| Team | LW | Comment |
| 1 | NY Rangers | Mark Messier wants his 7th Cup. He gets what he wants. |
| 2 | Detroit | Running away with the West. |
| 3 | Pittsburgh | Look for more fine-tuning for a playoff run. Payroll too big not to try and win it all now. |
| 4 | Florida | Hey, they won't fade. See what good goaltending does? |
| 5 | Chicago | Clawing way to the NHL's elite. Trading Belfour won't help. |
| 6 | Colorado | Going through growing pains now -- in time to peak for playoffs. |
| 7 | Philadelphia | Great game against the Rangers this week -- and could just tie. |
| 8 | New Jersey | 6-3 in January. |
| 9 | Toronto | Muller was a good pickup. They're old, but they'll be tough in playoffs. |
| 10 | Montreal | Taking advantage of playing in a weak division. |
| 11 | Washington | Wish they were playing in a weak division. |
| 12 | Boston | Still have to consider the Bruins a disappointment. |
| 13 | Tampa Bay | See Florida comment. |
| 14 | St. Louis | Good enough to make the playoffs and get bounced in the first round? |
| 15 | Vancouver | They usually wake up in the second half. |
| 16 | Winnipeg | Want to win to go out of Winnipeg and into Phoenix on a high note. |
| 17 | Buffalo | Best new coach in the game. |
| 18 | Dallas | Hey, the scorers are starting to score. |
| 19 | Los Angeles | Team Plummet. Then again, never thought they were that good. |
| 20 | Hartford | At least they keep trying to win. |
| 21 | Calgary | Playing way over their heads. You've got to love that. |
| 22 | Edmonton | Seriously, this city's going to lose its team. |
| 23 | NY Islanders | This will take time. Let's check back in a couple of years. |
| 24 | Anaheim | Paul Kariya, an athlete who isn't arrogant. What a concept. |
| 25 | San Jose | Hey, fellas, who do you like second in the draft? |
| 26 | Ottawa | What is the record for coaching changes by one team in a season? |
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