EASTERN CONFERENCE

In predicted order of finish for each division:

*

SOUTHEAST

WASHINGTON CAPITALS

Coach: Ron Wilson, second season.

1997-98: 40-30-12, 92 points.

Who’s new: Goaltender Rick Tabaracci (trade with Calgary), defenseman Dmitri Mironov (free agent).

Outlook: What a year in Washington: the Capitals made it to the Stanley Cup finals for the first time and . . . oh, yeah, that stuff in the White House. The Capitals’ success was sparked by the superb goaltending of Olaf Kolzig (2.20 goals-against, .920 save percentage), Peter Bondra’s 52 goals--he tied Teemu Selanne for the NHL lead--and the creative coaching of Wilson. They’re essentially the same except for signing power-play specialist Mironov. Contract disputes with winger Andrei Nikolishin and defenseman Sergei Gonchar were a concern, but they have the depth to get by--and to get back to the finals.

CAROLINA HURRICANES

Coach: Paul Maurice, fourth season.

1997-98: 33-41-8, 74 points.

Who’s new: Center Ron Francis (free agent), defenseman David Karpa (trade with Ducks).

Outlook: Francis, who had 25 goals and 87 points with Pittsburgh last season, gives them instant respect and offense. Their offense figures to be more productive, with Francis, Keith Primeau (26 goals, 63 points), right wing Sami Kapanen (26 goals, 63 points), Gary Roberts (20 goals), Nelson Emerson (21 goals) and emerging Jeff O’Neill. The defense is adequate but not likely to generate much offense, although Steve Chiasson had six power-play goals. Trevor Kidd (2.17 goals-against, .922 save percentage in 47 games) almost got them into the playoffs last season and should succeed this time.

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING

Coach: Jacques Demers, first full season.

1997-98: 17-55-10, 44 points.

Who’s new: Left wing Wendel Clark, center/left wing Benoit Hogue (free agents), center Craig Janney (trade with Phoenix), goalie Bill Ranford (trade with Washington).

Outlook: New owner Arthur L. Williams brought cash and stability to a team that badly needed both. But can he score goals? The Lightning scored a league-low 151 last season and had no 20 goal-scorers--Mikael Renberg and Alexander Selivanov shared the team lead with 16 each. Ranford will share time with injury-prone Daren Puppa, but they’ll play behind a young and erratic defense. Janney and Hogue are reliable enough to make an offensive improvement likely, but forget the playoffs.

FLORIDA PANTHERS

Coach: Terry Murray, first season.

1997-98: 24-43-15, 63 points.

Who’s new: Coach Terry Murray, right wing Marcus Nilson (1996 draft pick).

Outlook: The veterans who led them to the 1996 Cup finals have aged rapidly or departed, and the incoming talent flow has been meager. The Panthers ranked 25th last season, and deservedly so. Defenseman Ed Jovanovski has regressed since his rookie season, and Robert Svehla, Terry Carkner and Paul Laus had horrible seasons. Without Vanbiesbrouck, Kirk McLean becomes their starting goalie, which isn’t good enough.

*

ATLANTIC

PHILADELPHIA FLYERS

Coach: Roger Neilson, first full season.

1997-98: 42-29-11, 95 points.

Who’s new: Goaltender John Vanbiesbrouck and center Marc Bureau (free agents).

Outlook: At last, they have the high-caliber goalie they needed two years ago. Their size will win them some games, but the crackdown on obstruction will favor smaller, speedier teams and hurt them. Left wing John LeClair, who has had three consecutive 50-goal seasons, is a clutch player with indomitable will. That’s also true of Rod Brind’Amour (36 goals, 74 points). Too bad it’s not true of Eric Lindros, General Manager Bob Clarke’s designated captain and franchise player. This is the time for him to step up and prove he was worth gutting the franchise when they got him from Quebec. It’s up to him.

NEW JERSEY DEVILS

Coach: Robbie Ftorek, first season.

1997-98: 48-23-11, 107 points.

Who’s new: Coach Robbie Ftorek, formerly an assistant to Jacques Lemaire, goaltender Chris Terreri (trade with Chicago).

Outlook: After being shocked by Ottawa in the first round of the playoffs, the Devils have a new coach but the same defense-first philosophy. Goalie Martin Brodeur had a league-high 43 victories last season and ranked second with a 1.89 goals-against average and 10 shutouts, so they’re set there. They will miss Gilmour, a catalyst on their specialty teams, but they have the talent to compensate. Bobby Holik (29 goals, 65 points) gets a chance to be the first-line center, and Dennis Pederson and Brendan Morrison will get ample ice time. A contract dispute with skillful defenseman Scott Niedermayer threatens to derail their plan to open up offensively.

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS

Coach: Kevin Constantine, second season.

1997-98: 40-24-18, 98 points.

Who’s new: Center German Titov (trade with Calgary).

Outlook: Constantine did a great job last season but will have to work miracles this time. Losing center Ron Francis to free agency left them without a first-line center and without a setup man for right wing Jaromir Jagr, whose 102 points made him the only NHL player to score 100 or more last season. Don’t count on Stu Barnes to duplicate the career-high 30 goals he scored on Francis’ left last season. Their only top-flight defenseman is Darius Kasparaitis, who will miss the start of the season because of a knee injury, and a preseason injury suffered by Peter Skudra leaves them with no backup goalie with NHL experience. The club’s financial woes might be a distraction they can ill afford.

NEW YORK ISLANDERS

Coach: Mike Milbury, first full season.

1997-98: 30-41-11, 71 points.

Who’s new: Rookie Eric Brewer (1997 draft pick).

Outlook: Dim and dimmer. Owners Steven Gluckstern and Howard Milstein have alienated one of their best players, Ziggy Palffy, with a salary offer well below the going rate. Palffy (45 goals, 87 points) is the only sure commodity in a group of forwards that can charitably be called erratic. Defenseman Bryan Berard is too talented to have a minus-32 plus/minus rating, and Kenny Jonsson keeps getting better. Goalie Tommy Salo hasn’t inspired confidence, and Milbury was looking at Toronto’s Felix Potvin. They must re-sign Palffy to have any hope in this tough conference.

NEW YORK RANGERS

Coach: John Muckler, first full season.

1997-98: 25-39-18, 68 points.

Who’s new: Right wing Scott Fraser, right wing John MacLean, defensemen Zarley Zalapski and Peter Popovic (free agents); right wing Mike Knuble (trade with Detroit), center Manny Malhotra (draft pick).

Outlook: Besides Wayne Gretzky, they’re a doughnut: they’ve got a big hole in the middle. Pat LaFontaine’s retirement depleted an already weak forward corps, and while it’s nice to see Gretzky skating with old Edmonton pal Esa Tikkanen, it says little for the Rangers’ talent that the 33-year-old Finn made the team on a tryout. Brian Leetch can’t have another minus-36 season--can he? Their defense is a tad faster and younger but still unimpressive. Defensive-minded Niklas Sundstrom was given the second-line center role, a tough squeeze. And enough about Alexei Kovalev’s talent. If he doesn’t score 30 goals--maybe even if he does--they’ll miss the playoffs again.

*

NORTHEAST DIVISION

BUFFALO SABRES

Coach: Lindy Ruff, second season.

1997-98: 36-29-17, 89 points.

Who’s new: Goaltender Dwayne Roloson and left wing Randy Cunneyworth (free agents).

Outlook: There’s Dominik Hasek and there’s. . . well, a lot of grinders. But that’s more than enough to make them a headache for opponents. Hasek, the NHL’s most valuable player the past two seasons, had a league-best .932 save percentage and improved after leading the Czech Republic to Olympic gold at Nagano last February. He gives them hope in any playoff series. The bad news is the unsigned status of defenseman Alexei Zhitnik, team goal-scoring leader Donald Audette (24 goals) and top scorer Miroslav Satan (46 points). Left wing Geoff Sanderson blamed his drop from 36 goals to 11 last season on being traded twice. If he regains his old form, the Sabres will be tougher to beat.

BOSTON BRUINS

Coach: Pat Burns, second season.

1997-98: 39-30-13, 91 points.

Who’s new: Center Peter Ferraro (free agent).

Outlook: Jason Allison (33 goals, 83 points) became a star, rookie Sergei Samsonov (22 goals, 47 points) had some dazzling games and the Bruins played exemplary team defense in front of Byron Dafoe, who struggled in the playoffs only because of a shoulder injury. They should be as good, if not better, this season. Dmitri Khristich (29 goals, 66 points) and right wing Steve Heinze (26 goals, 46 points) are dependable scorers. Defenseman Ray Bourque, 37, keeps rolling along. Contract disputes with promising defenseman Kyle McLaren and center Anson Carter are the main clouds on their horizon.

OTTAWA SENATORS

Coach: Jacques Martin, third season.

1997-98: 34-33-15, 83 points.

Who’s new: General Manager Rick Dudley, centers Steve Martins and Andreas Johansson (free agents).

Outlook: They ranked a surprising ninth in team defense last season. Stars-in-the making Chris Phillips and Wade Redden lead a mobile corps, and goalies Damian Rhodes (2.34 goals-against, .907 save percentage) and Ron Tugnutt (2.25, .905) were steady. Up front, though, it’s a mish-mash. Alexei Yashin (33 goals, 72 points) drives to the net well and is strong enough to dominate the slot, and left wing Shawn McEachern (24 goals, 48 points) is swift and a valuable penalty killer. However, a preseason knee injury to right wing Daniel Alfredsson set them back. The Senators have some speed and an admirable grinding mentality, but they must develop or acquire offensive depth.

MONTREAL CANADIENS

Coach: Alain Vigneault, second season.

1997-98: 37-32-13, 87 points.

Who’s new: Center Sergei Zholtok (free agent).

Outlook: General Manager Rejean Houle’s new, tight budget has kept him from giving key defenseman Vladimir Malakhov and wingers Martin Rucinsky and Brian Savage the deals they want. Without them, the Habs won’t have much on the wings. Andy Moog’s retirement leaves the goaltending to Jocelyn Thibault, who had a strong season (2.47 goals-against, .902 save percentage) but wilted in the playoffs. Jose Theodore will push him and might surpass him. Patrice Brisebois, Dave Manson and Igor Ulanov give them a respectable defense.

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS

Coach: Pat Quinn, first season.

1997-98: 30-43-9, 69 points.

Who’s new: Goaltender Curtis Joseph, defenseman Dallas Eakins and left wing Steve Thomas (free agents).

Outlook: Quinn wants to open up offensively, figuring Joseph is a strong last line of defense. But the Leafs don’t have enough skill to improve on the 194 goals they scored last season, the NHL’s fourth-lowest total. Mats Sundin (33 goals, 74 points) and Mike Johnson, who tied Samsonov for the rookie scoring lead with 47 points, are their only legitimate scoring threats. Too many of Derek King’s 21 goals came after they were out of the playoff race. They’re small up front and not particularly brawny on defense. Goalie Felix Potvin and defenseman Mathieu Schneider want out and could bring a decent return, but associate general manager Mike Smith must move quickly and decisively.