During the regular season, some Eastern Conference teams made their big moves around the March trade deadline. Other clubs finished the 2001-02 season with what they had, believing they had enough to make a strong run through the postseason. The same modus operandi has applied over the offseason -- some teams have engaged in complete overhauls, while some have decided to stand pat. Of course, all moves are influenced by financial resources, the lack thereof, or the concern about impending doom in the form of a lockout after the current collective bargaining agreement expires in 2004.

Here's the lowdown on each team's offseason activity, which each hopes leads to a fruitful 2002-03.

	Atlanta Thrashers Thrashers general manager Don Waddell believes his team, despite finishing dead last in the conference last season, could be a true contender this year. Everyone saw how exciting the Thrashers' two youngsters -- Dany Heatley and Ilya Kovalchuk -- were last year, fueled by an inspired competition for the Calder Trophy as the NHL's top rookie. Heatley took home the prize, in part because an injury knocked Kovalchuk out of the lineup for the final 17 games. The Thrashers, seeking experience and leadership to take the pressure of their young players, especially 1999's No. 1 overall pick Patrik Stefan, traded for some offensive punch in Slava Kozlov, who was limited to a disappointing 38 games with Buffalo last year. On board to stabilize the lineup are left wing Shawn McEachern, who was acquired in a trade with Ottawa, and defensemen Richard Smehlik and Uwe Krupp. Smehlik, a solid defensive defenseman, toiled in Buffalo for his entire nine-year career until signing with the Thrashers as a free agent. The 37-year-old Krupp, who has battled career-threatening injuries, could help if he can recover from back and shoulder injuries. Grade: B+
	Boston Bruins Shockwaves rippled through the city when Bill Guerin walked away from his hometown and accepted the riches of Dallas' owner Tom Hicks to the tune of a five-year, $45 million contract. Those who were surprised by that development simply weren't paying attention. Guerin and the Bruins both knew he planned to test the free-agent waters and Boston had no intention of giving Guerin -- or anyone else for that matter -- a long-term deal. The club is honest -- and consistent -- is saying it is going to be conservative with contracts given how many people expect a protracted work stoppage in 2004. The Bruins also said goodbye to 35-game winner Byron Dafoe. The Bruins weren't satisfied with the work of their No. 1 netminder, an unrestricted free agent still in search of a team, in their first-round playoff series against the upstart Montreal Canadiens. Instead, they signed Steve Shields, who played with Anaheim last year, with the idea that he would push John Grahame for the job. Grahame started practicing martial arts this summer to improve his hand-eye coordination and reaction time, and said he's not going to give up the No. 1 job without a fight (figuratively speaking of course). In an effort to help replace Guerin's offense (41 goals), the Bruins took the two-nickels-for-a-dime approach. They signed rugged winger Michal Grosek, who can play with an edge. The last two seasons, which he spent in the Rangers' organization shuttling between New York and Hartford, were only so-so but the Bruins are hoping he can regain his form from 1998-99 when he scored 20 goals for Buffalo en route to the Cup finals. The team also is hoping Jonathan Girard can make the leap from the AHL and that Bryan Berard will add some spark to the defensive corps, the club's weakest spot at both ends of the ice. Grade: C-
	Buffalo Sabres The Sabres' season could best be described as mediocre, as they failed to make the playoffs for the first time in six years. But their on-ice woes were nothing compared to their off-ice troubles, which included a league takeover after members of the Rigas family were arrested for corporate wrongdoing. The Sabres will open the season with the same core as last season -- goalie Martin Biron, defenseman Rhett Warrener and center Chris Gratton. They re-signed blueline veteran James Patrick, who adds leadership and stability. And they're expecting more from 21-year-old center Tim Connolly, acquired from the Islanders last summer in the trade for Michael Peca. Newcomers include center Jochen Hecht, acquired from the Edmonton Oilers for draft picks, and Adam Mair, a 6-foot-2, 215-pound center acquired from the Kings, along with a fifth-round draft pick, for Erik Rasmussen. The team could use a whole lot more from right wing Maxim Afinogenov. Given his skills and his ice time, he should have contributed more than 40 points last season. The Sabres are hoping for some help from a couple of prospects -- forward Jason Pominville, considered a pure goal scorer during his junior hockey career, and defenseman Radoslav Hecl, who has been playing in the Slovakian Elite League and helped his team to a gold medal at the World Championships. Grade: C
	Carolina Hurricanes The Hurricanes did something no one in that part of the country thought they could do. Go to the Stanley Cup finals? Yeah, well, that, too. But almost as impressive, they muscled both NASCAR and college sports off the front pages during their remarkable run. Recognizing what a good thing they have going, general manager Jim Rutherford pretty well locked up everyone necessary to ensure they'll be in the hunt next season. That meant bringing back veteran center Ron Francis, the team's heart and soul who had an MVP-caliber season. Center Jeff O'Neill emerged as the force many knew he could be, bringing grit, touch and leadership to the club when it needed it most. Rookie left wing Erik Cole was an absolute revelation. Just ask Toronto's Gary Roberts, who ran into Cole everywhere he went in the conference finals. The 'Canes lost Martin Gelinas to Calgary via free agency, but kept key players like unrestricted free agent defenseman Bret Hedican, who could've gone anywhere he wanted to. They also re-signed center Kevyn Adams, who provided strong penalty killing and performed well on faceoffs in the postseason as part of the team's fourth line. Grade: A-
	Florida Panthers The excitement of the expansion team's early success in 1996, when they made to the Cup finals before bowing to Colorado, has been followed by some lean times. OK, lots of lean times. They missed the postseason four of the six years since, including last season. Now, they have a new general manager in Rick Dudley and a new coach (who arrived part way through last year) in Mike Keenan, and both have promised to shape up the disappointing franchise. Ownership began retooling in March by shipping complex forward Pavel Bure to the Rangers defenseman Igor Ulanov, defensive prospect Filip Novak and and three draft picks. The Panthers' 1996 magic playoff formula was simply hard work and team work. That mix was thrown off with Bure. Now, the team is rebuilding and is doing it around potential-superstar goalie Roberto Luongo. The No. 3 overall pick in the summer's draft, defenseman Jay Bouwmeester, is an exciting prospect, and the Panthers are expecting great things from sophomore Kristian Huselius, who was third in the Calder Trophy voting. Center Stephen Weiss, the team's top pick in 2001 (No. 4 overall), is expected to make the lineup. The Panthers dealt the rights to retired defenseman Robert Svehla (who immediately unretired) to Toronto for Dmitry Yushkevich. They are hoping Yushkevich, who was sidelined for the latter part of the season by a blood clot in his leg, can help tutor the young defensemen. The club added depth up front by signing veterans Jeff Toms and Jim Campbell. Grade: B-
	Montreal Canadiens There is a certain amount of comfort when you enter the summer free-agent period knowing you have the rights to the top goaltender in the league. Jose Theodore impressed a great many people last season and captured the Hart Trophy as the NHL's MVP and the Vezina Trophy as the top netminder. If it weren't for Theodore's inspired performance down the stretch, the Habs would've been on the outside of the playoffs looking in. Instead, due in part to Theodore, and in part to having Saku Koivu and Donald Audette back in the lineup, the team knocked out the heavily-favored Bruins in the first round. Doug Gilmour decided to return for a 20th season, and had an option added to this year's pact. Captain Saku Koivu, who astounded everyone around the league with his remarkable comeback from cancer, accepted the team's qualifying offer for next season. The team also rewarded coach Michel Therrien and his staff with a two-year contract. The two biggest additions to the mix this summer are veteran forward Randy McKay, who brings size, experience and toughness to the team, and the enigmatic Mariusz Czerkawski, from the Islanders in exchange for Arron Asham. After back-to-back 30-goal seasons, Czerkawski had just 22 last year. The Habs will be counting on more. Grade: B
	New Jersey Devils The team is hoping to stop the revolving door that has brought in -- and then ushered out -- so many coaches. General manager Lou Lamoriello hired Pat Burns, hoping the former Montreal-Toronto-Boston coach can right the Devils' listing ship. Because trade-deadline acquisitions don't always have enough time to get acclimated to their new team or teammates, the result is frustration all around. Yes, both Jamie Langenbrunner and Joe Nieuwendyk -- acquired last March from Dallas in the Jason Arnott deal -- are terrific players, but they weren't able to make an impact in just 14 games. A full season with the Devils certainly won't hurt either player. The Devils, not at all surprisingly, lost forward Bobby Holik to free agency. They're banking on new acquisitions (from Anaheim) Jeff Friesen, Oleg Tverdovsky and Maxim Balmochnykh to help fill the void. Grade: B
	New York Islanders The Islanders had the most impressive start in the Eastern Conference last season before a rash of injuries brought them back to the pack. First-year coach Peter Laviolette did an inspired job and the moves general manager Mike Milbury made last offseason paid off. Instead of being the Eastern doormats, the Islanders proved they were an up-and-comer built around the leadership of Michael Peca and the considerable skills of Alexei Yashin. This summer, they re-signed forward Mark Parrish, avoiding arbitration, and added defenseman Jason Wiemer from Florida. In addition to the grit provided by Wiemer, they acquired rough-and-tumble forward Arron Asham from Montreal for Mariusz Czerkawski. They also signed forward Eric Manlow, who wasn't retained by the Bruins. Forward Brad Isbister, who scored just 17 goals last year, said he was disappointed in his season and knows he needs to step it up. He has spent the summer working on his speed and strength. Despite how much they'll miss Peca, who suffered a serious injury as a result of a questionable hit by Toronto's Darcy Tucker in the playoffs and will be out for quite some time, this is a team with a bright future. Grade: B
	New York Rangers The Rangers' biggest moves this summer involved adding one forward and subtracting another. They signed Bobby Holik away from the Devils with a five-year, $45 million deal and bid farewell to troubled forward Theo Fleury, which will prove to be addition by subtraction. For a time, the club was interested in replacing mainstay goaltender Mike Richter. But when all was said and done -- and the Rangers couldn't sign a suitable replacement -- Richter was back in the fold, deemed the best tutor available for goalie-of-the-future Dan Blackburn. A big move was signing free-agent defenseman Darius Kasparaitis. Kasparaitis, who played for Pittsburgh and Colorado last season, will give the Rangers' defense a huge upgrade. The 29-year-old was second in the league in hits with 373. General manager Glen Sather decided not to exercise the option on Berard, making him a free agent. They added more help on defense, though, by signing Joel Bouchard. The 28-year-old spent most of last season with the Albany River Rats but has NHL experience with five different organizations. Grade: A-
	Ottawa Senators The biggest offseason change for the Senators was in the front office. John Muckler took over the reins as general manager and is gradually making changes in an effort to propel the Senators to the next level. He dealt McEachern to Atlanta for defenseman Brian Pothier, who split last season between the Thrashers and the Chicago Wolves of the AHL. He also acquired defensive prospect Josef Boumedienne, 24, from Tampa in exchange for a draft pick. They also signed Brad Smyth, a 29-year-old right winger who had 82 points in 79 games with Hartford of the AHL last season. The new prospects will vie for spots along with the talented core group. Captain Daniel Alfredsson, who had his healthiest season in years, finished as the top scorer with 71 points -- 37 of them goals -- in 78 games. The team accepted the arbitration ruling for Radek Bonk and also re-signed defenseman Chris Phillips. Phillips didn't have a point in the postseason, but still played well. He said he's expecting much more of himself this year. No doubt Muckler is too. Grade: B
	Philadelphia Flyers The Flyers are notable for not making many offseason changes. Gone is goaltender Brian Boucher, leaving Roman Cechmanek in charge of the No. 1 reins. The club, which traded for center Adam Oates at the deadline, elected not to re-sign the veteran, who landed in Anaheim. Defenseman Luke Richardson, who isn't coming off a very good season, signed a multiyear deal with Columbus. The Flyers certainly aren't without talent, although the medical problems suffered by star wing John Leclair have been troubling. But with Jeremy Roenick and Simon Gagne, a restricted free agent who still is unsigned, anchoring the offense and the veteran presence of Mark Recchi, the Flyers are still a pretty decent club. To this point, they haven't equaled the sum of their parts. The postseason has been nothing short of disastrous for four of the last five years. Grade: C-
	Pittsburgh Penguins The Penguins have one of the greatest players of all time on their roster -- owner Mario Lemieux -- but there isn't a whole lot around him. Gone is Robert Lang, who signed a fat contract with Washington to dish the puck to another former Penguin, Jaromir Jagr. Martin Straka, who had horrible luck last season when he broke his right leg twice and broke his orbital bone, is hurt again, injuring his back while lifting weights in the Czech Republic. The Penguins have added some young talent this summer. They signed 22-year-old Matt Murley, their second choice (No. 51 overall) in the 1999 draft. Murley, a former standout at RPI, scored 24 goals and added 22 assists in 32 games last season. Forward Randy Robitaille will play his first full season in Pittsburgh. He suited up for 40 games last season after being claimed off waivers from the Kings on Jan. 4. The Penguins are counting on some help from forward Ville Nieminen and defenseman Rick Berry, who joined Pittsburgh from Colorado for Kasparaitis at the deadline. They also acquired defenseman Jamie Pushor in March from Columbus for a fourth-round pick in 2003. For additional defensive help, they acquired 27-year-old Swede Dick Tarnstrom off waivers from the Islanders. He had 19 points in 62 regular-season games with the Isles. This is a team in full rebuilding mode. Grade: C
	Tampa Bay Lightning General manager Jay Feaster said he believes in his team. The goal-starved Lightning promise they won't be as offensively challenged as they were last season when they scored a conference-worst 178 goals. The club missed forwards Martin St. Louis and Fredrik Modin who were limited to 53 and 54 games, respectively, due to injury. Feaster attempted to bolster his young roster by re-signing veteran forward Dave Andreychuk, who led the team in goals with 21, and he dealt the No. 4 overall pick in the June draft to Philadelphia for winger Ruslan Fedotenko. The Lightning expect the former Flyers to score 20-25 goals and be a factor on special teams. They also picked up defenseman Brad Lukowich from Dallas for a draft pick. The team is built around the young players, specifically center Brad Richards, who led the team in scoring with 62 points, and center Vincent Lecavalier, who is still finding his way. Defensemen Pavel Kubina and Ben Clymer are also expected to contribute significantly. One player they expect more from is forward Shane Willis, who scored 20 goals in his rookie year of 2000-01 with Carolina. He had just 11 in 80 games with Tampa last season. Grade: C
	Toronto Maple Leafs The big question in Toronto is how will Ed Belfour fare as the replacement for popular Curtis Joseph? Talent-wise one could argue it was a terrific signing, given Belfour's credentials. The unknown factor is how the tightly-wound netminder will react to the glaring media spotlight in Toronto. The Maple Leafs were happy with last season, for the most part. They were knocked out of an intense conference finals series with Carolina. In addition to bringing Tie Domi back, they signed veteran forward Tom Fitzgerald, who will add a strong defensive presence. Fitzgerald, 33, enters his 14th NHL season and last year played 63 games with Nashville and 15 with the Chicago Blackhawks. The Leafs also are banking on help from new acquisition -- defenseman Robert Svehla -- whom they acquired from Florida for Yushkevich. Svehla led the league in hits last year with 386 and was second in 2000-01 with 354. He will add to an already punishingly physical lineup. Grade: C
	Washington Capitals Need more production from your $70 million star? Go out and spend $25 million more to get his former linemate. That's exactly what the Capitals did when they signed unrestricted free-agent center Robert Lang to a five-year contract. The club is praying Lang can inspire Jagr. Gone is center Adam Oates, who was dealt to Philadelphia at the deadline and then signed a free-agent contract this summer with Anaheim. New coach Bruce Cassidy was hired to replace Ron Wilson, who was fired after an endorsement by ownership. With the offense centered around Jagr and Lang, the Capitals need No. 1 goalie Olaf Kolzig to return to the form that took the team all the way to the Cup finals in 1998. Kolzig is a workhorse, but he's coming off an ankle injury and a subpar season. Chris Hajt, who has spent the last three seasons in the Oilers organization, is the only defensive addition the Capitals have made, as they're banking on the healthy return of defenseman Calle Johansson and defensive forwards Steve Konowalchuk and Jeff Halpern, who were plagued by injuries last year. Signing versatile free-agent forward Kip Miller will add depth. Grade: C

Nancy Marrapese-Burrell of the Boston Globe is a regular contributor to ESPN.com.