As the Komets certainly found out this year, it's tough to keep your roster for a long duration of time because you can only have four veterans (260 regular-season games for non-goaltenders) in the ECHL, and so turnover is inevitable.

It can be, therefore, difficult to predict who will have success before the season even begins with so many unfamiliar, young faces on so many teams.

But we're going to do exactly that. Here are our predictions for each divisional finish and then the playoffs:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

North Division

1. Worcester Railers

2. Brampton Beast

3. Reading Royals

4. Adirondack Thunder

5. Maine Mariners

6. Manchester Monarchs

7. Newfoundland Growlers

South Division

1. South Carolina Stingrays

2. Orlando Solar Bears

3. Greenville Swamp Rabbits

4. Florida Everblades

5. Atlanta Gladiators

6. Jacksonville Icemen

7. Norfolk Admirals

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Central Division

1. Cincinnati Cyclones

2. Toledo Walleye

3. Fort Wayne Komets

4. Kalamazoo Wings

5. Wheeling Nailers

6. Indy Fuel

Mountain Division

1. Idaho Steelheads

2. Allen Americans

3. Utah Grizzlies

4. Wichita Thunder

5. Tulsa Oilers

6. Rapid City Rush

7. Kansas City Mavericks

Playoffs

Opening series

Worcester def. Adirondack

Brampton def. Reading

South Carolina def. Florida

Orlando def. Greenville

Cincinnati def. Kalamazoo

Fort Wayne def. Toledo

Wichita def. Idaho

Utah def. Allen

Division finals

Brampton def. Worcester

South Carolina def. Orlando

Cincinnati def. Fort Wayne

Wichita def. Utah

Conference finals

South Carolina def. Brampton

Cincinnati def. Wichita

Kelly Cup Finals

Cincinnati def. South Carolina 4-2

– Justin A. Cohn, The Journal Gazette

jcohn@jg.net