Olaf Kolzig's knee injury contributed to the Capitals' nightmarish October.

Isn't it time for Gary Bettman to send the NHL's Southeast Division to the AHL? Couldn't he call up the Hartford Wolf Pack and a bunch of its minor league colleagues to take the place of the Canes, Thrashers, Panthers, Caps and Lightning? (Hey, commish, the people in central Connecticut would love you for it.)

As Halloween night turned into Nov. 1, there weren't many things scarier than the combined record of the Southeast's Big Five. The frightening numbers: 9-22-16-5. That's right, just nine wins. Nine wins in 52 games. Combined! Heck, St. Louis, Phoenix and Colorado each had as many wins as the entire Southeast.

The division's ineptitude shouldn't be blamed on either the second-year Thrashers or the rehabbing (from horribly bad ownership and management groups) Lightning. Actually, the Lightning should really be worth watching in two or three years. I'm not sure I can say the same thing about Ted Turner's team.

Nor can you point the finger at the Hurricanes, a natural disaster of a franchise which seems stuck on the treadmill of mediocrity. Believe it or not, things are so bad in Carolina that the club actually misses defenseman Kevin Hatcher, who has yet to return from an injury suffered in the club's fifth game.

No, don't blame these three sorry franchises. Lay the blame where it belongs -- on the Caps and Panthers.

Both clubs finished near the top of the Eastern Conference last season. Clearly, after one month, that's ancient history. The stumbling Caps, at least, can blame injuries and contract woes for their nightmarish October. Star goalie Olaf Kolzig started the season on the sidelines with a knee injury. Stud defenseman Sergei Gonchar missed training camp before signing a new contract. He's still playing catch-up. And the club's leading goal-scorer, big, tough Chris Simon, didn't sign a new deal until the final week of the month. Maybe he knew to stay away.

Florida, meanwhile, may have left its best game in training camp. The Panthers breezed through the preseason and seemed to be on course for a big year. Then came October, and Florida dropped off the radar. The biggest problem: scoring. Or, rather, the lack of it. Pavel Bure, who has just five goals in his first 10 games, hasn't meshed with aging free agent Igor Larionov. If the Panthers don't get things turned around -- quick -- GM Brian Murray may have to fire the coach. Being that the coach is Brian's brother, Terry, it may not be such a happy holiday season in the Murray family.

Yes, right now, the Southeast is definitely SouthLeast. And, if the Caps and Panthers don't find their stride, there's no telling how far south this weak division will go.

E.J. Hradek writes puck for ESPN The Magazine. E-mail him at ej.hradek@espnmag.com.