Nowhere But Up for NHL's Bottom Feeders

Craig Custance - SportingNews.com

There's parity. There's a salary cap. And top draft picks contribute almost immediately in the NHL these days. So going from really bad, to really good can happen in a hurry.

But to hear Edmonton coach Pat Quinn list the obstacles standing in the way of an immediate Oilers' turnaround leaves the impression that it might take awhile for the league's worst team.

"There's a number (of obstacles) that are facing us," Quinn said. "One is our skill level. Two, our intangible side. The side that gets you to compete every night. ... And we have to get some size in our game. The best prospect we have is a small guy, too. I don't know if we're going to change that."`

So, let's see. The Oilers are short on skill. They don't consistently compete. They're small. And we haven't even mentioned the bad contracts.

Yeah, the turnaround in Edmonton might take awhile, but the Oilers will get a big boost when they land one of the top picks in the 2010 draft. And if they can shed salary while adding more young talent, even better.

"They've obviously made it clear they're trying to open up room for players," defenseman Tom Gilbert said. "Young, skilled players are coming into the league and can play the game. That's starting to take over the NHL and that's where it starts."

Breaking down the bottom of the standings:

Closest to elite

Carolina Hurricanes

Building around: Eric Staal, Cam Ward, Brandon Sutter

Why they're close: This is probably a playoff team if Cam Ward and Eric Staal play the full season. But one of the bright spots in a rough year has been the emergence of Sutter. The 6-3 former first-round pick is one goal away from 20 and makes the Hurricanes formidable down the middle. "When you have two centermen like Staal and him as a one-two punch, that's two pretty tough centermen to contain," said Calgary coach Brent Sutter, Brandon's father.

What they need: They've managed to play themselves out of the league basement, which could cost them a chance at Taylor Hall or Tyler Seguin in this year's draft. But that may not be such a bad thing. They'd do well to boost their blue line with a prospect like Cam Fowler, Brandon Gormley or Erik Gudbranson, defensemen who should be available for a team picking third, fourth or fifth in the draft.

Close to a postseason return

Columbus Blue Jackets

Building around: Rick Nash, Steve Mason, John Moore

Why they're close: After making the playoffs last season, the Blue Jackets were surprisingly bad this year—in part, because of goalie Steve Mason's sophomore slump. But there have been signs in the second half that this season was an aberration and there's enough talent to return to the playoffs next year. Most important, Mason has returned to form under interim coach Claude Noel. Like Carolina, Columbus is playing just well enough to miss out on a top five pick. Apparently, nobody in these two cities has ever heard of tanking.

What they need: It looked like Derick Brassard was going to be a franchise center, and the four-year contract he signed in the fall suggests Columbus management felt the same way. But it has been a rough season for Brassard, who hasn't approached expectations. If he's not the answer down the middle, the Blue Jackets need to find it. "(Brassard) can see what it takes now," Noel told the Columbus Dispatch. "That's what this season can do for him. It can show him what it takes, and I think it's right up ahead of him."

Hunker down for a rebuild

Florida Panthers

Building around: David Booth, Michael Frolik, Dmitry Kulikov

The game plan: General manager Randy Sexton was active at the trade deadline and expects to be at least as active at the draft. "At the draft, people have more salary cap flexibility, they have more time to work on deals and people are more motivated," he said. Goalie Tomas Vokoun wasn't dealt at the deadline, but he certainly could be moved this summer when Sexton has more time to work out a deal. The team might want to explore trading Nathan Horton as well.

What they need: Sexton wants to build a team that is bigger, more physical and harder to play against than the current group of Panthers. "Long term, we want to build a Stanley Cup champion," Sexton said. "In the short term, we have to retool what we have to meet the type of team we want to build." A player that fits Sexton's needs in the upcoming draft is Kingston's Erik Gudbranson, a 6-4 defenseman with a mean streak. Scouts see Gudbranson as a Chris Pronger-type player, something the Panthers could certainly use.

This story appears in the April 1 edition of Sporting News Today. If you are not receiving Sporting News Today, the only sports digital daily, sign up today.

Craig Custance covers the NHL for Sporting News. E-mail him at ccustance@sportingnews.com.

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