Let’s look at some of the scenarios:

TAMPA BAY: Getting the first overall pick (and flashy center Steven Stamkos) was a big step in a new direction. And that may just be the start for this franchise under new ownership.

NHL experts believe general manager Jay Feaster and coach John Tortorella could both get the axe. Then again, will the sale of the franchise actually happen?

“I think we need to define an organization philosophy as far as where we are going,” Tortorella told the Tampa Tribune. “And that’s been a very frustrating thing, especially for Jay Feaster. It’s awfully tough to manage and manage the last three or four months with the team in flux and without knowing where we are going as an organization, and that starts with our ownership.”

COLUMBUS: With two first-round draft picks and a fair amount of salary cap space to play with, the Blue Jackets can get busy.

This team wants to add a No. 1 center, which is fair warning to teams negotiating with potential free agents. (Hello, Daymond Langkow.) The Toronto Globe and Mail suggests that the Oilers could deal center Jarret Stoll to Columbus, should the Blue Jackets not score in free agency.

TORONTO: The dysfunctional Maple Leafs organization must hire a general manager. That guy must decide the fate of coach Paul Maurice and deal with Mats Sundin’s looming free agency.

And, oh yeah, the new GM must also blow up the rest of the roster and start over. “It’s going to be a team starting next October that the fans are going to get excited about and be able to become proud about again,” interim general manager Cliff Fletcher told reporters.

Well, we’ll see. Among the potential trade chips is Darcy Tucker. It appears he needs a fresh start elsewhere and several contenders would covet his toughness.

EDMONTON: The Oilers are looking to move up in the draft. Not only is Stoll a potential trade possibility, Raffi Torres could exit, too.

If this team moves goaltender Dwayne Roloson, the Blues ought to look into bringing him back to the organization. He would be an upgrade over poor Hannu Toivonen.

Overall, the Oilers feel good about their direction. They finished 14-5-1 in their last 20 games and several youngsters showed tremendous promise.

“There’s a ton of optimism,” center Shawn Horcoff told Canadian Press. “At the same time, nothing is guaranteed. There’s a lot of good teams.We just want to get to the point that we’re one of them year-in and year-out. We want to build some consistency. If you’re going to be a team that’s going to win the division, especially our division, you need the depth. There is lots to look forward to.”

FLORIDA: Old friend Jacques Martin could get cashiered as both coach and general manager, clearing the way for Joe Nieuwendyk to gain a handle on the hockey operation. Martin’s running feud with Olli Jokinen wasn’t productive for the team.

Owner Alan Cohen could also bring in a veteran hockey man, like former Bruins assistant GM Jeff Gorton, to help engineer an overhaul.

“It’s up to the owner,” goaltender Tomas Vokoun opined. “When something like this happens, usually there are changes, in the sense there should be changes.”

VANCOUVER: The Canucks, like the Blues, need more firepower. While losing six of their last seven games, they scored just nine goals.

General manager Dave Nonis promises to get busy this offseason. He could clear $15 million in salary cap room.

“There are holes in this team that we need to address,” Nonis told reporters during his wrap-up news conference. “They are not new. They didn’t just appear in the last week of the season. If there are holes, you just don’t say that ‘we’ll be okay once we get to camp.’ If there are holes, you address them. We did two years ago and we will this year.”

The Canucks will try to swap some of their defensive surplus for offensive help. Willie Mitchell and Kevin Bieksa are among the Vancouver rearguards that other teams would covet.

And what do the Canucks do with venerable scorer Markus Naslund? His game has grown stale in the Pacific Northwest. He will become an unrestricted free agent, along with center Brendan Morrison.

(Memo to the Blues: Mentally tough back-up goaltender Curtis Sanford could hit free agency, too. Keep that in mind.)

LOS ANGELES: As Hockey Guy speculated earlier, the Marc Crawford Era could end with the Kings. This team is headed toward a youth movement and the team needs a new voice behind the bench.

“I do think it’s fair to say we’ll get four to five players out of Manchester this year,” general manager Dean Lombardi told the Los Angeles Times. “It’s a pretty good class. Some of them got a taste here. It’s a fairly reasonable guesstimate.”

All three defensemen would offer power-play potential. Filatov would be the high-risk, high-reward pick — a potential huge scorer who must get stronger and more consistent.

The Blues need more help up front than on the blue line, in the big scheme of things. But scouts really, REALLY like the top defensemen in this draft. Passing on one of them at No. 4 might be difficult.

Richards, in fact, seemed like just the guy Blues could use as an offensive cornerstone.

But Richards is a pass-first guy. He needs the right linemates to play to play to his full potential. The Stars have struggled to assemble working offensive units – and coach Dave Tippett’s job is hanging in the balance as a result.

In 12 games, Richards has two goals, nine assists and a minus-two rating. This is not bad, but it isn’t great either.

The Stars did put a 7-2 beating on the Kings recently. But otherwise, look at their results from March:

L 3-1 Predators
L 2-1 Coyotes
L 3-1 Avalanche
W 3-0 Avalanche
L 5-3 Red Wings
L 4-3 Canucks
L 2-1 Ducks
L 4-2 Kings
L 3-2 Sharks
L 3-2 Ducks

That’s not good. Stars owner Tom Hicks is keeping an eye on things. “We know from the month of February that they’re perfectly capable of doing it,” Hicks told reporters. “That first game when Brad Richards joined us with five assists, maybe people thought things were going to be easier. The only way you’re going to win in hockey is with effort. We have to outwork the other team.”

AROUND THE RINKS: Among the hot issues of the off-season will be the status of veteran players. Will Mats Sundin retire? Will Scott Niedermeyer retire again, this time for good? Hockey Guy’s guess: No and yes . . . Goaltender Cristobal Huet has made a favorable impression on the Capitals, so that team will try to sign the pending free agent. But he could draw heavy bidding from teams like Ottawa and LA . . . Former Blues goaltender Patrick Lalime could also hit the free agency market – and he helped himself with his steady work for Chicago this season . . . Washouts Marc Denis and Ray Emery could also hit the market, but either would represent a gamble for the Blues . . . Bryan Murray didn’t exactly fire up the Senators by cashiering John Paddock as coach and taking over himself. Ottawa went 6-7-2 in its first 15 games after the change . . . Old friend Joel Quenneville doesn’t have a coaching contract for next year – and he could have multiple suitors if Colorado turns him loose . . . The Peoria Rivermen will need a big push to reach the AHL playoffs. The Blues hoped the team would reach postseason play and allow some prospects to get additional experience . . . The University of North Dakota needed a dramatic late rally to get past Wisconsin and stay alive in the NCAA Tournament. “They had us on the ropes there a little bit,” Blues prospect T.J. Oshie told the Grand Forks Herald. “Then we just played intense and relaxed and just played our game. We were sitting back a little bit and letting them make plays. That’s not our game. We’re best when we’re on offense and we have the puck.”

Hockey Guy expects Blues coach Andy Murray to get another shot. Midway through this season, his team was still on an upward track. The plan was working.

The second-half collapse was disconcerting, of course. But Blues president John Davidson preaches stability. He doesn’t seem like the sort who would fire a coach 1½ years into his regime.

Murray ought to get at least one more year. Other coaches may not as fortunate:

Denis Savard, Blackhawks: Chicago needs to close out with more performances like Sunday’s overtime victory over the Blues. The Hawks needed to build their foundation for future success.

Clearly Savard was the right man to guide the Blackhawks into their youth movement. Rookie Patrick Kane is busting out on his watch. But will Savard be the right man to lead them back to postseason play?

Mike Babcock, Red Wings: In the regular season, all he does is win. But he is in the last year of his contract, so what happens in the playoffs will decide his immediate future.

Barry Trotz, Predators: Given the ownership change, Trotz understands his mandate. He has to make the playoffs. Nashville sits two points out with six games to go.

Dave Tippett, Stars: The big deal for center Brad Richards changed the face of the team. Can this retooled team make a big playoff run? It better.

“If the Stars suffer an early playoff exit,” Ottawa Sun scribe Bruce Garrioch wrote. “Dave Tippett will be gone.”

John Tortorella, Lightning: After this miserable season, John could use a break from these guys. The players probably feel the same way.

John Stevens, Flyers: Sure, injuries have played a part in this team’s struggle. But Philly is famously impatient with coaches. Stevens’ leash could not be shorter.

Jacques Martin, Panthers: The former Blues coach has been embroiled in an internal organizational struggle all season. Here is Garrioch’s take: “There are people with agendas in the Panthers’ organization and that means GM/coach Jacques Martin will get the boot if his team fails to make the playoffs.”

Marc Crawford, Kings: It’s time for LA to jettison veterans and go with the kids. Is Marc the right man for this overhaul? We’ve been wondering that all season as the Kings remained mired in the Western Conference basement.

Paul Maurice, Maple Leafs: Talk about intrigue . . . the management of this franchise has been Canada’s No. 1 soap opera for several years. General manager John Ferguson finally got the ax, so Maurice could be next once the franchise picks its next GM. (Brian Burke? Colin Campbell?)

Don Waddell, Thrashers. He will soldier on as general manager, thanks to his contract extension. (How he got that extension is a mystery, given the state of the team.) But who will coach the team? The team’s poor finish probably hurt Brad McCrimmon’s candidacy.

Ted Nolan, Islanders: This guy finally got back in the NHL after an inexplicable exile – but has anybody really noticed? His Islanders have played pretty uninspired hockey. Predicting what this franchise will do next is impossible, but nobody would be surprised to see change.

Tom Renney, Rangers: How could a team with THAT much talent have trouble scoring? It makes no sense. Watching his team play – especially with the man advantage – is very frustrating.

Michel Therrien, Penguins: Pittsburgh will get Sidney Crosby back for the playoffs. They have hot goaltending, too. So playoff expectations are very high. Failure is not an option.

BATTLING BEN BISHOP

While playing for the Texas Tornadoes in junior hockey, Blues goaltending prospect Ben Bishop participated in a brawl that produced on of the great fight calls ever.

And Bishop was at it again over the weekend for the Peoria Rivermen, challenging former Blues goaltender Jason Bacashihua in an AHL game against Lake Erie. .

“Once I saw Bacashihua drop his stick and leave the net, I knew I had to go down there,” Bishop told the Peoria Journal-Star. “He hit me a couple times in the back of the head, but that’s all he got. What was my plan when I got there? Win.”

Bishop stands about 6-foot-10 in skates, as you can see, so he carries a nice reach advantage into any scuffle.

AROUND THE RINKS: If Andy Murray isn’t totally fried at season’s end, he could get the call to guide Team Canada again at the World Championships . . . The Rivermen are a point out of the AHL playoff bracket right now, but they have won three of their last four games. Bishop has won his last two starts. Young winger Nikolay Lemtyugov has also become an impact player . . . Defenseman Wade Redden seems likely to hit the free agent market, given the Senators’ lack of salary cap space. He could have earned a three-year, $16.5 million extension from the Sharks had he accepted a deal there . . . The Bruins could be move front and center in the Marian Hossa bidding this summer. Boston defenseman Zdeno Chara would love to reunite with his old Senators teammate. Edmonton, Montreal and Pittsburgh will also be in the hunt . . . Boston would have to shed salary to make the deal, which could put Glen Murray in play.

The latest step is getting hot goaltending prospect Ben Bishop under contract and in the nets for the Peoria Rivermen. For the moment, the former University of Maine star displaces Chris Beckford-Tseu – who heads back to the ECHL for the time being.

Bishop will play the rest of this season under an amateur tryout contract with the Rivermen. His NHL deal with the Blues will come this summer.

(For reasons related to the collective bargaining agreement and the free agency timetable, John Davidson would like to take the same approach with University of North Dakota forward T.J. Oshie.)

“I felt I was ready, accomplished everything I could at Maine,” Bishop told the Peoria Journal-Star. “The Blues felt I was ready. I know I’m going to be nervous when I get out there (tonight). But I’m excited to get some professional experience, and I want to get the ball rolling.”

Bishop, who grew up playing hockey here, brings freakish size (6-foot-7, 215 pounds according to his listing) and surprising agility to this challenge. He is also an aggressive puckhandler, which is not a strong suit of current Blues netminder Manny Legace.

“This has all happened so fast,” Bishop said. “I signed a contract on Tuesday, drove to Peoria on Wednesday, and now my first pro game (tonight). It all hasn’t really sunk in yet. But it’s a chance to be in the Blues’ organization, have a contract with my childhood team and start working toward a chance to play for them some day. It’s a dream come true.”

Beckford-Tseu still figures in the Blues’ goaltending plans, since Marek Schwarz has washed out during his second North American season.

AROUND THE RINKS: Getting Viktor Alexandrov out of Russia wouldn’t be easy, but the Blues ought to take another stab at it. The 22-year-old winger scored 20 goals and added 24 assists in 55 games in the Russian elite league this season. He finished seventh in the league in scoring and is one of the most highly skilled players at the age in the world . . . Nikolay Lemtyugov (back spasms) missed a game attended by John Davidson and Larry Pleau. The AHL rookie might be the most intriguing forward prospect left at Peoria . . . Oshie missed time with an undisclosed injury, but North Dakota hopes he will be at full strength for the NCAA Tournament.

One by one, older players are giving way to younger players. John Davidson traded moved Doug Weight for Andy McDonald.

With Barret Jackman and Bryce Salvador both headed toward unrestricted free agency, J.D. elected to invest in the younger Jackman and give 24-year-old Jeff Woywitka more ice time.

Petr Cajanek, 32, finished out his Blues career on loan to a Russian team. Yan Stastny, 25, is now filling the role Cajanek once had here.

The once exception to this trend was the shedding of Christian Backman, who turns 28 this season. Yes, Backman was in his athletic prime. No, he wasn’t fitting into this system.

Another prime-age player, Matt Walker, will get playing him in his absence. Davidson must decide whether he and Woywitka merit further investment as Roman Polak (21) and Steve Wagner (24) push for regular roles next season.

So the roster continues to evolve. T.J. Oshie will join the mix after this season. Patrik Berglund may come to North America next season.

And here is one more kid it would be fun to see for a spin or two : winger Nikolay Lemtyugov.

The 22-year-old Russian import has gathered steam during his rookie AHL season for the Peoria Rivermen. With Wagner sidelined by a broken leg, Rivermen coach Dave Baseggio has been using Lemtyugov on the point of his power play.

“We’re trying to get our best offensive players on the power-play unit,” Baseggio told the Peoria Journal-Star.

“Five-on-threes, five-on-fours, I like playing on the defense spot now,” Lemtyugov told the newspaper. “It doesn’t matter who plays what spot, we need to win. We’re just trying to make the playoffs.”

Maybe, just maybe, this guy could become a near-term asset. He scored 18 goals in his 52 AHL games while making the transition to North American hockey.

Many Russians players refuse to test themselves in the AHL, as Lemtyugov has. They don’t want to come to North America without a one-way NHL contract. There is good money and good competition back home.

The Rivermen have plenty of candidates for promotion, including leading scorer Charles Linglet, reliable Mike Glumac and rugged Chris Porter.

But Lemtyugov is a wild card and maybe, just maybe, he would be worth playing a few times before the season ends.

Experts figured Maria Hossa was headed to Montreal. He ended up in Pittsburgh instead in one of several major trade deadline maneuvers in the NHL Tuesday.

Here is a look at what went down, first with the franchises that are playing to win:

PENGUINS: Can you imagine Hossa playing with Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby (when he returns from the injured list) on the Pittsburgh power play? That’s sick. Pittsburgh also beefed up by adding large defenseman Hal Gill to its blue line.

Pittsburgh will be hard-pressed to extend Hossa’s deal, given the expectations of hard-line agent Rich “Nuclear” Winter. But this rental move gives the Penguins a chance to win it all.

CAPITALS: Washington added a top six forward in Sergei Fedorov, an agitator in Matt Cooke and a goaltending upgrade in Cristobal Huet. These acquisitions give Washington a real chance to return to postseason play.

Fedorov’s arrival helps offset the earlier loss of center Michael Nylander. Huet, who will become an unrestricted free agent this summer, ought to become the No. 1 goaltender. Cooke will drive opponents crazy.

AVALANCHE: After signing free agent Peter Forsberg, Colorado kept going and brought back another old friend – defenseman Adam Foote. Combined with the return of injured forwards Peter Stastny, Joe Sakic and Ryan Smith, these two will make the Avs much more formidable.

But as one pundit warned, “the Avalanche are trying to win the Stanley Cup . . . the 1999 Stanley Cup.”

STARS: Dallas exec Brett Hull finally made a splash, getting speedy center Brad Richards out of Tampa Bay. Richards brings the remainder of his five-year, $39 million deal with him – but he gives Dallas a true No. 1 center for years to come. This franchise had been looking for the Next Mike Modano.

Mike Ribeiro was a nice get earlier, but Richards should be even better. In the near term, he can quarterback the power play while Sergei Zubov recovers from a foot injury.

SHARKS: San Jose’s sad-sack power play gained point man Brian Campbell from the Sabres. The price was high, though: a first-round pick plus forward Steve Bernier. Campbell is headed for unrestricted free agency, so the Sharks will want to re-sign him.

RED WINGS: Detroit was disappointed that Mats Sundin elected to stay put in Toronto, but the Wings did shore up their injury-depleted defense by renting Brad Stuart from Los Angeles.

FLYERS: They hoped to get Forsberg. They didn’t. But versatility scorer Vaclav Prospal will help them overcome the near-term loss of Mike Richards to a torn hamstring muscle.

Now here is a quick look at some of the teams rebuilding:

BLUE JACKETS: The old regime wanted Fedorov and paid a high price to employ him. The new regime wasn’t quite as enamored with him. Columbus moved Fedorov to Washington and Foote to Colorado, gaining defensive prospect Theo Ruth and a future first-round pick.

If Foote signs in Colorado after the season, Columbus will also get a fourth-round pick in ’09. The Blue Jackets didn’t do as well on the Blues on their bailout last year, but they did OK.

THRASHERS: Circumstances forced them to move UFA-to-be Marian Hossa for what they could get. Since Hossa is a rental – he wants to test free agency –Atlanta had little leverage. Under the circumstances, getting Colby Armstrong, Erik Christensen, prospect Angelo Esposito and a future first-round pick for Hossa and Pascal Dupuis wasn’t bad.

Esposito is the wild card; you may recall that he suffered a free fall during the ’07 NHL Draft, then got cut, again, from the World Junior Hockey Championships.

MAPLE LEAFS: Mats Sundin refused to waive his no-trade protection. So Toronto GM Cliff Fletcher staged a minor flea market, moving Wade Belak and Hal Gill for a second-round pick, fifth-round picks in ’08 and ‘09.

LIGHTNING: The team subtracted Prospal and Richards, plus goaltender Johan Holmqvist. This allowed them to lock up defenseman Dan Boyle to a new long-term deal. They gained young goaltender Mike Smith, forward Jussi Jokinen, defenseman Alexandre Picard, forward Jeff Halpern and a fourth-round pick in ’09.

BLUES: John Davidson didn’t cash in big, but he moved out defensemen Bryce Salvador (a potential unrestricted free agent) and Christian Backman for young ruffian Cam Janssen and a fourth-round draft pick. J.D. needed to clear a path for his young defensemen and open up some budget room to re-sign Barret Jackman (four years, $14.4 million) and address needs up front.

Period.

Also, he made $2.2 million per year. Since the Blues just signed Barret Jackman to a $14.4 million deal, John Davidson was looking to realign the team’s finances. With offensive defenseman Steve Wagner, steady Jeff Woywitka and hard-hitting Roman Polak ready to push for jobs next season, Backman’s exit made sense.

The Colorado Avalanche wooed Peter Forsberg back into the NHL, convincing him to make another comeback from chronic ankle and foot problems. San Jose added all-star defenseman Brian Campbell to beef up its power play.

So the Stars made a big move of their own, landing center Brad Richards from Tampa Bay in a five-player deal. Richards will add speed and No. 1 playmaker skills to a team needing both qualities.

With the Lightning, Richards was stuck in the No. 2 role behind Vincent Lecavalier. He didn’t have high-end linemates. He struggled to earn that five-year, $39 million contract.

In Dallas, he ought to star. So the price Hull paid — giving up young goalie Mike Smith and forwards Jussi Jokinen and Jeff Halpern, taking back netminder Johan Holmqvist — was fair.

True No. 1 centers are hard to come by. The Stars don’t have the Next Mike Modano in their system, so this deal makes perfect sense for them.

As for the Avalanche, the Forsberg gamble was a no-brainer. But giving up a No. 1 pick to bring back Adam Foote? That was quite a statement. Colorado absolutely, positively wants to make the playoffs this year.

Meanwhile, the Blue Jackets bailed. Not only did they move Foote in a Keith Tkachuk-like deal, they moved Sergei Fedorov to the Capitals. Fedorov was the favorite son of the previous GM, Doug MacLean.

Washington, like Columbus, sat five points out of the playoffs. But unlike the Blue Jackets, the Capitals elected to go for it.

They also added goaltender Cristobal Huet from Montreal, a move that elevated Carey Price to the No. 1 in Montreal –unless the Canadiens go after somebody new. Huet is headed toward unrestricted free agency and Price has been hailed as the Next Ken Dryden. So we’ll see.

The Caps also added agitator Matt Cooke from Vancouver. Suddenly, this young team is all in.

The kid hits, like Ian Laperriere. And he fights, like Lappy did — with a good bit more force. Blues fans like this sort of player.

Now Janssen, who has been mending from a shoulder injury, will that chance to play in St. Louis. The Blues dealt defenseman Bruce Salvador to the Devils to bring him home.

“I love my hometown,” Cam said. “I’m pumped.”

The popular Salvador became expendable when the Blues re-signed Barret Jackman, a looming free-agent-to-be. Salvador was also headed to free agency and keeping both players was problematic.

Could Salvador, 32, return this summer ala Keith Tkachuk? Yes, unless he signs an extension with the Devils. But the Blues have some kids stacked up on defense, awaiting their chance to play. Something has to give.

Other defensemen would have to part to create that opportunity here. Steve Wagner, Roman Polak and Jeff Woywitka were relegated to the Rivermen this year because of the defensive surplus and Matt Walker has spent a lot of time sitting.

Salvador is a class act and a real asset in the community. We’d all like to see a happy ending for him here . . . but as we sad, something has to give.

In the near term, Salvador joins a Stanley Cup contender with a real chance to win. And the rebuilding Blues have added one more young forward to their mix.

“To my mom and dad,” he said, “this is blockbuster deal. I want to play hockey. I want to go to a team that wants me in the lineup. I’m excited. I’m going to be a hard worker who sticks up for his teammates. They have a tough team already with that D.J.King. I’ll try to add to that and chip in a goal here and there.”