In his first column for Inside Hockey, David Cullinane takes a look at the AHL's Atlantic Division. What kind of impact can Providence Bruins netminder Tuukka Rask be expected to make in his rookie season? Here's a closer look at the AHL's Atlantic...

Providence Bruins

With the promotion of David Kejci to the big club, the Providence Bruins will look to T.J. Trevelyan and Pascal Pelletier to carry the bulk of the offensive load. A key for the baby B’s to be successful will be the emergence of the highly touted rookie Tuukka Rask. Rask, acquired last year in a trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs for goaltender Andrew Raycroft, had an impressive training camp with the Bruins this summer and looks to make an impact for a team that finished third in the Atlantic Division last season. Standout defenseman Matt Lashoff will anchor a defensive core that also boasts Jonathan Sigalet who’s coming off a career year with 31 points in 72 games for Providence last season. Look for a strong campaign for the Bruins this year as they hope to bounce back from their Atlantic Division Finals defeat at the hands of the Manchester Monarchs during last years Calder Cup playoffs.

Lowell Devils

Six overtime losses hurt Lowell in a big way last season. They missed the playoffs by five points in the only division where each team that made the playoffs had 93 points or more. Frank Doyle got the bulk of the starts last season (49 games, 20 wins) over rookie Jordan Parise (32 games, 17 wins). Look for both to get starts early on with Parise emerging as the number one goalie later in the season. Offensively Brian Gionta’s little brother, Stephen, is coming off of a great pre-season, which should translate into a productive sophomore year with Lowell. Mark Fraser and Olli Malmivaara lead the teams defensive core with plans on decreasing last years 220 goals scored against. The Devils had the least amount of penalty minutes in the entire league, yet were ranked 22nd overall on the penalty kill. If the Devils can play sound defense all season long, look for them to be in the playoff hunt down the stretch.

Worcester Sharks

In their inaugural season, the Worcester Sharks were able to attain the fourth best record in the Atlantic Conference finishing with 93 points on the year. After falling at the hands of the Manchester Monarchs in the Atlantic Division semifinals in six games, the Sharks have the talent to surpass last seasons win totals. After performing well at San Jose’s training camp, rookie goaltender Thomas Greiss was demoted to Worcester to further develop his skills. Graham Mink will need to have another stellar season for the Sharks to be successful. Mink notched 31 goals and 32 assists last season for the baby Sharks. Worcester will have to find a way replace the production of Mathieu Darche, who netted 35 goals and 80 points last season, as he parted way with the Sharks this off-season. The Sharks have the talent and goaltending to continue their winning ways. Under the tutelage of head coach Roy Sommer, look for Worcester to play an up-tempo style that may translate into a deeper Calder Cup playoff run.

Springfield Falcons

Under the helm of first year coach Kelly Buchberger, Springfield hopes to improve drastically from their 59-point campaign last season. Replacing Eric Healy, who has moved on to the Lake Erie Monsters, will be a huge challenge for the Falcons this year. Healy, who scored 27 goals and tallied 48 assists with the club, played an aggressive style that the Falcons need to regain in order to compete in a very good division. Goaltenders Devan Dubnyk and Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers will likely split a lot of the minutes between the pipes, replacing the solid playing of Kerri Romo and Jonathan Boutin from last year’s squad. Newcomer Zack Stortini, who got strong consideration from the Oilers in the pre-season, provides the team with gritty play and should make his presence felt all year long. The Falcons have improved their team dramatically but it may not be enough in the strong Atlantic Division.

Hartford Wolf Pack

Hartford finished last year behind Manchester for second place in the Atlantic Division. The majority of the team has stayed intact for the Wolf Pack. Offensively, they had three players register for 50 or more points. Nigel Dawes led the way with 27 goals and 33 assists a season ago, and is back this year with more to prove. Defensively, the Pack is led by NHL veteran Darius Kasparaitis, who is back for a second year with the team. Al Montoya, in his third year with the club, is coming off a 27-win season in 48 games started. Look for the product of the University of Michigan to post even better numbers this year as he continues to improve upon his already impressive start to his career. A staple in the Wolf Pack organization for years, Ken Gernander takes over the squad after two seasons as the team’s assistant coach.

Manchester Monarchs

The Monarchs ran over the competition last season, easily coming out ahead of the field in the Atlantic Division with 110 points. Manchester had great contributions from the entire team last year, dominating the field with balanced play all-around. Gabe Gauthier returns and hopes to improve upon his 42 point mark last year. Youngsters Lauri Tukonen (13 goals, 19 assists) and David Meckler will be asked to provide some offensive prowess for the Monarchs with the departures of Matt Moulson and Noah Clarke. Dan Cloutier steps in goal replacing Jason LaBarbera who had a stellar year in net. Peter Harrold and Brian Boyle are back and adding Troy Milam (from Hershey) into this years mix should provide the solid Cloutier with great coverage in front. Mark Morris is behind the Monarchs bench for his second year after tying the Monarchs franchise record in wins (51) and points. Everything is in place for the Monarchs to once again finish atop the Atlantic Division.

Portland Pirates

The Pirates finished seven points shy for the fourth and final playoff spot last season. Portland is in desperate need for more offense this season. The most amount of points a returning player got last season was 43 by Clay Wilson, who will have to do more to keep his team in the hunt this year. Defenseman and 18-year NHL veteran Eric Weinrich is back in the fold again this year after playing in 36 games last season and notching 14 points. Between the pipes for the Pirates are Gerald Coleman, 11 starts last season for Portland, and newcomer Jean-Phillipe Levasseur. Kevin Dineen, last year's Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award recipient as AHL’s outstanding coach for the 2005-06 season, is back for his third season as head coach. With the great veteran leadership on the ice and on the bench, Portland has the ability to make the playoffs but it will be a tough road ahead.