Kevin Dupont

For just under two months we will see storylines twist and turn on a near-nightly basis in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Without further ado, a few names, some obvious and some not, to keep an eye on over the next couple of months:

Eastern Conference
Devils: Scott Gomez (C) -- Headed for unrestricted free agency this July, the gritty pivot saw his offensive production fall off by about 25 percent this season. The drop won't help him build on the $5 million salary he made in 2006-'07. Never a big point-getter in the playoffs (despite owning two Cup rings), Gomez could improve his bargaining position exponentially if he once again connects at the point-per-game level he turned in last season. It won't be easy in a lineup that values denying goals higher than scoring goals.

Islanders: Ryan Smyth (LW) --  How's that trade looking now from an Oilers perspective?  Yikes. Fed up by his contract demands, the Oil wheeled the face of their franchise to the Isles at the trade deadline. They lost their face and their heart. Meanwhile, if the Isles can squeeze into the No. 8 seed, it will be first and foremost because of the former Mr. Oiler. In his first 12 games for Long Island, he had four goals and nine assists, providing the heart and leadership so desperately needed by the lost orphans of Bryan Trottier, Denis Potvin and Billy Smith.

Lightning: Johan Holmqvist (G) -- After opting not to bring back John Grahame in net, the Bolts swapped for ex-Blue Jackets netminder Marc Denis on June 30 and tied him up for $8.6 million over three years. For insurance they coaxed ex-Ranger Holmqvist out of Europe for $600,000. Smart move. If not for Holmqvist taking over early for Denis, the Bolts could have slipped out of the playoff picture by midseason. Meanwhile, Denis steadily got better over the second half, too. An unrestricted free agent July 1, Holmqvist, 28, could be a prized commodity if he adds a strong playoff run to his still-modest NHL resume.

Penguins: Sergei Gonchar (D) -- A year ago, we were laughing at the five-year, $25 million  deal that the Pens gave the veteran blueliner as a free agent in the summer of 2005. Even the Pens faithful booed him when he touched the puck inside the Igloo. But here he is again, still porous on defense yet back among the game's top-scoring blueliners. The Pens are loaded with elite young scorers, led by superstar Sidney Crosby, but Gonchar, who turns 33 years old on April 13, gives them that extra offensive dimension from the back that can break games open.    

Rangers: Sean Avery (LW) -- Everyone wondered just how soon the foul-mouthed, pugnacious winger would prove to be more trouble that he's worth once coming to Broadway from L.A. Well, with veteran winger Brendan Shanahan around to keep him focused, the fiery 27-year-old has been a very impressive, valuable and emotional booster shot for Tom Renney's chargers. Maybe all Avery needed was a blue shirt to keep him calm? If he can not pick up dumb penalties at inopportune times, he could be the key agitator of the postseason.  

Sabres: Ryan Miller (G) --  He proved in last year's postseason that he is a playoff goalie, and another solid regular season has the 26-year-old looking like a franchise stopper. He was only one win shy of getting the Sabres into the Cup finals last spring. However, he had a first-rate backup in Martin Biron, and with Biron now a Flyer (with a two-year extension worth $7 million), the ex-Michigan State standout will work without a safety net. In Miller's first 12 decisions since Biron was wheeled, he went a somewhat pedestrian 6-4-2.  

Senators: Ray Emery (G) -- Yeah, once again the issues for the mighty Sens are 1. goaltending; 2. goaltending and 3. oh yeah, goaltending. Emery was projected as a backup going into the season after the Senators inked ex-’Canes backstop Martin Gerber to a three-year deal worth $11.1 million in the offseason. But Gerber started slowly, and Emery took advantage, displaying his best shot-stopping since first joining the Sens in 2002-'03. Dominik Hasek couldn't do it. Patrick Lalime couldn't do it. Overall, the net has been a goaltending graveyard for Ottawa in the postseason. A deadly Emery could change it.

Thrashers: Keith Tkachuk (LW) -- Long gone are the days when the ex-Winnipeg Jet was perhaps the game's most imposing power forward (upon the injured Cam Neely exiting stage right for the Hall of Fame). However, the former 50-goal scorer, acquired by the Thrashers at the trade deadline, still has that little bit of swagger and experience that a team such as Atlanta — about to make its first playoff appearance — desperately needs. For some 15 years in the league, Tkachuk, 35, has yet to log a memorable postseason. Is the wait over?

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