends on whether Pavel Bure stays healthy.
Bure scored 13 goals in 11 games last season before going down with a knee injury. But his recovery has been slow. He hasn't played in any preseason games and won't suit up for real until the opener Oct. 2 against Washington.
There are few teams that rely on one player more than the Panthers rely on "The Russian Rocket." But it's tough to criticize the franchise for that because 50-goal scorers are an endangered species in the NHL jungle.
Caps look to rebound, Lightning to rebuild
The Capitals and Lightning also are expected to improve, but that doesn't mean too much because both franchises suffered embarrassing seasons.
The Lightning responded by cleaning house from ownership and management down to coaches and players.
New coach Steve Ludzik's squad won't compete for the playoffs, but the team now has what resembles direction. Look for Ludzik to let young talent like Vincent Lecavalier get a lot of ice time.
The real key for Tampa Bay will be the players obtained in the deal that sent Niklas Sundstrom to San Jose. Shawn Burr, Steve Guolla, Andrei Zyuzin and Bill Houlder provide depth but must be more than dead weight; Sundstrom is a proven NHL commodity -- and a solid two-way player -- and moving him was a bit of a risk.
Washington became the first team in nearly 50 years to miss the playoffs one season after playing in the Stanley Cup finals. And its 68 points was the lowest team total since 1981-82.
The most intriguing addition this offseason may have been Craig Billington. He's a veteran and solid locker room presence, which should help Olaf Kolzig recover from a poor season -- his GAA went from 2.20 two years ago to 2.58 last year.
For a team that missed over 500 man games to injury, simply staying healthy should be worth a few wins.
It'll be interesting to see how the team responds to new captain Adam Oates, who is not a vocal leader in the locker room.
"Steve Yzerman, Ray Bourque and Dale Hunter - all those guys were quiet guys who led by example," Oates said. "That's how I like to lead."
The Caps hope the rest of the team likes it as well.
All of the unknowns in the Southeast Division make it easier for the expansion Atlanta Thrashers to settle into NHL play.
Last season, the Nashville Predators were thrown into the Central Division where the Detroit Red Wings were two-time defending Cup champs. Add a consistent playoff team like the St. Louis Blues, and the Central is a difficult division in which to launch a franchise.
Atlanta won't challenge for the division title, but with solid goaltending from Damian Rhodes -- 2.44 GAA with Ottawa last season -- the Thrashers won't get blown out too often within the division.
Brian A. Shactman is the NHL editor for ESPN.com
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ALSO SEE
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Florida Panthers preview
Carolina Hurricanes preview
Atlanta Thrashers preview
Thrashers' expansion eased by weak division
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Central Division: Wings unflappable
Northeast Division: Depth is a strength
Pacific Division: Stars stud of the group
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