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