Originally Published: September 16, 2009
Inside the Projections: 5-on-5
Stars' scoring overcomes Pittsburgh's lack of depth
Want to know how the NHL season will shake out? We have your answers right here. For ESPN The Magazine's upcoming NHL preview issue, we had the minds at Puck Prospectus break down the league with their new VUKOTA projection system to help generate The Mag's preseason Power Rankings and predicted order of finish for the 2009-10 season.
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The Mag's 2009-10 NHL Preview
2009-10 NHL Projections 
The writers of Puck Prospectus use their VUKOTA projection system to evaluate every NHL team in eight pivotal categories, while Will Carroll and E.J. Hradek weigh in on injuries and intangibles, respectively. Get an in-depth look at a new category every weekday leading up to the unveiling of The Mag's full rankings Sept. 23.
Scoring
Defense
5-on-5 Play
Power Play
Penalty Kill
Goaltending
Faceoffs/Shootouts
- Faceoffs: Win or lose, it's a draw
- Shootouts: A pivotal extra point
Injuries/Intangibles
- Injuries: Which rosters are at risk?
- Intangibles: Who has "it"?
The Rankings
- The Rankings: See how the NHL projects
