The Florida Panthers are stocked with young talent (but rumors of financial peril and relocation are around) and will be a force to deal with in the future…

The Atlanta Thrashers are on the verge — if injuries and consistency didn’t cause problems for them, they would have kept the Southeast division a tight race….

The Carolina Hurricanes are treading water, in the division — down for a while and then back up before heading down again….

And what of the Washington Capitals?

With a payroll that was out-of-this-world and a lack of wins to show for it, the fire running rampant through the Capitals lineup continues as Robert Lang — the co-leader of points earned in the NHL, was sent to the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for prospects and draft picks…

Rebuilding can really be a bitch, Washington fans… You probably know it better than I do — even though I and other Tampa Bay fans, had been living it for years after a sole playoff appearance in the mid-1990’s.

Who and what will be left in DC by the time March 9th comes around? Your guess is as good as mine…

You know, when the Lightning played Anaheim a few weeks ago, I thought in a humorous way that Vaclav Prospal being traded back to Tampa Bay might be the best for both teams — one team needed a strong forward and another needed to rid itself of a paycheck.

Well, the Tampa Tribune let it be known that Jay Feaster, so against messing with Team Chemistry, is looking at bringing back Vinny Prospal.

Vinny left the Lightning because the team offered $2.25 Million dollars less than the Anaheim Mighty Ducks. I would be odd — if not costly — to bring Prospal back into the fold so soon after he left. Anaheim’s GM Chuck Fletcher attended Thursday’s victory against the Maple Leafs to boot, so talks may be accelerated as is.