KEY ADDITIONS				KEY LOSSES
Name Patrick Lalime Rob Zamuner Kevin Dineen Kevin Miller	Pos. G F F F	From Mighty Ducks Lightning Hurricanes Blackhawks		Name Damian Rhodes Andreas Johansson Lance Pitlick Nelson Emerson Ted Donato	Pos. G F D F F	To Thrashers Lightning Panthers Thrashers Mighty Ducks

Outlook
If you had to pick one word to describe the Ottawa Senators, it would have to be "depth."

Despite a contract dispute which is keeping last season's leading scorer and captain Alexei Yashin out of the lineup, the Sens are still very competitive.

		The Senators just need to continue with their progress. The Alexei Yashin situation needs to be resolved. Eventually, that will get done, he'll come back and play great. This is an excellent hockey club that really should have gone further in the playoffs. With their talent, they could -- and should -- could come out of the East and reach the Stanley Cup. They have added Kevin Dineen, a solid veteran to help the young kids. Look for winger Marian Hossa to have an unbelievable year. I think he is one of the best young players in the NHL. You add him, Yashin, Radek Bonk, Chris Phillips, Wade Redden. What a talented group they have.

Ottawa will once again win the Northeast Division this season mainly due to the veterans which have been thrown into the mix. Players like Rob Zamuner, Kevin Dineen and Kevin Miller will help the chemistry of this mostly-20-something club.

The Sens have perhaps the best group of defensemen in the NHL. Veteran Igor Kravchuk is the leader, but expect youngsters Wade Redden, Chris Phillips and Sami Salo to make a bigger impact on the blueline this season. There is so much on defense that, unless there are a lot of injuries, no new faces will crack the lineup.

Aside from the veterans added, there won't be any changes up front either. The Senators are hoping to rejuvenate Daniel Alfredsson's game. The right wing has been named captain of the team in Yashin's absence despite having a dismal season in 1998-99. The club is experimenting by placing unknown left wing Petr Schastlivy with Alfredsson. Schastlivy wasn't picked until the fourth round (101st overall) in the 1998 entry draft, but he clicked immediately with Alfredsson during training camp.

Another player picked in 1998 that could make an impact this season is Mike Fisher. Fisher moved up the depth chart at center with the absence of Yashin, but with Radek Bonk back in the fold, it's not known where he'll fit in.

The only real question mark for the Senators comes in net. Who will backup Ron Tugnutt? With the departure of Damian Rhodes to Atlanta, Tugnutt will see more playing time. But who will play the other 20-25 games? If Patrick Lalime doesn't cut it, it will be rookie Jani Hurme. If that is coach Jacques Martin's biggest problem with his club, he should consider himself extremely fortunate.

Despite the contract problems, the Senators will challenge New Jersey for the Eastern Conference title.

'98-99 NORTHEAST STANDINGS
TEAM	W	L	T	Pts.
Ottawa	44	23	15	103
Toronto	45	30	7	97
Boston	39	30	13	91
Buffalo	37	28	17	91
Montreal	32	39	11	75

The bottom line
Better or not: Better
By how much: Three wins
Most improved: Daniel Alfredsson
Most valuable: Ron Tugnutt
Biggest disappointment: Radek Bonk

Charles Avellino is a lead NHL researcher for ESPN.