This is going to be a bit briefer, since I haven’t paid quite as close attention to these teams, but here are the things I think the 4 through 7 teams I’ll be following this year have to be concerned about.

New Jersey Devils

New Jersey’s forwards should fill the net, and their D should be strong in their own end. I don’t know if the Devils have enough grit and team toughness, though. Also, their defence may have some trouble moving the puck up the ice offensively, as they don’t look to have a great balance of defensive- and offensive-minded defencemen. Luckily, they have Brodeur in net, and he’s one of the best puck-handling goalies in the league. On the powerplay, look to see forwards playing the points as a rule, especially Ilya Kovalchuk. Now that he has more familiarity with the systems and roster of the Devils, he should (hopefully) be better at producing on the PP without giving up so many odd-man rushes the other way as a result of irresponsible risk-taking.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Where to begin? Outside of Phil Kessel, Toronto’s first line would have a hard time breaking into most teams’ second lines. They just don’t have enough scoring. Depth at centre is a particular concern. Their defense should do alright, if Phaneuf plays like he did three years ago, but he hasn’t really proven that he’s as good as he should be, and at the moment he seems really overrated. Many people in Toronto are hoping for a trade that sends Kaberle out of town and brings in a legitimate first-line forward to help the team gain a little balance between its forwards and its defence. What the Leafs really need, though, are a couple of years of good drafting and a bit of organizational patience. At least they’re handling Kadri correctly…

Florida Panthers

The Panthers seem to lose strong players to free agency every year without getting a whole lot in return. Their GMs always seem to come out on the short end of trades and make poor decisions. As a Canucks fan, I am keenly aware of this. Look up the Pavel Bure and Roberto Luongo trades. The Panthers sent Ballard to the Canucks in a trade this summer, reducing their depth on defence, and Michael Grabner didn’t pan out, getting picked up by the Islanders on waivers. Florida will have trouble scoring goals, though a healthy David Booth should certainly help on that front. With three first-round picks this year, it’s clear Dale Tallon is trying to build from youth in the coming years. It’s going to be two or three before the team sees the results.

Los Angeles Kings

The Kings should have enough scoring and they have a good young defensive core. There’s reason for optimism with their goaltending, but there’s just as much opportunity for a down year in net as there is for a really strong year. I’m also not convinced that they have the depth they need to weather any kind of meaningful injury situation.