Anaheim, San Jose, Vancouver, Nashville and Dallas in the West ... Buffalo, Ottawa, New Jersey, the New York Rangers and maybe even Atlanta and Pittsburgh in the East ...hey, they're all going to be tough.
Yet when all's said and done next June, I've got a feeling that it'll be the Detroit Red Wings who'll be skating around with Lord Stanley's chalice. And all will be well in Hockeytown again.


WILL KOWALSKI: Wings will lift Stanley Cup | Battle Creek Enquirer - www.battlecreekenquirer.com - Battle Creek, Mich. (http://www.battlecreekenquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071003/SPORTS/710030329/1006)

The tough news for Blackhawks fans is that the Detroit Red Wings are going to be very good again despite losing Mathieu Schneider, Robert Lang and Todd Bertuzzi in the off-season.
"I guess when you're one of the top teams, everyone's waiting for you to fall," said defenseman Chris Chelios, who turns 46 in January. "It hasn't happened, and I don't see it happening this year, either. We've got a great group of guys. There's good chemistry here."


However:

Stanley Cup champion: Ottawa Senators
Stanley Cup runner-up: San Jose Sharks

No finals for Wings according to this writer

Daily Herald | NHL season preview: What to watch for (http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=49636&src=130)

West Preview: Wings, Sharks, Avs tabbed as division champs • Grimm's Tales -- hockey edition - FOX Sports Blogs (http://community.foxsports.com/blogs/grapes17/2007/10/01/West_Preview_Wings_Sharks_Avs_tabbed_as_division_c hamps)

Detroit Red Wings (Central Division Champions) -- A lethal combination of a talented team and a weak division. Ageless blueliners Nicklas Lidstrom and Chris Chelios join newcomer Brian Rafalski to form one of the league's elite defensive corps. Meanwhile, Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk lead a typically strong Detroit attack.

edmontonsun.com - Hockey - Fearless predictions (http://www.edmontonsun.com/Sports/Hockey/2007/10/03/4545433-sun.html)
Looks like not many outside of Michigan pick Wings to win the cup

These are predictions from Free Press sports writers:
FREE PRESS PREDICTIONS: How the Red Wings will fare this season (http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071003/SPORTS05/710030405&theme=WINGS07)

I see a strong seasonal run, followed by an early exit in the playoffs. Either 1st or 2nd round.........