In Lou We Trust

Let's sum this up real quick for the Devils; the previews all tend to agree on the following:

Where do they disagree? Easy - when it comes to figuring out how good the Devils are. Despite claims that they can't be counted out, some previews show them in the bottom end of the playoff seeding in the East. Maybe it's telling of how competitive the division, conference, and the league now are; but who knows. Others go in an opposite direction and think they can finish first in the whole conference, much less the division. From my point of view (and my count), the amount of optimistic and pessimistic is about even (with 2MA stuck in the middle!). OK, maybe there are other previews I missed - but from a sample of 15 from both print and the Internet of various areas (Devils fans, big hockey bloggers, etc.), this is what I found. Yes, there are more pessimistic predictions out there for the Devils and based on legitimate concerns. But, it isn't fair or true at all to say that mostly everyone in the hockey world doesn't respect the Devils or their chances. Only one preview comes right out and says they won't make the playoffs (and two are iffy), after all. We're going to see the postseason come to Newark again, the Devils should be that good. How well New Jersey will do - whether they will have home ice again or get in on the final days of April - is the sticking point.

I put all of my thoughts and the links (where possible) to each preview into the following table, so you can judge for yourself.