It seems fashionable among hockey bloggers to take shots at Eklund these days, and I don’t want to pass up an opportunity like this.

Prior to free agency opening on Canada Day, Eklund provided a list of predictions over at Hockey Buzz. Let’s dissect what Ek saw as he was looking into his crystal ball a few short days ago.

* There will be less than 15 signings on the first day due to cap restrictions, but there will be several trade rumors and at least 3 trades that make signings happen…

According to TSN, 49 players signed contracts on July 1, and 33 of those are players changing teams. Eight of the players signed July 1 will earn an average of in excess of $5 million per season over the course of their contract (and that doesn’t count Bouwmeester, who signed on June 30). Cap restrictions be damned.

* Beauchemin to either Montreal or Tampa

He hasn’t signed yet, so Ek could still be right on this one.

* Ohlund to LA, NJ, or Anaheim (or maybe a real surprise)

Ohlund was the first free agent to move, and using “maybe a real surprise” to say “or any of the other 27 teams in the NHL” is cheating. Ohlund signed in Tampa.

* Saku Koivu to Anaheim

Nothing to report here. I’d be surprised if he ends up there.

* Knuble will re-sign with Philly

Signed with Washington.

* Hossa will be a domino after Heatley decides if he wants to go to Edmonton or NY

No waiting on Heatley. Hossa signs long-term in Chicago.

* Martin Biron will sign with Avalanche or Oilers

Nothing yet. Likely to be with the Avs, though.

* Cammalleri will sign with Buffalo, Nashville or Toronto

No, no, and no. The sniper goes to Montreal.

* The Sedins will sign in Montreal

The twins decide not to test free agency and opt to stay in Vancouver.

* Komisarek will sign in NJ or the New York Islanders, but don’t rule out a return to the Habs.

Toronto’s first big move was acquiring Komisarek.

* The Hawks will attempt to move Huet and bring back Bulin

Edmonton loses Roloson and doesn’t give Chicago a chance at Khabibulin.

* Havlat will not be signed today, but will likely end up back in Chicago

He was, and he didn’t. Headed to Minnesota on the first day of free agency.

* The Rangers will attempt to spend their money. Although I dont see it happening, expect Vinny rumors if Heatley goes to Edmonton.

They did spend a big chunk of cash on Gaborik.

* The Thrashers will make a few really solid signings, that no one will expect.

I’m not sure if I consider Antropov to be a “solid” signing, but we’ll give Ek the benefit of the doubt here.

* The Wild will get in on Hossa and make another play for Heatley (and possibly Vinny)

Not sure if they took a run at Heatley, but they did get Hossa.

* The Islanders will make a play for a major player as well. if not Komisarek, maybe Ohlund

No, Roloson doesn’t count as “a major player”.

* Kaberle to Boston for Kessel will be revisited.

I’ve got nothing to confirm or refute this.

So, out of 17 predictions, Eklund scores correctly on 3 (the Rangers attempting to spend their money, the Thrashers making a big signing, and the Wild getting Hossa). Four are still up in the air, and the remaining 10 are flat-out wrong.

I don’t want to be too critical; making predictions is tough business, and in the end, all it really does is fuel smart asses like myself in writing posts like this. But that’s the business Eklund is in, so of course I’m going to keep the scorecard on it. Maybe next year I’ll make some picks too, and we’ll see how “insider information” does against my random guesses and SportCenter education.

So I did a mediocre 5 for 8 on my first round picks. Time for the second round.

Western Conference

For some reason I like the Avalanche in this one. I think this team is gaining momentum and re-discovering their identity. If Theodore can outduel Osgood/Hasek in this series, Colorado can take it.

Joshua’s Pick: COLORADO IN SEVEN

Sarich’s big hit on Marleau was a big turning point for the Flames in game 3, but Marleau’s response to it may have also been a turning point for the Sharks in the series. His willingness to pay the price along the boards and get right back into the game shows his commitment and leadership: a true character player. I’d also like to see some iso-cam footage of Ryan Clowe from that series to figure out how he kept finding so much open space in the high-slot. Turco will make the Sharks work hard for their goals, but they’ve got the firepower, and now I truly believe they have the leadership as well.

Joshua’s Pick: SAN JOSE IN SIX

Eastern Conference

Got to take my Habs in this one. It could be a rough series, which plays to Philadelphia’s advantage. If Montreal can stay disciplined they will get the powerplay opportunities they need to put the Flyers away. Price has shown some rookie traits, but has kept his composure well despite the mistakes. I can see him getting more and more confident the longer the playoffs go.

Joshua’s Pick: MONTREAL IN SIX

This one could go the Rangers way because of two players: Lundqvist and Avery. A pest like Avery is great for getting in the heads of an opponent; if he can get into the head of a seasoned vet like Marty Brodeur, he has the potential to wreak havoc with a young team like the Penguins. Henrik Lundqvist highlights the one huge strength that the Rangers have in this series: solid goaltending. Despite those factors, I think the Penguins are gaining the poise and confidence to carry them deep in these playoffs. They have too much skill for the Rangers to handle.

Joshua’s Pick: PITTSBURGH IN FIVE

Western Conference

An upset isn’t out of the question in this series. Nashville has shown this year that they can compete with the big boys. As the season has progressed Detroit has looked increasingly vulnerable as well. The Wings could be prime for an upset, but I think their vetran experience will be enough to earn the win in this round. I doubt they’ll have enough left in the tank to go beyond the next round though.

Joshua’s Pick: DETROIT IN SEVEN

Ouch. I was really hoping for a Minnesota regulation win on Sunday to prevent this match-up. Calgary has been inconsistent all year, so it’s tough to tell what team is going to show up for the playoffs. San Jose, meanwhile, has closed out the season on a tear. Eighteen wins in their final 21 games is evidence that this team means business. I think Calgary will bring a strong game, but at the same time, I think San Jose is too hot to be stopped by the likes of the Flames right now.

Joshua’s Pick: SAN JOSE IN SIX (but I’d like to be wrong)

This one could go either way. These teams weren’t separated by very much this season. I like Colorado on a resurgent performance from Jose Theodore. Minnesota has pretty good fire power, but then so does Colorado. I think this will be an entertaining series to watch with plenty of scoring.

Joshua’s pick: COLORADO IN SEVEN

It looked like life was going to be sweet for Dallas in the Brad Richards era, but it turns out he’s becoming a bit of a flop.  Unless Richards plays like he did in 2004, I don’t see the Stars going very far against a very deeply talented Ducks team. Mike Ribiero can’t carry this team very far in the playoffs. There’s a reason Anaheim won the Cup last year, and Dallas is about to find that out.

Joshua’s Pick: ANAHEIM IN FIVE

Eastern Conference

I love this series already. Yes, I will now disclose my allegiance to Les Canadiens. In September I proclaimed that “this will be a tough year to be a Canadiens fan”. Wow, was I ever wrong! Much like last year, the Habs were dominant on the powerplay, but Alex Kovalev has been a totally new man this season. Montreal has capitalized on Ottawa’s downfall to win the Northeast division, and ultimately the conference. If I recall correctly, no two teams have ever met each other more times in the playoffs of any professional sport, and that includes some recent Montreal upsets in recent years, along with some bad blood (recall McLaren’s elbow on Zednik). Add that to Montreal’s 8-0 record against Boston this year, and this series has some real intrigue. I’m a little concerned about injuries to Komiserik and Koivu, but am still going to let my bias show and pick Montreal to go 12-0 against the Bruins this season. Price and Kovalev to dominate the B’s.

Joshua’s Pick: MONTREAL IN FOUR

Two teams moving in opposite directions makes this an easy series to pick. Ottawa has been awful down the stretch, and the loss of their captain makes a bad situation worse. Pittsburgh is relatively healthy, incredibly skilled, and cruising right now. I’m going to give Ottawa a single win here based on the skill they’ve got on their roster, but I almost feel like I’m being generous.

Joshua’s Pick: PITTSBURGH IN FIVE

Daniel Briere was a nice acquisition for a team that really turned the corner this year. But he’s no Alexnder Ovechkin. The Caps’ turn-around this year has been amazing to watch, and I dare say anyone who doesn’t support Carolina has probably enjoyed watching Washington over the second half of this season. Ovechkin plays with a whole lot of passion, and I think that’s what’s driving this team right now.  That can be hard to stop.

Joshua’s Pick: WASHINGTON IN FIVE

Sutter coaching and Brodeur goaltending will beat Ranger star-power. These guys aren’t far apart though, and several games will probably go to overtime.

Joshua’s Pick: NEW JERSEY IN SEVEN

Disagree? Let’s hear it in the comments.