HAHAHAHA Dupis? Are you serious? I have watched Dupis play for years in Minnesota, and he absolutely CAN NOT finish. He's got great speed and agility, but put give him the puck and an open shot and he's completely useless. He would be a 30+ goal scorer easily if he had any semblance of aim on his shot. (And hitting the goalie's logo does not count as aim)
And while the Thrashers made some good deadline moves, I still don't think they have what it takes. NJ and Buffalo are much better teams, and really deserve it much more. Of course, the Devils will pretty much ride Brodeur, much like the Canucks will be riding Luongo. That would make for a boring finals though...
And while I'd love to say the Wild are gonna take it, I just feel like there's something missing still. But if Gaborik and Detmitra really start clicking (ever more so than they are now), the defense holds up (read: Skoula doesn't fuck up), and goaltending/2-4th lines play like they have been the past few weeks, there's definitely a chance they'll go far.
Red Wings are always a favorite too. With Zetterberg and Datsuk up front and Lindstrom and Hasek in back, they're pretty intimidating. Especially if Bertuzzi comes back.
I honestly don't think the Canucks can ride Luongo and if the Flames don't start clicking soon, they could be out in the first round. Anaheim will definitely make it far.
I'm not so sure about San Jose and Dallas though. I just haven't seen enough of either team to say anything definite about them.
I'd probably have to say Anaheim-Detroit in West finals and Buffalo-NJ in the east. Although, Pittsburgh may be able to power their way up there (whoever said Crosby will burn out is just ridiculous. He's 19 and he's easily in the best shape of his life so far. He's been carrying that team for almost 2 years now and showed no signs of wavering. You don't have to like him, but don't say he's gonna choke, because honestly, he's the real deal.)
I think Buffalo will end up coming out of the East, but only if Miller stays healthy and at the top of his game. They're too deep in scoring for Brodeur to hold them back alone.
Anaheim is gonna come out of the West. Detroit just doesn't have the depth or experience to make it all the way.
And as much as the West deserves it (sooooo much better than the East right now), I think Buffalo will end up taking the Cup, but only if they don't go to 7 against NJ. Anaheim (or whoever comes out of the West, really) is just gonna be too beat up to keep up with the Eastern team.
And yes, I  do follow hockey a lot...