A state of flux: after last year's successful reclamation project, Peter Laviolette will try to take the Islanders to the next level in the league's most topsy-turvy division - Eastern Conference: Atlantic Division

AT THE AGE OF 37, PETER Laviolette is the youngest coach in the Atlantic Division. And as he starts his second year behind the New York Islanders' bench, he's also the most senior.

Changing coaches has become the game of choice in the Atlantic, where all five teams have gone through massive upheavals in the past 18 months. Laviolette took over the Islanders in May 2001 and as a rookie coach led the NHL's most hapless franchise to the fourth-best turnaround in NHL history, as well as its first playoff berth since 1994.

The Islanders finished just one point behind Philadelphia in the division race. But not even a second consecutive division title was enough to earn Bill Barber another season of Brotherly Love. After the Flyers were embarrassed by Ottawa in the playoffs, GM Bob Clarke, Barber's line-mate in the team's glory days, axed him and brought in Ken Hitchcock, who won a Stanley Cup with Dallas in 1999 but wore out his welcome in Texas last season.

Both of Laviolette's New York-area rivals are also opening the season with different faces behind the bench. The New Jersey Devils continued their game of musical mentors by dumping Kevin Constantine, a midseason replacement for Larry Robinson, and enlisting Pat Burns. But if the Devils' choice was a surprise, the New York Rangers' move was a stunner.

The Blueshirts passed on the usual suspects like Hitchcock and opted for Bryan Trottier, who not only has no NHL head-coaching experience, but was among the most despised of visitors at the Garden during his playing days--when he led the Islanders to four Stanley Cups. Not since Leo Durocher made a jump from the Brooklyn Dodgers to the New York Giants in the mid-'40s has there been such an unlikely move in the Big Apple.

Trottier will also be coaching against his other former team, the Pittsburgh Penguins, with whom he won a pair of Stanley Cup rings in the early 1990s. Alas, for Rick Kehoe, who took over as coach when Ivan Hlinka got the ax early last season, the only similarity between those teams and this one is Mario Lemieux--assuming the Magnificent One" is healthy enough to play regularly this season.

1. Philadelphia Flyers

2001-2002 record:    W     L     T    OTL     GF     GA    Pts.
                    42    27    10     3     234    192     97

HAVING SPENT MONEY ON PLAYERS like there was no tomorrow, yet still not winning their first Cup since the mid-'70s, the Flyers put their wallets away during the free-agent scramble and opted to spend their money on a new coach. Ken Hitchcock, whose resume includes a three-season stint as an assistant with the Flyers (1990-93), won't make many friends among his players. But he won the Cup with Dallas in 1999, and that was enough of an attraction for Clarke.

On the attack: On a team with marquee names like Jeremy Roenick, John LeClair, and Mark Recchi, the Flyers' best forward is Simon Gagne. The big question is whether to play him in the middle or on the wing. Roenick was good, but not good enough to justify his big free-agent deal. LeClair played his best hockey during the Olympics and had back surgery during the summer. Keith Primeau is the No. 2 center, unless newcomer Michal Handzus dislodges him.

Under fire: The Flyers have trouble on the back line. Kim Johnsson, the only real puck-mover among the blueliners, wore down last season, and there's no one ready to replace him. Eric Desjardins looks like a player whose get-up-and-go has gotten up and left, and players like Eric Weinrich and Dan McGillis are competent but not spectacular.

Between the pipes: Roman Cechmanek (24-13-6, 2.05 GAA, .921 SV%) is the undisputed No. 1 netminder following the trade of Brian Boucher to Phoenix. Whether that helps his standing among his own teammates is yet to be seen. Cechmanek has had excellent regular-season stats but is 0-for-2 in the playoffs--though last spring's playoff disaster against Ottawa wasn't his fault. Robert Esche, acquired for Boucher, is the unquestioned backup.

Behind the bench: Hitchcock is the exact opposite of a players' coach. He wants things done his way and doesn't care who likes it. But he turned the Stars into a title winner and a perennial powerhouse--even if he had a doghouse that the Westminster Kennel Club couldn't fill. His defense-first system will drive players cuckoo--but it wins games.

Bottom line: The shift from Barber to Hitchcok is a complete culture change and a sign that Clarke realizes he could be the next one to be sent packing. The Flyers should win the division by default, but it's playoff success that really counts.

2. New York Islanders

2001-2002 record:    W     L    T    OTL     GF     GA    Pts.
                    42    28    8     4     239    220     96

ITS AMAZING WHAT A DOSE OF money can do. New owners Charles Wang and Sanjay Kumar opened their wallets and voila--Long Island, long the NHL's version of Siberia, turned into playoff territory, as the Islanders barely missed the division title. The Isles spent money to trade for and sign centers Alexei Yashin and Michael Peca, then landed goalie Chris Osgood in the waiver draft. The result: their first playoff berth since 1994.

On the attack: Yashin gave the Islanders a power center, while Mark Parrish rode a hot start to his best NHL season. The Isles be without the Selke Trophy-winning Peca, their No. 2 center and captain, for at least two months after he underwent knee surgery, stemming from the playoff cheap shot by Toronto's Darcy Tucker. They also need a winger who can finish Yashin's passes--with Peru out, Parrish could wind up playing with Yashin. Shawn Bates was a revelation; Brad Isbister and Oleg Kvasha are still big chunks of unrealized potential.

Under fire: Adrian Aucoin, Kenny Jonsson, and Roman Hamrlik were among the best defensive trios in the NHL last season; the Isles were the only team to have three blueliners hit double figures in goals. But the Isles lack depth on the blue line--a big concern because Jonsson suffered another concussion in the playoffs and could be a big hit from having to hang'em up.

Between the pipes: Osgood (2.50 GAA, .910 SV%) gave the Islanders a big boost, fueling the best start in franchise history and breaking the team single-season record for victories. Garth Snow is an excellent backup. Waiting in the wings is former No. 1 pick Rick DiPietro, who led the Isles' farm team to the AHL finals and says he's ready for the NHL.

Behind the bench: Laviolette made it clear from the start that he wouldn't accept the losing culture that had infected Long Island. The first-year coach pushed all the right buttons, getting his team off to a hot start, which gave them a cushion in the playoff race. After orchestrating a 44-point improvement, Laviolette's challenge will be to build on last season.

Bottom line: There's a solid veteran nucleus and some talented youngsters on the way. A lot depends on how fast Peca comes back--he's the leader of this team. One good point: 26 of the Isles' first 41 games are at home, which could help them get off to another fast start.

3. New York Rangers

2001-2002 record:     W     L    T    OTL     GF     GA    Pts.
                     36    38    4     4     227    258     80

GLEN SATHER HOPES TO SUCCEED where Neil Smith failed. Smith's 1999 free-agent shopping spree, which included Theo Fleury, Valeri Kamensky, Stephane Quintal, and Sylvain Lefebvre, only succeeded in costing the GM his job. Sather's first two years were no better, so his bosses again opened their checkbooks, reeling in Bobby Holik and Darius Kasparaitis, as well as re-signing goaltender Mike Richter. The price tag: about 880 million. If it doesn't work, Sather might join Smith on the unemployment line.

On the attack: Which Eric Lindros will show up: the one who's a physical force and opens all kinds of space for his line-mates or the perimeter player who fears a career-ending concussion? The former is among the best players in the NHL especially when paired with late-season pickup Pavel Bure, Holik gives the Rangers a solid No. 2 center and leaves disappointing Petr Nedved as trade bait. Ancient Mark Messier or rookie Jamie Lundmark will be the fourth center unless Nedved is dealt.

Under fire: The addition of Kasparaitis gives the Rangers a physical presence not seen in Gotham in years. If he stays healthy, he'll be a fan favorite. His likely partner is either Brian Leetch, who slumped badly in the second half or Tom Poti, a soft puck-mover.

Between the pipes: Sather either got skunked in his efforts to land Curtis Joseph or played the market well to get Richter's price down. Regardless, the winningest goaltender in Rangers history is back for two more years. Richter looked sharp but was overworked after playing behind a horrible defense last season. He's the perfect mentor for 19-year-old Dan Blackburn, who showed lots of potential as a rookie and is clearly the Rangers' future.

Behind the bench: Trottier paid his dues as an assistant, earning a Cup with the Avalanche in 2001 to go along with the six he got as a player. All those rings give him instant credibility, as should the endorsement of players like Joe Sakic. His biggest problem may be getting Rangers fans to forget what uniform he used to wear.

Bottom line: The Rangers are at their lowest ebb since the early '50s, when they also missed the playoffs for five straight years. Adding Holik and Kasparaitis and having Bure for a full season should end the playoff drought. But a bad start could make things very hard for Trottier--and a sixth straight early summer may send Sather out the door.

4. New Jersey Devils

2001-2002 record:     W     L    T    OTL     GF     GA    Pts.
                     41    28    9     4     205    192     95

COACHING THE DEVILS THESE DAYS is like waiting for a bus: If you miss it, wait a few minutes and another one comes along. When Kevin Constantine rallied the Devils into the playoffs but couldn't get them past the first round, GM Lou Lamoriello quickly pulled the plug and brought in Pat Burns, a disciplinarian who should run a tighter ship. But the Devils' problems are more basic--they still can't put the puck in the net, and none of their offseason moves will change that.

On the attack: The Devils' "A Line" of Jason Arnott, Petr Sykora, and Patrik Elias carried them to the 2000 Stanley Cup. Two years later, Elias is the only one of the trio left, and the Devils are talking about moving him from left wing to center. Late-season acquisition Joe Nieuwendyk is the No. 1 center, and the Devils are hoping for a spark from Jeff Friesen, acquired from Anaheim in a deal that sent Sykora west. They need a rebound from Scott Gomez to offset the loss of Holik and more offense from Jamie Langenbrunner.

Under fire: With Scott Niedermayer, Brian Rafalski, and newcomer Oleg Tverdovsky, the Devils have lots of speed and puck-carrying ability on the blue line. Scott Stevens and Ken Daneyko are nearing the end of the road, but Lamoriello feels they have at least one more season left. Both are slow but can still be effective in their own zone.

Between the pipes: No goaltender has played as much hockey over the past five masons as Martin Brodeur (38-26-9, 2.15 GAA but a pedestrian .906 SV%), and the wear and tear is starting to show. Brodeur is still an elite goaltender, but he's seeing a lot more good chances than he did a couple of years ago. The Devils hope newly signed backup Corey Schwab can give Brodeur the rest he needs.

Behind the bench: Burns has had success, but hasn't coached since the Bruins axed him in October 2000. He's coming to a team in transition--and one that's on its fourth coach in 18 months. Three Were/are disciplinarians; the nice guy (Larry Robinson) won a Cup and came within one game of repeating.

Bottom line: The loss of Holik leaves a big hole, and the talent pipeline from Albany is almost dry. Lamoriello is one of the NHL's smartest GMs, so he gets the benefit of the doubt. But it's hard to see the Devils being any better than they were last season, and the potential for a major dropoff is enormous.

5. Pittsburgh Penguins

2001-2002 record:     W     L    T    OTL     GF     GA    Pts.
                     28    41    8     5     198    242     69

MARIO LEMIEUX GOT HIS OLYMPIC gold medal. All it cost was a lost season in Pittsburgh, where Super Mario decided to eschew much of the NHL campaign to focus on playing for Canada Back and hip injuries limited him to 24 NHL games, resulting in the Pens' first non-playoff season since 1990. He hopes to play in 60 to 70 games this season, which would be a boost but probably not enough to get them back into postseason play.

On the attack: With 31 points in his 24 games, Limieux, who turns 37 five days before the season opener, showed that he can still be an offensive force. But there's less help every year--the Penguins were forced to deal Jaromir Jagr for prospects last summer and lost free-agent center Robert Lang to Washington this summer. The return of left wing Martin Straka, out for almost all of 2001-02 with a variety of injuries, should help. In Limieux's absence, Alexei Kovalev blossomed into a star, though he's on the last year of his contract and could be gone soon, too.

Under fire: There's still no real puck-mover in Pittsburgh. Michal Rozsival led the defense in scoring, but there's no one who strikes fear into opponents.

Between the pipes: The numbers don't show it, but 2001 playoff hero Johan Hedberg (25-34-7, 2.75 GAA, .904 SV%, 6 shutouts) had a good rookie season. He appeared to run out of gas down the stretch but justified GM Craig Patrick's decision last summer to give him a multiyear contract. Hedberg won several games by himself and was often left naked by a weak defense.

Behind the bench: Kehoe took over four games into the season and righted the ship, even moving the Penguins into play, off contention before the injuries piled up too high. His players played hard for him, but he'll have to do some more juggling without Lang.

Bottom line: The Penguins' fate this season rests with Lemieux: If he can't play at: least: 60 games, they have no chance at a playoff berth. Their long-term fate also rests with him--as an owner, he has to find a way to get a new arena built. Without a new building, the franchise's future is as dark as a cold winter's night.

COPYRIGHT 2002 Century Publishing
COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group